Groundhog day

So, AC Milan vs. Liverpool FC, the rematch.
Looks like narrativium rules.

Gordon Bennet it was a tense evening against Chelsea. I didn't enjoy a minute of it until it was over. Seconds of it were quite good, but nothing lasting for 60 seconds or more.

I remember a Jasper Carrott sketch that started with him saying "I got a mole". Well I don't. Do have a lot of stitches and a big scar though.

tonight's the night

Chelsea vs. Liverpool - the rematch.
As they say in Star Wars, I have a bad feeling about this...

Thou shalt always kill

Warren Ellis thinks he was slow to this. I got it from his website. What does that make me?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-MYVv4tgQc

No, seriously. Dan le Sac vs. Scoobius Pip. I would say it was the bomb, but I think that is one of the thou shalt nots.

what were they thinking?

A wonderwomen strip taken from the blog of the above name.

Can tentacle sex be far behind?

I have a bad feeling about this...

So, the Mighty Reds are through to the Semis of the European Cup, where we will play.... (cue drumroll) ... Chelsea. Groundhog day. And this time it is personal.
What worries me more than the fact that they owe us one, and are actually a better team than us, is that if we lose it could set up another Man U vs Chelsea match. Possibly the third in 2 weeks which will deterimine who wins the Premiership, FA Cup and European Cup. Groundhog Day.
The universe's driving force ((C) T. Pratchett) is narrativium - which means a good story overrules everything else. It would be such a good story that I really don't think we have a chance of getting past Chelsea if Man Utd beat AC Milan.
Our only chance is for Milan to be the red scum, and then narrativium dictates that we will beat Chelsea and set up a repeat of Istanbul. But in Athens...
Groundhog day. You know it is true. You may not believe it, but you know it is true.

"It's deja vu all over again" - Yogi Berra

What a long strange journey it is...

25 years of Love and Rockets. We are both getting old. I remember reading these as they came out (and I could afford them) in a housing association flat with the first of the white cats. And I am re-reading Locas from the beginning.

Now, back to work...

The kids are alright

Indeed they are. I finally met with a selection of the often mentioned (and maligned) youth of today, and you know what? They are fine. Probably less spotty and more together than I was at their age.
Every generation thinks that their parents (and grandparents) were gods, and that they are the last civilised generation. Every generation is wrong. There were no golden ages. There will be no monsters raised entirely by Playstation 3.

You think we would learn...

For the dead

Music by Gene.
One of those times. Couple of people I heard about but didn't know have died young (ish). It happens every day, and one day most of the world will never know when it happens to you, me and everyone we know. Unless it is really out of the ordinary.

Love your family, love your friends, love everyone.
It is a short day in the sun.

to serve them all our days

Apparently, Russian fishermen have found a strange alien creature making squeeking noises ... and eaten it. Let's hope it does not have friends who come a looking. Unless of course they say, "It's ok - Fred did look sort of delicious", and don't follow it up with "and so do your children. Can I borrow some ketchup?".

http://english.pravda.ru/science/mysteries/07-02-2007/87167-alien_monster-0

In other news, Pravda is still going? In other, other news, there is a Russian Fark?

Picture is a New York grafitti artist. Nice isn't it?
Title is from Microdisney

Context is everything

Two matches, sucessive 0-1 defeats after outplaying our opponents. Two different reactions. Losing to the Scum was gutting, losing to Barca but still putting out the best team in the world completely different. The Scum should win the Premiership - they have the luck. We could easily have won three or four nil.
But now I am dreading the draw for the Champions League - I really want a foreign club, but it could be that 4 of the 7 are British (more realistically, forget Celtic).

Curiously Mrs Breadwinner is Barca for a few days trying to earn a shekel or two. Leaving me with the breadcrumbs and more work than I can manage. So, I'm not managing and mainly letting it wash over the top of me. Life is not helped by a kind of collective nervous breakdown by the family technology. Amongst the victims are the Purple People Carrier, the washing machine and at least one of the DVD players.

Don't get me started on the fucking Virgin/Sky debacle. Tonight I missed Battlestar Galactica for the first week. The fuckers are going to pay for that.

The short, sharp cut is healing nicely. Stitches out tomorrow.

out, out damn spot

So, a small vertical incision, and a biopsy. Do you think it will make me look hard? Maybe be some protection for when the Mighty Reds play the Scum tomorrow lunchtime. Or maybe a provocation. Who knows.

Meanwhile Virgin Media are denying me my Battlestar Galactica. To say the least I am pissed (in the American sense of the phrase). Where do they think they get off? "it was too expensive, so we decided to drop it and not pass the savings along to you..." Jeez. What a shower.

To quote the most excellent Ms Winehouse, what kind of Fuckery is this?

I feel like getting all Executioner one Richard Branson's ass. This is probably my favourite page in comics. Certainly top 5 along with Cerebus and the countess, The Death of Speedy and death of the Invisible Man in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and you are in here with me from Watchmen. In case you need a clue it is from Walt Simonson's Thor.

NSFW - but funnier than real comics

I recommend http://mightygodking.livejournal.com/

A guy reworking the dialogue of Marvel Civil War for comic effect. And it is funny. Even though I have never read the original. If you look it up, see if you too think that the artist has got a real thing going for Dagger (or is it Cloak) - the white jumpsuit looks like it has been drawn by photoreferencing a whole bunch of porn. Or is it just me?

(Scans daily motto: It's never just you...)

Words of Wisdom - from Douglas Adams

"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."-- Douglas Adams (1952-2001)

Ain't that the truth?

Aeroplane stars

"You have to sing to aeroplane stars."

Words of advice from Kid A.

