Here it is:

Devendra, his band and Cibelle in the background

Preforming

Together

On a boat

On the Thames river

…Oh how I wish I was there.

Lovely

xo Chathurika

(p.s. I’m listening to Christmas songs on KOST 103.5 and have a ridiculous urge to name all of the artists -PAULMCARTNEYGEORGEMICHAELJOSHGROBAN- WOO!)

(p.s.s.  If I hear Celine Dion’s watered down “version” of  “Happy Christmas” I’m going to kill myself; give me Lennon dammit!”)

(p.s.s.s. Ok maybe not kill myself, but turn the radio off, but it’s Sinatra right now so I’m content)

Dry Hopped Lager in De Ranke glass

This Tom Waits song came on the in the car sometime this week, and it seemed to match up perfectly with what was floating through our heads.  I don’t even remember what song it was, exactly, but it doesn’t matter.  I could probably insert any number of Waits songs into my memory of that moment and it wouldn’t change it.  I figure it was “Shiver Me Timbers”.  That’s been added to the life soundtrack, which will need to contain a few albums worth of Waits.  As I typed that, a memory popped into my head.  May as well indulge myself.

I was 15 years old and a freshman in high school.  I went to a party that the older brother of my best friend was having.  These folks would have all been roughly 10 years older than the 4 of us at the time.  I was drinking vodka and orange juice.  I recall somebody talking about how his car or house got broken into and his entire collection of Tom Waits was stolen.  I had no idea who Tom Waits was at the time, but it was said in such a way that it stuck, and I felt that Tom Waits was somebody I ought to know about.  The party for me ended up getting a bit out of control.  I got wasted.  Somebody made a “suicide” for me to drink…a bunch of alcohol mixed together.  I downed it.  I heard MC5 for the first time that night…and “Kick Out the Jams” seemed like one of the most amazing songs ever.  I’d later track that down too.  The night ended in a rather brutal defeat for me, though.  I was carried into my house and handed over to my parents by my buddies, despite my request for them to just leave me laying in the yard.  I couldn’t get down the stairs to my bedroom, so I slept in the guest bedroom upstairs.  I vomited all over it.  My mom made me go to church with her and my dad the next morning and I had to leave a couple of times to vomit in the church bathroom.  The older brother of another friend that was along the previous night was there and came out to talk to me.  He was laughing at me, saying he couldn’t believe I was there.  He’d heard from his brother that I had gotten shitfaced the previous night.  That was the first time I had ever gotten sick off alcohol.  It wouldn’t be the last.  Anymore, though…I don’t puke.  Nausea, but no vomiting.  I suppose that is a good thing?  It took a number of years, but I finally did start getting into Waits.  And it was that memory that prompted me to buy that first one.  Now I have a Tom Waits collection and I don’t know what I’d do if somebody stole all of it from me. Lots of those sort of memories will likely come back to me over the next days, weeks, and months as we pack up the house and move across the country.  There’s also a song called “A Soldier’s Things“, which comes to mind since we just had a garage sale.

I had intended to photograph every room of our house before we started packing everything up, so we could see what it looked like 10 years from now.  That didn’t happen, though.  We’ve already gotten packed and gotten rid of a lot of things.  There is certainly of bit of melancholy in it all.  Laura said we were going to leave the womb.  We had always talked about leaving the only place we’ve ever “lived”, which I don’t think sounds right at all.  We’ve “lived” in lots of places.  This is the only place we’ve ever had a home.  We were both born here.  Our parents were all born within a 50-mile radius.  Despite our dreaming in the few years after high school, we’ve never left for more than a long trip however.  We’ve talked about where it might be cool to live.  But all the while we were building our lives here.  Distracting ourselves from the fact that time was passing, we were growing up, getting older, and getting set in our ways.  When we bought this house, we both seemed to think that it was settled.  We decided that would probably be the last time we moved ever, more or less.

Then, I somehow stumbled onto what I had been trying to avoid since I was 15: a career.  I recall thinking back when I was starting high school that things just weren’t going to work for me.  It troubled me a more than a bit.  I knew that I couldn’t just fit in with what seemed to be the “norm”.  I couldn’t decide to be a lawyer or accountant and just do it, going to work each day wearing a suit and playing golf on the weekends.  Maybe I had been brainwashed from listening to too much John Lennon “Working Class Hero” earlier (also added to the Life Soundtrack now, though this isn’t the exact version that made it onto Plastic Ono Band–the best Lennon album).  The Life Soundtrack is taking on a new dimension.

TRUCAJ – “Forrest Gump” (1994) – întâlnirea cu… John Lennon (decedat în… 1980)

ORIGINAL – John Lennon & Yoko Ono în Tony Cox’s Show

TRUCAJ – “Forrest Gump” (1994) – întâlnirea cu… John F. Kennedy (decedat în… 1963)

***

© Alexandru Dan Mitache • 2009

]]> http://pavlyuchenkosvodkabottle.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/the-villains/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:44:12 +0000 bigmartin http://pavlyuchenkosvodkabottle.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/the-villains/

on your feet lad

Today’s match report is going to be important; and on the back of some over zealous rating by myself after last week’s game; today’s will be a minute by minute match report. Aston Villa will be welcoming us to Villa Park, and on the back of our 9-1 win will be aiming to take us lot down a peg or two.

