Saturday 18 December 2010

Snow and Christmas shopping- a deadly winter cocktail

Is it just me or is the snow a massive pain in the arse?

Don't get me wrong I love a good snowball fight and that, but honestly when it gets in the way of a weekend's worth of football and a day off work, it leaves you with no choice but to be dragged around town walking through the slush and crowds of angry shoppers. Then you know you've hit a low-point in life when it comes to that.

But why as a country are we so inept when it comes to snow? As mentioned in my first blog post, surely we would have learnt by now how to cope with weather like this and maybe then everything and everyone wouldn't be as affected as they are right now. Queue an entire nation panicking over whether that Christmas jumper knitted for their ungrateful nephew, or that card with a measly fiver inside will get to their precious loved ones on time. The same loved ones that they only see 3/4 times a year if they can be arsed.

As for the football, well it's safe to say that Mr Roy Hodgson is walking on very thin ice at this moment in time (to use a weather-related pun, who'd have thought it?) Not only did he lose once again on the road at Newcastle last week (the same side who Liverpool beat 5-1 on their last visit) but he also oversaw an uninspiring performance against Utrecht on a night when the kids of Liverpool were let in free of charge. Another charge to add to the already long list of crimes he has committed since becoming Liverpool manager was to say that Torres would play, only to turn back on his word later due to 'listening to his medical staff.'

So not only did he mislead the fans into turning up for an apparent purpose (especially those who probably won't be able to attend another game due to the cost of tickets) but he also ensured that the game lacked any real presence. Instead we were left with the inept Milan Jovanovic and an out of sorts Joe Cole to watch who have both hardly set hearts racing since arriving in the summer. So it may have been rather fortunate for Hodgson (but not for fans) that the snow put paid to any action at Anfield this weekend. Another poor result and surely the knives would be sharpened ever so more for the beleagured boss.


As for Carol Konchesky? Next time be careful where you air your views about 'scouse scum' Let's face it, your son is a shit left back and he was and never will be a Liverpool player. Truth hurts.

Monday 13 December 2010

The X Factor finishing- So what?

As the title may suggest, I won't be sad to see the back of The X Factor for another year. How people can get so worked up over this show never ceases to amaze me and watching the final last night in a mate's house confirmed this.

For starters, it is possibly one of the biggest moneymaking schemes that Simon Cowell has ever created and the evil genius is the real winner out of it all. Secondly, the winner (sorry, Cowell again) is practically guaranteed the Christmas number 1 except for last year when a facebook campaign got Rage Against The Machine to number 1 instead of whoever won it last year (Joe whatshisface?) Another point is that the show is just manufactured pop shite and is not a patch on any of the musicians whose songs they have copied off and performed to a shocking standard. Examples include the cover they have done of Heroes, a classic of the genius that is David Bowie. Now while it may be for a good cause (Help for Heroes which I support wholeheartedly) they could at least come up with songs of their own if it's a talent show and all about earning a record contract.

Don't get me wrong, I listened to Rebecca last night and thought she was as good as what people made her out to be (forget the fact she's from Liverpool she has a really great voice). But the thing that annoys me is that people with a natural have to go on shows like this just to get noticed. I'm sure there are better unsigned acts out there who are just as good as anyone who has took part this year yet won't get their big break unlike those who have been given a helping hand courtesy of Simon Cowell and his moneymaking machine.

Sunday 5 December 2010

FIFA Fiasco, a shocker of a week and all night library sessions

Well another week in the life of a young scouser has seen more downs than ups but before I tug at the heart strings I'll quickly move on! While this week hasn't been the greatest it's fair to say that life hasn't stopped and despite a little bit of snow and ice it's been business as usual for the Kemlyn lad. Once again uni and work have been on the agenda and the Christmas season is well under away judging by the crowds of people I've noticed on Church Street this week.

But this blog wouldn't be worth a read if I didn't mention the farce that was the 2018/2022 World Cup voting process. Only the rose-tinted among us truly believed that England would win and despite the best efforts of David Beckham, Prince William and Prime Minister David Cameron (does he even like football?) the bid fell flat on its face dspite alleged promises from FIFA members that they could count on their vote. Instead, Russia and Qatar (a country smaller than Wales) won the right to host the World Cup and left a country wondering where the blame lay.

Some have decided that the BBC should be held accountable but it's not their fault if they feel they have a right to let the public know just who the FA were dealing with. But any clued up football fan would already have known that FIFA was corrupt and if England were to have had any chance, then brown envelopes were a must, never mind the approval ratings our bid was given.

So on a significant day for English football where was I? The library. Oh yes, the most soul destroying place a student can spend during their time in university. While your average student was out downing cheap shots and warm lager, or in bed, I and a few others were in the library frantically trying to finish essays that were due in before Christmas. A session that lasted 12 hours (yes that long) and coming home at 8:15 the next morning, my work was finally done and an essay that talked about media ownership finished and waiting to be analysed and picked apart by lecturers whose voices sound so boring, that I would much prefer to listen to the bizarre array of buskers/performers on Church Street of a weekend any day.

But what possessed me to spend so long in the library? God knows. At least I got the work out the way but what shocked me was the amount of people still there at around midnight/1 am. And I thought students were all lazy, no work and cheap nights out...