tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12741477675179130922024-03-28T20:29:15.844-07:00Stuff & CricketUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger366125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-56030034289972989582024-03-26T15:36:00.000-07:002024-03-26T15:36:00.779-07:00Hypocrisy <p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I have no love for
the Windsors but I can’t help feeling sorry for the P.O.W. who was bullied by
the media into revealing personal details about herself. In the aftermath the same media then elevated
her to sainthood, a haunting example of history repeating itself.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In London at the
weekend thousands of people marched for Palestine though this was barely
reported, then the noble US of A didn’t veto the UN calling for ceasefire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As genocide continues Oceania can’t look away
any longer even if “our” sympathies are encouraged to look further north.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Terrorism in Moscow
and Putin points the finger at Islamic Fundamentalists while simultaneously pointing
another towards Kiev.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are encouraged
to mock and forget that twenty years ago our own governments pointed a second
finger towards Baghdad.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But none of this can
be very important because a fucking boat crashed… </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-90745002114858195452024-03-15T15:06:00.000-07:002024-03-15T15:06:55.359-07:00This is Democracy ?<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This week in Russia
Putin is standing for re-election as a demonstration of Russian democracy
although the BBC was quick to point out all of his major rivals are in prison
or dead. Meanwhile suicidally brave
Russian citizens are being arrested for acts of vandalism at polling stations. None of this should come as much surprise
because its what we’ve been told to believe about Russia for most of our lives.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">On the other side of
the world in the land of the free, their upcoming election will be contested
between two men who you’d barely trust to drive down the dual carriageway and it’s
becoming harder to ignore the fact that Trump is likely to get the top
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what Trump probably wants us
to ignore is that he’s currently on trial for, wait for it, “election interference”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">And in our own
thriving democracy the Tory party thinks it is okay to accept donations from
someone called Frank Hester who in turn thinks it is okay to make foul racist
statements about Diane Abbott.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When this
subject came up in parliament Abbott herself was not allowed to ask a question
despite standing over forty times.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This is democracy?</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-41259535960422739562024-03-10T14:53:00.000-07:002024-03-10T14:53:32.576-07:00All over in India<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The last test of the
series would have been predictable in other recent visits to India, the home
team winning by an innings in the end with only Crawley, root and Bashir coming
out with much credit. But before the
match started I was hopeful of BB England closing the gap in the series. Well in the end England did lose the series
4-1 but even this eternal optimist can no longer claim we are the best Test
team in the world. To be fair we didn’t
do any worse than any of the other teams that visit India and we probably
worried them more than most, to go down by this margin isn’t a disgrace. But when it counted Stokes’ England were not
clinical enough and amongst all the brilliant BB cricket this problem has
reared up often over the last twelve months.
When England (or anyone) last won in India our spinners; Swann and
Panesar, were better than the home team’s and we had a batting line up full of proven
test class players. This time around our
inexperienced spinners done really bloody well but were not as good as Ashwin
and Jadeja, not that we could reasonably expect them to be. Also the Indian batsmen scored seven
centuries to England’s three, and for once Stokes had a poor series, enough
said.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">For the first year
of the Stokes/McCullum tenure England consistently fielded the best possible XI
but from the start of the 2023 English summer this has not been the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve got to wait until July for another
England test match by which time we have to expect Harry Brook will be back in
contention which means realistically either Foakes or Bairstow will have to
make way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously coming from the
Wicky’s union I would pick Foakes every time because he keeps with the
effortless excellence we would normally associate with batsmen like Gower or Lara.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fair play to mad Johnny for reaching 100 caps
but compare him to all of the other sixteen Englishmen to have reached this
milestone and he isn’t in the same class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe the selectors will decide to take a punt on a new face entirely
which might be the best course of action.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">With the retirement
of the great Stuart Broad and the great Jimmy Anderson surely winding down, (despite
looking fresh in taking his 700<sup>th</sup> test wicket this week) there are
opportunities in the pace bowling line up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Chris Woakes will surely be in the mix this summer as will Mark Wood but
these two are in their mid thirties so in the final stages of their
careers?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a while Ollie Robinson
looked like he was going to be an automatic choice but his fitness appears
suspect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a few around the
fringes like Potts and Tongue but what would we give to have Jofra Archer fit
and in rhythm?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The biggest plus from the
Indian tour however is the spin bowling options, all of a sudden we have a
handful that can step up in test cricket.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Still on the subject
of sport I watched some brilliant rugby this weekend, (obviously Union, not the
headbutting competition practiced by convict colonies and northerners) in
particular the England-Ireland match which meant the six nations will go down
to the final weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But although we
call it the six nations I’m not sure this is entirely accurate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ireland’s two tries were scored by a New
Zealander and in the Italy – Scotland match tries were scored by South Africans
and an Australian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suppose this trend
started in cricket and England have been as guilty as anyone but for some
reason I think it devalues international rugby.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Tonight all the
worlds’ media obsessed will be tuned into the Oscars beamed around the world
from Hollywood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For anyone who has been
in isolation for their whole lives this is an award ceremony for people who are
really good at playing ‘pretend’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
complicate things further these famous pretenders pretend they like each other
and everyone pretends the results aren’t fixed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or as we say round these parts, it’s a load of old bollocks.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-10379547462216362092024-02-29T14:03:00.000-08:002024-02-29T14:03:48.793-08:00Fourth Test<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The fourth test was
a belter. Joe Root went back to playing
his normal game and scored a great unbeaten ton, with crucial support from
Foakes and Robinson. Then the young
spinners got stuck in and Bashir took his maiden Test five for. After five sessions England were cruising, at
this time I was listening to Talksport which was just rubbish. Whole overs went
by while the “commentators” just waffled amongst themselves and failed to
inform us what was going on in the middle.
At close of play the team of “experts” had totally written off any
chance of an Indian win even though the beginnings of a fight back had already
stared. Day three was all India who not
only fought back but found themselves favourites by the end of play. On the fourth day England scrapped but India
hung on to clinch the match and the series.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Another defeat for
England but one which didn’t smart as much as the previous one because this was
not a poor performance, it was just India were better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The home team has an inexperienced batting
line up but on these pitches they have the edge over England’s inexperienced
spinners which is not to say Bashir and Hartley have bowled badly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Picking these two and Ahmed has been an
inspired choice and further endorsement for the Stokes / McCullum method.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>England may lose this series 4-1 but we are
still the best Test team in the world.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-82066695531963214902024-02-25T05:06:00.000-08:002024-02-25T05:06:59.628-08:00Uproar<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The House is in
uproar because the Speaker broke protocol over a vote. Of course, of all things, this vote was about
a call for a ceasefire in Palestine. Now
over fifty MPs are calling for the Speaker to resign, which is probably fair
enough. But if all inside the House are
held to the same standard, how many Tories would there be left?</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-64954140982098096952024-02-22T10:44:00.000-08:002024-02-22T10:44:19.843-08:00Third Test<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As soon as I
proclaim England as the best Test team in the world they have arguably their
worst performance of the Stokes era. A
game that thanks to Ben Duckett was pretty even after two days swung
dramatically in India’s favour. Duckett
aside all the outstanding individual performances came from Indian players;
Rohit, Jadeja twice and Jaiswal who looks like a future star. In the second England could take pride in
defeat but not so here, this was a piss poor performance. Going forward it would help if Joe Root would
just play his own game, his current batting shows about the same intelligence
as his captaincy and hopefully someone in the management will realise Barking
mad Bairstow’s golden 2022 was an anomaly.