Importantly they are a team that we have struggled against away in the past and with the strength in the wide areas of their pitch could offer our tentative fullbacks plenty of food for thought today. Whilst Modric isn’t back yet many fans are slightly perturbed by the suggestion by Redknapp that he’s looking to change the setup for the away day.

Many cries of; ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!’ and ‘Keano doesn’t do anything anymore’, will be met with the likely appearances of Jenas and Keano respectively. Whilst this seems like madness on the part of the gaffer; the only way competition for places will be if we aim to keep certain important players at the club rather than replacing them every time they feel they’re not achieving much playing time, then we will definite benefit from the continuity of our success.

A win today would definitely put us in a great position to receive Manchester City in a couple of weeks time, who may offer us the most threat, (other than ourselves of course), to achieving the aim of a top four finish this season. Aston Villa would love to be the villains today in relation to our title hopes, but in my eyes if we keep our concentration up and cauterize the threat posed by Villa on the wings and up top, we should be able to enjoy continued success.

Players to look for today; Kranjcar, Defoe and Lennon who certainly impressed last week aswell as Gomes who’s consistancy at the moment is great. Roll on 3 o clock.

If we were still at Primary School you fancy Spurs to win about 12-1 this weekend as Wigan beat Villa 3-1 on the opening day and we put 9 past them last Sunday. But we’re not and despite all our euphoria we’re going to have to put in a decent shift to get something from the game tomorrow.

The good news is that we have no further injury concerns so I’d expect an unchanged side the bad news is Carew is fit and he is a handful. Dawson may need to take him as he is more powerful in the air than Woodgate. This is a good test for our centre back pairing and I hope to see them acquit themselves well.  Gomes will certainly be busier and he needs to be careful with his distribution as giving Villa the ball may cause more problems than giving it to Wigan last week.

This is the sort of game we need points from to cement a real challenge and going forward I expect to see some good counter attacking play. Lennon will certainly be double teamed unless Kranjcar can free him by being a nuisance. If the balance I called for last week continues that gives us more of an edge and a greater degree of options. Palacios will be key in the centre of the park and it is up to the others to close down, hassle and tackle to keep him in position and not resorting to ambitious tackles.

This is where Lennon has improved so much. Not only has his crossing improved but his desire to get back and challenge has made us so much more difficult to break down from the opposition’s left flank. We can expect Azza and JD to go flying if they show a clean pair of heels and I hope that we continue to play football on the deck rather than go straight to Crouchy up front with the long ball.

My line up: Those that started last week.

Prediction: Despite being told by colleagues “you’ll win 3-1” I’m more cautious and thinking more the draw.

Incredible animation along with the wisdom of John Lennon.

Ilustração inspirada na música Working Class Hero de John Lennon.

Working Class Hero

Qualche anno fa ho partecipato ad un corso di fotografia digitale e il docente mi ha fatto riflettere molto sul tipo di sguardo che un fotografo dovrebbe adottare per ogni genere di foto (panorama, ritratto, ecc.), portando dei validi esempi che non conoscevo.

Ora ogni volta che fotografo qualcosa, non posso fare a meno di pensare a chi ha fatto veramente della fotografia un’arte; nulla di presuntuoso da parte mia, ma è certo che se si conoscono i “punti di vista” di chi sa fotografare, magari alla lunga qualcosa si può migliorare ed io di strada ne ho molta da fare.

Ecco perchè ho voluto tenermi archiviata una piccola ricerca sui grandi artisti del passato, che hanno saputo utilizzare la fotografia per esprimere un loro pensiero, utilizzando sicuramente anche strumenti che oggi si potrebbero definire pionieristici.

Le immagini e le biografie sono tratte dai siti proprietari
a solo scopo illustrativo e senza lucro alcuno.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Richard Avedon (sito ufficiale)

Una delle sue opere più famose è la “The American West “, una raccolta di foto di persone comuni di strada, rigorosamente in bianco e nero, pubblicata in due colori nero / grigio.

Alcun esempi:

Alcuni comuni “Minatori”:

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Andreas Deffner (sito ufficiale)

La sua opera più famosa è stata “White, too white”, una rassegna fotografica di persone indiane albine:

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Irving Penn

E’ famoso per le immagini di moda e di ritratto.

Pablo Picasso 1957

Truman Capote 1965

John Osborne 1958

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Annie Leibovitz

Cristo impacchettato.

John Lennon

Woopy Goldberg

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Philippe Halsman

Tra le sue maggiori opere ci solo le famose foto con Salvador Dalì come soggetto.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Anne Geddes (sito ufficiale)

La sua fama è stata l’idea di fotografare i bambini neonati in posizioni particolari, un’idea che l’ha resa famosa nel mondo intero, anche non fotografico.

Questa è una piccola galleria di miniature, sotto ci sono alcune sue opere più famose.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Robert Capa

Bravissimo fotografo, definito anche “fotografo soldato”, che seppe immortalare alcuni momenti storici dei vari conflitti mondiali (una piccola raccolta fotografica).

La sua foto più famosa, Cordoba 1936.

"Leggermente fuori fuoco", sbarco in Normandia.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Gjon Mili

Ha scoperto l’effetto luce nelle fotografie, famose le sue foto con la partecipazione di Picasso mentre dipinge le sue opere con una torcia elettrica.

