Happy Birthday Kirsty!!

Today my youngest daughter turns 22! Happy birthday Kirsty!!!

Anime Central

For many years I have been a fan of Japanese anime, That's animation in case you didn't know. Anime isn't all like the cartoons you get on kids TV here, although some of it is anime. For instance Pokemon. But it isn't all for kids. Every genre is covered, thriller, detective, comedy, sci-fi, even 'adult' stuff, which I have to admit is a bit much for me! lol.
Anyway, we've had smatterings of it on UK TV here and there. The Sci-Fi channel showed some and it fizzled out. My first encounter with Anime was on the old Paramount channel , before it changed to comedy.
Both my daughters enjoy anime and have always wondered why it hasn't got its own channel! We see the Wine Channel, Wedding Channel, Holiday home channel, but no anime, which at least would be as popular with viewers as the ones I have just mentioned!
Last night though, our prayers where answered. Anime Central started to broadcast on Sky. (channel 199)
A fair bit of it can be lots of robots and slaying monsters with big swords, but some of it, could stand up in quality to anything you can see on TV.



Of the series being shown on the channel at the moment I would recommend is 'Ghost in the Shell: Stand alone complex. It follows a special intelligence unit called Section 9. Some are not all they appear though!
If you're bored and want something different to watch on TV, try a bit of anime, you may be pleasantly surprised!

Well, well, well!

What a fantastic sporty weekend for Airliebird! First Hull FC went to Leeds Rhinos on Friday, and beat them quite comprehensively 17-6. The turnaround in form was quite spectacular. To be honest I think they owed us all that performance after the comedic debacle of last Sunday!! What was good to see is the amount of fans that travelled to support the lads. A lot has been said in the press about how many walked out on Sunday before the end of the game, and to be honest I didn't blame any of them for doing so. It's a way of registering a protest. But the main thing is each game is a new start and Hull fans are famous in how they back their team through thick and thin.
Congratulations to Hull Coach Peter Sharp on winning the manager of the month. He's taken a lot of flack from some fans but I've always liked the cut of his gib. I have said this before in earlier posts.
People are talking about a Grand Final appearance again. It will be very difficult as no one has ever got there from 4th. We can beat anyone on our day, so who knows!!

The 2nd part of my great sporty weekend came yesterday when the Mighty Whites completely overturned the -15 penalty imposed on us by the Football League. We beat Hartlepool Utd 2-0 with goals from the prolific Tresor Kandol, and an absolute peach of a goal from Jermaine Beckford.
Now the playing field has been levelled out so to speak, lets really get down to business!!!
Well done to Wisey,and the lads. Keep up the good work!!

Finally, I'd just like to wish all the best at the start of the NFL season to the Oakland Raiders. I don't know a great deal about American Football, but do enjoy it and for some reason I've always had a soft spot for the Raiders. Sadly I wont be able to watch their game against the Detroit Lions on TV as I'm at work, although I might just catch the end of the game.
So I'll just say 'Go Raiders!!' :)

Bad Music Video Alert, No. 2

Here's the 2nd offering in my short series of bad music videos.
Apparently they're from Finland, and yes, looks very 70's again! What a marvellous decade the 70's were!

We wont hear the last of this.....

Well, what a bloody showing up that was. In my last post I predicted a tonking in the derby, but I didn't expect us to be the tonked!
All I can say is I'm glad I didn't end up going to the match as I may have strangled someone! (The Hubster for instance!)
Fair play to the Sith, they wanted it more than we did, in fact we was so poor, I got texts from RL fan pals from St Helens and Warrington wondering if we had threw the game to ensure a couple of full houses for next season! (Rovers kept their Superleague status by their win yesterday)
6-42 Was the final score, a damn disgrace if you ask me! Its a good job I'm having my hair done today, it helps me relax!

On a happier note, the Mighty Whites went on their barnstorming way with a 1-0 win over Luton. Now we are the only team with a 100% record in the entire football league!!
-3 and counting everyone!!! :D
MOT

Hull FC v Hull KR .....It's derby time once again!

