Catch 22's Are A Pain In My Arse

3rd year has finally got serious. The balancing act of academic work, sport and socialising is finally being pushed to its limits. I still enjoy university, but the whole education thing is starting to grind my gears. It's been 17 years of full time education and finally I am starting to realise that I have had my fill. The idea of doing a master's at this point sickens me. If I did it now I would be stupid because all it would be is an expensive excuse to play uni football again. If I'm honest, as much as I love the club, I'd rather put pins in my eyes and dance the macarena than play another year. Tarannau Football is beginning to frustrate me.

That isn't the point of this rant blog. The point is two fold, one is finally getting back onto the blogosphere. Point one, check. The other is the stupid ass catch 22 situation that my life has presented me with. Education gets me a career (it did until the recession but that's a battle for another day) and the better a career I want, the longer I have to stay in education. In theory that's how it works, and if I'm honest that's how I hope it works. Saying that, I have had a pants full of education. Concentrating for an hour solid on an inane subject being taught by a complete bore who doesn't always have the best grasp of the kings has got real old. The trouble is (and here it comes) is that to graduate with a good degree I need to keep working, but all I want to do is leave and get a job and get money. To get this job and money I need to keep studying and working hard. My plight my not be as serious as that of Yossarian. No threat of death here (though maybe mental breakdown, who knows come January or May?) but my time in education has run its course. The decision to work hard is one I must take to achieve my goals but it springs so many other questions. Told you it was a pain in the arse. 

I know, I know, university isn't all about having fun. Third year is all serious. But I've worked hard since my degree has mattered (2nd year on) and am hoping of getting a 1st in order to get a big boy job and be successful. Finding the time to unwind is getting harder and harder, especially when I can't relax on a football field anymore. My university problems will leave when I graduate, though graduation means the real world. The real world scares me. What if I can't get a job? Goddammit. Maybe I should apply for a master's after all...

Fantasy Football Is Back With A Bang

For most sports fans, a fantasy version of their desired sport is available to play. Growing up I played fantasy cricket and soccerball with my dad. We used to pick our team in the paper and try to win money from The Sun or The Telegraph. Since moving to Uni I have been introduced into playing fantasy American football properly. Previously I had played on nfluk for free and had never taken it seriously. After playing in one league last year and getting to the semi - finals before getting screwed by Mike Vick I decided to join two leagues this year. Here's him depicted as a ginger to serve as an almighty fuck you. Yeah take that... grrr.
 
To select your teams in fantasy American football is a little different. You draft just like in madden or the nfl and each player gets a timed turn to pick somebody for their team. Last night I had both my drafts back to back. Fun but time consuming and a lot of concentration was needed to pick two good teams.

The first is a keeper league with Tarannau players both current and past. The first keeper draft was last night and it went fairly well. The keeper element means at the end of the year you have to keep three players to carry over into next years league. My team Fantasy A Bum is as follows:

QB: Tom Brady
RB1: Ryan Grant
RB2: Ryan Matthews
WR1: Roddy White
WR2: Mike Wallace
TE: Rob Gronkowski
K: Alex Henery
D: Patriots
WR/TE/RB: Mike Thomas
Bench: Mark Sanchez
Bench: Darren Sproles
Bench: Jonathen Stewart
Bench: Donald Driver
Bench: Lee Evans
Bench: Kyle Rudolph

My second league is the WAFFL and is run by this guy. It is 70 teams large and has a prize fund of 700 quid divided up into lots of interesting prizes. My first year in this league and I'm hoping to do some damage as my team Jay Cutler Kneeginas is as follows:

QB: Mike Vick
RB1: Ryan Matthews
RB2: Mark Ingram
WR1: Calvin Johnson
WR2: Julio Jones
TE: Jermichael Finley
K: Josh Brown
D: Detroit
WR/TE/RB: Lee Evans
Bench: LT
Bench: Donovan Mcnabb
Bench: Aaron Hernandez
                                                                                       Bench: Ed Dickson 

This team could be real good and with my jibe at Jay Cutler hoping to get me at least some recognition for the name game prize money. Even if I didn't get to draft him. He was stolen just before I was about to pick him!

Fantasy football is a lot of fun, and just like real football it is back! If you don't already play it, you should. That's my tip for the week. But whatever you do play it with your friends as drafts and leagues will get boring without piss taking. And watch out for slow ass player pickers in your draft. They deserve to die in a fire.

Chronicles of a Hangover - NCAA Football is Back Baby!

College football is back and here to stay until bowl season. Yeeeeha. To celebrate Mr Pettiford's end of resit exams and because it conveniently coincided with the NCAA season starting, I broke the bank Friday and drove to Aber for a night out. If you don't believe me about the breaking the bank bit, just imagine me walking up to town with 37 £1 bags of coppers and 7 £5 bags of silver to cash in at the bank. Thank god for my over sized whisky bottle savings jar. It allowed me to make good time and get to Aber to join some of the boys for a night out. Somebody told me cheap red wine was a good idea? My body didn't think so the day after. A summer of hardly drinking left me weak and battered on the living room sofa come Saturday. Looking a lovely shade of green and barely being able to eat I had a fun hangover day sitting watching the Baylor - TCU game with Steve and Barbie.

Now week one of college football is usually labelled cupcake week as most teams schedule weak warm up games to get themselves primed for the grind of the season. There were a couple of games between ranked opponents. Boise State brought the hammer and beat fellow ranked Georgia 35-21. Could this be a championship year for the broncos? Having seen LSU pound early BCS favourites Oregon in the Cowboy Classic, who knows? LSU proved once again that a tough and fast SEC defense can beat the speedy Duck's spread. With costly penalties and turnovers proving the main difference, a massive dent into Oregon's BCS hopes was dealt in week one. Both these games were fun watches, but the best game of the weekend also included the biggest upset.

Unranked Baylor entertained highly ranked and previous seasons Rose Bowl champs TCU. Lead by Robert Griffin III and Kendall Wright they stormed to a 50-48 win in what showed the true beauty of college football. Electrifying offense that was shown by RG3 throwing for 359 yards and 5 TD's, as well as making a crucial third down catch on a trick play. Wright had 189 yards and 2 TD catches on the day, as well as throwing a TD and completing the pass that Griffin caught. Running back Ganaway pounded his 240 pound frame into TCU's previously stud defense all afternoon for 120 yards. An almost heroic comeback from TCU gave them the lead with 4 minutes to go, but only for it to be snatched away as RG3 led Baylor back up the field for the game winning kick. A superb game, that really made my hangover day worthwhile. Even if i struggled well into Sunday to recover. A good weekend capitulated by the first super Sunday. Oregon losing was a bad point, but NCAA on the whole, roast beef and apple crumble cake made it all better. Roll on the rest of the season as the NFL starts next week.

Peace out, take it easy. My return to Aber is imminent.

5 Things I Have Watched This Week That Have Amazed Me

Here is a list of video's that you need to watch. Trust me on this, some aren't new, but you probably won't have seen them. These video's show pieces of amazing skill that were lucky enough to be filmed/captured on film. Anyways here goes.

