Joel Murray

Richard Dawkins: Great Britain is Not a 'Christian Country'

2012-02-14T13:13:00.002Z

Today the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science published the results to a survey on 'Religious and Social Attitudes of UK Christians in 2011', helping Dawkins claim Great Britain is not truly a 'Christian country', as the national census has always suggested, and therefore the church should be removed from British society. The survey results, although based on a small sample relative to the census, were very interesting and I have to admit I agree on some of the points Dawkins took from it when speaking on BBC Radio 4 this morning.

Richard Dawkins; a self-professed champion for atheists.

The most interesting statistics that came out of the survey, in my opinion, were:

54% of people in Great Britain and Northern Ireland said they recorded 'Christian' as their religion in the 2011 census
of those, 72% say they count themselves Christian because they were christened or baptised into the religion, just 28% said it was because they believed in Christianity's teachings
49% of them said they have not attended a church meeting once in the last 12 months, apart from special occasions such as christenings, weddings, funerals (hatch, match and dispatch!), 17% said they had once or more a week

in fact, 24% who hadn't been in the last 12 months had never been

as many people pray weekly or more (35%) as never pray (37%)
only 36% completely believe in Heaven, just 18% in Hell and 8% believe in reincarnation
just 17% see Christianity as the only way to know God (John 14:6)
68% do not believe Jesus physically rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15: 17-19)
60% have not read the Bible of their own choice for over a year, if ever

65% in fact do not know that the first book of the New Testament is Matthew

64% relate being a Christian with 'being a good person' or 'how you are brought up', just 22% relate it with accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour

Personally, I agree with Dawkins that these results show that Great Britain is not a 'Christian country'. Though none of these things can ever say whether someone is a Christian or not (that is between God and the person), I think the fact that only half of the country claims to be Christian, half of those don't attend church regularly, the majority do not read the Bible, many do not pray and few have belief in the core aspects of the Christian faith shows that, unfortunately, the UK is more secular than Christian.

There has been argument that Dawkins cannot say who is Christian or not but, from my personal experience, the essence of being a Christian is that your everything is in Christ and for Christ. This will reflect in someone's character, in their life, in what they say and do and believe; they will be recognised as Christians by their fruit (Matthew 7:17-20).

The bigger debate is the presence of Christianity in British society but that is for another post. The sad state of affairs is that, thought there is a great history and tradition of Christianity in Great Britain, there is no longer. Now, the church that is left, the remnant of that history, has a responsibility to proclaim the true gospel across the land to make Jesus' name and his gospel (literally, good news) known (Matthew 28:16-20).

It is so sad that in countries like this, where we are free the most to worship, the people reject it and are often reluctant to stand up for it. In countries where the gospel is forbidden, the church is thriving. May we rise to the challenge and step out boldly in faith and by the power of the Spirit that the people of Britain would know the gospel for what it truly is.

Listen to Dawkins on Radio 4 below:

Are the UK"s Christians religious enough? (mp3)

Adverts of the Super Bowl 2012

2012-02-06T14:10:00.000Z

I'm reliably informed that many in America who do not enjoy sports look forward to Super Bowl Sunday each year anyway. The country celebrates the event with parties all over but it's the bits in between the plays of American Football which really pull the viewers in. Super Bowl commercial breaks are notorious for containing great adverts and companies spend up to $3.5m for 30 seconds of space.

One of the Coke Polar Bears that watched the match along with the audience.

Mashable has put together all 52 adverts that were broadcast during the Super Bowl this year and during my breaks at work I've been taking a look. Here are some of my favourites.

Doritos - Sling Baby

Love the music, love the old and new person team-work and love the expression on the baby's face as it bungees through the air in slow motion.

Volkswagen - The Dog Strikes Back

Last year the mini-Darth Vader advert was a worldwide hit for cuteness, humour and general Star Wars fans alike. This year, Bolt the dog is their offering with a really good twist at the end...

Coca Cola - Polar Bears

Coca Cola featured multiple times throughout the game with adverts that changed depending on how the game was going (bored polar bears if the game was boring, tense is the game was tense etc.) giving the effect that they were watching along with the viewers. A great concept and some loveable characters. This was my favourite purely for how much I can relate with him, being a Leicester City fan.

Hyundai - Think Fast

With echoes of the Hard and Fast campaign that Vinnie Jones is fronting, this advert made me chuckle.

Marvel - The Avengers

I don't think Marvel needed to promote this movie much but I get so excited with every little extra bit I see, I was happy they bothered.

Time Warner Cable - Enjoy Better

The American multimedia supplier uses a mixture of Ricky Gervais, Facebook, Call of Duty, ESPN and Netflix to tap in to the nation in this advert. I liked it for all those reasons but also, it's epic and funny.

There has to be honorable mentions for Justin Hawkins in Samsung's advert, the Bridgestone Sleeping Baby Test and Fiat's utilisation of Catrinel Menghia. You can see the other 43 on Mashable's article.

Which are your favourites?

Project Managing the University of Lincoln Videos

2012-01-20T15:12:00.002Z

I started an internship at the University of Lincoln back in June and one of the first things I was asked to look at developing some new promotional videos for the University. The old ones were about 3 years old and so were definitely in need of a refresh.

The main challenge in the project was understanding what was wanted from the videos in the marketing department and being able to transform them into filming plans and relaying that to the external company that were commissioned to make the videos. Then I got down to the dirty work.

I put together a file for each video idea (which we came up with in team meetings) containing headings of: overveiw; purpose; audience; narration; shooting; inspiration; text. These were there to help everyone in the project get a clear understanding of what the videos were going to look like. Then I created some storyboards for each one (they were rubbish to look at but did the job!) and compiled shot lists for each video. It created quite a nice list of tourist hotspots around the city which I then planned a route to get round them all.

To find the people to be in the videos I used contacts, social media and even asked strangers around campus! Social media was by far the best way to find willing volunteers and we were happy with those we selected after doing screen tests. I also searched to find academics happy enough to have us invade their classrooms to film students at work (some lessons worked better than others...!).

Once all that was done, it was finally onto filming. We had three days to film all location shots and interviews for the four videos and on our first planned day it rained all day. Scratch that one, we now had two days to do pretty much all the filming which was tough. Early starts and late finishes helped us on our way and for those two days, not a drop of rain fell even if it wasn't the heat of summer.

The process of having an external company edit videos for you is tough, going back and forth with feedback and trying to make small and particular alterations over internet cables. It was four sessions overall of feedback (which I thought wasn't too bad and was owed to by our comprehensive preparation) plus a few extra bits here and there over phone before they were finally ready.

It's been a really valuable experience having such a project to work on and it has been rewarding, not only being a part of a film production like it but learning how it all works in the context of the University's marketing strategy. We've launched them on YouTube, promoting via social media, and hosted them on the University server to be viewable on the website globally (where YouTube is blocked) and it's just a matter of getting them seen now.

The aim is for them to convince more and more students to study at the University of Lincoln so the proof will be in the pudding to see how much the numbers of applicants increase in the coming years. Have a look and tell me what you think:

Fotoshop by Adobé

2012-01-11T09:30:00.000Z

A parody advertisement video has arrived on the internet, by a film maker called Jesse Rosten (@jesserosten) commenting on the beauty industry of today. It is really well made, has a great concept and the message is portrayed an a hugely effective manner. The description to the video reads simply: "this commercial isn't real, neither are society's standards of beauty". Take a look.

Target Acquired: Luis Suarez and the Old Lady Terminator

2012-01-06T15:30:00.002Z

With all the furore over the 'racism row' slash 'Suarez/Evra saga' slash 'racist cheat' escapade that is going on with Luis Suarez over his alleged racist remarks, this GIF has emerged and taken a great slant on the whole situation. I found it on the Who Ate All the Pies blog and it was created by RedCafe.

Amazing.

Vinnie Jones Does it Hard and Fast for the British Heart Foundation

2012-01-04T13:52:00.004Z

The British Heart Foundation have become the first organisation in the UK to actively promote Hands-only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). To go alongside this, they have began a national campaign saying that 'anyone who doesn’t have CPR training should now ignore the kiss of life in favour of “hard and fast” compressions in the centre of the chest'.

The campaign is spearheaded by a television advert utilising the reputation and talents of Vinnie Jones, the former footballer (Wimbledon, Chelsea) turned Hollywood actor (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, X-Men: the Final Stand). The film is simple, informative and to the point and uses a great touch of irony and comedy to make a memorable video. Unfortunately, some have taken exception to one line that Vinnie says, which I worry will take away from the point of the video.

I was shocked to see that many comments on YouTube and through Twitter have slated the video as homophobic for the use of the line 'you only kiss your missus on the lips'. As the article on the BHF website states, the hands-only CPR shown in this video is to be used in favour of mouth to mouth resuscitation to prevent contagious infection and to help make helpers more confident to help is needed. It is, in my opinion, clearly not a homophobic joke, suggesting that men kissing men is disgusting, that you should only have a female partner or otherwise. Furthermore, it matches the character that Vinnie Jones is portraying in the video, the stereotyped 'hard man' Londoner, and so the line wouldn't be out of place in any other portrayal of such a character.

In response, I'd like to use the words of some commenters on YouTube in regards to the video:

errr? How? i guess its racist as well because it's not representing the ethnic diversity of gangland london? specialistsound

This is an advert providing the public with important, potentially-lifesaving information. If they have to omit 'all-inclusive' language to maintain the pacing then so be it. It would break the flow if Vinne said "You only kiss your gender-irrelevant romantic-associate on the lips", or whatever, and then people could miss the rest of what he says. Get over it. hazzamo

They generally say avoid mouth to mouth now because you could contract viruses. People who give mtm are meant to use things like mouth guards to stop contracting (or passing them). It's not a slander on homosexuality, it's trying to keep people safe. malcomthird

Look at the merits of the video and take in the important message that could save a life one day rather than pulling it to pieces for the sake of political correctness.

