Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi

Paul Scholes Barcelona Manchester U. 1-0 Champions League

Get in my son!!!

cocks of the north

We are United, the cocks of the north! What a goal by Scholes! What a great game by Tevez, Evra and Brown! What a player Messi is! What a tense finish! Let's hope l win the competition for tickets to the final in Moscow! Don't care who wins between Liverpool or Chelsea now, although if United were certainties to stuff Liverpool in the final l would want to play them. Couldn't stand it if Liverpool beat United though. Bring on West Ham and Wigan now. Squeaky bum time again, although l am hoping Newcastle get a result against Chelsea. In the meantime, it's celebration time!! Toodle pip

indian meal and chelsea

Out with the relatives at the weekend for an Indian meal at White shops, new place just opened. Went there on the opening night but didn't remember what the food tasted like as l was pretty pissed (had been with my brother all day). This time was better but l foolishly forgot to say no coriander on my food as l can't stand the bloody stuff - tastes like washing up liquid. Anyhows, everyone had a good time (there were eight of us), and we then retired to the Wine bar a few doors down, where we stayed till 2/3am. Walked home and the wife's sister lost her handbag, but was still in a good mood. God knows when everyone left our house, but Dazzer (brother in law) slept on the settee as no-one could wake him.



Up at lunchtime the next day for the Chelsea against Manchester United game. Another poor performance from United and it is certainly squeaky bum time now. Hope they go out and attack attack attack on Tuesday against Barcelona, could do with a good game at the moment. Rooney didn't look too good when he came off, hope he's fit in time. l predict 3-1 to United (if they go for it).



No change with mother. Still being sick, drugs and steroids not working at the moment (if they ever will). Just got back from the hospital, running out of things to talk about. Eating plenty of her fruit pastels though. Toodle pip

barcelona

Why o why did United not go for them? Barcelona have been crap this season and were there for the taking. A score draw would have been a decent result, but 0-0 leaves Barcelona a chance to score at Old Trafford and nick a draw, therefore going through on away goals. Fergie admitted afterwards that he was too defensive with the tactics he wanted Park and Rooney to play, and he has achieved so much with the club that l hate to question or criticize, but it is not all over by a long way. Of course if Ronaldo had put the penalty away United might have strolled it, with the home crowd getting on Barcelona's case, as they have done recently. l think however, United would still have played defensively and been happy with the 1-0. l don't want to win games 1-0 with a great defensive performance. lt's not the United way. l would rather they tried their best, attacked and went for it, see how it ends. Other teams should be scared of United and have to adapt their game to try and deal with it. Not the other way around. Anyway, lets hope United stuff them at Old Trafford. Toodle pip

lucky turtle

lucky little (or not so little ) turtle

more cancer updates and liverpool last minute goal

More highlights in the fight against cancer my mother is currently undertaking. She has a definite blood clot on her lungs, which is currently being treated. She was sick today when me and my sister visited and looks bloody awful, gone downhill a lot in the last few days. The hospital is hoping to send her to James Cook hospital for a MRI scan, but it depends on how well she is feeling. Still don’t know if she will have to travel to James Cook for her Radiotherapy, or if she will stay there for it. At the moment, l don’t think she will last another week, but who knows.
Had to phone my mums brother in Liverpool and tell him the news. What a pisser. Obviously he is also upset and wants to be kept informed. Unfortunately, he does not have loads of money and cannot afford to travel up all the time, so will try to get through near the end. Not sure how close my mum and him were, after all, they are brother and sister, but there is a ten year age gap between them.
Loved my uncle when l was young. He was the man who took me to Manchester United games and got me supporting them, even though we are both from Liverpool (he used to go to games in the early 60’s). Although l became mad about football, my father had no interest in taking me, but my uncle did. I will always be thankful to him for that.
Anyway, lets see what the morrow brings. Till then … Toodle pip

PS Own goal for Liverpool at the kop end tonight, four minutes into injury time – brilliant!! (Although l don’t like Chelsea, l can’t stand Liverpool football club - way too successful over the years).

amazing spider-man comics

l collect old comics, Amazing spider-man, Silver Surfer etc (l know it's sad, but what the hell). This guy has an amazing collection (see what l did there) but the idiot has clipped them all, therefore no marvel chipping. Would have been superb otherwise as they look to be in great nick. Still wouldn't mind them though. Toodle pip