Sunday is derby time once again, unfortunately I wont be there as I've been roped into work. It's only fair really as I get away with most of the busy match days, and we have someone on holiday. As it's a 12.30 KO I have to be in work for 9.30. Why folk want to drink as early as that I'll never know, but apparently they do! So the police making it an early KO makes no difference whatsoever! I have to say though, you rarely get any hi-jinx with RL crowds.
I'm just hoping the old knees hold up as I work Sunday nights as well. At least I'll have a bit of help as my daughter Shell is doing some hours there to make a bit of extra money before she jets off to Japan. The flights are booked, she goes on October 1st. She just has to go to the Japanese embassy in London to sort out her visa, now that her letter of authorisation has come through from Kumamoto University.
She had a bit of an accident Tuesday night, tripped over one of the cats and fell down the stairs! Unfortunately the bowl she was carrying broke, and a piece dug into her lower arm. The Hubster and I had just gone to bed and we heard an almighty crash. Then their was a knock at the door and a little voice saying, 'Dad, I think I might need to go to hospital' So they went off to A&E at 12.30am and got back at 4am. Meanwhile, I was left scrubbing the stairs carpet!
Anyway, she had 5 stitches in the wound, and has come off amazingly unscathed considering she fell right down the stairs, from the top to the bottom!
Just to finish, I'll wish Hull FC all the best against the Sith. (I predict a tonking!!) Also all the very best to the Mighty Whites who are at home to Luton on Saturday, Lets hope for our 4th league win on the bounce and we'll be down to -3!!! They'll all be quaking in their treacherous boots, those teams above us in League One I tell you!!

-6 to go...

-6 to zero!
No Hull FC game this weekend as it's the Challenge cup final, but the Mighty Whites are away to Nottingham Forest. It will be a big test for our lads, but wouldn't it be great if we can post another win!
Come on lads!!! :)
I've just noticed you can upload your own videos now. Might have a go at that. Mind you, my new phone doesn't do videos so I'll have to get a new one I think! Just to try it out, here's a little one I took of My daughter Michelle's bedroom at her digs in Leeds, as it was so tidy!! The sound isnt very good though.

Bad Music Video Alert!

I was reading a thread on a forum last night were folk tried to pip each other by posting bad music videos. I have to say some where hilarious!!! Anyway, I thought it would be a good idea as a regular thing on my blog, just for a laugh. So here's my first posting for your viewing pleasure (or not according to taste of course)
All I know about this musical delight is its a disco version of The Shadows' 60's classic 'Apache' This, as you will soon realise, was made in the 70's.

Good Luck!

To the Mighty Whites in their 1st home game of the season against Southend.
Hopefully after today we can sing: '9 more points to go, 9 more points to zero!' Doesn't sound as much in single figures does it? :)

Hull FC had a comprehensive win in the end against Wakefield winning 24-42. It was a very close game in the 1st half. Our defensive line wasn't as 'on the ball' as we usually are. I don't know what coach Peter Sharp does at half time, but lately we have come out like a house on fire in the 2nd half. We started to get on top and later in the half Wakefield had 2 players sent to the sin bin. So we played against 11 men for a few minutes. That's what sealed the match. It could be argued that Wakefield got a raw deal from the ref. But when you look at it, they were sinbinned for proper offences, its just refs usually don't act against high tackles etc in the manner they should. Although Wakey played some lovely attacking rugby , their discipline was shot. We used to be the same, and it wasn't until we got rid of our indiscipline that we started to have success.

Just a word about our new scrum half, Mathew Head. Some of the balls he passes are a thing of sheer beauty it has to be said. He has so much time on the ball, or he seems to have. I suppose that's something you can say about all good footballers/rugby players, or say quarter backs in American football. The real reason is that they think faster than anyone else.
Mathew doesn't take the defence on at all, but sprays passes about to allow the players who can, to do so with speed and precision. Although playing a completely different sport, he brings me in mind of the great Johnny Giles of the Leeds United side of the 70's. Johnny had a midfield partner in Billy Bremner to do all the running about etc, like Mathew Head has a half back partner in Richard Horne to take on the line, what Johnny did was spray out fabulous balls with such accuracy I would say he could hit a sixpence!
I hope Mathew stays at the club. Watching him has got over the disappointment I had in not getting our hands on 'Shifty' Sherwin, that's how good he is!

Friday night game.