There I said it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We’ve been here
before, a chastening defeat sees all of us thinking “BB couldn’t really work…”
but so far under Stokes England have managed to bounce back. Being 2-1 down
away should be a bridge too far anywhere, let alone in the most difficult
conditions a visiting cricket team can face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’ve seen recent England teams crumble in Australia and here in India
many times before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if there has ever
been an England team that can turn it around then it’s this one.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-91022028973780440032024-02-12T13:24:00.000-08:002024-02-12T13:24:04.447-08:00Concerned<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">David fucking
Cameron was the PM that gave us austerity and promised the Brexit referendum in
an attempt to control his own party now he’s Foreign secretary he twiddles his
cock while genocide is committed in Gaza.
He is “deeply concerned” apparently…</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-29003521328914121892024-02-08T13:54:00.000-08:002024-02-08T13:56:40.744-08:00All square<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The second test has
been and gone, another really good match but this time India got on top early
and didn’t release their grip. In the end the home team won comfortably enough
on paper but England fought back hard and the hosts were never comfortable
until the last wicket fell. This time the key individual performances all came from
Indian players; Jaiswal, Gill and especially Bumrah. But even in defeat England still look a good,
confident team, the brave selection of young unheralded spinners has been a
success and Stokes’ team doesn’t seem to feel any pressure. If England can get ahead of the game at any
future stage we know India will definitely feel it. I still fancy England to win this series but
whatever the final result it’ll be fun.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I actually tuned in to Talksport for the final session and it was even more awful than I remember.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-25790056407563283202024-01-29T14:26:00.000-08:002024-01-29T14:26:36.121-08:00Subtle<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When the US and UK
drop bombs in the middle east, presumably people die and we are told this is
done in the name of “Defence”. When in
the same region, US troops are attacked and killed, the media reports this as
if it was murder.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-33606303477774642282024-01-28T13:39:00.000-08:002024-01-28T13:39:08.664-08:00Test cricket returns!<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Test cricket had
been away so long that it has taken a while to re-enter my routine, although Talksport
having the radio coverage doesn’t help to be fair. England away in India, the hardest tour of
all because nobody beats India at home, not since 2012 at least and who won
then? One of the last great performances
by an England team that had recently been number one in the world.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">With two days gone
India were well on top after their spinners bamboozled us and their batsmen
demonstrated how it should be done taking them to an innings lead of 190. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of the match should follow a
predictable course to an inevitable conclusion but one thing we know about Stokes’
team is they are capable of turning things around, we may not expect them to
but we know they can. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even so at this
point there was little motivation to tune into the audial faecal treacle that
is Talksport’s coverage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The fight back started
on day three, led by a brilliant innings from Ollie Pope, very much a forgotten
man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was great to see Ben Foakes back
in the team too, a typical gritty 30+ in the second innings to help put on 112
with Pope when the match was in the balance. The tail wagged along with Pope
too, did England have a defendable target?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes! someone called Hartley bowled us to victory on the fourth day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Foakes fan club must mention the two
stumpings at the end as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>England
had won another brilliant test match, this was almost unbelievable but then
again we’re not really surprised anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Last time England
toured here we won the first test then crumbled but I can’t see this happening
again and whatever the final outcome I think England will be competitive. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I certainly won’t be surprised if we go on and
win this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>India are a damn good
team and incredibly difficult to beat on their own wickets but England are the
best Test team in the world at the moment, whatever the rankings say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It all starts again on Friday…</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Elsewhere another pleasing and unexpected result saw West Indies bowl out Australia to win a test match and draw that series. Only India have left OZ undefeated over the last decade so that is a an excellent result, but WI have a habit of winning games like this then going mising again.</span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-74743141894677474082024-01-12T14:22:00.000-08:002024-01-12T14:22:39.887-08:00Defending the Realm<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Today’s headlines
concerned the Big Bully and his annoying little side kick picking on someone
far smaller and weaker than themselves.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Or as the news would
have it, the US and Britain sent aircraft to bomb targets in Yemen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a statement that could have been written
by Orwell himself, Little Rishi claimed that dropping bombs on (what we once
called) a third world country, thousands of miles away was an act of “<i>self
defence</i>”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “self” we are apparently defending
are merchant ships heading through the Red Sea towards the Suez Canal and
Europe. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Old pissy pants Joe Biden was
more honest saying <i>“</i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>the action will
protect the free flow of international commerce…”</i><i> </i> What the bullies are actually defending are
the interests of the super rich, it is in no way about protecting you and me. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The people being bombed are the
Houthi, a group in the war ravaged country that I know little about, except
they are enemies of Saudi Arabia and are attacking ships in solidarity with the
Palestinians being slaughtered by the state of Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a confusing world we live in, Saudi Arabia
has an appalling human rights record and Israel is currently practicing genocide
yet the US and Britain look the other way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some boats get attacked and we drop bombs on a desert state.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It’s also ridiculous that we find military
action affordable yet we can’t fund our public services, what would do more to
protect ordinary people?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also we don’t
have to go back very far into history to see what the result of western
military action is, thousands more refugees crossing borders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this is going on the arms trade
flourishes and a small group of people will be adding a few more billions to
their personal wealth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you were a
cynical person you might conclude that was the real point to it all.</span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-57579191888646516632024-01-09T14:11:00.000-08:002024-01-09T14:11:25.750-08:00Scandal<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Post office
scandal! We love a good scandal don’t
we? And when it’s ordinary people being
shafted by an institution then little Britain is in uproar! And rightly so. This went on for twenty years (if you don’t
know you need two minutes and Google), innocent people ended up in prison
because of defective software and people at all levels of the Post office
organisation covered it up. Politicians
dithered, lie piled on top of lie so certain people could continue pursuing a
career while the little people were dragged through court. But through the persistence of some of the
victims who fought back eventually the wall of bullshit crumbled and the truth escaped,
I had a brief recollection of celebratory scenes outside a court a year or two
back. Then it all went quiet again. Until the other day when ITV screened a
dramatization of the events and it is this is when the country went into meltdown.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This has been the
headline story for the last couple of days which has given grateful politicians
something to get rhetorical about but thankfully more will be done to help the
victims of what is basically fraud, the very thing many of them got done for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The former CEO of the Post Office may lose
her CBE which is a bit much as most* of the people who receive these gongs are
in some way fraudulent anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
right to call these innocent people ‘victims’ because they were fucked over in
clear sight by an organisation that was once owned by the state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What concerns me is we’ve got to this point
not because of the British justice system but because some TV execs saw an
opportunity to make a few quid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But at
least we, or should I say ‘they’, got there.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-49447462441929232912024-01-08T14:16:00.000-08:002024-01-08T14:16:02.427-08:00What time is it?<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This time last week
it was New Years Eve, which is the most over-rated day of the entire year. In my pub dwelling days Christmas eve was
always happy and fun, in those days most of the country still shut down for a
week so we were celebrating the beginning of a weeklong liquid drug binge. New year’s eve signalled the end of fun and
back to work once the hangover had cleared, the mood was different and it
nearly always turned nasty.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It’s probably thirty
years since I last went “out” on New year’s eve, a mellow mood and Jool’s
Hootenanny is just the job most years, although this year’s show was savaged by
that cunt SIR Rod fucking Stewart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
not a fan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We used to go outside at
midnight to listen to the church bells but nowadays all you can hear is
fireworks, to say it sounds like a war zone is probably in poor taste in this
current state of mad worldness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Why do people
celebrate the turning of the year or rather what exactly is it we
celebrate?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Survival?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another twelve month period negotiated (or
maybe in my case just getting Xmas over and done), if so then surely our
birthday is more appropriate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come to
think of it do we celebrate survival twice?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Side tracked…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We go mad on New
Years eve because we are conditioned to do so, most people obey without
question because they just do what everyone else does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In following the herd to the pub we spend a
fortune on booze, generate a bit of tax revenue and line the pockets of the brewers
and distillers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder who does own
the breweries? <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">According to Google,
it was the early Christians who began measuring the years since the birth of
Brian in an attempt to distance themselves from the Roman calendar, which makes
sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However it seems the earliest
recorded mention of an AD date is by a monk called Dionysius Exiguus around 525
and it didn’t become widespread in Britain until the eight and ninth
centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Presumably in those days most
people got by quite nicely without any concept of time?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But not now!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in order to function in any way in our
enlightened world the measurement of time has to take place and our accepted
method works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some clever bugger sat
down and calculated moons and months then broke it all down into hours and
minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chuck in a few leap years here
and there, jobs a good un.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We gave them
all names for convenience and through the course of what we call a year it all
works remarkably well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But on New Year’s
Eve we commemorate a measurement of time that has an arbitrary starting point
(the birth of a largely forgotten prophet) just over two thousand years
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or to put it another way, someone
plucked a point in passed time and said “that’ll do”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I kind of get why
people would celebrate more natural phenomena like Solstice or Equinox, there
is something tangible going on and it’s no coincidence that these events fit
almost perfectly within our twelve month calendar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So why did we change?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bloody Christians.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-24914475490343338152024-01-03T15:02:00.000-08:002024-01-03T15:02:02.493-08:00Horrible Histories 2023<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">January is always
welcome. I think most of the reason I
hate December, apart from the obvious, is the darkness, every day forward takes
us deeper into the gloom, shorter days and more dreary dampness. By the time January gets here the sheep have
finished troughing and the Solstice has passed, now every day forward the days
are a tiny bit longer and we’re marching towards warmer days. Although it’s still several weeks away spring
is tangible now, it feels real again.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This place of
optimism is the ideal vantage point to look back at the river of shit we’ve
just waded through that history will call 2023.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With the new year came old problems. Covid was still a thing but it was
no longer allowed to stop the wheels of industry from turning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The former royal known as the Ginger Prince
had a book published and there were rumours he may have written it himself but
whatever or whoever the sales graph rose like Covid deaths and the overall goal
of keeping the whining prick in the news was achieved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other tainted prince AKA Randy Andy spent
most of 2023 lurking in the shadows which may be sensible but it’s the last
place you want to find someone with his form.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In February almost
half a million people went on strike which divided opinion but I never missed
an opportunity to toot the car horn, power to the posties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Royal Mail, once a proud and efficient
public service now just another crap courier company paying shareholders while
raping their staff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talking of sexual
offence, serial nonce and inspiration behind many rhyming gags Gary Glitter was
locked up again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You never hear his
songs on the radio these days, unlike Michael Jackson.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In March we were
talking about Covid again or more to the point the lockdown files which no one
was in a hurry to handover to the inquiry staff and provided journalists with
an easy buffet for several weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also
another Gary, Lineker on this occasion, had pissed of the fascist media by
daring to have an opinion different to theirs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The former footballer, spud peddler and all round nice chap then played
chicken with the BBC and in one of the great sporting fairy stories, actually
won.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Spring came with
warmer weather, freshening greenness and Extinction Rebellion reminded us of
their presence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They pissed off a lot of
people with their form of action and were widely condemned but like their mad
cousins Just Stop Oil, I can’t help sympathising with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This adverse publicity didn’t stop the Green
Party winning its first ever council here in Mid Suffolk and I hope and pray
this is the just the beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may
say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The big news of the
spring after much head scratching and planning, a massive effort and millions
of pounds culminated in a bizarre and pompous ceremony, barely changed since
the dark ages, the climax was a massive piece of bling being plonked on Charlie
Wing nut’s head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Royalty, FFS just take
a minute to yourself, try to comprehend the concept of royalty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They’ve been getting away with this shit for centuries!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now summer was upon
us and the Clown DePfeffel was found guilty of being a cunt and received no
kind of censure but TV golden boy Phillip Schofield certainly did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After surviving last years queue jumping
scandal the press got their revenge by accusing him of being a sex pest then a
few weeks later bagged a brace by pointing their shit stained fingers at Huw
Edwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were certainly fires beneath
the smoke surrounding these two TV stalwarts but nothing illegal was ever
mentioned.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">An Ashes summer
should mean it dominates the sporting news for as long as the sun shines and we
did get a very good drawn series but it was all squeezed into second billing
behind cricket’s bastard offspring the Hundred, I mean can anybody remember who
won?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually it wasn’t a bad year for
international sport; The England women’s football team were world cup runners
up behind an excellent Spanish team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Later in the year England flopped at the 50 over world cup which was
eventually won by the bloody Aussies and England’s rugby team done better than
anyone expected by reaching the semi final.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were beaten by the saffers who were the eventual winners but
honestly, how did New Zealand not win the world cup?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while I remember it was a good year for
boxing, after much frustration in recent times it looks like the big
heavyweight fights will finally happen in 2024.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The British heavyweight champion comes from my own home town and our football
team finished the year a division higher and ended the year having won more
points and scored more goals than any team in England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sensible politicians
spend their summers hiding in tax havens but Greenpeace tried to lure little Rishi
out of hiding by climbing onto the roof of his country pile where they unfurled
a banner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little Rishi managed to
survive the year with help from governmental colleagues who deflected attention
by dramatically revealing their own stupidity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All little Rishi had to concentrate on was to avoid saying or doing
anything too stupid and the fact he managed to mostly achieve this shows he’s
an improvement on his predecessor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yup
that’s all it takes these days.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Early September was
unseasonably hot just when I wanted to go fishing but after the sun came the
rain, rain in more rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact in East
Anglia it didn’t stop raining for the rest of the year and we’ve been doused by
a succession of named storms and surely the wettest period of my life
time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another celebrity found himself in
bother this autumn and it was no great surprise when the sex pest tag was
hurled in Russell Brand’s direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There has always been something vaguely slimy about this man but it has
to be pointed out that he’s been a vocal critic of the British Establishment
and he has about as much chance of a fair trial as Julian Assange.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the autumn the
latest in a long line of “look at me, I’m a cunt” style Tories began her
campaign to become the next party leader, taking for granted that little Rishi
is a dead duck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a succession of
foul pronouncements, the pantomime fascist Suella de Vile talked herself out of
a job which is exactly what she’d been trying to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little Britain has a new figurehead.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Having grown bored
of Ukraine, arms manufacturers needed another shop window and obligingly the
whole Israel/Palestine shit storm kicked off again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looks like a Hamas suicide mission turned
into an Israeli genocide excuse and all manner of horror has befallen since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the UK and around the world there have
been millions of Pro Palestine supporters marching on the streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A new generation has been forced to immerse
itself in the troubled history of the region but still many people think saying
“<i>FFS the Israeli’s have gone way too far man!</i>” is rampant anti-Semitism,
it isn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As the year drew to
a close we lost two great poets in Shane MacGowen and Benjamin Zephaniah and
our latest literary sensation, the Ginger Prince was locked in a court room
battle against factions of the fleet street scumbags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to tune out but I think he finished
the year how he started it, name making headlines with a few more quid in the
bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Ginger Prince vs Fleet Street,
unfortunately they can’t both lose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Covid inquiry was still ticking on and all the major players were hauled in for
an uncomfortable grilling which made it obvious that the British government in
2020/21 were frighteningly inept and obviously corrupt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a shame nobody pointed that out at the
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But will they actually get
punished?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, 2024.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do we have to look forward to? An
election in which the Establishment friendly version of the Labour party should
win in order to maintain the illusion of democracy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Labour wins it won’t be because they’re
any fucking use but because the Tory corruption is so transparent even their own
supporters are embarrassed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This should
be the end of the Etonians for a while but it’s worth remembering that their
grandfathers genuinely believed they were genetically superior to the rest of
us, we can’t take our eyes off them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
wouldn’t it be good if people actually realised this two party face off is
nothing more than theatre designed to distract and make us fight each
other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to think the generation
coming through are smarter than we are and have sussed out that nothing will
change if we keep voting for the same old shit.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But apart from that
and aside from the wars, famine and poverty that are ever presents of the
twenty first century there is still loads of good stuff to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of this good stuff is seldom mentioned
in the news, outside of a two minute slot before the weather at least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Test cricket starts again in a few weeks,
five tests in India and by the time that’s done it will be March and we’ll be
able to smell spring. Later on in the year we have home test series against
Pakistan and Sri Lanka as well as the arbitrary pyjama cricket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With longer warmer days the colour will
return to the countryside again, time and space to keep doing the things that
we love, the things that really bring meaning and happiness to our lives.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-24499721550355461122023-12-09T13:34:00.000-08:002023-12-09T13:34:55.250-08:00White balls, bastards and blackmail<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The cricket world cup has been and gone, in the final
Australia who peaked at the right time dominated the hosts India and won the
trophy for the sixth time. It would have
taken something special for England to have reached this stage but I didn’t see
such a shambolic collapse in form coming.
