Was it just me, or does anyone else think the reaction to Martin Taylor's tackle on Eduardo was ridiculous? I think it was more of a freak injury than a bad tackle. Nonetheless, it ensured plenty of media coverage and earned the match between Birmingham and Arsenal the coveted first spot on Match of the Day.
Round 8 of the Promroiship was dominated by the challenge on Eduardo, which was considered more important than Manchester United's thumping of Newcastle. The Croatian striker was treated at Selly Oak hospital, where contrary to previous media reports (which as usual are never properly corrected) he is in no danger of being abused by Muslim visitors to civilian wards. We wish him all the best and hope he makes a speedy recovery.
Manchester United remained at the top despite a Promroiship losing performance against the not-so-mighty Toons. Thrashing a team 5-1 may help you in the Premier League, but it justifies an early appearance on MOTD which is why they only got 18 points this week. Derby are third from bottom despite another notch on the Gubbometer, thanks to yet another non-appearance on MOTD by Blackburn and Aston Villa. These two teams are sabotaging my entire scoring system.
A reminder, points are calculated using the following formula:
(Points for position in running order - number of goals in match) * number of matches on MOTD
where a team gets 10 points for featuring in the first match, 9 for the second etc.
Promroiship Results February 23rd 2008 (Match of the Day Running Order)
Birmingham City vs Arsenal...........(10-4)*6=36
Newcastle vs Manchester United.......(9-6)*6=18
Liverpool vs Middlesbrough...........(8-5)*6=18
Fulham vs West Ham United............(7-1)*6=36
Portsmouth vs Sunderland.............(6-1)*6=30
Wigan Athletic vs Derby County.......(5-2)*6=18
The Promroiship Table after Round 8
Manchester United ...276*
Arsenal .............242*
Tottenham Hotspur....233
Birmingham City......230*
Chelsea .............231
Reading .............219
Everton .............215
West Ham United......204*
Portsmouth ..........203*
Fulham ..............178*
Newcastle United.....173*
Middlesbrough .......163*
Liverpool ...........162*
Bolton Wanderers ....155
Sunderland ..........150*
Wigan Athletic ......126*
Manchester City .....124
Derby County..........92*
Aston Villa ..........75
Blackburn Rovers......61
* indicates match played in Round 8
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Socialist Choice
Unlike some bloggers, the People's Republic was glad that Northern Rock was taken under state ownership earlier this week. The only criticism would be that it should have happened sooner. The Conservative Party have started bleating that we are back to the nationalisations of the 70's which wrecked the economy. Personally, I am just glad we are not back to the botched privatisations of the 90's in which they sold off the family silver to their rich mates below cost price in terrible deals for the taxpayer and the consumer.
As far as I can see it there were three choices: leaving Northern Rock to the mercy of the market; a botched privatisation in which the taxpayer would have underwritten the debts while shareholders of the takeover company pocket the profits; or nationalisation. Now, there is a lot to be said for the first one and this would be the choice for anyone who truly believes in laissez-faire capitalism. However, the Conservatives preferred the second option, in which the rich would make money with any mistakes covered by poor old Joe Public through taxation. For them, this is true to form. The privatisation of water under the Conservatives left us with the worst of both worlds, with shareholder profiting from a monopoly industry (just try phoning Severn Trent with a query and timing how long you wait; in proper capitalism, you would close your account and take your business elsewhere). Then they sold of our railways on the cheap in such a way that there was no competition on any given route, thus offering no incentive for lower prices and better services. Gas and electricity almost worked, until you take into account the latest price hikes. With the telephone networks, BT's size and control of the networks leaves them with an unfair advantage; remember how they held back broadband? How anyone who genuinely believes in free markets can support the Conservative position is absolutely beyond me. Unfortunately, botched private/ public partnerships and private protectionism also became the bedrock of New Labour's economic theory; trying to sell off the Tote to their horse-racing mates was just one of the examples that springs, not to mention the many failed PFI ideas.
