This has been a wash out day of my own making as for the second time within a matter of days I was unable to sleep, got up and only managed to sleep after the dawn with the consequence that it was nearly one pm before I was up to face the day, and continued to feel the effects until just before midnight!
I used the waking time first to follow what was happening at Canterbury and Nottingham. Nottingham County Cricket team had collapsed against Hampshire in a game they needed to win to be certain of the County Championship. Hampshire who might win the Championship if they won and other results went their way batted well for throughout the day amassing a lead of over 300 runs. This is still a possible target as the weather is set fair although sides scoring over 300 runs at this ground this season have been few and far between and doing so on the fourth day.
Meanwhile at Canterbury Durham maintained the momentum of their overnight second innings and went to declare at 500 for 8 with Breese not out 121 and Mustard making 83. At one point it looked as if the match would be won by the close of play as the first five Kent wickets fell for.58 runs (8.11.17, 47 and 58) The Kent team was obviously demoralised by the turn of events having failed to win either the Provident Trophy losing to Essex or the 20 20 Cup, they now face relegation to the second division for the first time since the two division structure was created. However there was a rally with the sixth wicket partnership making 100 runs so far. They still require another 125 to make Durham bat again, so the media is now saying that Durham should end the day winning their first championship. My Saturday will also be spent before the TV from around 10.30am assuming I am awake and up by then. I will not be going to Newcastle for the next home game.
The present owner and management have appointed a temporary Manager, called Joe Kinnear, a good manager in his day but without a job since 2004, a former playing friend of Denise Wise is the connection. It is difficult to see what he can bring to the team having been out of the loop for four years, even on a temporary basis. The rumour is being spread by Joe and the club as well as the Nigerian consortium that they are close to a deal and that Keegan and Shearer are waiting in the wings. Such a turn of events would almost wipe out the pain, the anger, the disappoint and sense of betrayal the actions of Ashley and co have created during the past month. However I, and fortunately I am not alone, will believe it when we see it. If the club is not sold then Kinnear will continue and even if the club is sold there is no reason to assume that Keegan, Shearer, or Keegan and Shearer will form the management coaching team and again Kinnear would continues especially if his results were reasonable. Once the genie is out of the bottle it becomes increasingly more difficult to put it back the longer freedom to create mayhem is experienced.
A more dangerous genie has been unleashed by the financial men and women who made vast personal fortunes at the expense of the rest of the people in the USA, Britain and capitalist democracies who have tied themselves to the USA and British financial systems and created the strong possibility of a major economic down turn and prolonged depression. The good outcome is that the policy of Thatcher, Blair and Brown here in Britain and Clinton and Bush in the USA of giving as much freedom as possible to make money by speculating in shares, currency and commodities will come to an end, at least for a time. The problem for the USA rather than GB is that the heavy hand of the state is anathema for most of the population and the majority would prefer that those directly responsible suffer without the general population having to pay the price. There is one exception to the opposition of heavy hand of the state. Too readily the majority of the population appears to line up behind anyone who declares any fellow citizen to be un American. Until this week they were also to ready to support anyone who advocated that convicted criminals should be shown the clunking fist of punishment but continued to reward with untold riches and status those who accumulated great wealth at the expenses of the majority, especially if the majority were non Americans.
I came across an example of the urge to punish without mercy, without respect for human life or regard for the teachings of Christ when in the evening I was contacted on My Space by Shaun Attwood who admits in the full length radio interview that he was a young hedonist, recreational drug user when he went to the USA and set up a business promoting raves and was arrested as part of a major crack down! Unfortunately for him and others who are accused of committing offences the local elected Sheriff is in charge of the jails, these are the pre-trial holding areas, and with the approval of the population had adopted a create hell situation in which racial gangs are allowed to run the jail. Smashing up prisoners at whim, murdering some along with the few guards and rape including gang rape commonplace. They places are over run with vermin, the food is bad, the health care non existent and the temperature dangerous. Guantanamo Bay is by comparison a holiday camp. Because he refused plea bargaining and elected to go to trial he remained on remand for two years and then was sentenced to ten, serving six before expelled back to the UK and is now attempting to create a new life for himself as a writer. The available evidence is that this Sheriff is behaving no different for the Concentration Commandant in the Boy with striped pyjamas and the good citizens who elected the Sherriff no different from the Germans who thought Hitler was God and the Gestapo. Heavenly angels.
If these good folk had their way the bankers and dealers who have caused the great financial crisis would be strung up before burning crosses a la Ku Klux Clan. Unfortunate such people are needed to get us all out of the mess much like the west recruited the best German talent after world war two and we court Russian and Chinese money however it was gained and what cost of human life.
I struggled to stay up to watch the first televised debate between Senator's McCain and Obama. My reaction prior reaction was that Senator McCain had shot himself in the foot. He announced that the debate should be cancelled and that he would return to Washington to help solve the failure of the Senate to support the Presidential plan to prevent the financial crisis turning into meltdown and bringing down the economy. He criticised Senator Obama for not agreeing to do this. Unfortunately when he went to Washington he was given a flea in his ear by his own party. One great idea was to restrict the pay and bonuses of the executives of the failing companies $400000, the amount which the president is officially paid. Of course this idea was unacceptable to his party and un-American and very Sarah Palinish.
However I warmed to his performance when he set about attacking every aspect of George Bushes financial and economic policy of the past eight years. I wondered if he meant it was a desperate bid to gain the White House by attacking the foundations of his political party. Obama was very good and has the gift of the gab but whereas McCain has said enough to convince me has the required ruthless streak to do the right things once he gets into office I am still not sure about Senator Obama.
It is a year since the death of my mother at 100.75. The great North Run is on Sunday. Durham could win the County Cricket Championship tomorrow. Not all Genie's are Mayhem creators.
