2009...

Welcome to 2009 folks!!

Only one wish for this year (so far): that America's 44th president Barack Obama lives up to the hopes and dreams of a world looking for a sign that things will finally get better. With a financial system in disarray, an economy in free-fall and turmoil around the world, the stakes could not be any higher.

Watch this space...

Happy New Year

Well, another year over, but I won't be out celebrating. Instead I'll see the new year in by watching TV, having a quiet solitary beer, then falling soundly asleep.

According to a National Savings & Investments survey, around 42% of Britons are also planning to stay in, most of whom said they had more important things to spend their money on. When one considers the year we've had, I'm not surprised at the attitude shown in the survey.

But a Happy New Year to everyone - whether you are celebrating or not.....

Xmas movies...

Enjoying the movies over the Xmas period...some more than others.

Transformers - too much CGI and explosions, not enough plot...

The Golden Compass - OK in parts, but mostly too complicated for its own good and too much CGI...

Enchanted - nice flick, but too sugary when compared to Stardust (which is a superior fantasy movie in my opinion)...

Babylon 5: The Lost Tales - No atmosphere, and overall not a great addition to the B5 mythology...

The Bourne Ultimatum - never got into the other "Jason Bourne" movies, but this is superb! the paranoia is almost palpable and you're left with the unsettling feeling that there are no goodies or baddies - just various shades of grey...

Clerks 2 - loved the argument over LOTR vs Star Wars trilogies - and Rosario Dawson can teach me to dance any day...

Bah Humbug...

Zat Knight scores an injury-time equaliser to give Aston Villa a 2-2 draw against Arsenal.
Aston Villa 2-2 Arsenal

Hard luck Arsenal. To be honest, I would have accepted a draw before the game started, but it's so bloody frustrating now. You just knew Villa's last-minute equaliser was coming too.
Overall, a decent result considering the chances Villa had in the first half, but I'd hoped the team could have held on for a win (and I'm getting pissed off with these last minute equalisers now)...

Eartha Kitt RIP

American singer and actress Eartha Kitt has died at the age of 81 after suffering from colon cancer, according to a family friend,
I remember as a kid watching her play Catwoman in the 1960s Batman television series with that distinctive, feline drawl (Purrrfect) - it was only later I learned of her sultry singing skills.

RIP, Eartha. Your classy talents will be sorely missed...
Obituary: Eartha Kitt

'Twas the night after Christmas

Well, enjoyed the turkey and trimmings...also enjoyed Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death. It wasn't best Wallace & Gromit adventure I've seen, but it's always a delight watching Nick Park's Plasticine heroes, and the homage to Aliens was very inventive (all that was missing was the classic line "Get away from her, you bitch!" But hey, it is a family show).

Oddly enough, I felt slightly disappointed with the Doctor Who special, The Next Doctor. Actually a better description would be slightly cheated - David Morrissey wasn't the next Doctor after all, despite all the hype (moral: don't believe the hype). Plus the hour-long special didn't feel special (the Cybermen...again? It's getting a bit repetitive). On the other hand, Dervla Kirwan was a delight as the evil Miss Hartigan.



PS: sad news about the passing of 78 year-old Harold Pinter yesterday after battling cancer. He was considered one of the 20th Century's greatest and most influential playwrights.

So here it is..

Just because now is a good time to be a City corporate restructurer, pawn shop owner, loan shark, debt counsellor or bailiff, it doesn't mean the rest of us can't enjoy the compliments of the season.

So be of good cheer, one and all.
Peace on Earth and goodwill to all men....

Merry Christmas!!

The Abyss stares back...

Music, games and DVD retail chain Zavvi has gone into administration threatening 3,400 jobs. The troubled store was formed in 2007 after a management buy-out of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Megastores. Zavvi's main supplier was Woolworths' unit Entertainment UK (EUK), which went into administration on 27 November. The collapse of EUK led to Zavvi's own downfall as the store was unable to stock their shelves.

Meanwhile the tea and coffee chain Whittard of Chelsea, which has 130 stores in the UK and around the world was sold to private equity group EPIC, and the menswear retailer The Officers Club was purchased by its chief executive Dave Charlton, saving . Both businesses had previously called in the administrators this week.
Zavvi placed into administration

With MFI closing down earlier this month (with the loss of 1,400 jobs), and the administrators of Woolworths stating that all the chain's outlets will close by 5 January, the effect on the British retail sector by the global credit crisis can be clearly seen by all.

