I Am The Mob

It seems one of the main reasons why I set up this blog was due to the fact I was bored at work and had time to post. I'm currently into my 3rd week of unemployment and despite all the apparent free time, this is the first time I've posted.
Now that I'm not working I've been too busy doing this that I want to do rather than sitting bored out of my mind in an office.
Here is a quick summary of what's been going on:

My flat has been rented out so my mortgage is now getting paid which is good.
I've been playing The Godfather on Playstation 2 and I have now taken over New York.
I move up to Aberdeen on Sunday for the start of Fresher Week. I initially thought I may not have to move up yet but unfortunately Physio people have things on everyday that they have to attend therefore I need to move up now. I've been quite busy recently getting things organised for uni and it isn't cheap. I've spent £180 on physio books so far, roll on the student discounts.

I'm looking forward to the start of uni, it's going to be good to actually be learning something I want to learn. However I am quite nervous at the same time, it's a completely new start and I'm going to be in classes with teenagers. Hopefully there will be other mature students in the class so I don't feel old.

Dangerous Person

If you want to see a great film of the type that Hollywood would never make then I'd recommend Eagle vs Shark. All the big blockbuster films promise a lot but never quite deliver (just like the Hibs strikers sometimes) but despite this they clog up the multiplexes. At one point over the summer all you could see at some cinemas was Harry Potter, Shrek, Transformers or Die Hard. However Eagle vs Shark is an antidote to this and it deserves to be seen by a wider audience. It's a difficult film to categorise it's similar in feel to Napoleon Dynamite but different in story. It's part comedy, part drama, part animation which works together really well. Basically a guy and a girl meet at a "dress as your favourite animal party" (hence the title) but things don't go smoothly mainly due to the fact neither of them is the normal kind of person you usually see in American films. Every character in the film has their own quirks and even though these may be exaggerated, it's probably quite close to real life.
Some of the comedy moments are excellent especially when the film goes places you don't expect. The script is sharp with lots of memorable quotable lines and the performances are quite believable. In the words of Sarah "It's the best film I've seen in ages"
Of course you never do find out whether an eagle would beat a shark in a fight. It does also raise an interesting question which is what animal would you dress up as if you were invited to a dress as your favourite animal party?

Thank you to Scott for introducing me to a great new bar last night, Cloisters. It's got a great ale and whisky selection but best of all it's also part library! They have books on the fireplace which you can take away with you as long as you replace with another one. However I broke the rules on my first visit. I really wanted to read Norman Mailer's "The Naked & The Dead" but didn't have a spare book with me. So I just took it. Perhaps I should feel guilty but then I am going to be a student and won't be able to afford to buy books for the next 4 years.....

Racket

The Bourne Ultimatum is ace, if you like the first 2 then you will like this one. Sometimes when I really look forward to a film its doesn't quite match my expectations but thankfully this wasn't the case here. The film kept the frantic action from the first 2 and it tied up the origin of Bourne without getting too confusing. It's actually great to have a trilogy which has 3 films of an equally high quality. So many times trilogies are let down by the third film, witness The Matrix. I loved the first 2 but the 3rd was just dreadful and ruined the trilogy.
One thing that did annoy me a bit was having to wait half an hour before the film started. The showing was at 8.15 but we then had to sit though half an hour of adverts, trailers and various promo's for the odeon cinemas. Now I actually like watching adverts and trailers, it's part of the general cinema experience but they should be restricted to 15 minutes max. At the moment you end up watching adverts you have seen many, many times before and are invariably bored with. The guy behind me seemed to find all of the adverts funny though, must have been his first trip to the cinema in years.
Talking of the general cinema experience, I hate the food kiosks with a passion. Everything that is on sale there is marked up to a horrendous amount and yet most people don't seem to bat an eyelid paying £4 for some popcorn or £3 for a bucket of juice. Seriously who ever needs a cup of juice that big? If you do manage to drink it all you will initially feel sick before having to rush to the toilet as you are bursting for a wee therefore missing part of the film. Apparently there is no other food you can buy which has a more expensive mark up than popcorn. It's a complete rip off and I hate paying the prices.

Frank Crow

A couple of highlights from a week in the life of me

Duke Special concert
This was my first concert in months and I really enjoyed it. Hadn't heard much of his stuff before hand, just a couple of tracks on the internet, but he was really good. Managed to get his album for a fiver a couple of days later (despite every other copy being £12.95) and it's great. Normally I find it difficult to enjoy concerts if I'm not familiar with the songs but you can very quickly get Duke Special's songs. He reminds me on an Irish Badly Drawn Boy (before he went a bit shit) crossed with Ben Folds. Highlights were Last Night I Nearly Died and Everybody Wants A Little Something which isn't as smutty as it perhaps sounds. I did realise a few things during the concert:
1) Bars at concert venues are a rip off which admittedly I already knew. However £3.50 for a small coke and a bottle of water is just ripping the piss, just because it's festival time in Edinburgh it doesn't mean that everyone should be paying tourist prices. Consider yourself warned Liquid Room.
2) Support acts are in the main rubbish and there is often very little point turning up to see them. Some mince band called The Ghost Frequency were the support and I really have nothing positive to say about them. It's always a concern when a band has more keyboard players than guitarists. It would be better if support bands were actually similar in someway to the main act rather than being completely different and alienating the audience. Perhaps that is a ploy to make the main artists seem even better. However you do occasionally get a gem of a support act, I remember being really impressed by Longpigs supporting Sleeper many years ago. This means I do keep going along to see support bands in the vain hope they may actually be good.
3) You know you are getting old when you hope the concert is finishing soon due to the fact you can't be bothered standing for much longer. This wasn't helped by my knackered ankle which meant I couldn't put my weight on one foot which lead to a sore leg and back.

Musselburgh Races
You can have a really good night out at the races although this does depend to a certain extent on the weather and on betting success. Unfortunately it pissed down for the whole night. The weather had been dull but dry all day until we actually got to Musselburgh when it started to rain before getting heavier and heavier. It's the lowest crowd I have ever seen there, even the bookies were going home early. Spent the whole meeting standing in the bar at the top of the stand, only really venturing out to put on a bet. We could see the races from where we were but in hindsight it would have been cheaper to just go to the pub and watch the races on the TV. Despite that I did have a good night. I ended up even for my bets which isn't too bad after a poor start. I ended up getting my first win at Nottingham before winning on the 5th race at Musselburgh although it's a bad sign when you have to start betting on the away course.
The one problem with spending the night in the bar was the I didn't get home until 1am so I wasn't feeling the best at work the next day. It's just as well I don't have much work to do at the moment.
On a connected matter, the proposed revamp of Musselburgh racecourse has been rejected by the council in their infinite wisdom. There were plans to create an all weather facility which would have resulted in a greater number of race night of a better quality. This would have been great for Musselburgh itself due to the extra revenue that would have been brought in. However due to the objections of a few local residents and despite the fact a number of their scare mongering rumours about the revamp were proved to be false, the revamp was turned down. There was also political games at play here, Labour initially approved the plan but the Lib Dems/SNP then gained power and turned it down, partly to get back at Labour. Overall I feel it was a short sighted decision which will cost Musselburgh in the long run.

Hobble

Now I remember why I stopped playing football regularly. Damn injuries.
Was playing fives last night and have knackered my ankle. Went in for a heavy challenge (the guy had been niggling at me earlier in the game) but unfortunately it was me that came of worst. Guess I should follow the lessons of My Name Is Earl more closely. Ankle gave way and went right over on it. Couldn't walk this morning so couldn't make it to work, have had to lie on the sofa with my foot up all day. It sounds a good way to spend the day but it's actually quite restrictive. It's painful everytime I have to hobble anywhere even when I'm using an umbrella for a walking stick. Still it gave me time to finally watch the Hibs CIS cup final winning dvd, first time I had watched the game in full. Was just as good as I remembered from the day.
Let's hope it's better for tomorrow. I don't mind missing work but there is no way I want to miss the Hibs game.

Woof

I've realised that Ryan Phillippe is the acting equivalent of a cocker spaniel. It doesn't matter what emotion he is trying to convey, his facial expression never changes. He seems to have a permanent bemused look on his face as if he has just been asked a particularly difficult question. This could well be something as challenging as what colour is green.
The latest film I watched to be ruined by the ex Mr Reese Witherspoon was Flags of our Fathers. Initially it had the potential to be a good film but it ended up being a bit shit. While the war sequences were well done, the acting wasn't great & the last half hour was shockingly bad. I think Clint Eastwood must have developed a drinking problem when he finished the film, it didn't fit in with the mood of the rest of the film and it's was just far too mawkish and sentimental in a way only American films can be.
The companion film Letters From Iwo Jima was better, this is the story from the Japanese point of view. However it was still an Americanised version. Certain scenes showed how the Japanese were influenced by American ideas, the implication being that this was better than the traditional Japanese way of doing this. Perhaps I was being a bit sensitive after the stars and stripes bravado of Flags of our Fathers but this did annoy me.
It did make me wonder if it is perhaps time Clint Eastwood retired from the film business. He obviously still has some talent but it's perhaps getting a bit patchy now. It would have been better if he had bowed out at the top after winning an Oscar for Million Dollar Baby

False Alarm

Some recommendations for you:

Book
The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
I occasionallylike a good supernatural/fantasy novel and this one is excellent. It's probably easier to click on the link to read the blurb rather than have me try to detail the plot. I'd watched the film based on this book about a year ago and really enjoyed it. There was a quote on the book which said the film feels like a trailer for the book so I decided to buy it and wasn't disappointed. There are more books in the series so I'm looking forward to them.