Leicester City: Half a Season to Forget

2011-12-28T08:58:00.000Z

As the disappointing, 10th place finish during the 2010/11 season arrived, Leicester City's Thai owners promised money would be spent in the summer. After all, Sven Goran Eriksson was to lose five or six first team regulars as their loans came to an end and had to build from the bottom. They did and he did, bringing in 12 new players over the summer transfer window and the Foxes were installed as pre-season favourites to be promoted automatically with West Ham.

So, half way through the season, Sven is gone and Leicester sit half way up the league table in 12th. Where has it all gone wrong?

Gallagher salvages a point against Ipswich. (lcfc.com)

Nigel Pearson has returned and done what he can with Sven's team but there are some aspects of the squad that look like they need changing. As many managers and players have commented, Leicester have the players to succeed but there are just a few areas that need to finish off the team.

Width
Pearson has returned Lloyd Dyer to the squad to add some pace and excitement along the wings of the team but he is the only outlet of that nature to Pearson's disposal. Dyer has his moments but he lacks the final ball, lacks control at times and will hardly ever touch the ball with his right foot. There needs to be a new injection of creativity on the flanks to give the forwards more opportunities and to attack the opposition much more regularly.

Pace
One of the reasons that last season's Player of the Season Richie Wellens has been lambasted as he has in the recent weeks is the way he seems to slow down the play and pass horizontally across the park. This allows the opposition time to regroup, loses us momentum and frustrates the fans. He is not the only culprit of this either. The midfield need to take Sol Bamba's frame of mind and power forward when the opportunity arises.

The Old Guard
One of the first things Pearson did when he returned was to reinstall the midfield of Dyer, Wellens, King and Gallagher, that of the 2009/10 play-off season. They did well then with the momentum of the League One title and the circumstance of the league at that time but now it just doesn't cut it. Pearson needs to look at alternatives, inserting Yuki Abe, Neil Danns or Gelson Fernandes to the situation, to make the next step up into a top of the table team.

January cannot come quick enough for Leicester City, I think, when they can begin again and Pearson can once again make Leicester City his own with the funds promised once again by the Thai owners. A winger or two and a game-changing forward would do wonders for the team, I think, Huddersfield's Jordan Rhodes, Hull's Cameron Stewart and Doncaster's Billy Sharp would be my purchases of choice.

If this happens or not, I have trust that Nigel Pearson will succeed, as he has done in the past with both Leicester and Hull, once he makes the team his own. If not, we may well be seeing the fourth managerial change in two seasons at King Power Stadium.

Videos at Christmas

2011-12-24T19:01:00.002Z

I've seen some really amazing videos around Christmas this year, from A Social Media Christmas to Jesus/Santa comparisons to beatboxing priests but I think this video might be the sweetest and best made video I have seen so far.

Created by St Pauls Church in Auckland, New Zealand and featuring the children of their St Paul's Arts n Kids initiative (that has an unfortunate acronym name). It's a great way to express spirituality in contemporary arts and media and to include their children's ministry in that. Please have a watch and enjoy.

Also, Merry Christmas!

Suarez Racism Ban Sets a Precedent

2011-12-21T11:00:00.000Z

Liverpool's Luis Suarez was charged last night for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra yesterday evening and sentenced to a £40,000 fine (not really much considering the wages he's probably on) and a hefty 8 match ban (worth a lot considering he is one of Liverpool's form players this season). He allegedly used the word 'negrito' to Evra in a crowded penalty box in front of the Anfield Kop, literally translating to 'little black man'. How fair is this sentence, especially for such a crime?

bbc.co.uk/football

There is argument that Evra has exaggerated the claims, as had happened in the past, and Suarez didn't even use the term; the basis of Liverpool's expected appeal. There is also argument that the term has been culturally misunderstood, it being a term of endearment in Latin America where Suarez is from. I would argue, though, that although it has been labelled as racial abuse, how different is it to any other kind of abuse? Surely using the insult of 'little black man' is on a par with 'little nob-head' or other such derogatory verbal abuse.

I in no way advocate racism, or verbal abuse of any kind, but I wonder whether the penalty for this incident has been taken too far. Today's society seems very concerned with insulting someone using an attribute of them, be it race, disability, sexuality or other. Why is the same concern not given to general abuse that doesn't use someone's nature as its reference?

A precedent has been set, for sure, in punishing players using racist terms on the pitch, be they intentionally abusive or not. Should there be set such a precedent when any player uses any other insult to another player, official or even fan? Should this be confined to just on the pitch or in any wave of life?

The BBC has selected other football bans on their Suarez/Evra article for crimes such as pushing referees, punching players, kicking fans and failing to take drug tests but never for verbal abuse. For example, Paul Davis was banned for 9 matches in 1988 for punching an opponent, David Prutton for 10 matches in 2005 for pushing a referee. The precedent for insulting a player on the pitch could now be the same sentence as that for such physical crimes as listed.

Players will have to learn to be much more careful, keep their tempers down and keep their mouths shut from now on, which is probably a good thing. However, if some can't manage to do that, we could be seeing a lot more lengthy bans coming up in the future...

Jesus Ripped Up Santa's List

2011-12-12T18:43:00.000Z

We all know about Santa's list that he made, checked twice and used to find out who is naughty or nice. It makes sense, huh? If you're a good little boy or girl, you get lots of lovely presents but if you're naughty, you get just a lump of coal and a ruined Christmas. No one wants to be on that list but if you think about how you live in relation to others, to God, which do you think you'd end up on?

As this really useful post teaches, we all deserve to be on the naughty list, to get that lump of coal and the consequences that come with it. But the little baby that is the reason we have Christmas in the first place, has taken that list and ripped it to pieces.

Paul writes to the Romans (3:10) that no one is righteous, not one person, and we all deserve to be on the naughty list. He goes on to teach, this time to the Ephesians (2:8), that we can be saved from this list and that it is by grace that we are saved, not by what we do but by something that only God can give. We can try to make it on that nice list but the more we try, the further we will go from the free offer of righteousness that Jesus offers as we try to find our own way to be good.

Jesus is the only one who will ever be on the nice list but through his death, he offers to swap places with us, taking the punishment we deserve and giving us a place on the nice list. The great news is that this nice list promises more than just Christmas presents but an eternity with the One who made us and who loves us.

I'll finish this post with the closing paragraphs of the blog I found this great illustration in.

We are offered something much greater than a shelf-bound elf that will hopefully report our good deeds to the red-suited guy up north so we can receive blessings. We are offered the grace of God who appeared in a lowly manger as a helpless baby. Sometimes it seems easier to hang our hopes on the elf.

We have been given a Savior who drenches us in his righteousness and does not add up our deeds – good or bad – into a tally for a quantifiable list. It never makes sense in the economy of good=blessing, bad=coal. By grace, our badness becomes righteousness. Our “goodness” often needs to be repented of because it dismissed the necessity of Christ.

Everything about this gift of Jesus given at Christmas is radical—turning bad into good, babes into kings, legalistic lists into glorious grace. Merry Christmas!

Tweets for the Streets

2011-12-07T13:55:00.001Z

I saw this article retweeted by a friend, Phil, today and thought it was ingenious. It is written by a man called Andrew Wilson on the New Frontiers Theology blog (original post). Some really good and intriguing answers too. What do you think to them? Do you have any questions or any better answers (in 140 characters or less, of course!)?

Lots of people go out on the streets at this time of year, to talk to people about Jesus, the gospel and the meaning of Christmas. When those conversations happen, we often encounter questions or comments which sound simple – ‘Who made God?’ or ‘Why does God allow suffering?’ or ‘Science has disproved God’ – but to which simple, pithy answers may not come easily. Lengthy analytical responses, or book recommendations, or even blog-length answers, are not what you need at times like that. You sometimes need a quick, simple response, whether in the form of a question or a statement, which summarises your position and helps the conversation move on. My friend Simon Holley was talking to me about this recently, and he said it would be really useful to have a list of tweet-length answers to common questions like this. Tweets for the streets, if you will.

So here’s twelve to get you started (the first is from J John), and I’d ask readers to log in and add their own suggestions, both of questions and responses, in the comments below. The only rule is: no more than 140 characters are allowed!

“Have you seen God?”
I would have seen God, if I’d lived at the right time. Have you seen Queen Victoria?

“Who made God?”
God, by definition, is eternal. So asking “how did God get made?” is like saying “how do squares become circles?”

“Religion causes wars.”
I think people cause wars - for religion, land, food, empire, etc. But Christianity is about a man who sacrificed himself for his enemies.

“All religions lead to God.”
How do you know? Some religions sacrifice children to the gods; others (like Christianity) find it appalling. They can’t all be right!

“Why does God allow suffering?”
God hates suffering. All suffering comes from either sin or death - and the good news is that in Jesus, God has, and will, overcome both.

“You can’t prove God.”
Scientifically, no (but then I can’t scientifically prove that I love my wife, either). But we can conclude he is likely, based on evidence.

“There’s no evidence for God.”
Actually, there’s lots - but for starters, have you ever looked into the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus?

“Science has disproved God.”
That’s like saying that the discovery of hormones has disproved the existence of love. Science is the how and when; God is the who and why.

