Uruguay should hold its head low,very low in fact, because like its its neighbour, Argentina, it has had its Hand of God (or more aptly, arm of the Anti-Christ) moment, not in this case to make a cheating goal, but to stop an honest goal.

Rather than be beaten by Ghana in an honest game, they cheated. And then had the lack of integrity to win on penalties. Shame on them!

Go on Uruguay, do the right thing, and withdraw from the competition. Be spectacular! Instead of losing against the Dutch ignominiously, go down in history forever as the team that put integrity before success and pulled out of the World Cup on a point of principle.

Post Match Analysis

Okay, Uruguay is not full of cheats, there was just one cheating action when Suarez used to arm to prevent a certain goal. Justice was not served in the quarter-final however it was in the semi-final. However Uruguay played fairly in that game, gave a good account of themselves with their tenacity, hard work and skill, and only narrowly went down to the Netherlands 3-2.

Given the professional nature of the sport, it is too much to expect Uruguay, or any other team in fact, not to take unfair advantage of a bad refereeing decision or weak rules. In cricket, a batsman used to walk before the empire gave him out, less so now. In golf, higher standards are still required on the course as Brian Davis proved a couple of months back. It is possible for a sportsman to have integrity but maybe it is easier to take difficult decisions as an individual than it is as a member of a team.

Penalty Goals And Television Replays

So back to football… how do we address this issue and get a better outcome? One suggestion I favour is to borrow the idea of the “penalty try” from rugby, and have the “penalty goal”. In the case where a definite goal has been prevented illegally then referee simply awards the goal and sends off the culprit. To make this work we would need the 4th official to be able to review the television footage to make sure the decision is a correct one. Justice is then served and the incentive to cheat is reduced. If the decision is incorrect then a drop ball on the penalty spot would be an exciting an equitable way to restart the game. Maybe the next World Cup in Brazil will bring us better rules and a better refereeing system.

Liberal Democrats Swing Both Ways

It is a tough choice for Nick Clegg. He does not want to be the leader that failed to take that “once in a generation” chance to deliver a fairer voting system. So who is he going to choose as the father of his PR baby?

Firstly, there is the younger, stronger and more legitimate choice, the favourite of his family in the country. But David C is a reluctant father being unconvinced that a PR baby is affordable at this time. The future with David looks to be full of arguments and broken promises. Not a basis for a stable relationship.

And then there is older, more experienced and reliable but unloved Gordon, disliked by friends and family, but a much more willing father and someone with whom he shares commons ideas and values but no respect. And no spark of romance there.

So Nick goes out on separate dates with both David and Gordon. Neither takes his fancy. This is hard going. But Nick’s biological clock is ticking, and he must decide by Friday as that is market(s) day. If only there was a younger version of Gordon that his family and friends liked…

Gordon Makes Way For A Younger Man (or Woman)

Gordon does not want David to have the PR baby with Nick. He has recognized his lack of legitimacy so he has decided to step aside for good of his family. He has some younger siblings who can fulfil this marriage of convenience. There is Ed B, David M, Ed M, Alan J, Jon C and Harriet H. Surely one of these can woo Nick and those in the country.

Gordon wants to play the role of best man and make sure the wedding arrangements and the first trimester of the maternity proceed smoothly.

Now Nick has a way forward, he feels a tingle and he hopes it is not the MMPs but a STV

It’s A CONDEM Party as Cameron Gets a Clegg Over

In an admirable demonstration of democracy at work the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties put together a coalition agreement in around 5 days that allowed a successful transfer of power from the old regime to the new. The chemistry between the leaders and indeed the leadership teams with plenty of pragmatism has meant that there was enough goodwill to stitch together an broad agreement that allows the coalition government a practical working majority with the price (sic prize) being a referendum of Proportional Representation (in the weak form the Alternative Vote) in 12 months time.

You are Crazy Not To Vote Tactically

I want to spell this out. With the ‘first past the post’ voting system, if you don’t vote for the winning candidate, you may as well have not voted at all.

Think about it. A vote for losing candidate results in no representation whatsoever. Nothing. Nada. Nada di Nada. Zilch.