1. Firstly is a superb bit of handling in a game of rugby (Yes, I know it's league but still)..

2. This second one is a hype video from my favourite NCAA football team the Oregon Ducks. It shows ridiculous highlights from last season as well as getting you primed for the new year. We Will Be Back.

3. Third is a video I had as favourite on YouTube a few years ago. You've probably all seen it as Ken Block is pretty prominent in the world of YouTube and Top Gear. He is also a serious badass. That good at driving cars and co-founder of DC Shoes. This video is one of his gymkhana's, they are all ridiculous but this one is my personal favourite. Enjoy.

4. Fourth is a video I discovered shortly after visiting the city it is filmed in. Sick video showing supreme skill plus a cracking tune from Band Of Horses. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Inspired Bicycles.

5. The last video on this list is one that I saw less than ten minutes ago and what really inspired me to write this blog. If you follow me on twitter you may have just seen it but I felt it needed more than just a tweet. A brilliantly filmed video, showcasing skills that we thought were just make believe from any of the Tony Hawk games. Enjoy Kilian Martin, street skater extraordinaire.

I hope these videos will inspire you to watch others by the artists. I also hope they will have amazed and interested you like they have to me. Shows the amazing capabilities of humans in the sporting world.

P.s Just for the other NCAA fans, a little video to help get you in the mood. Boise State's hype video. Only just over a minute. Big Fan.

Laters.

It's Quite Simple When You Think About It

So England are now officially the number one test team in the world. It's been a long time coming and after two convincing wins it seemed a mere formality that they would wrap up the series in the 3rd test. I enjoy watching cricket, and for years didn't enjoy watching England play. I would love to see them getting a pasting from Australia every two years in the Ashes. Occasionally when players picked were home grown (Simon Jones started his career out at the same club that I play for, Dafen CC) I would hope for good personal performance but had never wished England well. This will not change until they recognise the fact that its the England and Wales cricket board. Now they are playing exceedingly good cricket, I still refuse to jump on the bandwagon, but credit when its due they do thouroughly deserve to be at the top of the test rankings. They have outclassed an Indian team that was previously dubbed the best in the world in the test format.

With the comprehensive series win that England have had, many people have been left wondering how India ever got to number 1 and how such a bad side could ever win test matches. The truth is quite simple when you actually think about it. Firstly they are an ageing side that seems to have a lot of players coming to the end of their wonderful careers. The great batsmen in their lineup (Dravid, Sehwag, Tendulkar, Laxman) have an average age of 36. Over the last few years they have led India to many victories and maintained their status as a top side. In those years since reaching the number one spot they have scarcely played in conditions that have not suited them. They have consistently played on batting pitches or complete dustbowls. Either way they massively suit the Indian batsmen and style of play. This year in England has been completely different. No other country in the world plays cricket in overcast, humid conditions that allows the ball to swing consistently for 80 overs a day. The english pitches are also like no other, bouncy, green and hard they provide an ideal surface to bowl and bat on if you know how to take advantage of them and can battle the conditions. This has been key as England have thrived where India have struggled.

India's bowlers have not been up to scratch as they are used to having teams be under pressure due to massive totals compiled by their own batsmen. The batting has made up for a mediocre bowling attack in the past. In England this hasn't happened and the bowlers couldn't pick up the slack. Kumar isn't a test match bowler when he barely struggles to make 80mph and is only effective when it swings a lot. Sharma and Sreesanth are young, inexperience and not actually that good. They pale in comparison to Englands superb bowling attack. India have had bad luck with Harbajhan and Zaheer being injured, had they both been fit some games could've been different, but its unlikely. India have been found out in England. To be the best team in the world you have to be able to win everywhere. That means mastering all conditions that this wonderful game is played under. England have managed to do that with a lot of strength in depth. Take Bresnan's impact on the series as a point for that. The bowlers are undoubtebly the best attack in the world. They are better than the fab four of Ashes 05 (Hoggard, Harmison, Jones and Giles) and are creeping up on the some of the best ever attacks. They are still a way off from the Aussie attack of McGrath, Lee, Gillespie and Warne from the early 2000's and even further away from the 80's West Indians but they are getting there.The batting is solid and is capable of piling on big scores wherever they play. The side have played well everywhere and completely deserve the title of the worlds best test team. Just a shame its with four South African's and an Irishman in the team. So much for home grown talent eh...

Peoples Was Wrong In This Film Too

Thursday Night Film Night rolled around again this week. Having been kicked off with a bang last week with Limitless, would another film be able to top that brilliance. We really didn't know, but after watching source code the answer is most definitely.. YES. What a brilliant film, Jake Gyllenhaal back to his Jarhead best coupled with the undoubted hotness of  Michelle Monaghan led to this being a great find. Jeffrey Right (Peoples from Shaft) plays the genius inventor of Source Code but he's not as clever as old Jake who proves that the Source Code is better than first thought whilst blowing the mind of the viewer as the story unfolds.

The film is centered around a soldier (Gyllenhaal) who wakes up in the body of a stranger and finds out he's part of a mission to discover the bomber of a commuter train headed for Chicago. The problem is that the mission is only 8 minutes long, and is based in the memory of the stranger who died on the train. The Source Code allows Gyllenhaal to use this memory to find the bomber and save people from further attacks in the future. Sounds intriguing right? It really is, I won't divulge anymore as you should now be searching for ways to watch this film.

What I will say is that as the title suggests, Peoples is in the wrong again. The film is exciting and even though is based on the same 8 minutes repeated, does not feel repetitive at all. It is a mind blowing story once it unfolds and your mind will explode, be it out of your ass or the top of your head. A superb performance from Gyllenhaal and the added bonus of how radiantly hot Monaghan is the added kicker. GO AND SEE THIS FILM.

The task for me apart from picking pieces of my brain out of the wall and carpet in Steve's is to now find a film to top this for next week. Will the streak continue or have we already peaked. Who knows? Stay tuned to this page to find out.

Can You Be Limitless?

Apologies for the lack of blog detail lately, i've been away on holidays to see Lucy and didn't have the time to write this blog. The idea for it has been in my mind since last week and now it is time for me to turn film reviewer once again. In an attempt to find more ways to increase productivity and decrease boredom, Steven Pettiford and I have divised a plan to have a film club once weekly on thursdays. The first film I wanted to watch was Limitless. I text Steve this and told him to get it downloading. He already had, as he predicted i'd want to see it. Combine this with a want to see it himself and you realise that we've known each other for way too long.

Everyone I had spoken to about the film had said it was brilliant and I had been desperate to see it myself. Having done so, I wholeheartedly agree. What a film. The idea is clever and blows your mind enough to keep you interested and confused without losing any of the plot or story. Bradley Cooper shows typical form with his portrayal of this role. He plays the insanely intelligent character in a classy and humourous way that not many others could achieve. He is also surprisingly good at playing the bum character before the limitless drug is taken.

