Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Fashion-house Dior are on the hunt for a new chief Designer, after John Galliano's extraordinary "I love Hitler" outburst.

Videos emerged of his having a drunken rant & announcing...

".....I love Hitler... People like you would be dead. Your mothers, your forefathers would all be fucking gassed......"

Natalie Portman, who earns a fortune as the "Face of Dior" perfumery", immediately said she would not be associated with Dior if Galliano kept his job. He did not.

Mr Galliano was British Designer of the Year in 1984, 1994, 1995, & 1997.

In 2001 he was made a CBE, & in 2009, he was admitted to the French Legion of Honour.

He had a good run, by the look of it, but his Ron Atkinson moment will cost him dear. Gotta pay your bills in life, & if you think these sort of things, eventually you will say them, & alcohol does a grand job in that respect.

I've decided not to use Dior clothes or perfume ever again. Matalan ftw.

[technolog]

The Beer Fridge was open again today, I can't remember the last time it was not, once in the last 3 months, maybe?, & that was due to a bad set of footie results. Today's weekly summary was a total green out - a mind-blowing 40 straight greens. Incred.

Tell us more about the beer fridge. Not for me you understand. It's just that The duke keeps going on about it

[the sicilian]

A fashion designer who was an arrogant pretentious prick....... Shocker

[skolsuper]

I've decided not to use Dior clothes or perfume ever again.

Lol, quality tikay

[tikay]

Sir Alex Ferguson must be a candidate for the greatest Football Manager ever, & deffo the best Premiership Manager, by a mile, & I admire him & his record immensely. But like the Manager I most admire, Wenger, he seems to have blind spots, literally & otherwiseally.

Rooney elbows someone in the face last weekend, "nothing to see here", a few days later at Stamford Bridge, Rooney gets clattered by Luiz, & Fergie throws a mega-strop. Bet he'd not mind if Luiz was in his Team, though, he looks a bit special.

The same weekend as Rooney never elbowed anyone, the Six Nations took place, & we were treated to some real bruising stuff, proper men. Not beyond fouls, or cheating, but no ankle-nippers here, proper men.

I adore the Six Nations stuff, it's a breath of fresh air after the admittedly entertaining Premiership football fare we see every week.

I keep musing what may ensue if Rooney & Sebastien Chabel were ever on the same pitch, on opposing sides. We are supposed to "hate" the French RU Team, we just are, but this geezer scares the life out of me just to look at him. What a character. I don't think Rooney would be elbowing him twice.

[tikay]

Not sure what may happen if Martin Johnson ever shared a pitch with Chabel, maybe they once did, back in the day, but I have a man love for Martin. If you played or worked for him, I don't think you'd want to let him down. Only the once, anyway.

Who would you least prefer the hairdryer treatment from?

[RED-DOG]

A fashion designer who was an arrogant pretentious prick....... Shocker

Oh I don't mind the arrogant pretentious pricks. They're harmless enough really.

It's the genocidal bigots you have to watch out for.

[tikay]

I took a rare opportunity to rest up last weekend, & spent Saturday at DTD, I've not been there in a while.

The place continues to deliver. Every time I go there, they have changed something. Tweaked this, fiddled with that, added something else. It's a Masterclass in how even the best busineses must never stand still, must keep working at it.

Every time they change something - which I'm sure they give some considerable thought to - some will say "great news", others will say that thing which must so piss DTD (or any other forward thinking business) off "they've not given much thought to this, have they?", or that worst of the worst, usuallly from some plebhead, "sort it out".

Rob is not an angel, not by any means, & DTD don't get everything right, but they don't half try, & I adore him, & them, for that.

Doubtless Rob will be at Nuneaton Town, today, with his other baby - Eastwood Town FC.

When he is not doing his day job - running the sF Group - or his Charity - "SF Charity" - see, here http://www.sfcharity.co.uk/manage.htm , he keeps himself busy, & has a remarkably pleasant personality, especially considering he's an accountant by profession.

I almost feel bad that this sounds like a love-in, but I so admire peeps who fill their lives usefully. I have no idea how they manage their time so well, either. 

[tikay]

I played the £100 at DTD, & did not see much action with the cards, though I was in OK shape all day, before I lost a flip quite late on, when I was "on the move", & matey-boys J-J held v my 8-3.

Had some grand tables, though, much chatting & laughter. My first Table had one kid with a face like a seaside donkey, never spoke or smiled once, & a sense of humour to match, but after playing every single hand, he failed to make the start of Level 2. Very unlucky mate. He left the table whinging & moaning like a 2 year old. Twat. I managed to engage with him briefly, & he was a recreational player, & he had what he described as a humdrum job, & poker was his "fun outlet". Gotta wonder what he looks like when he's not having fun. But that apart, fun tables - by which I mean we could talk to others & get an answer, & played the game in a nice competitive spirit, but no bad blood. "Fun" tables are the very essence of Live Poker.

