Picture Perfect

A heartwarming tale from Ananova of a man's lucky break in extreme adversity.

Hat trick

So Villa have signed Kevin Phillips. Having managed to get both Sunderland and Southampton relegated in recent years, if we don't sign some quality players rather than other team's cast-offs, he'll be registering a hat-trick all right !

Take Two

Sir Clive has named his team for the second Test. Never been sure about Moody as an open-side - expect Dan Carter to kick a few penalties for offences at the breakdown. I'm also very surprised to see Jason Robinson keep his place, although apparently he played well yesterday morning. The lineout is still a worry - Thompson is capable of being at least as erratic as Byrne was last weekend, but one hopes they've been paying special attention to that area in training this week. Glad to see Lewsey restored to his best position, and Peel keep his place - I think Dawson would have been a major step back.

All in all, I expect to see a better performance, but I don't really see anything the All Blacks will be frightened of. New Zealand to win by two scores...

Swimming

Getting very wet at Edgbaston at the moment - boy did it come down ! My decision not to bring my cap or jacket is looking a bit daft now.

Intruders on the pitch are causing much hilarity - one clown even crawled under the covers ! The stewards are falling all over the place trying to catch them - it's like the Keystone Cops out there !

Looks like we may get some more play after all - hurrah ! Between the ticket, the room for the night and sundry expenses (belch !), + must have spent 150 notes today - would be nice to see a result...

Dieting more lethal than obesity

I was put onto reports of this study by Tim Worstall, but I have to say it makes a lot of sense - as someone who is 'carrying a bit of timber', and yet plays sport three times a week, I generally feel fine, EXCEPT when I try and go on a diet.

I also feel the NHS are currently obsessed by weight - every time I go the doctor with some minor ailment, I get told 'you need to lose weight'. Well yes, I probably do but that's not the cause of the problem. I think GPs have become very lazy and look to that every time, and I think that if there WAS something seriously wrong with me, they'd probably miss it due to the fat focus.

Also, they've GOT to get away from the BMI as a useful measure - I come from a family with big shoulders, and in my most recent trip to the GP, was told my ideal weight was eleven and a half stone. I told him that I weighed thirteen stone when I was nineteen and as lean and fit as it was possible to be. Frankly, in my mid-thirties, if I could down into the fourteen somethings, I'd be happy...

Jobs for the boys

So now we know why Tony took us into the Iraq war - Euan needed a job

O'Driscoll fumes at 'cheap shot'

Looks like BOD agrees with me...

Wimbledon Update

So, the great new hope Andrew Murray bows out with a glorious failure. Two sets up and blew it big time - clearly got all the attributes to be a future British Number One then...

Lords of Time

I've completed Last Dalek - the Daleks are the new Lords of Time. Exterminate !

Good game that. Son number one likes it too, although he has trouble moving and shooting at the same time...

Now I'm a Lord of Time, just going to nip back to last Saturday and put a few quid on Bangladesh at 300-1.

First Blood to the All Blacks

Very disappointing display by the Lions this morning - Sir Clive is probably going to cop the flak for his selection, with a certain amount of justification, but you can't expect to win games at Test level if you can't secure your own lineout ball, and Shane Byrne had an absolute shocker. Ironic, considering I was pleased he got the nod over Thompson precisely because he was supposedly a better thrower !

They'll not be able to prove it, but I suspect the All Blacks deliberately targeted O'Driscoll for some early 'treatment' - whether they set out to injure him or just rough him up a little I don't know, but it's still disgracefully cynical behaviour. They also got the benefit of some dodgy decisions and slices of luck early on, but once they had the momentum, they never really gave the Lions a sniff, and that second try was astonishing quality in the conditions.

Onto Wellington then, and with only three fit centres, not including the woefully out-of-form Gordon D'Arcy, Henson HAS to come in, with either Greenwood, who I thought did okay, or Horgan to partner him. Jonny moves to 10, Lewsey to full-back, and bring Shane Williams in on the wing. Thompson and Grewcock will probably start, and Martyn Williams may get a chance at 7. It wasn't ALL bad, the NZ backline didn't shred the Lions as I thought they might, and the Lions might just turn it around if they can secure some ball. Big 'if' though...

Techie Question

Yes, I know I work in the IT industry, but I crossed to the dark side (management) so long ago, I'm now almost completely useless on technical questions. Therefore, if anybody can help me with the next question, I'd appreciate it.

How does Trackback work ? If I've linked to someone else's blog, as in the previous posting, how do I get this to register on their site ?

Smoking Ban

I was going to write a long and impassioned article on the interference of the nanny state, despite the fact that I am not, and have never been, a smoker. However this guy has done such a bloody good job of summarising my thoughts, I'll just let you read his words.

And this is pretty good too...

Wimbledon

Men's singles draw is interesting. No noted grass court players in the third quarter - might be worth a cheeky each-way flutter on the likes of Nalbandian. And a nightmare draw for Marat Safin - Srichaphan followed by Phillippoussis, with Ancic waiting in the fourth round !

Aussie Bashing

So we finally thump the Aussies in a cricket match and do I get to see any of it ? No. Played football last night, and after a very competitive game (drew 1-1), wandered down to a couple of local pubs to watch the second half of the game, only to find that neither had Sky any more. What is the world coming to ? Got in the car to head home, and the guy on the radio says Australia are 31 for 7. Excuse me ? Shurely shome mishtake ? But apparently not. Marvellous win, but it probably means nothing for the Ashes - I still think the Aussies will be that bit too strong for us until McGrath and Warne hang up their boots.

Had to drive home the long way in the event - massive fire in an East London scrapyard meant that the A12 was closed. One hell of a blaze - the smoke could be seen from miles away. The road was still shut this morning, but fortunately I come in a different way - nobody in their right mind goes anywhere near the Blackwall Tunnel of a morning...

Last Dalek

Nice little game Last Dalek on the BBC website for all you Doctor Who fans.

Out of Pocket

For the second succesive day, I have to leave work early to pick up my car. Got halfway to the garage yesterday, only to find out via a phone call that it had failed the MOT and needed new brake pads, discs and some new bearings. I'm going to start a sweepstake on exactly how many arms and legs this is going to cost me - my guess is about £1200. Anyone fancy a punt ?

Repeat Business

Near disaster at Infoholic Towers yesterday, as the family returned from holiday to discover that the Sky+ box had failed to record anything from mid-week. What would normally be a minor irritation escalated to a crisis situation when I discovered that we'd missed no less than THREE series finales (Charmed, ER and Desperate Housewives).

Thankfully E4 have a habit of repeating their blockbusters on 'Second Chance Sunday' as they call it, and Living TV were helpfully having a 'Charmed special weekend', which involved them showing all seven series finales, so I guess tonight will be finale night in the Infoholic household after all...never before have I uttered the phrase "Thank God there are so many repeats on TV nowadays".

In the end, the only show I couldn't recover was Doctor Who, but seeings as that's just about the most popular programme in the world via BitTorrent right now, I managed to download that in a couple of hours. Means me and son number one sitting round the laptop one night this week, but what the hell...

Those of you who suspect my choice of viewing, based on the above evidence, involves a criteria regarding the ratio of hot women in the cast, will not be overly suprised to hear that I am looking forward to the second series of One Tree Hill starting later this month.