The limitless drug is a peculiar entity. Is it possible in reality? Highly unlikely but if it can, I gotta get me some of that modified stuff. I would love a four digit IQ. My mind does need a bit of sharpening to return it to its younger self pre-alcohol, women and contact sport. All the want in the world could not help me atain it, but even without the drug, can limitlessness be achieved? With all the beliefs and studies on mind power out there, is it true that your mind can make you do anything. Is mind over matter true? Is the fact we only use 10% of our brain a myth or fact? I can't verify any of these facts, I don't have the time, effort, money or intelligence to conduct the research. All i'm here is to give my opinion. My opinion is that I believe the mind has extraordinary power and it does allow you to exceed expectations or act freakishly on rare occasions. To concentrate your mind properly does allow you to achieve better results but you have to be focused. It is not something that can be trained, natural physical talent usually helps. If your mind has better tools it will work better. To sum up though, to be limitless you need a boatlod of NZT.

The film is well worth a watch and can provide great entertainment as well as thought provoking themes. It was a brilliant start to thursday night film nights and hopefully the most solid foundation to continue the new found tradition. The film is filled with good points and the only drawback for me is the fact you have to wait until the last five minutes for the "ahhhhh He said it!" moment.

P.s This is also the first blog I have ever written on blogger that the spell check didn't pick up a single mistake on. Maybe I am getting smarter?

Yep, Your Right It Is Dangerous

Lately I have had a lot of free time. As stated in a previous post, I have not been able to fill this abundance of time with blogging. My days consist of waking up early, eating breakfast, going to the gym, eating lunch, watching TV programmes, eating dinner. In between these enthralling activities I have a lot of time to think. As I admit in the title, me with a) a cohesively functioning brain or b) lots of time to think, isn't correlated with good things. Today however I am blogging about what other people think of me and how I've thought about that. Complex and weird right? Wrong. Really simple when you give it some thought. Well if you had this much time on your hands with no money and no job and no social life and hardly anyone your own age to talk to apart from the gym for 2 hours a day four days a week you wouldn't think so either. 

Either way recently a good friend of mine gave me a list of 5 things that were the best part about me. They didn't have to be the best things about me that everyone would agree with, or the best qualities I'd ever shown as a friend. They were just the best things that sprung to mind, and therefore the best things about me my friend enjoys. They don't always make me the best housemate or friend, but they sure as hell make for a good laugh and a good bond between friends. The list in the order it was given goes as follows:

1. Always say the wrong thing.
2. Top cook. Especially Mexican and thanksgiving.
3. Smash people on an American football field.
4. Do maths
5. Take massive smelly shits daily.

Point number one is a given. My insatiable ability to always say the wrong thing is uncanny. It can only be appreciated if you've known me for a while. Most of the time i don't mean it to sound like it does. If your on the right side of it its often hilariously painful, if your not then you usually will hate me for at least a tiny bit.

Numero... two. Photos above show thanksgiving turkey and Mexican food. Notably my second favourite Mexican food H-Enchiladas with Peri Peri wedges and veg. If you've tasted my cooking you'll agree I'm not just bragging. I'm damn good and proud of it too. My cooking being appreciated is the most proud point for me on that list.

Number 3 is cool. I do like contact. It's what makes me miss playing so much more excruciating during summer months. Leading from the front is a big thing for me, and you've gotta light people up to show everyone else it can be done.

The fourth one. Hmmm now my ability to do maths would make you guys think I was really clever. Not so, I used to be too good for the level. But oh boy did I get taken down a peg, it started in college (but I got my A) and ended after my first year almost failure in uni. I can count, and I can do mental maths but it is way to hard and intricate at a university level. I can do maths, but I'm fairly simple. The fact that its one of my best parts in this person's eyes only sheds light on their own mathletic ability.

Five. The strange one, the odd one, the final point. This is the one that ends the list with a touch of humour. Its the one that makes me an awful and predictable housemate for 20 minutes a day. I can't deny it but this ability did help spread the word of toilet tweeting. Hence the appreciation, and simply because the smell is often unbelievable. Like clockwork.

After having thought about the list, and pondered whether to even bother writing a blog about it I've decided I may as well. Not like I have anything better to do. Its an insight into the silly world I live in in aber and what people do think about me in a good way. To go back to the title though, thinking is dangerous. It can lead to long winded blog posts about basically nothing. But who cares, I've enjoyed. Maybe you'll be on the end of me saying the wrong thing one day as I know there will be many more victims. Or like Benjamin Watkins will soon experience, the ability that was number five on the list. Your days are numbered boy. We never forget.  

Golf Can Be A Nasty Mistress... Kinda Like A Smart Hooker With The Clap

Golf is possibly the most fickle sport I play. Cricket is close, but it doesn't quite have the sheer annoyance that golf brings. I love playing both sports but they both bring me great euphoria and great disappointment. Unfortunately for me it's usually the latter. Both can be up and down, and are tough to find form in. Once you have form, its equally as tough to keep it. Where golf differs, is that there is nobody else to blame for your form and the outcome of your game, it is all down to you.

The aspiring golfer that I am, I have never had a lesson, and merely coach myself as best as possible. Only this year I have been able to purchase a set of clubs that are a) younger than me b) forgiving to use. Before I had a set of cast iron blades that would give me one good shot in 30. Still I can  hit a ball quite a long way when I connect and have been known to be quite deadly with the putter. (Truth is I need to be, my putter usually saves me from my horrific short game).

When all is said and done, golf has to be the most frustrating sport known to man. You can go from hitting the dream drive of your life, only to ruin the hole with the next couple of approach shots. Take today for an example, I played Earlswood Golf Course for the second time in 5 weeks with my Dad. It is peculiar how one shot can set you off on a good/bad run. I chipped in from the fringe today to card a 6 on a par 5, and that led me to a nice approach and a par on the following par three. The hole after I made a cawlach of my tee shot and ended up taking an 8. Told you it was weird. Last time out we shot quite poor totals of 121 for him and 116 for me. This time he improved by 15 shots whilst I struggled, having an absolute stinker. The funniest bit of it all was that I finished with 115, which for the mathematically retarded of you out there is one shot better than the previous time. I was baffled, as the original round I was pleased with how I'd played.

That is the weird thing with golf, it takes you by surprise and you never know how things can turn out. Your only ever one shot away from a great birdie or smashing it into the nearest hedge/water hazard/nasty bunker. It is fickle, but the challenge and unpredictability of it is what keeps you interested. It is a challenge I love. It is a challenge I will endeavour to continue until I can become a competent golfer that rarely embarrasses himself. Try golf out, no matter what the ability it is a tricky but rewarding mistress. It'll break your heart and wind you up but it'll keep you married and won't give you anything itchy. Now I'm off to watch The Open to see how its done properly, and so should you.

It's Funny How Things Change

I like to start every blog post with some humour, and because it's me and I usually can't think of  anything witty to say, I choose humorous cartoons or pictures. This family guy one is no exception, the show is a goldmine for comedy filled stills and gifs. This one really made me giggle as it shows change in an appropriate way to what I'm about to write about. It shows how the shows characters have changed over the years and how the writers have changed how they are perceived and act in the show. The worst part is, if most of you are completely honest, you wouldn't have noticed massive changes in the characters. But they are there and this image sums it up. Funny that, change. It kinda creeps up on you.

