Create iPhone Ringtone

Select track in Itunes and Right Click/Get Info

Under Options set the start time and End time so that the track is no more than 40 seconds in length.

Click OK

Right Click/Create AAC Version

[iTunes will then create a 40 second version of the track]

Right click on the (newly created) track and Show In Windows Explorer

You then need to change the file extension from m4a to m4r

[in order to see file extensions in Windows Explorer Press Alt (to see the File menu) Tools/Folder Options/View and then uncheck Hide extensions for known file types]

[Then you probably don’t want to see file extensions in future so reverse this process]

Drag and drop the new file into iTunes and it should then appear under Ringtones

Go back to your original file and reset the playing time by unchecking the time Options.

Premiership Predictions

Saturday, 9 May 2009
Blackburn v Portsmouth, 15:00
Both sides are almost safe considering the sides beneath them but both could do with the reassurance of three points.
1-1

Bolton v Sunderland, 15:00
These sides are in a similar position with Sunderland being the more desperate of the two. The home side might just demonstrate their slight superiority.
2-0

Everton v Tottenham, 15:00
It would be an embarrassment for Spurs were they to finish in the bottom half of the table. That looks unlikely but here they face the ever resolute Everton.
2-0

Fulham v Aston Villa, 15:00
Have just avoided relegation last season after inheriting Lawrie Sanchez's haphazard squad, Roy Hodgson has worked wonders put Fulham in contention for a European place - Everton are guaranteed a place in next season's Europa League by virtue of their place in this year's FA Cup Final so seventh place will also gain entry.
1-1

Hull v Stoke, 15:00
Hull's precipitous progress has continued unabated since Phil Brown conducted his half time time talk on the pitch against Man City. At least his moustache was for charity, that act made him look like a pillock who may come to regret it as he looks up from The Championship next season.
1-1

West Brom v Wigan, 15:00
It's still mathematically possible for West Brom to stay up if all four relegation candidates from the North East pick up zero points in the remaining three games. With Boro playing Newcastle, at least one of them has to pick up some points. Despite The Baggies' precarious position they have continued to demonstrate a zest for playing football which is to be admired. However, no amount of admiration can secure a place on the Premiership. Wigan are safe so could well turn off the gas.
2-0

West Ham v Liverpool, 17:30
If Liverpool fail to gain anything but three points the title race will be well and truly over. West Ham have lost seven times at home this season so a victory is not beyond the in form Liverpool.
1-2

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Sunday, 10 May 2009
Arsenal v Chelsea, 16:00
Both teams showed themselves up midweek: Arsenal for their lack of experience and Chelsea for their lack of dignity. If Liverpool lose on Saturday, victory for Chelsea would still keep them in third place due to Liverpool's superior goal difference. Therefore, it's possible we might see two sides going toe to toe in an attempt to regain the respect of their peers.
3-2

Man Utd v Man City, 13:30
Home advantage will surely tell in what is likely to be a combustible fixture, especially if United know they have to win. City would love to upset the apple cart and take the title advantage away from their cross city rivals.
2-1

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Monday, 11 May 2009
Newcastle v Middlesbrough, 20:00
Both sides are in the bottom three with 31 points. Southgate has surely spent too long in his first job as manager and Shearer might be thinking that he shouldn't have taken the job in the first place. This is too close to call.
0-0

Premiership Predictions

Saturday, 2 May 2009
Chelsea v Fulham, 15:00
The West London derby. Fulham are safe and Chelsea could yet steal second place from Liverpool and guarantee themselves Champions League football next season. Therefore, Chelsea to win.
2-1

Man City v Blackburn, 15:00
Blackburn are not strictly safe from relegation but showed enough fight at the weekend to give their fans the encouragement that Rovers will be playing at Old Trafford and Anfield rather than Vicarage Road and Portman Road. That said, Man City are so unpredictable. Robinho seems to be flourishing again now that we have something resembling summer.
2-0

Middlesbrough v Man Utd, 12:45
United are top of the league and reigning champions but have hardly enthralled all season but it's hard to see them being concerned about a visit to the Riverside. Middlesbrough can turn it on against the better sides and a win for them would re-enliven the race for the title but they are so out of form.
0-2

Portsmouth v Arsenal, 15:00
Victory for Pompey will cement their place in the Premiership next year and Arsenal will be more focused on Tuesday's Champions League game.
1-1

Stoke v West Ham, 15:00
Few people outside Staffordshire expected Stoke to be playing for anything more than pride at this stage of the season. Furthermore, did anyone expect Zola to have such a successful first season as manager? Games such as this are hard to call at this stage of the season because other than absolutely guaranteeing another season in the Premiership, Stoke have nothing to play for and West Ham won't gain a European place.
4-3

Tottenham v West Brom, 15:00
Redknapp will no doubt blame someone else if his side come unstuck here. They are only playing West Brom so his excuse will have to be pretty big. The game could swing on West Brom accepting their fate, relaxing and catching a complacent Spurs off guard.
1-1

Wigan v Bolton, 15:00
Wigan outplayed Blackburn last week and lost 2-0 at home. The chance of redemption in the North West comes quickly. It won't be easy against Megson's sluggers but Wigan should have the quality to see them past such obstreperous opposition.
2-1
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Sunday, 3 May 2009
Liverpool v Newcastle, 13:30
"Alan Shearer - the worst caretaker since Ian Huntley" Or so they've been saying in some corners of Tyneside. The press have been reading the last rites to the Geordie Messiah this week, knowing that they face a difficult task against title contenders Liverpool. Liverpool have scored more goals against Newcastle than any other team. The omens are not in The Magpies favour.
3-0

Sunderland v Everton, 16:00
Everton lost one of their key players, Phil Jagielka, to injury this week. Their place in Europe next season is guaranteed from both their league position and their place in the FA Cup Final. It would be understandable if they were to take their foot off the gas here.
1-0

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Monday, 4 May 2009
Aston Villa v Hull, 20:00
Villa are in a similar position to Everton. European football is guaranteed and they have no chance of catching Arsenal is fourth. Hull are not yet safe.
1-2

iPhone 3G Review

This is my first iPhone so can't compare it to the original. Up until recently I had an iPod Photo from 2005. Upon setting up the SIM card I immediately upgraded the OS to 2.2 so I won't write about how it works straight from the box.

Aside from the fact that it's a cool piece of kit, I wanted to upgrade my phone and have one device for my music and phone. The iPhone is perfect because it allows me to sync my existing iTunes library whereas other phones would require me to set something up from scratch. Additionally, as mobile providers charge more and more for downloads the inclusion of an unlimited (but within reason) download limit was also attractive so that I don't have to pay through the roof to check my emails when I'm out and about.

Texting
I use my phone for texting more than anything so I was a little concerned that my chunky thumbs wouldn't be able to type properly on the touch screen keypad. Texting is far easier than I had feared. I was able to type quite quickly albeit in an error prone fashion. If you accept that it will correct your typos you can generally type quickly. When I was just using my (right) index finger I kept hitting b or v instead of the space bar. I have improved that since I started using my thumb to press the keypad and index finger for letters. I sometimes use my middle finger in a three-pronged attack. The Apple demo video shows someone using both thumbs in the same way that my friend types on her Blackberry but I'm not comfortably doing this with my chunky thumbs. I probably could if I gave it a chance but it doesn't feel right to me. I can also type old school, with one hand using just my thumb. I'm still having to go back and correct a few mistakes if I type quickly but the one real drawback of using a touchscreen to type is that one can't type without looking - because there's no keys to feel. [Since writing this a few months ago I've now taken on typing with both thumbs or just one thumb if i'm out and about]

The SMS interface is different to all other phones I've seen. Rather than dividing texts into Inbox, Drafts, Outbox, Sent it displays messages per user as a continuous chat. This is good because it enables to look at the message you're replying to without closing a current composition. It also adds a feelgood factor by seeing a "chat" with a friend. However, the disadvantages are that, without an outbox, it's easy to miss that fact that you haven't sent a message (which I did on New Year's Eve and realised three days' later). Also, if you reply in quick succession to a message it only displays the time that the "conversation" started unless there's a reasonable amount of time between messages so you can't always be sure when you received/sent a particular message.

