Spike Milligan

Long time since I was last on this blog, so just trying a few things again. It gets to one and it gets to one big time, that nothing you ever do works. In the beginning it does and then all of a sudden it no longer works? Is this official or is it spammers at work? Appears that one cannot avoid them and damn and blast them all.

So I'm in need of a few good old laughs and there was someone who could do this for me almost at a whim. Reading one of his short stories I was guaranteed at some time to fall on the floor laughing. So sadly missed, but, the books live on.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the essential Irish hooligan, Spike Milligan.

Ko Phi Phi island in Southern Thailand

Ko Phi Phi island in Southern Thailand

First ever trip to the East and found Thailand a very impressive tourist resort. Such beautiful manners and such great service.

The Cochlear Implant a medical miracle

The Cochlear Implant a medical miracle

I always consider myself to have been one of the pioneers of this remarkable achievement. Certainly so in Africa, as I was the thirteenth person to have it there. My journey of it explained as best I could here.

Canberra, Australia's Capital City, a beauty

Canberra, Australia's Capital City, a beauty

Just back from a first time trip to Australia and staying with my brother in law. Had a ball and went to visit the houses of parliament in Canberra. Something special and symbolic.

Back to the soccer

Just following up on my earlier post about the football. Ireland lost their World cup dreams in South Africa when Thierry Henry double hand balled and then the French scored. This made them victorious. Television replay after replay showed this to be true. The French player admitted it after the game.
The Irish football association demanded a rematch which was the only fair thing to do. This was denied by FIFA.
I have lived through similar incidents before albeit in another sport and country.
You can bet your bottom dollar that if it had been Ireland as the culprit and not France. The rematch would have been allowed.
I do hope FIFA get their act together and the World cup next year in South Africa, is not won by cheating because a referee was unsighted. Those times have changed.

The football fiasco

Hear we go again, another hand of God incident. The referee is always right. Now that's rich and I include umpires in this as well. The truth is, sometimes they are and sometimes they're not. I'm a lifelong lover of sport and the incidents I have experienced of this are legendary. In a football (or is that soccer?) game, I'm a largely disinterested spectator. However, now and again I like a look see especially if my country is involved. So we had another farce.

The thing about refs and umpires, they are always right, because if one did not have this, then any game would resort to chaos. Even with them, they often still do.

In the old days and especially in amateur sport is where they are always right came from. All evidence and human nature and bias to the contrary notwithstanding. Moreover times change and technology changes. Rugby, cricket, tennis, at the professional level, are just a few examples. Here the referee is no longer always right and players have a referral system to question dubious decisions. They use modern technology and third umpires. Whatever happened to football (soccer?)

Done and Dusted

Apologies as have been away for a while with a lot of family things.

Returning to my last post about awesome Springboks. Well it is done and dusted and they are now the Tri-Nations champions having lost only one game in the tournament, and that was to Australia. Played New Zealand three times and won all three games.

Apart from being the current World Cup holders, they also beat the best of the Northern Hemisphere when they comprehensively beat the the British and Irish lions.

So let's just put this to bed. There is no better side in the World, and if you don't believe me, just look at the statistics.

Congratulations Springbok's, a pleasure to watch.