My last Table held a pleasant surprise. A fresh faced boy introduced himself to me - "are you Tony Kendall?", he spoke with a beautifully clipped public school accent, & was deferential & polite.

I had to do a double take - I thought at first it was Simon Deadman - & Simon can do no wrong in my eyes, he's such a fine guy in every way. I had my "wrong" glasses on, but closer inspection revealed a slightly less handsome & probably less angelic version of Simon, it was none other than Cambridge Alex.

Which was great. I've read his Diary from start to finish, & he intrigues me, but I had never knowingly met him, & wanted to know if he was as good - or bad - as he comes across in his Diary. Readers will know that he "bites" very easily, but seems a sound lad at heart.

I could not help myself, & I threw out some bait. "Lovely to meet you in the flesh, you seem much nicer than you do Online".

"Excuse me?"

I explained that on his Diary, sometimes, just sometimes, & no doubt like me, but not as bad, he could come across as...a bit of a cock.

His face was a picture, he flushed up, his jaw went up & down, but no words came out.

"Do what?".

I hope I re-assured him that I was just messing, & we chatted away 13 to the dozen. Quite a character.

He's one of those boys who thinks that once you put money in the pot, you must never fold, not if you are a propa playa. I messed with him a bit, "I have 12 Bigs, how many orbits do you think I should sit tight for - 3, 4?"

He counselled the view that I ought to get busy PDQ, "why wait longer?".

So, that very orbit, I decided to impress him with my skillz, & I button-shoved with 8-3, got looked up by Jacks, & bade my farewell.

1-1, I guess.

PS - Good Diary, Alex, & I like the love for Mum.

[tikay]

Another chap introduced himself to me - "david3013" - lovely guy. I enjoy meeting, in real life, "aliases", faceless names from the internet. Liked him a lot.

"I read it every day, I don't Post much, but love your Diary, Tom" he said.

Bugger.

[MereNovice]

The level of cheating (by which I mean sly rule infraction rather than robust physical assaults) in Rugby Union has sadly increased enormously since the advent of professionalism. Probably looking through rose-tinted glasses, the only significant instance of cheating I can remember from my younger days was the All Black Andy Haden diving in a line-out against Wales to gain a penalty that won the match. In some ways it could be viewed as a comically bad dive but it was a dark day in rugby brought about by a man who has since shown himself to be a racist.

In professional Rugby Union it is commonplace to see players throw the ball away or refuse to give it up after committing an offence. This, of course, is generally penalised by advancing the penalty ten metres. Players also often try to prevent their opponents from taking quick line-outs. In an international last year the Australian Drew Mitchell was sent off (after previously receiving a yellow card) for this offence. If players were sent off in football for not retreating 10 yards at a free-kick no game would finish - perhaps that might be a good thing.

The bloodgate incident at Harlequins led to coach Dean Richards receiving a three year ban. Olivier Azam "dived" after being head-butted in a Gloucester Cardiff Heineken cup match. He was criticised by the opposition manager (David Young) but I do not recall his own manager (Dean Ryan) defending him.

However, I can't recall any instances of rugby union players shooting staff with air rifles.

[the sicilian]

A fashion designer who was an arrogant pretentious prick....... Shocker

Oh I don't mind the arrogant pretentious pricks. They're harmless enough really.

It's the genocidal bigots you have to watch out for.

Think history shows its uaually a small jump

[Acidmouse]

John Galliano has a history of Anti semantic rants. The problem is because of who he is people have let it slide and blamed pressures and drink for it. There is a funny story going around that his family history has Jewish blood in it and that's why he rants and rants about Jews. Me thinks thou protests too much M'Lord.

[MereNovice]

John Galliano has a history of Anti semantic Semitic rants. The problem is because of who he is people have let it slide and blamed pressures and drink for it. There is a funny story going around that his family history has Jewish blood in it and that's why he rants and rants about Jews. Me thinks thou protests too much M'Lord.

fyp.
Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

[Jon MW]

John Galliano has a history of Anti semantic Semitic rants. The problem is because of who he is people have let it slide and blamed pressures and drink for it. There is a funny story going around that his family history has Jewish blood in it and that's why he rants and rants about Jews. Me thinks thou protests too much M'Lord.

fyp.
Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

I think he might have made anti-semantic remarks as well, always banging on about how it was time someone made it easier to tell the difference between their and there.

But only when he was drunk obviously, that's why people let it slide.