Only two days till Christmas and all is quiet. Could have something to do with everyone's hangover.
5 stellas at lunch time certainly has that effect on me.
Then I was off to a party in a pub in Bethnal Green. got back in time for a chinese and caught Steven Hawkins on the national comedy awards.
My people call me the dude. I share my teachings in the passages below... (along with many typos, grammatical errors and lazy writing)
Thursday, 23 December 2004
Friday, 19 November 2004
Beating the system...
Getting round the fascist regime that calls itself Websense.
http://www.spiegel.de/auto/aktuell/0,1518,grossbild-408297-328170,00.html
Go to German sites.
http://www.spiegel.de/auto/aktuell/0,1518,grossbild-408297-328170,00.html
Go to German sites.
Thursday, 18 November 2004
SOS
Smiths of Smithfields
Wow! What a venue. Excellent!
http://www.smithsofsmithfield.co.uk/topfloor.htm
We have to go here next time you guys are down. Maybe not the top floor as that's far too expensive but we ate on the 2nd floor and it was about £30/h including wine and starters. Very good!
Ben: You can even get a rare steak if you order it!
Wow! What a venue. Excellent!
http://www.smithsofsmithfield.co.uk/topfloor.htm
We have to go here next time you guys are down. Maybe not the top floor as that's far too expensive but we ate on the 2nd floor and it was about £30/h including wine and starters. Very good!
Ben: You can even get a rare steak if you order it!
Wednesday, 17 November 2004
The Life and Times of Stuartini Clarketti III
Al-Fayed entrusted Clarketti with two tasks when he took over the managers role at Fulham. Secure a safe mid-table position in the league and reduce the club’s enormous wage bill.
Clarketti new that the later would take care of itself with the imminent retirements of Marlet (£40,000/w) and Cole (£30,000/w) but securing mid-table safety was a different matter. Key games against the elite teams were coming up and Fulham team had to stand up to be counted.
Newcastle Away 0-2 (W)
Chelsea Home 1-2 (L)
Liverpool Home 2-1 (W)
Things were looking good. Fulham were slowly but surely climbing their way up the league. A nice distraction was a healthy run in the FA cup resulting in a valiant loss to Liverpool in the semi-final.
10th place was secured with 1 game remaining and the Fulham players gave their fans an end of season bonus. A 4-1 victory over London rivals Spurs.
A pleasant surprise came the way of two of the Fulham players gaining awards. Most surprising was that of Stern John, Fulham’s talented young striker. He won both the Premiership Player’s Player award and Young Player of the year award. Not only that he won the prestigious European Golden Boot having scored the most goals out of any player in Europe (27) despite not having played in the European competitions giving him the extra games.
Steed Malbranque was also to receive an award, he managed 3rd place in the Premiership’s Player of the season, with an average rating of 7.69.
Despite achieving more than was asked Al-Fayed only gave Clarketti £600,000 transfer money for the up and coming season. Initially aggrieved, Clarketti decided to get on with what he does best. Manage a football team.
The new season beckons, what highs and lows will happen nobody knows…
Clarketti new that the later would take care of itself with the imminent retirements of Marlet (£40,000/w) and Cole (£30,000/w) but securing mid-table safety was a different matter. Key games against the elite teams were coming up and Fulham team had to stand up to be counted.
Newcastle Away 0-2 (W)
Chelsea Home 1-2 (L)
Liverpool Home 2-1 (W)
Things were looking good. Fulham were slowly but surely climbing their way up the league. A nice distraction was a healthy run in the FA cup resulting in a valiant loss to Liverpool in the semi-final.
10th place was secured with 1 game remaining and the Fulham players gave their fans an end of season bonus. A 4-1 victory over London rivals Spurs.
A pleasant surprise came the way of two of the Fulham players gaining awards. Most surprising was that of Stern John, Fulham’s talented young striker. He won both the Premiership Player’s Player award and Young Player of the year award. Not only that he won the prestigious European Golden Boot having scored the most goals out of any player in Europe (27) despite not having played in the European competitions giving him the extra games.