Bad...

Not a good time for Michael Jackson, the former "King of Pop" lately...

First, he is reportedly being sued for $1bn by a woman claiming to be the mother of his youngest son.

Now according to reports in the British press, the 50-year-old is gravely ill from a genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and requires an emergency lung transplant if he is to survive. Ian Halperin, author of a book about MJ, has been quoted saying that the singer has been battling the illness for several years, can barely speak, and has lost 95% of his vision in his left eye.

His brother Jermaine has also been quoted as saying, “He’s not doing so well right now. This isn’t a good time.”

However a a spokesman for MJ has issued the following statement:

"... We would hope in the future that legitimate media will not continue to be exploited by such an obvious attempt to promote this unauthorized 'biography.' The wild allegations concerning Mr. Jackson's health are a total fabrication. Mr. Jackson is in fine health, and finalizing negotiations with a major entertainment company & television network for both a world tour and a series of specials and appearances."
Michael Jackson 'needs lung transplant'

As usual, who knows the truth when it comes to Michael Jackson these days?

Lockerbie...20 years on.

On 21 December 1988, a US-bound jumbo jet Pan Am Flight 103 carrying 259 passengers and crew was blown up over a small Scottish town called Lockerbie, claiming the lives of everyone on the plane and 11 local residents on the ground.

Today a number of ceremonies took place in Lockerbie, and another was held at London's Heathrow Airport chapel. A tribute also took place in the US at the Lockerbie memorial in the Arlington National Cemetery, Washington DC and at New York State's Syracuse University, which lost 35 students in the bombing.
Lockerbie bomb anniversary marked

Lockerbie defies comment, even after 20 years.

The OTHER Arsenal Stadium Mystery (continued)....

Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith, Arsenal's third-largest shareholder, left the board on Wednesday. Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood said he was not sure whether Bracewell-Smith would sell her shares.
But if her 15.9% stake was to become available, Uzbekistan metals magnate Alisher Usmanov could pass the 30% mark which would force a takeover bid. Usmanov already owns 24% through his Red & White Holdings company, having initially bought former vice-chairman David Dein's 14.5% stake in the club.
American sports tycoon Stan Kroenke, who holds a stake of about 12% in the Gunners' parent company, accepted an offer to become a non-executive director on the Arsenal board in September as ties with his Kroenke Sports Enterprises group were strengthened. If Kroenke were to buy the shares, he would become the club's majority shareholder with a 27.9% stake.
Key shareholder to leave Arsenal

According to the press, Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith was asked to leave after a row in the past few days with Peter Hill-Wood, which has left her furious about the "ruthless" manner of her abrupt departure.

Considering that since World War II, the major shares of Arsenal football club have been in the hands of the Hill-Wood and Bracewell-Smith families, this week's events inside the Arsenal boardroom must have been particularly acrimonious.

It's really hard to tell what's going on at the moment, but it looks inevitable that Arsenal will be taken over by either Usmanov or Kroenke, and that will be a sad day.

MFI: 1964 - 2008

Nothing but bad news, it appears these days...

Administrators at furniture retailer MFI say the firm has now ceased trading, with the loss of 1400 jobs. The company's 111 stores have now all been closed and customers with outstanding orders will be refunded.
Founded in 1964 as Mullard Furniture Industries, MFI was once Britain's top furniture retailer, specializing in selling home-assembled, flat-packed furniture to aspiring homeowners. However sales had fallen in recent years due to competition from rivals such as Ikea, and MFI went into administration in November 2008 as the downturn in the housing market took its toll.
Furniture chain MFI closes down

MFI follows the demise of Woolworths, which went into administration last month and is expected to close by 5 January 2009 with the loss of 27,000 jobs.
The recession has hit the high street and for most businesses, it is now adapt or perish...

