Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

"....P.S. Bet you'll name the famous harmonica player from the background music...."

Geo

Pure guess, but Larry Adler?

[tikay]

Sunday aftenoon kippage awaits, + Man City, & golf, on t'telly.

Still need to write about my last few days poker, how I got proper bashed up.

I'm really tempted to write that Derek Thompson tale, too, been thinking about it all morning.

[bobby1]

Sunday aftenoon kippage awaits, + Man City, & golf, on t'telly.

Still need to write about my last few days poker, how I got proper bashed up.

I'm really tempted to write that Derek Thompson tale, too, been thinking about it all morning.

Thommo story plz, 

[Karabiner]

Sunday aftenoon kippage awaits, + Man City, & golf, on t'telly.

Still need to write about my last few days poker, how I got proper bashed up.

I'm really tempted to write that Derek Thompson tale, too, been thinking about it all morning.

Thommo story plz, 

Didn't he have a huge acrimonious falling out with Terry Ramsden a few years back?

[bobby1]

I think it was Jack Ramsden, iirc Thommo told his mates he had heard Ramsden telling KF that 'today is not the day' kind of thing when Top Cees was a blatant non trier at Newmarket a few weeks before it won the Chester cup.

When that episode ended up in court Thommo had to give evidence when he didn't really want to as one of his mates had told the investigation what Thommo had told them.


My fav Thommo fact is one of my favourites, when the IRA were negotiating the supposed release of Shergar Derek Thompson was one of the people they requested go to Ireland and be a middle man in the negotiations.

and they had seen his work before they asked too!!

[Karabiner]

That was it, Jack Ramsden, Emma's dad.

I think his tipping line is a strong candidate for the least profitable over the years too.

[Laxie]

a google image search for knitting patterns brought this up for some reason.  something for everyone here.

Click to see full-size image.

FFS, first LilD, now you. Female Correspondent? Forget it, unless you can mix it up a bit better.

Mix it up better?  Sigh.  Things were just starting to get good around here. 

[Claw75]

a google image search for knitting patterns brought this up for some reason.  something for everyone here.

Click to see full-size image.

FFS, first LilD, now you. Female Correspondent? Forget it, unless you can mix it up a bit better.

Mix it up better?  Sigh.  Things were just starting to get good around here. 

i tried to find a pic of a hot dude with a cement mixer, but seems the two don't really go hand in hand

[Laxie]

a google image search for knitting patterns brought this up for some reason.  something for everyone here.

Click to see full-size image.

FFS, first LilD, now you. Female Correspondent? Forget it, unless you can mix it up a bit better.

Mix it up better?  Sigh.  Things were just starting to get good around here. 

i tried to find a pic of a hot dude with a cement mixer, but seems the two don't really go hand in hand

Yeah, no shit.

[Rod Paradise]

This is a White tailed eagle, & they seem to be prolific in Norway - how great would it be to see these things in real life?

Bit annoying really. I discovred only a few days ago that Iceland is a very good "whale-watching" destination, which came as a shock to me, & I was about to click the button & book a 2 or 3 day trip to go look for myself. (£400, all trips & hotel included). Now I have to decide between Eagles in Norway, or Whales in Iceland. WAL.

http://www.randburg.com/is/whales-around-iceland/index.asp

http://www.randburg.com/is/tourism/whale.html

You get them in Scotland as well Tikay - when you're up the West Coast again go to some of the islands and you've a fair chance of seeing them. They're known as 'Flying Barn Doors' so you won't mistake them if you do.

There was a plan to reintroduce them in East Anglia (a traditional home for the fish eagle) - but too much NIMBYism & scare stories blocked it

Really? Wow, which Islands, Rod?

I visited Skye at Christmas, & took the ferry to Raasay, but "only" spotted cormorants, gulls  & herons. Next trip up there is to the Applecross Peninsula, which looks incredible, & there are no ferries from there, but the ferry from Uig (Isle of Skye) goes across to the Hebrides - would that be the best bet? My next trip up will be between now & May, unsure of dates yet. Everywhere was deserted up there at Xmas, so there will be tourists galore when I return, but if I go in March/April/May, it should not be too bad, & I'm honestly not fussed about bad weather. It's like heaven on earth up there, but the places seem deserted. Very odd.

There's some on Skye, but apparently the Isle of Mull is the best place to see them. And it's a lovely place to go to as well.

[JaffaCake]

Saw honey badgers at the zoo before, they're like pit bulls in disguise. As ever, my interesting fact about them is gleaned from QI, here quoted from wiki...

'They attack by clawing the testicles of an animal, and have been witnessed castrating a full grown buffalo.'

They don't mess about

[Dino]

i tried to find a pic of a hot dude with a cement mixer, but seems the two don't really go hand in hand

I'm no judge of hot dudes,but is this one?

[Claw75]

i tried to find a pic of a hot dude with a cement mixer, but seems the two don't really go hand in hand

Dino for female correspondent imo

[JaffaCake]

Thought you'd like this cheesy American feel good story.

Not sure if I've told u before but my first job in journalism was as a basketball reporter and I'm still a massive fan, plus I'm in a fantasy league with some others ballers (proper use of the term) so still take a daily interest in the NBA.

Last Monday the New York Knicks, who have been one of the big disappointments of the season, decided to start a guy called Jeremy Lin at point guard (basically the playmaker) for the first time. Lin is a Harvard graduate who went undrafted when he left college (ie noone wanted him). He got a two-year contract at Golden State but never started a game and they let him go after just over a year. He went to Houston for 12 days I think, but was then waived again. Then in December New York gave him a similar short-term deal while they got over an injury crisis. Giving this journeyman (he's only 23 or 24 but has already been around) a start was a bit of a desperation/joke decision from an under fire coach.

To even reach the NBA is a big deal for an Ivey League student, he's the first in 10 years to make it, and the first from Harvard in 50 years. To put that in perspective, you're more likely to be president of the USA than an NBA player if u got to Harvard, eight presidents have graduated from Harvard, just three NBA players.

Anyway, Lin was on another short deal after leaving Houston for New York, and has been kipping on his brother's sofa in NY, his brother is at college there and with no job security he obv didn't feel like buying or renting. Both of New York's star players are out at the moment, and they'd been losing anyway, so giving Lin a go was risky but what's the worst that can happen.

Since Monday the Knicks have played four games. They've won all four. Lin has been top scorer in each game, and in his first four starts as an NBA player he's scored more points than any player in history, more than Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, LeBron James, any of them. He's also on a run of scoring at least 20, dishing at least 5 assists and shooting over 50% that is better than anyone ever. On Friday he matched up against Kobe Bryant, one of the all-time greats, and scored 38 points in another great victory.

From being a nobody on the end of the bench kipping on his brother's sofa, he now can't walk down the street, he's an absolute superstar, his replica shirt is now in the top five most purchased in the US. Being one of the few Asian players, he's even bigger news in the Far East too. He's the most humble guy and looks almost embarrassed when he's interviewed. It's amazing that with all the scouting and money in basketball, it seems team after team got it from on Lin, but he seems to have found a home now.

This time last week even Knick fans hadn't heard of him....and they say a week is a long time in politics

[tikay]

Unbelievable story, Jeff, thank you. What a great thing when the little guy makes it big, and those stats, you could not make this stuff up. I sense a film in the making if he continues in this vein.

Can you keep us updated on his progress, please?