Steed Malbranque was also to receive an award, he managed 3rd place in the Premiership’s Player of the season, with an average rating of 7.69.
Despite achieving more than was asked Al-Fayed only gave Clarketti £600,000 transfer money for the up and coming season. Initially aggrieved, Clarketti decided to get on with what he does best. Manage a football team.
The new season beckons, what highs and lows will happen nobody knows…
Ben's birthday on the 20th
Everything's lining up to be a good do!
Ben
Jackie
Jackie's Sister
Jakie's Sister's boyfriend
Ian
Kris
Kirsty
Tim
Tim's Misses
Ross
Me
Anyone else...?
Shaheen's in England for the next week but he's not going back to Corby.
Ben
Jackie
Jackie's Sister
Jakie's Sister's boyfriend
Ian
Kris
Kirsty
Tim
Tim's Misses
Ross
Me
Anyone else...?
Shaheen's in England for the next week but he's not going back to Corby.
Tuesday, 16 November 2004
A time for change...
Season two for Bristol Rovers was a very different affair. The glory days of last season were no more, apart from a win on the opening day Clarketti found his newly promoted side struggle to even get draws.
Things were not looking good. After 12 games Rovers were 21st in the 1st division with a mere eight points. Things had to change. Bristol were scoring enough goals but their poor defensive record was hampering any real consistency. To sure up the defensive line Clarketti decided that his trusted 4-4-2 formation had to be scrapped in order to salvage anything meaningful from the season.
5-3-2 was the formation of choice. By replacing the wingers with wingbacks and introducing and extra man to create a back three, the wins slowly began to materialise. The team gradually began to rise out of the relegation battle.
As things began to get better for Bristol, things took a turn for the worse at Fulham. Results failed to materialise and their well respected manager Chris Coleman was sacked by the outspoken Mohamed al-Fayed.
Clarketti’s name was thrown into the mixing pot of possible replacements for the hot seat at Fulham. Among the other names were Roy Evans and an aging Terry Venables
Al-Fayed placed his trust in little known Italian manager Stuartini Clarketti. He found Fulham eighteen places off the top with twenty five games remaining. Clarketti wasted no time in assessing his squad as an away clash with Derby was in three days.
The Fulham first team was strong enough to obtain a safe mid-table position but lacked the strength in depth needed to battle a full Premiership season. One or two key injuries could mean disaster for the small London club.
Clarketti had £3,500,000 to spend but had to wait until the transfer deadline was lifted in January before he could begin to rebuild his aging squad.
3-0 against Derby was the jumpstart his side needed and in five games had 8 points. Crucially this was 3 more than Fulham’s closest rivals.
The transfer embargo was lifted and Clarketti set about restructuring his side. The old guard or Marlet and Cole were retiring at the end of the season so replacements had to be found. Manchester United’s Djemba Djemba was first to come in, followed by Blackburn’s winger Steven Reid.
With 15 games remaining Fulham are 13th in the Premiership.
Things are looking bright for the young manager. Bigger clubs beckon.
Things were not looking good. After 12 games Rovers were 21st in the 1st division with a mere eight points. Things had to change. Bristol were scoring enough goals but their poor defensive record was hampering any real consistency. To sure up the defensive line Clarketti decided that his trusted 4-4-2 formation had to be scrapped in order to salvage anything meaningful from the season.
5-3-2 was the formation of choice. By replacing the wingers with wingbacks and introducing and extra man to create a back three, the wins slowly began to materialise. The team gradually began to rise out of the relegation battle.
As things began to get better for Bristol, things took a turn for the worse at Fulham. Results failed to materialise and their well respected manager Chris Coleman was sacked by the outspoken Mohamed al-Fayed.
Clarketti’s name was thrown into the mixing pot of possible replacements for the hot seat at Fulham. Among the other names were Roy Evans and an aging Terry Venables
Al-Fayed placed his trust in little known Italian manager Stuartini Clarketti. He found Fulham eighteen places off the top with twenty five games remaining. Clarketti wasted no time in assessing his squad as an away clash with Derby was in three days.