... you might as well live

So the docs seem to think that I'll survive having a mildly disfigouring and not at all uncomfortable spot on my face. Even if it is technically a cancer. They seem determined to talk me out of surgery. Wonder if they will change their minds if they find out I have health insurance?

Anyway reasons to go on living include the third League of ExtraOrdinary Gentlemen. Sadly not with us until 2008. And not understood until 2009. If you've only ever seen the film, you will not understand that this is a big deal.

Current Listening - Ladykillers by Lush, and a load of Go-betweens.

Jesus. I'm Arthur C Clarke

Which is something of a surprise, you have to admit. All those years I never knew.
Though I did read quite a lot of him when I was a kid.
See below.

Off now to see a plastic surgeon. Second time in my life I've been told "there is a million to one chance that you have cancer". So, realistically I've only got 999, 998 chances left. Trouble is that I have read my Pratchett, and therefore know that million to one shots work nine times out of ten. It's the narrativium.

I am: Arthur C. Clarke Well known for nonfiction science writing and for early promotion of the effort toward space travel, his fiction was often grand and visionary.

Which science fiction writer are you?

But seriously

this is ridiculous. Not to mention unfeasible.

But funny, though.

Grey's anatomy

Curiously hooked by this. Serious Scrubs? Flipant House? ER for kids?
All of the above, but still very enjoyable and leads to ploughing through the DVDs.
The rental company must hate us - we have a couple of series on almost next day return. The postage alone must be a killer. What are they?
ER (Mrs Breadcrumb only)
Battlestar Galactica
Supernatural
Lost
Grey's anatomy

And funnily enough I was not convinced by the idea of any of them.
Meanwhile, the hard disc drive on the cable is still full of last years "things we think we will watch".

Luckily the twin thrashings by Arsenal are not recorded for posterity in this household, nor ever mentioned. You hear me? Never mentioned!

Michale Caine

Thomas Midgeley made two contributions to our modern world. He invented both lead additives for petrol, thereby poisoning most of us living in cities, and CFCs, which destroy the Ozone layer and speed global warming.

Not a lot of people know that ...

Now I may not have actually done anything today, but you've got to admit that is an improvement on old TM....

When I grow up to be a man

How touching can you get? Kid A has been telling me that he dreamt of being a big boy, but he doesn't think he will be one because he doesn't get any bigger.

All too soon, the days will flow all to quick my boy. All too soon.

hello, it's 2007

Seems quite futuristic really. Not a real date at all.
So, I'm back. And the piles of bills are not really threatening at all.

This is posted with New Blogger. Being a Luddite, I was quite happy with
the previous version that was as basic as I could cope with. I am a real fan of "good enough" technology. Which is why my mobile phone is 3 years old.

I need a shower

I've been trying not doing work, seeing if it ends up doing it by itself. You know what - it doesn't.

Next week on statements of the bleeding obvious - I shall be mostly away from home.

That Tesco Bastard

Tesco home delivery gave me an added bonus - a damaged front wing for the Purple People Carrier. Not chuffed. They are no claming that the parked car with no one in it leapt out in front of them. Not that they hit it anyhow. "We don't see how we could have...". Well I never said you did it deliberately.

So, my feelings can be summed up in the picture by the previously unheard of (by me) Chris Weston parodying Frank Miller. Just think Tesco instead of Green...

Anhedonia

And you know, it did look like that. And I still wasn't happy.
Must be Anhedonia.

Music: Wire, Map ref....
Do you image they will ever use that on Lost?

Where I am going next week

No seriously. I am. How about you?

BTW, Stockton on Tees Riverside - better than you would think. Or than I did.
And, no that is not a picture...

crisp and clean

So, autumn finally arises. Or descends. The temperature has fallen by 15 degC in 2 days. Clear and crisp.

Unlike my personal finances which are neither.

The breadcrumbs are trying to ignore the weather and don't see why they should wear coats and gloves. Are parents allowed to let them freeze to teach them a lesson?

Free music

Back in dear old Blighty. Apparently just before we are either taxed to poverty or global warming destroys us all. I thought the weather was mild. Me I'm buying beach front near the top of Norwegian Fjords.

The mighty Reds crushed Villa and Reading while I was away. God France is backwards. You could be in the middle ages.

Came across this rather nifty link to free downloads of NPR shows

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4627437

Enjoy.

holidays in the old enemy

Tick tock, tick tock. Tomorrow we set off to leave the shores of fair Blighty.

And the mountain of work that will be unfinished behind me.
oops

Last night's game wasn't pretty or enjoyable, but we won and are pretty odds on to go through to the knockout stages of the Champions League. So, just Saturday and a potential thrashing at the Red Scum to worry about then.

300

So look at the link below.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/300/trailer1/large.html

Now can you imagine it mashed up with the Fall playing Theme from Sparta FC?
This is what we want. Surely someone will oblige.

We're not Galatasaray we're Sparta FC!

oh just stop it

you know who you are.

Anyone know any short cuts to learning Spanish in 5 minutes?

21 seconds to go

actually, about 21 days to go to a holiday. Praise be.

3-2

He shoots, he scores, he's better than George Dawes...

So, I'd be no good at terrace chants. Peter Crouch, speak his name with pride, pulls one out of the top drawer before we decide to make things interesting. Or not.
Too close for comfort.

Meanwhile, I daily commute to Gotham. There are good bits (the money, lunch) and bad bits (the commute, the work). I believe some people do this every day and that it is called work. Sounds bogus to me.

Regional Storm Gordon

Due to blow over Manchester during the Labour Party conference. Someone has a sense of humour at the Met Office.

And now the roadblocks are starting in the second city. Should make life interesting for my working week about 100m away from the conference venue. And make driving impossible - as if it were ever anything but.