Album
Thirst For Romance by Cherry Ghost
I'd heard good things about this album and bought it after hearing a couple of tracks on a listening post. I'm trying not to buy that many cd's at the moment so that I can save money for Uni therefore. Thankfully Thirst For Romance is a great album, sounds a bit like a rockier Richard Hawley with a bit of a country edge.

Film
Stranger Than Fiction
A film in the same vein as Being John Malkovich. Will Ferrell realises someone is narrating his life and sets to find out who it is. I really enjoyed this, a very interesting plot and some good performances especially from Ferrell doing a straight role for a change.

Down It

I'm not sure how much fun pub treasure hunts are. Had one with work last night and while it was decent enough each visit to a pub consisted of the following:

Fight your way through all the festival tourists to reach the pub
Once in said pub, wade through the festival tourists to try and reach the bar
Wait ages to get served
Once served, knock back your drink as fast as possible and then get strange look from barman/woman when you ask for a receipt
Leave pub
Repeat same process at next bar.

All that really seems to happen is that you remember why you hate Edinburgh in festival time (damn tourists) and you get drunk really quickly. Not sure that really qualifies as a great night out. Of course the cold I now seem to have developed isn't really helping.

Dope

It was an interesting day of sport for me yesterday.

Last night was my first Hibs game of the season. It was only a friendly but it's always exciting going back to Easter Road after the summer break. Normally friendlies are a bit crap but Hibs were very impressive last night and beat Bolton 3-0. We played some impressive football and at times Bolton struggled to get the ball from us. JC seems to have got the Hibs players very fit during the pre-season and everyone seems to be comfortable on the ball. Let's hope we can continue the form into the new SPL season.

Last night was also when the Tour de France descended into farce. The race leader (and odds on favourite to win overall) Michael Rasmussen was sacked by his team for lying about his whereabouts last month and suspicions over missed drug tests. Two other riders including Vinokourov the pre race favourite were kicked out for failing drug tests and this meant both their teams where withdrawn under the new zero tolerance policy.
I'm actually quite disappointed by all of this. This year's tour had been one of the most open and enjoyable for years. As much as I liked Lance Armstrong, the 7 tours that he won where never always that exciting. Usually he exerted a stranglehold over the race lead early on and the final result was never in doubt. However this year there were a number of riders in contention and the mountain stages were fascinating to watch. The battles between Rasmussen and Contador over the past couple of days had been amazing to watch. However any credibility the race had has been ruined, one French paper has even run an obituary for the Tour - died aged 104. Many of the team sponsors are thinking of pulling out due to the bad publicity which will be a disaster for cycling. It takes millions of pounds a season to run a pro cycling team, if sponsors do pull out then there will be hundreds unemployed.What is most galling is that I do believe the majority of riders are now clean, it is the idiots in the minority who are ruining the sport for everyone else. Most of the teams themselves have recognised the dangers of doping and have instigated strict anti-doping programmes, however a few have slipped through the net. In the past, drugs were almost an accepted part of cycling. Riders in the early tours used to get round the course powered by brandy, cocaine and amphetamines. Recently cycling has tried to clean up it's act as fans were gradually becoming disillusioned by all the drug scandals. Many of the so-called star cyclists of recent years have been linked to drug taking in some way.
It's imperative that cycling manages to get rid of all the drug cheats and removes any suspicions otherwise there may not be a future for it. There will be very few sponsors and very few fans left if the scandals continue.

Ring

Do you want to know what really grinds my gears? (thought it would be nice to pay homage to the simpsons on the week of the film release)
Call centres being permanently busy. Due to the fact I have been moving, I have had to phone a lot of call centres for address updates etc. However every time I phone, I'm told that there is an unusually high volume of calls at the moment. I'm then on hold for about 10 minutes with the same message being repeated every so often. It doesn't seem to matter which company I phone, what day or what time of the day I call, the call volume is still unusually high.
At what point does the unusually high call volume become the norm and the company realises it needs to hire more staff? Doesn't take a genius to figure out that if you never answer the phone to your customers you are eventually going to alienate them.
The worst were BT ironically, you'd think they would know about telephones. I was getting told to call back between 1pm and 4pm when it would be less busy. Of course the fact I was phoning at 2pm just didn't seem to register.

Room With A View

I had quite a productive day in Aberdeen yesterday. Firstly I got quite a lot of my book read on the train which was good. Secondly I managed to find a second hand book shop in the town centre, that should be quite handy when I can't afford to buy full priced books to read. Thirdly and perhaps most importantly, I have arranged accommodation for my first year which is great news. Some positive news for my 100th blog post.
Thought I was going to have real trouble finding a suitable flat that was of a reasonable price but I've got very lucky and found a room in a good flat with my first viewing. Going to be sharing with a fellow physio student which could be good and the flat is only a 20 minute walk from Uni.
Now I just need to decide what to do with my current flat....

Rent II

It turns out that if I rent out my flat while I'm in Aberdeen, I'm going to lose money. It's likely that I'll be at least £50 down every month, even more if interest rates continue to rise or something goes wrong with the flat. Not good news, I was hoping I'd at least break even as I can't really afford to lose money while I'm a student. It's going to be difficult enough to get by without my normal annual income without starting from a negative balance every month.
Guess I need to decide what the best option for my flat is, still rent it out or just sell it. It's not easy this whole going back to Uni malarkey.
On the positive side at least I'm starting to make some progress with flats in Aberdeen.

Die Even Harder

Watched Die Hard 4.0 last night and it is really rather good. I was concerned when I heard that Bruce was reprising the role while in his fifties but the film worked well. Admittedly there was very little attempt to ground some of the action sequences in reality and there are a few continuity errors but that doesn't matter. You really have to suspend disbelief for the whole plane/truck sequence but it's still fun to watch. When Bruce is battling against the bad guys you can't help but enjoy it.
Some of the acting from the minor characters is comically bad but Bruce is good as a more world weary John McClane. The Kevin Smith cameo is pretty funny too. "Do you like The Fett?" "I was more of a Star Wars man"
If you like the Die Hard movies then you will love this.
Saw the trailer for the Bourne Ultimatum, that looks excellent. Can't wait for it to come out.

Le Tour

It's July which means that it's time for the Tour De France. I was going to post why I love watching the tour but to be honest, I'm not really sure. I quite enjoy going for a cycle myself but it's not as if I pay a great deal of attention to the sport of cycling at other times of the year.
Cycling is a very individual pursuit so by any normal rationale, watching a bunch of guys cycling round France shouldn't be that interesting. However that isn't the case and it's one of the world's great sporting events.
When I was younger, I'd barely heard of the Tour but then in the early 90's I started watching it for some reason. Channel 4 had the rights and showed highlight packages at dinner time. Perhaps there was nothing else on but for whatever reason I was hooked and have been ever since.

I have a lot of respect for those cyclists who compete in the Tour although the drug allegations do colour that a little. It can be difficult to know just how much is down to sheer power and force of will or whether it's drug assisted. If we assume that the riders are clean unless caught (a big assumption I know) then it's an impressive feat of endurance to spend 3 weeks cycling around France, doing hundreds of kilometres a day. It's certainly something I don't think I will ever be able to do even with the assistance of EPO.

The mountain stages are the best, not just for the stunning scenery. I know how hard it is to go up hills on a bike but the speed some of these guys go up steep gradients is nothing short of amazing especially when attacks are being launched. That's not to say the other stages are poor, they can be just as exciting with sprint finishes or breakaway groups.
I also quite like the Frenchness of the whole event. Quite often when watching sport in Britain, everything is shown from a British (or more accurately English) point of view. There is a slight element of this in the Tour when watching it but ultimately it's French and it always will be, makes the whole event sound more exciting. Would you rather have the Yellow Jersey or the Maillot Jaune? Last place or the Lantern Rouge?

Whatever the reasons, I love watching it and I'd recommend it to anyone. Go on, give it a chance. You know you want to......

Hoard

There is something quite cathartic about throwing stuff out. I'm currently sorting through all of my belongings in preparation of moving out of my flat so I can rent it out. As I'll be moving into Sarah's there will be less space to keep everything so it's given me an opportunity to declutter. I'm actually feeling quite good about doing it.
I've always had a slight tendency to hoard especially when it comes to entertainment materials such as books and dvd's. It also extends to clothes and knick knacks although I have got better recently with not keeping these. Quite often I keep belongings just in case I ever need them again (which invariably I don't) or for half baked sentimental reasons. It's amazing just how much junk you can store when you get your own flat. I have hundreds of books that I have collected over the years partly due to the fact that I may read them again (which never happens as I buy too many new books) and partly because I thought it would be cool to have a large book collection. However I have to accept that I'm probably never going to have a house big enough to have a library room so I may as well get rid of them. Well, maybe about half of them.

Having too many belongings can just be excess baggage. Effectively there isn't really a need to keep all the stuff I have (why I still have a street hockey stick bought about 9 years ago when I've never played street hockey is a mystery to me) so it may as well be chucked.
As I'm going to have a bit of a nomadic life over the next 4 years of studentdom then I really need to keep my stuff to a minimum to save carting it between Edinburgh & Aberdeen.

Rent

Now that my exams and holiday are out of the way, I have to concentrate on getting ready for University. I had thought I could relax a bit over he summer but I'm not sure this will be possible.
My main concern is living arrangements. It's likely that I will rent out my current flat and then rent a flat up in Aberdeen but that is easier said than done. There is a lot that needs done before I can rent my flat out, far more than I initially realised. I've got to get gas and electricity safety certificates, register as a landlord, possibly change my mortgage and insurance details, register with a letting agent, get the flat properly cleaned etc. I'm going to be lucky to break even with all of this especially with yet another rise in interest rates. Still I guess it's a good idea to retain propety in the current housing market.