“Miracles are impossible.”
Says who? The most we can say is that they don’t normally happen - but then we all know that. If God is possible, miracles are too.

“Evolution has disproved God.”
Really? Most of the world’s leading evolutionists don’t think so, and lots of Christians believe in evolution. Why is that a problem?

“God sending people to hell is unloving and unfair.”
Hell means: if you want to be without God, forever, then that’s exactly what you get. What could be fairer than that?

“Why doesn’t God heal amputees?”
So: if I could find you someone who didn’t have a body part, was prayed for, and was instantly healed, would you follow Jesus?

This is a very 20-30something, white, British list (since Simon and I are both 30something, white, British men!) But since we have 500 pageviews every day here, and we’re followed in 94 different countries, there should be plenty of examples of good questions, and good responses, amongst our readers! Please share your best ones…

Gary Speed: More to Live For

2011-11-30T12:02:00.001Z

The shocking news that Gary Speed was found dead over the weekend has brought many things to the forefront of personal and national thought this week. The tributes in football matches, the prompting of others in the sport to seek help and a general widespread discussion on suicide throughout the world have been powerful food for thought. Why did he do it? Would would anyone do it? Was there really nothing for him to live for?

A Leeds fan pays tribute during their match with Forest last night. (dailymail.co.uk)

Martin Samuel of the Daily Mail wrote a very good piece about why Speed's apparent suicide should not be romanticised, commenting on the competitive mourning that seems to go on through society in these sorts of situations: "We must be careful. We must not allow our respect and sadness to mutate into glorification".

He also wrote of the example that celebrities' lives are to the public watching on:

"And if Speed — successful footballer, successful manager, wealthy, good-looking, family man, well liked and respected — cannot hack it, how can I?

That is the dangerous thought process inspiring suicide contagion. Speed’s death only adds to the sum of misery. If he could find nothing to live for, what chance me in my miserable life?"

There are many around who live like this, with nothing to live for who see suicide as the only escape but I really don't believe that to be true. Before anyone knows they have been born, there is a God who is ready to love them and welcome them into His family. He became a human and experienced every kind of hurt you could imagine so that He could be in a place to do that. He says "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you" (Psalm 50:15), He promises "come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest...you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-29).

Sometimes there can just be something missing, something that nothing seems to be able to fill. Let God truly be God in your life and He will prove that He is the only thing that can fill that gap. He freely offers His love and His family to all and ultimately, an eternity with Him. There is something more to live for in life and it will last forever.

Welcome Back Nigel

2011-11-17T14:07:00.001Z

Earlier this week, Nigel Pearson returned to Leicester City as manager, replacing Sven Goran Eriksson. After weeks of speculation and 18 months after Pearson walked away from the post (amid disagreements with the board), the new owners and executive board had their man.

Pearson holds up the shirt, confirming the rumours of the last three weeks. lcfc.com

A fan favourite for the job was for, the almost cliché now, Martin O'Neill to return to the club that he lead to Carling Cup glory and a regular place in the top ten of the Premier League. This was never going to happen, i don't think, and most likely won't again, having said in the past he would 'never return' to a previous club. Pearson, though, has the title of most successful Leicester manager of all time, due to his success in League One and leading to the Championship play-offs, due to his 51.4% win ratio. Not the return of the king as many hoped but definitely a nobleman if not more.

The new boss gets to know the recruits that have
joined since he left. lcfc.com

In his press conference, Nigel Pearson has talked about not thinking on the past but to the future and so he has the task of leading Leicester City to the Premier League this season, something Sven failed to do, eventually running dry the patience of the new (are they new anymore?) Thai owners. The change in style of managers looks, to me at least, like a good decision; moving away from the big name, continental attempt of success to the experienced and down-to-earth attempt.

Pearson's side of 2008-2010 was well managed, built as a team and in the habit of winning, something that the Leicester City sides since his departure may have lacked. Now, with an abundance of riches at his disposal, both finance wise and player wise, those qualities could well lead the club to the promised land.

Only time will tell if he can tame the likes of Jermaine Beckford and make a wide, attacking midfield from 7 central midfielders but this change is one that could become a turning point in Leicester City's return to the top flight. Pearson has unfinished business in Leicestershire: time to finish it Nigel.

Woe to the Nations

2011-11-14T12:00:00.000Z

A post from Don Carson's For the Love of God. This entry takes Amos 2 and rewrites it for the world of today; very telling writing.

"Woe to China. Last century she butchered fifty million of her own people in the name of equality. Proud and haughty, she maintains an officially atheistic stance, persecuting the church while that church, nurtured by the blood of the martyrs, has in half a century multiplied fifty times.

Woe to Russia. In the second decade of last century she embarked on a massive social experiment that resulted in the deaths of more than forty million people. She subjugated nation after nation, so certain was she that the tide of history was on her side. She became excellent at producing the “revolutionary man,” but could not produce the promised “new man” of Marxist thought, and so hid behind illusions and lies until her economic incompetence brought her down.

Woe to Germany. Privileged to serve as home to some of the greatest Reformers, she became extraordinarily arrogant intellectually, and last century started two world wars that wreaked death and havoc, including the horrors of the Nazis, on countless millions. Today she builds excellent BMWs but has a materialist soul, worshipping nothing greater than the deutsche mark.

Woe to Canada. She likes to think of herself as morally superior to her nearest neighbor, while hiding under the U.S. military umbrella. Sliding toward a moral abyss, her Supreme Court issues decisions that are as morally corrosive as any in the Western world, while the English-French factionalism drives toward enmity and breakup for want of courtesy and respect from both sides.

Woe to the United States. She prides herself on being the only world power left, but never reflects on how God has brought low every world power in history. Her cherished freedoms, so great a heritage, have increasingly become a façade to hide and then defend the grossest immorality and selfishness. To the nation at large, no issue, absolutely none, is more important than the state of the economy.

Woe to Great Britain. At one time ruler of one-quarter of the world’s population; inheritor of some of the greatest Christian thought and literature ever produced, she became ever more proud and condescending to the nations she colonized and the people she enslaved. Having repeatedly squandered a heritage of the knowledge of God, she now thrashes around directionless and degraded.

This is the reasoning of Amos. In Amos 1, he circles around the pagan neighbors, articulating the judgment of God. Here in Amos 2, he moves to Moab, Judah, and finally brings it home to Israel. Israelite audiences would begin with smug contentment during the early parts: how would they end up? And understand: the sequence of my “Woes,” above, could have been rearranged to end with any country—with your country."

Mexican Football Club Identifies with Twitter

2011-10-31T15:15:00.000Z

It's been said that you are no more than your Twitter account and Mexican Primera Division club Jaguares how taken that phrase to the next level by using players' Twitter accounts in place of their normal back of shirt names. They've even adopted the light blue Twitter colour and added a Tweet bird to the design of the shirt.

Social media really is invading every area of life and these footballers are known now for their Twitter names in place of their real ones. Obviously a shameless attempt at increasing the number of followers of the club and players, it's been met by a mixed reaction but I quite like it. Since the days of professional footballers meeting fans for a drink after the match in the 50s and 60s, there has never been such an opportunity to interact with the footballers, and other celebrities, of today and I'm all for interaction and mass engagement through social media.

Our mobile phonebooks are populated with Facebook and Twitter accounts, job interviews are often followed by a check of your online presence and the television we watch is accompanied by hashtags on Twitter. How far will this real world integration of social media go? Is the rise and rise of social media a good thing for the society of the future or is it ruining face-to-face communication?

I've had a bit of fun seeing what some of Leicester City's Twitterers would look like with their account on the back of their shirts...

Sven Leaves the King Power Stadium for the Last Time

2011-10-26T11:00:00.000+01:00

The news on Monday evening, that filtered slowly through Twitter at first but then proceeded to shock the footballing world, that Sven-Goran Eriksson was sacked from Leicester City was a bit of a surprise to me. Sven had brought a level of limelight that I don't think Leicester City have experienced before, bringing in some top names, claiming to have come to Leicester purely because of the manager, and arranging a glamour pre-season friendly against Real Madrid, presumingly because of his status once again. However, the Thai owners of Leicester City had obviously had enough.

This was such a shock as Leicester had not exactly had a 'Forest start', struggling to stay above the relegation zone. In fact, they were just two points from the play-off positions and just five from the automatic promotion positions when Sven was given his marching orders. And Sven was such a nice guy, loved by the majority of the Leicester staff, players and fans. Indeed, he left with these words:

"Being the manager of Leicester City was an absolute pleasure and I wish everyone connected with the club the best of luck. Leicester City is a great club and I am certain that with the current owners in charge the club will go from strength to strength.
"To the players; old, new, everyone in the squad, I would like to say thank you. You are a talented group and I am hopeful that you will achieve success very soon,
"To the staff at the club; both at the stadium and the training ground - you treated me like a king and I shall miss working with you all.
"Last but not least, to the fans; I want to say a huge thank you for your support. You are fantastic people and I will never forget the way you welcomed me in to your club. I am just sorry that I won't be on the bench the day you reach the Premier League."

However, gain a bit of perspective and you can see the reasoning behind the owners' decision. From the last 81 possible points, Leicester have managed to gain just 35. There have been some shocking performances and some very bad home defeats this season. Having spent a good amount, Sven has not led City to any better a place than 12 other teams in the division so far.

A post on an online fans' forum says it all really and Foxes fans are now starting to look to the future.