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AMAZING-SPIDER-MAN-1-40-AM-FANTASY-15-BOUND-VOLS_W0QQitemZ310025599469QQihZ021QQcategoryZ32739QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

more cancer updates and ipod news

What a fun time everyone is having. My mother has now got a suspected blood clot on her lungs and is being treated for that before any treatment can be undertaken for the brain tumor. She has had to have another scan and her oxygen adjusted, as she was having trouble breathing. No trips out to James Cook hospital at the moment. She is still unable to walk and still feels dizzy (although she has always been a bit dizzy, so no great change there). Visiting again in the morning with my sister, lets hope she has improved, or rapidly goes downhill to put her out of her misery. I have got two months on the sweepstake, so here's hoping! (that's a joke).
On a lighter note, my brother has just been on the phone from Leeds for an hour, as he has just purchased his first ipod, and needed instructions to get his ipod and itunes up and running. He said he had been pratting about with it since lunchtime today and felt like throwing it out of the window. All sorted now though. Wait till he receives my bill for the expert advice. he won't be so happy then. Toodle pip

The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement

jacques brel - mathilde

Here's Jacques, influenced Scott Walker, who influenced the Last Shadow puppets sound. Check them all out.

Scott Walker - Mathilda

Here's the Scott Walker version

The Last Shadow Puppets - My Mistakes Were Made For You

Another top song and the album is great as well - go buy or download it now!

dickie best

The father of George Best passed away aged 88 years old a couple of days ago ( l have just found out). Dickie Best had been in hospital for the past four weeks.
His family, who were with him when he passed away at a Hospital in Dundonald, have described him as "irreplaceable".
"Over the years, as everyone knows, Dad had his sorrows to bear but he faced them always with courage and dignity," a family statement said.
Brings back memories of George and his funeral, plus of course the innumerable magical football moments he provided over the years. Ronaldo is doing the business this year (and last year), but to me, Georgie was the man. Until the later years, he never went down easy, and hardly moaned about some of the outrageous tackles that went flying in against him. Just picked himself up and got on with it. What a player.
I know George had his demons to fight and was not always a nice man, especially to his wives, but the way he played football made me want to play and made me fall in love with the game. He is one of the men that made football beautiful.
Praise the lord for Dickie then, for without him, there would have been a huge void in the great scheme of things (whatever that means). Toodle pip

trevor eve as hughie green

Trevor Eve was fantastic in the Hughie Green biographical film on BBC4, which l have just watched on sky+.

Eve looked uncannily like the Opportunity Knocks presenter even though he just used facial mannerisms and a little make up. I never really considered him as a good actor before, having only seen old Shoestring episodes and never having watched Waking the Dead. Credit where it's due though, it was definitely the best performance so far in the curse of comedy plays (even Ken Stott couldn't match it playing Hancock).

Mark Benton (the fat one from the bank ads) plays Green's arch rival, Stars On Sunday host Jess Yates, who Paula Yates thought was her father, until the News of the World reported Hughie Green was, a couple of days after Hughie's funeral. Paula appears on television in the background.

Didn't enjoy Mark Benton's performance, as l couldn't forget the bank ads. Trevor eve more than made up for it though. Buy the man a drink! Toodle pip

another bleeding cancer update

More news on the cancer front. There is a golf ball sized tumor in the back of the brain that is too large to operate on (they think). Going to try radiotherapy and chemotherapy to try and shrink it so they can operate. This involves travelling to James Cook hospital in the Boro. More details from the hospital in a day or so. This makes it sound like my mum might live for a while longer yet but l still don't hold up much hope. They were a bit keen to take details today for contacting the next of kin etc. Mum still feeling dizzy and sick - no way she can come home and look after herself (no, me or my sister/brother are not going to do it). Still loads more hospital visits to go yet.We are thinking the worst (or maybe the best) and seeing how it all progresses. Don't want to end up like that, l would rather kill myself if life got too shit. Luckily United are still winning so it's still hunky dory on the football front! Toodle pip

Floyd Mayweather vs Big Show

No wonder the English take the piss out of American sports. What a load of crap this is. How Mayweather can lower himself to take part in this is unbelievable.

brother visiting

Been a busy old week. My brother came up from Leeds to stay with me for a couple of days, so he could visit our mum with our sister. Good to see him and our mum was also pleased to see him, although he was a bit shocked at how bad she is. With visiting our mum, going to work, and going out with my brother and sister, I don't feel like l have had a moment to myself. Dropped him off at the train station yesterday so it is now all quiet in our house. Still cds everywhere as he has also been copying a load of my cds while he was here (for backup only of course). Can now get to the computer again and move around in the spare bedroom. News of my mum does still not look too good. Find out more info later on today. That's it - off to work again! Toodle pip

view from my room

Here's the view from my bedroom window today - impressive eh!

