Saturday 28 October 2006

The James Bassett Issue

While I was on holiday, fellow ComeOnBoro.com columnist Toby Higgins dedicated an issue of the Anti News to me.

What a top bloke he is.

(not as funny as me, mind)

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Monday 16 October 2006

Latest Anti News up at ComeOnBoro.com

Leaping to the defence of Stewart Downing...

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Saturday 14 October 2006

Band name origins

Here's a fun list explaining the genesis of band names. Some real, some rumoured.

"BEASTIE BOYS - According to Michael Diamond, BEASTIE stands for Boys Entering Anarchistic Stages Towards Internal Excellence.

WEEZER - Band member Rivers Cuomo had the nickname Weezer in school because of a breathing problem.

YO LA TENGO - translates to "I have it" from Spanish - said to be the phrase called out by Hispanic baseball players when fielding a pop fly ball. Singer/guitar player Ira Kaplan got the expression from a book he was reading about baseball called The Five Seasons."

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Sunday 8 October 2006

Season so far verdict in The Observer

As ever, the Ob don't publish this stuff online. So here's my take on Boro's season so far.

100 words on how the season has started for you. Matching your expectations? What are the problems? Where will you end up? Happy with the manager?
I really want to believe in Southgate, and his terrific tenure as a player means the fans owe him a degree of patience. But for all the goodwill, some tactical naiveté and odd team selections are making it difficult to shake the belief that managing a club with European ambitions is not the place to learn the ropes.

Given Villa’s wonderful start to the season, one can’t help but cast an envious glance towards the West Midlands and wonder if our chairman made the right decision in not pursuing Martin O’Neill.

We seem to lack any knowledge of how to turn defence into attack. Jagielka’s wondergoal and Henry’s penalty aside, all the goals we’ve conceded have been laughably easy.

On current form, if we’re not playing in the Championship next season, I’ll be pleased.

- Who has been your star player so far, and why
Jonathan Woodgate and Mark Schwarzer have barely put a foot wrong, but most pleasing has been the immeasurable improvement from Emmanuel Pogatetz.

- Who's been the biggest disappointment, and why
Yakubu’s form simply isn’t good enough for a man who shredded the entire Chelsea back-four single-handedly just eight months ago.

- Premiership moment of the season so far (not your club)? ie (Thatcher's tackle, Craig Allardyce squirming on Panorama, Van Persie's goal, Joey Barton's arse...)
Arsene Wenger celebrating a decade at Arsenal. For better or worse, the man has defined the Premiership perhaps more than any other manager.

- Cristiano Ronaldo - will he be player of the season? Boo-boy or genius?
A genius, if only he could cross the ball.

- Who'll win the title?
I’ll stick with my foolish pre-season prediction of Liverpool.

- Who'll go down?
Sheffield United, Charlton and Wigan.

Friday 6 October 2006

Family wins Disney World to themselves

The Spangler family from Ohio won Disney World to themselves for day as part of Disney's Year of a Million Dreams competition.

The family arrived at the Magic Kingdom and found it eerily deserted. As they made their way up Main Street, 1,500 costumed castmembers came out of hiding and performed a song-and-dance routine for them. The Spanglers then had the park to themselves for the day.

I'm so fucking envious.

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