Minor Niggles

Sometimes I wonder if playing football is good for me or not! Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy running around for two hours, even if my average performance is not anything to set the pulse racing.

However, for the second week in a row I've picked up a bit of a niggle - although really it's a hangover from last week's niggle. This is getting a little tiresome, last week I had to work from home just to deal with the fact that I couldn't really walk because of it! It's not that bad this week - but we'll see how well I'm stumbling in the morning for the verdict!

In Praise of Alan Wiley

Having just watched the Manchester United-Liverpool game, it has to be said that Wiley did a fantastic job of refereeing the game. Considering the tensions, the profile, and the importance of the game, it was never going to be easy.

And true to form, it wasn't. There were tough decisions to be made. There were difficult calls, dubious penalties, potential sendings off, the simmering backstory of the 'Rafa Rant' which could hardly have not played on a referee's mind in this fixture.

Yet for me, he was man of the match. Usually that is cast as a negative, that the referee was man of the match; because it means usually that he gave all his decisions one way. This time, it wasn't. Every decision that mattered was correct. It is delighting that in a game packed with incident, the man in the middle barely got noticed, because he did excellently.

Now let's hope this isn't just a one-off!

Extremists: Overstatement

I'm not going to discuss the recent protest at a parade by a British regiment returning from Iraq. As far as I'm concerned, it's tasteless, but it's allowed. We need to stop championing the tabloid line that our military personnel are sacrosant and immune from criticism, that anyone arguing whether 'our boys' are doing the right thing is guilty of near treason and should move somewhere else.

However, I was particularly amused by a placard at the protest bearing the message "Illegal War on Islam's Muslims". Does that count as a double negative?

So I don't broach the forbidden subject ...

This blog is a distraction so that I don't talk about poker tonight. We all know how angry that makes people!

I have new shoes, gotten this week while I was off for a couple of days for a bit of a breather. My new shoes are nice and shiny, and awesome - it's about time I got a proper pair of shoes for work.

Very girly subject, I know. But better than in-depth poker discussion, hmmm?

Again? Yes, Again

So, for those of you who may remember I used to have an occasional attempt at organising social gatherings on a very limited scale for those friends based locally still.

These were often resounding failures, due to me typically picking dates that people were busy on. So having decided to plan in advance and ask as to when is the best days for people and attempt to marry them up, that I pick dates that people still can't make even taking this into account!

Following the admittedly pitiful attempt to meet Emma when she was passing through Woking, which didn't work, I'm continuing to have an excellent record here.

However, I will not be cowed by mere diary mismatches!

Avoiding Seasonal Puns

It is typically at the beginning of this month that on an annual basis I declare that I am marching into March, or something equally similar. This month I am avoiding that trap.

Today was a hectic yet enjoyable day. I've never actually minded being busy - it gives me something to do, and the challenge is typically something I enjoy - but a purposeful business is always far more valuable than just being busy without having a sense of what you're actually doing!

I have also endeavoured to arrange social events. This is something that I said I would, and am finally acting upon it.

In other news, I had a haircut last weekend. That's about the peak of interesting!

Sudden Spree

So yesterday for some reason I got a second wind of activity when I came home, and made some progress on some odd tasks around my room to tidy it up.

One of these was to install the software for my camera - since I got it as a generous Christmas present from Chrissi, the box has sat on my desk mostly untouched (although, in my defence, I have used the camera). I went to install the software, upload some photos, etc.

After installing it, trying to upload it, found that it was a nightmare. It added massive complexity, saved no time, hogged all the resource and quite frankly was an irritation.

In a gesture of frustration I just uninstalled the entire damn thing and just uploaded the photos using the basic windows functionality. I don't need to have tools to turn my photos into pictures of stars, or to upload them to a cumbersome web-album, I just want to put them from the camera onto the computer.

For this, it seems I'm better off without the software titled, ironically, Easyshare.

Tragic We Don't Learn This, Really

As you will all know, being a history graduate one of the odd things I like is actually reading historical books (well, I enjoy it now I'm not forced to at least!).

I picked up one in America back in November, which I've been browsing on and off - Great Documents of American History. I know, the title is hardly a grabber, but it's a superb book. A really good read, against all expectation, even if you need to take it in small chunks.

But what I'm so amazed about is the sheer power of some of what is contained. Considering the, ah, colonial relation with America, we strangely don't learn much about the War of Independence.

But we should, if for no other reason than the Declaration of Independence stands as one of the greatest documents ever written. Even now, it has the oratory power to sear across the page. Are there many passages written throughout history with the same power as that text, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal"?

It's a shame we don't learn about it, for we should. Clinging to past triumphs is all very well, but the sheer breadth of history we miss out on through it is saddening.