I have no idea what crunk is!
I used the waking time first to follow what was happening at Canterbury and Nottingham. Nottingham County Cricket team had collapsed against Hampshire in a game they needed to win to be certain of the County Championship. Hampshire who might win the Championship if they won and other results went their way batted well for throughout the day amassing a lead of over 300 runs. This is still a possible target as the weather is set fair although sides scoring over 300 runs at this ground this season have been few and far between and doing so on the fourth day.
Meanwhile at Canterbury Durham maintained the momentum of their overnight second innings and went to declare at 500 for 8 with Breese not out 121 and Mustard making 83. At one point it looked as if the match would be won by the close of play as the first five Kent wickets fell for.58 runs (8.11.17, 47 and 58) The Kent team was obviously demoralised by the turn of events having failed to win either the Provident Trophy losing to Essex or the 20 20 Cup, they now face relegation to the second division for the first time since the two division structure was created. However there was a rally with the sixth wicket partnership making 100 runs so far. They still require another 125 to make Durham bat again, so the media is now saying that Durham should end the day winning their first championship. My Saturday will also be spent before the TV from around 10.30am assuming I am awake and up by then. I will not be going to Newcastle for the next home game.
The present owner and management have appointed a temporary Manager, called Joe Kinnear, a good manager in his day but without a job since 2004, a former playing friend of Denise Wise is the connection. It is difficult to see what he can bring to the team having been out of the loop for four years, even on a temporary basis. The rumour is being spread by Joe and the club as well as the Nigerian consortium that they are close to a deal and that Keegan and Shearer are waiting in the wings. Such a turn of events would almost wipe out the pain, the anger, the disappoint and sense of betrayal the actions of Ashley and co have created during the past month. However I, and fortunately I am not alone, will believe it when we see it. If the club is not sold then Kinnear will continue and even if the club is sold there is no reason to assume that Keegan, Shearer, or Keegan and Shearer will form the management coaching team and again Kinnear would continues especially if his results were reasonable. Once the genie is out of the bottle it becomes increasingly more difficult to put it back the longer freedom to create mayhem is experienced.
A more dangerous genie has been unleashed by the financial men and women who made vast personal fortunes at the expense of the rest of the people in the USA, Britain and capitalist democracies who have tied themselves to the USA and British financial systems and created the strong possibility of a major economic down turn and prolonged depression. The good outcome is that the policy of Thatcher, Blair and Brown here in Britain and Clinton and Bush in the USA of giving as much freedom as possible to make money by speculating in shares, currency and commodities will come to an end, at least for a time. The problem for the USA rather than GB is that the heavy hand of the state is anathema for most of the population and the majority would prefer that those directly responsible suffer without the general population having to pay the price. There is one exception to the opposition of heavy hand of the state. Too readily the majority of the population appears to line up behind anyone who declares any fellow citizen to be un American. Until this week they were also to ready to support anyone who advocated that convicted criminals should be shown the clunking fist of punishment but continued to reward with untold riches and status those who accumulated great wealth at the expenses of the majority, especially if the majority were non Americans.
I came across an example of the urge to punish without mercy, without respect for human life or regard for the teachings of Christ when in the evening I was contacted on My Space by Shaun Attwood who admits in the full length radio interview that he was a young hedonist, recreational drug user when he went to the USA and set up a business promoting raves and was arrested as part of a major crack down! Unfortunately for him and others who are accused of committing offences the local elected Sheriff is in charge of the jails, these are the pre-trial holding areas, and with the approval of the population had adopted a create hell situation in which racial gangs are allowed to run the jail. Smashing up prisoners at whim, murdering some along with the few guards and rape including gang rape commonplace. They places are over run with vermin, the food is bad, the health care non existent and the temperature dangerous. Guantanamo Bay is by comparison a holiday camp. Because he refused plea bargaining and elected to go to trial he remained on remand for two years and then was sentenced to ten, serving six before expelled back to the UK and is now attempting to create a new life for himself as a writer. The available evidence is that this Sheriff is behaving no different for the Concentration Commandant in the Boy with striped pyjamas and the good citizens who elected the Sherriff no different from the Germans who thought Hitler was God and the Gestapo. Heavenly angels.
If these good folk had their way the bankers and dealers who have caused the great financial crisis would be strung up before burning crosses a la Ku Klux Clan. Unfortunate such people are needed to get us all out of the mess much like the west recruited the best German talent after world war two and we court Russian and Chinese money however it was gained and what cost of human life.
I struggled to stay up to watch the first televised debate between Senator's McCain and Obama. My reaction prior reaction was that Senator McCain had shot himself in the foot. He announced that the debate should be cancelled and that he would return to Washington to help solve the failure of the Senate to support the Presidential plan to prevent the financial crisis turning into meltdown and bringing down the economy. He criticised Senator Obama for not agreeing to do this. Unfortunately when he went to Washington he was given a flea in his ear by his own party. One great idea was to restrict the pay and bonuses of the executives of the failing companies $400000, the amount which the president is officially paid. Of course this idea was unacceptable to his party and un-American and very Sarah Palinish.
However I warmed to his performance when he set about attacking every aspect of George Bushes financial and economic policy of the past eight years. I wondered if he meant it was a desperate bid to gain the White House by attacking the foundations of his political party. Obama was very good and has the gift of the gab but whereas McCain has said enough to convince me has the required ruthless streak to do the right things once he gets into office I am still not sure about Senator Obama.
It is a year since the death of my mother at 100.75. The great North Run is on Sunday. Durham could win the County Cricket Championship tomorrow. Not all Genie's are Mayhem creators.
I have no idea what crunk is!
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