Luton & The Aftermath - Diary

[celtic]

16st 8.25lbs in the Friday weigh in.

Fading away.

[celtic]

you limped the 56, apologies, I didn't realise it was 56 of parsley.

You called a raise with Q9, and shipped the KQ.

It's ridic cold that the Q9 isn't good there.

how does the fish lead out with a set there, mbn.

Not only lead out, but told him what I had..

[celtic]

'Played' poker Monday & thursday, I'm running bad, and playing bad. The worst combination possible probably.

Missing most of my draws, and when I do get there on the turn, I'm normally rivered. Getting it in, infront, and being turned or rivered. All standard stuff, but it's affecting confidence a bit. And that in turn, is leading me to play bad.

Playing two tournies over the weekend, tonight at the G, and tomorrow at Stanley's. They are going to be very important to me, will play them to best of my ability. I really need to convert one of them into a decent result, and hopefully play well in the process.

Good luck me.

[celtic]

The creator of OFAH, John Sullivan died today after a short illness.

He gave me some of the best laughs I have ever had, or ever will probably, and only today, was watching the episode were Del goes on a quiz show. I must have seen it over a dozen times, some episodes more than that. I laugh everytime.

Very sad.

RIP

[77dave]

.

[celtic]

.

That was my intended second clip, but fked up the url link.

So much comedy that could be posted on here.

Just read Rock & chips is on again next week, obviously not as good, but still very clever.

[celebspec]

WTF is going on in Glasgow at the moment?

I'm obviously out of touch, as haven't lived there for years, but, come on! sending explosive devices to someone because of the team they are linked with?

These idiots obviously don't think, prob goes without saying, but do they really think someone like Neil Lennon opens his own mail? It's just a joke. And now the police are advising prominent officials of Rangers may be targetted in tit for tat attacks. Why? Because some probable sad loner, sat in his bedroom in his pants making home made explosive devices has angered them? Just ridiculous.

I love the banter of the old firm, I do think it can only be understood if you are from that background. And easily misunderstood, if you are not. There is obviously a lot of venom, but there is a lot of that in any rivalry, but a large amount of it can be good natured. I'd happily slag someone like Boba, because he supports Rangers, I would hate it if Rangers won the league, he will happily rub it in. But would I want him to be maimed or injured because he supports Rangers? Nope, besides, who would fund my trips to Glasgow in the future?

Its also assuming a Rangers fan is behind it.  Lennon is from a country with a volatile political background.

Unreasonable assumption? I don't think it is, if i'm honest.

I think thats part of the problem.  If something happens the other half of the old firm is automatically blamed.  Im not saying a Rangers fan/fans arent behind it, but Lennon deff is not in a situation where he is only hated by Rangers fans.  It is entirely possible the motivation behind it is political and nothing to do with football.

This has nothing to do with football or indeed politics.   Lennon is not a hate figure for Rangers fans simply because he plays for Celtic, indeed he is certainly not a hate figure because of his politics, because he isn't motivated by politics.  He is hated because he is an Irish Catholic.

There is no substance in the latest stories peddled by the Scottish media, why are people associated with Rangers on high alert?  This is an attempt to balance things up and potray this as a Ones As Bad As The Other.  When clearly that is not the case.

http://www.talfanzine.com/apps/blog/show/6815193-the-bombs-the-bigots-and-the-law-

The Bombs, The Bigots and The Law...

The 'viable' nail bomb devices recently discovered in transit to the Celtic manager Neil Lennon and 'high profile Celtic supporters' marks a new departure in the conflict that is lovingly referred to in Scottish sports media circles as the '"OF" Divide'. However, this represents only a new departure in terms of tactics rather than overall strategy, because Celtic fans have for years been the victims of a low level terrorist campaign of racist and sectarian attacks against them by an extreme loyalist element that attaches itself to the Scotland's Shame FC Football Club and for which the term 'zero tolerance' applies only to the  'taigs' and tims for whom they hold such irrational hatred.

This latest 'crackdown' on the peddlers of internet hate campaigns will be a mostly superficial, public relations driven non-event that will hardly scratch the surface of the real underlying problem of loyalist-inspired 'sectarianism' and anti-Irish/anti-Catholic hatred.

As a lawyer Paul McBride QC has a somewhat blind faith in the ability of the law to provide a solution to this problem. In his interview with the BBC it is interesting that he named everyone - (the clubs, the managers, the players, the police, the courts, the politicians) - that is everyone, except those with the power to make the necessary changes - THE FANS. As one of the intended recipients of the nail bombs, Mr McBride is more than most entitled to his opinion, but it is a predictable call for action from someone who makes a living from the law, entirely understandable, but in the opinion of this blogger, also entirely incorrect as long as the proposed solution does not include the source of the problem - the Scotland's Shame FC support.