If your preferred candidate does not win, you may as well have stayed at home.

I will just say that again as I only really realised this in the past few days.

If you don’t vote for the winning candidate, you may as well not have voted at all!

How democratic is that?

Put another way, UK democracy is a post code lottery: your vote only counts in certain post code areas.

In a PR system your vote would count for something but not in the UK election 2010.

That’s why we need real change. (I think I might copyright that phrase.. Mmm oops too late)

Making Your Vote Count

So the only rational approach is to either:

1. vote for the party that is most likely to win in your constituency but only if you really want them to win; or
2. vote for the party that has a reasonable chance of winning in your constituency but if you really really want them to win; or
3. vote for the least offensive party that has a reasonable chance of beating the party that you most don’t want to win in your constituency

Making The Best Choice

Here in Central Devon, it is a two horse race between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

Applying the rules above, I want my vote to have some chance of counting, i.e. not being a wasted vote, so I must choose between these two parties.

The Conservatives lack competence on the economy, and may take the UK into a double dip recession, and hence are too big a risk to consider, so I will vote for the Liberal Democrats. Also Nick Clegg seemed the most honest of the three main parties’ leaders, and with Vince Cable as a competent Chancellor I am comfortable with my decision.

The other advantage of voting Liberal Democrat is that if they have significant leverage they may be able to change the constitution so we will have a PR system in the next election.

Then everyone will be able to vote for the party that best represents their views. And have that vote count. That would be no bad thing.

Follow Up Sequence or Follow Upside Down in Sequence?

Awoke at 4a.m. this morning with monkeys dancing on the hotel room roof. Looked for a piece of fruit to throw at them but thought better of it as I thought it might encourage them further. Returned to peaceful but clammy sleep

Liz rang at 7a.m a request to update the WordPress Thesis skins on our server to Thesis 1.7 so got to work on this and missed breakfast.

Follow Up Sequences Tips

On the infusionsoft Mastery course this morning, the session was the best one so far: Micah Mitchell covered Follow Up Sequences and Email Templates. These can be immensely powerful in the right (skilled) hands and I came away with a bunch of really good tips to improve conversions, recover cart abandonment, reduce post sale support calls and increase retention rates. Worth the course fee several times over in itself.

Carl Chapman also gave an incredibly insightful description of his Infusionsoft setup from squeeze page, order form, through follow up sequences and on to the membership site.

Follow up to Follow Upside Down – Ziplining the Canopy

After lunch we had a ‘free’ so decided to do something even more reckless that create a trackable link

Led by Stanning and Carlo, our guides, Micah then me, then Maggie, Jay and then David followed each other upside down through the canopy.

Micah and Maggie glad to have survived

David proves its as easy as falling of a tree

The Canopy is beautiful when viewed from this perspective

Maggie cant stop laughing

Just let go

A tentative start

I wish I could fly

Look no brains - I meant hands

Is that a tightrope I see before me?

Get off those electricity wires!

Maggie completes the first two lines unperturbed

The dismembered arm prepares to pluck another victim

Intrepid Infusionsofties

Initial Briefing - have you been to the restroom?

David ascends the path to the launch site

We trek through the jungle to the battling ants and humidity

David Shows Us What He’s Made Of

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now is time for a siesta

A recent post by Chris Brogan on the importance of execution brought this old Sanskit poem to mind. I memorized it when I was ten and recited it to my mother. It is still there in my head.

The poem (somewhat more poetically – no surprise there) refers to the “splendour of action” rather than “importance of execution”.

Look well to this day for it is life, the very best of life.
In its brief course lie all the realities and truths of existence:
the joy of growth, the splendour of action, the glory of power.

For yesterday is but a memory and tomorrow is only a vision.
But today, if well lived, makes every yesterday a memory of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore to this day.

An Ancient Sanskrit Poem

Now must get back to work on the splendour.

In 20 days I am attending a conference in Central America. And I want to stay in touch. The question is how? iPhone, iPad or Android?

My current phone is a Samsung SJH J700 which was low cost place-holder while the technology improved. But what next?