The FC have a game tonight at Wakefield. I wont be making the trip but there is coverage on TV tonight so the Hubster will have to put up with my wailing and screaming throughout the game! I really go through some stuff watching the lads, it tires me out. (Nothing compared to the players of course!)
Anyway, Wakey have had a very good season so far, not a 'fashionable' club, our former coach John Kear took them over last year and they really have gone from strength to strength.
The way we are playing at the moment though, I'm hoping for an away win. We really are hitting top form at the right time.
Up and at em lads!!!!

12 more points to go...

...12 more points to zero!
A good start from the Mighty Whites on Saturday with a 2-1 win away to Tranmere Rovers.
The smiles on the faces of those that wish us ill....well they wont be lasting long I can sense it!

An excellent win for the FC yesterday, beating in form Warrington 46-11. It seems they came to knuckle a bit instead of playing rugby, silly thing when you play us. A few years ago they would have replied in kind, but now the lads are very well disciplined, and fight back with points on the board.
We are in 4th now and to be realistic I think that's as high we can achieve this season. Although this will give us a home tie in the play offs, The Grand Final is always contested by the top 2 teams, except for once when Bradford won coming from third. It's just the way the play offs are tilted to reward league positions, and you cant argue with that really.
But you cant deny were in great form, can beat anyone on our day, and there's always a first time for everything isn't there? :)

Something to make you go Awwwwwww

Back to sport!

A busy (and important) weekend for both my teams coming up! Hull FC are at home to on form Warrington. A win will be a great pointer on how will we finish our season. We have a few injured players back (Carvell, Briscoe, Raynor) so I'm quite optimistic. Being at home should give us the result.
For Leeds United its the first game of what will be a very hard season. Even if we win our next five games we will still be on zero points thanks to our 'pals' at the Football League.
This will either kill us or be the making of us. Now as a positive thinker I think it will be the making of us. Hell, even the law of averages scream that out fortunes should change!!
The Hubster and I are going to really try and get to a few more games this season, and show our support. Once things have settled down with his Dad etc.
Anyway, tomorrow we'll be back to being glued to Radio Leeds listening to the Mighty whites at Tranmere Rovers. Go get em lads!

Things going on at the mo.

I just thought I'd do a post about general things that are going on around me at the moment.
My Father in law is still doing pretty well. He's taking proper food now, all those drips etc have been taken off. After the 1st week since his collapse, when we had about 3 serious scares, he seems to have stabilised and is getting better every day.
The Hubster is doing well, he hasn't had a lot of spare time since his Dad fell ill, so The Sith (Hull KR) doing ok in the relegation battle has cheered him up. :)
My eldest daughter is gearing up for her trip to Japan, sorting our flights etc. What she has found hard is finding a part time job for a bit of pocket money. You would think there would be loads of summer jobs around but apparently not!
My youngest daughter is about to move into a new flat with her boyfriend. She has been staying at his place for some months now, but he shares with a couple of other guys at the mo. So from Friday they'll be alone! He's a bit of a fan of tropical fish and has quite a few tanks. Luckilly the flat is very large and they should all fit in!
I'm plodding along at the moment. My arthritis has been pretty bad the last few weeks. Luckily I have an appointment with the Consultant next month so hopefully I can get some more injections sorted.
Where I really don't know how to go is with work. I only do 8 hours a week, but it is getting harder physically to do. I enjoy working in the pub, I have a great boss and some good pals there. In a way its a bit of social life. The money I earn isn't much, but it pays for going to rugby and having my hair done, little things like that.
I would miss it if I left of course. We are closing down for a refit in September, so maybe I can make a decision then.
Well, that's about it really. Don't worry, my next post will be about the rugby as per usual! :)

A Disgrace!

I've just heard that the Football League have given Leeds Utd their Golden Share.........at a price. They will start the season on -15 points.
Now I said in an earlier post that the way they have dragged their feet about this, so we couldn't buy players etc, smacked of an assassination. By God I was right!!
The Football League have acted in a disgraceful, spiteful and petty way. I'm absolutely disgusted!
But we'll show em..........always Marching On Together!

Hull FC lost at Saints tonight, but it seemed a very encouraging display. The final score was 31-20. Saints scoring a try with the last kick of the game, so the score was unkind to the lads.
Saints had practically a full side out, we had babies playing, for instance 18 year old Danny Houghton playing at hooker. We did give away too many penalties, if our discipline was better we would have won the game.
So I'm as happy with a loss as you can be! :)

A chance against the Saints?