The Fulham first team was strong enough to obtain a safe mid-table position but lacked the strength in depth needed to battle a full Premiership season. One or two key injuries could mean disaster for the small London club.
Clarketti had £3,500,000 to spend but had to wait until the transfer deadline was lifted in January before he could begin to rebuild his aging squad.
3-0 against Derby was the jumpstart his side needed and in five games had 8 points. Crucially this was 3 more than Fulham’s closest rivals.
The transfer embargo was lifted and Clarketti set about restructuring his side. The old guard or Marlet and Cole were retiring at the end of the season so replacements had to be found. Manchester United’s Djemba Djemba was first to come in, followed by Blackburn’s winger Steven Reid.
With 15 games remaining Fulham are 13th in the Premiership.
Things are looking bright for the young manager. Bigger clubs beckon.
Monday, 15 November 2004
Stuartini Clarketti season one
The press were very sceptical of the appointment of unknown Italian manager Stuartini Clarketti to the position of manager at lowly 2nd division Bristol Rovers.
The bookies tipped Rovers to a mediocre mid-table finish, but Clarketti knew better. He knew that if he could instil the right belief in his players, then they could accomplish anything.
With nothing in the way of transfer funds Clarketti needed to bring in much needed talent. He aimed his sight towards Italy. That's the game he knew well and he began to search the lower divisions for a free transfer.
He knew too that loans were the way forward in this league. If Bristol could entice some rising young players with the promise of regular first team football, half of his job would be complete.
Next to the tactics. Looking at the players available, there was only one real option. That of the tried and tested 4-4-2. Not having the flair of teams such as AC Milan and Real Madrid, Clarketti deployed a different way of playing the beautiful game of football.
Fitness and toughness. Instead of concentrating most of the training schedule on skills and passing, the coaches were instructed to place more emphasis on strength and physical condition. This would lead to tiring out the opposition and enabling Rovers to dominate in the final third.
Three key things enabled Clarketti to get what he wanted from this Bristol side. The signings of Harpel Singh on Loan from Leeds, the free transfer of talented young Italian winger Tolle and the injury free season of top striker Agogo (43 goals in 46 games (44 starts).
For most of the season Bristol were in the top three and looking good for promotion. There was a slight dip in form over the hectic Christmas period, but with a bit of luck and lot of hard work the lads regained top spot and stayed there for the remainder of the season.
Finishing the league with the best goal difference 4 points clear of there nearest rivals. 114 goals, 53 conceded in 46 games.
In a board meeting with the chairman, it was decided that Rovers would once again have no transfer budget. A harsh decision had to be made by Clarketti, and with a sad heart he decided to apply for the vacant manager’s position at Italian Seria B side Treviso.
Still having a job to do with the newly promoted Bristol, Clarketti set about improving the squad for the up and coming season. Having enjoyed his season in Bristol, newly released Singh was snapped up by Clarketti. Stuartini knew a player of this quality only came along once every so often so offered the young lad £1,300 a week for his services. This made him one of Bristol’s most paid players, and the hopes of a small city rested on his shoulders.
The only way to get a much needed transfer kitty was to sell. Clarketti decided to accept reasonable bids of some of his old timers and looked to the future by bringing in some youth.
Bad news was waiting for Clarketti when he returned home that night. Unfortunately his application for the Treviso job was unsuccessful. The decision was made for him. He would have to battle it out once more with Bristol Rovers.
The bookies tipped Rovers to a mediocre mid-table finish, but Clarketti knew better. He knew that if he could instil the right belief in his players, then they could accomplish anything.
With nothing in the way of transfer funds Clarketti needed to bring in much needed talent. He aimed his sight towards Italy. That's the game he knew well and he began to search the lower divisions for a free transfer.
He knew too that loans were the way forward in this league. If Bristol could entice some rising young players with the promise of regular first team football, half of his job would be complete.
Next to the tactics. Looking at the players available, there was only one real option. That of the tried and tested 4-4-2. Not having the flair of teams such as AC Milan and Real Madrid, Clarketti deployed a different way of playing the beautiful game of football.