My other gripe with chat system texting is that you can't add a new recipient in the middle of a chat. If you receive a message and then want to reply with the same message to more than one person you have to start a new message and individually add each person. This is time consuming because you can't multi-select and add recipients.

MMS
iPhone current supports no MMS. If you receive one you get a text directing you to a website. However, the O2 website is not enhanced for mobiles so you have to zoom in - O2 should fix this. It seems likely that Apple will update the OS to incorporate MMS in the near future.


Email
Emailing is good, using Gmail IMAP so that I have access to all my folders. Doesn't currently allow push (immediate) email unless you're on MS Exchange, yahoo or Mobile Me (a subscription service) but it's thought that push email will soon come for google mail. You can view attachments such as MS Word, MS Excel and Adobe Acrobat but there's no way of saving them.

Contacts

Contacts can be synced with Windows Contacts or Outlook but not Windows Live Mail contacts. I had hoped to sync with my google calendar but instead used Outlook and synced that with google.

Camera
Camera is 2MP but much quicker and therefore more effective than the 3.2MP autofocus on my Samsung U600. The quality is good enough for snapshots taken out and about but not of a high enough quality for serious photography. But, I always think you'd want a proper camera if you're going to get that serious about photos.

Web Browsing
3G is pretty fast as long as you find yourself in an area with a 3G signal. However, web browsing is not that fast using the phone's in built Safari browser. Even on a WiFi connection is takes a while to load the pages. This is particularly noticeable when loading content heavy pages such as guardian.co.uk. No preferences can be set for the browser so there's no obvious way of clearing cookies and history. Without a 3G or Edge, web browsing is excruciatingly slow.

Battery Life
According to some reviewers and bloggers battery life has been improved in OS 2.2 but I can't compare it. Battery life is not long but it's to be expected considering the fact that it's essentially a small computer in your palm. Battery life is dependant on use and will last longer without 3G and WiFi. As it's still new and I've had some time off I've spent a lot of time using the phone which requires me to charge it every day but if I used it less frequently or "normally" I'm sure it would last longer.

iPod
I've only used the headphones which come in the box but the sound is an improvement on the Ipod photo I previously owned. There's greater depth of sound, even in traffic. It will also ring and play message alerts when listening to music, fading out and in accordingly. Alternatively, the phone can be set to silent/vibrate so that it won't disturb your playback.

Navigation is much quicker than on the old iPod but that should go without saying.

The iPhone and more recent models allow for gapless playback, eliminating the annoying half a second gap which would occur on live albums or Sgt Peppers.

General Use
There's not much of an instruction book and you need to watch the demo video on the Apple website to get the best use of it. The phone is easy to navigate with the touch screen which responds very well. It's only when using the slow web browser that it can be a little infuriating.

Applications
Applications can be downloaded directly to the phone over WiFi or 3G. It's extremely slow or impossible to download Apps on a slower connection but they can be downloaded via iTunes on your Mac/PC and installed. Some apps are pre-installed on the iPhone running 2.2 OS:

Maps has GPS and directions. Useful, but slower is you only have a 2G connection.

Podcasts can be downloaded over 3G provided that they're less than 10MB, otherwise it's WiFi only - just like purchases from the iTunes store. These purchases will transfer to your main library when you sync with your PC/Mac.
On a PC, at least, the syncing is quite slow. It's good that it creates a backup of the phone (and you can cancel this facility) but it seems to take much longer than it does an older models to update music. [Note, since writing this, syncing is much quicker following an OS upgrade]

I bought it from the O2 shop and Visual Voicemail was not set up by default. I had to check the o2 website to find out how to activate it. The server seemed to timeout when I initially tried to set up my password but worked after a while. I never get a great deal of voicemail but it's a really useful function - provided that the caller hasn't withheld their number.

No speed-dial by number but you can have a list of favourites and select from there - but this doesn't seem as speedy as opening the keypad and holding down a number (of course, that system requires that you memorise 8 numbers because you can't override 1 (voice mail) or 0(+ symbol).

Other info
BBC iPlayer can be watched over WiFi (only).

DVDs can be converted using software from the internet or you can by/rent from the iTunes store but only from a PC/Mac.
A lot of youtube is available but I don't think it's not as quick as when using a PC/Mac.

One can use the GPS to geo-tag photos.

Home key returns everything. Seems to allow only one application at a time. Don't seems to be able to navigate through different open apps. If you're using one App and you get a text, once done with that text you have to press the home key and then open the App again. It remembers your last position but it would be good and quicker (albeit more resource hungry) to flick between active apps.

Volume rocker on the side is convenient for pocket use, rather than unlocking an iPod and then turning the wheel.
Headphones come with a built-in speaker/remote. When listening to iPod one-click pauses and two-clicks skips tracks which is particularly handy if you're shuffling through 3000 songs. One click will also answer the one and it serves as the hands-free speaker. However, my clicker has now become a bit fussy about what it will and won't do.

Comes with a a few basic ringtones but it's simple to create your own for free. Apple UK isn't yet set up to create your own from the music that you've bought but there are videos on youtube which tell you how to get around this.

Alarm clock doesn't seem to wake up from sleep, like other phones do. If you don't want to be woken up by a call in the night you can switch to Airplane mode which turns off the phone function of the iPhone but sometimes you'd just like to turn it off overnight. A lot of people (me at least) use their mobile as their alarm clock.

Clock is set automatically (and accurately) unlike other phone which purport to do this but don't.
No crashing yet although I did have a couple of Apps which crashed but worked on re-install.

In A Market Down In New Orleans

Today was largely given over to a hangover. I met a friend for a couple of drinks last night but he had to go home fairly early. I saw a friend in the pub across the road and joined him. I played darts with him and his friends. At the end of the night I got up on stage and mimed Brown Sugar. There was no one in the room to see it.

I've only got 100 pages left of Don DeLillo's Libra. I've really enjoyed it. Now watching MOTD in bed but might read more after it finishes.

This morning's run

Where I went this morning:

Premiership Predictions

Saturday, 25 April 2009
Bolton v Aston Villa, 15:00
Next season's Champions League is clearly beyond Villa's grasp. They're only a point ahead of Everton and have a weaker goal difference but they're nine points clear of seventh place West Ham. Bolton will like the comfort of getting the magic number of 40 points (enough to stay up in most seasons) and should present a challenge to a tiring Villa.
1-0

Everton v Man City, 15:00
The Toffeemen don't seem to give up. If they had more money to spend I could see them challenging the top four. Man City are a farce, especially on the road. Hughes's prospects of being their manager next season are dim.
2-1

Fulham v Stoke, 15:00
Roy Hodgson has turned Fulham from relegation battlers to being a comfortable Premier League side. His problem in future might be keeping his better players. As it stands, his side are good enough to beat Stoke who are almost safely in next season's Premier League.
2-0

Hull v Liverpool, 15:00
What price 4-4? Liverpool's midweek game was full of thrills and spills but mostly spills in the form of defensive errors. Before Arsenal scored it looked as though The Gunners weren't that bothered and that Liverpool would eventually score. A lapse by Mascherano lead to the first goal and opened up the contest. Liverpool might be emotionally drained from that game but it's hard to see Hull capitalising on that. I was in Hull this time last week.
0-3