Tonight the lads are away at Saints. Now I've never tried to hide my admiration for the Saints team and the fans are top drawer. I'll never forget when we beat them in the 2005 Challenge cup semi final, all along the road where the coaches where parked, they lined the sides of the road and clapped us FC fans as we all walked down. I saw many a look of amazement on the faces of policemen that day!
In recent years we haven't got a bad record against them. They have only beat us once at the KC (for some reason they just don't like it) and of course we famously beat them away last season by a drop goal from the infamous Paul Cooke. But they got their own back in the Grand Final!
No matter how good they are, we seem to bother them, I don't know why it is but we do.
We haven't had a good season so far, and right now we have quite a few key players out. The Young lads that have come in have been fantastic, and as I've mentioned before, the signing of Mathew Head seems to have made a hell of a difference. There is a spring in the step, our form has made an upturn (4 wins on the trot now) and they seem to be enjoying their rugby. Maybe its because I'm a woman, but I look for those things. How the lads talk to each other on the park, how they celebrate tries things like that.
Anyway, I have a sneaky feeling we are going to do it tonight. (Famous last words!)

Oh, and good luck to the Sith, they have a massive game tonight away at fellow relegation struggler's Salford.
It will make the hubbster very happy if they win.

Yorkshire Day

Today is Yorkshire Day.
Maybe I'm old fashioned, and maybe it's the way I've been brought up, but I've always felt very proud and blessed to have been born in Yorkshire. I'd say even more than being English or British.
There are some rough areas in our county, there definitely is in Hull! But just a few miles drive away we are blessed with breath taking countryside. I think maybe parts of Scotland can only compete with it.
They say Yorkshire is 'Gods own county' Sometimes it seems to be true.

Up to 4th?

We play our re-arranged game against Salford today. For once all of the city will want us to win as the Sith are in a fight with Salford to avoid relegation.
Now a few FC fans would have liked us to loose today, purely for mischievous reasons of course, and not something I go along with actually.
But things have changed. With Wigan being docked points for salary cap infringements, we have found ourselves in 6th place. This puts today's game in an entirely different light....win and we find ourselves in 4th!
An optimism is starting to blossom amongst Hull fans, where just a few weeks ago we were just thinking of seeing out the season, and looking forward to the next, a decided upturn in form and this little bit of help has got us interested again.
Don't waste this chance...........Go get em lads!

Leeds United # 2

Just 2 more pics from the Billy Bremner statue at Elland road. You will have to click on the pictures to read them, both I found very touching. (again both posted on the WACCOE forum.)

One rule for us...

and one rule for Wigan!
Yes folks its that fun time of year again, when any Salary Cap infringements are punished. So as sure as day follows night everyone is up in arms about Wigan getting out of jail free again!
Last year they were docked 4 points for going over the cap,(a control on how much money you can spend on wages). This year the self same thing has happened, but Wigan overspent with such a devil may care attitude it sticks in the craw.
Firstly a loop hole was found so any points deducted would be to last years scale, (all clubs had agreed to double the penalties for this year), then their hearing was deferred for over a week to help them to prepare a case, when Saints and Bradford just had their hearings on the stipulated date. Mind you, Wigan had to get the big time lawyers in I would think.
Anyway, in the end they've been deducted 4 points again. Now this doesn't make sense to me, not only are they are turning out to be serial offenders, they where even worse this season!
They didn't even get the full punishment of 6 points deduction!
All through the 80's Wigan where the team to beat, won everything, and I'll tell you why. 1. For a great deal of that time they where the only fully professional club, and 2. They just bought up every good player so no one else could get em (ala Chelski) That is one of the reasons the salary cap was brought in, to stop clubs doing that, and to stop them from getting into financial difficulties.
In quite a few things the RFL are seen not to be even handed, you see this practically every week in the disciplinary hearings. Certain clubs seem to have preferential treatment. Gawd help you if your up on a disciplinary charge if you're from Hull FC or Hull KR!

I'm starting to rant now so I'll shut up....hopefully I've made my point. The RFL make our game a laughing stock year in year out, they want to sort themselves out and stop being bloody starstruck!