Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[JaffaCake]

Up for your Sky thing, let me know the dates an stuff, finally got sent contracts so looks like me n Stu are staying!

Talking of basketball terms, any idea why putting spin on the ball in called 'English'? Same when u watch nine-ball, they call spin English. Here's another great new point guard, he's great to watch, Ricky Rubio of the Minnesota Timberwolves, providing an assist with added English....

[ManuelsMum]

Up for your Sky thing, let me know the dates an stuff, finally got sent contracts so looks like me n Stu are staying!

Talking of basketball terms, any idea why putting spin on the ball in called 'English'? Same when u watch nine-ball, they call spin English. Here's another great new point guard, he's great to watch, Ricky Rubio of the Minnesota Timberwolves, providing an assist with added English....

Amazing. Must have practised it so many times.

Check out Picard's hands. He's talking, but he's moving out his hand in a certain way to add emphasis to what he's saying.
You can make a similar type of motion with your hands when you throw a ball, thus the latter became known as 'body english'. The off-axis spin motion of the ball itself is derived from this, and known simply as 'english'.

[Machka]

Up for your Sky thing, let me know the dates an stuff, finally got sent contracts so looks like me n Stu are staying!

Talking of basketball terms, any idea why putting spin on the ball in called 'English'? Same when u watch nine-ball, they call spin English. Here's another great new point guard, he's great to watch, Ricky Rubio of the Minnesota Timberwolves, providing an assist with added English....

It's because American's didn't know you could put side spin on a ball until an Englishman showed them how to do it^*.

* may not be entirely correct.

[tikay]

Up for your Sky thing, let me know the dates an stuff, finally got sent contracts so looks like me n Stu are staying!

Talking of basketball terms, any idea why putting spin on the ball in called 'English'? Same when u watch nine-ball, they call spin English. Here's another great new point guard, he's great to watch, Ricky Rubio of the Minnesota Timberwolves, providing an assist with added English....

Morning Jeff.

Great news on the contracts, for both of you. Stu told me the good news yesterday as to himself, but he was discretely non-committal about you, so I'm pleased it came through.

Them boys cut it a bit fine, eh?

I hope you & your sponsor both have a terrific year.

PS - You doing Vegas this year? I see you in the Main, year after year, sitting there with a big stack, maybe this year it will be your turn to have a real deep run.

[tikay]

Jeff asks about the origin of the term "english" to describe spin on a ball.

The ever fascinating Mother of Manuel came up with a splendid answer. I'm not sure it is correct, but it's a great answer, & described in a great way.

A few things about it.....

I thought the term ONLY applied to pool, snooker, & other "cue ball games", but seemingly it has spread.

It apparently derived in India, when the colonial British were out there, & which was when "traditional" snooker, as we know it (Steve Davis stylee) was invented.

It does not really originate to mean "spin", it really means "side", or "draw".

The term was, I thought, exclusive to America.

In The UK, we call it what it is - "side".

The pearl in this little oyster of a question, though, is in a little known oddity - the expression is NOT capitalised - it is "english", NOT "English".

Quite disgraceful, but true.

PS - incred skills by the basketball chap, nothing delights me more than a point guard applying english.......

[tikay]

Good news & sad news tis morning.

Alex - carol singer, piano player extraordinaire - he can do Rach's 9th - croquet playing, Beemer driving, ace pokerist living the dream, cat lover & Hannah lover, has gone & got himself a tattoo. A tattoo.

I shall never forgive Greeky, I blame him for this.

That lovely body of Alex's, forever marked.

Jeez, I so dislike the idea of tattoos.

I'm really not sure if my love for Alex will survive this.

Hiowever, good news this morning, too.....

[tikay]

In my garden this morning, feeding, were 2 pigeons, a robin, & TWO blue tits.

Happy days!

Obviously, my camera was in the car, & I was in my jim-jams, & by the time I had organised myself, the birds had flown away.

Still, there is hope yet. Tom really gave me the rub yesterday whenI bemoaned the lack of birds around my feeder - "mine is packed out, abso rammed with birds, all day long". I'm not jealous, not in the slightest.

[tikay]

Today, I am mainly going here.

Click to see full-size image.

[RED-DOG]

In my garden this morning, feeding, were 2 pigeons, a robin, & TWO blue tits.

Happy days!

Obviously, my camera was in the car, & I was in my jim-jams, & by the time I had organised myself, the birds had flown away.

Still, there is hope yet. Tom really gave me the rub yesterday whenI bemoaned the lack of birds around my feeder - "mine is packed out, abso rammed with birds, all day long". I'm not jealous, not in the slightest.

Bloody goldfinches. Can't move for them here.

Click to see full-size image.

[Machka]

Today, I am mainly going here.

Click to see full-size image.

http://www.broadlandsestates.co.uk/

[ManuelsMum]

In my garden this morning, feeding, were 2 pigeons, a robin, & TWO blue tits.

Happy days!

Obviously, my camera was in the car, & I was in my jim-jams, & by the time I had organised myself, the birds had flown away.

Still, there is hope yet. Tom really gave me the rub yesterday whenI bemoaned the lack of birds around my feeder - "mine is packed out, abso rammed with birds, all day long". I'm not jealous, not in the slightest.

Bloody goldfinches. Can't move for them here.

Nice pic Tom. Mostly chaffinches around here.
Last year I was walking in the garden and one of them swooped to the ground, about 5 feet from me, started singing like crazy. I went back in and got some seeded bread for him. After that, for several months, he would always come close when I was anywhere in the garden. About once a day he would come to the back door and demand to be fed. There were loads of other chaffinches and none of them would come near me. Here he is, about 2 feet away. Quite bizarre really.

[RED-DOG]

Avery escapee imo.

[Junior Senior]

In my garden this morning, feeding, were 2 pigeons, a robin, & TWO blue tits.

Happy days!

Obviously, my camera was in the car, & I was in my jim-jams, & by the time I had organised myself, the birds had flown away.

Still, there is hope yet. Tom really gave me the rub yesterday whenI bemoaned the lack of birds around my feeder - "mine is packed out, abso rammed with birds, all day long". I'm not jealous, not in the slightest.

Bloody goldfinches. Can't move for them here.

Nice pic Tom. Mostly chaffinches around here.
Last year I was walking in the garden and one of them swooped to the ground, about 5 feet from me, started singing like crazy. I went back in and got some seeded bread for him. After that, for several months, he would always come close when I was anywhere in the garden. About once a day he would come to the back door and demand to be fed. There were loads of other chaffinches and none of them would come near me. Here he is, about 2 feet away. Quite bizarre really.

Since we moved 3 months ago. We have been getting all sorts out in the sticks. First time I have ever seen redwings and fieldfares. We get about ten pheasants in the garden each morning and a sparrowhawk visitor every night to pick off the pigeons and collared doves. Nice vid by the way

[SuuPRlim]

In my garden this morning, feeding, were 2 pigeons, a robin, & TWO blue tits.

Happy days!

What a life, and what a busy garden....

[ManuelsMum]

In my garden this morning, feeding, were 2 pigeons, a robin, & TWO blue tits.

Happy days!

What a life, and what a busy garden....

lol epic wp