After a coupl eof weeks of football, cuminating in two days of extremely exciting quarter-finals, it has been a bit strange to have no World Cup games to watch today.  The TV hasn’t even been turned on today. Really looking forward to the semis now.Weren’t those four quarter-finals brilliant though?  First of all Holland beat Brazil, and then later on Ghana took Uruguay all the way to the wire. Nail-biting stuff which if it was in a film script nobody would have the audacity to write… that Muntari goal which may well be the goal of the tournament set all of Africa alight, and then Uruguay equalised in the second half with a beautiful free kick. As extra time looked like giving way to a penalty shoot-out there was a handball at the very last moment and a penalty awarded to Ghana. Surely this was them through to the next round – but they missed it and it was a shoot-out after all. Fair play to Gyan for taking the first Ghana penalty only minutes after missing the vital one but it all ended in tears.
As if that wasn’t enough, the next day we had Germany absolutely walk over Argentina, beating them even more comprehensively than they beat England. Absolutely awesome to watch, even if there was nothing as cheeky as their first goal against England – surely the football equivalent of fool’s mate?
The first half of the last quarter-final was a bit of a let down after all that, but the second hald was pure drama, with a touch of farce about it. Paraguay got a penalty that looked like it would break the deadlock but it was saved, and then Spain got a penalty themselves almost immediately which was scored, but had to be retaken for dubious reasons, and then the re-take was saved and there should have been yet another penalty given in the follow-up to it. I think it is safe to say that referee will not be on the pitch at the final!
So now we have to look forward to Holland v Uruguay and Spain v Germany. I imagine most neutrals will want to see Uruguay lose after that hand of god incident leaving the way clear to another all-European final. Can’t wait.
Pity your political convictons aren’t expressed with the same enthusiasm as the World Cup.
Has the local Labour Party been rendered impotent by Tory deceit ?
I make no apologies for having a bit of “me time” after the election finished to catch up on my life and concentrate on the day job.
I have read about 15 books, been out to a couple of comedy gigs, re-watched the first three Luc Besson Taxi films, photographed a wedding, seen a lot of football and now expect the next month or two to be occupied with packing, moving house, and coping with a re-org at work and I have no regrets about putting myself first at the moment.
Too right Skuds – you deserve it – but it seems the rest of the Labour Party have joined you at the same time.
Health & Hospitals (eg Bio City), Education & Schools (eg Langley Green), Foxhunting, Freemasons & Developers in Ifield, WSCC\’s \’Pravda\’ lauding the recruitment of US social workers…no shortage of issues to strongly oppose. But what do we hear ? Nothing when it matters, and something when it\’s too late.
Here we are again being ‘shafted’, conned & robbed blind…and those of you being the official political opposition doing sweet fa, it seems to me.
If Skuds had won his seat then he would have been the political opposition and you would be entitled to ask what he was doing with his time. Since he didn\’t (ok, it wasn\’t *likely*) then surely he is entitled to do what normal citizens do? (Jane, not Rob, I\’ve got a dead laptop…)
Richard – what can the opposition do? They have minority of votes, so can’t win that way. There is a large public antipathy still out there, to appeals to popularity won’t work. They have no current leader to rally around.
All we can do is to point out the harm that the government are doing, but I can understand why some are not really in the mood at the moment.
I don’t buy it, Danivon.
The New Statesman & Respect are telling it straight – essentially Old Labour Socialism – the very roots of the Labour Party.
John Prescott & Dianne Abbott are the only ones talking any Labour sense – The Zionist Millipedes are a waste of Labour space. Laura Moffatt…deafened by her silence & lack of support locally…Chris Oxlade shunted to one side…
Get you effing act together !
“What can the opposition do?”, you ask Danivon.
Suggestion : Concentrate on one ‘winnable’ issue – such as Foxhunting & the covert Tory abolition of The Hunting Act
“So what laws would YOU most like to see axed in Great Reform”, Crawley Observer, July 7 2010 – Page 22
“The Candidates for repeal”
‘HUNTING ACT 2004 – opposed in rural areas, also seen as ineffective legislation’
“No Repeal of Hunting Act”, Crawley Observer Letters Page, July 7 2010 – Page 8
‘We believe that repeal of the Hunting Act would be barbaric, and a backward step for a civilised country.
Hunting with dogs was consigned to the history books, because the majority of the public found it abhorrent.
Those calling for repeal of this law are effectively calling for a return of cruelty.
We will vigorously defend the law with all available resources, the backing of our one million-plus supporters, and the vast majority of the public.
We are calling on people to contact their MP’s, asking them to vote to protect the Hunting Act.
The public has consistently opposed the cruel and unnecessary chasing and killing of foxes, deer, hare & mink by dogs, and does not want any return to killing for fun’
John Rolls – RSPCA Director of Animal Welfare Promotion
Douglas Batchelor – Chief Executive, League Against Cruel Sports
Robbie Marsland – UK Director, IFAW
Actually, Richard, I think there’s more mileage in talking about how cuts and tax rises will affect ordinary people.
But your focus is misplaced – MPs in the coalition may well be persuadable on a vote on hunting, but when it comes to a whipped vote Henry will toe the line. It’s less about what happens in Westminster and more about what happens in the country at large.
Of course, you being so successful at political campaigning, we should take your advice, yeah?
Yeah, perhaps you should take some independent advice : 271 votes in Ifield last May, nearly beating the BNP is something of which I am reasonably proud…having played a small – but significant – part in ensuring the BNP did not secure a seat in Ifield over the last 7 years or so.
But that’s of no importance – or interest – to anyone at this time…especially me.
As to your other comments, Danivon, I believe “your focus is misplaced” – and illustrates (to me) one of the reasons why the Labour Party has really lost the plot – especially the moral one.
I think the (apparent) lack of activity could be a good sign. The party is a bit distracted by the leadership contest anyway, but that is sparking an internal debate about what the direction and focus of the party should be.
By the time that is all over we should be in a position to properly oppose what is going on – by that I mean not just complaining about everything but saying what we would do instead.
Happily the country and media will be more open to such things by then. At the moment there is a large amount of, not exactly goodwill, but of giving the coalition a chance. (or giving them enough rope?)
All of which could be more effective than some immediate knee-jery why-oh-whyness with nothing substantial behind it.
Sounds to me like you’ve completely lost your way as a Party
Meanwhile, ‘as Rome burns’, the country gets carved up by the Privateers, to be sold off in bits to the highest bidder, the county suffers massive health (NHS) & education (State) cuts – see West Sussex Gazette Front Page today….and any voice of opposition (Labour) is only evident from Cllr Irvine in the meagre letters pages of the local paper.
I blame the electorate. (Yeah, Jane again…)