Majel Barrett RIP

Currently watching "What You Leave Behind" - the final episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

So it's very appropriate that this post should remember Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (born Majel Lee Hudec), the widow of "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry and the voice of the USS Enterprise computer, who died on Thursday after battling leukemia, which was diagnosed earlier this year. She was 76.
She reprised her role as the ship's computer once again, this time for the 2009 motion picture relaunch of Star Trek. According to Sean Rossall, a Roddenberry family spokesman, she had already completed the voiceover work for the new movie, due out next May.
Besides her work on Star Trek, Ms Barrett appeared in shows such as Bonanza and The Untouchables and she was executive producer of Sci-Fi series Earth: Final Conflict and Andromeda.
Trek creator's widow dies aged 76

It was sad to hear of Majel Barrett's passing. Oddly though, while I remember her as Nurse Christine Chapel from Star Trek: The Original Series (later Doctor Chapel in Star Trek: The Motion Picture), and the Betazoid Ambassador Lwaxana Troi (mother of counselor Deanna Troi) in numerous episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation & Deep Space Nine, I never really connected her to the role of Number One from the original Star Trek pilot, "The Cage," until now.
To the "First Lady" of the Federation - Rest In Peace...

Who's next...?

Looking forward to the BBC1 Doctor Who Xmas special, "The Next Doctor" on Christmas Day, especially since the current Doctor, 37 year-old David Tennant, comes face-to-face with an 1851 version of himself, played by David Morrissey, 44. I'm also looking forward to the appearance of all nine previous incarnations of the Doctor (including Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Patrick Troughton and Peter Davison) on the hour-long programme.

However I'll be sorry to see David stand down as the timelord after the four Doctor Who specials are broadcast next year. David Tennant was the 10th actor to play the Time Lord and spent four years in the role, after replacing Christopher Eccleston, who resurrected the show after a 16-year break.
David Tennant quits as Doctor Who

The show's creator, Russell T Davies, has suggested the next Doctor could be a woman, favouring Catherine Zeta Jones and Lesley Sharp, but if the BBC are seriously considering a female Doctor, I'd like to see Catherine Tate return as "Doctor Donna".
And despite the bookies touting Paterson Joseph at 3-1, I'd prefer Colin Salmon to become the first black doctor instead.

Guess we'll have to wait and see...

In my opinion (continued)...

To me Vida Garman (born 1 November 1966) was one of the sexiest "Page three" girls of the 1990's, who did everything from topless modelling in the tabloids to pornography.

But this picture of her is unreal - the latex outfit looks as if it was painted on!

Football, football, football (continued)...

Blackburn Rovers have sacked manager Paul Ince after less than six months in charge with the club second-bottom of the Premier League.

Ince, 41, joined Rovers from MK Dons in June but Blackburn's last league win was on 27 September.
Lowly Blackburn sack manager Ince

I hope he bounces back. It wasn't all Ince's fault that the job didn't work out, but ultimately he's the one that's held responsible.
It's a pity Blackburn didn't give him a proper amount of time to prove himself, but the possible loss of Premier League status and the financial loss that went with relegation left little room for patience.

Nigella bites...

Oh dear - it appears our own domestic goddess Nigella Lawson has caused outrage amongst animal rights activists last week after suggesting she would kill a bear and wear its skin as a trophy.
The British celebrity chef and best selling author made the comments during a live interview on BBC1's The One Show.
Nigella's publicist has stepped quickly into the row, clarifying that she was talking about a situation where if it was the bear or Nigella, she would kill the bear - but not if she was unprovoked.
Nigella Lawson criticised for bear fur comments

Isn't it scary how quick some people are to take offence at throwaway remarks? All Nigella said was IF she was in a situation where she killed a bear in self-defence, then she could see no reason why she shouldn't wear the bear's fur. She wasn't making a comment in support of wearing fur - she was only being honest about her opinions.

Mike Tyson

Remember when Mike Tyson used to be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world? Well, time waits for no man and now he's more of a heavy weight...

The one-time "baddest man on the planet" shocked fight fans at the weekend, when a rather rotund Tyson, now 42, turned up to present an award at the sixth annual Video Game Awards in Culver City, California.
Since retirement, Tyson has struggled with bankruptcy, drug addiction, arrests and a host of personal problems.
Jack Black strips down to his Y-fronts (but thankfully porky Mike Tyson didn't) at Video Game Awards extravaganza

Geez. Here's another pic of Mike Tyson - but in his prime....

Dubya gets the boot...

President George W Bush's farewell visit to Iraq is marred by an incident in which two shoes are thrown at him during a news conference by Muntazer al-Zaidi, an Iraqi TV journalist, who also cried at Mr Bush "This is a goodbye kiss, you dog".
Showing the soles of shoes to someone is a sign of contempt in Arab culture.
Shoes thrown at Bush on Iraq trip

I guess Dubya's finally found those Iraqi WMDs...