The reason why I believe in the third option above is that the credit crunch is unprecedented, in recent years at least. The whole market seems to be affected, and the main central banks are so concerned they have come together to try and limit the damage. The first option is an acceptable way of doing things, but would have left many customers anxious as their life savings (although protected by regulation) faced an uncertain future. The third option at least protects the consumer and gives some stability to the banking sector. It is not without its downsides however. After all, will some banks decide to gamble recklessly with other peoples money, safe in the knowledge that if they mess up the government will come in and save the day? I personally do not think banks think like this, but it does raise the precedent of state intervention in such circumstances.
For those of us with a soft spot for socialism however, the best thing about this privatisation is that it allows us to play the free marketeers at their own game. I can choose to bank in a nationalised industry, which at the moment offers some very competitive savings rates, safe in the knowledge that the savings are guaranteed. For once, it is not the shareholders getting the best deal. It is the ordinary man on the street.
I think I will go and open an account in the bank which I own through the Government right away.
As far as I can see it there were three choices: leaving Northern Rock to the mercy of the market; a botched privatisation in which the taxpayer would have underwritten the debts while shareholders of the takeover company pocket the profits; or nationalisation. Now, there is a lot to be said for the first one and this would be the choice for anyone who truly believes in laissez-faire capitalism. However, the Conservatives preferred the second option, in which the rich would make money with any mistakes covered by poor old Joe Public through taxation. For them, this is true to form. The privatisation of water under the Conservatives left us with the worst of both worlds, with shareholder profiting from a monopoly industry (just try phoning Severn Trent with a query and timing how long you wait; in proper capitalism, you would close your account and take your business elsewhere). Then they sold of our railways on the cheap in such a way that there was no competition on any given route, thus offering no incentive for lower prices and better services. Gas and electricity almost worked, until you take into account the latest price hikes. With the telephone networks, BT's size and control of the networks leaves them with an unfair advantage; remember how they held back broadband? How anyone who genuinely believes in free markets can support the Conservative position is absolutely beyond me. Unfortunately, botched private/ public partnerships and private protectionism also became the bedrock of New Labour's economic theory; trying to sell off the Tote to their horse-racing mates was just one of the examples that springs, not to mention the many failed PFI ideas.
The reason why I believe in the third option above is that the credit crunch is unprecedented, in recent years at least. The whole market seems to be affected, and the main central banks are so concerned they have come together to try and limit the damage. The first option is an acceptable way of doing things, but would have left many customers anxious as their life savings (although protected by regulation) faced an uncertain future. The third option at least protects the consumer and gives some stability to the banking sector. It is not without its downsides however. After all, will some banks decide to gamble recklessly with other peoples money, safe in the knowledge that if they mess up the government will come in and save the day? I personally do not think banks think like this, but it does raise the precedent of state intervention in such circumstances.
For those of us with a soft spot for socialism however, the best thing about this privatisation is that it allows us to play the free marketeers at their own game. I can choose to bank in a nationalised industry, which at the moment offers some very competitive savings rates, safe in the knowledge that the savings are guaranteed. For once, it is not the shareholders getting the best deal. It is the ordinary man on the street.
I think I will go and open an account in the bank which I own through the Government right away.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Another Declaration of Independence
Europe got its newest nation earlier this week. No, the existence of the People's Republic has not finally been recognised by the UN. Rather Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, ending nearly ten years under the jurisdiction of the UN. The declaration of independence has been backed by most EU countries and the US, while Cyprus, Slovakia and Romania join the Russians in opposing it.
But let's hold on a minute. The US supporting the independence of a predominantly Muslim country from a Christian one? Can this happen in the post 9/11 world? Of course it can; as I pointed out previously, US policy is not anti-Islamic but depends on the situation and the interests in the region the US has. I will not be holding my breath for an Osama Bin Laden video praising the US roll in Kosovo's independence, neither will I be expecting idiots from MPAC to give the US and NATO any credit. It kind of blows there "US is the enemy of Islam" empty rhetoric out of the water".
Kosovo's independence does raise interesting questions however. In the words of one Serbian, how can someone kick you out of your own house?. Should an immigrant community, once settled, be allowed to declare independence from its host community? There is precedent for this of course; Jewish immigration to the Holy Land led to the creation of Israel after the Second World War. It could be argued that America and Australia were among modern nation states founded in a similar way, although these waves of immigration took place without the permission of the natives at the time. How far do we go back? Did the Anglo-Saxons wrong to carve out England over the centuries from the culture of the Celtic Brits? What about before them? And in future, will we see Britain pockmarked by pockets of a new Islamic nation, operating under Sharia Law with the blessing of the Archbishop of Canterbury?
