Nice forum title Jess.

Let's hope this ain't you me and Hazzarinho stood under that umbrella in June.

<Teem> Oh that's an exquisite film eh? <BARAKA>. I'd forgotten all aboot it but I'm ordering the Blu Ray now if I can find it. It's the only film I've ever seen that I'd say is better than <Koyaanisqatsi>.

"Pruitt Igoe" from <Koyaanisqatsi>, featuring sublime music from Philip Glass:

<User Not Found> <Euro 2016> Well I think there are many bright spots, several of which you've been noting recently. Another bright spot for me is England manager <Roy Hodgsen>. He tried out so many interesting players whilst running up a stellar international record eh? He even tried out <Jonjo Shelvey> three times I think- I love Jonjo but he won't make the team for Euro 2016.

I hope <Hodgsen> puts <Jack Wilshere> in the starting 11 and keeps him there. Remember he scored two- or three was it? goals for England last year and two were game winners if I'm not mistaken. He had a terrible, terrible injury and as you know these things can be tough to get over when you come back. But I don't think you can win an international tournament without midfielders who score goals.

Another bright spot is this inspirational video you posted On England! by <Baddiel, Skinner & Lightning Seeds - Three Lions '98>, thank you! https://youtu.be/OzxMjBEazas. On the other hand the 1998 result wasn't so good eh going out so early to Argentina. I don't blame anyone for high hopes in that World Cup though because look at the "class of '92" Man United stars on the England 1998 squad: <David Beckham>, <Gary Neville> and <Paul Scholes>. Although I guess they were pretty young to be on a a World Cup squad because <Alex Ferguson> was harshly criticized for including them a year later in the 1999 UEFA Champions tournament for "being too young" although United actually won the European championship that year lol. I learned about that from this great documentary "The Class of '92" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3311384...

<Tottenham> our team and God bless White Hart Lane and all who get destroyed there when they visit...

That terraced garden at the beginning is stunning.

I've been waving my hands at people and going "Chaka Chaka" but all I get are blank stares ‹(•¿•)›.

<Teem>

<In the old days, we used post cards and had to hike a mile barefoot through the snow to mail them. We were made of sterner stuff, now get down and give me 20, private.>

Roy Hodgson's played him and to be fair to Shelvey he's done well, but I'd be very very surprised if he were to go to France.

<I hope <Hodgsen> puts <Jack Wilshere> in the starting 11 and keeps him there. Remember he scored two- or three was it? goals for England last year and two were game winners if I'm not mistaken. He had a terrible, terrible injury and as you know these things can be tough to get over when you come back. But I don't think you can win an international tournament without midfielders who score goals.>

Well I don't think he's played enough football this season but he's most definitely one of our best players <when> he's on form. Barkley's ahead of Wilshere and I fully expect him to start given that Hodgson got drunk and told everyone a few months ago, lol.

<Another bright spot is this inspirational video you posted On England! by <Baddiel, Skinner & Lightning Seeds - Three Lions '98>, thank you! https://youtu.be/OzxMjBEazas. On the other hand the 1998 result wasn't so good eh going out so early to Argentina.>

Jess. That team with Shearer and Owen up front, Beckham and Scholes in midfield, Seaman between the sticks was <probably> better than the Euro 96 team because Owen and Beckham were regulars by then. Owen scored a goal that you could feel on the Richter scale but the cheating Diego Simeone (now Athletico Madrid manager) got Beckham sent off by play acting. I don't think we'd have beat the Dutch in the quarters that year though even though we hammered them 4-1 only 2 years before. You never know, but highly unlikely.

<I don't blame anyone for high hopes in that World Cup though because look at the "class of '92" Man United stars on the England 1998 squad: <David Beckham>, <Gary Neville> and <Paul Scholes>.>

And our current starting 11 has to be nearly as good as that squads <starting 11>. It remains to be seen whether Harry Kane can be as good as Shearer was but I'm certainly hoping so in the Euro's. True we don't have a so called "Golden generation" like back then when England would start with 5 players from that Man Utd team you mention. We still didn't win anything though! I think even though this team have less natural talent, they're hungrier and they play well together. We won 10 out of 10 in the qualifiers iirc.