Man Utd v Tottenham, 17:30
Spurs haven't won at Old Trafford since 1989. I think Redknapp has a good record against Ferguson. A loss for United would open up the title race once more but with the trophy within touching distance I can't see the Champions slipping up.
1-0

West Brom v Sunderland, 15:00
West Brom have no chance of remaining in the top flight. For all Mowbray's pragmatism about playing good football he hasn't got the results. Being at home, against a Sunderland side who are almost safe, might yield three points for the Baggies.
2-0

West Ham v Chelsea, 15:00
East meets West as the Hammers taken on the Blues. Chelsea could only eek out a stale draw midweek and will not relish the trip across London. Chelsea's title hopes are all but over but they should be keen on a second place finish.
1-1

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Sunday, 26 April 2009
Arsenal v Middlesbrough, 13:30
A win here would still leave Boro in the bottom three. That won't happen so they might as well save their energy for next season's Championship battle.
3-1

Blackburn v Wigan, 16:00
I would love to see Big Sam get relegated. He's an obnoxious Cry Baby. Therefore Wigan to win.
0-2

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Monday, 27 April 2009
Newcastle v Portsmouth, 20:00
The Magpies are counting on winning their remaining home games to stay up. It would be incredibly humiliating for Alan Shearer if he becomes the man to take them down. With the roar of the crowd and a Portsmouth team who will now have a keen eye on their summer holidays, Newcastle should get three points here.
2-0

I'm Batman

My fridge has a strange habit of developing a wall of ice at the back even though it has no freezer compartment. I have to defrost it once in a while. I would have done so before today but there was too much food in there that I didn't want to spoil, and the one time I tried I forgot to turn it off. In doing so today I lost my balance fell forward and banged my head on the sideboard and seemed to bounce backwards. I've felt a little dazed and confused ever since.


It affected my activities today. Slightly. I slept in quite late so didn't quite have the urge to seek out a job. I did the aforementioned housework, shopping, Guardian reading and had lunch before taking a trip to the park. It was colder than expected but I read some. I was having concentration problems.

I've felt the same all evening. I would have liked to have gone running but I wasn't up to it. I'll hopefully go tomorrow morning instead. I'm watching Tim Burton's Batman at the moment. I might review/discuss it tomorrow if I have the time and inclination.

The Reader

I applied for a couple of jobs yesterday (Tuesday) so was happy to use the rest of the day to sit in the sun reading. However, I bumped into a couple of friends and had coffee with them. I then realised it was too cold to sit outside so I came home and should have written this.

I managed to fit in playing football last night with watching the Liverpool v Arsenal game immediately afterwards. I scored a scorcher. The Premier League game was goal filled but only due to shambolic defending and effectively ends Liverpool's title challenge. I cycled home afterwards and was starving so popped out to get take away. I could see a friend in the pub across the road so I went there instead and had a couple of pints. Didn't satiate my hunger but I enjoyed the drinks. Wore me out quite a bit.

Felt fine this morning once I'd had a coffee. Had (another) leisurely day. Got lunch with a friend, wandered round before coming back here. Went shopping and it wasn't long before I made dinner, in between adding videos to Facebook. Made up for the lack of reading with a session this evening, so making good strides with my current book. Hope to finish it soon.

The Bizzaro Kev

I'm catching up with a few days' worth of blogging. I had an interview on Friday so spent the preceding day preparing for that interview. I had to travel to Hull for the interview itself which was an hour and a half each way. The job I interviewed for will hopefully be based in Wakefield, which is nearer. I'm still waiting to get my provisional driving licence so I can't yet look at driving lessons. I'm contemplating doing a "crash" course (or a "how not to crash" course) because it would be more convenient than weekly lessons.

As before I can't really tell how the interview went. The only true indicator will be if I get a job or second interview. At the start of the interview I felt that it was going badly for no apparent reason - based on the looks on their faces. I don't know if this was actually the case but I kept going and seemed to change their expressions. I might know by the end of this week.

I was looking forward to having a few drinks on Friday evening and started off OK. However, a friend's friend was also out and I found him increasingly annoying. He's in no way malevolent but he wouldn't stop talking and I'm not interested in what he has to say. That's not to belittle him as a person; I'm just not interested in "real" beer or how good his college was. He also kept making David Brent like innuendos which I got sick of. He's not a bad person but it had been a long day and it put me in a foul mood that I couldn't shake off. In recounting the things that annoyed me I can't help but see a bit of myself but also the opposite of me. Perhaps he's my nemesis.

My mood pretty much continued into Saturday. I felt incongruously hungover and couldn't be bothered to do much at all. I shook off that mood with a (near) five mile run yesterday morning (see yesterday's map). Having made a proper Sunday dinner last night, filled with nutritious veg, I had a quick workout with my dumbells and felt ultra healthy.

It was sunny when I got up this morning. I always feel better when it's sunny which leads my to believe that I may be from Krypton. That and my messianic complex. I hung around the house, playing guitar until I thought the Sun was actually hot enough to go outside in shorts and T-shirt. A friend of mine, who doesn't know I live here, was outside having just successfully been for a job interview on the same street. I joined him for a pint. As I'd only eaten a slice of toast I resisted having a second pint. One was enough for me to have to walk it off.

After coming home for lunch I went to the park to read, twitter, text and e-mail, as well as encouraging my freckles to come out. Later tonight I will either look very healthy or ridiculously red. I had the sense top wear some sun block though.

Oh yes, I should have continued my pursuit for a job today. But the weather was too nice.

A run

This morning

96 Remembered

My scheduled interview on Friday is not in Wakefield as I'd first been told but in Hull. It will take me an hour and a half to get there. I didn't even want to work in Wakefield let alone travel to an interview in Hull but with no offers on the table I have to see what I can get. It seems silly to travel that far, and with the expense, for something I don't really want. I can't remember what the potential salary is but I don't think it would be particularly worth it.

I should have spent some time this afternoon researching the company in preparation but I needed to do some cleaning and I watched the Hillsborough Memorial on BBC News. It was difficult to watch, emotionally. I didn't know anyone who was killed that day and it happened when I was starting to lose interest in football. I can remember coming home that Saturday afternoon and my Mum telling me that something had happened at that game's afternoon. The game had been stopped after 6 minutes and there was a rising death toll. Questions were asked whether the game should be replayed but my Mum said (possibly what a lot of people were saying) "They were there because they loved football..." It was a fair enough assessment at the time but it's scandalous that no one has yet been held accountable for something that happened twenty years ago.

Twas only an Easter absence

On Easter Sunday I quickly hopped on a train and went to a friend's house for dinner. I stayed the night there so had no chance to write any kind of blog. I could have got myself ready for it in plenty of time but I stayed in bed all morning texting and trying to overcome the twitter mikeyy worm. Also, I smashed a mug on the kitchen floor which totally threw me off. Did a pub quiz that evening which we won. Huge winning of three quid each.

I came back on the train yesterday lunchtime feeling OK, if feeling the need for more sleep. As the day wore on I felt more and more tired. I had a siesta after I'd eaten but didn't sleep properly. I had hoped to watch a film but after discovering that Valkyrie is out of sync and not being in the mood for Synecdoche, New York I watched an episode of Life On Earth. I had found it a bit boring in places up until this point which covered the first creatures to come out of the water - having seen all of The Blue Planet, much of the earlier stuff was a bit too familiar. I think I shall watch the rest of it in earnest as it covers mammals and, eventually, humans. I have already watched the episodes on reptiles and birds.