When I started writing this blog, I had a lot of things on my mind. Writing a blog seemed like the best way to get them out and to be heard. It has been fairly good, even if my writing needs work. The main reason for starting was because of the plethora of things I had to write about or felt I could write interesting pieces about. I started this blog just before Easter, and have been endeavouring to post regularly and interestingly. Endeavouring does not mean succeeding. At that time, I was busy socially, sporting and academically and had so much to write about I made sure I blogged regularly enough. I didn't always have the time to fit it into schedule.

The change has come post exams, once I have returned home to the wonderful hallowed town of Llanelli. (Sarcasm in parts but not as much as you think.) My life exists of breakfast,gym,lunch,job hunting, house, ps3, running and reading. These are all activities I quite enjoy apart from job hunting, but they aren't very exciting. This leads me to have loads of free time to do what I want. Blogging is high on the list, but the lack of excitement in my current lift means I have little to write about. Talk about catch 22 right? Not quite as harsh as the tale of Yossarian but essentially to find things to write about I have to take away the free time that would allow me to blog. Like I said before, change is weird.

On a passing note, if you've seen any of my tweets or status's lately you'll know I've been raving about and watching a lot of House. I will eventually shut up, but it is a genius of a program, a superbly played character and one of few TV shows that actually makes me think and become sharper. It's odd. Maybe I have a very similar sense of humour to the writer. Jesus, has that changed in me too?

These Days I Lead A Very Templar Hating Life

 

Since being home from university, my life has consisted of few things. These include (most but not everyday) job hunting, training, Ps3, deciding what food to eat in the evening, golf and cricket. Mixed in between go reading and TV watching. Yes, that's right it doesn't sound exciting and I can guarantee you it isn't. It was fun for all of 3 days, but everything gets old. Golf and Cricket becomes frustrating (18 bad holes Monday and a shit loss Wednesday), job hunting becomes unsuccessful and begins to get you down, and the others become boring once done to death. The main things that have kept me from getting to the point of writing this blog have been the ps3 game Assassins Creed: Brotherhood and the book "The Sword of the Templar's" by Paul Christopher. To be reading and playing Templar themed entertainments simultaneously came around by complete coincidence.

Now both items are written upon a certain layer of truth. The game was researched well and is based upon truth but then bends it a bit for the story. This made for a confusing but shocking end to the game. The book is based more upon truth and could feasibly be a true story as all events are real and don't delve into the realms of fantasy the creed games do. The book is not finished but already shows the Templar's to be evil, Nazi related catholic colluding nasty pieces of work.

The book and game are similar in that they both portray the Templar's to be deeply intertwined with the Roman Catholic Church. Now being a religion skeptic it's not very hard for me to hate the Templar's and by proxy the Catholics. The game is designed to make you hate them, and hate is a strong word and I'm not committing to it. I'm simply saying it'd be easy to hate them.

The game is enthralling, and no gamer I have spoken to has not enjoyed it. It takes plenty of time and the storyline running through it is superb. You feel like you become the assassin Ezio. Now Ezio is just a memory in the game from 15th century Italy , played through a simulator by a subject called Desmond. The more time in the simulator the more he becomes like Ezio. Desmond is a descendant of Ezio and is supposedly the true savior of the people. He is the chosen one to defeat the Templar's. The majority of the game is based in Rome and is realistic and believable as the story of the cerebral assassin Ezio. It takes a turn for the weird, like previous games, towards the end and this is where my mind exploded out of my ass.

The story uses religious mystery that strays away from reality. The assassin's of the past speak to Desmond in a hologram and advise him to make a decision that shocks every gamer who will have played this game, me included. It almost makes you feel sorry for the Templar's. Almost. Although I have rambled on about Templar hate and the very confusing story of a series of games (that I have tried and pretty much failed to cram into about 6 lines), the theme of this blog can be simplified. Theory's of ancient societies, be it Templar's, Assassins or The Masons interest me. They fascinate me, and I cannot get enough reading material on them. Stories breed strong feelings like hate and empathy and without them being a little based on truth they wouldn't be able to keep me interested and not depressed in my current life period. I am even tempted to buy the Assassins Creed books. Bet you can't wait for my rambling review on them...

The Most Important Time Of Day.... For Men

One of the stranger but greater things I learnt from my dad is the importance of knowing when to take a break from your day, and use the toilet. Yes, I am writing a blog about toilet time, which as most men out there know is the most important time of day. Toilet time is the only time in a day, when you can get away with doing what you want and have the perfect excuse. Now women or non-believers out there may think toilet time is limited but alas you are wrong. See the main thing I use it for is reading, to make damn sure I get through my books quickly, I always have a book close to the toilet in order to read whilst parked. You can also read the paper, do a sudoku, do the crossword or for the tech savvy you can use your laptop from the shitter. Twitter from the shitter, maybe I'll patent that one. (See that's four things there completely off the top of my head, take that non-believers).

Now we've established many things can be done during toilet time, I will go on to stress the importance of it. It is usually the only 20-30 minutes in a day (combined between or as one whole) that a man has peace, quiet and an excuse to do what he wants. In this day and age that is massively sought after. Peace and quiet is important to all men. We can ponder our thoughts over a good read, relieving any stress and all of this without having to provide any reason other than: I was on the toilet. The genius of toilet time is it's simplicity.

Lastly reader, I am not the only one who appreciates toilet time. My dad stressed it's importance to me and it wasn't until mature enough to appreciate it I realised so. Other esteemed colleagues of mine have shown a fondness of toilet time. Be it Steven Pettiford with his sometimes hilarious "Toilet Tweets" or Tim "Seppo" Macy who drafted his NFL fantasy team "Fried Stuff With Cheese" from the karsy. I'm sure there are many more out there who don't admit a liking for toilet time, and hopefully this article will show them that there are others who appreciate its genius.

P.s

Even slightly famous people appreciate toilet time as Sam Halpern is quoted in the book Shit My Dad Says “Son, you’re complaining to the wrong man. I can shit anywhere, at any time. It’s one of my finer qualities. Some might say my finest.”

My Gran Had Good Intentions, But Better Than She Thought

Having been filled with exams all that they bring, my life has been without books for a while (apart from those dreaded text books). Having not read since The Lost Symbol   I needed to get back into reading. My gran had suggested me a book before Easter and I had tossed it aside due to a) The Lost Symbol and b) lack of time to read in uni c) it was extra clutter I simply didn't need. Now my gran has suggested books to me before, including Playing For Pizza which turned out to be brilliant. It was a John Grisham book that was completely different to his usual law based crime thrillers. It was solely about American Football in Italy, and typically I loved it.

Before I continue, I feel I should tell you a little bit about my gran for those of you who don't know her or heard me talk about her. She is a 4ft 11 ex teacher who lived a quarter of her life in Hong Kong teaching the children of the British army contingent out there. She is well travelled and despite her old age still very sharp and intelligent. She is also completely pickled by gin and smokes at least ten cigarettes a day. How she is still going is beyond me, medical science and all dietitians anywhere, ever. But I love her and wouldn't change her for the world. She loves crime thriller books and buys them by the boatload as she has a passion for reading that far outshines mine. Perhaps where I got mine from, maybe it'll get deeper the older I get. Who knows?