Renting in Aberdeen isn't going to be easy either, apparently it's the most expensive place to rent in the UK and my initial look at flats certainly seems to confirm this. This could seriously affect my student budget which isn't good. I guess I'm going to have to get used to being broke if I'm going to spend the next 4 years being a student. Hopefully it will all be worth it!
If anyone has property contacts in Aberdeen then let me know..........

Dr What?!

Are they trying to ruin Dr Who?
The 3rd series finished at the weekend and I thought it was the best one yet. David Tennant is a great Dr and I liked Freema Agyeman as the Dr's assistant Martha. I actually preferred her to Billie Piper (which some may say is sacrilege).
However at the end of the series Martha decided she didn't want to continue travelling in the Tardis so the scene was set for a new assistant for the 4th series. I was hoping for someone who would be as good as Martha but it seems that makers have gone for the worst possible replacement in Catherine Tate. Am I bovvered? Yes, very much so.
She is a dreadful choice. She made a guest appearance in the last xmas special and it ruined the show for me. Her character was just shouty, whiney and annoying. The whole way through you kept thinking that it was Catherine Tate, she just wasn't believable in the role. I can't understand why they have now given her the full time role of the assistant. At least Martha will be returning later in the series for a few episodes but I'm concerned that Dr Who may be going downhill now. It was one of the few consistently good home-grown programmes on TV, I hope that it continues but I have real doubts. I was looking forward to the 4th series but not any more.

Gun Toting Tomcat

Hey people, I'm back.
It's been a good 2 week break even if the first week was taken up with studying and exams. It was nice just not to be bored all day at work.
The exams went ok although I have realised it's better to actually be motivated to sit an exam. Really should have done more study but I guess it doesn't matter. There were too many random questions on old subjects anyway.
The holiday was great, very relaxing. Just lay by the pool most of the time while reading various books, magazines and the Guardian. Was quite impressed that the local spar stocked the Guardian along with the usual holiday paper shite of the Sun, Record and Mirror.

My holiday reading list was:
Bill Bryson - The Life & Times Of The Thunderbolt Kid
Dave Eggers - A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius
Don Winslow - The Winter Of Frankie Machine
Mikhail Bulgakov - The Master & Margarita
Brian Freeman - Stripped

Each book was quite different (you don't want to much of a similar type on holiday) but I enjoyed them all.

Holiday

This could be my last post for a couple of weeks. I'll pause now to let regular readers come to terms with their shock.



I've got two weeks off work and they are going to be busy. I'm going to be spending the first week studying and taking Biology A-Level exams so probably won't have a chance to update my blog. The exams are going to be a bit strange as I now have no reason for sitting them. I originally enrolled in them to help my Physiotherapy application but I got an unconditional offer from Robert Gordon so I could just stop doing them. However I have done about three quarters of the course already and it has cost a fair bit of money to enrol for the exams so I may as well finish them. The study will also come in helpful when I start at Uni. I found it really difficult at first to study but I am now used to it again which will be a bonus when I start it full time.
Once the exams are finished I'm then off to Ibiza for the week which will be nice. In fact there is only a matter of hours between my last exam and the holiday. The exam finishes at 4 and we need to be at the airport to check in at 8. Should make packing quite interesting, just chuck a few summery items of clothing in my case along with lots of books and I'll be sorted. I'm looking forward to spending some time lying by the pool and catching up on all the books I have bought recently. Perhaps I may even have one or two beers.
I hope you all find something else to read over the next 2 weeks to fill the blog shaped hole..........

Sugar Sugar

The third series of The Apprentice has now drawn to a close. If you had told me before the final episode the Simon would win, I'd be a bit surprised but from the way the task actually went it made sense.
Did the best overall candidate win? Probably not. I think Kristina and Tre were the most impressive based on their performance in all of the tasks. However Simon probably fitted the profile better of what Sir Alan was looking for in this series.
It does create an interesting query though. You'd think it would be the best candidate that would be chosen but ultimately it just depends on what Sir Alan needs at that time. It does explain some of the apparently random reasons for sacking people, sometimes it's based on their performance in a task but at other times Sir Alan looks at the bigger picture. Simon probably could have been sacked a couple of weeks ago but Sir Alan obviously saw something he liked. Amstrad are moving into real estate and Sir Alan seems to think that Simon would better fit the profile of this role which is fair enough. The final task involved the redevelopment of a building and Simon seemed to come into his own here, I suspect this helped swing the decision in his favour.
However it seemed that the decision was a surprise for a number of the former candidates. They all watched the show in the studio for the follow up programme You're Fired and apparently a few of them actually wanted to leave as they felt that Kristina deserved to win.
Despite some quibbles, overall The Apprentice does make for an excellent TV programme. Here is my quick guide to winning The Apprentice if anyone plans to enter for the fourth series:

Don't become visible too early.
Don't antagonise other contestants, may come back to haunt you.
Don't badmouth other people behind their back.
Study up on Sir Alan and try to figure out what he is looking for from his apprentice.
Talk yourself up but not in an arrogant way.

One final point on the pantomime villain of the piece, Katie. I developed a real hatred of her over the series, there didn't actually seem to be anything likable about her. She was forever slagging off other contestants on camera, even wishing death on them. The way she went about things just seemed to wind me up no end, there was a real arrogance about her. It did backfire on her though, after leaving The Apprentice, she was fired from her job which had originally been left open for her! Serves her right, I can't see many people wanting to employ her now.
However I guess she was good for the show, there is always space for a villain in these kind of things. Makes me wonder how much of the show is genuine and how much is actually decided in advance....

You're Hired

After years of complaining about the lack of good shows on British TV and never regularly watching series (apart from on DVD) I've recently found myself watching 4 different series, all of them on BBC. Does this mean the BBC are actually starting to make quality shows again or is this just an avoidance technique for when I should be studying?
Whatever the reason, the following 4 shows have proved to be enjoyable, informative and entertaining:
The Apprentice
Doctor Who
Andrew Marr's History of Britain
Peter & Dan Snow: 20th Century Battlefields

If you get a chance to watch these then I would recommend them although it's the last in the series for The Apprentice tonight.
It's good to know there are still shows out there for people who don't like soaps and reality tv. Let's hope some other TV stations follow the lead of the BBC.

Dark Horse

If people are discussing a sporting event or some kind of competition, usually they will start speculating who the winner may be. If you are around people doing this then you need to chip in with the following:
"I'll tell you who the dark horse is"
This generally gets the attention of everyone as no-one likes to miss out on a potential tip. You need to drag this out a little to ensure that they all want to know.
You then hit them with:
"Black Beauty"

Priceless, has me in stitches every time I do it.

Head

A couple of things that have amused me:

I think the following quote direct from a hairdresser is brilliant:
"Being a hairdresser is a lot like being in the police. It's a 24/7 job, I'm always a hairdresser"
This was said to Sarah last night. I've been racking my brains and I can't even come up with one way in which being a hairdresser is like being in the police. The amount of self delusion is staggering.

It's good to know the self proclaimed leader of the free world can't even pour himself a beer. On TV this morning there was footage from the G8 conference where all the world leaders were sitting having a meal. George Bush tried the simple task of pouring a bottle of beer into the glass and couldn't even manage it. Rather than pour gently he just seemed to turn the bottle upside down so that the beer turned into head as soon as it hit the glass and then it spilled over the top all over the table. Bush just looked at it for a minute and then just started drinking even though the glass was still full of foamy head. Class.

They're All After Me Lucky Charms

This morning I had my first bowl of Lucky Charms for almost 2 years and it was great. I'd forgotten how much I liked having it for breakfast. They are full of marshmallowy goodness.
I used to love it when I was younger, probably due to the marshmallow pieces, but then shops in Britain stopped stocking them. I was gutted. The only time I can get them now is from trips to Canada or when people from Canada visit. So thanks very much to Jen who kindly brought over a big pack of them for me yesterday.
I feel it's about time that shops in Britain started stocking Lucky Charms again. Perhaps I can start a petition and then submit it to Tesco. There aren't enough leprechaun's advertising food so it's time we brought back Lucky.

However if that doesn't work then I could always buy them from here at £5.99 a box......

Benchwarmer

I think I may have found the footballer with the best games to medals ratio.

Do you remember the goalkeeper Pegguy Arphexad? He found fame with Leicester before signing for Liverpool. He then spent 3 seasons at Liverpool from 200o to 2003.

During this time he made a grand total of 2 appearances.
He ended up winning 6 medals. All as the unused sub keeper. This includes the FA Cup, the League Cup (twice), the Uefa Cup, the European Super Cup & the Charity Shield.

I bet when he brags to people about all the medals he won he probably won't go into detail about how he played.

First To Wear The Green

Do Celtic actually want to be Hibs?
Are they going to change their strip to all green with white sleeves?
Will their ground be renamed to New Easter Road?

The way Celtic are going, Hibs won't exist in 10 years time as all the players and staff will be through in Glasgow.
It's like 1888 all over again.

Ring Of Fire

I'm glad to see that Johnny Cash is still as relevant today as he has ever been. I was in the pub on Friday night and karaoke was on. I'm not a big karaoke singer (only ever done it once before) but myself and 2 others guy decided we would give Ring Of Fire a bash. We weren't sure if it would be that popular a choice but as soon as we started the whole pub joined in! Admittedly most people just wanted to bounce around and sing Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da. However it made for a great atmosphere (and helped to drown out my singing which isn't a bad thing.)
I'm really glad to see JC is still gaining new fans, just goes to show he really is a legend.