La sua tecnica è di dipingere con la luce la pellicola, lasciando il soggetto al buio, aprendo l’obbiettivo e facendo disegnare qualcosa con una fonte luminosa, alla fine un colpo di flash per fissare il tutto.

Picasso che dipinge il minotauro con la luce.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Robert Doisneau (sito ufficiale)

Il suo nome viene ricordato soprattutto per le foto riguardanti la vita di strada della capitale francese, caratterizzate da una sincera e umoristica rappresentazione della società e dell’ambiente parigino.

Doisneau amava immortalare la cultura dei bambini della strada e dei loro giochi, arrivando a conferire alle loro attività, seppur infantili, rispetto e serietà.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Steve Mc Curry

Definito il fotografo dell’anima, famosissima la sua foto di copertina del National Geographic di una ragazzina afgana di circa 14 anni conosciuta casualmente in un campo profughi afgano nel 1985, ritornata in auge nel 2001, quando scoprì la ragazza cresciuta (“Passaggio in Italia“).

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

August Sander

Ha saputo immortalare i mestieri della sua epoca.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Henri Cartier Bresson

Si può definire uno dei pionieri della fotografia, dedicava ore per ottenere uno scatto, con una buona macchina Leica-I-1, ma non certo speciale (una piccola rassegna).

Henri Matisse al lavoro

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

James Balog 

Un fotografo che ha sempre amato giocare con la natura

Utilizzando più foto per questo grandissimo albero.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Maurizio Galimberti (sito ufficiale)

Un fotografo contemporaneo che ha saputo inventarsi uno stile suo, utilizzando esclusivamente la Polaroid e formando un’immagine mosaico (una rassegna fotografica).

Mario Monicelli

Isabella Ferrari

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Due fotografi che hanno rappresentato una svolta storica nel conflitto mondiale, entrambi sono stati capaci di riprodurre dei momenti importanti ed unici, anche se in realtà non erano presenti fisicamente all’accaduto:

Joe Rosenthal

Nella battaglia di Iwo Jima la vera bandiera non è mai stata fotografata e questa è una ricostruzione dell’evento, avvenuto successivamente, ma che è passata alla storia per quello che ha rappresentato.

Yevgeny Khaldei

Lo scenario del bombardamento e la caduta di Berlino erano del giorno precedente, ma in quel momento mancava la bandiera e lui stesso l’ha ricostruita sul tetto, usando della stoffa rossa e della carta bianca per la falce e martello; anche se effettuata il giorno successivo, è passata alla storia per il significato che aveva.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

John Paul Caponigro (sito ufficiale)

Artista di fama internazionale, John Paul Caponigro è l’autore di “Adobe Photoshop Master Class” (Adobe Press); un secondo volume, “The Power of Color” (Focal), è in via di pubblicazione. Caponigro tiene workshop in tutto il mondo, inclusi seminari sul colore, è considerato il maestro del Photoshop.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Uliano Lucas (sito ufficiale)

Fotografo milanese, si è affermato come fotografo intorno agli anni ’70, quando documentò le lotte operaie e studentesche a Torino e Milano. Figlio di operai, ha fatto dell’impegno sociale un tema di fondo della sua opera, dal forte contenuto simbolico.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Una rassegna di artisti, per mia futura memoria.

Bye  

1. Amazing to think that you can score five goals in a game and there can still be a debate over whether you were man of the match. Aaron Lennon’s performance against Wigan ensured that Defoe didn’t come away with all the plaudits, his sparkling play from the right playing a big part in at least half the goals.

Defoe meanwhile became just the third player to score five in a game in the Premier League era and notched the second fastest hat trick after Robbie Fowler’s four and a half minute wonder against Arsenal many years ago. I’ve mentioned in recent weeks that he needed to watch his temper and just concentrate on his football, and with performances like that there’s no chance of him not going to South Africa. Lennon too did his case no harm, and on current form is far and away the best option when it comes to tricky small winger.

Spurs’ goal difference enjoyed a big boost in terms of chasing Arsenal, while they are beginning to take advantage of Man City, Liverpool and Aston Villa’s inconsistency to open a little gap over those three. They face one of their rivals next week in Aston Villa but should have nothing to fear the way they are playing.

As for Wigan the best you can say is that it’s just one game. These sorts of results can have a lasting effect, especially if you go behind in a game. It will be up to Roberto Martinez to ensure it remains a one off.

High five, we're going to South Africa!

2. Would Phil Brown be fearing for his job if Jimmy Bullard hadn’t got injured in his first game after signing? His performances in the last couple of games suggest that may have been the case. A win over Stoke and a fightback from two goals down to draw against West Ham possibly indicates an improvement in fortune for the men at the KC. Even Tango Man himself seems to be less in the spotlight than usual.

Bullard may have dodgy knees but he has an enthusiasm for the game that few players can match and his energy and creative play have got Hull scoring some goals again. They have a tough run coming up with three well organised teams in Everton, Man City and Aston Villa. Ok maybe not Man City but still! I’m pretty sure Geovanni isn’t injured and he appears to have lost his place to Bullard but I would be interested to see them both in the same team. Part of Hull’s success last year was to be brave, so maybe playing both together would have the same effect this year.