Hindsight is a piece of piss; before the tournament the thinking seemed muddled
then selection was inconsistent and in the end they obviously got it
wrong. Fifty over preparation was non
existent as international cricket played second fiddle to the bastard hundred
last summer. Ditch that stupid fucking
tournament please! At the moment England
are playing yet more white ball stuff in the West Indies and with two ODI’s
gone we’ve won one and lost one, nothing so far suggests England are back at
the level of Eoin Morgan’s side. The
next test cricket comes in India early next year, probably the toughest tour of
all, the home side are unbeaten in this format since Cook’s England beat them
over a decade ago. We must expect the
pitches to favour the home side but if any team can go there and win then it is
Stokes’ England.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When not distracted by the things in life that bring me joy,
I try hard to ignore the bullshit that is thrown my way but it would be amiss
not to mention that Braverman creature is a foul, vile excuse for a human.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In what universe is the Rwanda plan a good
idea?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How fucked up is the world when
this is even being discussed? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then this
week we’ve had the bastard De Pfeffel squirming, lying and smirking before the
Covid inquiry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cunt should be in
prison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We rightly laud the generation
that lived and fought through the war years, what would they think seeing these
Fascists in government?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trouble is people
have become too used to this shit, it’s become the new normal. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s staggering to think that people actually
vote for these bastards and think they’re clever for doing so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re getting fucked just as hard as the rest
of us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since Lemmy died in
2016, closely followed by Bowie the genius and others all sense has been erased
from the world, its like the mega rich mutant class can see everything is spiraling and know the end in sight so they’re grabbing as much as they can
while they can.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I don't watch a great deal of tele but its usually on in the background somewhere. Some people say the adverts are better than the programs and although I'm not sure about that some of them do tax the brain a little more and I amuse myself trying to make sense of them. As long as we remember that all advertising is a lie its okay. For example;</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Checkatrade. I don’t
know exactly what this is but I guess it’s some kind of register for small
businesses connected to the building trade.
(I Googled it and that’s pretty much it). If you’re on the register, (which I guess you
have to pay for – (you do)) then this means your business is trustworthy and so
by implication if you haven’t stumped up the cash to enlist then your business
must be less reputable? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Anyway the advert, we have a man showing his friend all the
home improvements his dwelling is undergoing, all thanks to Checkatrade of
course. But the twist is… they (the bloke and his mate) are Romans and
have Roman names. I mean they are
dressed as Romans as you’d expect to see them in Hollywood epics or Life of
Brian, even though they’re walking around a state of the art modern house. The builders aren’t in any kind of period
costume, they’re dressed kind of normal but not like builders because there are
no arse cracks or yellow vests. There’s
a pathetic joke involving a third Roman then at the end all the Romans do a
stupid dance.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What the fuck is that all about? Why dress a group of failed actors as Romans?
What connects ancient Rome to the building trade? How badly are these actors’ careers going
that they see this as a good move and what happened to their self respect. How is this supposed to influence me to have
anything to do with this checkatrade thing?
Who the hell thought this was a good idea?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What this ad does is grab my attention, it does this because
the ad is so shit but still my attention is grabbed and I’ll guess it does the
same to a hell of a lot of other people.
So the advert has done half a job, I’m still never going use Checkatrade
because the advert is so crap it offends me.
But that doesn’t matter because I’m not the targeted demographic and
even if I had any inclination for sprucing up my home I still wouldn’t be their
intended customer. My first instinct is
correct, this stupid thirty seconds of cringe-ness is designed to get the small
businessman in a choke hold and coerce him or her into paying up and getting
themselves listed on this checkatrade register.
What does it say about your business if it’s not on the list? What we are seeing here is legal blackmail,
nothing more nothing less.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I feel better for that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve fallen out of the habit of ranting, I really should do it more often.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-53093395886948074782023-08-01T15:05:00.004-07:002023-08-01T15:05:28.574-07:00BB is the winner.<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I can’t remember too many England defeats at the Oval and
long may it continue. An even game after
two innings, England’s batsmen took the game away from Australia in the third
innings then the bowlers done the job.
Two really good partnerships made us nervous but both were interrupted
by rain breaks and couldn’t get going again.
Woakes was brilliant, Mo bowled his best spell of the series and Broad
finished the job, of course he did!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Before the Ashes began my only prediction was that this
series would not be close and despite the 2-2 score line I was right, England
were by far the better team throughout and only our own mistakes plus a bit of
weather stopped this being an emphatic win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In 2019 we had the same result but Australia went home wondering how
they didn’t win, this time around England will know how they felt.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Whatever the result of the series BB* has worked, England
have competed against and for long periods dominated arguably the best team in
the world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BB is real, it works and it
is here to stay, whether we like it or not Test cricket is going to
change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The way England have played has
forced Australia to change their approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Where England have been on the front foot, at times Australia have tried
to counter punch but mostly went into a totally defensive mode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has led to mostly highly entertaining
cricket and a really good series, but a great one?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe, certainly the best for several years.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But it could and should have been better!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my opinion England got selection wrong and
did not put out their strongest XI in any of the five matches, when this is
down to injury there’s not much to say but when a key player is unfit for his
role then the selectors have got it wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes Mad Johnny deserved his place in the team but he should never have
been given the gloves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also the Oval
looked a test too far for a couple of bowlers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Worst of all fielding, dropped catches and extras (FFS!) cost England
the first test and arguably the second one too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We should have been heading into the Oval test with at least a two – one
lead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a sharp improvement in
the field in the latter stages of the series but by then the damage was done.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Captains…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ben Stokes led well but made mistakes which some have argued
led to defeat in the first test at least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However he learned from adversity and was in control most of the
series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When under pressure Cummins was
inept.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The players…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Crawley and Duckett done well enough in this series against
an excellent new ball attack to ensure their selection will not be debated for
some time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At last, for the first time
since Andrew Strauss retired in 2012, we have a settled opening
partnership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact all the batsmen had
their moments this summer, only Ollie Pope will frustrated at having to miss
most of the Ashes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Root and Stokes had
brilliant moments as we’ve come to expect and Brook looks like a future
superstar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bairstow had a good series
with the bat to be fair but I’ve said enough about his keeping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem going forward is squeezing
everyone in, which is a nice one to have.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Stuart Broad took wickets regularly throughout the five
matches and it was great to see him bowl the winning ball, his last act in
cricket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a player, it’s been a
privilege to watch him bowl over the years and we’ll miss him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His long time partner, the great Jimmy
Anderson had a quiet series, he kept control and the Aussies played him
carefully but he seemed to be lacking something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s said he wants to play on but it seems
that the end is in site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t
believe it when Woakes was selected as I’d thought his test career over but
with Stokes not bowling we needed an all rounder and to be fair he’s been
brilliant with the ball and chipped in with a few runs too and you couldn’t argue
when he was made man of the series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
wouldn’t pick him for too many away tests but he’s proven he’s as good as
anyone on home wickets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mark Wood, if
fit, was a far more obvious selection and his extra pace did make a difference
