From the Orient

A redesign then. Got bored with the last one and decided to go back to the basics one.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find my original CSS file. Luckily, “PapaScott”:http://www.papascott.de/ is still using my design, so I stole it back.

A few minor mods, and here we are. At the same time, I made my MT set up “cruft free”:http://diveintomark.org/archives/2003/08/15/slugs

Before this entry would have had a URL of

http://www.dellah.com/orient/2003/09/30/grand_designs_wars_sos_from_hell.shtml

now it is just

http://www.dellah.com/orient/2003/09/30/design

p.s. “Hello Princess”:http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/

The Return of the King trailer [Via "More Like This":http://www.whump.com/moreLikeThis/link/03655]

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | TV and Radio | Doctor Who returns to TV

bq. Doctor Who, the cult science fiction series, is returning to TV screens.

bq. The much-awaited comeback will be produced for BBC One by BBC Wales and written by the acclaimed Welsh dramatist Russell T Davies - a self-confessed fan.

I’m in Paris again, for a review (Seems a bit extreme but my team leader is French and so is my manager)

This time I have my laptop so can blog from Paris itself. The hotel doesn’t have wireless so this entry will be delayed until I find a network.

Managed to get to Heathrow early and was put on an earlier flight. Luckily it seems because all flights were delayed and I only arrived in Paris 10 minutes before I was supposed to.

Sat next to a guy who was worried that he would miss his next connection. Turns out he worked for Air France doing long haul and his next flight was to Argentina, and he had flown in from Cuba earlier today. Total flight time 35 hours. If he missed the flight, he would have to wait a whole day in a hotel in Paris. Personal, I would have welcomed the delay, so I had a chance to sleep.

As we touched down, and then touched down again and then touched down a third time, he remarked “Interesting”. He explained he was used to flying big 747’s and they are so heavy there is something wrong if they bounce. I remembered the rule about flying, “If the cabin crew look worried, you are in trouble.” Thankfully, the pilot only needed the three attempts to land.

The Utd Arsenal fight was in the French papers too. The picture I saw (under a headline I couldn’t translate[1]) was of Van Nistelrooy doing a piggy back on Viera. I wish I could have found out what the French’s take on the situation was, given that Arsenal are mostly French. Most of the English papers I saw had Keown jumping over Van Nistelrooy at the final whistle. (There was one interesting picture that had Lauren trying to strangle Phil Neville).

The whole thing is real handbags, but I can’t shake the imagine of English fans doing it to a Turkish player and England getting thrown out of the European Championships. I can also imagine, the Turkish player reacting, the Turkish fans reacting, and the Turkish police over-reacting by killing someone. In fact, Keown probably did it at the safest ground, as the prawn sandwich brigade were hardly likely to storm the pitch. Imagine it happening at Millwall.

Even my 3 year old daughter sings “Same old Arsenal, same old cheating” now. Without my prompting I should add, she has just heard it so often. I’ve tried to teach her “Ooh ahh Cantona” but she doesn’t like that.

My hated of Arsenal goes back to 1978. I remember the FA Cup final that year clearer than this years. I told my dad I wanted to support the red team as I was a United fan. Obviously, my dad explained the error of my ways and I became a West Ham fan for the day. West Ham won, but one thing stood out more than anything else. A young West Ham player (Paul Allen) was clean through on goal in the last couple of minutes. He would have been the youngest player ever to score in a Cup Final. Cynically, an Arsenal player (Willie Young) brought him down from behind and his chance was gone. He didn’t even get booked (this was before the days of the professional foul) and young Allen (related to Clive and the rest of the family no doubt) was denied his place in the record books. It felt so unfair that I’ve hated Arsenal ever since.

UPDATE: I may just buy “this DVD of the game”:http://www.ciao.co.uk/1980_FA_Cup_Final_Arsenal_v_West_Ham__Review_5341383

[1] Except for the word Arsenal

Arsenal’s fault is a collective one. Punishing individuals has failed to reform characters or bring compliance with acceptable minimum standards of conduct. The only sanction that might possibly force the club to change its ways must be considered: points deduction.

Completely biased (maybe, I hope now) points now follow:-

1. The game was desperately dull until Viera’s first booking. (It was relieved by read Thomas the Tank Engine to the children).

2. Van Nistelrooys challenge on Viera was clumsy, and perhaps justified a booking.

3. Viera clearly retaliation was from a man incensed, and was very stupid. Eric Cantona learned not to do that. David Beckham has learned not to do it. Blimey, even Roy Keane has learned not to do it (spats with Alan Shearer aside) (and McAteer)(okay, maybe he hasn’t).

4. Perhaps Van Nistelrooy doesn’t like being kicked and flinched when a boot came his way.

5. Much in the same way, you’d be floored if a Sol Cambell catches you in the face with an elbow, you’d try to leap out of the way of Patrick Viera kicking at you. Hell, if Roy Keane started looking like he might put his foot near my sensitive middle regions, I’d start running and wouldn’t look back until I was half way down the M6.

6. Viera got a deserved second booking and was sent off.

7. It was not clear whether it was a penalty or not from the TV replays.

8. Eric was the penalty king and Ruud has now really ruined his reputation.

9. I was truly shocked by the ganging up of the Arsenal players at full time against Ruud.

10. Credit to Ruud for not reacting in any way, making sure any possible FA punishment will not be coming his way.

11. Keown jumped in on Ruud, surreptitiously (as much as a man like Keown can be surreptitious) giving Ruud a forearm smash to the back of Ruud’s head. Ray Parlour and Ashley Cole both managed to land weird half-girly punches to the midriff. And Lauren got in a good school yard shove. Frankly, I’d have turned round and fought back (I’d have gone primarily for Ray Parlour given he is the most girly). Clearly, as a Dutch man, Ruud had been smoking something to keep him calm.

12. Roy Keane acted as a peacemaker!

13. Ronaldo has got a bit of a temper on him. Maybe, he’s had enough of being kicked already.

14. Speaking of Ronaldo, going back to the first half, seeing him put Ashley Cole on his arse was the funniest thing I’d seen in ages. Old school wingery.

15. I think Arsenal are in a lot of trouble.

16. Wenger didn’t mention the after match brawl, but privately he should be furious with his players. They have potentially cost his side points (whilst I would love to see Arsenal having points docked; I think that would be harsh), or certain players getting lengthy bans. Wenger can’t afford to lose Keown , because he might have to play Cygan. If Wenger isn’t angry with them, then this is where the problem lies, and 3 points lost will have the Arsenal board wondering if Wenger really is the best man for the job.

17. Chelsea will win the league this season, provided Ranieri can keep all his stars happy.

18. What on earth are Tottenham doing sacking Glenn Hoddle? Okay, I don’t think he is a good manager, but he’s got a few new signings, let them settle in, don’t sack him in the first month of the season.

19. Alan Pardew as the new Tottenham manager?

When next annoyed with the BBC, just turn to its website and gaze upon news in 43 languages, news that is more read than on any other website in the world. Or the CBeebies site for children. Look up anything at all and savour the tone of authority, balance and depth. In the end, the BBC’s strength depends on enough people putting aside personal irritations with it to make sure no one dares harm a digital, online or terrestrial hair on its head.