good night out

Looks like everyone in the club when its a really good night - if you know what l mean

cancer update

Still no further news - more scans to be done etc before the specialist will confirm anything. Went to visit yesterday with my wife, sister and kids. Mother upset about it but probably happy that she can prove now there is something wrong with her. On steroids (my mum, not me), so depending on how long she has left to live, she may be able to kick me in soon. She has said that she does not want any more chemotherapy as she hated it last time. She is upset that she may not have much longer to live, but does not want to suffer the chemo again if it only adds a short amount of time to her life. Can't say l blame her - l wouldn't have it myself in her position.
Working this weekend, so l am not visiting till Monday. l am however, looking foreward to United against Arsenal on Sunday. You may think l am in denial going on about football at this time, but it is just the way l feel. The illness still has not affected me, apart from making time for visits and phone calls. More news as it comes - God, this blog is starting to get depressing. l will have to put some links to comedy or porn to liven it up. Or comedy porn - sounds like my sex life.The wife does always laugh when l get naked (only time l do make her laugh). Till next time toodle pip

cancer

So, what can l say? Turns out my mum is pretty bad after all and has cancer in her brain (l assume secondary mets cancer as she has already had lung cancer). My wife phoned the hospital and spoke to her earlier on in the evening, as l was out and she couldn’t get hold of me. News that was not expected. My sister is pretty upset about it and has been crying half the night. We are all off to the hospital tomorrow to see her and find out how bad it is. Steroids have already been given but we are all unsure what other treatment may be available, as we do not know how advanced the cancer is. My own guess would be a couple of months, seeing how bad she has been recently. Then again, she may not be too advanced and last a year – certainly don’t think that will be the case though.

Not sure how l feel about all this. Other people are all a lot more upset than me, even my wife. Obviously l feel sorry for the condition my mum is in and how scared she must be, but l am defiantly lacking something. l know people may say l am in shock and maybe l will be a lot more upset later on, or even tomorrow, but l doubt it. It upsets me more seeing people close to me upset. Hell, l even cry if l see strangers crying or upset on the TV. Think l have too much bottled up inside (serial killer alert!!).

l remember when my dad died. My immediate family and my step family were all crying and hugging, but l felt nothing like that. l was pissed off that they had those feelings and l didn’t. l even turned up late for the funeral and did not put a flower on his coffin. Don’t misunderstand me, before he died, l used to go and see him in the pub, but he was just like some fellow l knew in there. Not a father figure. l have a horrible feeling that history is going to repeat itself.

Anyway – find out more tomorrow

Toodle pip

PS Still pleased United beat Roma – football has always been there for me

ambulance blues

My mother has been ill for a couple of weeks, has had various visits from Doctors, and last night they decided to admit her to hospital. The decision was made at 6.05pm and an ambulance was called, coming from Northallerton Friary hospital to Catterick. Which is about 14 miles. Guess how long they took? Four hours. Unbelievable. They also got lost and went to a completely different address using their sat nav. Had to phone a couple of times and were told different answers on both occasions. Good job she was not at deaths door.

At least Manchester United beat Roma at the same time all this was going on. Barcelona in the semi finals should be good. Squeaky bum time again ( yes my mum had that as well ). Toodle pip

uncyclopedia

Check out this site -

http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Who needs wikipedia?

fun at the weekend

Another messy time at the weekend. Went out about 1pm on Saturday for a drink at our local pubs, The Wine Bar and The Colburn Lodge, and to put a bet on the Grand National. Ended up staying out and going to J.T's bar, where some mates of ours were playing that night ( in a band called Jismn ). Had just about had enough and were ready to go when other mates turned up, so of course we ended up getting very drunk and staying out till midnight. Pizza takeaway then home. One of those nights were people turn up that you haven't seen for a while, so it's good to have a crack on with them. Therefore, hats off to Powlie and Deb, Chorley girl and Ann, Jim and his wife, Whit, Lonnie, Steve, Jacket and Mrs Jacket, Bazzer, Dazzer, Mazzer etc who all made it in the line of duty.

