Blog Notes

World's worst directions

A top blog here. This is what the tinterweb is for. Pointless but very funny takes on the useless and overblown self-importance of the everyday world. So every photo is the World's best/worst...

http://worldsgreatesturl.blogspot.co.uk/

Music Notes

MTV. How do they manage to fill 100 music TV channels with just 6 songs. At any time of the day or night you surf up and down the music channels and find at least one song by Rhianna, Beyonce or Lady GaGa.

Its programming by chimps. 

And how am I supposed to explain to my daughter that you don't have to take off most of your clothes to be a singer?

Baseball Notes

Watching the baseball wildcard game between St Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves. Always thought that adding a second wildcard to each division was a crazy idea, especially since there it is a single game to decide who advances.

And tonight's game is a great example of why, after 162 games to qualify, it is madness to have a single game decider. Simply put, bad officiating. "Blue" made a terrible call on an infield fly in the 8th inning, and the crowd went nuts. Cue 15 minute delay and huge embarrassment for MLB. And the Braves duly not beaten.

As the rest of the post-season, well there's no Boston Red Sox. New manager Bobby Valentine duly got his cards after a single, dismal season. So as usual its a matter of supporting anyone but the evil empire Yankees. 

Best story this season has been the Washington Nationals, after a string of poor seasons they have won the NL East and are generally regarded as having the best rotation in baseball. But they have to play the Cardinals first up.

Travel Notes

The world needs to stop for a moment. 

I reckon I've actually spent three full days at my normal office in the past month. As well as the usual weekly trips to Aberystwyth, there have been meetings in Llandudno, Shrewsbury, Swansea, Resolven, Llandovery, Nantgarw and Garwnant. Oh, and on Monday its Birmingham.

Worst moment? Trawling Llandudno on an out-of-season Monday evening during a torrential downpour trying to find somewhere to eat.

Best? Had a meeting at the Millennium Stadium on Thursday, and was able to have lunch sitting in the President's Box and look out over three guys mow the hallowed turf.

NFL Notes

Just a few weeks to go before the NFL comes to Britain. Yep, I've got my ticket for the New England Patriots game "at" the St Louis Rams at Wembley.

Before the season started it seemed as though this could be a blow-out, but the Pats have shown themselves to be fallible, and the Rams are off to a 3-2 start.

Saw the Saints Chargers game four years ago, and that was good fun, even though some in crowd seemed oblivious to the rules.

My fantasy football team, the Ebbw Vales Steelers,  is off to a 4-0 start, mostly due to Falcons Matty Ryan and Julio Jones, and running backs Arian Foster and Jamaal Charles. Don't think the Atlanta wave is going to last too long, but enjoying it so far. http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/f1/863069

Rugby Notes

Top result last Saturday. Ebbw Vale beat Newbridge 37-7. It was a poor effort from Newbridge, the only team to do the double on Ebbw last season.

This from the South Wales Andrex:

Ebbw Vale and Newbridge met at Eugene Cross Park each seeking a fifth successive win, with the home side boosting a try count of 30 in only four fixtures.

The visitors had been no slouches in their quartet of games, crossing 18 times, and the game was expected to be a close encounter.

However, that’s not the way matters panned out as Ebbw Vale’s try-scoring exploits continued, no fewer than five being recorded in a fine 37-7 success which takes them above Bargoed.

Ebbw Vale head coach Neil Edwards expressed his delight at the success: “It was a good performance once we got going and we are obviously very pleased with the result.

“We started OK, but took a while to really get going and we had to react because there was a lot of pressure on us to get the win.

“We have a good squad here and matters are going well at the moment, but no-one here is getting carried away at all.

“We now need to kick on from here because there are some very difficult challenges ahead for us.”

Newbridge team manager Darryl Williams was gracious in defeat and revealed his side had deserved to lose.

“We made too many mistakes while they were very clinical in their finishing,” he continued.

“However, we now have another derby on Saturday and a game against Pontypool gives us an opportunity to bounce back.”

Scoring five-pointers for Ebbw Vale were number eight and skipper Ronny Keynes, wingers Tom Ashmead and Wes Cuncliffe, centre John Lewis and replacement scrum-half Josh Davies.

Outside-half Dan Haymond kicked three conversions and a penalty and Lewis landed a penalty, while Newbridge had one moment of glory a minute after the interval, when former Ebbw Vale scrum-half Tom Edwards charged down a Haymond clearance for a try which stand-off Neil Burnett converted.

Next up is a trip to Blackwood.