My requirements? Email, Twitter, GPS, coverage in Devon and Costa Rica, a keypad I can work with my larger than average fingers – definitely not reet petite.

On the 11th April my flight to San Jose, Costa Rica, is via Dallas so I am able to buy an iPad at the airport if any are for sale.

My wife Liz, has an iPhone, but maybe I should play away in the Android camp?

What is the best phone, given I need to buy by the end of March 2010?

If you have a lot of photos on Flickr and want to show them in a slideshow on your WordPress blog then Slickr Flickr is the plugin to use.

Rocco Slideshow

I tagged the following photos with “Rocco” and added the slideshow to my post using the line [slickr-flickr tag="rocco" type="slideshow"]

Rocco and Lawn Have Both Had A Trim

No Way!

Sunday Morning Dog Walking

Rocco "Downie" Junior

Where did I bury my ball?

Impressed? I found my ball

Lets Go Walk On the Water, You First

Where has the snow gone?

Low Winter Sun Eclipses Cavaliers

Rocco Downie Junior

Family Resemblance

Summertime and The Livin is EZ

Does My Head Look Big In This?

This Pillow Is Well Hard

A Greener Way To See Life Down Under

Joined At The Lughole

Rocco as a Stole

Roma Gallery

I then tagged the following photos with “Roma” and added the gallery to my post using the line [slickr-flickr tag="roma" type="gallery"]

Rio Slideshow

I then tagged the following photos with “Rio” and added the slideshow to my post by adding the line [slickr-flickr tag="rio" type="slideshow"]

You Can Almost See The Sea From Here

No Way!

Sunday Morning Dog Walking

Smile And The Whole World Smiles With You

Somebody dropped a Sandwich?

• Slickr Flickr enables you to have slideshows as well as galleries.
• You can show photos on pages, posts and in text widgets in the sidebar
• You can show photos with different sizes
• You can show photos with different formats – landscape or portrait
• You can show or hide captions
• You can show photos from other Flickr accounts
• There are now even more ways to admire Rio, Rocco and Roma – my three cavaliers

It’s been a while since I have written on this blog. I have been focused on work and not had time or inclination to make some personal commentary.

Right now it is 1:48 a.m., I am listening to Earth Wind and Fire (on Grooveshark) blast out ‘Reasons’ as I write.

I didn’t run this morning as my running partner called off. I was not put out too much as it was below zero and the weather forecast was for hailstones. Instead, I watched Andy Murray ultimately disappoint in the Tennis Australian Open Men’s Final due to his poor first serve. Five set points missed in the third set: close but no cigar. Actually not really that close at all. Maybe, when Roger Federer retires, we can have a British Tennis Champion.

The afternoon and evening was spent writing my first WordPress plugin. I should finish it tomorrow morning. With good promotion it should be excellent linkbait for my wordpress site

Why the title of this post? Last night, the movie version of the Hitchhikers Guide To The Universe was on TV. Martin Freeman, Stephen Fry and Bill Nighy murdered an excellent script with gratuitous lack of irony and humour. It was completely flat, flatter than the whale. Zero out of five. All of it should have stayed on cutting room floor or somebody should have hit the delete button (followed by “Yes” to the “Are You Sure You want to cast this movie into the abyss?” prompt) . The movie is dingoes kidneys. If only an outsized dog from another universe would go back in time to 2005, appear for an instant, and swallow the entire movie set. Hitchhikers is a great series but my strong recommendation is to stick to the cassette tapes of the radio series or the TV series, it’s a thousand times better.

Now heading off to a bed, but first, a nightcap. Perhaps a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster?

• Take the juice from one bottle of that Ol’ Janx Spirit
• Add 1 measure of water from the seas of Santraginus V
• Melt 3 cubes of Arcturan Mega-gin into the mixture (it must be properly iced or the benzene is lost)
• Bubble 4 litres of Fallian marsh gas through it (in memory of all those happy Hikers who have died of pleasure in the Marshes of Fallia)
• Over the back of a silver spoon float a measure of Qualactin Hypermint extract, redolent of all the heady odours of the dark Qualactin Zones.
• Drop in the tooth of an Algolian Suntiger. Watch it dissolve, spreading the fires of the Algolian suns deep into the heart of the drink.
• Sprinkle Zamphour
• Add an olive
• Drink…but very carefully.