In bed I watched most of the new Tyson documentary. Tyson is both an abhorrent creature and a fascinating man. He was the most exciting boxer since the era(s) of Ali combining speed and power against much bigger opponents. But, he's also the guy who but off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear, was violent to Robin Givens and, most tellingly, was convicted of rape. Tyson still fervently denies the rape. I haven't looked at any of the evidence but I know that only a small proportion of rapes and in conviction so it's hard to believe him.

I have a job interview on Friday morning so I shall be spending the next couple of days preparing for it. It's almost an hour away on the train so it's not a job I want but I'm in no position to turn it down if offered. But, given the fact that I have thus far had zero offers I don't think I should be too worried about a lengthy daily commute.

Film Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (and Crank)

Yesterday (Friday) I managed to watch two films. In the afternoon I watched the leaked workprint of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I liked the X-Men trilogy but sold the DVD set when I needed the money. I didn't think that a Wolverine movie would be anything more than a cash-in. And I wasn't wrong. This print of the film lacks a few FX shots (and has animatics in place instead) and lacks 10-20 minutes of pickup shots. One can see why they might have watched this print of the film and realised that they needed to add more to it.

It plays like a big budget TV movie. The film shoes Wolverine being a couple of hundred years old, fighting in in successive wars with his brother Liev Shrieber playing someone named Sabretooth who appears to a less advanced version of Wolverine - he has the same skills except that he had claws that grow from his fingers rather than the knife-like things which grow out of Wolverine's knuckles. The brother's fighting ability in Vietnam is recognised by some kind of CIA/Military organisation who them to form an elite group with other muscle bound fighting mutants. Wolverine questions the ethics of the organisation and leaves his slightly more evil brother behind. Wolverine seeks solace in an American cliche by chopping logs in remote Canada because he's that manly. Wolverine has settled down with a woman and we finally get the inciting incident to get the plot going.

The film is not a total mess but it's badly paced. It's not that it's slow but incidents happen in the wrong place. Once the plot get going there's a set piece after set piece which are enjoyable enough until we reach the twist laden climax. Perhaps the new scenes will rescue the film but the filmmakers will need to consider cutting down the first half an hour of the film.

In the evening I watched Crank. I have a wide selection of films I've never seen but I had been drawn to the absurdity of the plot and scenario since it came out. It is as ridiculous and absurd as I expected but it has the good grace to do so with a sense of humour and to execute it in a cartoon-like fashion. I'd be in no rush to watch it again but if I was channel hopping one night, I might not turn it off.

Premiership Predictions

Saturday, 11 April 2009
Chelsea v Bolton, 15:00
It was a shock to see Chelsea blow Liverpool aside so easy in Wednesday's Champion's League and it can only have boosted the team. What chance they fall at the next hurdle in the league to Megson's men? Well, it's not beyond belief but I believe we're at the stage of the season where that won't happen.
2-0

Liverpool v Blackburn, 12:45
The Reds must shake of feeling of being punch drunk after effectively being knocked out of the Champions League by Chelsea on Wednesday. Liverpool have soared in recent weeks with Steven Gerrard playing in a free role behind Fernando Torres but injury is likely to keep him out of this game. It's hard to predict whether Benitez will try and replace him directly with a second striker such as Yossi Benayoun or the unstrusted and unreliable Ryan Babel. Allardyce's side will present a physical challenge but Liverpool should be able o cast aside their European misery and continue their march on the holy grail of a Premier League title.
3-1

Middlesbrough v Hull, 15:00
Boro were humiliated in their last game. Thankfully for them they only have to play Hull and have the opportunity to regain some credibility.
2-0

Portsmouth v West Brom, 15:00
West Brom are as well known for winning away as Portsmouth is for being landlocked. Tony Mowbray continues to prefer style over results and that preference is unlikely to be altered here.
1-0

Stoke v Newcastle, 17:30
Is this where Shearer's presence garners a point or three? The self-styled Geordie Messiah and his assistant Iain Dowie have had longer to work with his players and might just get something from this Stoke side. But I would laugh if they didn't simply because I dislike Alan Shearer.
0-1

Sunderland v Man Utd, 15:00
United have grown complacent, salvaging a win in the dying minutes courtesy of a 17 year old in their last league game and drawing 2-2 in Tuesday's Champions League game. If Liverpool have won earlier in the day, United will know exactly what they have to do.
0-2

Tottenham v West Ham, 15:00
Redknapp returns to his old stomping ground. I'm hazarding a guess that he still lays close attention to the Hammers team and will know how to beat them.
2-1

Wigan v Arsenal, 15:00
With little fanfare Arsenal have regained their status as one of the Big Four. Wigan were destroyed in their last game and won't be taking the challenge of Arenal lightly either.
1-1

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Sunday, 12 April 2009
Aston Villa v Everton, 14:00
The counter-puncher against the south paw step up to face each other in the tenth round with little between then on points. Nothing will change at the end of the game except that both sides will have an extra point each.
1-1

Man City v Fulham, 16:10
City have attracted all the attention due to the vast cash injection they have received whereas Fulham have quietly gone about their business and find themselves two points ahead of the boys in blue. Perhaps Robinho can leave behind his winter of discontent and resurrect his and his team's credibility of Easter Sunday.
3-2

Meatballs

I wasn't too pleased with Liverpool's defeat last night. I finished the bottle of wine I had wine I got back during the game - after Chelsea went 3-1 up I left after finishing my pint. As a result I needed a coffee first thing this morning. I've been trying to ween myself off coffee. I'm not going to go cold turkey because that results in a bad headache and extreme tiredness. I've gone from my usual 3-4 strong cups gradually to one cup a day. After one in the morning I managed to last the rest of the day, although I almost habitually made one this afternoon.

I almost have housing benefits and council tax benefits. I got a call today asking for more bank statements so I clarified my situation and then took statements to the city finance centre. The finance centre (or at least the bit for benefits) had a numbered ticketed system like a deli counter. The difference is that you're not waiting for cold cuts, instead you're waiting to submit your details and hope that they'll give you some money. I guess it's what I've paid my taxes and National Insurance for, for all those years.

I had invited a couple of friends round for dinner tonight and had no idea what to cook for them until I got to the supermarket this afternoon. I thought that I've always wanted to make meatballs so I got a recipe from the Internet on my phone and bought the requisite ingredients. I gave it plenty of prep time to get everything ready and synced up. I think it went OK.

Tomorrow is Good Friday which means I have a day off tomorrow. In contrast to every other day which is hard work. I hope the sarcasm comes across. That said, it is a relief to know that I can have days where I can assuage my guilt about not doing anything. Still no word about real jobs so I'll look at temping from next week. Meeting friends for breakfast tomorrow so I won't stay up late watching a film.

This was the recipe I used:

http://bit.ly/UXa0E

Pump Up The Jam

As promised I am back for another day.

I played football last night, wearing my newly purchased white boots. I seemed to play a bit better as the boots are lighter and I could move my feet more quickly. I almost scored a multitude of great goals but actually scored no goals. I almost didn't get there. I was all set to cycle the the sports complex and got my bike ready early on - I live in a 2nd floor flat and have to take the front wheel off to get it up and down the stairs more easily. All was going fine until I decided to add a little more air to the back tyre. My pump broke and I removed almost all the air from the tyre (is this the correct or American spelling of those round rubber things which go round wheels?). I had to phone round for a lift and had to run about half a mile to meet my lift. Not ideal preparation for an hour's running round chasing a ball.

My friend, who has been staying with me, returned from seeing her girlfriend in Belfast last night. This meant a night on the uncomfortable air mattress for me. I think I would have slept better were it not for the Pringles, Crunchie and glass of red wine I had in the evening. Also, I discovered the music of Camera Obscura yesterday. Their album's not officially out yet but I've acquired a copy and think it's fantastic. The thrill of enjoying their music was still running through me when I went to bed. In bed I listened to this album:

I was captured by the string arrangements.