"To those who are shocked by the owners decision to remove Sven following a kneejerk reaction to a solitary defeat Vs Millwall. Stringer just tweeted ahead of his interview that it's been the fact he's only accrued 35 pts from a possible 81 is the reason.
"As I said in other threads when you remove the emotion of Sven being a nice guy crom the equation & look at the facts we've been locked in a manager induced paralysis of the team for a long long time as we shuffle 1 step forward, 1 step sideways & 1 step backwards on an eternal basis destined to be nothing more than the midtable as the mediocrity of our 1 good game in 3 deserves.
"I applaud the owners for not allowing their hearts to rule their heads & make a decision based on facts of simply being not good enough as we lie in effectively 14th. Yes we may only be a couple of points from playoffs but so is most of the league & they've not had the same level of investment that Sven has had at his disposal.
"Of course the Thai's tough decision will be for nothing if the next appointment isn't right, but as they've shown above they can make correct decisions, so hopefully it's onwards & upwards now that they've made the tough call."

Away Days: Lincoln United, Ashby Avenue

2011-10-17T13:33:00.001+01:00

This weekend, with Leicester City playing on Sunday due to the television schedule, me and my wife decided to pop on down to Ashby Avenue to see one of the three local sides we have in Lincoln, Lincoln United. They were playing Coalville Town in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier First Division South.

Ashby Avenue

The Ground - Ashby Avenue

Just as I'm reliably informed most non-league grounds have, Lincoln United's ground is next to a cricket pitch (Heartsholme Cricket Club) and an adjoining pub. Once you've found your parking space outside the cricket pitch you can make your way past the pub and through the turnstiles to the home of the Whites.

There are three stands around the pitch; on either side and at the far end. The 'main stand' is seated whereas the other two have just steps to be sat on. Of course there is standing space all around the pitch also, as long as you are not in the way of the stands themselves.

This is the beauty of non-league grounds: you can be almost on the touchline, slapping the wingers as they run down the wing and hurling abuse (if you feel so obliged) at the linesmen. If you don't fancy standing for the match, the seating areas are completely adequate. You can also move around the pitch as you please, meaning you can swap ends at half time to see your supported team score from both halves.

I didn't get a programme as they didn't look much amazing and I wasn't too bothered to be honest. However, £6 is an acceptable price for a ticket for a football match, to get a bit of fresh air and enjoy a day out. In the end it cost a third of the price of the big-boys of Lincoln, City, who lost the night before so I got my money's worth!

With the 190 in attendance, I didn't expect much of an atmosphere, although there was a good contingent of loud home supporting youths that managed a couple of songs and the Coalville faithful brought a good following who urged their players on throughout. The real atmosphere comes from the proximity to the action and the sense of occasion you only get from non-league football grounds like this.

My view from the 'main stand'.

Facilities

There is as much as you can expect from a team of Lincoln United's stature: a small club shop in a portacabin and a small kitchen served by two locals for food. You can get some good chips, burgers and hot dogs there which smelt amazing (I just had some chips) and aren't priced too badly. My tray of chips was £1.20 and I think a cheeseburger would set you back around £3.

I swapped sides in the second half, closer to the vocal Coalville bench.

Overall

I was happy to pay £6 and enjoy a day of non-league football, especially with the humdinger, end-to-end match that ended with United winning 3-2, Tom Garrick completing his hat-trick in the 90th minute to ge the three points. My wife also enjoyed it, and her half-time home-made potato and leek soup was the cherry on the cake. I think we will be going to cheer on the Whites again in the future.

theimps.tk Ground Guide

33 Minutes That Will Rock Your World

2011-10-07T13:13:00.000+01:00

This is a shocking, award-winning documentary, 33 minutes long and created by Ray Comfort, the founder of Living Waters, a media-centric mission in America. It's worth your time.

Please note that there are strong images in this video that might offend some.

If you want to find out more about this video and the campaign behind it, visit Project Heart Changer.

Some Things You May Not Have Known About Me

2011-10-05T11:00:00.000+01:00

I like the spelling one but not sure I agree with the Facebook/Twitter addictions...other way round would be my guess! I guess I'd outsmart the velociraptor better than fend off the bear and am more likely to die from the germs on my mobile than by a zombie bite. Useful information there.

Created using the great quizzes from The Oatmeal. Go there and do some more for yourself including "How many hungry weasels could your body feed?" and "How many tapeworms could live in your stomach?".

Draw Away, Win at Home

2011-09-28T22:04:00.000+01:00

It's often said that a promotion season, or even a championship season, needs an average of 2 points a match (leaving you 92 points, enough to have been promoted for at least the last five seasons and won most of those leagues). Drawing your away matches, often harder to do well in than at home, and winning those more comfortable home matches in front of your own fans will give you that average.

Wellens get back to hold off Emnes. (lcfc.com)

In the last eight matches in all competitions, Leicester City have either matched or bettered that average, having played four of the top six Championship clubs, Cardiff twice. That also includes three clean sheets in a row after having conceding 9 in the previous eight matches. The Foxes are going places, for sure and a win on Saturday against Derby, in front of the Sky cameras, will solidify that opinion.

More ruthlessness and a more clinical approach to attacking would not be a bad thing, only six teams have scored less than Leicester in the league so far, but when Nugent comes back from injury and as long as Jermaine Beckford shakes off his groin strain, the goals could start flowing.

Longest Range Header Ever?

2011-09-26T10:00:00.000+01:00

Picture this: in Norway's top league, the Tippelagaen, Tromso IL trail Odd Grenland by two goals to one in injury time. They pile forward for a corner, goalkeeper and all, in an attempt to scrape an away draw. The ball is cleared from the box after a scramble and punted upfield to the half way line...

Take a bow, Jone Samuelson!

Frank Skinner's Claims of Religion

2011-09-20T11:14:00.000+01:00

In a conversation with the Archbishop of Canterbury, comedian Frank Skinner made quite a few interesting claims relating to his Catholic faith and his profession as a funny man. The main point that the media has taken, understandably, is that Atheists are a threat to humanity but there are some more interesting observations made in the 90 minute conversation.

It's no longer fashionable to have faith; you have to be athiest to be cool.
Agreed. Especially, it seems, in today's society, 'religious people' are seen as idiotic, stupid and irrational, as demonstrated by Skinner's comedy partner David Baddiel: "Doesn't it ever worry you that everyone else who believes what you believe is an idiot?". I enjoyed Skinner's reply: "Doesn't that bother you at Chelsea games?".

There's too much apologising for the magic in religion, making concessions on the virgin birth or the resurrection. Don't give in to them!
Also agreed, although I wouldn't use the word magic. Magic is illusion, smoke and mirrors, but the miraculous power of God is something that is very real and is often a huge stumbling block for non-believers. This power is the same that created the universe and that we can experience today. Indeed, as Skinner went on to say, "if you believe in God, all bets are off".

If [religion] is like a big wooly jumper, it can't be that important can it? I don't want religion to be a handrail, I want it to be a precarious walk with no handrail!
And it will be a precarious walk although the handrail may be there. Jesus didn't hide the fact that following him would be tough but throughout the Bible God promises that he will be with us to help us along the whole way.

Priests and vicars should improve their sermons which are often uninspiring. They should use more oratorial skills and stick to one point rather than superficially touching on many points.
It's sad that Frank finds the sermons he hears uninspiring on a Sunday at the church he attends. The Bible says that if you preach in the Spirit and proclaim the gospel, it will not return empty so that is surely the first place to look to improve sermons. Hopefully uninspiring sermons don't turn people away from the Church.

I've always thought that Jesus and his disciples were 13 blokes hanging around together, travelling, getting food wherever they could - there must have been lots of swearing and ribald conversation.
Swearing and ribald conversation (sexual jokes) is a touchy issue as many Christians, and non-believers alike, having ranging opinions on using naughty words and sexual conversations. I agree that Jesus and his disciples would have had a good time but the Bible talks about not using coarse language and fleeing from sexual immorality so this, again, is a touchy issue! God is holy so we can be sure, whatever they got up to, it would not have been the way we act today as sinners.

There is not one example of what I would call a good gag from Jesus. I think that would have brought more people in, made him more human.
Maybe but the purpose of the Bible is not to tell jokes but for knowledge of salvation. Having said that, Jesus related to everyone he met so I'm sure him and his mates had some laughs.

Religion is like football: they all gave some sort of allegiance to his great game but it's compartmentalised by tribalism...it's all about this brilliant game.
Skinner's pluralistic view of the world and religion is where we differ the most. Jesus said he is the Way, the Truth and the Life and that nobody comes to God except through him. This 'different sides of the same mountain' idea just isn't compatible with Christianity.

Whilst it is good to see a celebrity conversing about these things, Frank Skinner seems to have a few strange ideas. Either way, Christ proclaimed is Christ proclaimed.

A Divine Experience for Wolves Fans

2011-09-16T11:49:00.000+01:00

One optimistic football fan this week spotted his team's wolf shaped badge in the heavens, prompting a viral explosion of Wolves supporters claiming that God above is wearing a gold football shirt.

The cloud formation alongside the Wolves badge.

Similar to those who see the Virgin Mary's face in grilled cheese or the Devil's face in the smoke of 9/11 I do believe this is just a bit of wishful thinking from the Black Country. God sure does use football for His glory but, as one commenter said; this formation looks more like a pair of pants (more descriptive of the football club it was mistaken for).

Sven Spends

2011-09-09T11:39:00.001+01:00

Sven finally got his hands on the transfer funds of Leicester City's Thai owners this summer and could then delve into permanent transfers rather than borrowing stars from the Premier League. Highlights on paper have been Matt Mills, Jermaine Beckford and Kasper Schmeichel whilst Martyn Waghorn, Dany N'Guessen and Ricardo have gone to pastures new (for now at least).