Anyways, the book is called Accused and is written by this guy (--->) Mark Gimenez. He is a Texas born, Notre Dame educated lawyer turned author. Now upon further research thanks to the Internet, I have realised Accused is actually a sequel (I did wonder why they kept mentioning his previous case so much) and this is a bit of a shame because now we already know the outcome to what would I'm sure have been a good read. My gran suggested the book to me, due to it's gruesome murder, exciting plot line and interesting read. Unknowingly to her, it was a better book fit for me than I expected. The book is about the murder of a golf pro which would've done me just fine but also the main character is a poor mans lawyer named Scott Fenney, who is highly intelligent and skilled. He starred at football as a running back at SMU but never made the pro's so used his intelligence to study law. The book details his defence of his ex-wife who is accused of the murder of the man she left Scott for. Owing a duty to his daughter, he seeks to prove his wife innocent. The book leaves plenty of red herrings but the answer that solves the case is highlighted a little bit too much for my liking. This allowed me to spot it earlier than I should have. Though the twist that comes towards the end is completely unexpected and makes the book all the better.

After a slow start, I piled into this book and finished it in 4 days, reading the final 200 pages this morning as I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed reading it, and I'm hoping it starts another spell of frantic book reading for me. If it does, I will run out of books before the summer's end. My dads collection of books will take a hammering over the next few weeks. My gran may like her 3 gin's and multiple fags a day but she can't half pick a book!

You Learn Something New Every Day...

Blogging today is filled with nostalgia as having spent an afternoon around my step sister Katie (aged 7), it instantly brought me back to my younger years. Having watched how she is, it reminds me of how I and almost every child out there is/was like. All kids look up to someone, and want to copy everything they do, from eating the same way off the same table to drinking the exact same drink. They also have a massive list of wants and most sentences begin "can i have?". Most questions get answered with "no" or "noooooahh" in typically stubborn fashion. I was no different, my dad kindly takes time out of every visit to mention how I was exactly the same when that age, and come to think of it, I remember being like it too.

I always had wants, and money whatever little I got would always burn a hole in my pocket. I could never save for something substantial and would only be able to get things worth substantial money (to a 9 year old) on birthdays or at Christmas. This tendency to spend money has thankfully waned with age, but as a youngster it was prominent. It (along with my dads love for the game) is to blame for my love of American football. When given a tenner, instead of saving to buy a new PlayStation game, I chose to buy Madden 92 for the Sega Megadrive. Wanting to emulate my then hero that was my old man, I purchased a 7 year old game just to try to capture his love for the sport of football.

Every Christmas and birthday like every could I would watch endless adverts in between TV shows, and come back to my parents with a massive list of things to get me. Now sometimes I would get what I requested if it was deemed sensible enough i.e a bike, my first cricket bat, action man toys, books etc. Mostly though my requests were not and luckily I would either give up asking or just not be given it. One of those I missed out on, was the board game Mouse Trap. Always advertised, and still going today it looked exciting and a board game I would enjoy more than the classics of Cluedo and Monopoly. Today provided me with justification of my parents choices as well as a pang of gladness that I never persisted with certain idea's as a child. I had to play the aforementioned "game" and if it had not been for a film starting I would still be there now. There is no structure to it, all you do is take it in turns to move around the board. If you land on certain squares you get to set off a ball bearing which randomly hits a trap on the board. If the trap gets you you loose a slice of your cheese, if it doesn't or gets an opponent you gain a slice of cheese. First to get a full round of cheese wins. There's 8 slices and 20 squares. Only 3 traps. If you do the maths, it takes forever and a day to complete a game. Goddamn was it boring, even the 7 year old had enough. No substance to a "game" that is successful simply by misleading kids and parents around the world. It's the only explanation for how it could still be around. Fancy tricks and adverts don't show the traps not working or being a pain in the you know what to set up.

So I dodged a bullet on that one, even if I didn't realise it at the time. I got more enjoyment out of that gnarly copy of Madden 92 than I would ever have got from the more expensive Mousetrap or new PlayStation game. It captured a love for a game I finally achieved my dream of playing two years ago. I can still see Jerry Rice running that streak untouched every single offensive play. Mousetrap is like many other childhood wants - overrated. Often the cheapest and simplest things are best for you.

As the old adage in the title says.

When Will It End? I'm Not Fussed Really...

The NFL lockout, billed as any American football supporters worst enemy for 20 years (or for some since Tim Tebow became a pro or Brett Favre when he unretired... again), is still far from being resolved. Teams are already cancelling mini-camps and other OTA's and many fear the season will either start late or not at all. I love the NFL, nothing I like better than seeing Ray Rice Running for the Ravens from Rutgers, or Ray Lewis pasting somebody into the ground as my Ravens win but the lockout will not be the end of the world for me. Don't get me wrong, I will miss the NFL but not as much as you'd think and neither should you. Leave the uncaring owners of NFL teams who'll get paid anyway and turn your attention to the NCAA. College football is believed to be better than the NFL. It's more exciting, provides more games, has more tradition and is more heavily supported than the NFL.

By watching college football, you'll see varying schemes from the triple option to the no huddle spread to the power I to Oregon's shotgun triple option no huddle spread. There's no playoffs, but there's the bowl season which is just as exciting. You will learn more and enjoy the game more by watching college football. Which many believe is the game in its purest form due to the lack of payed players...

There will be a hole on my Sunday nights where the NFL will usually be should the lockout continue. I'm not worried about this one bit. The lockout will just allow me to watch taped college games that I have missed. My level of football watched won't drop, it just won't be as varied. Watching the "student athletes" play will be just as enjoyable as the NFL. So follow my lead, say balls to the lockout, not worry about it and appreciate the college football system in all it's glory. I guarantee you'll be hooked and will be following a college that until now you will not have heard of. And if you don't agree well I hope you enjoy playing Madden 12 - Negotiations with Roger Goodell. Sounds like it'll be just as good as the star wars remake in The Simpsons.

Unpacking - It's Like Tetris For Cool People...

So I'm writing this to serve as a distraction from unpacking all my worldly possessions that today have travelled back to Llanelli. My room in university is a bit like me: short, wide and oddly shaped. My room at home is also a bit like me: square. The difference being at home, my room is bigger, filled with a double bed and a distinct lack of storage for clothes. At Uni my room has a chest of drawers, an empty wardrobe and a bit of floor space. It's a "cosy" room but I make it work and I enjoy living in it. My room at home is nearly twice as big but contains a wardrobe full of my one year moved out sister's clothes, a two seat sofa and a load of household crap stuffed in a corner, but no chest of drawers whatsoever. So at this current moment in time I am puzzled as to where I can put my clothes so they at least look tidy and clean before the inevitable happens and I start to hang them up on the floor. Any helpful idea's would be greatly appreciated.