and has shown we are a better team when high pace is an option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not Wood then Tongue had his moments this
series and we hope we’ll see Archer, or Stone in a white shirt again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A word for another player going (back) into
retirement, Moeen Ali.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After answering a
call for help Mo had probably his best Ashes series and took big wickets at key
times.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Almost all the Aussie players had decent series too but the
batsmen scored slowly and the bowlers were expensive, in the field they rarely
had any kind of control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carey’s form
dived after the incident at Lords and the much vaunted Cameron Green didn’t
show us much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find it difficult to
dislike this bunch of Aussie cricketers, Smith is bloody irritating but Warner
finally seemed to grow up after the sandpaper controversy and Stuart Broad made
him humble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We probably won’t see him in
Ashes cricket again but I won’t miss him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">At the beginning of the series people were wondering if we’d
see 2005 all over again and there are similarities, we had a legend (or two)
retiring at the end of the series and we’ve had some squeaky arse puckering
finishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also after going behind
England came back and dominated the rest of the series but for me 2023 does not
compare to that classic series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For a start, in 2005, after a near 20 year drought winning
the Ashes meant more, the stakes were higher which added a whole other layer of
tension.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also I believe both teams were
stronger back then and played cricket at a higher standard, they made far fewer
mistakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Aussies were already
rightly considered a squad of all time greats and many of the England players played
the best cricket of their lives in that series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’d go as far to say that around the world, all the test playing nations
were playing at a higher level twenty years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put the decline in standard down to the
influence of white ball cricket; obviously the techniques of players have been
changed but also test cricket has been squeezed into tighter pressurised
windows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think test cricket peaked in
2005 which coincidently was the first year we saw international T20 cricket.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now this year our Ashes series has been staged early to make
room for the fucking ‘hundred’, what a load of bollocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly if I find it on the TV I’ll probably
watch it, but it really is a pointless tournament and the sooner its replaced
the better.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For our cricketing future we’ve got a fifty over world cup
coming up but no test cricket until next February!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s more we’re away in India, probably the
most difficult place to win and the ultimate test for the cult of BB.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Squad for India :-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stokes (c)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crawley, Duckett,
Pope, Root, Brook, Lawrence, Bairstow, Foakes (w)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Leach, Jacks, Ahmed<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Anderson, Robinson, Wood, Tongue, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">*I refuse to use the media buzz name for the style** of
cricket played under Stokes’ captaincy, so for convenience I will use BB.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">** Brand is something used to identify and/or sell.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-57133298569905249462023-07-25T14:15:00.002-07:002023-07-25T14:15:10.446-07:00The one that got away<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The fourth test, the one that got away. For three days England played possibly their
best cricket under the current regime, then came the rain which did enough to
enforce the draw. Australia actually
came third in this match.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Barking mad Bairstow had his best game as keeper for at
least five years then when interviewed admitted he wasn’t really fit enough to
be keeping wicket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Foakes (no I won’t
let it go) had been included at the beginning of the summer the man most likely
to have been jettisoned was Zak Crawley who played a blinder and Chris Woakes, another
player I’ve written off many times took five for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crucially, we were much better in the field,
clinging onto the important catches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes
a cricket cliché but catches win matches and that is the main reason the Ashes
will be returning to Australia whatever the result next week.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For England here won’t be any dramatic changes in personnel,
nor should there be on the strength of what we saw in Manchester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this moment, sitting here I can’t see
anything other than an emphatic England win to level the series which would
feel right.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The other series finished level too which left England’s
women by far the happier of the two teams, for the first time in a long time
the Aussies were shown to be only human and didn’t much like it.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-68230452875621819682023-07-23T07:12:00.000-07:002023-07-23T07:12:15.316-07:00Red Hot Chili Peppers 21/07/23<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Red Hot Chili Peppers, one of my favourite bands for over
thirty years, “Fight like a brave” had opened my ears and eyes, “Give it away”
had made my jaw drop. I’d seen them
twice before, first time was amazing, life affirming but the second time though
still very good, at the same time slightly disappointing in comparison. This gig was being held in Spurs football
stadium and I didn’t really think about it having decided stadium rock wasn’t
really my thing and the bands best days were behind them, weren’t they? The tickets were a surprise, heart tugging
gift from a family member who remembered my affinity for this band, I didn’t
find out until a few weeks before and all of a sudden I had something to look
forward to.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But there’s a slight downside. For me getting to a gig in
London requires a bit of planning to avoid quite a lot of stressful driving on
alien roads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Best bet is to drive to
somewhere on the edge of the jungle and get some kind of train in, but
where?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After careful deliberation I
chose Cheshunt on this occasion and it was all pretty simple in then end. Then
there was another hurdle to overcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>E-tickets,
which for a technophobe are a nightmare and a source of great stress but I
eventually managed to sort it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tickets on my phone, really?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it’s
just over complicating things in the name of simplicity, what’s wrong with a
couple of strips of thin card?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I can’t ever recall visiting Tottenham
before and what an absolute shit hole it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>An environment that screams desperation surrounds a massive state of the
art football edifice, how many that live in its shadow can afford to watch a
match let alone see a band successful enough to fill it. Yup I’m a lucky
boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bloody E-tickets hindered our
entry but the steward was patient and it was only when we were safely climbing
the steps did I finally trust the bloody things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Inside the stadium it’s all clean and
efficient, nothing like the football grounds I visited in the last century even
post Hillsborough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Out onto the pitch,
surrounded by enormous high stands yet somehow it still seems smaller than it
should, as did Wembley as I recall whereas Lords seems bigger.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Usually time stops still when you are waiting for a band
that are still a couple of hours away but not so tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The support bands helped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘King Princess’, decent pop rock but I don’t
know if they are a band or is it all about the young American girl who was
singing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way they were okay but
had nothing to set them apart from very many other bands who have tried to do
the same thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next was a collective
called ‘Roots’, I suppose I’d describe it as hip hop with a big funky band
providing the soundtrack which occasionally included homages to a few old
classics. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they murdered “Move on up”
to the extent the Princess hadn’t realised they’d tried to play it, this is simply
unforgivable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rhythms were good
though and the music was moving me but whenever the fella rapped it swamped the
sound and the band diminished.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So the Chili Peppers, by now only minutes away…It would be
good for sure but good enough to make me forget the tribulations getting here
had involved?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many times can a band
go round the world, filling stadiums everywhere but still be inspired to play
their hearts out?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve seen old
favourite bands that could barely hide the fact that they were going through
the motions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could the Chili’s bring
life, love and rhythms to this giant concrete bowl?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the music started and all of that shite was