3. Before Arsenal get completely written off for losing against Sunderland (who have drawn with Man Utd and beaten Liverpool), let’s not forget that the key game is next week against Chelsea. Defeat would leave an 11 point gap; a win would leave it at just five with a game in hand. This defeat does render next weekend rather important if a title challenged is to be maintained. The lack of focal point without van Persie (and Bendtner) was a concern but it was in midfield where Sunderland won, with Cana stopping Fabregas and his teammates from creating many chances.

In addition to this, a set play was once again Arsenal’s outdoing at the back with Darren Bent reacting quickest after the initial ball had not been dealt with (déjà vu anyone?) While such defensive frailties are a long-term malaise, Arsene Wenger must ensure that his patched up squad is mentally right for the Chelsea game. Win it and two easier home games against Bolton and Stoke follow and momentum can be formed. Lose it and another frustrating season could be on the cards.

Pin the placenta on the van Persie.

4. They were impressive but it was only Wolves at home. Chelsea’s next two tests are the altogether tougher visits to the Emirates and Eastlands. Let’s see how the keenly the absences of Lampard and Drogba are felt then.

5. Liverpool and Man City played out a draw which leaves neither going anywhere fast. Man City have now drawn six on the spin which has stagnated them after a promising start. Just one win in eight games fro Mark Hughes’ side. A Hull side winless away from the KC provides the best possible opportunity to end that run next weekend.

Liverpool have one win in six but their habit of winning games they don’t lose (Saturday was just their second draw) means they’re still in a good position. The pretenders to the top four ideally want a gap going into the spring as if Gerrard and Torres are fit for the run in, I know who I’d back to get the last Champions League spot.

6. David Dunn is scored his fourth goal in six games and is playing the best football of his career. Someone left a comment asking what chance an England call for the Blackburn man. While I think he’s bit of a luxury and probably not quite international quality, there’s no doubting there are few more in form midfielders playing at the moment.

Quite good these days.

T.

The say, “write what you know”. While I’m sure I’m not the first, I tend to agree. On the surface – of course – this seems quite obvious as writing about something you know nothing about would be a tremendously difficult task. But as with any great pearl of wisdom, the true meaning is tucked away.

For me, “what you know” is not necessarily what you know, but rather what you feel and who you are. To me, if you’re not writing – or less specifically, creating – “what you know”, then you don’t stand a chance of creating anything of great meaning. It is from this “what you know” that great art is spawned and that unique voices are born.

And it doesn’t matter what you’re creating: music, sculpture, dance, math and advertising all require that unique voice to be heard. What sets the masters apart in any of these fields is that at one point it was like they were speaking their own language.

Sometime in the ’60s, (I say sometimes because it’s nearly impossible to get exact times with this guy, but I digress) Jim Morrison wrote:

I wanna tell you about Texas Radio and the Big Beat
Soft-driven, slow and mad, like some new language

These words have stuck with me since I first heard the songs, but it wasn’t until I read Ignore Everybody, by Hugh MacLeod, that I really found the right context for them. One of the many topics that MacLeod explores in this brilliant book is the idea of a new a language from the point of view of the young artist, creating, without pressure or expectation, and establishing “a new language that other people could also speak to the world with”.

What Morrison is describing is a feeling that I’m sure most of us have experienced. That feeling when you hear a song for the first time and something about it stops you in your tracks. It’s happened to me countless times, but one of the most vivid was hearing Kurt Cobain perform “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” on Nirvana’s Unplugged record (see below for the clip). It was a tape at the time, so I had to stop and rewind again and again because I couldn’t get enough. There was intensity and pain in his voice that I’d never before encountered. His somewhat-flawed vocals spoke to me and yet I couldn’t really understand them. It was truly like as if he was speaking a different language.

And in a sense, he was. Like him or not, Cobain changed the way the language of music is spoken. Just like Lennon & McCartney and many others did before him. And the way the Simpsons writers changed comedy, the Google guys chaged search algortihms and Lee Clow changed advertising.

They didn’t, necessarily, do it by being better than their competition. They did it by writing what they knew in a language that was all their own, but would soon become the language that the audience – and the world – spoke with them.

Please, take the time to check out this clip of Nirvana’s performance, as you can watch the transformation occur in Cobain. Pay close attention at around 4:46. It’s as if he slips out of the trance for a second. When he opens his eyes, either he’s looking at your soul or you’re seeing his. Either way it’s a very intense moment.

Click Away

...

See what all the fuss was about here.

Read about it here.

It’s fair to say that what we’ve all just witnessed was the kind of performance we’ve been looking from spurs this season especially the second half performance anyway. The game took shape after Lennon’s first touch on the ball, at which point he displayed that time off the pitch doesn’t necessarily mean that he wouldn’t improve his game. On the contrary he looked far more inventive today than we’ve seen him in a long time, with a variety of firecrackers in his box of tricks. Crouch looked sharp as a target man upfront trying to latch onto service from our midfield; scoring a goal from a bobbling Lennon ball at the 13th minute in the game. At this point it looked as if we’d definitely bossed the game and would roll on to secure our position before the break. However; the usual signs of a Spurs capitulation came into the fore as we found ourselves a bit bereft of ideas, and the physicality of Wigan’s players somewhat getting themselves back into the game. The half time whistle went and Harry had a few words to say.