Film about copyright and sampling

Just watching this now so I don't know if it's any good at time of posting

Back?

I've either forgotten or not bothered to write anything here for a couple of months but have been meaning to do so for quite a while. Football predictions don't count as I reel them off as a matter of course.

I am still without a job but have had a few interviews. I had two interviews with the NHS in one day. I had hoped to prepare for three days in advance but I was hindered by a hangover on the first day and an ongoing cold on the second and third days. Apart from the hungover day, I did what I could, illness permitting on the other days. Unfortunately I was still very ill on the day of the interviews themselves and managed to see myself through with paracetamol and Pro Plus. I was later told that I was appointable for one but lacked the experience and, for the other, told that I lacked experience and that I hadn't researched enough in advance - I stated this explicitly in the interview.

I had another one which I'm still waiting to hear from. Unlike some jobs I will definitely hear even if I don't get it. I'm keen to get a job as a financial necessity but am getting very used to my life of leisure. I get up pretty much when I want and relax for much of the day. I've had a friend staying recently so I've done laundry when she's been out. I think I would make an excellent house wife one day.

I've written barely anything here since I received my redundancy payout. I've been much more active since then as I can afford to eat out, drink or go out for coffee regularly. Also, the aforementioned friend became single on my last day of "work" so I've seen a lot more of her. AN odd thing is how quickly a day can go with seemingly so little to do. A shopping trip or a trip to the post office can consume an hour or two and if that's sandwiched between meal times the days fly by.

Therefore, in this lethargy it's time to start writing this again. I shall write it every day, or write something the next day from now on. The fact that I've been twittering has denuded the need to document everything. But, this will be the first of many. Honest.

I may even come back this evening.

Premiership Predictions

I forgot to write this a couple of weeks ago and results went in my favout so it's with some reluctance that I write this today!

Saturday, 4 April 2009
Arsenal v Man City, 15:00
City have looked like a declining force whilst Arsenal have looked better and better. City will continue that decline.
2-1

Blackburn v Tottenham, 12:45
Two sides, close together in the league managed by two Englishmen brought in to rescue their respective teams from dismal starts. Can there be anything between them on the field? Possibly not.
1-1

Bolton v Middlesbrough, 15:00
Boro rarely get thrashed and are capable of turning it on at home and beating Liverpool. But how will they fare against lesser opposition. One can see them losing to Megson's strong side.
2-1

Fulham v Liverpool, 17:30
Liverpool hardly have an excellent record at CRaven Cottage but are on a roll and must keep going. Furthermore, Fulham player Danny Murphy has said as much that he wants Liverpool to win.
0-2

Hull v Portsmouth, 15:00
Pompey have improved under Paul Hart whilst Hull have been making their way back to the Championship. Hull being at home should be to their advantage.
1-1

Newcastle v Chelsea, 15:00
Will Newcastle benefit from the boost of Shearer's appointment? He has no previous credentials as a manager. Chelsea are a far better side with an experienced manager.
0-2

West Brom v Stoke, 15:00
Hardly licking my lips in anticipation of this one. Could not care less.
2-0

West Ham v Sunderland, 15:00
West Ham are now in a comfortable position, having avoided relegation. Sunderland are only three point clear in a close competition so will be hoping to get something out of the game.
1-2


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Sunday, 5 April 2009
Everton v Wigan, 15:00
Wigan looked to have been in contention for a UEFA Cup spot but Everton have pulled 7 points clear of them. At this stage of the season, it's unlikely that even Steve Bruce can see his side clawing it back. Everton will want to emphasise that with a win.
2-1

Man Utd v Aston Villa, 16:00
It's virtually inconceivable that Utd will expericence a third consecutive league defeat. Villa's shallow squad had meant that they've lost the momentum that had them holding on to fourth place. That place now looks to be Arsenal and it looks a daunting task for them to get anythibng from Old Trafford.
2-0

Premiership Predictions

Saturday, 14 March 2009
Arsenal v Blackburn, 15:00
Wenger faces his old nemesis Sam Allardyce who often derail Arsenal when he was in charge of Bolton. Arsenal might be tired after a long game in the Champions League on Wednesday so this could be a tough battle for them. However, I feel they'll have the strength to win.
2-1

Bolton v Fulham, 15:00
It's really hard to predict Fulham and Bolton. They're both as good and as bad as each other. That's to say they either team can get a respectable result only to humiliate themselves the following week. Therefore, bore draw.
0-0

Everton v Stoke, 15:00
Everton keep marching on and shouldn't have much trouble overcoming Stoke.
2-0

Hull v Newcastle, 15:00
Newcastle have Michael Owen in contention for the game. He alone can't cover the enormous cracks in the Newcastle side but he has a habit of coming back from injury and scoring goals.
0-1

Man Utd v Liverpool, 12:45
Can only go with a result I'd like to see but this is far from a prediction. Benitez is yet to win at Old Trafford but there's a first time for everything.
1-2

Middlesbrough v Portsmouth, 15:00
Surely, the most thrilling encounter of the weekend, no? I successfully predicted a thrashing for Boro two weeks ago so I'm going to say that following that embarrassment they will win here.
2-0

Sunderland v Wigan, 15:00
Sunderland look an OK side under Spragia. Wigan are pretty steady but not infallible.
2-1

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Sunday, 15 March 2009
Aston Villa v Tottenham, 16:00
Whilst still in fourth place this is surely as test of nerve for Villa as they have Arsenal biting at their tail. Spurs would love to help Villa in that sense but need to climb up the table themselves.
2-1

Chelsea v Man City, 13:30
Roman Abramovic's financial clout has diminished as a result of the global recession but his side have a restored vitality following the appointment of Guus Hiddink as caretaker manager. City now have much more wealth at their disposal but they don't have the players to take on Chelsea.
2-0

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Monday, 16 March 2009
West Ham v West Brom, 20:00
The Baggies are rubbish away from home but these Monday night fixtures tend to be uneventful.
0-0

Premiership Predictions

Only one game to get wrong this weekend.

Sunderland v Tottenham
Spurs will be buoyant following their victory over Boro so might be
caught off guard. For lack of anything insightful I'm going with a
home win.
Sunderland 2-1 Spurs

Sent from my iPhone

Premiership Predictions

Last minute rush...

Blackburn v Everton, 20:00
No doubt this will be a gruelling contest. That's to say that both sides are pretty boring and old fashioned.
1-1

Fulham v Hull, 20:00
Fulham are alright at home and must still be laughing that they off-loaded the now crocked Jimmy Bullard to Hull. Home win.
2-0

Man City v Aston Villa, 19:45
Man City must be asking themselves why they aren't in Villa's position when they (City) have all that money. Goes to show that you can't buy success overnight. Villa's squad has been looking stretched as the season has progressed but they're still in contention for a Champions League spot, especially after Arsenal won last night.
1-1

Newcastle v Man Utd, 19:45
The Magpies have very little going for them. Former player, Nicky Butt might put in a good shift but that won't be enough to overhaul the champions unless they have a particularly bad day at the office.
0-2

Stoke v Bolton, 19:45
Time is tight. Not much to say about this one.
1-1

Tottenham v Middlesbrough, 20:00
Boro will respond to their victory over Liverpool with a poor showing in the capital.
3-1.

Wigan v West Ham, 19:45
Close contest to go to the home side.
2-1

Premiership Predictions

Tonight's games only. I'll do tomorrow games tomorrow when I have more time.