Cream of the Crop (Of Fosse and Foxes)

Ins
Matt Mills (Reading): £4.5m
Jermaine Beckford (Everton): £2.5m
Paul Konchesky (Liverpool): £1.2m
Sean St. Ledger (Preston North End): £1.2m
Kasper Schmeichel (Leeds United): £1m
Lee Peltier (Huddersfield Town): £800k
Neil Danns (Crystal Palace): Free
David Nugent (Portsmouth): Free
John Paintsil (Fulham): Free
Michael Ball (unattached): Free
Michael Johnson (Manchester City): Loan for season
Gelson Fernandes (St. Etienne): Loan for season

Overall, that's just over £11m for 12 players which isn't too bad. Leicester have been labelled as 'big-spenders' but such an overhaul has been done quite cheaply. Sven obviously concentrated on defense, bringing in two left backs, two right backs, two centre backs and a goaly and it won't take long for this new line-up, adding to Sol Bamba and the recovering Alex Tunchev, to form a solid line. Possibly Mills and St. Ledger were brought in at a higher price than most would have paid but such was Sven's desperation to plug up the hole that costs the Foxes promotion last season, it will have been deemed worth it.

Outs
Martyn Waghorn (Hull City): Loan til January
Jack Hobbs (Hull City)
Dany N'Guessen (Millwall)
Yakubu (returned from loan)
Kyle Naughton (returned from loan)
Patrick Van Aanholt (returned from loan)
Jeffrey Bruma (returned from loan)
Miguel Vitor (returned from loan)
Ricardo (released)
Yann Kermorgant (released)
Robbie Neilson (released)
Michael Lamey (released)
Moreno (released)

An even longer list of those who headed out of the King Power Stadium doors shows the need for that overhaul and, although City have lost some excellent players, we have gained some too and I think the overall squad has strengthened, for sure. Hopefully Waghorn will gain some match fitness and form at Hull and will return to fight for his place in the Leicester first team. As for the others, they haven't fitted in Sven's plans and are far better off finding their football elsewhere.

Only time will tell if Sven's decisions will bear fruit but, looking to the future, this could be a very exciting season for Leicester City fans across the world.

Kids of the Future

2011-08-25T14:48:00.000+01:00

I was sent a link to this video today by a colleague, created by global media agency PHD Worldwide, commenting on what the landscape of society and consumerism will be like in ten years time. I thought it was very thought-provoking and a clever way of putting forward the discussion of how companies will have to relate to consumers in years to come with technology growing as it is.

There's been a lot of bad reaction to this video for exploiting children actors (who do a good job, in my opinion) and portraying them in such a demanding and selfish light. They also criticise the film-makers for painting such a cynical view of the future and putting a dampener on the youth of today.

I disagree. The video plainly presents these children as the voice of the future, talking about the future on numerous occasions and using the future tense. They paint the logical conclusion of where this selfish society is heading in such a technologically progressive time and I think it's a very clever, thought-provoking and stylistic video.

What do you think? Are the film makers at fault creating this film? Does it paint a plausible picture of the future of consumerism?

Whatever you think, Chris, the guy who sent the video to me, said he 'prefurred' this version of the video.

What's it Like to Have Your Film Flop at the Box Office?

2011-08-24T02:00:00.000+01:00

Screenwriter and director, Sean Hood, wrote this week about what it's like to watch the film you've worked on flop at the box office, as his film Conan the Barbarian 3D did last week in the US. It's pretty inspiring stuff, took great humility from the film-maker and a great insight into how film making and the film industry works.

"When you work "above the line" on a movie (writer, director, actor, producer, etc.) watching it flop at the box office is devastating. I had such an experience during the opening weekend of Conan the Barbarian 3D.

"A movie's opening day is analogous to a political election night. Although I've never worked in politics, I remember having similar feelings of disappointment and disillusionment when my candidate lost a presidential bid, so I imagine that working as a speechwriter or a fundraiser for the losing campaign would feel about the same as working on an unsuccessful film.

"One joins a movie production, the same way one might join a campaign, years before the actual release/election, and in the beginning one is filled with hope, enthusiasm and belief. I joined the Conan team, having loved the character in comic books and the stories of Robert E. Howard, filled with the same kind of raw energy and drive that one needs in politics.

"Any film production, like a long grueling campaign over months and years, is filled with crisis, compromise, exhaustion, conflict, elation, and blind faith that if one just works harder, the results will turn out all right in the end. During that process whatever anger, frustration, or disagreement you have with the candidate/film you keep to yourself. Privately you may oppose various decisions, strategies, or compromises; you may learn things about the candidate that cloud your resolve and shake your confidence, but you soldier on, committed to the end. You rationalize it along the way by imagining that the struggle will be worth it when the candidate wins.

"A few months before release, "tracking numbers" play the role in movies that polls play in politics. It's easy to get caught up in this excitement, like a college volunteer handing out fliers for Howard Dean. (Months before Conan was released many close to the production believed it would open like last year's The Expendables.) As the release date approaches and the the tracking numbers start to fall, you start adjusting expectations, but always with a kind of desperate optimism. "I don't believe the polls," say the smiling candidates.

"You hope that advertising and word of mouth will improve the numbers, and even as the numbers get tighter and the omens get darker, you keep telling yourself that things will turn around, that your guy will surprise the experts and pollsters. You stay optimistic. You begin selectively ignoring bad news and highlighting the good. You make the best of it. You believe.

"In the days before the release, you get all sorts of enthusiastic congratulations from friends and family. Everyone seems to believe it will go well, and everyone has something positive to say, so you allow yourself to get swept up in it.

"You tell yourself to just enjoy the process. That whether you succeed or fail, win or lose, it will be fine. You pretend to be Zen. You adopt detachment, and ironic humor, while secretly praying for a miracle.

"The Friday night of the release is like the Tuesday night of an election. "Exit polls"are taken of people leaving the theater, and estimated box office numbers start leaking out in the afternoon, like early ballot returns. You are glued to your computer, clicking wildly over websites, chatting nonstop with peers, and calling anyone and everyone to find out what they've heard. Have any numbers come back yet? That's when your stomach starts to drop.

"By about 9 PM its clear when your "candidate" has lost by a startlingly wide margin, more than you or even the most pessimistic political observers could have predicted. With a movie its much the same: trade magazines like Variety and Hollywood Reporter call the weekend winners and losers based on projections. That's when the reality of the loss sinks in, and you don't sleep the rest of the night.

"For the next couple of days, you walk in a daze, and your friends and family offer kind words, but mostly avoid the subject. Since you had planned (ardently believed, despite it all) that success would propel you to new appointments and opportunities, you find yourself at a loss about what to do next. It can all seem very grim.

"You make light of it, of course. You joke and shrug. But the blow to your ego and reputation can't be brushed off. Reviewers, even when they were positive, mockedConan The Barbarian for its lack of story, lack of characterization, and lack of wit. This doesn't speak well of the screenwriting - and any filmmaker who tells you s/he "doesn't read reviews" just doesn't want to admit how much they sting.

"Unfortunately, the work I do as a script doctor is hard to defend if the movie flops. I know that those who have read my Conan shooting script agree that much of the work I did on story and character never made it to screen. I myself know that given the difficulties of rewriting a script in the middle of production, I made vast improvements on the draft that came before me. But its still much like doing great work on a losing campaign. All anyone in the general public knows, all anyone in the industry remembers, is the flop. A loss is a loss.

"But one thought this morning has lightened my mood:

"My father is a retired trumpet player. I remember, when I was a boy, watching him spend months preparing for an audition with a famous philharmonic. Trumpet positions in major orchestras only become available once every few years. Hundreds of world class players will fly in to try out for these positions from all over the world. I remember my dad coming home from this competition, one that he desperately wanted to win, one that he desperately needed to win because work was so hard to come by. Out of hundreds of candidates and days of auditions and callbacks, my father came in....second.

"It was devastating for him. He looked completely numb. To come that close and lose tore out his heart. But the next morning, at 6:00 AM, the same way he had done every morning since the age of 12, he did his mouthpiece drills. He did his warm ups. He practiced his usual routines, the same ones he tells his students they need to play every single day. He didn't take the morning off. He just went on. He was and is a trumpet player and that's what trumpet players do, come success or failure.

"Less than a year later, he went on to win a position with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he played for three decades. Good thing he kept practicing.

"So with my father's example in mind, here I sit, coffee cup steaming in its mug and dog asleep at my feet, starting my work for the day, revising yet another script, working out yet another pitch, thinking of the future (the next project, the next election) because I'm a screenwriter, and that's just what screenwriters do.

"In the words of Ed Wood, 'My next one will be BETTER!'"

Away Days: Rotherham United, Don Valley Stadium

2011-08-13T12:54:00.003+01:00

I've decided this season to do some posts on my away day experiences with the Foxes to give tips and expectations for anyone interested. My first away match, and match in general, of the season was in the Carling Cup against Rotherham United.

My view at the Don Valley Stadium on an August evening

The Ground - Don Valley Stadium

The first thing to notice is that Rotherham's stadium is not actually in Rotherham but Sheffield. It's strange driving past the signs for Rotherham on the M1 and taking the junction at Meadowhall but that's where they are, for financial reasons. It's hoped that by the 2012/13 season, the new stadium will be ready and it will do no end of good for the fans and the club.

I parked in Centretainment, one tram stop from the ground, which was free and not busy on a Tuesday evening. However, at £1.50 on the tram for a two minute journey, should have walked it! You can park in Meadowhall or nearer the ground where there is more easy parking space.