Recommended - Jerry Lee Lewis version of Rock and Roll with Jimmy Page. And you don't get to say that very often.
And a long track by Yo Lo Tengo.

And Xabi from the half way line... you do see that quite regularly.

Picture of Supergirl from Achtung Baby for no good reason

I am Spiderman

No, I am Spiderman...

Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man 75% Green Lantern 65% Batman 55% Catwoman 55% Superman 45% Robin 45% The Flash 45% Iron Man 45% Supergirl 40% Hulk 35% Wonder Woman 30%

You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

to see the life I've had

would turn a good man bad - The Smiths, Please please please let me get what I want

These are the days that grind you down.

Mrs Breadcrumb has withdrawn pending reorganisation in The Office Squared
Ms Slovakia is sulking (which she does well) because I reduced her to tears by shouting at her as the breadcrumbs rampaged to school while I was trying to meet a deadline.
Pardner is sulking because I haven't done my share of the work to meet the deadline.
Breadcrumbette was in a strop because we weren't watching Barbi
Breadcrumb major was just bleeding.
Oh, and there is other work and other deadlines and a smelly cat and a fairly ropey start for the mighty Reds...

These days... - Jackson Browne
Done voicing my pity - The Streets, Weak become heroes
Tomorrow's just another day - Madness

the secret of a long life

is knowing when it is time to quit.

The Labour party has just destroyed itself. They are a bunch of turkeys voting for Christmas in trying to force out Tony Blair. He meanwhile is in a terrible position. Tony Blair has no authority left, and until he goes the Tories will just ask "who is in charge". As soon as he goes, they will call for a general election.
Gordon Brown may have speeded up when he gets his heart's desire, but increased the likelihood that it will turn to ashes as soon as he does.

If Blair goes now, Brown has brought down the government. If he stays the government is paralysed until he goes.

What a farce. You would have thought the Labour Party would have learnt from the Tories, but obviously not.

I'm with Pete

Got a problem. Not the same one though. Or even any of the same set, I would have thought.
Nice to hear that Pete Doherty's judge has been listening to his music. Can't wait for the verdict...

I read a book, me

Two actually. Amazing. Doubly so.
Gianluca Vialli's The Italian Job, and Anthony H Wilson's 24 Hour Party People. Both strongly recommended.
If you like that sort of thing. Which obviously I do.
Meanwhile I am stuck in work hotel mode, with the hours dropping away from my life and into the toilet bowl of low grade despair. Twill be good to go home again. I mean clean sheets, expense account meals, free tv (and 30 channels, and least 1o in English...). Oh, how dull.

Nose back to the grindstone...
PS also fitted in the Serenity Directors commentary, and commentary on the extras. Great.
I appear to be in gushing mode. I should probably read more.

Space - the final sofa

So, we now have 3 new planets in the solar system. Which I find rather exciting.
With all that space, why can't we get the new sofa in the living room?

One for one

The Community Shield may not be the most important trophy of the year, but it is the first one and it belongs to the mighty Reds. Again. And more importantly we outplayed Chelski.
Though it still feels like the summer, and far too early to be thinking about football.

That said the breadcrumbs spent the week learning to ski. Which they can now do better than me - though I have only tried for 45 minutes. Oh, the humiliation. I think I better get used to being worse than them at things.

Lost

The breadcrumbs and Mrs Breadwinner are (separately) away just now.
Absence makes the heart grow... lost. My compass and timetable are gone. There is no routine, no company and a big old house. And of course too much work.
But luckily, the postman came before 7am so there was no danger of a lie in. I mean what would happen if people could sleep for more than 6 hours? Worlds would crumble etc.

Supernatural - quite derivative, but very good. Bit scary though. More Please.

Talking of scary, obviously Russell T Davies had the same frightening experience with Cybermen that I did. Probably the same episode. Would explain why they are so keen on ripping through plastic sheeting. So here is a picture that is deeply unsettling for me, and rather kitsch for anyone younger than me.

"Elvis didn't mean shit to me" - Chuck D. And neither did Syd Barrett to be honest.

Pablo Picasso

was never called an asshole.

Hola! (you see what I did there). Spanish is ... going. More lessons last night. I think that like Homer Simpson, I'm going to have to let some information out of my brain before I let anymore Spanish in. I was hoping to lose German, but it appears that instead I have lost "people I knew 1987 to 97".

I don't think I was keeping in touch anyhow.

Nothing can stop us now

As Saint Etienne sang.

Rain, rain, rain. People have already forgotten how hot it was last week. I on the other hand feel that I might be part rain god. As I traverse the M62 I bring the gift of rain wherever I go.
As someone said yesterday "welcome to a Manchester summer".

Antony H Wilson on the radio today reminding everyone that Manchester is indeed the centre of the Universe - as I was also told yesterday.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Try again, fail again

Fail Better.
Let's hope that the next revamp of Star Trek is up to the mark. JJ Abrams is doing pretty good so far on things. This one kind of has to work.
Though, I am just finishing off Enterprise and there were some pretty good things in the last series. Doesn't make up for the first 3 though.

And it is still hot. And still got a PPC. And a cat with a dodgy eye. And too much work.

Can you believe the football season starts next week in Scotland?

eye eye

Ai, ai
Aye, Aye
(Obscure reference to Tony Harrison, poet, there).

The Fluffy white killer (or should that be Smelly Grey Killer) has been fighting and needs to go to the Vet NOW. His eye is horribly swollen, and he of course is absent without prawns.

To join in the fun elder Breadcrumb sprayed perfume into his eye. Cue phone call to NHS direct with sonic accompanyment from 2 toddlers and one cat. I expect social services imminently.

"My future is not what is was" - buzzcocks

Bye bye Zizou

Hell of a way to go out. Certainly made an impression - on an Italian defender if no one else. Pity though. And a shame he didn't score with his header, win the cup and finish that way. Maybe he will in the Hollywood remake.