Strictly a fiasco...

All three couples in BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing semi-final have gone through to the final after two were tied following the judges' scoring.

Presenter Lisa Snowdon and singer Rachel Stevens and their partners were given the maximum points available in Saturday night's show.

But that meant that whatever happened in the audience vote, actor Tom Chambers would be eliminated from the semi-final and that was deemed "unfair", hence the last-minute decision by programme bosses to abandon the eviction.
Viewers were assured their votes would be included in next Saturday's final. However there will be no refunds for votes cast during the programme.
The official Strictly Come Dancing message board has been deluged with angry posts from fans, many threatening to boycott the final.
Strictly semi hit by scoring tie

I wonder why people can be gullible enough to waste their money voting either on so-called "celebrities" attempting ballroom dancing on BBC, or members of the public trying to become singing celebrities on ITV, yet can't be bothered to freely vote in general elections affecting the destiny of this country?

Kathy Staff RIP

'Tis a year for sad tidings...
Kathy Staff, the actress best known for playing wrinkled-tight wearing battle-axe Nora Batty in the hit TV series Last of the Summer Wine, has died. The 80-year-old passed away after a short illness.

Ms Staff also played cleaner Doris Luke in long-running ITV soap Crossroads and appeared in Emmerdale Farm, Coronation Street and Open All Hours with David Jason and Ronnie Barker.
Summer Wine star Staff dies at 80

And so another reminder of a simpler time is no longer with us. RIP Kathy Staff...

Oliver Postgate RIP

Besides the passing of 1950s model Bettie Page, I was also saddened at the death of "Bagpuss" creator Oliver Postgate last week. He was 83 years old.
Mr Postgate created some of the best-loved children's TV series including Ivor the Engine, the Clangers and Noggin the Nog. Mr Postgate's work was popular with generations of children who loved the strangeness of the characters and the warmth of his story-telling.
Mr Postgate scripted and narrated many of his creations, but made his last film in 1987, complaining that children's television commissioners were no longer interested in what he had to offer. In a poll earlier this year, Bagpuss, was voted the best TV animal of all-time.
Bagpuss and Ivor creator dies

Oliver Postgate's creative genius was a part of my childhood. I suspect today's TV would find his simple, old-fashioned yet unrestrained imagination out of step in a world where the purpose of children's animation appears to be advertising the accompanying range of merchandise.
Pogles' Wood, Noggin the Nog, The Clangers, Ivor the Engine and Bagpuss are his legacy from a gentler and more innocent time.
Rest In Peace.

Manchester says "No"

An overwhelming majority of voters have rejected plans for a congestion charge in Manchester. All ten boroughs of the city voted against the proposals. A majority of voters in the region voted against the plans, with 812,815 (79%) no votes and 218,860 (21%) in favour of the charge.
A massive publicity campaign was waged by both Yes and No groups up to the last day of polling. Those against the proposals claimed the congestion charge would be an unfair tax on motorists, while those in favour said that it would provide an opportunity to create the best public transport system in the UK.
Had Manchester voted Yes, drivers would be paying up to £5 a day – or £1,200 a year – to use the region's roads, The Manchester result could also discourage other local authorities pursuing a congestion charge option.
Voters reject congestion charge

At least Manchester got asked.
In February 2007 I stated my objection to the western expansion of London's congestion charge zone (aka the motorists' stealth tax). Last month Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, decided to abolish the extension introduced last year by his his predecessor, Ken Livingstone. The move follows a public consultation in which 67% of respondents, including 86% of businesses, said they wanted the extended levy zone lifted.
The extension - and its £8 daily charge - which covers Kensington and Chelsea and part of Westminster, will remain until spring 2010 as legal procedures are completed.
The axing of the extension comes months after Mr Johnson also scrapped another initiative by Ken Livingstone, which would have seen drivers of 4x4s and other "gas guzzlers" facing a daily £25 charge to come into the heart of London.
C-charge extension to be scrapped

Transport for London will reportedly lose £70 million per year in income from the scheme's removal. However, to quote from an article in the Times:
"Five years after the London congestion charge was introduced, the capital’s road system is still chaotic with traffic moving at a snail’s pace. Promises of a transformation of public transport proved illusory".

While I still have a dislike for celebrity mayors, Boris Johnson should be congratulated for listening to the wishes of his fellow Londoners....