forgotten in a second.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGhXJ3Zwqfr6fsEwFPU0FG3wdFlJPl1tntG14nMW8jK8XYiOAffR8CYFtqLfplV7JxxVOjqn28iFZPBofMfKipV3EBupp1FzpXbigoz0-oOvc9pMIcBSOIdZ2u2pGhau8GkAQlG1IzBCVSbKbgT2X-xwK1B0J9_3lZY9TVF51ejyMkO1Ef7ep4nnwvYg/s1559/361627424_10230526573852813_8005804544045450044_n_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="968" data-original-width="1559" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGhXJ3Zwqfr6fsEwFPU0FG3wdFlJPl1tntG14nMW8jK8XYiOAffR8CYFtqLfplV7JxxVOjqn28iFZPBofMfKipV3EBupp1FzpXbigoz0-oOvc9pMIcBSOIdZ2u2pGhau8GkAQlG1IzBCVSbKbgT2X-xwK1B0J9_3lZY9TVF51ejyMkO1Ef7ep4nnwvYg/w640-h398/361627424_10230526573852813_8005804544045450044_n_Fotor.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As usual they began with a jam - drums, bass and guitar,
tight with band members smiling then bang “<i>Can’t stop addicted to the shin
dig…”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the perfect start. Pause –
strum, <i>“Scar tissue that I wish you saw…”</i> just beautiful!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take a breath <i>“deep inside the cover of
another perfect wonder…”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
tears of joy running down my cheeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Past
their best?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are they fuck!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It didn’t stop all night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Three masterful musicians that separate a tune so you can hear each
instrument on its own right then bring them back together into a funky punky
rock rhythm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A front man with prowling
presence who has a voice that fits and the audience in his palm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add to this a thirty five year back catalogue
of tunes that have sound tracked my adult life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And yes RHCP do still care!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
played with passion and the screens showed the smiles between them as they did
so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Chilis usually play a different
set every night of the tour so you never know what you’re going to get.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tonight the stars aligned, it was as if I had
chosen the set list myself, it couldn’t have been better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And tonight
it was as if they’d plugged the instruments into my body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was so different tonight compared to
Birmingham NEC a few years ago?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe
the tickets, being on the floor not up in the Gods played its part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe the music suits the venue itself, the memorable
first time I saw them was also in a football stadium. But maybe it was because
the iconic guitarist was back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know
nothing of the technical aspects of playing a guitar but I know that in almost
forty years of gigging, no guitarist has ever moved me as much as John
Frusciante did on 21<sup>st</sup> July 2023, this was his show, he was just
brilliant.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Towards the end of the set one of several between song jams
ceased, then a second later a familiar guitar chord “<i>Psychic spies from
China try to steal your mind’s elation…”</i> with the crowd singing every word,
(actually this was the loudest crowd I’ve ever been part of). Final track was a
monster hit <i>“Standing in line to see the show tonight…”</i> then they left
the stage so we could get our breath back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The encore was predictable but exactly what we needed, <i>“under the
bridge down town, is where I drew some blood…”</i> had us singing and swaying, then
a leap back up into punky spitting musical anarchy “<i>What I got I gotta give
it to yer mumma…”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The lights came on and dazzled us, we tramped stiff armed to
the exits caught in a human glacier up the steps down the steps and all the way
to the station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Goodbye Tottenham, I
won’t be rushing back to rediscover your charms and I’m still not won over by
massive gigs but for ninety minutes we forgot where we were and it had been
worth it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a fucking gig!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was next level, all time top ten,
fucking wonderful glorious, emotional and beautiful. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It carried me all the way home unhindered by a
closed road when I needed it least and through a disappointing rainy weekend
when there was hardly any cricket.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-90335203728195286672023-07-10T15:06:00.002-07:002023-07-10T15:06:38.968-07:00Three down two to go<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Another great finish to another tidal test match, flowing up
and down with nothing in its path able to withstand the push and pull, wherever
we are we just have to tune in and become absorbed. Now a nice break to slip back into relative
normality, time to regroup and time to think.
Australia may be 2-1 but even that margin flatters them, England are the
better team and are only trailing because of their own mistakes.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The great selection debate goes on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ollie Pope will miss the rest of the series
through injury but if Mo can score a few runs at three then it may be a
blessing in disguise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Stokes playing
purely as a batsman then maybe he should bat at first drop?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way we need another all rounder and
Woakes’ selection, which came as an unwelcome surprise to me turned out to be
spot on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then there’s the wicket keeper,
the most important position on the field should not be filled by someone lacking
form and low on confidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorry Johnny,
Foakes must return, any other selection could cost us the series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just a thought, if we can move bowlers in and
out of the team why can’t we select batsmen on a ‘horses for courses basis’?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Two matches to go and obviously this series could still go
either way but even with a deficit I think England are the better team and I actually
fancy our chances more now than I did before the series began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s just poured piss on things… <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">PS Anyone else getting pissed off with hearing Vaughan utter
the words “this England side…” every time he opens his cake hole?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The women’s series is levelling off nicely too, it’s hard to
see anything other than an eventual Aussie win but England are competing and
pushing back harder than anyone has done in years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gap between the sides is definitely
closing.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-32159200394086024782023-07-02T15:01:00.004-07:002023-07-02T15:01:55.241-07:00Flashes.<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Over twenty years ago I was keeping wicket in a local league
cup final (Yes it’s fair to say I was one of the less talented team members…)
and I stumped a batsmen (actually a former professional with Essex) in almost
identical circumstances to the “Bairstow incident”. The decision was given not out, I was fuming
and that batsmen went on to score a match winning half century. So I can’t find any sympathy, the umpires got
it right, Bairstow was out. Likewise Duckett
was not out, Starc clearly grounded the ball, I don’t know what all the fuss was
about. Glenn McGrath must have been
really worried at that stage because he lost the plot on air. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some would argue Bairstow’s stumping changed the course of
the match but the blame lies with the batsman being too casual and going for a
wander.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Johnny is a weird character, I
love watching him bat but he’s a bit of a nutter, the manic stare and all that;
let’s face it you wouldn’t want him living next door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year he was brilliant but this followed
a long period when his test match form was barely good enough to hold a place
in the team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last summer he made all those
runs batting at five, knowing he had Stokes and Foakes to follow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t believe he can be that effective
batting at seven with a long tail to come after him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talking of Foakes I can’t help thinking that
had he had played and had made the same contributions as JB then the media
would be dissecting his selection.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">While Stokes was at the crease we still believed and he
played another one of those innings that only he can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t get us over the line this time but
we’ll remember this knock forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another cricketer I love to watch but it can be infuriating when he just
comes out swinging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same applies to
his captaincy or more to the point his declarations, if he can learn from his
mistakes he could go down as one of the great skippers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But with the sight of him limping and
grimacing I wonder how long can he continue?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe it’s time to drop the bowling and move up the order…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Australia now have a significant lead but this has come
after two exciting test matches and it could easily have been England in the
ascendancy had we kept our heads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
Australia deserve their leads because they’ve won the crucial moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looks like this Aussie team have a quality
that even the great sides that dominated for fifteen years didn’t have; they’ve
learned how to win tight test matches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But they are beatable if England can get it right.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-89116152741604304092023-06-26T14:33:00.002-07:002023-06-26T14:33:44.043-07:00Tests<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The first Ashes Test was an excellent cricket match which
went right down to the last session and was ultimately won by the team that
played the most conservative cricket. England
entertained as they had promised and had some great sessions but Australia hung
in there. With a close game we look at
the crucial moments and decisions; the much talked about declaration, dropped
catches, having an injured player bowl.
England should have won this match.