The DCD is still with us, mainly because the PPC is still if effing Bristol. Or somewhere. Not here that is for sure.

Mrs Breadwinner meanwhile is sunning herself, while I am sweltering. Oh, and still drowning not waving on the work front. Still weekend in Wales to look forward to. Oh crap.

Daleks vs Cybermen - pretty good for me.

96 million miles and closing

It's so hot in here - what are trying to hatch? - Magazine

I don't know. One little bit of occasional warmth and the whole country starts getting heat stroke. I mean, what is there to complain about in driving for 2 hours in the DCD with no air con to visit a Bitumen refinery? And then going to Liverpool to see people and missing them. And then driving 2 hours back? Best free sauna I ever had.

Great Sun headline - Wurst Nightmare; Germany go out of the World cup. And here's one I prepared earlier...

London no longer exists - the go-betweens

And roll on the big match on Saturday. Cybermen vs. Daleks. That is what we pay our license fees for!

It's over, yes it's over

so come play with me... (the weddoes).

Another competition, another penalty shoot out. Person I feel sorry for is Carra - scores, made to retake, saved. Ouch. So Portugal through, England out, and can Rooney ever play alongide Ronaldo again? The competition looks so winnable too, now that only Italy, German and France are left. So, go on France - a last turn for Zizou.

Valius knows how I feel.

Not only, but also - because some mindless ginks have broken a mirror off the DCD. And just a day after we agreed a price to trade it in for the PPC. Ouch. Do I have to fix it, or lose more money?

Let's all do the Crouch

So, we told Pink Breadcrumb that she was a good dancer. "Yes I am" she said, and demonstrated it. By doing Peter Crouch's robot dance. At which point Destroyer Breadcrumb joined in.

Does Crouchie realise how much of an idol he is to the the world's three year olds?

The Dead Car Driving (DCD) might be on the point of being replaced by a Purple People Carrier (PPC). Have mercy on my soul.

The only thing that keeps me going is that Alex James (the cool one from Blur) is going through the same process. His Independant column reveals (journalist speak there - did you spot it?) that he now drives an old Volvo. Its the twins effect. Have twins. Get a shit car thrown in free.

More songs about choclate and girls

"So here's more songs about chocolate and girls,
its not so easy knowing they'll be heard..." The Undertones.

So anyway, news from the cultural front - the Blessed St. Micheal is crocked. Crocked pretty bad Bruce. If he was a horse they would shoot him. Maybe next world cup, eh Mickey?
So we are reliant on the force of nature that is Stevie G to win us the World Cup. Nothing is impossible with Stevie G. But if the Army were as accurate as Frank Lampard when shooting we would all be speaking German. Or possibly Iraqi.

The trailer for Borat the Movie is online. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. I hope our resident East European does not see it. I mean Central European. Not East at all.

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/borat.html;_ylt=Aqal9iWsc_u8o0PrG6cSal9fVXcA)http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/borat.html;_ylt=Aqal9iWsc_u8o0PrG6cSal9fVXcA

Also the proposal to reboot the Star Trek universe from JMS is linked from Aint it cool news. The Reboot Movie: Matt Damon as Kirk? Isn't that a bit fanboy? Fan that I am of Matt, would he stick with it? He didn't with Ripley, though he is with Bourne.

Still not working, still drowning with things to do. And people carrier to buy. Could my self-esteem get any lower?

update from the depths

This has got to stop. I have no time for anything, but sometime I find enough for the addiction.
Does it have to be a catastrophy for me to stop?
I still can't ask for help, though I should.

Oh god..

Meanwhile, England in the last 16 v Ecuador. Could be worse.

Everything's shiny

God I love Firefly. And now Serenity has arrived. If only it would in the real world.

the beast won't die

I'm waiting my sofa (no.1 one in a series of titles the Velvet underground considered then rejected - no. 2 is wait, wait, wait).

Meanwhile, I've postponed plans for the Ark because it has finally stopped raining. However the Dead Car Driving still does not have air con. I bought the bit. I took it to people to drill out the screws... to find that the muppets across the road broke a long bendy bit (technical term) when they were breaking the screws holding in the short bendy bit (another technical term - stop me if I go too fast for you).

What now? Dump the lump? Suffer if we ever have hot weather? Fork out more dosh on the car?

More to ponder.

Also meanwhile, Little & Large play for England B today - Owen and Crouch. Could be fun.

close but not no cigar

Sorry for Arsenal, but now they can understand that winning the European Cup is harder than it looks. And I'm sorry but Lehmann deserved to be sent off, and Barca's goals were not offside. And it was a dive that lead to Arsenal's goal. So all in all, justice served.

Meanwhile, rain is good for the grass - but getting on my nerves. As does the media going on about the Great British drought, when they mean the drought in London and the South East. Move up north guys.

Its a slug eat pansie world

Isn't it just?

Anyway, The mighty reds did my heart no good at all in winning the World, I mean FA cup. Why 3-3 and penalties again? At least this time was not farce, and Stevie G looks in fine form for the World Cup. Hard luck on West Ham.

The Streets were brilliant. Never went to Church... A massive Weak become Heroes. I never went to a rave, but now I think I get it.

Con air

The temperature is through the roof (ok, in double figures) and the bread mobile is being iffy on air con. So far 60 notes has made it tempermental, and given a mechanic the chance to suck air in through his teeth and give me a sympathetic look. Followed by the ordering of parts. Wish me luck

Meanwhile I am now travelling to the midlands by train - an interesting adventure in a heat wave. In theory I can work on the train.