< Although I guess they were pretty young to be on a a World Cup squad because <Alex Ferguson> was harshly criticized for including them a year later in the 1999 UEFA Champions tournament for "being too young" although United actually won the European championship that year lol.>

I don't remember that but I do remember Alan Hansen's famous quote.. "You win <nothing> with kids!" Went on to do the double, lol. But that was in 1994.

<I learned about that from this great documentary "The Class of '92" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3311384...

I recommend it highly if you haven't seen it- I saw it twice already.>

Missed it! I'm sure it's been on the BBC. I'll see if I can find it on YouTube and I'll download it and watch it next week.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...

Friday the 13th comes on a Friday this month! Run!

<User Not Found>

<I don't remember that but I do remember Alan Hansen's famous quote.. "You win <nothing> with kids!" Went on to do the double, lol. But that was in 1994.>

Thank you! Yes I cocked that up. I didn't remember the documentary properly or football history for that matter. So the "Class of 92" were already seasoned players on the World Cup 1998 squad. It was in 1994, not 1999, that they were supposedly "too young" to start in a UEFA Champions competition...

What a great article!! Thanks so much for the link. I'm going to make my own selection with a starting 11 based on 4-4-2 because I'm sure you are right about that.

<Teem> I had forgotten that you seem to be the only other person at cg.com who remembers "Pogo"- I know about him because I was interested in comics history some years ago.

"We have met the enemy and he is us..."

But I much preferred Krazy Kat to Pogo- I bought a giant retrospective compendium of Krazy Kat which I read and re-read many times.

<Teem> You'd have had to have missed it brah since it started in 1913. I only found out aboot it because I was interested in comics history.

Here's the Wiki article and the sample panel they provide is excellent: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krazy...

I agree with the article that it is an example of sublime surrealist art- not just in the images but in the dialogue as well. I'd say it even qualifies as an example of so called "High Art."

Ignatz! I forgot about that little nebbish. He was popular at about the same time as Ish Kabibble.

Shhh. There are children aboot...

As stated by Louden Wainwright III:

look out momma, look out dad

your bundle of joy will not be had

if the blanket is blue or if the blanket is pink

you'd best watch what you do
you'd best watch what you think

If Roy can get a tune out of those 4 then we'll win it. With the exception of Rooney they're all on top form and playing exceptionally. I think we'll beat Russia, draw with the Welsh (they always raise their game against us and they're currently a top 10 side. It's like when we play Scotland or Eire, they won't lie down) and we'll definitely beat the other team (Iceland?) can't remember off the top of my head, but our biggest test will be the Welsh. It's soooooo important we win the first game against Russia because I believe the momentum Will carry us through if we get off to a good start. Lose against the Russians?? Uh oh! Typical English team capitulating.

<User Not Found> Jinx! I was just coming here to post on "the team" now and saw you had already been here. I was reviewing some of the past games (I have them all saved on an external hard disk) and I was troubled.

First, starting 11 against Russia assuming 4-4-2: Vardy and Kane forwards, Delli in midfield for me as well- and everyone else in the world, as you point out.

I am troubled by "The Skipper" though because he has lost more than a step and I question his fitness. I watched tons of Man U games this year and remember feeling so frustrated and thinking "That's it Rooney is finished" and then he'd suddenly come alive with a flash of brilliance and support or even score a key goal to save a match or produce a victory.

His leadership, nerves, knowledge, and physical presence can't be denied. The question is will he be a leader- an inspirational and steadying influence on the younger players-*and also* demonstrate match fitness with skill, finish, pace and such. There's no question about his desire. So I'm of two minds about Rooney. On a personal level I love the guy, just love him. I think he's one of the greatest footballers in history. If I were manager though (and it's a bloody good job I'm not), I would be worried about including him.

Two more worries- If Sterling and Wilshere were both match fit and on best form, for me, *they* have to be in the midfield. But both are coming back from injuries and recently they are not match fit. Not starting, and not sparkling on the field when coming off the bench- recently Walcott injured against Man City and Wilshere was forced to substitute and he did not sparkle. He didn't embarrass himself but he was not match fit either.

I can't say more about the starting 11 against Russia yet because I haven't finished reviewing my backlog of EPL games, especially over the last month.

I'll close by saying that the players who personally excited me the most over this past year are my bias, and I know you can't build the English 11 against Russia simply on the players you "like" the most. I understand this. But I would certainly start Sterling and Wilshere in midfield if they were match fit and on form. Sadly, at they moment they are not.