My darling wife and I celebrated our 16th wedding at the Harris Arms ‘California Dreaming’ party. It was great. It opened my eyes and taste buds to a Californian take on Côtes du Rhône.

The evening started with a Mumm Napa Brut Prestige: a bright refreshing opening gambit, with a lingering strawberry after-taste.

With our starter of squid with risotto filling, our knowledgeable host, Andy, offered Qupé Marsanne. This fresh, rocky wine was a little cold on serving but on being warmed up revealed more tones including its 13% ‘contamination’ with Roussanne. There was a little bit of orangy smokiness in a glass that improved with drinking.

Next I put my nose in a Qupe Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard 2003. I was reminded of Douglas Adams’ great line about “like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick”… except the lemon was missing. This was a powerful wine, seriously powerful. So powerful in fact that I ordered a taxi, and consigned my car keys to my jacket pocket. And all I had done was take a sniff. If I were to drink it I might be found days later, washed up on a deserted Cornish beach, with the hangover only slowly receding.

So I giddily put it to one side, and sampled the Mourvedre Old Telegram 2004. This was subtler (not difficult) but my taste buds had not fully recovered so I could not really taste it. I decided to recuperate by tucking in to the Duck with Mushroom Hash.

The Mourvedre was complex. One of the diners, Jim, suggested it was akin to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, more of the graveyard than of the vineyard. He was spot on, Morbidre might be a better name for this earthy wine with its musty, newly buried corpse tones.

Our host had by now sipped the Qupé Syrah and noted its power. He left. Not permanently but to visit the cellar to appropriate a better match to the pork. And he returned with an absolute gem; a Calera Ryan Pinot Noir. Although still a little cold, its mellow tones of cherry and strawberry beautifully complemented the pork. It was excellent choice and many thanks to Andy for raiding his cellar at this time of need.

The medley of desserts which included some amazingly delicious apricot bread pudding (amazing because I don’t like apricots and am not keen on bread pudding) was accompanied by Bonny Doon Vineyard Raspberry Framboise, the intense kick of raspberry was not too sweet and not too sour.

Sadly, at this point, we had to depart in a taxi to attend a conference call with a supplier in the USA so there was no leisurely end to the evening.

I am already looking forward to the next wine evening at the Harris Arms on 24th February 2010 when Aussie and Kiwi wines will feature.

The menu tonight was:

“California Dreaming”
Homage to Alice Waters of Chez Panisse
Wednesday 25th November 2009

On arrival
Napa Brut Prestige, Mumm

Stuffed squid with tomato and saffron risotto and basil foam
Qupé Marsanne

Duck leg braised in Zinfandel on sweet potato and mushroom hash
Mourvèdre ”Old Telegram” 2004, Bonny Doon Vineyard

Roast marinated pork loin with rosemary, fennel & garlic, roasted root vegetables and creamy mustard mash
Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard, 2003

Vanilla pannacotta on chocolate almond cookie with apricot bread pudding
Framboise Bonny Doon Vineyard

Golf Lession Two: The Stance (again)

At the lesson today, Matt quickly identified the cause of my inconsistent chipping. He started by asking me to use a pitching wedge to chip onto a green about 75 yards away. I hit the green a few times but there was the odd pull to the left or a few thinned shots to the right. Only about 20% of shots were actually on target.

He then got me to try the sand wedge, each time I hit the green. Strange, I never use a sand wedge except when in a bunker so it was news to me that I could actually hit it reasonably well.

However I was playing the shot with my arms – not my legs. Once again I had little hip rotation. Also I had elevation but not much distance as the face of the club was too open an angle to the ball.

Matt helped me make some adjustments: put 60% of my weight on the front foot, closed the club face so it has less elevation and ensured the ball was slightly behind the middle of my stance. The result? Highly consistent, longer, straighter chips.

I reckon with that one lesson I can improve by six shots next time I play.