Also meanwhile, Kid A has got mystery bites on his back. Small bitey things are taking pieces out of us. Fleabag obviously living up to his name. Or maybe it is from the toy rats the breadcrumbs insisted on at IKEA at the weekend. No, seriously. Cuddly rats. What are we teaching kids today? (End rant mode -Ed)

Grant is dead

Too young, too young.
If you don't know who he was, you should probably read more. OK. Half of the Go-Betweens. Aussie. 48. Poorer than he should have been. Gifted songwriter. And gone too soon.

I never properly met him, though I drank at the table next to him once in a pub.
If people ask me what I would rather do with my life, my default answer is "rhythm guitar player in the Go-Betweens". Which technically would have been Grant. Though I really meant just to help out.

I have no real idea if he was a great bloke, or a shit. I've not heard of anyone having a word against him, and in interviews he seemed a fairly good guy. But you can't tell. And now I never will.

But assuming he was just an average joe, with a bigger than average talent, he deserved a longer innings.

He made people happy. Not a bad epitaph. But living longer would have been better. I guess now we'll never hear that new album for this year.

Buy Horsebreaker Star, or Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express.

Bye Grant. Thanks

247 not 24/7

If you don't understand, then you are not a Legion fan. Ok, one of the sillier and more difficult to follow of all comic books. It has been going since the 50s, and had more reboots and revamps than anyone could keep track of.

And now it is coming to tv. Oh, please. Make it better than it looks...

Other news, Jaime Hernandez now doing a weekly Maggie page for the Funny pages on the New York Times. Oh, and Lost is back. So there go my Tuesday nights.

No time

Who knows where the time goes, as Sandy Denny song.

There is a theory that it turns into fluff, that you find in your navel. Or is that just if you have wasted your life navel-gazing. As I feel I have done.

Let this be the repository of my negative feelings, down vibes and general neg-headness.

Is that a word? Is worklessness a word?

So, we got another crumb of revenge over Chelski. A dodgy free kick, genius from that infuriating Garcia. No wonder Mourinho was furious. Makes it all the better.

It is not enough to win - others must lose. Now if only MUFC can rain on their parade at the weekend it will be enough for this year.

Question is: Do I want Arsenal to win the european cup? Henry, yes. Wenger, No. Arsenal, no. Annoy Spurs, maybe.

Microsoft must die

I've said it before, and will no doubt say it again but Microsoft are a bunch of cunts. Why would anyone think that holding down a shift key for more than 8 seconds was their way of saying please fuck with my computer settings? I mean why?
MS do.

They leave me screaming in frustration...

Touching from a distance...

In the middle of an extended period overseas and far away. Please don't burgle the house and steal the nice shiny new Dell that I have installed to replace the old piece of shite.
Future entries will no doubt whinge about how bloody that experience was, but for now I will content myself by whinging about how often staff come knocking at the door of my hotel room. Giving me dates and sweeties for God's sake. Just leave me alone!

Alone, and rewatching 24 Hour Party People with Tony Wilson's commentary on it. This is actually the first time I have ever listened to a commentary track for a film (did it for a couple of episodes of Buffy). Having met Anthony H, it is brilliant. Coogan is excellent as a homage/parody. As Wilson says, amazing that something with so many lies in it manages to reach an essential truth.

Which reminds me of how much Mrs. Breadwinner laughed at Half Man Half Biscuits 24 Hour Garage People. She thought she was the only one to play that game.

And above is more loveliness from Scans Daily... that is actually Lois Lane (for reasons I don't know about. Go Supes.

Is this thing on, again?

Computer death. Complete. Not even the Blue screen of death. Nothing Nada.
Oh shit.
Reboot, retry, reload. Nichts.
Call in the Plumber - long story. Lots of work
Three days later we are live, but limp.

Ain't IT wonderful?

And then Blogger goes limp on me too.
Brill. Retype.

It's not like I am busy...
Yes I fucking AM!

5-1

Finally a thrashing. God scores again. Christ, even Morientes scored. What a night.

Must of been wonderful. Oh to have been there.
Of course I should have been, having a season ticket.
However failing to be telepathic I didn't realise the buggers had rearranged the match from Easter Monday! Bastards.

ho hum

So that's the Champions League over for us for this year. Can't argue with that. Benfica had 3 chances over 2 legs, and took all 3 of them. We didn't.
And for the third time Robbie had the ball in the back of the net in front of the kop, and it was disallowed by the linesman. This is getting ridiculous.
Can't see us starting with many of our current set of strikers next year.

a place in our hearts

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fan boy city

OK, I'm a fanboy. I admit it. But I like this image - a promo for Spiderman 3. Now I preferred the X-men movies, and I would rather have a Love and Rockets (or Maggie n'Hopey) movie. But the 2 Spiderman movies rocked.

(This message appears to be being written in Fanboy rather than English, but hey - deal).
So I will watch S3 when it appears on the movie channels. Or maybe on a plane. But I am looking forward to it.

Bit worried about X-men 3 though. But looking forward to the Wolverine movie. And while I am on the subject, Fantastic Four wasn't bad - though Jessica Alba did not convince as Sue Storm, the Thing rocked. Ouch. Didn't mean that. I blame Joss Whedon. Buffy changed my syntax. Like, forever.


Let's not mention losing to Benfica, but celebrate Barcelona beating Chelski and look forward to playing Man City tomorrow. Cue God's first return goal?

tired tired tired

One of those funny little bugs that knocks you off the pace a bit, but not off your feet.
Still, great result at the weekend beating the scum 1-0, and now for Benfica.

The weekend also featured gardening with a sledgehammer and pickaxe. Now that is my approach to gardening!

wait for it, wait for it

So thank you Louis Garcia - 87 mins, but finally we broke through a crap Arsenal team for a deserved 1-0. Well actually we deserved 4-0, but Lehmann played a blinder. We were sure he couldn't stop the own goal, the penalty or Robbies effort. But he did. Bastard.