I've resorted to finding room for the important things in my life: ps3, TV, laptop, books and sports equipment. After that it's a free for all for space. It's not like I need clean clothes, walking around in just my pants won't upset anyone? right? Trying to push every little bit of stuff into a corner so that walking space can be achieved is frustrating, especially when all that's really left is three bags of clothes. So here's hoping I come up with a plan, because it is starting to annoy me. Writing this blog has not brought inspiration so I am hoping whoever reads this can. Moral of the story being that unpacking is unequivocally lame and no matter how much you try to repackage it, or picture yourself as Homer in the Simpson's, it is nowhere near as fun as tetris.

Cut Blocks and Distractions: The end to Thunder, Beer, Pussy etc

Cut Block: Noun, Definition: A block aimed at or below an opponents knees.

The Cut Block, some lineman's best friend, other's worst enemy. Seen by many as an act of cowardice and surrender to your opponents greater skill or strength. Be it on the field, or in life they will lead to bad feeling in a local radius. Only acceptable when done to topple your housemates around blind corners.

Another year of university done. That makes two whole years of my life spent in Aberystwyth. This year has flown, probably due to me not once wanting it to end. Inevitably it had to happen, and people gradually packed up and left. Now I'm packing, and if I'm honest it feels like time to go home. (For those of you that know me at all, you'll know this is huge as I usually dislike being home). So with my bags piling up in Steve's recently cleared, surprisingly tidy and nice smelling room (----->)I sit down to write about the year gone by.

Reflections on this year.. hmmm in short its been great, but that doesn't mean it hasn't come with it's bad moments. Before further expansion I'm just going to list the good and bad things about this year. Here goes:

Good: Thunder, Beer, Pussy, Chicken, Gateau, Sleep, Kick Return, Mexican, Mohawk, BEAR, D-captaincy,  THE Jack, Madden, NCAA, Bcs National Championship, Das Experiment, Wrestlemania, Old Boys , Top Flight Cricket, Lucy, 16 Prospect Street and all it's visitors, Tiger Woods, Golf, Fancy Dress and Working Out.

Bad: Losing Season, Hard Work not Being Rewarded, Friends not Getting a Deserved Send Off, Joint Socials, Revision, Lecturers, Bitches being Bitches, Packing, Phil not Finishing Friday Night Lights, 70% of Socials, Weather and People Leaving.

The good has been very good. Thunder, beer, pussy kicked it all off and from there it escalated. College football Saturday's were amazing, as were early socials when people still made an effort. The majority of this list speaks for itself. Das Experiment was perhaps my favourite night out of the year. The good bits couldn't have been attained had it not been for 16 Prospect Street and its distinguished set of visitors from #85, #59, #4 and #3 to Roofio. To expand fully on this list would take a while and a lot of blog space, so if you weren't involved... waaaaaaaaah.

The bad needs to be mentioned, such high hopes for this year, and an amazing start tailed off to a bad end. Piled with stress of revision, I saw but barely noticed the hardships of my friends. People left without the bang they should've gone out with, nights out were missed and until the last month Steve barely lived here. People went out of their way to spoil things and cause harm, showing how small a place Aber is. I love it, but I'm beginning to outgrow it.

A year that begun with such promise of chicken, gateau and sleep ends with cut blocking and distractions. Fun that it is running around the house distracting everyone, or always being around a corner waiting to scare it has come to an end. Second year of Uni, a year that started so well and ended in a bad way because shit people were awful. Just like lineman when they Cut Block.

Interview, Exam and Bad Drivers, Meatloaf Said It Best

Wednesday started my two week period of five wonderful exams. Yes my exams are nicely spaced out, but five? Really? I don't know anyone else with more, and most people were done before I even started. How is that fair when we all come out with a degree afterwards? Here's hoping that my degree will count for something when I leave university and the wonders of Aberystwyth. Exams to work through but sesiwn cachu pants is on the horizon. Expect to see a semi naked, bad imitation of road warrior hawk (R.I.P) stumbling around town on wednesday first of june, looking for somebody to drop the doomsday device on. You have been warned.

Today I had an interview for a work placement through Go Wales. The idea is a ten week, work experience based placement with a company that pays well and looks good on a CV. The interview was with a company called Fforest (see coldatnight.co.uk) and my placement if successful would entail events managing, organising and ... wedding planning... yeah I know. I reckon I would be quite decent at it, being the bossy, slightly ocd prick that I am. Interview went quite well and I was pleased but I'm not content, so we'll wait and see what the rest of the shortlist had to offer!

The commute to the placement from Aberystwyth should be under an hour as the road is nice and straight and its only 35 miles or so. However today, there and back it took me an hour both times. Not cool. By any standard. This was due to a vareity of factors, all of which were butt stingingly annoying. 1. Shit drivers 2. Slow Drivers (yes there is a different from shit) 3. Heavy vehicles. Traffic is caused on these roads by people not willing to drive to the speed limit. Slow drivers are like heavy vehicles, except they have the capability to drive faster than them and reach the speed limit so the roads work efficiently. When they choose not to, but just maintain 40mph (be it 30 zone or 60) is the type of thing that should be punishable by death. Shit drivers aren't as bad but they just infuriate me for not being able or willing to take easy overtake oppurtuinities so that people can get round tractors and other slow things. If I get the job, im hoping that early morning driving will save me in order to make this commute manageable and not so infuriating that i get blood pressure problems and end up dying attempting a 5 car overtake in order to get home in time to watch The Apprentice.

The next two days have one highlight. Going to the gym. If you like it as much as I do, you'll know I have solace in that. Check out http://wannabeathletes.blogspot.com for hints and tips on work outs. My lesson for today is that you can't always have it your own way, work for what you need and take what your given. You can't have everything but you have to try for perfection. From the title of this blog Meatloaf says two outta three ain't bad. It ain't great either. Be great in what you do. Always work for more.

Take it easy reader

P.s (I'll try to take my own advice, but it's exam time so I can't promise anything)

Sleep Is For The Weak.... I Hope

So here I am at 1 o clock in the morning, the night before my first exam and I'm blogging. Tried to be clever (perhaps too clever) and get an early nights sleep, in order to feel refreshed. How silly of me to think my body would let me sleep on the eve of something of such importance. Especially with this exam being one I can gain a first in, which in my life at university is a rarity. I couldn't have had a more energetic day for revision period. Which is what makes my sudden crippling bout of insomnia all the more annoying.

I was up early and in the gym by 9.30. A full hour and fifteen minutes later and I start my revision for the day. After spending all day in the library I then run around town preparing for my job interview Thursday. After that I have food, walk across town, watch a film and try to fall asleep. I nearly fell asleep during the film but held on, hoping that my good deed to my body (controlling when I fell asleep and in a decent position) would allow me the karma of being able to get a good nights rest. Well I was wrong.

So now I am blogging for the sake of blogging, because this blog doesn't really have a point except for getting thoughts out of my mind and hopefully relaxing me in the process. If all else fails I'll start counting sheep.... but being welsh I'll probably have erotic dreams about sheep (see I made that shit joke before anyone else could.. fuckers).

I'll leave you with my top tip for exam period... get super stressed, work your balls off, look like the elephant man, procrastinate like a demon and get so drunk afterwards you forget your own name, where you live,  your purpose in life and that exams actually exist.

Peace out readers, I feel more relaxed already.