…

From the off in the second half we were looking to get a goal to sure things up; but I doubt many of you would have put a punt down on 8 goals to follow. The first, another incisive run from Lennon, who drew his cross early into the path of Defoe who smashed the ball into the roof of the net with great reflexive skill. Once two up; sitting back suddenly was not an option and we found ourselves committing more, which brought the reward of Defoe’s second,  a searching through ball from Palacios allowed him to run onto and cleanly put the ball past Kirkland.

Wigan then scored a goal by cheating. In an strange homage to Thierry Henry, Paul Scharner latched onto Rodellega’s ball and patted it down with his hand to blast the ball past Gomes. (3-1) Another clear cut example for FIFA to think about; whilst keeping the game human is one thing. allowing unsportsmanship like this and Thierry’s £100m apologetic chance is probably not the best precedent to set.

Anyway; Defoe shirked off this mild distraction by scoring a goal straight from the off, to neutralize any threat that Wigan were trying to pose. Lennon once again with a cheeky ball to Defoe who’s finish made it look as if he couldn’t miss anything today. At this point Lennon was a bit tired of providing for everyone else, and after good play from Kranjcar took the ball and drilled it home from the right hand side of the box. Defoe then scored from Corluka, to take his tally to four; he decided to show up Erik Edman by taking his fifth from a defensive mistake. At this point the score was 7-1, and with about 15 minutes to go, no betting man would have bet against any more finding their way past Chris Kirkland. Lennon left the field to a standing ovation to be replaced by Bentley who would surely have to prove his worth for a starting berth. He did this by smashing a freekick cooly into the top right hand corner, making it’s way into the net via the post and the back of Kirkland’s head.

At 8-1 the game was finished. Nearly. Kranjcar decided he had something to say about Modric’s position and through some silky midfield play found a position outside of the box to crack home a shot past a now witless Kirkland. Final score, Spurs 9 Wigan 1.

These kind of scorelines are only really seen when you have the winning team playing sublime, in comparison to underperforming underdog. It’s safe to say that this is what happened today, as all of our players put in a strong shift whereas Wigan looked beleaguered from the outset. Needless to say though; hopefully this game will provide the inspiration the squad to push on with the coming fixtures and consolidate their place in the table.

Player ratings;

Gomes – 7.1 – Didn’t have too much to do today, but did what he had to well. At one point rushed his distribution today and could have paid for it.

Assou Ekotto – 7.2 – Solid today and allowed the midfield to head forwards without worrying about a counter attack. Goes to show how well he can play with a solid left sided player in front of him.

Woodgate – 7.0 – Tenacious; along with Dawson caused Rodellega and Scotland to think twice about bossing it in the final centre third of the pitch.

Dawson – 7.0-  Great to see Dawson returning to form; as someone who has always rated him he seems to be developing really well.

Corluka – 7.1- A good assist today and looks pretty good going forward for a slow chap. Still not the revelation he was when we bought him, but great worth today.

Kranjcar – 8.5- Creative midfeild dynamo. Sound familiar? Modric and Kranjcar together could create the football that Spurs fans always hark on about. For me, has to play more as his languid qualities are reminiscent of a certain Bulgarian who despite being awful now, if we’re honest we all miss a little bit.

Huddlestone. 7.2- Where do you want the ball? OK. Forget about kicking football into skips, muffintop could kick a golf ball into a packet of skips blindfolded. Looks great when backed up by Palacios.

Palacios – 8.2 – May have lost the ball a few times, but each time battled to get it back again. Protected Huddlestone aswell as offered a short passing threat going forwards. Very good today at pushing Wigan back and putting the frighteners on them.

Lennon* – 9.5 – Sublime today. It’s scary to say that he looks twice the player that limped off a few weeks ago. Has obviously been putting alot into his game when he was on the sidelines, and obviously was very hungry today. New contract please.

Crouch – 7.6 – Good target man today. Always looked dangerous in the box and was great at holding up the play bringing in Defoe and Lennon into proceedings.

Defoe* – 9.5 – Doesn’t really get much better than five goals. Through a double hatt-rick would have been unprecedented in the premier league. Absolutely lethal today.

Subs:

Bentley – 7.5 -Great freekick looked a bit like the guy we bought, but with Lennon playing as well as he did today, you really have to feel for the lad who is known to have a great attitude.

Bassong – n/a – Came on for Benoit at the end of the game as he had taken a knock. Will be interesting to see how our four centre-backs fit in as they all seem to be playing at a very high level.

Jenas – n/a – Unluckily for Jenas it seems he was late to the party and was unable to really make his mark today.

Next up: Aston Villa Away.

"There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life."
— John Lennon

aight

All the results went our way yesterday; so one can assume using Jenas’ law that the odds are the we’ll be running into a little trouble today against Lancashire’s finest custodians of the game. (On the assumption that Blackburn have turned into something resembling a pile of detritus.)

There’s no trick to this one really; a solid performance all across the field should result in a victory that will consolidate our position in the top four; atleast for the time being. Everyone will begin to wonder who this Harry Redknapp is, where he keeps his wand and why he’s been hiding around shoddy third rate clubs up until this point.