But justice in the end. So apologies to Louis for any previous suggestions that he was a short arsed Spic who keeps giving the ball away. (note - does Spic apply to Spanish people? I am so behind on my racial abuse. I assume it really means Hispanics, i.e. Mexicans in the USA) In fact he is an extremely talented and brilliant individual with a gift for scoring key goals at key times - who keeps giving the fucking ball away!

Meanwhile, Morientes couldn't score for toffee. And why was Stevie G taking penalties - when God and Nando were on the pitch? Whatever Cisse is, he is NOT a right winger, so its a bit daft to play him there.

Still could be worse - we could be Arsenal. Why can you never find an Arsenal fan to taunt when you want one?

I was caused to wonder how well we would do if we had Thierry Henry up front? Blisteringly I think. Not likely to happen. But neither is him staying at Arsenal if his body language is to be believed - he just didn't look interested.

the 14th

Happy Valentine's day to those who don't find it depressing. Or shmaltzy. Or tawdry. Or too commercial.

Hey, 10 years with my girl. That will do.

And Liverpool v Arsenal too.

What more could a boy want?

entropy

Mrs. Breadwinner is off work this week demolishing the house. Sorry, redecorating.
This has led to me moving office - which was bad because its an effort, and good because I got a wi-fi splitter out of it. Shiny thing. Spiderman Breadcrumb can already say "splitter", and more signficantly "Daddy needs a bigger splitter". Good boy.

Any in the midst of blowing dust of things that I haven't touched or even noticed for years (before Mrs Breadwinner makes me throw them away), I came across a bunch of old, old things. Photographs. Cassettes. My first radio.

Along with numerous cupboards and shelves, most are now landfill. As we all will be in time...

Sami and Mark.

1-0 to us is better than 1-0 to Wigan, so good to be back on the winning track. Good old Sami Hyppia.

Meanwhile, on this here inferwebnet thing, I have discovered Myspace.com, which despite being owned by the Lord of Hell himself (Rupert Murdoch) does have a Mark Gardener (ex-Ride) site where you can hear 4 of his new songs with Goldrush. I recommend it.

Though not as much as Going Blank again, obviously...

Actually this post is mainly so I can post the Batman picture.

Die scum die

Junk phone calls are going to be the death of me. I am getting so many of them, and getting so angry that I think I am going to have a heart attack. And yes we are registered with the Telephone preference service.

Most of them are for mobile phone services - bastards. I'd want them to have a slow lingering death, but that would give them time to make more junk calls - so I think rapid and instantaneous is better.
Ideally we could have phones with an "instant death to caller" option. That would sop junk calls PFQ.

Hola

So, now I am learning Spanish. Gulp. 6 weeks should be enough, shouldn't it?
Actually I will be surprised if I last the week. Just like the gym. Oddly enough I find I acutally have to go to it and do some exercise in order to get fit. Which I can only get the motivation to do if I go to MacDonalds after. Which ruins the point really.

So, what is Spanish for goodbye?

We all live in a Robbie Fowler house...

To the tune of Yellow Submarine.

Well, that was shit. Not to put too fine a point on it. So, we lose to Chelsea again. 2-0 and a sent off goalkeeper.
I think we are getting tired now - there was no real drive or invention. Or finishing, which I guess is why we signed back God.

Ho, hum.

Up Barcelona, is all I can say.

Always remember

There is a meme going round of photoshopped comics - Always remember.
Well it works for me. If you don't know who Mr Manhatten is, or what memes are... well, you should find out.

Ok, try reading Watchmen, Richard Dawkin's The Blind Watchmaker and John Barnes Science Fiction novels, then come back to me.

No, not that John Barnes. The American writer one. Tsk.

The second coming

Well I didn't see that one coming.
I've been a long term advocate of the return of the blessed St. Michaale, but I never anticipated return of God to Anfield. If only he was eligible to play the Scum in the FA cup.
Will he be a success - I have my doubts, but also my hopes. Surely he would not have missed the sitter that Cisse missed at Old Trafford. If he keeps his nose clean (you know what I mean), his weight down and doesn't fall out with Benetiz it could be glorious.

A lot of ifs, but a lot of romance.
Welcome back Robbie.

BTW, I nearly got my wife to go with the first born son being Robert Michael - and then we sold Robbie and I had to change tack to Michael Emile, which gave the game away. Still could have been worse - I wouldn't fancy being Peter Djibril Fernando Florent Breadtrail. Peter Robert - that would do for a name and the front line.

Controversial

You know, and don't all rush to disagree, but I think the Arctic Monkeys are rather good.

Talk about fame - at my mother's funeral yesterday, my 80 year old Uncle was talking about them. Now that is fame.

Da Vinci Codswallop

Ok, so I admit I haven't read the book - but what is it with people and the bloody Da Vinci Code? They are now running courses about it in Dublin. Can't people understand that it is a NOVEL. It's made up. Is that a difficult concept for people? It's not true.

Oh for God's sake...

Which was pretty much what I thought when the Scum got one over on us at the weekend. Oh well, maybe next year for the Premiership. Which leaves us with the FA cup and Champions League to aim for. Same as Arsenal oddly enough.

Addict

I am an addict and it is ruining my life. I guess like most it will take something dramatic to make me resolve the issue, and probably require an intervention. The past two weeks have been particularly bad, probably because of the stress of my mother's death. But I have been getting away with it because everyone expects me to be upset. Now it is getting in the way, but still costing me both financially and in other ways.

Can I start again? Clean break? Change my habits?