If you would like to see one of the reasons for his legend status then watch this.

Avalanche

When I was young and discovering music for the first time it took a few years to discover what genres I really like. A big influence on my own tastes was Avalanche Records on West Register Street in Edinburgh.
Before discovering this shop I was quite often influenced by the mainstream which was reflected in my first few albums being the kind of manufactured pop acts I hate now. I did enjoy these at the time but it's almost as if I wasn't fully in charge of making these selections.
However Avalanche Records changed this. It allowed me to define my own tastes through stocking the kind of obscure and random cd's the high street shops didn't. There was a great selection of cheap second hand cd's which meant I could take a chance of artists I had only vaguely heard of. There was always something exciting about buying a random album on a whim, going home and listening to it for the first time. Admittedly there were some disasters but quite often the albums turned out to be really good, almost as if I knew I would enjoy them.
I used to love browsing in the shop for ages even though it wasn't very big and listening to the music that was being played. It was a fairly safe bet that it wasn't top 40 music.
In short I owe some of my love of music to Avalanche Records (along with friends to discuss it with) so I was quite upset to find out on Saturday that the shop has now closed.
I hadn't been to visit it for a couple of years mainly due to the fact that I don't find myself in Newington very often these days but I just assumed that it would still be there helping to shape the tastes of the latest generation of teenagers. Guess I was wrong and that is a bit sad.
The advent of mp3 music and itunes probably contributed to it's decline. It is easier to purchase music over the internet but for me you can't replicate the good times that you could have in a proper record shop.

Lemon

Scottish Football Frustrations

The Old Firm buying up the best players from other Scottish teams and then complaining about the lack of competition. Gordon Strachan is the latest culprit. He has spent the past couple of years buying the best players from Hibs & Hearts and he then has the cheek to say there isn't enough competition in the SPL. Doesn't take a genius to figure out why.

Managers from clubs spending time talking about other clubs. Jimmy Calderwood is a good example but the latest culprit is Stevie Frail who has developed an obsession with Hibs. He has spent a lot of time trying to talk them down, the latest claim was that Hearts have a better squad than Hibs, he doesn't rate the young Hibs players and he thinks Hearts had a better season than Hibs. Now I happen to disagree with all these points (Hibs won a cup and Hearts won ......... nothing) but it annoys me that Frail thinks he can comment on Hibs. He has no idea what goes on at Easter Road so he isn't qualified to make any announcements. He should follow the lead of John Collins and stick to talking about his own club.

Celtic's insistence of effectively taking over the Scottish Cup Final and turning it into a farewell party. They did it in 2004 for Larsson, in 2005 for Martin O'Neill and this year for Neil Lennon. It devalues the Scottish and isn't fair on whichever team Celtic happen to be playing in the final (Sadly this is never Hibs). I can appreciate Larsson and O'Neill deserved a send off for their achievements but don't make it the cup final. The less said about Lennon the better, he really isn't a good role model and doesn't deserve to be canonised in this way.

Every Scotland manager who picks on Old Firm youngster after he has played a couple of good games. This despite the fact that there are players at other clubs who have been playing consistently well for a number of season yet are overlooked as they don't play in Glasgow. The latest example of this is Alan Hutton (who it was generally agreed was mince until he had some good games) being picked ahead of Steven Whittaker despite the fact Whittaker has been one of Hibs top players for the last 3 years.

Chump

Liverpool were unlucky to lose the Champions League final last night as they were probably the better team. The media seem to be focusing on Liverpool lacking quality in the final third or not quite having the creative spark required to break down the Milan defence.
This seems to miss the real reason for the defeat which was in fact Bolo Zenden or as I was calling him last night Bolo Fucking Zenden.
The guy is terrible and he should never have been anywhere near the pitch last night. I don't understand how he gets selected as I have never seen him play well in a Liverpool jersey. I thought that Benitez was a master tactician but perhaps Alex Miller has more influence than we think.
Every time the ball went to Zenden last night he lost it either through poor passing or being tackled. Every good Liverpool move broke down when the ball reached him. He was also responsible for one of the worst shots I have seen since Sam Morrow graced a Hibs jersey. His shot from the corner of the 18 yard box effectively went right along the edge of the box going further and further away from goal. He was so bad he made Harry Kewell look good when he replaced him in the second half and that is some feat.

I'm dumbfounded that this guy has played for some of the top clubs in Europe such as PSV, Chelsea and Barcelona along with playing in World Cup's. Fair play to him for making the most of his lack of talent I guess.
If Benitez has any hopes of mounting a Premiership title challenge or winning the Champions League again then he needs to get shot of Bolo pronto.

Line Rider

Do you like lines?
Do you like sledging?
If yes then click here

At first this game doesn't seem like it will be much fun. All you are really required to do is to draw some lines and watch a little guy sledge along them. However once you start to master jumps, backflips and loops then it becomes quite addictive.
Check out the videos of the course some other people have created, they are pretty special.

Decision Made

I've finally made my Uni decision and I will be going to Robert Gordon in Aberdeen. The decision has been hanging over me for a while so I thought it was about time I chose one so that I can start getting organised. It's a bit of a relief to have settled it and to know where I will be spending most of the next 4 years.
I had a good feeling about Robert Gordon when I went there for my interview, it was certainly a lot better and more professional than the one at York. It's also going to be easier for me to retain my life in Edinburgh while I'm at Aberdeen and I can keep my season ticket for Hibs!
All I need to do know is arrange accommodation, sort out the payment of fees, complete grant forms, buy relevant books and uniform etc. Looks like I'm going to be busy.

The "New" Golf Tavern

The Old Golf Tavern next to Bruntsfield Links used to be one of my favourite pubs to visit. There was a sense of history about the place which was good, the name was taken from the pitch and putt course on the links which I believe was one of the oldest in the country. Understandably the pub liked to play this angle up and did it well. They also had a number of leather sofa's which were great for relaxing in while having a couple of beers. It was a proper Edinburgh pub and everyone that I know who went there liked it.
I hadn't been there for a couple of years due to the fact I don't really find myself in Bruntsfield these day. However I was up that way at the weekend and decided it would be good to pop in. Much to my dismay there has been a refurbishment and it's now terrible.
Gone is the nice relaxing vibe and the sense of history. In it's place is a lot of metal furnishings, uncomfy seats, blaring music (bear in mind this was a sunday afternoon) and big tv screens everywhere. What makes it worse is that it still looks the same inviting pub from the outside! The full horror is only revealed once you are in. There is a half hearted attempt to live up the name with some golf memorabilia on the walls but it doesn't fit in with the new decor. Obviously they have decided to target the student market but I really don't understand why they have attempted to modernise it. I can understand that some pubs need to revamp themselves especially if they aren't making money or the place is looking tatty. However I don't believe either of these apply, it appears to be modernisation just for the sake of it.
This was a proper Edinburgh pub but now it has lost its soul. If you were a fan of the Old Golf Tavern then I'd recommend you to stay away to prevent disappointment.

Novel Idea

If you like books and are in Edinburgh this week then I'd recommend going to the church at the east end of George Street. There you will find the Christian Aid second hand book sale and it's book buying heaven! It's certainly the highlight of my book buying year.
I look forward to this every year as there is thousands of books to browse ranging from new releases to classics. They also have a lot of non fiction on a variety of subjects.
I love spending my lunch hour browsing through all the stalls trying to find some bargains, it's a great opportunity to try books you perhaps wouldn't buy at full price. I went on Monday lunchtime and came away with 7 books, some of them for only 50p. I was very pleased to get the new Don Winslow for £3 as it has just been released at £11.99.
My only problem now is that I have far too many books to read so I may have to try and avoid the sale for the next couple of days especially as I'm supposed to be getting rid of some of my books. Not sure I'll be able to resist the lure though.

Stitch Up

The English Premiership season finished yesterday with some exciting games. The biggest game was probably Sheffield United against Wigan as it was likely that one of these teams would be relegated. It ended with a 2-1 win for Wigan which meant that United got relegated by 1 goal.
However, it's a complete travesty that West Ham United got to stay up at the expense of Sheffield United. Earlier in the season West Ham signed two big name players in Carlos Tevez & Javier Mascherano. Both players are very good and had starred in the last World Cup, eyebrows were certainly raised when they signed as no-one was really sure how West Ham had managed it. As it turned out, they did it illegally as neither player met the registration requirements for the Premiership. It was widely expected that this breach of the rules would result in a points deduction as that was the standard punishment. To make it worse West Ham seemed to deliberately mislead the initial inquiry. However they received a fine of £5.5 million which may sound a lot but staying in the Premiership could be worth over £30 million. The head of the inquiry then said that due to the fact West Ham were in relegation trouble it didn't seem right to deduct them points although it may have been different if they were mid table. That is a shocking statment as their position should have nothing to do with it. Bear in mind that Middlesbrough were deducted 3 points a few years ago for cancelling a fixture due to a sickness bug leaving them with only a handful of players. They were then relegated by 2 points. Surely this and other cases had set a precedent.
Ultimately West Ham were fielding illegal players and Tevez especially helped them avoid relegation. If the Premiership had done their duty and deducted 3 points then West Ham would have been relegated.
West Ham keep saying that it is right the relegation issue was decided on the pitch but this misses the point. They broke the rules and should have been punished accordingly. Ultimately the rule break affected what happened on the pitch as they won points with players who shouldn't have been allowed to play. They also scored the worst goal of the season in which there were 3 reasons not to give it. In the build up a West Ham player handled the ball before a shot was taken. The shot that resulted then hit Tevez on the line so it never crossed the line and Tevez was in an offside position. How this was awarded I do not know.
There is talk that Sheffield United and the other teams who avoided relegation are going to challenge the decision. I really hope they do as at the moment the Premiership have effectively said that it is ok to break the rules as long as you can buy your way out of trouble. There is nothing like looking after the big clubs.

