Monkeys

Latest on the car’s CD-changer. Arctic Monkeys.

Some great lyrics, like: “you can see it in his eyes that he's got a driving ban”; and “oh there in’t no love, no Montagues or Capulets; just banging tunes in DJ sets and dirty dancefloors and dreams of naughtiness”

OK, I know I probably just pulled a hamstring jumping on their bandwagon, but what can I say. I like them.
(http://arcticmonkeys.com)

Work Notes

Just got appointed as a financial assessor to the Traffic Commissioners. They are responsible for issuing haulage and bus operators’ licenses. It’s a very part-time add-on to my existing slog in the Assembly.

Travel Notes

The journey to work is almost bearable now that summer holidays have started to reduce the amount of rush hour traffic. Managed to drive home in 20 minutes the other day, when through the rest of the year it’s more like 45 minutes. That’s why I usually let the train take the strain.

TV Notes

It’s clearly the end of season week on TV. There were last episodes of House and Boston Legal. House is one of only two shows on right now which is required viewing in the Veale/Janes household (the other being The West Wing). Boston Legal is great fun though. William Shatner and James Spader are wonderfully eccentric.

Summer season will of course be packed with repeats and reality TV shows (although whose reality I’m not quite sure – certainly not mine).

This week’s sign of the apocalypse

The Government has a Minister for Local Government and Community Cohesion. Community cohesion? Really? It’s so “right-on” it’s painful.

Soccer Notes

OK, I have something to confess. I actually watched some soccer (football as its known in some parts). I tuned in with 10 minutes to go in the final and then watched extra time and the penalty shootouts. I think that I saw one save being made in the 40 minutes that I watched.

Zidane has quickly gone from hero to villain in France. What a complete idiot. Did he think nobody would be watching?

Although I wouldn’t condone such language to describe our colleagues over the Channel, there are some who would describe them as “cheese-eating surrender monkeys”.

Rugby Notes

What do the names Ben Blair, Mosese Luveitasau, Taufa’ao Filse, Paul Emerick, Nic Fitisemanu, Ben Daly, Shane Stewart, Filo Tiatia and Deacon Manu have in common?

Give up? They are all new overseas signings made by the Welsh regional rugby teams. Give yourself a pat on the back if you had heard of even half those names.

Not exactly the cream of the crop, eh? Yet these players are squeezing out Welsh players from the regional set up. And to rub salt in the wounds, it is funding from the WRU that is being spent on these Johnny Foreigners. It doesn’t auger well for the future of Welsh rugby.

Game one of the Tri-Nations went according to plan on Saturday and the inexperienced Aussie pack were pushed off the park by New Zealand. It’s probably not a good idea to upset them by making an advert showing the All Blacks doing a haka whilst carrying handbags. (This apparently links to a nightclub incident where Tana Umaga broke up an “incident” between a player and a nightclub patron by using a handbag that happened to be nearby.)

The Tri-Nations this season is expanded to nine games, but I’m yet to think of a good reason why, cash aside.

Cricket Notes

Glamorgan’s home 20/20 game was rained on last week (as was I waiting hopefully, but in vain). It was Sky’s televised game, so the fancy dress was out in force. One group of lads sitting near me were: Scooby Doo, Tweety Pie, Fred Flinstone, Superman, a gorilla and a baby. Needless to say, the Sky cameras found them.

Haddocks were rained out too. Their last game was rained off too, but in the 9 days in between fixtures there was a permanent heat wave.

Carnac the Magnificent

I was reminded of this old sketch while reading a column from Sports Illustrated the other day. Johnny Carson, who hosted the Late Show before David Letterman, used to do a sketch where his sidekick read him an answer & he would then give the question. Here are a few:

A: Green Acres
Q: What Kermit has after Miss Piggy kicks him in the groin.

A: The Orient express.
Q: What is a drink made with soy sauce and prune juice?

A: Old wives’ tale.
Q: What do cannibals find hard to digest?

A: Head and shoulders.
Q: What do you see if you open the trunk of the Godfather's car?

A: "Follow the yellow brick road."
Q: What are good directions to a urologist's office?

A: Supervisor.
Q: What does Clark Kent wear to keep the sun out of his eyes?

A: Grape Nuts.
Q: What are Ernest and Julio Gallo?

A: Shareholder.
Q: What did Sonny Bono used to be?