Oops!.......

Troubled pop star Britney Spears has reportedly demanded an entire wing at the California rehab centre where she is undergoing treatment be cleared - for her privacy.
According to press reports, she doesn't want to mix with other patients.

I don't know whether the above story is true, but if I was a patient, I wouldn't want to "mix" with Britney in her current state anyway....
Spears demands entire wing at rehab centre

So close - and yet.....

Chelsea 2 Arsenal 1

Carling Cup Final

Disappointed about the result - doubly so, since I had to stop watching the match at half-time (to visit a relative in hospital, but I followed the match from my mobile).

I was proud of Arsenal's performance in the first half. And as for Theo Walcott's first goal for the club - what a goal!

However at the end of the day only the winners are remembered. Unfortunately Arsenal will be remembered for finishing with 9 men. While I haven't seen the fight scenes yet, I'm sure it will have severe long-term consequences for the Arse....

PS: I hope John Terry makes a complete recovery

Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal

While on the subject of expensive foods....

The ultimate in luxury foods....?

Back in 2005 the Associated Press reported about a diamond-studded Christmas cake that went on display in Japan, as one of 17 diamond-related designs in an exhibit called "Diamonds: Nature's Miracle."

The Tokyo pastry chef who created the work of art said it took six months to develop the design and one month to actually make the cake, which was edible.

The cake went up for sale at the price of $1.65 million and included 223 small diamonds which had to be removed before it could be consumed.
Diamond Christmas Cake

Supersize my wallet for the $110 burger!

Another item to add to the "expensive food" posts from last year (from AFP):

A luxury hotel in Indonesia has cooked up an exotic million-rupiah ($110) hamburger, thought to be the world's most expensive, in a bid to marry Western food and Asian flavour.

Vindex Tengker, the executive chef with the Four Seasons Hotel who created the dish, said 20 of the burgers had sold since going on the menu early last December.

"The idea is not that we are selling the most expensive hamburger. It is our dream to marry the East and the West through food," he told AFP.

The seven-ounce (200-gram) burger is made from finest Japanese Kobe beef with wasabi mayonnaise and Italian portobello mushrooms in a home-made onion-wheat bun.

It is served with Asian pear and French foie gras plus, of course, French fries and is washed down with a glass of wine.
Supersize price for Indonesia's 110-dollar burger

See you at the (World Cup) party in 2018...?

The Football Association has confirmed it is in talks over a possible bid to host the 2018 World Cup finals in England. This bid would be backed by the government, ministers say.
All well and good. But before we get carried away, lets get some points straight:

Costs - if we are going for the World Cup, lets ensure the populace doesn't get dumped with the bill for out-of-control costs. At the moment it's been estimated that the London 2012 Olympics could cost £9bn, nearly four times the initial £2.35bn estimate in London's bid document.
The Team - Let's build an England team that actually has a chance of winning it - instead of the usual over-hyped wannabes who then flatter to deceive (and eventually exit the tournament during yet another penalty shoot-out).
Ticket prices - if the FA are successful in their bid, lets hope the ordinary supporters are not priced out of the games in favour of the "prawn sandwich" brigade, ie: the corporate high-flyers who only go to football matches when it suits the business that they are involved with.
Hooliganism - during Germany 2006, the BBC had to stop showing games in public areas because of rioting. Can we afford the extra police required to control all the thugs, especially when one considers the security needed for terrorism prevention?
Transport - at present our public transportation infrastructure is simply not up to the task of covering a major sporting event. Remember the recent hassle with fog and a couple inches of snow? If this is to be a serious bid for the World Cup, let's ensure transportation is suitably covered.
Theme tune - just make sure the obligatory song is not embarrassing!
Ministers back World Cup 2018 bid

The rise of the London Congestion Charge zone

From the 19 February 2007, the Congestion Charging zone will extend to the west of Central London to cover the areas of Bayswater, Notting Hill, North and South Kensington, High Street Kensington, Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Belgravia and Pimlico.

The Mayor of London (Ken Livingstone), introduced the Greater London (Central Zone) Congestion Charging Scheme in February 2003 which initially covered people driving throughout an eight-square-mile zone of central London (ie: the West End, Waterloo Southwark, Lambeth & City of London). Recently it was reported that Ken Livingstone admitted the capital's congestion charge could be extended as far as Greenwich, South East London.