I would contend the biggest mistake made by England occurred before the
match started and was in fact announced weeks ago. For the first time in the Stokes/McCullum era
we didn’t put our best eleven on the field and we won’t be doing so next week
either. Ben Stokes is a great cricketer
and a fantastic captain who makes some inspired, instinctive decisions but he’s
also made a couple of piss poor ones.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The only test in the Women’s Ashes was also a good
game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>England’s efforts were built
around individual brilliance but Australia’s was more of a team effort with
everyone contributing and they were comfortable, deserved winners in the end.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-15403417221538438182023-06-12T14:14:00.002-07:002023-06-12T14:14:33.253-07:00Cricket chunter followed by lots of bad language<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Lords test match vs Ireland went pretty much as
expected, England were totally dominant for two days; bowled Ireland out cheaply,
racked up a massive score quickly and the commentators wondered if they could
win in two days. It went into a third
day which saw Ireland praised for battling when as far as I could tell England
were under performing. But we won
comfortably in the end, learning little or nothing on the way. Soon after the match we found out Jack Leach
had a spinal injury and wouldn’t be able to take part in the Ashes series. A day or two later Moeen Ali answered the call
to come out of retirement which is probably the best selection under the circumstances. Then the Aussies warmed up with the WTC final
against India which they pretty much dominated throughout and lifted the World
Test championship mace, which is never a sight an English cricket fan wants to
see.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now the Ashes and if the Aussies are world champions then
England must be the number one contenders even though the ICC ratings put us
third.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, this is the most
eagerly awaited Ashes series since… the last one?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some pundits are comparing it to 2005 and I’d
say this is certainly the best Aussie team to tour England since that series
but it isn’t as good as the team lead by Ponting which lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The question is how good is this England
team?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they can play the way we’ve
come to expect over the last twelve months and end the series holding the Ashes,
they may go down as the best ever?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I should end on a prediction, which is predictable…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I really don’t know!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Aussie team may not be as good as 2005
but it might be good enough to win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both
teams will be able to take twenty wickets; can England’s batsmen dominate the
Aussie bowlers in the same way they did New Zealand, India, South Africa and
Pakistan?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they can then England
win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My one prediction is there may be
periods of play or whole matches that are close but whoever ends up winning
will do so by a wide margin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It’s good to rant…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">De Pfeffel has departed, a sneak preview of the imminent
report was enough to make the fat brat spit his dummy and storm off in a
huff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following in his wake two more
oxygen thieves that supported bullshit boris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For the last dozen years, (either side of the hysterical finger pointing
towards JC,) British politics has been nothing more than a power struggle/shit
fight between factions of the Tory Establishment, aided and abetted by the
fuckwitt hangers on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This extended
playground squabble has to this point left the country starved of public
services, crippled by plague and economic depression, our rivers run clogged
with shit, we are extorted by energy companies and excluded from trade
agreements everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great Britain is
the laughing stock of the world. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where are the
architects of Brexit now?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The generation
of politicians that had so much contempt for us they didn’t bother to hide
their lies are steadily sneaking off into the private sector paradise where
they will wax fat while nervously wondering if their day in the dock will
come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just the mutant inbred Rees Mogg
will remain because what else is the prick capable of doing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the social media Tory fanboys are quiet,
keeping their heads down, don’t want to be reminded of previous
declarations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus what kind of moron
voted for these cunts?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are the British
people more naturally Fascist than they know?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’ve been royally bumfucked by these Etonian exploiters but some us
fucking struggled, Tory voters lubed their own arses and bent over.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">At some point, probably sooner rather than later, we get to
exercise our right to vote in our pretend democratic election.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best we can realistically hope for is
Keir Starmer…</span><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-25937534236606656052023-05-20T07:07:00.003-07:002023-05-20T07:07:32.526-07:00Test Squad<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Test cricket will return in a couple of weeks and England
have announced a squad to play Ireland at Lords which gives us an insight into
how the selectors are thinking ahead of an Ashes series. The unluckiest man has to be Ben Foakes AKA
the best keeper in the world, who has done absolutely nothing wrong, his
omission is to enable Bairstow to be slotted back in behind the stumps. As a fan of Foakes I’m a bit peeved but it
was the obvious move; Harry Brook couldn’t be discarded after the brilliant start
to his test career and after the madness of last summer Bairstow was sure to
return. I’m sceptical as to whether
Johnny will ever replicate that kind of form again.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The not so obvious move would have been to drop Crawley who
must be hanging on by his fingertips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This move would have meant using Brook or Bairstow to open which wouldn’t
be ideal and therefore Crawley is the luckiest man in the squad and needs to make
runs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another surprise inclusion is Dan
Lawrence who is a good player but hasn’t really pushed his case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also included is Chris Woakes who has a
decent record in home conditions but is surely only there as a swing bowler to
cover Anderson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other big omission
is poor Jofra Archer, injured again and it makes me wonder if we’ll ever see
him in England whites again?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happily
Mark Wood is fit and firing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Team vs Ireland<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Crawley, Duckett, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes, Bairstow,
Robinson, Leach, Broad and Anderson.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">‘A state of fear’ by Laura Dodsworth</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A book that sets out to examine the use of fear and
psychology to influence and control the population during the Covid19 pandemic
but actually turns into something that attacks all the government policies
during the lockdown periods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except that
is, for the crucial fact the British government started off by doing nothing at
all, then by the time it acted, it was too late.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Early on she describes Johnson’s lockdown
speech on 23<sup>rd</sup> March as fear mongering and claims his words and body
language at the time as being designed to put the fear of God into us, the
great performer doing what he does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Or
could it be he realised he was totally out of his depth and was genuinely
shitting himself?)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Governments deliberately used fear to control the public
during Covid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has been going on since WWII (at least),
Orwell told us that a population in fear is one that is easy to control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Orwell wasn’t a prophet, he could see it
going on around him.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of my life
I’ve been encouraged to be scared of someone or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First it was the Russians then when this
threat melted away and we all went a bid mad in the nineties Terrorism became
the new fear, Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Isis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’ve even been given a fright by diseases in the recent past, SARS and
Ebola for example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then came the coronavirus
and with that now a departing memory we’re told to fear the Russians
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether we like it or not, control
by fear is a fact of modern life so why is the author so worried about it being
used now and in this context?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dodsworth repeatedly assures us that this isn’t meant to be
an ‘anti-lockdown’ book but that is exactly what it is, more so than a book
designed to make us question the methods of fear mongering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems like most of the book is made up of
analysing lockdown and its effects, piece by piece which wasn’t the brief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But to be fair it did make me question my own
response to Covid and lockdowns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Throughout the pandemic I supported the restrictions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the beginning I loved being confined to home
and garden, I enjoyed watching spring rise around me and was content being out
of the rat race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was also aware that
several members of my close family were more at risk to Covid than the vast
majority of the population, I had loved ones that needed protection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The author implies that because governments had repeatedly
told us not to worry about this Chinese virus they then had to frighten us to
get us to comply when lockdown eventually came.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why the sudden change of government policy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why stop the world?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who stood to gain, was this disaster
capitalism on a massive scale?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so why
not write a book about these people?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Plenty of questions but no answers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But would I willingly go through another lockdown?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probably not, I recognise that although I didn’t
mind being locked down, other people including family members suffered
adversely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book was written before
we knew that government ministers had themselves behaved appallingly while we
kept to the rules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t believe British
people would accept another lockdown after that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was I more affected by propaganda than I
realised?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must concede that it’s
possible that I was.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The author uses interviews to describe people’s lockdown
experiences and add weight to her opinion and also talks of being intimidated
by police whilst trying to do her job. “Allowing press photographers and
journalists to do their work is essential to a free press and democracy…”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After exposing government mind manipulation
(aka ‘nudge’) how does she still believe in democracy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise the ‘free press’, it doesn’t exist
now if it ever did and journalists behave as badly as politicians.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">‘Nudge’ is interesting, subtle brainwashing techniques used
by government through media to influence our thoughts and actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m surprised, not that it exists – that’s a
given, but that it’s been given a name, this implies fact and an owning up to
shady goings on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever you call it
nudge has been going on for decades and it is good to have this brought to
public attention but once again why now?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I conclude the author isn’t worried about mind control being used to
influence democracy or to tell us what to buy but she is concerned when it’s
used to confine her to her home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
book was published in 2021 and a lot has happened since which would explain why
the author has barely mentioned the corrupt allocation of contracts or the PPE
debacle.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I wonder why didn’t Dodsworth go further and look at the
obvious corruption and glaring failures in government?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is she pulling punches?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe because she’s worked for the Daily
Mail?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know about this book, it
was interesting in places and definitely made me think, I had to examine my own
reaction to Covid. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as a book on the
tactics of fear it was disappointing, inconsistent and it has to be said,
repetitive and boring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-89847211109949219852023-05-12T14:51:00.003-07:002023-05-12T14:57:37.864-07:00TW3<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Last week I had a very novel experience, for one of very few
times in my life I voted for the winning side!