These questions are difficult. I believe immigration is generally a good thing, allowing cultures and ideas to fuse and flourish. I think the problem lies with the concept of the modern nation state, which is all too often based on the restrictive notions of the ethnicity and culture of a certain population (not always the majority) rather than protection of the rights and freedoms of the individual, whose efforts often make a country what it is.
But let's hold on a minute. The US supporting the independence of a predominantly Muslim country from a Christian one? Can this happen in the post 9/11 world? Of course it can; as I pointed out previously, US policy is not anti-Islamic but depends on the situation and the interests in the region the US has. I will not be holding my breath for an Osama Bin Laden video praising the US roll in Kosovo's independence, neither will I be expecting idiots from MPAC to give the US and NATO any credit. It kind of blows there "US is the enemy of Islam" empty rhetoric out of the water".
Kosovo's independence does raise interesting questions however. In the words of one Serbian, how can someone kick you out of your own house?. Should an immigrant community, once settled, be allowed to declare independence from its host community? There is precedent for this of course; Jewish immigration to the Holy Land led to the creation of Israel after the Second World War. It could be argued that America and Australia were among modern nation states founded in a similar way, although these waves of immigration took place without the permission of the natives at the time. How far do we go back? Did the Anglo-Saxons wrong to carve out England over the centuries from the culture of the Celtic Brits? What about before them? And in future, will we see Britain pockmarked by pockets of a new Islamic nation, operating under Sharia Law with the blessing of the Archbishop of Canterbury?
These questions are difficult. I believe immigration is generally a good thing, allowing cultures and ideas to fuse and flourish. I think the problem lies with the concept of the modern nation state, which is all too often based on the restrictive notions of the ethnicity and culture of a certain population (not always the majority) rather than protection of the rights and freedoms of the individual, whose efforts often make a country what it is.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Cloverfield
The Promroiship took a break this weekend to make way for the FA Cup, leaving me with an opportunity to go to the cinema to see Cloverfield, the new film produced by JJ Abrams of Lost/ Alias fame.
The best way to describe the film is Godzilla meets Blair Witch Project starring the Alien's big brother; the events surrounding a monster terrorising Manhatten happens to be captured on film by a group of young people armed with a video camera. As they try to escape the monster and save their friends, they happen to get some astonishing close-ups of the entity and the army's attempts to subdue it.
The film taps into the post 9/11 / 7/7 collective consciousness by exploring what it would be like to be caught up in a city under attack (albeit by a monster rather than Islamist terrorists). As one building collapses, our heroes take shelter in a shop to avoid the dust cloud which consumes the streets, and later on they find themselves walking down subway tunnels in the dark in an attempt to reach safety. I was unsure whether this film was a direct consequence of the aforementioned attacks, and whether it is as yet OK to use these circumstances in an attempt to create a box office hit.
Morality aside however, the fact this film was excellent was marked by the silence of the audience as the final scenes ended and the credits started to roll. I got the sense that the audience would have liked the film to continue a bit longer, being rather short at just under one hour thirty minutes. Or maybe they were just terrified of what would happen on the way home as they entered central Birmingham...
The best way to describe the film is Godzilla meets Blair Witch Project starring the Alien's big brother; the events surrounding a monster terrorising Manhatten happens to be captured on film by a group of young people armed with a video camera. As they try to escape the monster and save their friends, they happen to get some astonishing close-ups of the entity and the army's attempts to subdue it.
The film taps into the post 9/11 / 7/7 collective consciousness by exploring what it would be like to be caught up in a city under attack (albeit by a monster rather than Islamist terrorists). As one building collapses, our heroes take shelter in a shop to avoid the dust cloud which consumes the streets, and later on they find themselves walking down subway tunnels in the dark in an attempt to reach safety. I was unsure whether this film was a direct consequence of the aforementioned attacks, and whether it is as yet OK to use these circumstances in an attempt to create a box office hit.