Fitness and toughness. Instead of concentrating most of the training schedule on skills and passing, the coaches were instructed to place more emphasis on strength and physical condition. This would lead to tiring out the opposition and enabling Rovers to dominate in the final third.
Three key things enabled Clarketti to get what he wanted from this Bristol side. The signings of Harpel Singh on Loan from Leeds, the free transfer of talented young Italian winger Tolle and the injury free season of top striker Agogo (43 goals in 46 games (44 starts).
For most of the season Bristol were in the top three and looking good for promotion. There was a slight dip in form over the hectic Christmas period, but with a bit of luck and lot of hard work the lads regained top spot and stayed there for the remainder of the season.
Finishing the league with the best goal difference 4 points clear of there nearest rivals. 114 goals, 53 conceded in 46 games.
In a board meeting with the chairman, it was decided that Rovers would once again have no transfer budget. A harsh decision had to be made by Clarketti, and with a sad heart he decided to apply for the vacant manager’s position at Italian Seria B side Treviso.
Still having a job to do with the newly promoted Bristol, Clarketti set about improving the squad for the up and coming season. Having enjoyed his season in Bristol, newly released Singh was snapped up by Clarketti. Stuartini knew a player of this quality only came along once every so often so offered the young lad £1,300 a week for his services. This made him one of Bristol’s most paid players, and the hopes of a small city rested on his shoulders.
The only way to get a much needed transfer kitty was to sell. Clarketti decided to accept reasonable bids of some of his old timers and looked to the future by bringing in some youth.
Bad news was waiting for Clarketti when he returned home that night. Unfortunately his application for the Treviso job was unsuccessful. The decision was made for him. He would have to battle it out once more with Bristol Rovers.
IQ Test
Bored at work so did an IQ test
The way you think about things makes you an Intuitive Investigator. This means you have multiple talents and can do anything you set your mind to. You're able to detect numerical patterns easily and are able to grasp the true complexity of the world, both in its details and in a more abstract form. You've got a sharp logical mind and are adept at using words to get even a difficult point across. The combination of all these things makes you truly brilliant.
How did we determine that your thinking style is that of an Intuitive Investigator? When we examined your test results further, we analyzed how you scored on 8 dimensions of intelligence: spatial, organizational, abstract reasoning, logical, mechanical, verbal, visual and numerical. The 3 dimensions you scored highest on combine to make you an Intuitive Investigator. Only 6 out of 1,000 people have this rare combination of abilities.
http://web.tickle.com/tests/superiq/
The way you think about things makes you an Intuitive Investigator. This means you have multiple talents and can do anything you set your mind to. You're able to detect numerical patterns easily and are able to grasp the true complexity of the world, both in its details and in a more abstract form. You've got a sharp logical mind and are adept at using words to get even a difficult point across. The combination of all these things makes you truly brilliant.
How did we determine that your thinking style is that of an Intuitive Investigator? When we examined your test results further, we analyzed how you scored on 8 dimensions of intelligence: spatial, organizational, abstract reasoning, logical, mechanical, verbal, visual and numerical. The 3 dimensions you scored highest on combine to make you an Intuitive Investigator. Only 6 out of 1,000 people have this rare combination of abilities.
http://web.tickle.com/tests/superiq/
I won a DVD from Empire on Saturday
The Name of the Rose
Sean Connery
I've not watched it yet but Harriet says that it's meant to be pretty good.
Sean Connery
I've not watched it yet but Harriet says that it's meant to be pretty good.
Top of the league
http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/res.LeagueTable/PoolID/59/Season/2004
S&L are top of the league after playing both of the other two challengers away from home.
Is this a good thing? Maybe not...
If we get promoted the games will be harder. Do I want that?
No!
I'd rather we got relagated and then had an easy 50-0 win every week.
And then during the final game start a mass brawl so that are team is refused promotion.
S&L are top of the league after playing both of the other two challengers away from home.
Is this a good thing? Maybe not...
If we get promoted the games will be harder. Do I want that?
No!
I'd rather we got relagated and then had an easy 50-0 win every week.
And then during the final game start a mass brawl so that are team is refused promotion.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)