In the meantime, here is Batman making a remarkably transparent attempt to get Robin to sod off for a while.

its not a matter of life or death

Very pleased with the results at the weekend. The fat one (formerly known as God) was very popular around Anfield all afternoon, particularly because
of his 5 finger gesture to the scum to remind them of how many times LFC
have won the European cup. Though I believe the scum replied by
indicating that they had won it twice. Or was there some other meaning
to the gesture?
So MUFC lose and appear to have lost the plot as well, and we beat Spurs. Not bad. Scum up next. Bring them on!

All the best for 2006

Quote is from Elvis Costello's Hoover Factory.

RIP

What can I say? Rest in peace, the only mother I ever knew.

3-5

and at 3-1 I was thinking "here we go", until it turned round. I have to say Luton were unlucky, and Alonso's last minute goal was not what they deserved. Bloody marvelous though. I wonder if many have been scored from further out, though I think (goalkeeper) Pat Jennings once scored in the League cup final from a kick out from his own penalty area.

Here's hoping tomorrow is brighter...

what a day

Au pairs house catches fire, nearly killing her in her bed.
Breadcrumbette bursts lip - blood everywhere.
Mrs Breadwinner bangs head, possible concussion.
Then Mother in a coma (no it's not a Smiths song).

And then an FA cup tie against Luton. Well, I don't need to ask if anything can go wrong because obviously it is one of those days.

I hate IT

I thought I had a bunch of dodgy CDs, but no... actually looks like the problem is not the disks but the CD writer software. Not the actual CD writer - it is fine with I-Tunes, and on DVDs but has given up writing CDs!

And the software company (Veritas, now owned by Symantech) only provide support if you buy their new software because they have stopped supporting my 2 year old version.
Bastards!

Tell me again why I should buy shit from you that stops working FOR NO FUCKING REASON AT ALL. (was that shouty enough?)

Having been working with computers for 25 years, I still wonder what
normal people do - how do they ever get them to work? I've got a PhD in
Physics, and I still get scared by the jargon and stuff.

The error message was either "sorry you are shit out of luck - I couldn't be bothered finishing writing your disk" (I paraphrase), or ...
Sense 05 ASC:72 ASCQ 03 Command:00

What the fuck?

Have a fucking excellent weekend dudes.

2006

Gotta be better than last year. But, anyone know how to connect a WIFI router? My delightful cable provider wants to sell me their own rather than help me connect the one that I already have. Tossers.

Hope anyone out there has a good one.

Monster

Well, pity poor old David Moyes. Not only is he manager of a crap club, he has a crap team as well - and pretty clueless players. The passion of the Merseyside derby kept Everton in it at 1-2, and even at 1-3 - but 2 players get themselves sent off for stupid pointless tackles. All adds to the fun!

So, pretty good so far this Christmas - just wish Chelsea would stop having the luck of the referees. Joe Cole should have been sent off, and so not able to set up one winner and score another. That could have been 4 points dropped. But so it goes.

Meanwhile, the breadcrumbs are getting sick of Daddy Day Care as Mrs Breadwinner goes off to get paid for eating biscuits with her mates. They keep asking if they can go to nursery. No, you can come with me to PC world to buy a wireless router. What more top entertainment could they ask for?

Inbetween times we watch Monster Inc. Pretty good the first time, ok the second time. It is the realisation that we will be watching it the hundredth time that gets to me. At least they have bored of Monkey Story (Tarzan) at last.

Anyhow, thought you might appreciate a cool car...

Top entertainment

We were great, they were crap and Lee Bowyer got sent off. Again. Who could ask for anything more? Liverpool 2, Newcastle 0. And they were lucky to get nil. We on the other hand should have had 4 or 5.

Bring on the Toffee men.

Merry MFing Christmas

as the boys from South Park say.

Today's spam includes - Insane Daddy Assrammed.
Not quite Dead Nigger Storage, but an interesting band name anyhow.

and what have we done?

I've fallen over the finishing line of the year, rather than breasting the tape with aplomb. But who cares. Another year over - the new one a week away.

2005 will not be missed in my house - and the work year ended with being rejected (for more work - not at the Christmas party). No worries - enough to do in 2006. About which I foolishly feel more positive.

There is the return of the prodigal to look foward to on Boxing day when Newcastle come to play.

And my in-laws come today - so better get tidying up.
Meanwhile the breadcrumbs are almost glowing with excitement. Which means we are up to 8 on the tantrum scale. It is going to take a week to calm them down. Make that a month.

More from Tom R on giving away free tracks

" the record companies would have paid me so little (and
so late) for each record sold that it makes absolutely no difference to my
financial situation whether these downloads are sold or given away. Whereas
artistically I'm delighted every time they reach a new listener. No contest
really. have a good xmas..."

still remarkably generous of him. Kudos to Tom Robinson.

free music

A gift from the talented Kristin Hersh. My pleasure to promote.

The accompanying text says "With "Free Music" 50FootWave is seeking new earballs. We thought it'd be interesting to ask for your energy & enthusiasm rather than your money and see what happens. To that end, please share this music in any and every way you see fit. Burn CDs, post the mp3s, seed Torrents -- whatever's comfortable for you.
It's an experiment. Who knows how it will go? Wheee!"

I was alerted to this by Warren Ellis on his site, which also has a link to his Apparat Podcasts. I recommend number 8 featuring the wonderful Elephant Thursday. Who they, I hear you ask?

More free music courtesy of Tom Robinson - mult-talented performer, broadcaster, writer etc. etc.

http://www.tomrobinson.com/records/downloads.htm

Pretty good of him to make this out of print stuff available for free.

Merry Christmas

I'm off to see the Bootleg Beatles - as the bootleg Mark Chapman

Thank you to Half Man Half Biscuit for putting things into context.
25 years ago John Lennon was shot - and we haven't heard the bloody end of it yet. No wonder Paul is so pissed off.