Liverpool v Sunderland, 20:00
Liverpool's title chances were effectively ended by Middlesbrough on Saturday so the Merseysiders will be desperate to prove that it's not completely over. Being at home should be an advantage but their biggest problem this year has been the number of draws they've had at home.
1-0

Portsmouth v Chelsea, 19:45
Chelsea are looking strong again under Hiddink. Paul Hart has made Pompey look a lot sturdier than they did under Tony Adams but Chelsea are on a good run.
0-2

West Brom v Arsenal, 19:45
Tonyt Mowbray tries to get his team to play pretty football in the manner of Arsenal but they're not as talented as the Gunners. Wenger usually complains when teams try to stifle his team but should have no such objections here.
1-1

Premiership Predictions

Saturday, 28 February 2009
Arsenal v Fulham, 15:00
Fabregas conceded this week that Arsenal can't win the title, substantiating what most other people think. They're capable of beating Fulham. Arshavin might start to show his influence.
2-1

Chelsea v Wigan, 15:00
Wigan haven't scored more than one goal in game since Boxing Day. Chelsea have the vitality that comes with a newly appointed manager. It's at this stage of the season that teams like Wigan, who are in a string position in the league, can start to lose their way and cede victory to better sides.
1-0

Everton v West Brom, 12:45
West Brom have lost more than twice as many games as Everton this season. Expect that trend to continue.
2-0

Middlesbrough v Liverpool, 15:00
Liverpool seem to be watching Man United ride off into the sunset clutching the Premiership trophy. Liverpool's biggest problem has been beating teams who want to win. With middle in the relegation they will have to be cautious but desperately need three points which might just play into Liverpool's hands, who could be feeling more secure with the knowledge of Rick Parry's imminent departure.
1-2

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Sunday, 1 March 2009
Aston Villa v Stoke, 15:00
Villa to continue their charge, brushing aside a lacklustre Stoke.
3-0

Bolton v Newcastle, 13:00
With only 2 points between the sides there's little to distinguish this match.
2-2

Hull v Blackburn, 12:30
Hull aren't the side they were earlier in the season but Big Sam hasn't brought immediate success to Blackburn. Two old friends up against each other. Draw.
0-0

West Ham v Man City, 12:30
The Hammers take on an unpredictable Man City. City looked good, especially on the counter attack against Liverpool.
2-1

Premiership Predictions

Saturday, 21 February 2009
Arsenal v Sunderland, 15:00
Despite being close to winning the title last year, only dropping off following the shocking injury to Edouardo, Arsenal are increasingly resembling yesterday's men.

Luckily for them, they're only playing Sunderland. This could be the ideal opportunity for Russian Flat Track Bully Arshavin to make his mark in his first start for the team.
2-0

Aston Villa v Chelsea, 12:45
Can Villa take anything from the Golden Guus? I didn't see Villa's UEFA Cup game but it's reported that fatigue is setting in to the small squad. Chelsea are likely to benefit from the boost that usually comes from having a new manager in charge. Hiddink will probably have started work on his players' fitness and making the team difficult to beat so I can imagine them getting something from the game.
1-1

Bolton v West Ham, 15:00
Zola looked down and out a few months ago but has risen to the challenge. Some credit has been given to his assistant Steve Clark but regardless of that, they are getting the results they need, sitting happily in eighth position. Bolton are less convincing.
1-2

Man Utd v Blackburn, 17:30
Could this finally be where Edwin Van der Saar has to pick a ball out of the back of his net? Does Allardyce have the formula to unlock United's defence? Probably not but for the sake of being contrary and hoping that it makes the league a bit more interesting again I'm going to go with a score draw.
1-1

Middlesbrough v Wigan, 15:00
Middlesbore take on Bruce's rising Wigan. Bruce was overly peripatetic in his early managerial career but Southgate is starting to look as though he's been in his first job too long. Boro are never predictable but it's not hard to see them being beaten.
0-2

Stoke v Portsmouth, 15:00
Stoke are in touching distance of their rightful place in the relegation zone. Portsmouth will be looking to recover form the Tony Adams debacle and continue to pick up more points after beating a witless Manchester City in their last game. Stoke are fading fast.
0-2

Sunday, 22 February 2009
Fulham v West Brom, 13:30
Fulham need to respond to their 3-0 defeat to Manchester United. West Brom need to drag themselves from the bottles of the table. Only one necessity is like to bear fruit.
2-0

Liverpool v Man City, 15:00
Despite being only February, some consider Liverpool to be Manchester United's only serious contenders for the title now. Liverpool will have to beat City to maintain that mantle. Liverpool have lost a game fewer than United but have drawn more. Those draws have usually been scoreless when Benitez's men have lacked the guile to open up defensive teams. The erratic City are not known for the defence although they should benefit from the return of Richard Dunne.
2-0

Newcastle v Everton, 16:00
With Joe Kinnear recovering from a heart bypass operation it's hard to see Newcastle as a steady ship.

Everton are doing extremely well with limited resources and have much more below the surface than... stretching iceberg metaphor... they should beat Newcastle.
0-1

Monday, 23 February 2009
Hull v Tottenham, 20:00
It's hard to to laugh at Hull's record signing being injured for months due to their lack of foresight. Fulham wouldn't given him a new contract because they were unsure of his knee so Hull splashed the cash in record fashion instead. Spurs will be humbled by defeat in the UEFA Cup. Four points separate the sides. Not much in it.
0-0

A Return

I haven't written anything here apart from football predictions for quite a while. I've had a few things going on. When I started this it was meant as a way of writing about not working and keeping me occupied in that time. However, I didn't want to write about my friends, regardless of how it affected me because I respect their privacy so I didn't write anything.

Now I feel the time is write to get back to this. I've applied for a couple of jobs recently and have been invited to an interview on Thursday. That puts an end to the idea of having another leisurely week. It's a good thing as I was starting to feel more an more comfortable in not working. I think that since my last (personal) post I've received my redundancy payment so I don't have to worry about where my next meal is coming from for the immediate future - but I'm well aware that it won't last and I could end up back where I started or worse if I don't pay off any of the debts I intended to.

I hope that I get a job lined up soon so that I can pay those debts and think about a quick but cheap holiday.

Premiership Predictions

Saturday, 7 February 2009

Blackburn v Aston Villa, 15:00
Blackburn are to be respected a lot more since Sam Allardyce replaced Paul Ince. Their football is not the sort to be respected by lovers of the beautiful game but it's the type that gets results. Villa have been this season's real surprise package. They were expected to fight it out out for a UEFA Cup spot with Everton and Spurs, not take a Champions League spot away from Arsenal. Away to Rovers, could this be where Villa start to lose momentum?
1-0

Chelsea v Hull, 15:00
There was much brouhaha following Frank Lampard's red card at Anfield on Sunday. If the referee had awarded a red card for similar incidents earlier in the game the card might have been deemed more acceptable by the watching public as his studs were showing. Regardless of the fact that they were reduced to 10 men, Chelsea were not very good in that game and deserved to lose. They will compensate for that performance and result by beating Hull at home.
3-0

Everton v Bolton, 15:00
Both teams' strength is defence so this could be a war of attrition, or just a very boring game.
0-0

Man City v Middlesbrough, 12:45
The dullards from Teeside enter stage at the Eastlands Variety Show. City won't have Kaka but they will have Craig Bellamy... All the same they should beat Boro.
2-1

Portsmouth v Liverpool, 17:30
Liverpool have struggled at Pompey in the past. The noisy crowd and constant bell ringing clearly play a part, as well as the managerial nous of Harry Redknapp. But he's gone and the good ship Pompey is now being steered by the captain of the Titanic. All of Adams's years in therapy have rendered him so introspective that he's failed to notice the iceberg of relegation on the horizon. With Gerrard out, Liverpool will be looking to Fernando Torres for goals so they'll probably come from Yossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel.
0-3