<Teem> I have to say I'm not really a Loudon Wainwright III fan- partly because he's really a 'novelty song' man and I don't care for that much, but mainly because I actually know Wainwright IV- who is 10 times the musician in my view. I actually worked with Rufus Wainwright, producing several shows for him and his sister Martha in Montreal.

I also met Wainwright III's ex-wife Kate McGarrigle and her evil sister Anna McGarrigle, who came to all of their children's shows. Father Loudon never came to a single one, though in his defense he didn't live in Montreal. Still, Rufus must have played a dozen showcases or more over a five year period in Montreal and his dad couldn't be arsed to come out for one. Kate is Rufus and Martha's mother and Anna is their aunt. They were famous Canadian folk singers in Canada back in the day- "The McGarrigle Sisters."

End of story- the Wainwright clan- minus the absent Loudon- this is what they do after a show. All of them- mother, children aunt and cousins, would go to the Miami Bar on St. Lawrence Blvd in Montreal and drop acid together, then proceed to get blind drunk through the next day. They kept the bar open all night for them because they were all famous musicians- in Canada, at least.

<User Wins Pounds, Hozza>

I'm just rewatching <Leicester at White Hart Lane> Jan.13, 2016 and they fully deserve to be the league 1-2 this season. End to end action, desire, energy, skill- a real showcase. <Schmeichel> just about standing on his head to deny gold-plate chances by <Kane, Alli and Lamella>- <Lamella> had a great game on this day. At the other end <Vertoengen> saving a sure goal and <Leicester> swarming the goal in their turn. Late in the game <Dier> forgets to mark the gigantic <Robert Huth> (rumored to have starred in Japanese monster movies) and <Huth> powers the ball in with a header from 12 yards out, no chance for <Loris>... And now <Leicester> lead <Tottenham> 1-0 and 4 minutes extra time. Do Leicester stack 11 men in the box to defend the lead? No. They run a high press and keep attacking, looking for a second goal. In my view this is one of the main reasons Leicester won the EPL championship this year.

Match Announcer: <"It's a massive win for Leicester City that shows they intend to stay the distance!!">

And so they did.

<Teem> [confused]

Not really- I was reviewing your FACE TIME and wondered if the emoticon script from the IMDB horror board would work here at cg.com. It doesn't, or you'd see a little yellow face looking "confused."

I know Daniel doesn't want emoticons here. I wonder why? Too undignified for a chess website? I think they would be less undignified than the daily obscenities and multiple posting violations at this website. Daniel does next to nothing- gusting up to nothing- to address this problem. When he does, it's long, long after the horse has already left the barn.

The face party was an experiment in CG performance art and in no way implies rampant face proliferation.

Pops may have been a schnook and didn't play the axe that well, but some of his lyrics are terrific. The baby song is hilarious and I played that one a lot. How can a baby song be so creepy? Heh.

His autobiographical song "School Days" is another favorite lyric of mine.

lol "creepy" yes that's exactly my problem. You see I was introduced to him and my skin crawled. I suppose this might be common in "show biz" families, especially ones like his that really paid their dues with a great deal of hard work- and middle-level payoff at best, especially in terms of earnings. But that's no excuse for this clan's slimy- and I do mean slimy- personalities, dear Martha Wainwright excepted. I bet you'd like her a lot. Good humored, humble, witty, likes a good laugh. I miss her.

But I can't separate her father <Loud Man's> leering, drunken face from his songs, so I have no interest in them. Please don't post any more <Loud Man> songs in here- I can feel them bringing down the resale value of my forum.

I'm thinking of putting my forum on the market in Vancouver- did you know the apartment I live in here in Korea costs around 500 dollars a month, which my school kindly pays.

But the equivalent apartment in Vancouver- greater Vancouver mind you, not just downtown- costs at least two grand a month.

You do the math! It's one of the main reasons I'm still here, though there are many others. I'm banking an extra 2000 dollars a month teaching here instead of home in Vancouver. Plus now I'm at a college so they treat me like a human being, instead of a primary school student. Koreans are all about "status" and public school teachers don't have any status at all. But college and university teachers do and I can really feel the difference.

Just one example- I can come and go from my office as I please- and I actually have an office to begin with. At Korean public schools, nobody, not even the principal, is allowed to leave the school property during work hours without filling out a document and getting three signatures on it.