Drivers entering the zone were originally charged £5 ($10) when it was introduced in 2003, rising to £8 ($16) in 2005. The daily charge must be paid by the registered owner of a vehicle that enters, leaves or moves around within the congestion charge zone between 7am - 6pm, Monday to Friday. Failure to pay this charge incurs a fine of at least £50 ($100). However last year, in a televised debate, Ken Livingstone announced proposals to raise this charge to £10 ($20) a day by 2008.

Furthermore the Mayor of London proposes to raise the daily traffic congestion charge for 4x4 cars in central London from £8 to £25 ($50) from June or July 2008. Even those owners of such big vehicles who live within the zone will lose their existing "resident discount" and will have to pay £25, according to the proposal. These residents currently pay £0.80 ($1.60) a day when they drive within the zone.

Meanwhile congestion in central London is almost as bad as it was before the daily charge was introduced four years ago, according to official figures.

The above information is available on various websites. While some of these proposals are just that, I'm somewhat reminded of the following old adage:

If you put a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will leap out right away to escape the danger.

But if you place it in a pot of cool water and slowly raise the temperature up to boiling point, the frog won't jump out - it will get accustomed to the increasing heat and eventually get boiled alive.

Road charge expansion to begin

Gold...the next British national anthem?

Had a chuckle reading one of the Sunday papers - apparently over 3000 signatures are urging Prime Minister Tony Blair to change Great Britain's national anthem from "GOD SAVE THE QUEEN" to "GOLD" by Spandau Ballet.

The full details are as follows, from the petition on the No 10 website:

"We, the people of Britain, feel that our current National Anthem has lost a bit of its sparkle.

When we are confronted by the rare occasion of us winning a medal at the Olympics, we all have to mumble through "God Save The Queen", well God help us in 2012!

We would thereby like to table the suggestion that we change the National Anthem to something more modern and appropriate and that will re-invigorate our pride.

What we specifically want to see, is that the National Anthem be changed in favour of "Gold" by Spandau Ballet.

Further, we would like our National Olympic Committee to decree that Tony Hadley is the only person permitted to handle medal ceremonies where the National Anthem is played.

We don't mind what he wears when he does this, but preference is given towards a a gold colured suit"
'Gold' as the British National Anthem
GOLD SAVE US

Oops!...she's done it again.....

In a previous post, I stated my sorrow at learning of the death of Anna Nicole Smith.

However I'm having a hard time generating any similar sympathy for one-time pop princess, Britney Spears.
Apparently a day after checking in and out of rehab, Spears, 25, showed up at a hair salon in Tarzana, California unannounced and asked that they shave her head. When the request was refused, Spears grabbed the clippers, and then shaved her head.
A sullen looking Spears later emerged wearing a grey hooded top over her bald noggin.
When a photographer asked her why she had done the deed, she muttered: "Because of you."
Spears then went to the Body and Soul tattoo parlour where she was tattooed with "cute little lips on her wrist" according to reports.

Oh well, if Hollywood ever decides to remake "Alien³" or "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," they won't have to go far for a female bald head....in the meantime I wish Britney has the wisdom to realize that when you're in a hole, the first thing you should do is stop digging.
Bald new look for Britney Spears

PS: here's another pic of Britney, but before she decided sans hair was preferable. Hard to believe she was once proclaimed (in 2002) the most powerful celebrity in the world by Forbes Magazine and ranked number 20 out of the 200 top pop culture icons of all time by VH1 and People....

Happy (Chinese) New Year!

February 18th will be the start of the Spring Festival - the oldest and most important festival in the Chinese year. It is also known as the "Chinese New Year" in the West.
2007 (or 4075 in the Chinese lunar calendar) will be known as the Year of the Pig (Boar). It is also known by its former name of DingHai.
According to Wikipedia, in China, the Boar is associated with fertility and virility. To bear children in the year of the Boar is considered very fortunate, for they will be happy and honest. No surprise that China is bracing for a baby boom.
Persons born between 18 February 2007 - 6 February 2008 can be said to have been born in the "Year of the Boar".

Tomorrow London will welcome in the Year of the Boar with the annual Chinese New Year Festival and parade. The parade sets off at 11am (GMT) in the Strand and will continue along Charing Cross Road and Shaftesbury Avenue towards Trafalgar Square, where visitors will be entertained by dragon and lion dances.

