Footy Notes

A few notes regarding the Confederations Cup in South Africa and world football in general.

• The U.S. was voted the team most likely to have a player do something stupid to get hastily sent off by an overzealous referee, after Sacha Kljestan was sent off in the second half for a late tackle on Ramires. Prediction: The Americans will have a player sent off before the start of play against Egypt for not having his shoelaces tied properly.
• FIFA has announced that the notorious vuvuzela horn will probably be allow at next summer's World Cup in Africa. The horn, derived from a traditional Zulu instrument, is played by many fans during games, creating a loud, annoying sound that exactly mimics the sound effects from 1974's Killer Bees, starring Gloria Swanson. Others* have described the sound as being like "the flatulence of a billion hummingbirds" and "a million angry Harpo Marxes." FIFA did admit that had they known about the popularity of the horn they would have awarded the World Cup to Germany again.
• Egypt beat Italy one-nil. Italy made the fatal mistake of mistiming a dive for a penalty, whilst the Egyptian forward was heading his goal in their box.
• New Zealand was the first Confederations Cup participant to have been mathematically eliminated from the semifinals before they got off the plane in South Africa.
• North Korea qualified for the World Cup Finals for the first time since 1966. Premier Kim Jong Il was reportedly so happy he downgraded his recent threats. North Korea will now retaliate to military action only a hundred times over.**
• FIFA ordered the removal of sideline televisions at the Confederations Cup after coaches complained that they were distracting their players, who would stop and pose during play.
• Iran was eliminated from qualification from the World Cup Finals. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad responded by announcing that he was a sea turtle and dancing around a burning Volvo for ninety minutes.

* Me, in this article. It really is the most annoying thing I've ever heard, apart from Truman Capote's voice, Tommy Wiseau's acting, and the song Hello, George.
*Reportedly, it was the first time he jumped in his jump suit since his dance with Madeline Albright.

Holiday Snaps!

Well, I promised some holiday snaps and here they are. Ireland was wonderful, beautiful, and at times, extremely dangerous. A lovely visit was had by all. Enjoy!














Not many people know that Ireland is completely covered by the ruins of a giant castle. Bloody Cromwell!

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Unfortunately, our hotel suite was under repair during our visit. Still, we enjoyed the rustic quality of it all.

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Eye candy. In a country this gorgeous, they can't all be jokes.

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I took this pic at the Cliffs of Moher, just beyond the sign that says "Do not go beyond this point." Tourists from a variety of nations were ignoring the sign. I've never heard the word "jump" in so many different languages.

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A typical Irish beach.

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Not many people know that Ireland is littered with miniature villages populated by the little people. Watch where you trod!

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If you're ever in Doolin, County Clare, I heartily recommend McDermott's pub. Best Bangers and Mash I had on the trip and fab Guinness, as well. The missus had fish and chips and they were outstanding. The Littlest Fando had a burger. It was huge, all Irish beef, and she loved it.

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More eye candy: Ladies View, just south of Killarney. As you may have guessed, the ride into Killarney was beautiful, but very bumpy.

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A typical Irish rural highway. Mind the sheep!

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I've always wondered if Irish dogs sound different from American and British dogs. He didn't make a peep though. He just stood there, occasionally taking a pull from his pipe.

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Irish farmland. Tough hoeing, indeed!

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You have not heard Inna Gotta Da Vida until you've heard this bloke play it.