The ground is sunk into the ground so you enter at ground level but half way up the stands which is interesting. Also, there is a running track around the pitch giving a sense of isolation. However, the view is not as bad as it could be and you can just about make out the action. Only the main stand is used for fans, most of it for the home and the corner you can see above for the away; it's sad that the rest of the ground is empty, making it seem like a behind closed doors match or a pre-season friendly. We managed to make enough noise but it is very hard to get much of an atmosphere going for this reason.

Facilities

The Don Valley has decent enough facilities. Toilets (I didn't see them but my wife did) were good and not really cold like normal Yorkshire grounds ( a good or bad thing, depending on your preference!). Seating was quite good, a lot of space, and you can feel the stand bouncing with the fans. Food and drink would have been decent if not for the one hot drinks machine meaning each till-person had to queue up to serve each fan (took an age!); Pukka Pies were nice and they also had huge hotdogs!

Tickets cost £10 each for adults which is a great price for a match. Programmes were not the best quality and only had 5 or 6 pages on the away side but were cheaper than usual at £2.50 so you can't complain that much; a good memento.

Overall

In the end it was a fun evening, especially with debutant Jeff Schlupp getting a hat-trick on the way to a 4-1 win for Leicester. Don't expect amazing atmosphere (even with 3, 000 away fans) or a great view of the action but if prices stay as low, it's worth it for a good day out. The new plans for a stadium look to improve things considerably and if they go ahead on time, next season will be a different thing for Rotherham and those visiting their club.

Football Ground Guide

Lincolnshire Cup Final: Lincoln 3 - 4 Grimsby

2011-08-03T21:36:00.003+01:00

I've been following my local team for almost three years now and went to see my first match since they were relegated from the Football League last night against fierce rivals Grimsby Town in the Lincolnshire Senior Cup Final. Best of all, I managed to use my old student card to get in for a cheap £2!

As for the football match, after some early dangerous exchanges, Grimsby went ahead with a looping header from Serge Makofo as the visitors looked comfortable. However, it was then that Lincoln got some mettle into them and Simon Russell and Bradley Barraclough put good goals away before impressive target man Kyle Perry smashed a penalty in to put the Imps 3-1 up. If there was ever a lesson to be learnt about concentrating after scoring, Lincoln should have learnt it as Craig Disley pulled one back for Grimsby second later and seconds before half time.

However, as changes were made in the second half, Lincoln faded away and it was Grimsby who looked like equalising to bring a penalty shoot-out. The substitution of Ali Fuseini and the ever improving Disley in the midfield were pivotal and once Coulson equalised for Grimsby with five minutes to go, it could have only continued on to give the Mariners an unlikely comeback victory at 4-3, Hearn with the last minute winner.

A almost full renovation of the Lincoln squad seems to be coming together for their non-league adventure and with a bit more gelling, it could be a very successful season in one of the most important seasons to be successful for the Imps in a long time.

Study Shows the "Stupidest" Browser Users

2011-08-03T12:32:00.002+01:00

Users of Internet Explorer have been horrified to find the results of a study correlating IQ and browser use put them at the bottom of the pile. The study, by psychometric consultants Aptiquant, measured the IQ of 100, 000 people and matched the results with the internet browser they used with interesting results.

Aptiquant's findings.

In reality, the study doesn't show that users of IE are stupid but that those of a low IQ are more likely to use the browser from Microsoft. This could be down to the fact that they do not know to upgrade from the default browser they receive with their PC or the amount of "tech geeks" that use the more open source, minority browsers such as Opera and Camino.

I'm a user of Google Chrome, which I would wholly recommend due to its speed, customisation and overall user-friendliness. However, do try out the different browsers for yourself: don't quickly delete IE in case your IQ suddenly drops or struggle with Opera in an attempt to become more clever. The results are just for fun, don't take it too seriously!

Update

In the end, it turns out this study was a hoax with Aptiquant a fake company and completely falsified data. Could have been a publicity stunt, a student project or someone with a hatred of Microsoft but, whatever happened, they managed to fool worldwide media (BBC, CNN, Daily Mail, Telegraph and more) which is pretty impressive!

Arcade Fire's New Media

2011-08-03T10:08:00.001+01:00

HTML5 is looking like becoming the natural progression of web languages, succeeding Flash, it's predecessors and other technologies. YouTube has moved to it, among others, and anyone creating web technologies has to think about something similar to it to get it onto Apple devices (which doesn't accept Flash). This is the nicest way I've seen it used so far and it's well worth a look.

The video is of Arcade Fire's new single The Wilderness Downtown and you can see the video here. After asking you for the location that you grew up in, the video uses HTML5 to jump the imagery around your screen, integrating images of that location as part of the narrative. It also asks for you to interact with it by writing a postcard of advice to your growing up self which can be sent around the world to other viewers of the video. I like the concept and it is definitely conducted well. Have a look for yourself and see what could be the future of music videos.

Why believe in God?

2011-07-31T14:31:00.000+01:00

I was alerted to Stephen Fry's tweet about arguments for and against belief in God today by a friend, Doc. It linked to two articles from New Statesman, a British current affairs and politics magazine, which included many public figures' comments on their belief in God or not.

Both articles are of course biased (as you'd expect from a group of God-believers asked why believe and a group of athiests asked why not) and, for me, neither is really conclusive. Some of the arguments for are very emotional and wishy-washy and some of the arguments against are arrogant and unfounded but it makes interesting reading for anyone interested. However, I thought I'd add my two-pence in.

I see the arguments for both sides but I am coming increasingly annoyed by the question "do you believe in God" because it is really vague. For me, the question is not merely about collecting evidence and figuring out which side wins, putting 'belief' into that argument. The existence of the Bible and the historical accuracy that an overwhelming amount of scholars give it poses a much bigger question: if Jesus lived, was crucified injustly and then rose again to ascend to heaven, what he had to say is incredibly important. The existence of Jesus and what he said and did shows that there is a God and the world changing movement he started (that is still growing today) gives it even more validity.

The God that Jesus spoke about (and indeed was) isn't a crutch, it isn't the hopeful imagination of weak-minded people but the Creator and the Ruler of the Universe who will judge all of Creation. The phrase "God is love" can be used in a very ineffective way but it is this love that caused the universe to come into existence and the same love is the reason Jesus offers eternal life in union with God. It's the reaction to this that, ultimately, makes the difference.

It's because of Jesus that I have a belief in God; without him, everything is up for grabs. You need to accept or reject him before any concept of God can come into it.

Twitter Makes Lincoln a Safer Place

2011-07-27T13:32:00.000+01:00

Not a lot of people really understand Twitter. It's not just a replacement or an alternative for Facebook, it very much should be used alongside Facebook. As it's been said, Facebook is for people you know but don't like and Twitter is for people who you like but don't know (not completely true but quite humourous nevertheless!). I like to use Twitter mainly for new articles and comment but I found a great account to follow today which is one of the many other ways Twitter has revolutionised the internet.

James Newall (@james_newall) is the Lincolnshire Police Press Officer and he makes sure that press releases from the Lincolnshire Police Force gets to the public. This includes his latest post detailing where Lincolnites can get their bikes security marked in response to the raise of bike thefts in Lincoln and also a Crimewatch-esque call to identify a pure-thief caught on CCTV.

Some say social media is taking over the world. I don't think that is always a bad thing.

Leicester City Rumour XI

2011-07-03T20:44:00.000+01:00

Leicester City, now backed by wealthy Thai businessmen and fronted by legendary (too soon?) manager, Sven Goran Erikson, have been linked with anyone and everyone this summer it seems. I thought I'd make a team up from the players we have been linked with (that I can think of) to demonstrate this and just to see how much of a transformation the club might go under this summer.

Kasper Schmeichel looks to be Leicester's new number 1. (lcfc.com)

Players in bold are the three that have signed.

Kasper Schmeichel

Lee Peltier Sean St. Ledger Matt Mills Tsepo Masilela

Peter Whittingham Neil Danns Wayne Routledge

David Nugent Craig Mackail-Smith Andy Johnson

Subs

Jonathan Woodgate

Chong Tae-Se

Billy Sharp

Anthony Pilkington

Antonio Pedroza Witham

Matt Derbyshire

Dennis Rommedhal

That's not the lot of them and doesn't even include those on loan last year that might be coming back like Miguel Vitor, Ben Mee and Yakubu. Yann Kermorgant came back from a year's exile this week. He won't know what's happened!

Apple Releases Final Cut Revamp, Has to Give Answers

2011-07-03T17:39:00.000+01:00

This last week Apple released it's update of Final Cut, Final Cut Pro X, to very mixed reviews. Many of them poor. It was missing a lot of features from previous versions which pro-editors deemed vital, it wouldn't take projects from previous versions and to many looked like a posh version of iMovie (not great for a professional studio).

However, surprising to me and many others, Apple released a web page answering questions that people had for the program, mostly questions that conjured their negative reactions to the software. The questions are all ones asked by pro-editors that were unhappy and most answered with 'yes' or 'not yet' implying a bit update soon. Kudos to Apple for answering their haters but hopefully they haven't made a big mistake and forced many professionals to AVID or Adobe Premiere Pro or this could be the end for FCP as we know it.

Sony Make an iPad/DS Thing...

2011-06-17T12:00:00.003+01:00

Ever thought 'wow, I like the iPad and I also like the dual screens of the DS...if only they would come together'? Well no is the chance for your dreams to come true with Sony's new tablet, the S2. I've only just watched this video so you'll have to decide for yourself what it's all about. You can read more here.