Morality aside however, the fact this film was excellent was marked by the silence of the audience as the final scenes ended and the credits started to roll. I got the sense that the audience would have liked the film to continue a bit longer, being rather short at just under one hour thirty minutes. Or maybe they were just terrified of what would happen on the way home as they entered central Birmingham...
Thursday, February 14, 2008
From Brum, With Love
When I was at University one of my Muslim friends joined the Society for Future Husbands of Britney Spears (apparently it was either that or the Taliban). I did not bother as I thought there was no hope of her ever marrying a Brummie of Asian origin.
Shows what I know.
The website is now defunct but given her track record there is surely plenty of hope yet for anyone who decides to marry the schoolgirl-clad songstress one more time.
Does anyone know if Christina Aguilera is still available?
Shows what I know.
The website is now defunct but given her track record there is surely plenty of hope yet for anyone who decides to marry the schoolgirl-clad songstress one more time.
Does anyone know if Christina Aguilera is still available?
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Wheeling Around
Finally! The New Street redevelopment project has been given the go-ahead after the government released the remaining cash. Regular readers will know this is one of my favourite topics (see here, here, here and here). With a new coach station also on the way, the first impression people get of Brum will finally be closer to reality.
Why retire a good strapline? The Sun resurrect the Talibrum headline that they previously used during the plot-to-behead-a-British-Muslim-soldier case. Of course, the fact there is very little substance to the story and that the Black Country is not part of Birmingham will not get in the way of a good headline.
It appears London is slipping behind in the world's largest Ferris Wheel league table. Perhaps they can retain world class city status by building a giant merry-go-round instead?
And finally... in the South it is about race; in the North it is about gender. A detailed analysis of the demographics of the support of Clinton and Obama.
Why retire a good strapline? The Sun resurrect the Talibrum headline that they previously used during the plot-to-behead-a-British-Muslim-soldier case. Of course, the fact there is very little substance to the story and that the Black Country is not part of Birmingham will not get in the way of a good headline.
It appears London is slipping behind in the world's largest Ferris Wheel league table. Perhaps they can retain world class city status by building a giant merry-go-round instead?
And finally... in the South it is about race; in the North it is about gender. A detailed analysis of the demographics of the support of Clinton and Obama.
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Spurs Denied Top Spot by Odd Running Order
I think I might catch a quick nap after writing this post because according to the BBC website Birmingham City are last on Match of the Day again, which means there is nothing decent on TV until at least 11.30pm, and as Birmingham City will be "playing football" at that time there will be nothing decent on then either.
Round 7 of the Promroiship contained none of the Big Four (presumably they were trying to arrange some money-spinning fixtures overseas for the 2010/11 season) leaving the lesser clubs a rare opportunity to be the main feature on MOTD. Aston Villa's thumping of Newcastle meant they took full advantage of the fixture list, but the number of goals they scored did their Promroiship title hopes no good at all. In fact, the BBC were in a no-win situation today given that there was a two goal difference between the highest scoring and second highest scoring game, which meant that even if they ran the programme on the number of goals scored in each match, Villa and Newcastle would have scored less points than the next highest scorers, Tottenham and Derby. In theory this should make it harder for teams like Manchester United and Arsenal to win the Promroiship, as their cricket score victories over the Premier League fillers damage their Promroiship hopes. Yet so far, Manchester United still lead the Promroiship, despite not even being top of the Premier League. How strange.
However, the BBC have put on an incredibly bizarre running order with a string of 1-0 victories coming higher than the game where three goals were scored. They must have been cracking matches for this to happen. It is a pity I will be asleep when they are on.