Bettie Page RIP

Sadly the iconic Bettie Page, one of America's most photographed pin-up girls during the 1950s, died yesterday morning (0241 GMT Friday) in Los Angeles at the age of 85.
The secretary-turned-model was admitted to hospital last month, suffering from pneumonia. She had a heart attack last week and never regained consciousness.
50s pin-up queen Bettie Page dies

It's doubly depressing - not only do I hear of Bettie's death, but I also discover that American illustrator and comics artist Dave Stevens, famous for creating The Rocketeer comic book & movie, and for his illustrations of Bettie (which helped relaunch her in the public limelight), also passed away this year - March 11th, 2008, due to complications with leukemia at the age of 52.
Dave Stevens (Wikipedia entry)

Rest in Peace Bettie & Dave...I hope you're both together again in the great hereafter.

world sports

Farewell to Eurovision, Sir Terry...

Veteran presenter Sir Terry Wogan is stepping down as the UK's Eurovision commentator and will be replaced by Graham Norton for the 2009 contest, which will be hosted in Moscow.

Good luck Graham, but the show won't be the same without Wogan's witticisms. And like him, I've grown tired of the bloc-voting by countries out for settling old scores, usually with the UK. Methinks we should follow Sir Terry, and bid Au Revoir, Auf wiedersehen, Arrivederci and Do svidaniya to the contest as well...
Norton is Eurovision's new Wogan

Meanwhile in North London (continued)....

Apparently this is my 500th entry on "Alpha to OM3GA" - I only wished it was on a more happier subject:


The booing of Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue by a section of the fans during the team's 1-0 win over Wigan Athletic yesterday was nothing sort of disgraceful.
Eboue was a first half substitute for the injured Samir Nasri, but had to be replaced by Mikael Silvestre in the 90th minute after continuous barracking.
I admit Eboue had a poor game yesterday and his past history of diving and feigning injury hasn't endeared him to Arsenal supporters who, having paid a considerable sum of money to watch him play, feel entitled to state their point of view. Also this season, I've felt uneasy about the fickleness of modern football with the antics of Emmanuel Adebayor this summer.

However it's evident that this Arsenal team are going through a real topsy-turvy season at present, so how does booing our players going to help their confidence?
Eboue's treatment was embarrassing and despicable.
Wenger says Eboue will bounce back

PS: it was nice to see Eduardo yesterday. Can't wait until he returns....

Bettie Page

Legendary 1950s pinup queen Bettie Page, 85, has been hospitalized in Los Angeles after suffering a heart attack, according to the Associated Press.
Her long-time friend and business agent Mark Roesler said Page had been in hospital for the last three weeks with pneumonia and was about to be released when she had the heart attack last Tuesday. Page was transferred to another hospital in Los Angeles and remained in intensive care Friday.
A family friend, Todd Mueller, said Page was in a coma. When asked to confirm, Roesler said, "I would not deny that," but he would not comment further on her condition.
Page, a secretary turned model, was famous for her curvaceous, leggy frame and raven hairstyle. Her photos included a centerfold in the January 1955 issue of then-fledgling Playboy magazine, as well as controversial sadomasochistic poses, but she abruptly stopped modeling in 1957 and disappeared from the public eye.
I wish her a speedy recovery - Bettie Page was way ahead of her time....
Famed Pinup Girl in Critical Condition

Woolworths Group plc: 1909 - 2008

Well, I'm back from my holidays and I have a few questions to raise in my blog, starting with...the demise of UK retailer Woolworths. The firm, which collapsed late last month, has 815 stores and employs over 25,000 people.

The administrator Deloitte is in talks with a number of companies said to be interested in Woolworths' assets. It is thought that Sainsbury's, Asda, Tesco, the Co-op and discount chain Poundland are interested in picking up some of the retailer's prime stores. Despite the interest, tens of thousands now face redundancies. Indeed administrators of Woolworths have just cut 450 jobs in support operations at their offices in London and Rochdale.
Woolworths cuts 450 support jobs

I remember visiting the store as a kid with my mum for their pic'n'mix sweets and Airfix model kits, and I've read all the stories about how folks are upset about the passing of "Woolies".

But if we're so saddened at the collapse of Woolworths, how come nobody visited their shops recently (except for last-minute gifts)? When was the last time anyone bought anything of any value there?

The sad truth is, while the British shopping public are fond of Woolworths, it was well past its sell-by date...

Woolworths set for administration