Dull

It's going to be a long three and a half months at work until I can leave and go to University. Ever since I advised the managers of my plans, I have become increasingly marginalised in the office. There has always been an issue with communication and not being included in certain projects but it has been getting worse to the point were I actually feel I'm being deliberately excluded. I only get given work when there is no one else available to do it and when I'm involved in projects I never get told the full story. It's very difficult to remain motivated and to do a good job in these circumstances. It probably doesn't help that I'm still sitting in the corner facing a wall. They may as well just stick a dunce's cap on me and tell everyone not to talk to me.
Ultimately I shouldn't really care as firstly I'm leaving anyway and secondly I'm getting paid a decent wage for not doing very much. However it is very frustrating when you feel you are being excluded and the day drags by when you are bored. I'd rather be involved and be busy because then you at least feel useful and have an improved sense of fulfilment.
I can't wait to get to Uni so that I'll be challenged and actually be able to learn.

Spider Sense Tingles

I'm concerned that the Spiderman film series is going to follow the Batman equation:
Another Sequel + Increased Number of Villains = Poor Film
With the Batman series, they started off really well and the first two concentrated on one main villain. However by the third film they started throwing in more villains so there was usually 2 or 3 and as such, the films became confused. This meant the films weren't as good and this was shown in the box office.
I've been a big fan of the Spiderman films but I felt the third one wasn't as good. Don't get me wrong, I did really enjoy the film but I just felt the first 2 were better and I think the problem stems from the fact that there were 3 villains for Spidey to face. This included the return of the Green Goblin, Venom and Sandman. This meant that there was sometimes too much going on in the film and that certain things just fell into place too easily. Characters such as the Stacey's were introduced and then just discarded when they probably should have had more focus in the film. I feel that it would have been better to concentrate on one villain per film, possibly even 2 at the most and I hope this is a lesson learned for the fourth film.
I was also amused by the "How can we make Peter Parker show his dark side" quandary. Apparently the answer is to turn him emo. Just comb his fringe in front of his eyes and give him dark eyeliner, that will do the trick.
Despite the faults it still was a good film. The action sequences were good, the acting (apart from James Franco trying to look mean in a mirror) was good and they do try to stay faithful to the original comic book story lines despite some revisions. I just hope that the danger signs I noticed don't indicate that the series is starting to head downhill.

I also watched Marie Antoinette over the weekend. For anyone planning on watching this, the only advice I can give is don't. It's utter pish, nothing actually happens. Even the presence of Kirsten Dunst (and her partial nudity....) can't save the film. It looks really good and obviously a lot of effort has been made in ensuring costumes, make up, hair and sets are as historically accurate as possible. However this seems to be at the expense of the script. Basically what happens is Kirsten becomes a French princess & her husband doesn't want to buff her for some reason. They become King & Queen, finally have sex and have kids. Kirsten then stops a revolution. That's it. It took me about 2 minutes to write what happened but for some reason this was stretched out over 2 very long and dull hours. Wish I had just watched the snooker, at least that had drama and excitement.

Winds Of Change

The Scottish election results on Friday have potentially heralded a new era in Scotland.If you don't know, the SNP won the election by one seat from Labour. In fact you could say they won by 50 votes as that was the winning margin in one of their seats. It was certainly very close but I think the SNP did deserve to win based on all of the campaigns and overall they did get the highest number of votes. For the first time I actually quite enjoyed watching the results come in during the day. Labour had the lead for most of the day but the SNP started to gain and then pulled ahead right at the very end. We needed a change from Labour so that the ruling party is different from the party in charge at Westminster so I was pleased the SNP managed to clinch it. I appreciate the fact that the SNP have a lot to prove, many people have doubts on whether they can actually run the country but there is really only one way to find out. Labour have ruled in Scotland for the last 8 years and that wasn't really much of a success so it was time for a change.
However this being Scotland, the election didn't really go according to plan with over 100,000 spoiled ballot papers being discounted. This equates to roughly 1 in 20 votes not being used which is a farce. When voting in an election you would expect to put one cross against one name before putting the vote into the ballot box. However this would have been too easy so the Parliament decided to needlessly complicate matters by having 3 different votes on 2 different papers, some of which required X's and some which required numbers. Whilst it wasn't rocket science, the spoiled papers showed that people did have problems understanding the system and this could lead to challenges over results in court. In 10 seats, the majority was exceeded by the number of spoiled papers which could have had a massive effect.
The next problem is how the Parliament is going to be run. As the SNP won they have the moral right to lead but in order to have a majority, they need to form a coalition with the Lib Dems & the Greens. This isn't going to be easy to achieve as the Lib Dems have already stated they won't even hold talks if the SNP intend to hold a referendum on Scottish Independence. This seems to be stalemate as I can't see either party willing to compromise on this point. If this is the case then the SNP would have to try and rule with a minority government which is unlikely to go well.
In my opinion, for Scotland to move forward we need to have a Parliament with majority rule. Both the SNP and Lib Dems have a number of policies which are very similar so from that point of view it would make sense for them to form a coalition. The danger of minority rule is that no policies will ever get passed due to the fact that all the parties will bicker and vote against each other. This would turn Holyrood into a joke and alienate the electorate even more, bearing in mind voter turn out was only 50% on Friday. Let's hope for the sake of Scotland that talks for the coalition prove successful.

Negative

I know I've written about this before but I am getting very hacked off with Labour's continual negative campaigning in the Scottish Elections. I watched the leaders debate on TV on Sunday night and while it wasn't the most impressive performance from Jack McConnell at least he was focusing on what Labour can do. I thought at last Labour had a change of heart but it seems to have been a temporary blip. It's the last full day before the elections and they have launched yet another attack on the SNP. Their main message this election seems to be don't vote for the SNP otherwise the world will end. I may have taken some artistic licence there but it's not that far from the truth.
Labour seem to be bullying people into voting for them and trying to play on voter's fears of what might happen to Scotland if the SNP get in. Surely this isn't the way to run an election campaign and to inspire confidence. Have Labour been studying the style of the BNP who play on people's fear of immigration? A party who wants power should be forward-thinking, positive and proactive, I'm not sure Labour have demonstrated any of these qualities so far.
The latest blatant electioneering gambit is for Tony Blair to come up to Scotland to announce for the first time that it's likely that a Scot will be the next Prime Minister of Britain. For me this is an insult to the Scottish people. Firstly it's common knowledge that Gordon Brown is the favourite to take over and for Labour to think that this may sway voters to chose Labour is naive at best. Secondly Tony Blair himself is a Scot, a fact he likes to forget. He was born in Edinburgh and went to school here, that hasn't done Scotland any favours so why is Gordon Brown going to be any different. I would like to think Scots are more intelligent than Blair seems to be giving us credit for.
The most concerning aspect of this campaign is the fact that it may well succeed. SNP are ahead in the polls but the gap to Labour seems to be narrowing as we get closer to election day. It seems the final result will probably be very close and the Lib Dems may well be the party which helps decide the future of Scotland by forming a coalition with either Labour or the SNP. Voters do seem very disillusioned with Labour and Tony Blair in particular especially over the Iraq war, this could prove to be very significant.
I personally think the best result would be a coalition between SNP and Lib Dems. Whilst their campaigns haven't been without problems, at least both are focusing on what they can do for Scotland. I'm not sure the SNP are ready to run the country on their own especially if they start pushing for independence and picking fights with Westminster. Having the Lib Dems there will help to ensure the SNP focus on what's best for the country.

CAMRA

It's funny how your opinion of certain alcoholic drinks can change over the years. When I first started going to the pub, the only pint I would have would be lager. I couldn't stand any real ales or Guinness. Now it's almost the other way around. I can still drink lager but I'd much prefer a pint of real ale.
Lager is really just a bland fizzy drink designed for one purpose only which is to get you drunk. This applies especially to most of the mass produced cooking lagers such as Tennants or Budweiser. I like to steer clear of these as there is no fun in drinking them. You could actually drink a pint of fizzy piss and not be able to tell the difference.
My drink of choice at the moment is real ale. There is nothing I like better than going into a pub which has a selection of different ales on tap. The Cask & Barrel pub in Edinburgh is a good example of this. It usually has 10 different ales, 6 that are on permanently and 4 guests that can change on a weekly basis. I can spend the night drinking in these places and not have the same drink twice. This isn't always a good thing though as some of the ales can be quite strong, I've had a couple of rough morning afters.
I've even got into Guinness quite a lot recently. At first I didn't like it, then I could have one or two pints but would have to stop there. Now I can drink it all night, especially if there isn't much selection in the pub. Pretty much every pub has Guinness so it's always a good fall back option.
Perhaps your tastes change as you get older. Now I want my pint to be smooth rather than fizzy and to taste of something rather than just being bland.

A Calvinist Narrowly Avoids Pleasure

A couple of recommendations for you.

