Today is the late great Andy Fletcher of Depeche Mode’s birthday. I’ve met him but not in a manner I’d have wished for. Was driving to work along Grand Canal Street to Shelbourne Rd and pushed on when junction lights went green. To my left, a little two seater coupe sports car breaks the red… 1/3

The stakes will be high this weekend in Newcastle, NSW as we take on the IRJ in our second game of the Nations Championship at a venue where even a blade of grass has more brains that this cretinous charlatan.

Assault Weapons Bans work.

🤣🙌

Next Norwegian memory is music again. Kaizers Orchestra just a great post-punk, callitwhatchyawill band. Singer Jannove Ottesen has some solo stuff in English too worth checking out. youtu.be/LzTi-DblTgg?...

He needs to go. This unhinged megalomaniac sociopath is clearly unfit for office. #Impeach

Factoid of the Day: The world’s biggest football competition is held every year in Norway, the Norway Cup. It’s a sight to behold, believe me.

Lou Wall is a legend. This is so clever and so funny. youtu.be/Iy4h3rSl2XY?...

Hydration Break.

No idea who he is but hey, that's sport, kids 🤣 Seen that David Portnoy know-nothing? He's hilarious too.

With the buildup to Norway v England reaching unbearable levels, a certain nostalgia for the country where I lived for 5 yrs has surfaced. Here’s a song from back when. The late great Marius Muller. Enjoy the instrumental outro especially. He was a guitar maestro. music.apple.com/ie/album/car...

Wow. My hero, Umberto Eco, was not kidding! “It is foolish to think that you have to read all the books you buy, as it is foolish to criticise those who buy more books than they will ever be able to read.”

Hang it in The Smithsonian. Regents, you know what to do 💪

James here keeps banging on about this book, so I caved in an ordered it. Only joking@ @jpstafford.bsky.social. Yes, have ordered and it’s for my nephew. Looking forward to it, and as I said before, love that you’ve got #42 there 😎

Is Folarin Balogun a birthright US citizen? I think he is.

And here it is. That Larry David skit on Washington starring Rob Reiner in his last ever role and even Jimmy Kimmel. Perfection ❤️ youtube.com/shorts/f9spx...

What a move. Wrongfooting Netanyahu and his extremist coaltion. This will also embolden the more moderate Israeli political parties open to 2SS. With extremists like Hamas ceding political power, Gaza could be in for its first elections since they got control of it, and Israel in for its umpteenth.

The red card isn’t rescinded. The ban has been deferred - outside of comp regulations too - and without any explanation or any minuted decision(s) recorded. That is where the corruption is blatant. Hopefully Belgium harness their ire and win, knocking this tainted team out of a tainted tourny.

I believe the sentiment I currently have in my head rhymes with ‘Looking Once’. #Impeach this felonious, treasonous, murderous, multi-draft-dodging, morally bankrupt serial bankrupt sex pest who surrendered to the Taliban.

Rio Ferdinand, another who has plainly sold his soul.

Any fans of ‘The Thick of It’ will get this. “There’ll be nothing else on TV for weeks. They’ll be bobbing about like emperor penguins trying to step over an egg. Maldives, I think.”

👏

Norway is about to have its own Italia ’90. Am delighted for everyone I know there. This is what great memories are made of. Lykke til, Norge! 💪

Apparently this is news. I hope the apology was as weak as the complaining.

This will end well…

And suddenly everyone knows all about Norway, and not only why they’re where they are in this World Cup but everything about the place. Jøss.

No need to limit access. You can still buy music on iTunes. Bandcamp is the best out of the lot. For my actual collection I’ve always bought, and still do, the original CD or LP. Everything I own, digital or actual, is ripped to a 1TB SD card for the car or music player.

Tonight, Belgium knocking the Seppos out would be wonderful 🇧🇪 I’m still proud of the fact that I’ve watched not one second of a game in this - now well and truly confirmed as - corrupt World Cup. Bent.

Aussie Women's T20 World Champs. Congrats to our very own Kim Garth 🙌

What an utterly bent competition. FIFA are a disgrace. Balogun should not be playing. www.bbc.com/sport/footba...

Biff Tannen’s America.

Isn’t it interesting just how many non-American pro-fascist/anti-foreigner/pro-MAGA maggots posting on the likes of Zuckerbook, IG etc all class themselves as ‘Digital Creator’ professionally?

‘Freedom of Speech’ means Nazi flags at the gates of Disney World apparently. Remember these scumbags?

Yep…

Well that’s Mad Gerald told then. Well done Scotland 👏

👏

This is how you march with scum like this. youtu.be/r_UP_EiXwKA?...

We’re both crook and out on sofa with (now subsiding) fevers. Watched the end of that game holding my daughter’s hair out of the way while she puked into a basin. Apt, I’d say.

All I can say watching this first half-hour of Sth Africa v England is that I want Fla and Felix back in Irish coaching circles pronto. This pitch is just godawful. 80 minute game though, folks. Bet it’s ending up close.

Great game that. Either side winning that would have deserved it. That last kick had plenty behind it, just not the Lynagh-like accuracy. Joe Schmidt has brought Aussies to an impressive level now. No longer leaderless or rudderless. A great team to watch. We’ve a lot of setpiece work to do. A lot.

All the rugby arguing going on right now 🤣 It’s been a good start to the day with two good games to watch. #AUSvIRE

Tough call on JOB there by Andrea Piardi. When you’re retreating back, you fill the route ahead of you. Everyone does it.

Another Irish legend plying their trade abroad. Greystones’ very own, Eoin Toolan. A top fella too.

Dan Sheehan looking at that anthem singer... #AUSvIRE

"Communism is the enemy of July 4th, 1776" Truly demented. And Donald, you felonious, murderous, treasonous, surrendering-to-Taliban, sex-pest, you ain't ever getting on that mountain, luv.

This is great. Slayer on keyboards. youtu.be/Q4G0hmrKXes?...

Says The Telegraph…on BlueSky.

Despite all the right-wing social media demagoguery saying ‘Sorry America’, this is not an isolated country incident for anyone travelling in connection with this pimped-out World Cup. And why I will not add one second of my time to its ratings.