Exam Pressure, Reading and Golf... a Wierd Combo

So it's been quite a while since I last blogged. A month minus 5 days to be exact. It is not for the lack of things to write, there have been many things of interest and a long list of things that have pissed me off in the last month. (Lib Dems, Tories, Revision, Poor Lecturers, Missing Contact Sport and Arguments to name but a few). As for me I have been keeping fairly well, back in the gym and feeling good before I descend into exam doing, hardly leaving the house disgust mode. This is when I stop shaving and don't move from my desk for revision and cough.. procrastination. The past month has had ups and downs, ups being dominating Aber 7's with 7 tries and coming home in third to win the trophy. A sophisticated afternoon of coffee and chocolate meltdown cake (Iceland thank me later.. kudos Samuel) as well as the food I've been eating. Downs have been revision, and just generally not feeling with it.

Exam stress is getting me down, 5 exams in 2 weeks. Combine this with useless lecturers and lecture notes not telling you any facts and it makes for some fun revision time. I always get stressed out during exams and end up a mess, and this shows in my post exam blowouts that leave me in ridiculous states for days. This year I am trying to keep working by not procrastinating and staying healthy by hitting the gym. Luckily I have now got bored of Madden having played so much of it in the last 5 days. With that out of the way, nothing can stop me on my path to revision and good exam results..... apart from the ever growing yearning to improve my golf game... .....shit. (perhaps buying new clubs was not such a good idea)

My latest book conquest has been The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. It's the follow on to Angel's and Demons and The Da Vinci Code. Having enjoyed the other two books, I sought after the new one and once I got into it I found it hard to put down. Not only was it fast paced and interesting, but it blew my mind with the secrets it told. If your interested in secret societies (much like the Illuminati from Angels and Demons) then this book will open your eyes. It sheds light onto the secrets and wisdom of the Masons whilst showing a more sinister side of what can actually happen. It also tells unknown secrets about Washington D.C's landmarks and features and shows they were built with hidden reasons behind them. I found this fascinating. It made my mind explode out of my ass, and if you read it, it'll do it to you to.

From Alex Rider to Harry Potter - A Good Series is Worth the Wait

As detailed in my other blogs, I am somewhat of an avid reader. I really enjoy reading, and believe it is becoming a lost art more and more each day. People these days don't want to read, or claim they can't. These people are missing out. A book is better than any film or television series, your imagination can paint you a better picture than any director can. If you don't read often, then start, take it up as a new hobby. I guarantee it won't disappoint providing you choose your books well. Recently I have been off from uni work and lectures so have started catching up on my reading, having not had much time over the past few months. I may have gone a little mad, reading 5 books in 9 days. My most recent book has been Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz, and I have to say I enjoyed it, even though it is supposed to be aimed at teenagers. 

Scorpia Rising is the last in a line of nine books based around the life of Alex Rider, teenage super spy. Now you may think, why am I a young man of 20 reading a book that is clearly aimed at a younger audience? I'll tell you why, it's because I wanted to finish the series. The books have been so good, they have kept me captivated all the way through my teens ever since I read the first installment Stormbreaker when I was 11. They are so well written, that I have not been able to let them go unlike other series that have been left along the wayside as I've grown up. The ones that didn't make the cut include The Edge Chronicles, Roman Mysteries and Andy McNab's attempt at teenage action Boy Soldier. The latter two being very good books, that you should get your kids/younger siblings to read. The problem with them is that I grew out of the writing style, or just simply lost touch with and forgot about the series.

I first came across the Alex Rider series in my pitifully small primary school library. In typical Lakefield fashion, they'd bought a book that looked interesting but hadn't checked to see if it was the first in the series. So I was none the wise when i started reading Point Blanc which turned out to be the second installment of the series. Either way i was hooked and went out and bought the previous one as well as every other book since. Patiently waiting year on year for the next book. The books have matured with time, as if Horowitz knew his faithful fans would grow up with the books. This is similar to the Harry Potter series which I followed from age 8 to 18 and still enjoy today. J.K Rowling aimed her latter books at a more mature audience in order to ensure the best possible outcome for her story. My dad has read the entire Alex Rider series too, at the age of fifty he still sees them as light reading and enjoys them. This is testament to how well written they are and proves that I am not talking rubbish when I recommend these books. 

As book reviews go I haven't really mentioned anything to do with the book apart from heap praises onto Horowitz for the quality of his writing. I could go into detail but I do not wish to spoil the series for anybody. Go out and read them, no matter what age (that includes the Potter's too) you will enjoy them. If you can't find them I'll lend them to you. Just give them a chance. A good series is well worth the wait, and I'm glad I've followed these novels from a young age. I hope there's other people out there who know the benefit of these books, as well as having series themselves they have followed since childhood. Reading is fun, don't let it die out!

The Fighter.

Not such a cryptic title today. Its been nearly a week since I last wrote and that's been down to three things I feel. 1) No inspiration to write (even though as I sit her writing I'm actually slowing myself down from writing complete drivel) 2) Re-discovering my love of books. On "holiday" in Weymouth I read 4 books in 6 days. And I didn't even spend all day every day reading, I was just quick and couldn't put the interesting good books down (for those who care they were Friday Night Lights and the last three Harry Potters). 3) Being busy spending time with my girlfriend and her family, which was really fun and a nice change. So yeah my week in short? Sun,relaxing,walking,reading,food, quality time with Lucy.

The fighter is a great film. I have watched it twice now, having gone to the cinema to watch it originally. It is a brilliant true story of the boxer Micky Ward that beat adversity to finally showcase his talents, come out of his brother's shadow and become a world champion. The film tells the story of his rise from perennial bum and stepping stone to his first world championship fight that he wins as the fight ends. Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale put in brilliant performances. Bale was rewarded by his Oscar and it was thoroughly deserved, he shed a lot of weight to really look like the junkie ex-boxer he was playing. He was superb in the performance, capturing the hopelessness of a smack addict whilst still being funny and showing potential to recover. Wahlberg is solid as ever, and gets into brilliant shape for the boxing scenes. They are ably supported by the surprisingly hot Amy Adams as well as Jack McGee who puts a comical spin on the female dominated George Ward.

I implore you to watch this film, boxing fans will love it but it is so well done anyone can enjoy it. Make your women watch this film! If your any kind of boxing fan you will have seen wards 3 fights with Arturo Gatti that are mentioned in the end of the film. These fights were wars, and some of the best I have ever seen. Something else to add to what the film did, if like me you were captivated by the story surrounding Micky Ward, watch the three fights with Gatti and whether it's the first time in a long time or first time ever you will not be disappointed.

The last part of my blog is dedicated to a little recipe I've been using for years. It is the best flapjack recipe I have ever seen, I came across it 5 years ago in comprehensive school cooking lessons. After having lost it 3 years ago, I always searched for it, and finally found it when in Weymouth when absentmindedly reading one of Lucy's sisters Cadbury recipe books.

Makes 24. 15 minutes Prep (yeah right) 25-30 minutes cooking.

Ingredients:
255g/7.5 oz unsalted butter.
255g/7.5 oz light muscovado sugar.
175g/6 oz golden syrup.
300g/10 oz Cadburys Chocolate
400g/13 oz porridge oats.