Book
Black Swan Green - David Mitchell
The latest novel from David Mitchell and it's very good. It's probably his most straightforward novel yet, focusing on 13 year old Jason Taylor growing up in a small town in England. It covers his discovery of girls, his writing of poetry, bullying, family problems, the Falklands and his stuttering over the space of a year and it is very well written. You are transported back to your own early teenage years and can easily picture what life was like for Jason. Apparently it's semi-autobiographical which may account for this. Black Swan Green is Mitchell's fourth book and he is one of my favourite writers.

Music
Ballad of the Book - Various
This is a collaboration between Scottish writers and musicians. Various Scottish writers including some famous ones such as Ian Rankin have written song lyrics and passed them onto Scottish musicians. They have then written music to go with the lyrics and recorded the songs for the album. It's a very good way to showcase new and existing talent in Scotland, I hadn't even heard of some of the artists so it was a good introduction. Song lyrics are a form of writing/poetry so the collaboration works well, it's a surprise that this kind of album doesn't happen more often. As you can probably guess some of the lyrics are very good and my personal favourite is The Rebel On His Own Tonight which is by Malcolm Middleton & Alan Bissett. There are some great random rhyming such as "you are steaming, you are Stephen King" or "nights at the Manique, dancing to Britney, wishing your home town wisnae so shitty". There isn't really a weak track on the album, all of them work well.

Sorrow

What is it with Hibs and the Scottish Cup? I think I am destined never to see us break the hoodoo and actually win the trophy.
That is now 3 years in a row where we have been beaten in the semi final. In fact since I have been going regularly to watch Hibs, we have been in 5 Scottish Cup semi finals and only won 1. That is a shocking record especially considering we were favourites for 3 of the games we lost in. It's almost as if the team just bottle it as soon as they get close to winning the trophy.
Last night was representative of this. We were playing Dunfermline who are bottom of the league although they have picked up some form recently. However this was a game Hibs should still be able to win. Unfortunately in 180 minutes of football we could not score and from that point of view we didn't deserve to win. In the replay Hibs were on top for most of the game and created most of the chances but we just couldn't put the ball in the net. Dunfermline then scored a late penalty and there was no coming back.
It's just not good enough. I'm tired of thinking that this year we may have a chance only for the team to blow it. It might even be easier to get knocked out in the earlier rounds so that the hope doesn't build up. It's almost as if Hibs are just teasing the fans, lifting up their skirt to give us all a glimpse of what we are desperate to have before rejecting us.
I suspect there is going to be a clear out at Easter Road in the summer and it could be a very different team that lines up at the start of the new season. Let's hope JC has realised we need a striker who can score goals in the box. We can play great football outside the box but too many times our strikers are out there joining in when they should be waiting in the penalty area. There was so many times last night when the ball was free in the box but there was no Hibs player following up. A player of this type is a priority for the new season.

The Ducket

It's not often you get to see a team win the league especially after winning a championship decider. I saw Hibs win the First Division a few years ago but we were about 20 points clear so that was fairly inevitable. However on Saturday I got to see a proper decider when I went to Shielfield Park to see Berwick Rangers take on Arbroath. If Berwick won the game they won the league but if Arbroath won then they would be 1 point ahead going into the last game. Thankfully Berwick held their nerve and clinched a 1-0 win. It was a really bad game of football with only one good move in 90 minutes but I was glad I went as it was an enjoyable afternoon. You get to see guys playing for the love of the game, there are no ego problems or complaints about wages which has become a problem at the higher levels. There was also a good atmosphere at the ground which can probably best be described as ramshackle but at least it has character. Normally Berwick only get a few hundred watching games which isn't good for the club finances but there was just over 2000 fans on Saturday, probably the best attendance there has been for a while. The fans did well at supporting the team with a group of them singing for the full game. That isn't something you see at SPL games very often. The fans probably deserved their day of success, it's only the second time in Berwick's history that they have won a trophy.
They even had a mascot out doing the rounds before the game, it's certainly the first time I've ever hi-fived a guy in a lion suit....

Toddler Club

Do you think these women had watched Fight Club one too many times?

These Boots Were Made For Scoring

About a year ago I decide to hang up my football boots. I wasn't really enjoying playing anymore and I kept picking up niggling injuries which were restricting my involvement. Since then I haven't kicked a ball and I've only been involved as a spectator.
However last night there was a comeback. I played in a 5-a-side game with guys from work and I really enjoyed it. I'd forgotten just how good it was to be out on the pitch passing the ball about and scoring goals. I was a bit rusty at first but I soon rediscovered my touch and was banging the goals in and trying fancy flicks (most of which weren't coming off but it was fun to try). Hopefully I'll start playing again regularly and if I do pick up injuries I may be able to treat myself!
The only down side to the football is the pain I am in today. I've been trying to keep fit through running and cycling but you use different muscles in football and they are all aching. Even my shoulders are sore which I don't really understand. It was worth it though.

The Strange Crimson Wasp Chronicle

Those of you that know me are aware that I enjoy reading and have a great number of books in my flat. Therefore I was quite pleased when I saw that Waterstone's are celebrating their 25 year anniversary by naming their top 100 books of the last 25 years. I got the booklet they produced which lists the top 100 and it turns out I have read 54 which I thought was quite good going. Of the 46 that are left they are mainly books I have no interest in reading or I started reading and didn't like so gave up. There are a few that I would like to read though so I think the corresponding 3 for 2 offer could come in handy.

Waterstone's are also using this list to try and find the nation's favourite book from this top 100. People are meant to vote for their top read and after a lot of thinking I decided that I just can't choose one book. There isn't one book that I can hand on heart say I thought was better or that I enjoyed more than all the others. Therefore I won't be voting but I did think it would be good to list my top 10 from the Waterstone's list for my blog readers.
The list is in alphabetical order and the only rule was that the same author couldn't appear twice. I really enjoyed reading these 10 books and they are very recommended if you haven't read them.

Iain Banks - The Wasp Factory
Michael Chabon - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Susannah Clarke - Jonathon Strange & Mr Norrell
James Ellroy - LA Confidential
Michael Faber - The Crimson Petal & The White
John Irving - A Prayer For Owen Meany
David Mitchell - Cloud Atlas
Haruki Murakami - The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Philip Pullman - Northern Lights:His Dark Materials
Donna Tartt - The Secret History

Double Helping

What were the SFA thinking when they decided that a draw after 90 minutes in the Scottish Cup Semi Final would go to a replay? The English FA realise it's stupid having a replay so what's the problem with their Scottish counterparts?
Rather than going to extra time and then penalties to decide a winner on the day, I now have to go back to Hampden a week on Tuesday to watch a replay. The crowd for yesterday's snooze fest of a 0-0 was 25,000 which is less than half the capacity of the stadium. Bearing in mind ticket prices were between £22 to £25 with travel cost and beer money on top of that, how many of these fans will be willing to repeat it on a Tuesday night? I'd be surprised if the crowd is more than 15,000 which means there will be a very poor atmosphere.
If it has to be a replay it would make more sense to either have it at the weekend so that more fans can go or have it at another ground, perhaps somewhere like Tynecastle which is easier for both sets of fans to get to and there is more chance of a sell out.
Of course Hibs are partly to blame for this. If they hadn't played so badly or actually looked like scoring then we may have won the game and there would be no need for a replay. As it is, the Hibs fans have to fork out yet again to follow the team. This after a week where the prima donna players have complained that they are getting worked too hard in training. They should try being a fan for a change.
I'm actually tempted not to go in a no doubt ineffectual one man protest against the SFA's lack of common sense and the Hibs players lack of respect for the fans. However it's more than likely that I will go. It's is the Scottish Cup Semi Final after all, we are only one game away from the Final which means European qualification and Hibs being one step closer to breaking our hoodoo. Let's just hope there is a big improvement in the performance next week.

MSP

The run up to the Scottish elections has started in earnest. The media is full of politicians trying to drum up votes in order to secure seats in Holyrood. In the past this would have bored me but I'm actually finding myself interested this time. Perhaps I'm becoming more politically aware or perhaps the Scottish elections seem to impact more on me than the UK elections. Whatever the reason I am actually following the coverage rather than trying to ignore it.
It will be interesting to see if Labour can maintain their position as the majority party in Scotland or whether the SNP can secure enough votes to take their place. All the opinion polls are suggesting the SNP will end up with most seats although not enough to form a majority on their own. However opinion polls aren't always the most reliable in these matters. Yuo just have to look at Neil Kinnock's last election as Labour leader to see that.
From my own point of view, I think it will be very beneficial for the Scottish Parliament to be run by a party other than Labour. I don't want this to sound like I am against Labour or pro SNP/Lib Dems (we can effectively rule out the Conservatives from the race). I do feel that the Parliament hasn't been as effective as it should have been due to the fact that Labour are the majority party in Scotland and the UK in general. Even though there has been some individual Scottish policies put through such as the smoking ban, it seems that Scottish Labour will only do what Westminster tells them to do or allows them to do. They are at the end of a very short leash and for the Scottish Parliament to be effective it needs to have more freedom to make decisions for Scotland, not for the UK as a whole.
The individual campaigns have also been very interesting especially for Labour. For the ruling party, their style is very negative and there seems to be very little faith placed in Jack McConnell the First Minister. The initial campaign seemed to be based around the fact that if you don't vote Labour then the SNP will get in and the Union will break up. I appreciate that in politics there are often negative campaigns with digs at other parties but I'd far rather hear what Labour are actually planning on doing instead of casting up worst case scenarios. McConnell has seemed marginalised in the campaign with the Westminster heavyweights Brown and Blair being very visible in Scotland for a change. It's almost like the two of them forget they are Scottish until it's time for the Scottish elections. McConnell has only now started to show his face after turning down numerous debating opportunities with the other party leaders. It's almost as if Labour/McConnell are running scared. The Iraq situation seems to have had a big impact on Labour support so perhaps having Blair up here isn't really helping their campaign.
At least the other parties are focusing on what they plan to do if they are in power. This may partly be due to the fact that most of them have little chance of being in power therefore have little to lose but at least it's positive. However there is a chance that one of these parties (probably the Lib Dems) will be involved in a coalition for power so they may well have an impact.
We will see what happens on May 3rd but it could end up being the start of a new era for Scotland if the opinion polls are right.