Ministry of Defence: "Think Before You Tweet"

2011-06-17T10:00:00.002+01:00

Have you ever seen the video before DVDs asking you if you'd ever steal a handbag? Well, in this spirit, the UK's Ministry of Defence is asking if you'd ever share your family photo album with a terrorist. In a very nicely made video, light-hearted yet serious enough to make a point, the MoD warn internet users to be careful when using social media and the like not to share vulnerable information.

In this technological age, the age-old 'careless talk costs lives' adage is still true, in another form. It makes sense really: it's much more likely a dangerous militant is reading your public status updates than a German spy was listening to your chatter in the 40s. Have a look.

A poster against careless talk from WW2.

Liverpool Fans' Outrage at 'Cyan' Kit

2011-06-16T22:44:00.000+01:00

As the new football season comes ever closer, more and more new kits are being released. Nice ones like Leicester City's new collared home kit and Manchester City's sentimental away kit have been welcomed by fans but it's Liverpool's third kit which has been the most controversial.

Liverpool's new white, cyan and black kit.

The new kit, to be played against teams with red or very dark home kits, is, apparently, "white, cyan and black" but fans all over social media have blasted it as it adopts the colour of fierce Merseyside rivals, Everton, blue. The club maintains that the cyan colour is a throwback to the original kit from 1892 and the design, inspired by the tracksuits of the famous teams of the '80s but, if I were a Liverpool fan, I wouldn't be too pleased.

It's just as with Leicester City's tops of old which were block red, the colour of Nottingham Forest, but this Merseyside rivalry is far stronger than that of the East Midlands teams. If Liverpool continue to succeed further than Everton, however, I'm sure the colour won't be a problem especially if worn by the winning team at Goodison Park one day next season...

Leicester City Council Unprepared for Zombie Attack

2011-06-10T20:05:00.001+01:00

A 'concerned citizen' has brought up the fact that if there were ever to be a zombie attack in Leicester, the council are completely unprepared for the emergency measures that need to be made. The letter written read:

Dear Leicester City Council,
Can you please let us know what provisions you have in place in the event of a zombie invasion? Having watched several films it is clear that preparation for such an event is poor and one that councils throughout the kingdom must prepare for.
Please provide any information you may have.
Yours faithfully,
Concerned Citizen

Unfortunately, I think this is true and am glad I will be moving to Lincoln on Monday where the likelihood of such an attack is, hopefully, lower and the council is, hopefully, more prepared.

Thankfully, a team at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa have come up with a mathematical model for surviving such an attack, that we should hit hard and hit often to stem the infection but that co-existence could work in small numbers. If that doesn't tickle your fancy, have a look at The Zombie Survival Guide which will help you out in a much more fun way, with pictures!

The X-Men Franchise Marches On

2011-06-10T19:41:00.000+01:00

The latest cinematic incarnation of the X-Men comic books came out this last week in X-Men: First Class. As alluded to in the title, this film goes back to the origins of the X-Men we all know, the first class of the mutant academy lead by Prof. X. This is a move back in time in the X-Men chronology but also a move to instill a new sense of pride over the franchise after the disappointing X-Men 3 and Wolverine.

One of the most exciting parts of the original X-Men films was the flashback to a young boy in a Nazi concentration camp who, when separated from his parents, causes the metal gates enclosing them to buckle. Well, this is the culmination of this excitement and it doesn't disappoint. It's the ultimate in prequels as the established and well-known characters from the other films are explored in new ways.

Filling the boots of Patrick Stewart and playing Professor X is James McAvoy, of Shameless and Last King of Scotland fame. His role, a big part of the re-visioning of franchise, portrays the leader of the X-Men not as calm, controlled and serious but as a carefree, excitable and charming; controversial to some but nice in my eyes. The way the character transforms throughout the film is beautifully done and you can really see how he will move on to become the wheelchair laden telepath in the future.

For me, though, the star of the film is Michael Fassbender, known from Inglorious Basterds, taking the role of a young Magneto, to grow into the character played by Ian McKellen. Fassbender takes the character seen in that scene in the concentration camp and plays the part of a repressed victim on a revenge mission very well. The film is about the friendship between his character and Prof. X and it is that relationship that gives this film its charm.

A collection of the cast of First Class (spinoff.comicbookresources.com)

The storyline is naturally great, already proven to work in the comic-world, and the powers which are so necessary to the X-Men world are created very well; from Magneto flinging huge anchors across the sky to Havok's energy attacks, it is all believable (as much as they can be!) and look great. I loved the sequence where Prof. X and Magneto begin their search for mutants as the film-makers make a sort of comic-book tile montage, very pretty. A mention for up-and-coming Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique) and Skins star Nicholas Hoult (Beast) who put in nice performances battling against their changing identities and also a quick cameo (best moment in the film!) for Hugh Jackman as the ageless Wolverine.

I think it is the mixture of these supernatural elements with the history and geography of the real world which makes this super-hero franchise that bit more exciting than others, Prof. X lecturing in Oxford University, Magneto chasing ex-Nazi officers across the world, the inclusion of the Cuban Missile Crisis in this film. The 60s era that First Class is set in is recreated stylistically and believably both from the conflict between the US and the USSR and the little things like fashion and technology.

McAvoy and Fassbender begin the chess that Stewart and McKellen
enjoyed in the earlier films. (comingsoon.net)

The only disappointment possibly is the ending. As the climax comes to an end, the film seems to feel it has to tie up the loose ends; how each mutant chooses sides, where Prof. X's wheelchair comes into things and the founding of the Mutant Academy. In the overall scheme of things, though, this is not a problem and X-Men: First Class is a thoroughly enjoyable film for both fans of the franchise but also anyone ready for an action packed story of identity, morality and, ultimately, friendship.

BBFC Bans The Human Centipede II

2011-06-07T11:46:00.000+01:00

The Human Centipede is a Dutch horror film about a German doctor who kidnaps three tourists and sews them together, mouth to anus, to create the creature to which the film is named. Disgusting, I know, but apparently people enjoy this kind of feature and it is a sort of cult classic today.

Unfortunately, director Tom Six went about creating a sequel to this film. It would move on from the 'torture-porn' of the first film, exploring 'the human condition' and focusing on the victims' attempts to escape, to focusing a man who gets sexual satisfaction from such things. Rightly so, in my opinion, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) have rejected the film to be released in Britain in any kind of way.

I haven't seen either film and have never intended to. After reading the BBFC's reasoning behind banning the film, I want to steer clear of them even more so and totally agree with their ruling. The argument of freedom of speech comes into this and the film's creator disagrees with the idea that his film should be banned:

" My dear people it is a fucking MOVIE. It is all fictional. Not real. It is all make-belief. It is art. Give people their own choice to watch it or not. If people can't handle or like my movies they just don't watch them. If people like my movies they have to be able to see it any time, anywhere also in the UK."

The BBFC said that "there is little attempt to portray any of the victims in the film as anything other than objects to be brutalised, degraded and mutilated for the amusement and arousal of the central character, as well as for the pleasure of the audience". How Mr Six can imagine that this is art and should even be available for people to see is beyond me. I think he was lucky to be given a certificate to show the first film, let alone this sexually violent sequel.

This is such a rare occurrence at the BBFC, who are well aware of the opposition to censorship and the championing of freedom of speech, which goes to show the extremes that the film goes to. My only worry is that this will give the film more publicity than it deserves (ie. any whatsoever). Some films are in a grey area of morality but others cross a line.

Please do not watch this film, or its predecessor; don't give this kind of evil a place in this world. It's bad enough as it is.

MacBook App Solves Crimes

2011-06-02T14:17:00.000+01:00

Had your MacBook stolen? There's an app for that. It's called Hidden and has recently received worldwide media attention in one particular crime that it has solved in California. Joshua Kaufman is the man who benefited from Hidden yesterday when, after over three months, the man who was using his stolen MacBook was arrested.

Josh with his recovered computer. (bbc.co.uk)

From $15 per year, you can activate this App when your Mac goes missing and it will send you back pictures from the webcam, screenshots of how the computer is being used and location details of where the machine actually is. Josh had reported the computer stolen to the police and even provided them with the details he received to aid them in their search but it wasn't until his online record of the events got media attention that they acted.

His site, This Guy Has My MacBook, chronicled the events of his stolen computer, providing the images he was receiving for the viewing pleasure of its readers and lambasted the Californian police for not acting quicker. Apparently, it was filed incorrectly and that is why there was such a wait but either way, this a great piece of software for any MacBook user and at around £9 per year, worth it.

In the meantime, have a laugh at the guy caught on camera before he was caught by the police.

My Leicester City Team of the Season

2011-05-27T11:00:00.000+01:00

It's taken a while but I've finally put together a quick animation on my Leicester City team of the season. I'll hopefully be doing a couple more review blogs for each department of the squad but for now, have a look and I hope you like it! It was created using Adobe Photoshop and After Effects.

If you didn't see, that team was:

Chris Weale

Ben Mee Sol Bamba Miguel Vitor Kyle Naughton

Richie Wellens Andy King Yuki Abe

Paul Galllagher Darius Vassell

Yakubu

The more of this team we keep for next year, the better in my opinion.

The Expected Rapture Doesn't Happen

2011-05-21T23:01:00.001+01:00

As most who watched the news today or follow Twitter has seen, the American preacher Harold Camping was expecting the rapture to happen today at 6pm local time, around 11pm in the UK.