Promroiship Results February 9th 2008 (Match of the Day Running Order)
Aston Villa v Newcastle......(10-5)*7=35
Everton v Reading ..............(9-1)*7=56
Sunderland v Wigan............(8-2)*7=42
Middlesbrough v Fulham....(7-1)*7=42
Bolton v Portsmouth............(6-1)*7=35
Derby v Tottenham.............(5-3)*7=14
West Ham v Birmingham....(4-2)*7=14
The Promroiship Table after Round 7
Manchester United ......258
Tottenham Hotspur......233*
Chelsea ........................231
Reading .......................219*
Everton .......................215*
Arsenal ........................206
Birmingham City........194*
Portsmouth ................173*
West Ham United.......168*
Newcastle United........155*
Bolton Wanderers ......155*
Middlesbrough ...........145*
Liverpool .....................144
Fulham .........................140*
Manchester City .........124
Sunderland ..................120*
Wigan Athletic .............108*
Aston Villa ....................75*
Derby County................74*
Blackburn Rovers..........61
* indicates match played in Round 7
Round 7 of the Promroiship contained none of the Big Four (presumably they were trying to arrange some money-spinning fixtures overseas for the 2010/11 season) leaving the lesser clubs a rare opportunity to be the main feature on MOTD. Aston Villa's thumping of Newcastle meant they took full advantage of the fixture list, but the number of goals they scored did their Promroiship title hopes no good at all. In fact, the BBC were in a no-win situation today given that there was a two goal difference between the highest scoring and second highest scoring game, which meant that even if they ran the programme on the number of goals scored in each match, Villa and Newcastle would have scored less points than the next highest scorers, Tottenham and Derby. In theory this should make it harder for teams like Manchester United and Arsenal to win the Promroiship, as their cricket score victories over the Premier League fillers damage their Promroiship hopes. Yet so far, Manchester United still lead the Promroiship, despite not even being top of the Premier League. How strange.
However, the BBC have put on an incredibly bizarre running order with a string of 1-0 victories coming higher than the game where three goals were scored. They must have been cracking matches for this to happen. It is a pity I will be asleep when they are on.
Promroiship Results February 9th 2008 (Match of the Day Running Order)
Aston Villa v Newcastle......(10-5)*7=35
Everton v Reading ..............(9-1)*7=56
Sunderland v Wigan............(8-2)*7=42
Middlesbrough v Fulham....(7-1)*7=42
Bolton v Portsmouth............(6-1)*7=35
Derby v Tottenham.............(5-3)*7=14
West Ham v Birmingham....(4-2)*7=14
The Promroiship Table after Round 7
Manchester United ......258
Tottenham Hotspur......233*
Chelsea ........................231
Reading .......................219*
Everton .......................215*
Arsenal ........................206
Birmingham City........194*
Portsmouth ................173*
West Ham United.......168*
Newcastle United........155*
Bolton Wanderers ......155*
Middlesbrough ...........145*
Liverpool .....................144
Fulham .........................140*
Manchester City .........124
Sunderland ..................120*
Wigan Athletic .............108*
Aston Villa ....................75*
Derby County................74*
Blackburn Rovers..........61
* indicates match played in Round 7
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Duncan Edwards 1936 - 1958
Today is the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster. Regular readers may know that I am not much of a Manchester United fan; indeed you could say the reverse. Some things however transcend football's tribal nature.
Probably the most famous victim was Duncan Edwards, who I only recently discovered was a son of the West Midlands. He was born and is buried in Dudley. I discovered this website, which is a useful guide to anyone who is interested in exploring Duncan's life and roots.
The Manchester derby is on Sunday in which the commercial behemoth that is Manchester United will play in a replica of the 1950's kit without any sponsorship. Manchester City will also be playing in a special kit. Let's hope the fans also mark the occasion with an impeccably observed minute's silence.
Probably the most famous victim was Duncan Edwards, who I only recently discovered was a son of the West Midlands. He was born and is buried in Dudley. I discovered this website, which is a useful guide to anyone who is interested in exploring Duncan's life and roots.
The Manchester derby is on Sunday in which the commercial behemoth that is Manchester United will play in a replica of the 1950's kit without any sponsorship. Manchester City will also be playing in a special kit. Let's hope the fans also mark the occasion with an impeccably observed minute's silence.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Robbie Savages Brum's Promroiship Hopes
Arsenal may have returned to the top of the Premiership, but the gap between Manchester United and Arsenal widened in Round 6 of the Promroiship (formerly the PRoBrum MOTD Running Order Index). Despite being first on MOTD, Arsenal's match had two more goals which left the Red Devils with more Promroiship points than their Premiership title rival.