Sunderland v Stoke, 15:00
Stoke have now acclimatised to being the relegation battlers they should have been at the start of the season. Sunderland aren't doing brilliantly but as the home side they should have enough to leave with another three points next to their name by Saturday evening.
2-1

West Brom v Newcastle, 15:00
West Brom's success only seems to come at home. Newcastle appear to be in decline: they've sold Shay Given, are without Michael Owen and don't have much else to tell the kids about.
2-0

Wigan v Fulham, 15:00
Don't tell anyone but Wigan are seventh in the table. Steve Bruce has rescued them from Paul Jewell's disastrous sophomore season and turned them into viable contenders for the UEFA Cup. Fulham are sometimes good but are now missing Jimmy Bullard who had been their key player since his return from injury. A close game, probably but the ever impressive Wigan will likely continue their charge.
2-1

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Sunday, 8 February 2009
Tottenham v Arsenal, 13:30
Much is made of the hatred between the two sides in this North London derby but of greater concern will be for Arsenal to wrench fourth spot from Villa and for Spurs to claw themselves further away from relegation. Victory for Spurs in this game is such a rarity that there's no point suggesting they might win. Perhaps Arsenal can edge it with their better players but the passions invoked by the game could curtail any actual difference in ability.
1-1

West Ham v Man Utd, 16:00
If Liverpool win they will have overtaken Man United at the top of the table. Such is football, I believe that Liverpool will win and United will draw leaving United ahead on Goal Difference, and with a game in hand.
2-2

Premiership Predictions

Saturday, 31 January 2009
Arsenal v West Ham, 15:00
West Ham are on a decent run having not lost since playing Villa on December 20. Arsenal will be keen to get closer to a Champions League spot, being five points off the mark. It's the time of the season when it starts to count and Arsenal should have enough at home to beat the Hammers.
2-1

Aston Villa v Wigan, 15:00
Forth place Villa should be confident of beating most teams in the league but Wigan are no pushover. Wigan's Mido tends to do well when he joins a club and then lose interest so I'm going to say that he'll score here.
1-1

Bolton v Tottenham, 15:00
There's nothing apart from goal difference between these two sides. Bolton haven't won for a while and will be wanting to make up for that.
1-0

Fulham v Portsmouth, 15:00
Fulham have been poor recently but Portsmouth have been even worse as they continue their descent towards The Championship.
2-0

Hull v West Brom, 15:00
Hull started the season making a mockery of the people who suggested that they would be relegation fodder and West Brom have unwittingly done the opposite. Despite being thrashed by Man Utd in the week, West Brom have improved as Hull have declined. But, West Brom aren't very impressive on the road.
2-0

Man Utd v Everton, 17:30
Everton never beat Man Utd.
1-0

Middlesbrough v Blackburn, 15:00
Boro threaten their fans with the prospect of relegation every year but always finish in the middle of the table. Rovers will be tough to beat.
1-1

Stoke v Man City, 12:45
The once mighty Stoke face the team with all the money but not the talent. City are good enough to beat them and Bellamy has played his best football under Hughes in the past.
1-2

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Sunday, 1 February 2009
Liverpool v Chelsea, 16:00
Since Benitez needlessly opened his mouth in an effort to derail Man Utd's title charge he's seen his own side slip away. Liverpool desperately need a win if they are to believe that they are still in the race to bring Anfield its first Premiership crown. With so little between them it's possible that Chelsea could get something from this but I'm going to go with my heart.
2-1

Newcastle v Sunderland, 13:30
Newcastle have been falling fast since they gave Kinnear a contract until they end of the season. Sunderland are nothing to write home about but they could find themselves back on Wearside with tree points in the bag.
0-1

Film Review: Gran Torino

Starsky and Hutch drove a 1974 Ford Gran Torino, here a 1972 model is used to symbolise greatness in the American past. Clint Eastwood plays a recently widowed grumpy old man. His character Walt Kowalski (Walt Disney by way of Stanley Kowalski?) expresses disdain at the fact that his granddaughter openly wears a belly button ring at her grandmother's funeral with a broadly comic grunt.

This early expression suggests a lighter tone but it soon appears that this an examination of racial tensions like Crash but on a smaller scale. Kowalski openly espouses racial slurs and even does so casually with his Irish and Italian friends. After interrupting a transgression between his Hmong neighbours, Walt becomes a hero to them. The family's son Thao admits that he tried to steal Walt's prized Gran Torino and in restitution reluctantly agrees to do some chores for Walt. Walt his equally reluctant to take him on but does so and we soon have the classic dynamic of reluctant teacher and apprentice which Eastwood last did in Million Dollar Baby.

The story then plays out in textbook fashion until the final act when it returns to examining the racial tensions it had alluded to earlier in the film. Walt doesn't cease to be racist but gains some respect for his neighbours before embarking on a revenge mission akin to Travis Bickle's in Taxi Driver. There follows an unexpected ending which feels like a cop out designed to aid dramatic and emotional resonance and as a result made the film seem rather pointless. I'd question the politics of the film because, in lamenting the loss of an America and suggesting a return to those old white working class values, the film. despite itself appears racist. If only there was a white avenger to fix America.

This is a confused film which wouldn't work at all without the presence of Eastwood but ultimately it turns out to be a vanity project with Eastwood ending with eulogy for himself.

Film Review: W.

Having lionised and humanised American presidents in JFK and Nixon respectively Oliver Stone turns his attention to George W. Bush. The film was clearly written before the financial crisis took hold as it focuses on the build up to the invasion of Iraq and Bush's journey from boozy hellraiser to president of the United States of America.

The story is pretty well known: the son of the head of the CIA cum Vice President finds personal salvation through belief in Jesus and leaves behind his hellraising and alcohol abuse to become president. The film is about the personal journey rather than an analysis of his political faculties. Stone is seen as a political film maker but even his most politically themed films focus on the personal story of the protagonist rather than espousing a leftist belief. Great emphasis is placed on Bush's relationship with his father and his apparent inability to please him. Whereas Nixon portrayed a capable man haunted and encumbered by his own insecurities, W. shows a rather lazy, simple man with little ability beyond charm.



Much like Anthony Hopkins playing Nixon, Josh Brolin gives an impression of the president without doing an impression but lacks Bush's trademark smirk. This makes for a more convincing character rather than one thinking, "Oh, he's just like Bush there" or "that was unconvincing". The supporting cast are convincing except English actress Thandie Newton in the role of Condi Rice who does a strangely affected voice.

Stone's direction is more restrained than in the past. The editing is more conventional than than the "vertical" style he started with on JFK and took to extremes on Natural Born Killers. In an interview a few years ago he rejected criticisms that his works lacks subtlety and claimed that the cross-cutting and juxtaposition was subtle. W. is a far more subtle film; only when Bush portrays himself as a hero and the soundtrack plays the Robin Hood theme does it become a little crass.

The film is an entertaining dramatisation of a man's rise to power but falls short as depiction of a president. The film goes no further than 2003, 9/11 features only in dialogue and mentions nothing of Hurricane Katrina and the financial crisis which has gripped the world. Perhaps when the script was written it seemed that the invasion of Iraq would be Bush's lasting legacy but that was premature. Nixon ended with a man's fall from grace but with an assertion of the positives he achieved such as opening dialogue with China but this ends with a man slightly lost. The film's release was timed to coincide with the 2008 election and timely as that may have been it's resulted in an inconclusive film.