Whilst it can be argued that we were one of those underachievers before he came over; the sheer fact that we’re a sustainable club with a few pennies in the coffers seemed to suggest that this was a match made in heaven for Redknapp, and hopefully England’s world cup fortunes prevailing, we’ll be able to keep hold of him for a good amount of time.

In relation to today’s match; Lennon could play a part, as well as Bassong. Though after Ireland’s mid week runout one would hope that sense would prevail and that Keane would maybe make the bench today allowing Kranjcar to display some of his talents from the off. Jenas and Huddlestone could possibly make some kind of contribution to the midfield too; though I imagine a tried and tested four-four-two would limit all of them starting, and as such this would be built around the style of play that we’ll be bringing to the lane today.

Wigan won’t roll over; and players like Scharner and Roddellega will be thorns in our sides today; as they often seem to have something that many of our players lack at times; which is that killer instinct and will to succeed underlying the basic tenants of their game.

A decisive victory would warm up the engine before Modric’s mooted return next week. Let’s give the pundits something to think about.

After my thoughts on England’s centre back pairings last weekend comes a golden opportunity for Messrs. Woodgate and Dawson this afternoon to lay claim to their squad places with hopefully a clean sheet in a Spurs win. Knowing other results and being at home gives us the chance to press home our advantage to cement fourth place this week on level points with the Arsenal.

It will be interesting to see what impact the Internationals have had on other Spurs players.

1. Will Keane be devasted (more by his miss than the handball)?
2. Will Pav be in tears now that he doesn’t need to move because Russia did not qualify for the World Cup?
3. Will Jenas get a game and if he does will he go forward?
4. Will Defoe and Crouch be out to show what they can do with a bit of service as Bent did yesterday and,
5. will Lennon be back?

Harry, please give us a team with some balance and width. If Lennon does not make it give Bentley a game or at least a subs appearance when Crouchy is on the pitch. Consider Hutton for a full game after Charley’s last outing and please go 4-4-2.

My team: Gomes, Hutton, Dawson, Woodgate, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Palacios, Huddlestone, Kranjcar, Keane and Defoe.

Prediction: 2-0 home win with hopefully more goals if we get the show on the road

Hello Friends!

This week’s Motivational Essay is posted, Embracing the “No Way” Factor.

Here’s an excerpt:
*********************************************
“Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away… Now it looks as though they’re here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday…” (Lennon/McCartney)

With all due respect to Paul McCartney, I prefer to believe in Today. Even better, I want to believe in Tomorrow. Every word I type in the present is transported into a magical future, which is still yet a dream. The essay I’m
composing will be read tomorrow or Monday or maybe next Friday. A new WIP will take months to finish and weeks more to edit. We can forget in the tedium of the effort involved how miraculous tomorrow can and will be, especially if we lose sight of the magic in our words. There’s something to be said for introducing Optimism to Risk-Taking and discovering how amazing this collaboration can be.

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” –André Gide

Every writer goes through it. A manic-depressive swing depending on where the story is at. When we’re in the zone, the words fly, the ideas are so thick they infiltrate our dreams and we can’t type fast enough. When we’re stuck with a
plot point or drowning with too many choices, we can unfortunately be quite unbearable. My favorite image (which I’m embarrassed to say is only slightly exaggerated) is of me dashing through the house, hands waving in the air, while I shriek, “I’m a hack!”

Ups and downs. Highs and lows. Welcome to the wonderful world of writing.

“You can do anything you think you can. This knowledge is literally the gift of the gods, for through it you can solve every human problem. It should make of you an incurable optimist. It is the open door.” –Robert Collier
***************************************************
Jump to The Write Soul: www.chironokeefe.blogspot.com    for  the complete essay!

Wishing us all a productive and inspired week. Keep writing!

–Chiron O’Keefe

By Joe, www.Bettingexpert.com

Spurs are looking to brush Wigan aside to maintain their status at the top of the Premiership

Tottenham wants to break into the Big 4 domination in the Premiership and they are surely on the right track under Harry Redknapp’s helm. Wigan have seen tougher situation than they are dealing with at the moment. Manager Sanchez has done well at Wigan keeping them out of the relegation zone but tougher times are ahead as the season does not end in November. Both teams will have to continue what they set out to but there can be only one winner at the end of the day.

More Premiership review here

The North London team are searching for another three points at home to keep up with both Arsenal and league leader, Chelsea, at the top. It is not a surprise that Manager Harry Redknapp has leaded them to fight for a place amongst the Big 4 this season. They started on a high this season but fell back down to earth after a 3-0 defeat to their neighbors, Arsenal. Then a home win against Sunderland, a fortnight ago, has helped Spurs finding their confidence yet again. The bad news to hit the club is that keeper Cudicini has broken both his wrist and pelvis in a motorbike incident. Redknapp might not have the service of Aaron Lennon, Dos Santos, Bassong and Luka Modric as they are all ruled doubtful. Spurs have signed a teenage Sam Cox on a month long loan while Pavlyuchenko is looking for an exit at White Hart Lane.

Wigan will not be complaining much with their status in the Premiership. They are currently 13^th in the league and 4 points from the relegation zone. They record away from home is somewhat perceived as what a mid table should be, 6 games play, 2 wins and 4 defeats. Their only two wins came against Aston Villa, in the season premiere, and last month 3-1 win against Burnley. Although, Tottenham will be a tougher opposition and Manager Sanchez will need to strengthen his men at the back. Titus Bramble looks bewildered in my situation during the game and Wigan should be worried if he has one of his moments. M. Figueroa will not travel to London as he is rule out with a knee ligament injury.