Up early the next day to go to Boro to watch the Manchester United vs Boro game with Robbo. Chucked it down with thick snow and the 2-2 draw was not so good but we had a laugh. Had some food with Robbo and Kerry then back to Catterick ( via dropping off a present for Dazzer in Stockton ). Last night of the owners of the Colburn Lodge, Sue and Martin, so stopped off there and continued with the merriment. Nicked myself a framed picture of George Best from the pub that l had my eye on for a while. Took it up to White Shops to show it off and continue drinking, then walked back home for midnight. lt's a hard life. Toodle pip

Johann Pachelbel - Canon in D

so many bands have nicked this

Impossible guitar

this guy is slightly better than me

Pachelbel's Canon goes rock

nearly as good as me

the english language

Ever think about the word "malodorous"? Words beginning with the Latin prefix mal- usually imply opposites, like "malpractice" and "malfunction" and "malnourished", but both "odorous" and "malodorous" mean the same thing. Pathetic (yes l know they do not mean pathetic). English can be so complicated. Toodle pip

who needs water ?

Dr Stanley Goldfarb, a kidney specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, has just written a review in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, stating that drinking lots of water does you no good. He states that their research has shown drinking excess water does not improve skin tone, nor "flush out" toxins in the system. Drinking too much water can hinder kidney function. He does not think that drinking a small amount of extra water helps headaches or obesity. Either research proved there was no benefit, or no good research had been done on certain topics, it was a topic that had been passed on as safe, but there was no real data to support the argument.

l say drink more lager and wine, avoid salad if possible ( especially celery ), put mayonnaise on nearly everything and do illegal drugs ( in moderation ). Water and salad is bad for you. Then again, you should see the state of me. Toodle pip

cruyff turn

short, sweet, and perfect

Hancock and Joan - The Curse of Steptoe and Son

Ploughed through the sky+ yesterday, watching the plays on the BBC about Steptoe and Son and Tony Hancock and Joan Le Mesurier. They are both originally linked by the outrageously fantastic writing of Galton and Simpson, a genius partnership. They were both represented in the dramas and some of the acting was excellent. Ken Stott did a fine job of Hancock, not a straight copy but his own representation of him. Maxine Peake was also very good as Joan Le Mesurier, who Hancock had an affair with before committing suicide in 1968. Alex Jennings, who played John Le Mesurier was crap though, way too straight and reserved. lt was more like a poor Prince Charles impression. The Curse of Steptoe and Son was better, although l love Tony Hancock ( especially the radio shows ), l preferred the acting in the Steptoe one ( Jason lsaacs as Harry H Corbett, Phil Davis as Wilfrid Brambell). Check them out if you get the chance, or better still, watch the original Steptoes or listen to the Hancock radio shows. Toodle Pip

The death of Ivan Ilyich

Just finished the Death of lvan llyich by Leo Tolstoy - excellent book and highly recomended. Some people do not like Russian novels as the long names put them off, the same sort of people who don't like films with subtitles as they don't like reading and watching a film at the same time. lt's a great loss as there is so much good stuff out there ( Crime and Punishment, Das Boot, Bullet in the Head etc ). Anyway -check out the book for yourself, there's bound to be cheap copies on ebay. Here's a summery from Wikipedia

Ivan Ilych Golovin, a high court judge in St. Petersburg with a wife and family, lives a carefree life that is "most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible." One day, he begins to suffer from a pain in his side. As Ilyich's discomfort increases, his behavior towards his family becomes more irritable. His wife finally insists that he visit a physician. The physician cannot pinpoint the source of his malady, and soon it becomes clear that his condition is terminal. He is brought face to face with his mortality, and realizes that although he knows of it, he does not truly grasp it.
During the long and painful process of death, Ivan dwells on the idea that he does not deserve his suffering because he has lived rightly. If he had not lived a good life, there could be reason for his pain; but he has, so pain and death must be arbitrary and senseless. As he begins to hate his family for avoiding the subject of his death, for pretending he is only sick and not dying, he finds his only comfort in his peasant boy servant Gerasim--the only person in Ivan’s life who does not fear death, and also the only one who shows compassion for Ivan. Ivan begins to question whether he has, in fact, lived rightly.
In the final days of Ivan’s life, he makes a clear split between artificial life, the life of himself and his family that masks the true meaning of life and makes one fear death, and authentic life, the life of Gerasim. Authentic life is marked by compassion and empathy, artificial by self-interest. Then “some force” strikes Ivan in the chest and side, and he is brought into the presence of a bright light. His hand falls onto his nearby son’s head, and he pities him. He no longer hates his son or wife, but rather feels sorry for them, because he has found at last a joy in authentic life and they will continue their artificial lives, fearing death. In the middle of a sigh, Ivan dies.