Random stuff I like

Instead of just ranting about all the things I hate, I thought for a change I’d tell you about stuff I like. Here’s a list. It’s far from comprehensive, and in no particular order.

Cath (of course)
Ebbw Vale rugby
Sunny Sunday afternoons at the cricket
A crisp autumn day in New England
Snowy days spent under the duvet
Jaffa Cakes
Warm slippers
Cold lager
A Jack Daniels and coke (or two)
Being spoiled for choice at the ice cream shop in St Pete Beach
A nice sit down with a newspaper and a cup of coffee
Marvin
Watching the Red Sox
Snorkeling in the Maldives
Eggnog lattes at Starbucks
Frank Lloyd Wright architecture
Norman Rockwell paintings
Being by the sea
Dilbert
NFL Sundays
Old steam trains
Pictures form the Hubble telescope
John Wayne war movies and westerns
An atlas
Croissants or bagels for breakfast
Viz
Star Trek, The Sopranos and The West Wing
Doctor Who and Torchwood
Killer sudoku
Marmite
My 4x4
Bill Bryson
Italian, Indian and Mexican food

Rugby Thoughts

Ten things I think I think following the weekend’s Six Nations games:

1. I think that Wales made an improvement over the Scotland game. They played well against Ireland, and shockingly poorly at Murrayfield. This was a big improvement, but the stats don’t lie. Wales had a lot of defending to do. They made 98 tackles, but crucially missed 13 tackles. That’s 13 too many against France.

2. I think that Wales gave away too many stupid penalties again. Everybody knows that in the lineout you can’t grab the opposition jumper in the air. Everyone that is, except Wales who twice gave away penalties that everyone in the stadium could spot.

3. I think that they should run a golden injury competition. Yes, Mark Jones went down in the 7th minute, and finally went off injured in the 46th. He seems to be the Darren Anderton of rugby. When is the last time he actually played a whole game?

4. I think that Shane Williams was trying too hard. He had a poor game as he tried to be everywhere and be a maverick. Running around like a headless chicken, often being caught miles out of position, doesn’t make you exciting. It makes you a liability.

5. I think Stephen Jones improved, but still has a long wasy to go to catch up the best outside halves in the Six Nations. David Skrela had a far better game than Jones, and was deservedly man of the match (hold the front page – I just agreed with Jonathan Davies).

6. I think that Garteh Jenkins’ record as national coach isn’t good. After nine games, the only wins come against the Pacific Islands and Canada. The pressure will really be on if they go down in Rome in two weeks time.

7. I think that the delay to get the ref’s microphone sorted out was needed by Ireland. There were tears in the eyes of John Hayes and many other players following the national anthems, and they needed a bit of time to get their game faces on.

8. I think that Paul O’Connell was a tower of strength in the Irish pack. He could play for Ebbw Vale any time. Dennis Leamy and David Wallace were awesome too – they could get on Ebbw’s bench.

9. I think England were out-played and bullied out of their game in Ireland. David Strettle looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights when Shane Horgan barged past him.

10. I think that it was a matter of time before Italy won away from home. Thye caught Scotland cold, and would have held on to a 21 point lead against any team in the Six Nations.

Ebbw Vale’s Dai Langdon put up a good show in the Wales U19 game the other week against Ireland U19. He scored a try and kicked well, including a bizarre touchline drop goal conversion when the support team failed to get the kicking tee onto the pitch in time.

Things that make you go “hmm”

Why do supermarkets make sick people walk all the way to the back of the shop to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front?

Why do banks leave both doors open and chain the pens to the counters?

Why do we leave cars worth thousands of pounds on the drive and lock our junk and cheap lawn mower in the garage?

Cricket Notes

In searching the web for any signs of the now-defunct Beaufort Cricket Club (nothing to be found), I found this link to another ex-player Neil Price.

Definition of the week

Urban tumbleweed: Plastic shopping bags, discarded newspapers or other debris that blow haphazardly through the streets - just before getting stuck to the front grille of your car. (Courtesy of Buzzwhack)

Link of the week

This week’s link is to another blog. Its run by PC Magazine, but covers all sorts of flotsam and jetsam of the world. No trivia is too small for Dvorak.