Dummy

Typical Hibs. It's only been 3 weeks since we won the CIS cup and you would think the club and fans would still be on a high. However all that has been forgotten as there are a few players who are unhappy with the management style of John Collins and have complained to the Chairman.
I have to confess, I don't understand what the problem is here. The players in questions (who haven't been named but there is plenty of speculation) seem to be guilty of throwing their toys out of the pram. The issues seem to centre around Collins trying to install discipline and fitness in the side along with his manner which has been described as aloof. Isn't this the job of the manager?! He isn't there to be their best friend.
I have a lot of respect for the job that Tony Mowbray did as the Hibs manager before Collins. However Mowbray himself admitted he felt he had taken the team as far as he could. Mowbray's style was to be friendly with the players and a lack of discipline that arose form that. You could argue this is what had held the Hibs team back. Collins has sought to remedy this and you can see that this has been working from the fact we won our first trophy in 16 years under him. I don't understand why the players have chosen now to kick up a fuss. All the fans are behind Collins and his methods as they have proved to be successful. This weekend we have the Scottish Cup semi final against Dunfermline which gives us a great chance to get to another final. Potentially we then have an opportunity to break the worst hoodoo in Scottish football, the fact Hibs haven't won the Scottish Cup since 1902. So why chose now? It must be the worst timing the players could have picked.
If I was Collins, the players in question should be shipped out at the earliest opportunity. The club don't need the negative publicity and if some players don't want to work hard and play for Hibs then they can just GTF. Hibs don't pay massive wages but ultimately the players get paid very good money to do something they love. At the moment all these players are doing is disrespecting the club and fans. All the players need to be behind the manager as his methods are what we need to move the club onto the next level. There is no point complaining that they had an easier life under Mowbray, that is not how they are going to become successful. If they want to take it easy and go out drinking all the time then they are welcome to do it at another club.
Let's hope Collins and Petrie can sort this situation out. It's a very big game on Sunday and we can't afford to go into the game with divisions in the squad. We have been beaten in the semi final of the Scottish Cup in the last two seasons, let's make sure it's third time lucky.

Long Weekend

Bank Holiday weekends just seem to fly by. It's a little bit depressing really. The run up to the Easter weekend is always exciting as it means you have Friday & Monday off work. Then before you know it, Tuesday has come around and you are back in the office. Sigh.
I didn't really have big plans for the long weekend but once it's over, you do wonder where the time went. A lot of my time was spent sitting around studying or reading. I was also trying to keep fit through running and cycling but then eating and drinking too much to negate any good I had done my body. There was fun with the car too after the back windscreen shattered for no apparent reason. Must have taken a good couple of hours to try and get all the glass cleaned up, it went everywhere.
The one thing I wanted to do was to try and make a decision on which University to go to. Unfortunately I'm no closer to making that choice. Spent a lot of time thinking about it and hoping for inspiration to strike but no joy. It's not as if I'm swaying one way or the other, I just don't know. Maybe I should buy myself a magic 8 ball.

Where To Go

I have a big decision to make now as I found out yesterday that I got a conditional place at York St John Uni for physio. The condition is that I need to achieve a B in my Biology A-Level but as I got an A for the first part them I'm hoping that this won't be an issue. I was a little surprised to receive the offer as I didn't think the interview process went that well but I'm not going to complain.
I need to decide now whether to do my physio degree in Aberdeen or York. (I've still to hear from Northumbria but the fact I've heard nothing from them so far probably rules them out). It's going to be difficult to decide as each have their own good points. York has the benefit of only being a 3 year course with all the fees being paid. It's also a very nice city and I can perhaps see myself living there. However despite it being rated as excellent for physio, I wasn't that impressed on the day visit. York is also twice the distance away from Edinburgh than Aberdeen which makes Aberdeen easier to come back home from especially for weekend visits. Aberdeen is a 4 years course which means that it will be more expensive in general. However I can perhaps get placements in Edinburgh whilst I was very impressed with the course and campus on my day visit there.
As you can see there are lots of factors that can influence my decision. I'm trying not to think about my Hibs season ticket, can't really base a decision on that although living in Aberdeen may make that easier.....
I guess I'm going to be spending most of my easter weekend trying to make that decision. Any help will be gratefully received.

Dum Dum

The BBC have recently been criticised for being too highbrow and alienating the public. It's felt that they could do with some dumbing down. I can't actually believe that this has happened, surely there is far too much dumbing down in TV in general. The BBC should be applauded for trying to maintain high standards and actually crediting viewers with a little bit of intelligence. Surely an element of TV's remit is to educate viewers not just to provide coach potato fodder.
I'm tired of the TV's schedules being filled with terrible reality shows, soaps, gardening/holiday/auction/home shows. There should be more current affairs, politics, drama, intelligent comedies. It's not as if all the BBC programmes are highbrow, bear in mind it shows Eastenders, Fame Academy and Strictly Come Dancing amongst others. These shows can be good (if you like that kind of thing) but they don't exactly stretch your thinking muscles.

In the digital age of TV, there is a scary amount of choice in channels so if you want to sit on your arse all day watching boring, vapid and unstimulating shows then feel free. Has anyone ever had their life enhanced by watching idiots on reality shows or PR run chat shows?
I would like to learn and be challenged. I'm glad that the BBC recognises that their are people out there who are like this. We don't want kids growing up as brain dead moron's who think that the point of life is to find 5 minutes of infamy on the TV. There is already a danger of that happening as a recent survey said that more teenage girls would rather be a glamour model than a nurse when they grow up.

Let's hope the BBC ignores the recent unfounded criticism and continues to make quality, intelligent programmes.

Derby Disaster

I guess you can say that it's typical Hibs. As soon as things start going well for us, it isn't long until we are brought back down to earth with a bump. After the glory of the cup win 2 weeks ago, the Hibs board made the school boy error of organising a parade of the cup after their next game. This just happened to be against our rivals Hearts. If there is one thing you can guarantee then it is that Hearts will be going all out to spoil the Hibs party and so it proved. Despite it being the most negative performance from a Hearts team (timewasting from kick off, niggly fouls, kicks off the ball) they somehow managed to scramble a late goal to win 1-0. Unsurprisingly I wasn't really in the mood for celebrating after that so didn't bother sticking around for the cup parade.
Hibs only have themselves to blame though. We should never have decided to parade the cup after the derby and the performance on the day wasn't good enough. We had lots of play and possession but everything fell apart in the final third.
We will just have to concentrate on the Scottish cup now to try and get a cup double.

Yellow

I'm tired of being a Coldplay apologist. Admitting you like Coldplay can result in you being a social outcast, I almost feel like I should be joining Coldplay Anonymous. Hello my name is Tony and I like Coldplay.
There does seem to be a lot of hatred out there. Insult you often hear are "They are so bland", "All the songs sound the same" and "Chris Martin is just a ******* (add your own expletive)". I have to confess that I don't really understand what the problem is. I can see why some people think the songs are similar although there are very few bands that reinvent their style every album. Each Coldplay album is different so it's not as if they are standing still. People just seem to hate them because they are successful and Chris and Gwyneth can come across as a little pretentious sometimes. However that is no reason to write off their music.
For me good songs make you feel something. Whether that be positive or negative emotions or even a soaring feelings that can be produced, it's the emotion that makes it worthwhile. There is nothing worse than a song that you can't connect with and leaves you feeling cold.
All Coldplay songs fulfil this requirement and that is what is important. They have a lot more talent than some of the acclaimed artists out there who don't actually justify the praise. I'm thinking specifically of Pete Doherty who has yet to demonstrate to me any of the talent he is supposed to have. There are a couple of songs he has done that aren't bad but he seems to be more famous for drugs rather than music. Despite this he is still highly praised and rated for his music. I'm also unsure as to why Lily Allen is so popular critically and commercially. She doesn't even sing, just talks over some music with some butchered rhyming. Is she famous because of her Dad and the fact she provides a good sound bite?
Coldplay concerts are also very good. One of the best gigs I've been to was Coldplay at the Liquid Rooms. It was initially scheduled for just after the first album came out but was postponed due to illness. By the time of the rescheduled gig, the album had taken off and Coldplay were on their way to becoming very successful. It meant that they were probably too big for the venue which actually made for a great concert. All the crowd were completely behind the band and were singing along. We even started singing Everything's Not Lost to encourage them back for the encore. Usually there is just cheering and stamping of feet so this made it pretty special, you could tell the band appreciated it.
Anyway to sum up Coldplay are a great band with great songs and it's about time people realised this instead of jumping on the I Hate Coldplay bandwagon.

Monkey

Random points:

If you ever wondered what Jack McConnell's part in the grand scheme of things in British politics was then Breakfast TV earlier in the week told us what it was. McConnell is Scotland's first minister and was partly responsible for introducing the smoking bans in pubs. England are going to be doing the same so they had Jack on to talk about how it went in Scotland. However the caption revealed his name to be Jack O'Connell. Not really a good sign when national TV don't even know who he is. To make matters worse there was also an interview with Patricia Hewitt the Health Secretary and she referred to Jack McDonnell. Not just once but twice.
This seems to imply that the Scottish Parliament isn't really that significant for the rest of the country.