Bye bye, Bush

Obama enters the White House and I expected to have more to say. You should be reading my thoughts on future prospects for America or the world but I didn't do the research in time. Neither did I put together a planned piece on George W. Bush. There's so much to say but I want to have a structure and not just say "Bush was bad, Obama brings hope".

As George leaves The White House I can't help but think, "How did he get there in the first place?" I'm vaguely familiar with the story and followed the news closely enough to have known him when he was just a potential candidate and known simply as George Bush Junior. The focus on the news has been Obama's race but to me he's always been a credible alternative to the Bush Administration. If I have a quiet day tomorrow I'll write something a bit more substantial and something that I can (vainly) imagine being published somewhere.

Premiership Predictions

Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Portsmouth v Aston Villa, 20:00
Pompey fans witnessed a miracle when the saw David "The Nuge" Nugent score yesterday. Equally miraculous would be if Tony Adams's side were to beat Aston Villa. O'Neill's quick side are very good on the counter attack and they should be able to use that to their advantage here.
0-2

Sunderland v Fulham, 19:45
I drastically overestimated Fulham's ability at the weekend before they were thrashed by West Ham. Sunderland are no great shakes but that's not to say they can't beat a Fulham side who have just been kicked in the proverbials.
1-1

Tottenham v Stoke, 20:00
So close is the league this year that Happy Harry's escape act sees Spurs out of the drop zone by virtue only of goal difference. The briefly might Stoke have been on a precipitous run since Rory Delap started to receive treatment on one of his shoulders. They were resolute against Chelsea on Saturday but the men from Stamford Bridge had too much in the end.
2-0

West Brom v Man Utd, 19:45
After a tawdry start to the season the Baggies have recently had successive home victories. Man Utd needed the entire game to get a winner on Saturday against a solid Bolton. West Brom will be more open in their play and it would be a fool to bet against the champions.
0-1

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Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Blackburn v Bolton, 20:00
Big Sam plays host to his former employers. After the debacle with his replacement, Sammy Lee, Bolton are once again a solid side after the controversial appointment of the self-proclaimed Ginger Morinho, Gary Megson. HAs draw written all over it.
1-1

Chelsea v Middlesbrough, 19:45
Whilst Chelsea fought back to get a win on Saturday Boro were suffering the humiliation of a thrashing and finding themselves in the relegation zone. The Teesiders will be looking to atone for that and have beaten Chelsea in recent years. Wild card prediction that Boro will upset the odds.
0-1

Everton v Arsenal, 20:00
One of Everton's few good players, Arteta, is reputedly a target for Arsenal. He tends to disappear against the better sides to he might be a good fit at the Emirates. Until that time he'll take his place in Moyes's rudimentary side. Arsenal are lacking Fabregas but have looked better recently and have not yet gone beyind the six defeats which would absolutely rule out a shot at the title. Everton will be tired after Monday's Derby.
1-2

Man City v Newcastle, 19:45
One club is trying to be all and sunder at any price whereas the other can't sell themselves. Two sides who are tricky to predict. The stories about Kaka can no doubt have unsettled City but sometimes Newcastle are just plain average.
2-1

West Ham v Hull, 20:00
The Hammers have now sold Craig Bellamy but face an uncertain financial future - who doesn't. After a promising start, Hull are now looking like the relegation fodder that everyone expected to see this year.
2-0

Wigan v Liverpool, 19:45
Like Everton, Liverpool could be fatigued following Monday's game. They'll need every watt of energy to overcome a good Wigan side.
0-0

Tony Hart

It was revealed today that Tony Hart died aged 83. Hart presented arts programmes for children when I was growing up and long before that. He was largely responsible for the interest I have in art.

It's hard to say why I was interested in art and drawing itself but I enjoyed playing with crayons and felt-tip pens and my Mum always encouraged me, having studied art at school herself. She dropped out before she could complete her exams but it was always a presence when I was growing up. This lead to me studying art at school myself. I managed to get a place on an Art Foundation course which I would have done after my A Levels but I felt I'd had enough of drawing and painting at that time, and pursued an interest in film and television instead.


Although I never pursued a career in art I believe it formed strong bonds early in my life. I had a couple of friends in secondary school and I think we influenced each other. They certainly influenced me. I'd never considered the life of an artist or television director to be a realistic pursuit and though of being a lawyer - a proper occupation. Beside the fact that I didn't have the academic ability to become a lawyer and have yet to make any strides in film or television I think that grounding lead me to being who I am today an the choices I've made along the way.

None of this came directly from Tony Hart but it was his presentation of drawing and painting that was entertaining and educational. I haven't watched any of his shows for year and can only draw on the memories of childhood which may be clouded by nostalgia but I recall a dignity about the man. He presented a show for children without patronising his audience or trying to be wacky in that way some adults think kids relate to. There was a graceful austerity in his presentation.

I don't know when I would have stopped watching his shows but I remember them well, even from the times when I was very young, and I remember them fondly.

I have a short attention sp... what was I saying?

Got a little side tracked yesterday. I went for a belated Xmas lunch with my (soon to be former) colleagues. Afterwards we went for what was meant to be no more than two drinks but we were out all afternoon and then two of my friends came here for beer and takeaway.

I discovered this evening that the bank have granted my request for an overdraft until the end of the month. They haven't written or phoned to confirm this. Probably just as well as I could have treated myself to something when I went shopping with a friend this afternoon. There's always tomorrow.

I watched The Wrestler this evening but I didn't concentrate enough (I kept looking at things on the internet) so I can't write a review fairly. In casual terms it was alright but not as good as I'd been lead to believe. Better than Slumdog Millionaire which seems to get more and more overrated with each passing day.

Premiership Predictions

Saturday, 17 January 2009
Blackburn v Newcastle, 15:00
Newcastle are away and have started to look a bit shaky recently.
2-0

Bolton v Man Utd, 15:00
Man U will no doubt continue their charge towards the title.
0-1

Chelsea v Stoke, 15:00
Doubts are being cast on Big Phil's ability to bring the title back to Stamford Bridge. Abromovic has suffered losses due to the worldwide recession and won't sanction any expensive transfers. Lucky they're just playing Stoke and can redeem themselves for the thrashing they received from Man Utd.
2-0

Hull v Arsenal, 17:30
One of the shocks of the season was Hull's victory at the Emirates. They haven't looked that strong for a while. Arsenal can still turn it on with a good starting eleven. Gunners' revenge.
1-2

Man City v Wigan, 15:00
City could be close to paying over £100M for Kaka but can't be sure of winning this fixture. Steve Bruce's attackers are more than capable of breaching City's slipshod defence.
1-1

Sunderland v Aston Villa, 15:00
Villa are the Kings of Counter-attack. Sunderland have returned to type since Spragia's permanent appointment.
0-2

West Brom v Middlesbrough, 15:00
Mowbray played the best part of his career at Boro and no doubt keeps an eye on them. This is the type of fixture Boro lose.
2-0

Sunday, 18 January 2009
Tottenham v Portsmouth, 16:00
Appy Arry takes on his former protege. Both managers started well when Redknapp made the switch to Spurs but have since gone off the rails slightly.
1-1

West Ham v Fulham, 13:30
West Ham have no idea who will be on their playing staff come the close of the transfer window. Fulham have an astute manager in Roy Hodgson who should have enough nous to come away with a victory on the other side of London.
1-2

Monday, 19 January 2009
Liverpool v Everton, 20:00
Everton haven't won at Anfield for a number of years. Xabi Alonso has been a notable absence in midfield for Liverpool. Everton are a resilient side who will be dying to beat their more successful rivals but LIverpool should have enough with Torres, Gerrard, Alonso and Mascherano to beat the Toffeemen.
2-1