1. Grease a 28x20 cm/ 11x8 inch shallow baking tin. Melt the butter with sugar, golden syrup and 75g chocolate and leave to cool completely.

2. Mix together the rest of the chocolate and the porridge oats in a mixing bowl. Add the syrup mixture and stir until evenly combined. Place the mixture into the tin and level out.

3. Bake in a preheated oven 180 C/ Gas Mark 4 for 20-25 minutes until just beginning to colour around the edges. Leave in the tin until almost cold, transfer to chopping board and cut.

Best flapjacks ever and my tip is: If your going to fuck up the timings or your oven is dodgy, undercooking is better than overcooking!

Pay Da Man!!! (Or not in my case)

It's all about the money, everybody knows it, whether your too proud to admit it or not. Being a student it is doubly important for me to care about money, and this last weekend money has made my decisions an awful lot harder. Several factors have caused distress, such as my sister's birthday being at the end of one semester when my funds are lowest, to her choice of establishments she celebrates that birthday in. Couple this with travelling from Aberystwyth to Cardiff to Weymouth using the most stupidly priced commodity that is petrol and you have a painful time for my bank balance!

Things I learnt from my weekend in Cardiff:

• A £20 steak tastes exactly the same as a £10 steak so you don't have to worry about going to overly posh restaurants. 

• Retro's is a 90's dive bar, that is £5 to get in and all it is is a little square of Llanelli smack in the middle of Cardiff. (Not a happy bunny when my sister made me go in here). I won't go into to detail as one sentence will do it justice. Within five minutes of being there, I went to the toilet to be asked if I was about to do some "sniff" because I had chosen to use the cubicle instead of queuing for the urinals that were fully in use.

• £8.10 is an acceptable price for a two drink round in an "upscale" bar, even if you've had a better pint in your local rugby club. Happy Birthday Sister, I nearly cried and died of shock when the barman quoted his price. 

• It doesn't matter who you are, if you snore, you immediately become the most annoying person in the world. 

• Taxi drivers in Cardiff don't actually know where they are going, and it doesn't help when people who live there don't either.

On a side note, the US Masters is my favourite golf tournament and is up there in my top 5 favourite sporting events (Superbowl, Six Nations, Cricket World Cup, NCAA Bowl Season). It is played at the beautiful course at Augusta, Georgia that is without a doubt the best, most challenging and breathtaking course in the world. Every year I place bets on the potential winner and sit and watch four days of superbly entertaining golf. This year was no different, and I was in to make a killing until Rory McIlroy blew a 4 shot lead by dropping 6 shots in three holes. Add this to my safety net bets not coming in, it made for another loss of capital.  

All in all a fun weekend that was rather costly. My bets didn't cover my weekend losses so my meagre stake of £6 was lost too. The golf was exciting and having money on it made it doubly so, whether I won or not. I suppose that's half the benefit of betting, it adds to the thrill, win or lose. As for the night out it made my sister happy and that is what counts. It's all about the money but the outcomes from spending that money are what truly matter.


Take it easy, I know I am, sunning myself in a very warm Weymouth.

Chronicles Of A Hangover - Maybe I Was Wrong Before?

Clint Eastwood in The Line Of Fire, Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard, Nick Frost in Hot Fuzz, Apu in The Simpsons.... what do they all have in common you ask? Well if your any kind of a film fan, it does not need explaining. For the less fortunate of you, they've all taken bullets for somebody. Whether the person wanted them to or not, they've jumped in the way and taken a bullet for them. Nothing more heroic in a film, sacrificing your life for someone else to live. Pretty damn cool. Why are they significant to my hangover blog this week? Well I have an apology to make first, last weeks Chronicles of a Hangover was a bit sour and not really in the same attitude as the rest of my posts, so I officially retract my statements. After seeing last night unfold like a prophecy of things to come, and looking back on it this morning feeling rough, I can safely say I've had a bullet taken for me. Every cloud right? Ha ha

No recipes this week, but I am about to eat something chocolatey to dispel my hangover before lectures. I will say one thing for food though, if your ever in Aberystwyth, go to Harry's and have the teryiaki rump steak. Awesome.

Life Doesn't Always Give You What You Want, but I Can Give You a Good Book

Readers,

Sorry for the long absence since my last blog, I've had yet another busy weekend. This weekend was not only Tarannau Old Boys weekend, but the 20th anniversary of the club. It was a weekend of drinking, hard hitting, drinking, pretending to be classy and eventually a hung over mothers day. Friday was a good night, introduction drinks, meeting lots of new faces and getting bought free beer (always a plus). Saturday followed with the old boys game, we got beat hard, but we battled and fought tooth and nail on the physical side. Saturday evening was the meal, which was a nice occasion. Deserved Hall of Fame inductions and a fun celebration of the club. The lectures from certain old boys about my footballing choices dragged on (apparently knocking out an o lineman is bad form if your current team??), but I got stuck up for more than berated. All in all a great weekend topped off with a hungover drive home for chicken dinner.Winner!

After that "quick" summary, the main theme of this article is actually a film and book review. The film is something new that I watched on Tuesday, the book is an old favourite I finished reading for the 8th time on Sunday. The reason for the reviews are completely opposite, one is getting panned, while the other one is getting a good review so more people notice it. 

Okay, so I'll start with the good. The book is the autobiography of Red Hot Chili Peppers lead singer Anthony Kiedis. It is entitled Scar Tissue, and ever since I read it as a fairly innocent 14 year old it has been one of my favourite books. It is the story of a famous lead singer, that lead a pretty fucked up life, but is now on the road to recovery and normality. It won't be every body's cup of tea, but I guarantee when you read it, it will open your eyes. It will also endear you to him or at the very least make you research the story, or the chili's further. By doing that, you'll listen to their music, and that will make you a better person. Reading this book is a double win. Not only do you read a very enlightening story, that is well written and documents his topsy turvy life surprisingly well, but you also get into one of the best and most influential bands ever to walk this earth. You will embrace their music, whether you are that keen on the book or not. To give you an insight into Scar Tissue without spoiling it is best summed up in a one sentence. He's an ex drug addict, lead singer of a great band, that lead a split childhood and lost his virginity at the age of 13. 

Now for the bad, and oh boy was it bad. We had another installment of Tarannau Film Club, but luckily this time it was free of charge. We rented a classroom and decided to watch Due Date with Robert Downey Jr and a guy whose name nobody could pronounce. This film had got decent reviews so I was hopeful, but after half hour of the film I realised those reviewers (some who were friends) were complete retards. It was an awful re-hash of Planes, Trains and Automobiles. It was clearly made with the thought that most of the target audience would never have heard of the previous film. Downey Jr is his usual good self, but he does little to save the film from oblivion. Either way, it was awful, and the general consensus in the room was of a wasted 2 hours. We'll never get that time back fellas! Don't watch it, unless you wish to fall asleep or enjoy laughing at awful films and bad acting.

So there it was, a blog with lots of reviews: a good weekend, a great book and a shit film. Moral of the story - don't watch Due Date and keep your head on a swivel when playing football.