I was one of the many who voted the Green party into control of its
first council here in Mid Suffolk. In
fact this bluest of counties no longer has a Tory council in power in any constituency,
blue has been wiped off the map, which is something I never thought I’d see
happen. I hope this is the beginning of
something for the Greens and not just an anti-Tory protest vote, two fingers to
local MP’s like Halfcock and Coffey. I
hope enough young people have more sight and sense than their parents and
realise the red vs blue politics is a failed, corrupted system that will never
serve the majority of the people. The
only way to change the country is to change the way we vote. Locally in Suffolk unregulated urban
expansion has upset many, the green spaces between towns and villages is
disappearing rapidly. Also dumping sewage in the waterways has been big news, when the
county’s central river turns green and stays that way for six months people get
upset.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then there was the fucking coronation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t care either way, I didn’t watch it
but the princess did, so I was fucking about on this computer, literally sat with
my back turned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A symbolic act of
defiance or a happy accident?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe
both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When things got really serious I
made myself scarce, sorting fishing gear in the garden so my grumbling didn’t
spoil things for someone with a genuine interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole shitshow is ridiculous, King by
accident of birth, I mean a fucking golden carriage in a city where people
sleep on the streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the idea of
pledging allegiance to the King?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bollocks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No just fuck off with that, fuck off, just fuck off.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The weekend finished with the coronation concert which as a
music fan did raise a glimmer of interest until I saw the line up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It went on in the room around me and even
people I don’t particularly dislike were poor, like they were trying too
hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I let it all pass without comment
until Lionel Ritchie who was appalling, somehow totally spoiling a beautiful
song he wrote a lifetime ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shouldn’t
be surprised, what I like musically will never appear at an occasion like this
but I do appreciate all types of live music if it’s done well.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And while I’m on a musical theme, Eurovision is crap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has always been crap and always will be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For years it was regarded as such even by the
broadcasters that covered it and the LGBT community which embraced it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But a couple of years ago someone at the BBC
decided Eurovision was cool and have been feeding that narrative ever
since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an Orwellian shift the media
is now telling us Eurovision is great and it’s always been so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just in case anyone is undecided, trust me
Eurovision is bollocks, it has nothing to do with real music, it is and has
always been total shite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we need is
more of this…</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kP2ZF7g-3Fs" width="320" youtube-src-id="kP2ZF7g-3Fs"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><o:p></o:p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274147767517913092.post-85022088468870505402023-04-14T13:18:00.001-07:002023-04-14T13:18:14.545-07:00Gigging again.<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Three years ago we were all locked down, confined to our
homes while our leaders played soggy biscuit…
Let’s not go in that direction today.
I quite liked it to be honest; not having to run the rat race was nice
and I enjoyed watching spring take over the countryside. All that time didn’t drive me mad, I think I
made it count and anyway readers are never bored. But one of the downsides of the locked down
world was the complete stop on live music, obviously many people weren’t able
to work but selfishly I love going to gigs and over the last couple of years
I’ve fallen out of the habit. Happily
this has been put right over the last couple of weeks.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In mid March the usual suspects headed to London to see
Fucked Up play a venue in Kings Cross called Lafayette.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks mainly to altered perception our short
cut turned into a long cut and we got in a little late but saw most of a really
good show. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The highlight was the final
song, an awesome extended, psychedelic version of ‘Dose your Dreams’, that went
on and on but still I didn’t want it to end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was as good as live music gets!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How to describe Fucked Up?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hardcore punk?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A wall of noise?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But once you’ve got through the barriers and
found your way in there is skill and intelligence and a really special band.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Two weeks later I returned to the smoke with the Princess
and my daughter, after <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a sit down
Chinese we spent a couple of chilled hours wandering around Camden market before
making our way down the road to the Roundhouse where we be seeing my favourite
current band, Eels.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhYXnsX41LaWMnKsdSG_07T8bat11RT2_wfGaSgKMz-pnD0RMcw4ElVSlBVtNWZsynvj9eAxqeO44N3d8VXXGCdkaiz3DrroqQEGiOvpLEcHpMFiOW9fpzQH7RGTfouHnuzbPcudsbc97GPQ9MvZ7B6Jvzz0VXyaujYZFGhf9qNf8BdcPpcBfN_p0/s1367/340128312_1220556272182235_7856331249803485095_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="1367" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhYXnsX41LaWMnKsdSG_07T8bat11RT2_wfGaSgKMz-pnD0RMcw4ElVSlBVtNWZsynvj9eAxqeO44N3d8VXXGCdkaiz3DrroqQEGiOvpLEcHpMFiOW9fpzQH7RGTfouHnuzbPcudsbc97GPQ9MvZ7B6Jvzz0VXyaujYZFGhf9qNf8BdcPpcBfN_p0/w400-h261/340128312_1220556272182235_7856331249803485095_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The gig was great, a totally different set to the last tour,
loads of new songs which unlike many people I always love to hear but also with
some leftfield oldies that blew me away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>An obscure album track from long ago sounds magical when you’re hearing
it played live for the first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
are always a couple of quirky cover versions thrown in too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be honest compared to other performances
I’ve seen the band were a bit rusty but as it was just their second gig in four
years I suppose that can be excused and anyway if live music was perfect it
wouldn’t be so much fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The encores
filled in any gaps, ‘Earth to Dora’ and ‘Wonderful Glorious’ and we three left
grinning and buzzing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So much so we all travelled to Norwich a couple of weeks
later and did it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time the band
was tight, the sound fantastic and the gig was excellent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surprised by a couple of changes to the
set including another oldie I would never have seen coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Highlight for me was Eels oldest song,
‘Novocaine for the Soul’ and when that first gorgeous guitar chord wrapped me
up in a wave of wonderful sound…</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3Sd2S2FALMRTedWhJuNSlu_NjI-lNhtnnruPYDG5bDo4b3K1pD-vI5q6xlEcG4MRGQnTfblgCb_ZpMtO8rzwa66-KhFxzlX4z_-9hyS-u-q1T3N_xJJYUw-httNuHbpNqv32MkjSvjMUjXm-2yhlnKbihiimZ6NMjqJ2HjeE_jpm58dQzPSih4y7/s1480/340012953_977238279951461_2665453370149010048_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1480" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3Sd2S2FALMRTedWhJuNSlu_NjI-lNhtnnruPYDG5bDo4b3K1pD-vI5q6xlEcG4MRGQnTfblgCb_ZpMtO8rzwa66-KhFxzlX4z_-9hyS-u-q1T3N_xJJYUw-httNuHbpNqv32MkjSvjMUjXm-2yhlnKbihiimZ6NMjqJ2HjeE_jpm58dQzPSih4y7/w640-h454/340012953_977238279951461_2665453370149010048_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eels and Fucked up are bands that are unlikely to find their
way into mainstream consciousness but they both make great music released on
traditional formats as well as streaming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You can find them in HMV if you look hard enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the world isn’t shut down these are two (amongst
many) bands that tour the world playing small to medium sized venues that are
mostly full.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sometimes feel I’m the
only person in the world who gets emotional at these times but when I look
around the audience in these places I see people of all walks that are just as
euphoric as I am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0