When Robbie Savage first left Birmingham, the Blues were relegated that season from the Premiership (does anyone know if Derby is closer to Wales?). His return to St. Andrews yesterday saw Birmingham return to the bottom three in the Premiership, and drop another two places in the Promroiship after leading the competition for much of January. Playing Derby is a curse on MOTD as it seems to be a no-brainer amongst the programme's producers to put them on last, despite a nil-nil bore draw yesterday between Blackburn and Everton yesterday; indeed Derby are romping the Gubbometer. However, amazingly Villa prop up the Promroiship after missing yet another Saturday kick-off. I am starting to wonder if the entire north half of the city have become Seventh Day Adventists.
A reminder, Promroiship points are calculated as follows:
Last weeks points + (Points for position in the MOTD Running Order - Number of Goals in Match)*number of matches on MOTD.
The Promroiship Table after Round 6
Manchester United ......202+(9-2)*8=258
Chelsea ...........................183+(8-2)*8=231
Tottenham Hotspur......163+(9-2)*8=219
Arsenal ...........................158+(10-4)*8=206
Birmingham City...........172+(3-2)*8=180
Reading ..........................131+(6-2)*8=163
Everton ..........................127+(4-0)*8=159
West Ham United..........122+(5-1)*8=154
Liverpool ........................112+(7-3)*8=144
Portsmouth ....................90+(8-2)*8=138
Manchester City ............76+(10-4)*8=124
Newcastle United...........(no match) 120
Bolton Wanderers .........88+(6-2)*8=120
Middlesbrough ..............(no match) 103
Fulham ...........................(no match) 98
Sunderland .....................46+(7-3)*8=78
Wigan Athletic ................34+(5-1)*8=66
Blackburn Rovers ..........29+(4-0)*8=61
Derby County..................52+(3-2)*8=60
Aston Villa .......................(no match) 40
When Robbie Savage first left Birmingham, the Blues were relegated that season from the Premiership (does anyone know if Derby is closer to Wales?). His return to St. Andrews yesterday saw Birmingham return to the bottom three in the Premiership, and drop another two places in the Promroiship after leading the competition for much of January. Playing Derby is a curse on MOTD as it seems to be a no-brainer amongst the programme's producers to put them on last, despite a nil-nil bore draw yesterday between Blackburn and Everton yesterday; indeed Derby are romping the Gubbometer. However, amazingly Villa prop up the Promroiship after missing yet another Saturday kick-off. I am starting to wonder if the entire north half of the city have become Seventh Day Adventists.
A reminder, Promroiship points are calculated as follows:
Last weeks points + (Points for position in the MOTD Running Order - Number of Goals in Match)*number of matches on MOTD.
The Promroiship Table after Round 6
Manchester United ......202+(9-2)*8=258
Chelsea ...........................183+(8-2)*8=231
Tottenham Hotspur......163+(9-2)*8=219
Arsenal ...........................158+(10-4)*8=206
Birmingham City...........172+(3-2)*8=180
Reading ..........................131+(6-2)*8=163
Everton ..........................127+(4-0)*8=159
West Ham United..........122+(5-1)*8=154
Liverpool ........................112+(7-3)*8=144
Portsmouth ....................90+(8-2)*8=138
Manchester City ............76+(10-4)*8=124
Newcastle United...........(no match) 120
Bolton Wanderers .........88+(6-2)*8=120
Middlesbrough ..............(no match) 103
Fulham ...........................(no match) 98
Sunderland .....................46+(7-3)*8=78
Wigan Athletic ................34+(5-1)*8=66
Blackburn Rovers ..........29+(4-0)*8=61
Derby County..................52+(3-2)*8=60
Aston Villa .......................(no match) 40
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Brumney Spears
According to the Daily Star, Britney Spears adopted her boyfriend's Brummie accent as doctors tested her sanity in the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center a few weeks ago.
She was admitted to hospital yesterday as a result of ongoing mental health problems. Rumours suggest that the doctors decided to act quickly after discovering she really was mad (for it) when she started speaking in Mancunian.
She was admitted to hospital yesterday as a result of ongoing mental health problems. Rumours suggest that the doctors decided to act quickly after discovering she really was mad (for it) when she started speaking in Mancunian.
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