John Lennon was a wonderfully talented, and deeply flawed and damaged man. I dare say the years of heroin addiction didn't help, and I know something about pissing your career up the wall myself. However, he was not a god. The current wave of remembrance is getting on my nerves.

Calling an airport after him seems reasonable - and Chapman is obviously a nutter who should spend the rest of his life locked up. Can we get back to listening to the records now? And forget running 35 year old interviews with a man deranged with drugs, a mad new wife, and breaking up the best thing he would ever do?

Word magazine just called Imagine the worst song ever - I wouldn't go that far.
But please not again. Howabout Instant Karma?

Talking of which, nice to have a boring draw with Chelski and come top of the group. I just hope that UEFA do keep us apart in the next round. And even nicer to see that Essien is likely to get his for his attempt to break Didi Hamann's leg.

In commemoration, here is a picture of my favourite moment of the Champions League - the running to congratulate Dudek as they realised they had actually done it.

the fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars but in ourseles

Ain't that so. Another waste of time, and my life passes me by as I carry this monkey on my back.
Anyway, on with the motley.

Great CD with Uncut this month, featuring some of fun loving Johnny Plee's favourite tracks. Actually just as good as the official double CD in my opinion. And a source of legit copies of some tracks I had downloaded from "inofficial" sources.

Meanwhile, the mighty reds prepare to take on Chelski. Again. And I don't know whether to care or not. Saturday was great as Crouchie got off the mark. Twice. Don't argue! Twice. The whole ground erupted in laughter as well as cheers. After all that time, it had to be a ridiculous fluke.

I have to miss the Middlesborough game on the basis of still being married to Mrs Breadwinner who thinks that 4 home games in one month is unreasonable. Can't disagree really.

I think that in practice I would prefer us to win in Japan. World Champions has such as nice ring to it, don't you think?

Grow'd up

Breadcrumb no2 is growing up fast. At the weekend she took Mrs Breadwinner into the utility room (aren't we posh) and told her she knew a secret. That Daddy didn't call her Mummy - he has a special name for her. No 1 son looked on frankly disbelieving his sister's stupidity. He'd never heard anything so daft. Of course our names, and indeed job descriptions, are Mummy and Daddy.

Its awful quick that they grow up. They are now awaiting the arrival of Auntie Claws. Who brings presents apparently.

Meanwhile, I feel on the edge of not being ill for the first time in 2 months. It could be good. Will take a while to get used to. On the plus side, the soon to be patented "illness diet" has done both me and Mrs Breadwinner the world of good on the slimming front.

Oh, and a word to the wise - she tells me that her bosses (who just had dinner with Gordon - yes, that Gordon) expect a recession starting oooh, about now. You have been warned. Pray for a mild winter.

Mark E Smith reads the football scores

And this you didn't know you needed to see. Honest. M E Smith reads the football results on Grandstand. Cue Theme from Sparta FC

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/s.bending/index.html

Time is the fire in which we burn

As Dr Soong says in Generations. And it is true. When do we get enough time? When we retire? When the kids grow up? When we die? When we are in a Vietnamese gaol facing a firing squad (hello Gary Glitter)?

Wrote a long post from the Gulf, which was swallowed by the ether. And is lost, like tears in rain...

what the fuck is it about mornings?

I mean why do people who like them think they are morally superior to people who don't? Like me. So I am currently in a differnent time zone so technically getting up half an hour before I go to bed (copyright Monty Python), and it is not making me a better person!
QEFuckingD, as they say.
I am not sure where I am, as if I ever am. Well it isn't the first world, because there are too many poor people, and it isn't the new world and the third world does not have Ferrari showrooms. Does this make it the zeroth world?
What it does is make me want to be rich, because it would be so much nicer. I mean the money and stuff would be great, as would the not working, but the rich get to make and stay in such nice environments. Bit Disney, but I have no problem with that. It is like real life but nicer, easier and bloody expensive. Ah, Richworld - that's where I am.

blessed st michael

2 goals in 5 minutes to beat the Argies. THAT is why we needed Michael Owen back!

The Fellowship of the Sins

A Martin Scorscese adaptation of Tolkien, where a bunch of young seminary students go on a long trek to return a piece of the true cross.

Well it could happen.

Apparently this blogging larke ain't making me money.

My blog is worth $0.00.
How much is your blog worth?

The Mighty Reds triumphed 3-0 over Anderlecht. But I can't help thinking that Chelsea lost out of spite. Now we have to take a point from Real Betis to go through or face having to get a result at Stamford Road. Bastards. I can't even be happy when they lose!

The Habit

In a hole in the ground lived a Hobbit. Someone must have been telling lies about Bilbo B, because one fine day, without doing anything wrong, he was arrested.

Just testing out a new form of literary mash-up. Looks rather promising to me. Future titles will include the Two Towels, in which Bilbo B stakes his claim to a position on the beach.

One goes out, one comes in. Friend of a Friend (Friend^2?) has just died of alcoholism, and another friend has brought a new flower into the world. So it Goes.

Reminder of the damage of addiction, and the Habit. So, we start again with a day 1 and keep striving for the path.

Cameron or Davis? The young Tories all muttered Cameron...

No terrorist attacks in this country for ages. Obviously our governments totally paranoid attempts to make us all carry identity cards (which the bombers would have been entitled to), produce 40 different types of ID to open a bank account (which the Economist points out is then never studied because there are too many financial transactions to track, and besides terrorism is low cost) is having an effect. Not by detecting terrorists as such, but they are spending all their time filling in bloody forms.

So, let's have the Daleks view of this. Or possibly the new Doctor Who.