Pieces of a Man Think it. Do it. Be it. Embellish.

67.68.69.70.71.72.73.74.75.76 77.78.79.80.81.82.83.84.85.86 87.88.89.90.91.92.93.94.95.96 97.98.99.00.01.02.03.04.05.06 07.08

On the phone to my rugby mad friend, Chris, in New Zealand the other day I was staggered to realise that England's World Cup win with Johnny Wilkinson's last minute kick was FOUR years ago. It feels like two at most. It's just scary the way time flies. To the left - on the beach in Devon that same summer.

Labels: 2007

The winning run at the Red Bull Air Race by Mike Mangold, who was the Outstanding Graduate - Top Gun - at the Navy Fighter Weapons School in 1983, a couple of years before the film came out.

Labels: 2007

Almost too good to be true, but great to see. Congratulations to the Lions of Mesopotamia, who've won the Asian Cup. It's amazing to see what a change in coaching styles can achieve;

In the days of Saddam, the Iraqi team knew if they underperformed they risked being humiliated or tortured by Uday, Saddam's late and unlamented son. As head of the national football team, his motivational techniques included phoning players during halftime and threatening to cut off their legs.

Labels: 2007

I often remember a Spike Milligan poem on days like today - something about the fools playing out in the sunshine - as I sit here locked in my office struggling with ontological assumptions and epistemological bloody methodologies on a gorgeous afternoon. To make matters worse, the Jo and the kids are over in Middlesborough and I've just realised that the Sunderland Air Show is happening this weekend.

Oh well, at least I've the consolation of the Red Bull air race on TV this afternoon. At 1450 hours precisely - in an exercise of equally military precision that started with marinade about 18 hours ago - I will kick back with a huge plate of ribs and fries on my lap as the coverage of the race starts. Sheer bliss, and the sort of carrot I need to get through another thousand ridiculously long words.

Labels: 2007

Much excitement in Oscar World this morning as these tickets dropped on the mat. Feels a bit surreal to be going to a game like this, especially since I was stranded in the Far East when Norwich played Inter in '93.

Ironically, I only found out about this game after shelving the plan to watch City play Vitesse Arnhem - our first opponents in that great European adventure.

Labels: 2007

A peek into the lives of the rich and famous today with Tom's pictures from his night at the Brian Lara benefit, meeting not only the great man but also various other cricketing legends.

I'm full of admiration since I've personally never wanted to meet my own idols for fear of disappointment. There's the disappointment of being goofy and dumbstruck in the presence of greatness, as experienced when I had the chance to meet Roy Harper after a gig one year. (Mum went in and had a long chat with him and had no similar bashfulness about fan-dom, coming away having begged a broken guitar string.)

Then there's the disappointment of finding out that your idols are maybe not that memorable to meet. This one applies mostly to footballers, and on a couple of occasions I've politely declined the offer of a visit to post-match drinks at Bramall Lane (ironically from a very clever and accomplished ex-footballing friend, but I'm not going to chance it with the Norfolk boys).

Much better to enjoy the fantasy, I say. So, nice one Tom for a massive gamble. Now come on, tell us the truth - how much conversation practice did you do in front of the mirror?

Labels: 2007