Any 'solution' that does not involve the supporters as its main component is not a solution, it's a smokescreen for a more authoritarian approach by those who run football, government and the law. In other words, the long-awaited 'solution' will be administered by those who refused to acknowledge that the problem existed in the first place. Remember also that this demand for a 'crackdown' by the forces of law and order is an appeal to those very same forces of law and order who 'advised' a media blackout of the nail bomb story. Were it not for the endeavours of Irish journalist Phil MacGiollaBhain we might still be none the wiser.

http://www.philmacgiollabhain.com/the-teachable-moment/#comment-5836

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2011/apr/20/celtic-newspapers

Had the institutions of football acted years ago to face down the loyalist-fascist bigots that attach themselves to Scotland's Shame FC, and called sectarian attacks and racist murders for what they really were, we may not have reached the current situation of bullets and bombs in the post. Indeed lives may well have been saved and the situation defused by such a proactive campaign against bigotry rather than encouraged by a combination of the deliberate misrepresentation of racism as 'sectarianism', political and legal inaction and the deafening silence of the Scottish press. These issues were pointed out by us some years ago when TAL Fanzine initiated Celtic Fans Against Fascism and the Campaign Against Sectarian Attacks. We opined at the time that unless institutionalised anti-Irish racism (aka 'sectarianism') was seriously confronted from the bottom-up the problem would inevitably get bigger... Well, it can't get much bigger than this, can it?

No matter how any of us, as Celtic supporters and the intended victims of the hatred and abuse, feel about the fans of Scotland's Shame FC, ultimately this issue can only be addressed and solved by a sea-change within their support. It is finding those in their own fanbase who are prepared to stand up publicly and consistently against racism, fascism and loyalism that will be the hardest task of all, but if we are to be politically consistent we must continue to call for and hope that the 'silent minority' among them will become a vocal and proactive majority.

I am not in favour of the draconian solution of simply locking people up for what they write or what they think...That road leads to the gradual eradication of the civil liberties and human rights of all, including the rights of those who would stand against racism and fascism. Moreover, it allows those in positions of power to continue to peddle the myth - the OSABATO line - that 'One Side's As Bad As The Other', depicting the victims of racism and 'sectarianism' as being in some way the architects of their own misfortune.

A democratic society has to utilise all of the means at its disposal in an effort to re-educate and rehabilitate those whose societal alienation produces only hate, violence and anti-social behaviour. The present approach of censorship (silence) followed by the lock and key (crackdown) is a short term fix rather than a long term solution. In regard to actual attacks and incitement, obviously there are exceptions, and where someone is actively involved in turning internet fantasies into reality they should be dealt with by the full force of the law.

However, legal solutions have little effect on cultural, religious and political perceptions, which are deep-rooted and ingrained. The real solution lies in finding ways to reach out and/or isolate this alienated section of the Scotland's Shame FC support, without pandering to their odious fascistic views.

By Talman

[celebspec]

'Played' poker Monday & thursday, I'm running bad, and playing bad. The worst combination possible probably.

Missing most of my draws, and when I do get there on the turn, I'm normally rivered. Getting it in, infront, and being turned or rivered. All standard stuff, but it's affecting confidence a bit. And that in turn, is leading me to play bad.

Playing two tournies over the weekend, tonight at the G, and tomorrow at Stanley's. They are going to be very important to me, will play them to best of my ability. I really need to convert one of them into a decent result, and hopefully play well in the process.

Good luck me.

How did things go at the weekend V-man.  Did you win dimes?

[Boba Fett]

WTF is going on in Glasgow at the moment?

I'm obviously out of touch, as haven't lived there for years, but, come on! sending explosive devices to someone because of the team they are linked with?

These idiots obviously don't think, prob goes without saying, but do they really think someone like Neil Lennon opens his own mail? It's just a joke. And now the police are advising prominent officials of Rangers may be targetted in tit for tat attacks. Why? Because some probable sad loner, sat in his bedroom in his pants making home made explosive devices has angered them? Just ridiculous.

I love the banter of the old firm, I do think it can only be understood if you are from that background. And easily misunderstood, if you are not. There is obviously a lot of venom, but there is a lot of that in any rivalry, but a large amount of it can be good natured. I'd happily slag someone like Boba, because he supports Rangers, I would hate it if Rangers won the league, he will happily rub it in. But would I want him to be maimed or injured because he supports Rangers? Nope, besides, who would fund my trips to Glasgow in the future?