Most of the dishes served during the Spring Festival are symbolic of something positive and hopeful.
Chicken and fish, for example, symbolize happiness and prosperity--especially when served whole. Dishes made with oranges represent wealth and good fortune because they are China's most plentiful fruit. Noodles represent longevity; therefore, they should never be cut! Duck symbolizes fidelity, while eggs signify fertility. Bean curd or tofu, however, is avoided because its white color suggests death and misfortune.

15-day guide to 2007 Chinese New Year of the Pig

One Year on.....

Doesn't time fly when you're having fun!

I can't believe a year has passed since I started this blog - my reasons back then: "to keep me occupied between my job-hunting. It was either this or watching daytime TV (shudders)!"

But seriously, though I hope you've enjoyed my look on the world, through good times (like Arsenal reaching the Champions League final, getting a job) and bad (Arsenal losing to Barça in the aforementioned Champions League final, my flat getting flooded, having a relative in hospital, England's poor performance in the World Cup finals, the Israeli/Hezbollah conflict, the death of James Brown, Celebrity Big Brother).

Hmm....a few bad times there, methinks. Anyway - onwards and upwards (and I hope you like the "new look" appearance of this blog)!

By the way, in case you're wondering, the picture in my avatar is that of Avery Brooks (of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", and "American History X" fame). I haven't gotten round to downloading my pic yet, and since Mr. Brooks does bear some resemblance to me...well, you guessed the rest.

To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven.....

Since tomorrow is St Valentine's Day, I'm going to be a little sappy (for a change).
Yes - St Valentine's Day has been commercialised and hyped to death.

But....it's still the day you show your loved ones, what their love means to you.
Remember, everyone loves to be loved (and anyone who says otherwise is a liar).

עפרה חזה

I was earlier digging up some of my old vinyl (even though I have downloads and CDs, I refuse to dispose of my old vinyl faves), when I came across "Im Nin'Alu" by Israeli singer Ofra Haza (which was sampled on Eric B & Rakim's classic "Paid In Full").
I began to wonder whatever happened to Ofra, so I was really shocked to learn she had died back in February 2000 (apparently from an AIDS-related illness).
I originally bought "Im Nin'Alu" for its novelty value (it was a 12-inch picture disc) but was captivated by her haunting vocals. In the end, her music endures...

Bird Flu (continued)

HONG KONG (AFP) - Tests on a blue magpie found dead in Hong Kong have shown it was infected with the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, the government said.
The bird was found in the densely populated Sham Shui Po district on Tuesday, a spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said in a statement Saturday, saying the virus had been confirmed after a series of tests.

Meanwhile....farmers are calling for a ban on raw imported poultry meat from countries infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus until the cause of the UK outbreak has been established.
Charles Bourns, chairman of the poultry board of the National Farmers' Union, said: "All we are saying is that if you have H5N1 in a country then obviously, if it has come in from Hungary this time, then the measures that are being taken to prevent the disease entering the UK have broken down somewhere. Therefore, maybe the easiest way out of this situation would be to stop the importation of raw poultry meat from any country with H5N1 until the Government has worked out how it got here."
Hong Kong bird tests positive for H5N1
Farmers urge ban on poultry imports

Goodbye Anna Nicole Smith....

Considering my feelings about ladies like Jade Goody, Paris Hilton & Jordan (lets just leave it at "eeeww"), I find myself strangely sorrowful at hearing the news of the death of actress, reality TV star and former Playboy Playmate Anna Nicole Smith.
Smith, 39, collapsed at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida according to news reports, and was pronounced dead this Thursday after being taken to a hospital.
Considering her history of drug and alcohol problems, Anna Nicole Smith's demise really doesn't suprise me, after all she had led rather a wild lifestyle. Yet I'm still sorry to hear about her death - she always appeared to be larger than life.
RIP, Anna.
Former Playmate Smith dies at 39

Let it snow (continued)....

What a surprise!
It snowed - and the London Underground suffered. Left home at 8am...and my usual 30 minute trip to the office took 1.5 hours instead!

Now it looks like the widespread disruption caused by heavy snowfall today looks set to continue overnight.
Why is it that this country ALWAYS grinds to a halt at the slightest hint of bad weather?
Snow falls across the South East

Let It Snow (continued)....

London Transport chiefs and weather forecasters are predicting travel chaos across the capital during the morning rush hour today with heavy snow set to hit overnight.

Wonderful - last time it snowed (last month), less than an inch was enough to bring the London underground railway to a crawl. Now the heaviest snowfall for years is expected to hit the capital.

Going to work this morning is going to be fun......NOT!!!!
Winter's heaviest snow heading in