How cool is fog? It completely changes the way you view the landscape. On the train down to York yesterday, everything was shrouded in fog. It gives trees, buildings etc a real creepy vibe and I often think it could be any era you are in. It was almost like the train was going back in time. Until you hit a city of course. This theme continued in York where the city walls and York Minster would just suddenly appear out of the fog. Both are very impressive structures but take on an added mysterious edge.

Why do train companies bother with putting your seat number of the ticket when you purchase in advance. From the trains I have been on recently it's just a free for all and the seat number means nothing. On the way back from York I was supposed to be in coach G but the coach letters went E, F, H, I. Thankfully I managed to get a seat despite the train being packed. They should either enforce sitting in the correct seat or not even bother with the illusion of reserving seats. It just creates resentment and unhappy passengers.

I was quite amused to read about the group of disabled male strippers who have christened themselves the Crippendales. What a genius name.

If someone has a Paul Frank t-shirt you would think that they have a bit of cash to spend on clothes and that they like to look fashionable. Apparently not going by the guy I saw yesterday in York. He was dressed like an old hippy tramp with dirty cagoule, colourful weightlifter style trousers, dirty white trainers, long straggly hair and a baseball cap. Topped off with a Paul Frank t-shirt. Maybe he thought he looked cool.....

Magazine Apathy

I have always enjoyed reading magazines but lately the enjoyment seems to have worn off. I've read Empire, Q and Total Football for years and have always looked forward to getting them at the start of each month. It was great flicking through them when I first bought them and then taking time to read the articles. It kept me up to date with the worlds of movies, music and football.
I think my interest in magazines started with reading comics as a small boy. I remember getting excited every Saturday morning about reading the new Roy of the Rovers and Victor comics. As I got older my tastes changed (along with the rest of Britain as both comics folded) and I started reading monthly magazines. I've actually been reading Empire and Q since I was about 16 I think. Other magazines have been tried and discarded but I have always been loyal to these two and more recently Total Football.
However I'm no longer bothered about reading any of them. I was actually a subscriber for Empire & Q and I have let that run out as I just wasn't enjoying them. They seemed to be changing too much, trying to keep pace with the times. I don't mind change but sometimes it just seemed to be change for changes sake. It could just be that my tastes are changing and I have outgrown these magazines. Perhaps the growth of the internet means that monthly magazines aren't as relevant as they once were. It is a sad time though, almost like the end of a friendship. Empire & Q have been there for me through my late teens and twenties where lots of things have changed but maybe now it's time to move on.

Good Luck No More

It looks like the run of good luck I mentioned in previous posts has come to an end. Queen Margaret Uni in Edinburgh turned me down for a place on the Physiotherapy course which was quite disappointing. Their new campus is opening up quite near my flat so that would have been very handy but it obviously wasn't meant to be.
So it looks like I will be moving later in the year, could be the start of Tony's Big Physio Adventure! Hopefully I will know by the end of the month what all the decisions are so I can then decide where I'm going. At the moment I only have an offer from Aberdeen so it could be that is the only option. I'll find out from York after my visit there on Wednesday. That could be a fun day, need to get up at about 4.30am so I can get the 6am train. The actual group interview isn't until the afternoon so by that point I could be half asleep. I think some coffee could be getting drunk that day.
There could be a lot of big decision coming up for me over the next few weeks including whether or not I can keep my Hibs season ticket.......

Snoogins

I'm a big fan of the director Kevin Smith. Not only does he make very good, funny movies but he is also funny to watch when he is doing Q&A sessions. I've just finished watching An Evening With Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder and I thought it was great. There are 2 shows, one from Toronto and one from London. As you can imagine the audience and questions differ but both work well. However for any non Brits watching the London show, please don't think that Scottish people are like the English that are asking questions. Some of them are the stereotypical English yah, I was cringing at some points.
Anyway Kevin is an entertaining raconteur and he has a real potty mouth which can be very amusing. Whether he is talking about his parents having sex, shooting his wife for Playboy or sexual euphemisms, the stories are always very funny and peppered with numerous swear words (or as Kevin would have it, very fucking funny and shit)
The first An Evening With Kevin Smith dvd is more of the same, this time with American audiences. He trashes a few personalities (Prince and Tim Burton don't come out of it well) and tells a hilarious story about the first time he slept with his now wife. You can't actually believe he is telling the story to anyone let alone on a DVD, apparently his wife really wasn't impressed when she heard it. I don't want to spoil the story though so you will have to watch it yourself!
Whilst his films are unlikely to win any awards, I personally think they are all good even the ones that weren't as well received. Jersey Girl did get a bit of a mauling due to the Bennifer factor but I actually enjoyed it.
However my favourite is probably Mallrats. An unusual choice perhaps but it was the first Kevin Smith film I saw and I loved it, I don't think I have watched any other film more times. I watched it twice when I first hired it years ago which is something I never do and the video has been on a few times since I purchased it. Not entirely sure why I like it so much, think it just seemed very different to all the other films that I had seen and it struck a chord. The dialogue in all his films is great (it's good just reading the scripts) and the characters are strangely likeable. Plus Jay & Silent Bob are legends.
I guess this is a complete fan boy posting but I just thought I should share the truth.
Snootchie Bootchies

Sunshine On Leith II

Rather than just taking my admittedly bias view point regarding the cup final win on Sunday, I thought I should let you read comments by 2 Scottish football pundits. Neither of these has any affiliation with Hibs, indeed they are often viewed as having leanings towards the old firm. However both sum up the feelings of the day rather well.

Archie MacPherson:

Such mass emotion, as displayed by the victors, was obviously highly contagious since it was packaged in such a civilised, melodious manner in distinct contrast to some of the triumphalist crudities normally associated with the terracings. Celtic certainly have their stirring ‘Never Walk Alone’ anthem. But that has been borrowed from Broadway via Merseyside who got their hands on it first. Rangers in their attempt to control the image, tried the Motown-Tin Pan Alley hybrid, ‘Simply The Best’ only to have it prostituted with a sectarian sting in the tail. But what Hibs have is the original home-grown product, that in a way reflects in musical terms what the club is itself. It speaks of optimism in an age when a club of their sort could be trodden over by those with greater financial muscle. It has echoes of fidelity which is what a club, under duress too often,has needed to survive. Perhaps David Taylor, off to UEFA, could package the Hampden scenes and make of it a demonstration DVD of how football ought to be celebrated throughout the continent. It is too much to hope that the most bigoted yobs would pay much attention

Chick Young:
The happy Hibees post-match rendition of The Proclaimers' "Sunshine on Leith" reminded us all that grandstand karaoke need not be about social history, religious bigotry, the Pope, or the Queen.
Neither am I a son of Leith - nor come to think of it have I seen the sun shining on its docks very often - or a Hibee, but the sound of the Easter Road support at Hampden in the wake of their CIS Cup triumph had the hairs on the back of my neck sticking up.
There were tears in the eyes of John Collins, and, frankly, I was nearly dewy-eyed myself.
What a spectacle - a wonderful reminder that in spite of everything this game can indeed still be beautiful. Of what it means to communities, to fathers proudly introducing sons and daughters to the sheer and utter power of it all. That football is, indeed, the most glorious of all sports.

For all those Hibs fans reading this, doesn't it make you proud? For any non Hibs fans, maybe it's time to convert.........

Sunshine On Leith

What a week it has been, I guess good luck really does come in 3's. After getting an A for my Biology exams, I then found out on Friday that I got an Unconditional offer from Robert Gordon University so I now know I will be definitely doing Physiotherapy. I've still to hear from a couple of other uni's but it's nice to know that I have a place in at least one.
It was then the big one on Sunday, Hibs winning the CIS Cup! What a great day, probably my best as a Hibs fan. I saw us win the trophy in 1991 but being only 13 it didn't mean as much to me, had only been to a handful of games. Since then there has been a lot of near misses by Hibs with 3 final defeats so this final victory meant a lot. Needless to say I got rather drunk on Sunday night, just as well I had taken Monday off work.
There were so many great memories from the day, here are a selection of them:
30,000 Hibs fans singing Sunshine On Leith after Hibs were presented with the trophy. You could feel the hairs on the back of your neck standing up. John Collins said standing on the pitch and listening to the fans sing was his most enjoyable moment in football.
The fact we won the final 5-1!
Starting a chant at Hampden! Johnny Collins Green & White Army!
The Cambuslang Miners Welfare Club had buckfast as an optic.
Toasting the cup success on the bus back home by drinking 18 year old Highland Park whisky. A great whisky for a great occasion.
The bus driver informing us that he would have to stop at the next services as he was "touching cloth" and he was "feared to fart". He then had to stop the bus on a slip road to compose himself as he was in so much pain......
Back in Edinburgh greeting fellow Hibs fans with the Da Da Da part from the Fratelli's Chelsea Dagger and having them join in. It had been played at Hampden and all the fans were bouncing around to it.
Getting called Keith Wright by a number of fans due to me wearing the (lucky) 1991 cup final top. This despite the fact I don't really look like him. I also got abuse for being able to fit into a top that is 16 years old.
Meeting and shaking the hands of 2 of the players, McNeill & Stevenson, while walking along London Road drunk after the pub shut.
Let's hope we don't have to wait 16 years for another cup win. There is still the possibility of a cheeky cup double this season, we have Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup semi final next month. Now that really would be a celebration bearing in mind we haven't won that trophy since 1902. Surely we can't win two trophies in one season..........