Spurs have spent more money than the big 4 this season and this really signs out the messages that if you want to be big team, you will need to spend some money, just look at Manchester City. The best result Wigan have got from White Hart Lane is a 2-2 result back in 2006, otherwise Spurs have the advantage. Their recent meeting ended with a 3-1 win with Roman Pavlyuchenko scoring 2 goals and one Luka Modric. Fortunately for Wigan, it is most likely that both players will not feature in the starting lineup but then again Wigan needs to contend with Jenas, Milner, Dafoe, Crouch and Keane. With this firepower on the Spurs team, they are favorites at home to beat mid table Wigan.

Read the report on Bettingexpert.com called  “A betting report for the 2008/2009 season“ and the tipsters might be able to help you decide where you want to bet.

Looking for a place to play slot machine then check out what danmarksautomaten can offer you.

­Way back in March I wrote a post that tried to predict England’s World Cup squad for next summer’s tournament in South Africa. In it around 50 or so players were analysed; everyone from certainties like Wayne Rooney to certainly nots like Curtis Davies. With the friendly against Brazil fresh in the mind and only one more international break before the end of the season, there isn’t much time for players to impress if they haven’t already. As before let’s work our way through who’s on the plane through to who won’t be going at all. .

Key men (if England are to reach their usual quarter final):

First name in the squad is the captain John Terry simply as he’s captain. I personally think he gets found against the very best strikers but there’s no chance of him not going. He’s swiftly followed by Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. Rio Ferdinand goes as long as he’s fit, though it’s a concern if he doesn’t make it simply as playing style wise he’s harder to replace than Terry – England don’t have a lot of ball playing centre backs but do have a lot of one paced ones.

Gareth Barry is defensive midfielder of choice though may be usurped by a fit again Owen Hargreaves. They’ll both be on the plane however. Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson are the first choice full backs and are far ahead of their immediate competition. 

Thinking...

On the plane (extra leg room provided):

David Beckham has sorted another loan spell at AC Milan and I’m positive he’ll be going to his 4^th World Cup. He’s very much a bench player these days but still offers great set piece ability as well as experience. Emile Heskey has not been in great form and is no longer in Aston Villa’s starting XI but that said he will still be on the plane. He won’t score but he makes Rooney et al play better so for that reason is picked.

David James is first choice keeper, and despite his age should be able to handle that number of games in a month. Theo Walcott has had a succession of injuries but has done enough in the games he’s played to go as a wide man who can play up front. His pace is a big asset, plus he strikes me as someone who does what he’s told hence Capello likes him.

Matthew Upson and Jermaine Defoe should go as first back-up centre back and striker respectively. Neither are going to win you a World Cup final but they’re the best reserves in their position. Defoe just needs to watch his petulance slightly as there’s no point having a player who is going to miss games after needless red cards..

Looking for their passport (they are going out of Europe after all):

Joe Cole should be a little worried, just as he hasn’t found a way into the Chelsea team after injury, but at the same time he offers dribbling ability and creativity that not many can match. I was quite down on James Milner in my last prediction but did say he had a shot of making it. He seems to be impressing Capello right now and can play in a few positions. I do wonder whether he ultimately misses out due to the competition on the right side, though he has been playing down the left for England so you never know.

Aaron Lennon will be there or thereabouts, possibly in a straight battle with Milner for a spot. Rob Green looks like he’s firmly established as England’s number two while Wes Brown’s versatility of being a right back and centre back should mean he finds his way into the squad. 

Still thinking...

On the fringes (which bits are chopped?):

Wayne Bridge is doing his best to play his way out of the squad. You could argue about whether you really need to take a reserve left back, especially when the likes of Gareth Barry could play there if needed. Barring injury, the first choice defence are going to play every game so specialist reserve left back may be an area to gamble on not taking.

Of the other alternatives Capello has picked during his tenure, Leighton Baines and Steven Warnock don’t strike me as being quite good enough. If Joleon Lescott goes he provides left back cover too but he is quite shaky defensively so I don’t think he does. There is dearth of centre backs though. What price Kieran Gibbs continuing his rapid progress and staking a claim? Of all those players, he’ll be the only one playing Champions League football but a lot depends on whether he can keep Gael Clichy out of the Arsenal side once the Frenchman returns from injury. He appears to have just injured himself too.

I reckon Michael Carrick probably only goes if Barry or Hargreaves are injured and even then he’s shown countless times for Man Utd that he’s not a big game player. Gabriel Agbonlahor offers pace and will find himself with Peter Crouch, Carlton Cole and Darren Bent in the queue for the 4^th striker spot.

Capello has only ever picked seven strikers so it would be a surprise to see him take five of them, not least when Walcott can play up front. Of the four I would say that the Sunderland man had his chance against Brazil and didn’t take it. I think Agbonlahor doesn’t give enough variety when compare to the others – with a 4^th striker you want someone who offers something unique.

In that regard I’d say it will be a close run thing between Crouch and Cole.The former has a good international record (against crap teams at least) and is very tall (though not that good in the air) while the latter is a more complete striker who has pace, power and can play the target man role too. It’s a tough choice to be honest and I think Cole may need to break his international duck in the next round of fixtures if he’s to pip Crouch.