Its also assuming a Rangers fan is behind it.  Lennon is from a country with a volatile political background.

Unreasonable assumption? I don't think it is, if i'm honest.

I think thats part of the problem.  If something happens the other half of the old firm is automatically blamed.  Im not saying a Rangers fan/fans arent behind it, but Lennon deff is not in a situation where he is only hated by Rangers fans.  It is entirely possible the motivation behind it is political and nothing to do with football.

This has nothing to do with football or indeed politics.   Lennon is not a hate figure for Rangers fans simply because he plays for Celtic, indeed he is certainly not a hate figure because of his politics, because he isn't motivated by politics.  He is hated because he is an Irish Catholic.

Thats just not true.  I could go over every reason why Lennon is hated by Rangers fans but Im not gonna waste more of my time on it.  Lennon is hated more than other Celtic players specifically for his actions, especially towards Rangers, and his attitude in general.  Boruc got similar treatment and he isnt Irish catholic.  Not that anything Id say would make a difference to you because in your eyes, you love to accuse Rangers fans of outright bigotry and wont listen to anything that might change that reality for you, which is pretty hilarious coming from the most ridic Celtic bigot Ive ever met

[celtic]

Poker went terrible at the weekend, partly playing bad & partly running bad. Friday night at Luton, I made a mistake after grinding all night, that left me short. Then ran QQ in to KK, glad we didnt both have 100k, the flop came x Q K

Making the right folds and getting rewarded by seeing that I would have flopped sets etc, maybe I need to be more reckless

Stanleys on Saturday was going ok, until i done a misread, and called a shove with 2nd pair, to be fair, it's a all I would make again, against the same player, and prob be right, more often thatn I'm wrong. I then flopped a set of 4's v the same guy, and got it in on the turn, when he had turned a gutshot straight. Sigh.

No poker since then, nearly went this afternoon after being made a kind offer, but had made plans that I couldn't, and didn't want to change. The offer was appreciated though.

[celtic]

Rangers v Celtic was a strange game, both teams didn't really do enough to warrant a win, I guess, a draw is a better result for us than Rangers. We are favourites to win the League, I have a bad feeling about it though. Don't know why. I think that penalty miss yesterday, might come back to haunt us.

In between watching the football, I have mainly slept. 22 hours in total since Saturday night, through til Monday, Prob be awake all night now!

[celebspec]

Rangers v Celtic was a strange game, both teams didn't really do enough to warrant a win, I guess, a draw is a better result for us than Rangers. We are favourites to win the League, I have a bad feeling about it though. Don't know why. I think that penalty miss yesterday, might come back to haunt us.

In between watching the football, I have mainly slept. 22 hours in total since Saturday night, through til Monday, Prob be awake all night now!

The game was terrible.   Rangers are rank, we should not be changing our team to play them.   We will win the league of that I am sure. 

[celtic]

Rangers v Celtic was a strange game, both teams didn't really do enough to warrant a win, I guess, a draw is a better result for us than Rangers. We are favourites to win the League, I have a bad feeling about it though. Don't know why. I think that penalty miss yesterday, might come back to haunt us.

In between watching the football, I have mainly slept. 22 hours in total since Saturday night, through til Monday, Prob be awake all night now!

The game was terrible.   Rangers are rank, we should not be changing our team to play them.   We will win the league of that I am sure. 

Lennon def got it wrong yesterday, he shouldn't have gambled with Ledley, I mean, If your hamstring is gonna go in any game in the SPL, then it's odds on it will be in a game v Rangers. The pace is 10 x faster than a game v any other SPL team. Also, Samaras was absolutely terrible in the first half, I think he only looked better in the second half, because he was so bad in the first half. Would rather have seen Forster take the penalty than him. I won't be too harsh though, Sammy dragged us out of the poop in the New Year fixture, where nothing less than a win would have done.

I think Stokes and Hooper are great together, very pacy, and would have ripped Weir apart with their constant movement, so Celtic def missed a trick there imo.

Whatever happens though, It's def gonna be intersting for us.

[celtic]

Easter weekend was horrible, too long, too much time at home when awake, and not enough time doing things I used to enjoy doing. Times & circumstances change obviously, but not  always for the better.

Another long weekend coming up, why couldn't they just get married on a Saturday? Forced to have a day off work, unpaid, because some daft couple want to get married.

Can you tell I'm not a Royalist?

[celtic]

3 weeks without faecesbook. Don't know what all the fuss was about!

I thought I would be back on again by now, but I haven't missed it. Think me and Monda are now the only people in the world not on it.