Ashley Young may find himself as number 24 on the list of players though personally I would find a space for him. It does seem like Capello isn’t quite sure of him yet. There aren’t too many options down the left but it does seem like either him or Milner would go but not both.

Still not quite sure...

Too late to make it? (need good form and injuries to others):

Stewart Downing has upgraded clubs but has six months to shine at Aston Villa following serious injury. The same probably goes for Phil Jagielka at Everton. Tom Huddlestone got his first call up against Brazil and while he’s decent player, he’s not yet international standard. Jimmy Bullard? Unlikely but you never know. I see him being a good pundit though. Scott Parker has a very outside chance of being one of the back-up central midfielders; he’s certainly no worse than Carrick in my opinion.

Ben Foster? Joe Hart? Chris Kirkland? Take your pick for the third goalkeeping spot. I doubt it will be the latter though.Of other players we mentioned last time Jack Wilshere isn’t yet getting regular games at Arsenal while Jonathan Woodgate is permanently injured. Dean Ashton has essentially retired.

However Gary Cahill has played well enough at Bolton to come on to the radar as 4^th centre back and has a chance of going if Capello takes eight defenders. Everton’s Jack Rodwell could be a dark horse but I think it is one tournament too soon for him. The same goes for some of the West Ham youngsters like Mark Noble and Jack Collison.

Now thinking "Why are they so useless?"

 .

Providing ITV analysis (or BBC if they’re good):

I had Shaun Wright-Phillips as going six months ago but now I think he misses out as you have Lennon, Walcott and Beckham providing all you need down the right (dribbling/goals/crossing). SWP can do all three but not as well and his poor performance against Brazil has sealed a seat next to Papa Wrighty on the studio sofa.

Jermaine Jenas is another who isn’t particularly defensive or attacking. World Cup squad players need be specialists once you get beyond the first team, there’s no room for these jack of all trades types who provide little. Michael Owen has yet to be picked by Capello and barring injuries to four of the seven strikers we mentioned will not be going to South Africa.

Micah Richards needs to get back in the Man City team before he can think about England – it’s all gone a bit pear shaped for him hasn’t it? He hasn’t been picked in a year; Capello just doesn’t like his terrible positional play. Scott Carson had a shot at being third choice keeper but he won’t be going and neither will Paul Robinson, who you could roll the ball to very slowly from 30 yards and he’d still find a way to let it in.

Sadly, Ledley King can barely handle three games in a month, let alone seven. He would 100% go if he could. David Bentley, Kevin Davies, Anton Ferdinand, Gary Neville – no, no, no and no.

The closest Owen has ever and will ever get to being in Capello's plans.

 .

Possible squad:

James, Green, Foster.

Terry, Ferdinand, A. Cole, Johnson, Upson, Brown, Lescott. 

Gerrard, Lampard, Barry, Hargreaves, Milner, Beckham, Lennon, J. Cole.

Rooney, Heskey, Defoe, C. Cole, Walcott.

.

The three keepers speak for themselves as do the first four defenders. Versatility is the name of the game so to complement Upson you have two centre backs in Brown and Lescott that can cover the two full back slots.

In midfield you have the three main men plus a fit again Hargreaves. Beckham goes for his experience while Lennon and Joe Cole provide the skill and trickery on either wing from the bench.Milner offers the most versatility of the remaining midfield options so gets the eighth spot.

Up front Rooney is a given, as is Heskey due to their partnership. Defoe is the main back up and I think Carlton Cole will play his way into the squad, pipping Peter Crouch whose record of scoring against bad teams is of no use when you only have good teams in the World Cup. Theo Walcott rounds off the squad as a foward player who can play right wing or as striker.

At most risk is Lescott I’d say and possibly Milner too. You may want more cover in central midfield and down the left so perhaps Carrick and Bridge or Gibbs (who could also play left wing) end up going instead.

T.

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man

John Lennon, Imagine

Dezember 2005: Zusammen mit Robbi Williams waren wir zu Gast bei Wetten dass… Wir gingen natürlich als Wettkönige!!!!!

Und weils so schön war, hier noch einmal die Wette zu reinschauen:

“Se o homem buscasse a conhecer-se a si mesmo primeiramente, metade dos problemas do mundo estariam resolvidos”

John Lennon

“Tão bom morrer de amor e continuar vivendo.”

Mário Quintana

“O uísque é o melhor amigo do homem. É o cachorro engarrafado.”

Vinícius de Moraes

August 8^th – Could I of asked for a better day? Film is in the camera; I have 10 minutes to shoot. “O.K. So John, if you lead; Ringo, Paul and George follow and just walk across the zebra crossing”. This is great, there is even a white VW parked on the side of the road and if you think of the association with the band a little further, you’ve got the registration plate reading ‘Linda McCartney Weeps’. Brilliant.

“I’m gonna’ take my shoe’s off. Is that O.K?”. John is wearing this all white suite – very smart, looks a bit like a priest. Ringo; all black, McCartney has no shoes on like a ghost and George… well he looks a bit like a grave digger come to think of it, wearing his all denim attire. I hope this comes out ok, It’s like Sgt. Pepper I guess… being able to read into it. But who would do that?