There have been over 200 expectations of the the end of the world, according to Canadian website www.bible.ca, beginning with the year 44 when a man named Theudas claimed to be the Messiah who had come again and was then beheaded by Roman soldiers. Others include Aelfric and Wulfistan who linked Judegment Day to the year 1000, the many predictions of the Jehovah's Witnesses relating the early 20th century and the most recent non-event when Ronald Weinland travelled to Jerusalem with his wife claiming to be the two witnesses in Revelation.

"Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away. But about this day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24: 35-36). Take it from Jesus himself, we can't figure out when the world will end but we do know it will happen soon. Be ready for it!

Survival Sunday 2011

2011-05-21T17:00:00.000+01:00

In the Premier League this season teams beginning with W and B have not faired too well. West Ham United are relegated already after a disastrous season with a good team (most of which will leave) and it is left to Wigan Athletic, Blackpool, Birmingham City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers to fight it out to stay above the relegation line.

For build up to the day have a look at the BBC's take on the relegation battle but as for me, here is what I can see happening. By far, Blackpool have the toughest challenge to go to Manchester United and get a result but I think it will be even harder for the Carling Cup winners to get a result at Spurs who are fighting for fifth place. For Birmingham and Blackpool and Wigan, a win could still see them go down or they could lose and stay up depending on other results. I'm going to go out on a whim and predict:

Manchester United 2-1 Blackpool

Stoke City 3-2 Wigan Athletic

Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Birmingham City

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Blackburn Rovers

My predictions would leave Blackpool leadfrogging Birmingham by goals scored. it's going to be tight and I think it will fall on the damage limitation between the two.

Personally, I would quite enjoy Ian Holloway's management failings shining through past his charismatic appearance (I'm still a bitter Leicester City fan) but whether Blackpool goes down or not, no one can deny they have done very well this season to fair as well as they have done. The question is how Birmingham would handle their European rewards whilst in the Championship...

PSN Back but Hackers are the Ultimate Winners

2011-05-21T10:38:00.000+01:00

This week PlayStation Network came back online! Yay! Not completely yet but I'm a happy online gamer again now and once the rest of Sony's online services are back up there will be a nice Welcome Back package available including a couple of free game downloads which will give about £25 worth of games; nice.

Unfortunately it looks like the hackers, who had some beef with Sony, will have won in the end. They allegedly got a lot of personal details from PSN users but I think it was more the damage to Sony which they were after. As Edge Magazine reported, there was a 200% increase on users trading in PS3s for cash or X-Box 360s, sales of points for online use inevitably slumped and game pre-orders switched from PS3 to X-Box or simply cancelled.

Sony will keep their hard-core fans and will probably appease them nicely with their Welcome Back package but damage was done and it will take a lot to get those gamers who were too impatient back to the PlayStation platform.

Insidious Keeps You Guessing

2011-05-14T19:19:00.000+01:00

I don't really like horror movies...I don't enjoy being scared, they're usually verging on heretical and I don't see much point to most of the stories they come up with. However, I went along with my housemate Mikey to see Insidious as he had such an urge to watch it and no one to go watch it with. In the end, it wasn't as much a waste of time as other horror movies have been.

It has all the names attached to it that horror fans will be attracted to (Wan and Whannell, producers of Saw and Paranormal Activity) and a title which is so vague, it could mean anything, all going towards a promising film. In Patrick Wilson, Insidious has a moderately established lead who portrays the token, unbelieving husband to the demon-stalked wife (Rose Byrne) well, making a journey from comfortable working father to supernatural hero in a convincing way.

The family is completed by a baby girl and two young boys, one of which is the subject of the supernaturality. However, it is the demons and ghosts that provide the scariness in this film, rather than a creepy young boy. In fact, apart from the lead demon, these creatures do not really scare but are just weird; they whistle tunes, dance to ukulele music and smile at strange times. It is the way the film-makers create tension and lead up to these 'scary' moments, whether expected or not, that gives the film it's horror as opposed to all out gore or scary visuals, and they do it very well.

For me, the best part of the film was its comedy moments. Comedy duo Specs and Tucker (creator of the Saw franchise and writer of Insidious Leigh Wannell and Angus Sampson) are a class act, moving from serious to comedic with ease and provide a light heartedness that keeps Insidious from being a chore to watch. It had its fair share of unintentional comedic moments too...

In the end, Insidious is a quite well written supernatural thriller with some good film-making and a host of twists; all you'd want from a horror film. The colour grading and the look of the supernatural world is nice, adding to the feel of the film, and the intense action scenes are very exciting. If you do watch the film, watch out for Darth Maul's excellent character and a catchy theme tune...

Top Gear Recharges in Lincoln

2011-05-13T22:00:00.000+01:00

It was all very exciting on Thursday as Jeremy Clarkson and James May ran out of electricity in their electric cars outside the Lincolnshire Echo building in Lincoln. They were doing a feature on electric cars and needed to charge up again...choosing the University of Lincoln as their charge point. Cue huge crowd of people and huge excitement city wide.

I managed to get a few snaps with my phone of the celebrities, have a look.

Play-Off Season Predictions

2011-05-13T18:49:00.000+01:00

A year after Yann Kermorgant's chipped, and failed, penalty miss, the play-off season is here again. Leicester City aren't involved this year but it is never the less an exciting time of the football calendar. They kicked off last night when Nottingham Forest managed to hold onto a draw against ten-man Swansea and they finish with the Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley on May 30th. Here are my predictions.

League Two

Shrewsbury's Kevin McIntyre

Shrewsbury Town were the fourth team in contention for the three automatic promotion places in League Two this season, missing out by one point and finishing six points ahead of fifth place Accrington. I can't see much further past them against three other only recently promoted teams in Accrington, Stevenage and Torquay who have all had very successful seasons in making the play-offs and deserve praise for those achievements.

League One

Huddersfield's Alan Lee scoring against Arsenal in the FA Cup

Similarly to Shrewsbury in League Two, Huddersfield Town kept the pace with the two automatically promoted sides in League One. There are four strong teams in the League One Play-Offs (Peterborough, MK Dons and Bounremouth joining Town) but I think Huddersfield could shave it after their heroics in London against Arsenal in January. It would give me an extra Yorkshire team to visit next year with the traveling Foxes too which would be nice!

Championship

Reading's Shane Long celebrates with team-mates

Last season Reading staged a remarkable surge up the table at the end of the season but couldn't beat Blackpool to the sixth play-off position. This year they made their surge earlier and managed to stick in those four places, making them my favourites to win the tournament. I don't think Forest have it in them, Cardiff have bottled it after losing 2nd place and I don't know if Swansea quite have the squad depth to make it all the way.

We'll see what happens, I guess. I am a little disappointed that Leicester didn't make it but would much prefer to win the league outright next season......!

Comic Book Films Gets a New Hammer Hero

2011-05-11T17:52:00.000+01:00

It's the next in the The Avengers pre-story arc but this time Marvel have made a movie with a twist. No radioactive spiders, super-technological armour or big, angry, men men with ripped shirts: it's a cross-dimensional god.

Well, not really a god but a super-hero once worshiped as god and now flung to Earth as a punishment. Thor flicks between our Earthly realm (with leading lady and Oscar-winning Natalie Portman) and the super-natural realm of Asgard where Norse mythology resides as we watch the story of how a powerful, hammer wielding alien came to be on Earth.

Home and Away actor Chris Hemsworth plays Thor, the son of King Odin (Hannibal himself, Anthony Hopkins) and brother of the mischievous Loki (almost footballer, Tom Hiddlestone) in a surreal and beautiful Asgard. You will get lost in Asgard as you ponder its beauty (how does the Sun and the stars share the same skyline?) and enjoy the complicated and comical relationships between its inhabitants.

Although you know it's coming, when Thor is flung to Earth it is somewhat of a disappointment. However, this is the crux of the film and where the most of the action is found as Thor, now powerless in comparison to his god-like abilities, tries to get back to Asgard whilst under attack from the villainous Frost-Giants. His relationship with the intelligent Jane Forster (Portman) also becomes a big part of the film and it is the balance between the two architypes of a super-hero film, action and romance, that makes Thor enjoyable.

But surely it's just another comic-book genre film? Firstly, this is one like never before with an epic inter-dimensional storyline and visuals that were impossible just five years ago. It is beautiful. Ever needed a reason to get a film on BluRay over DVD? This is it. Also, it's the latest in a long line of Avengers teasers that excites me muchly! Remember the extra scene after the Iron Man 2 credits?

As a film in its own right, this is excellent entertainment for fans of the comic book genre or not but in it's overall relevance to next year's The Avengers, it is incredibly exciting. I think it will be sitting in my collection in a bright blue box sometime soon...

ps. sorry this is so late, three weeks ago when I watched Thor I was in the middle of my final third year hand-ins so haven't had a chance to write since!

8,000 Watch the Imps Slip Away

2011-05-09T08:23:00.000+01:00

This Saturday I joined eight thousand Lincoln football fans to cheer on our local team in their battle for survival from relegation to non-league football from League Two. In this match against Aldershot, they needed to at least match the score of Barnet to survive and a packed Sincil Bank created a surreal atmosphere.

My view as I entered and tried to find a free seat!

When Barnet scored a penalty to go 1-0 up, the news quickly spread through the bumper crowd and we knew that Lincoln needed a win to stay up or for Port Vale to manage a draw or to win against Barnet. However, as the third Aldershot goal went in, fans turned from supportive and hopeful to angry and dejected as Barnet held on and the Imps fell into non-league football for the first time in 25 years.

Last time that happened, Lincoln managed to win the Conference and return to league football immediately but this time round it will be a different kettle of fish. The Imps have been fighting relegation for tree or four seasons until now and will need a huge rebuild to get back to winning ways, something that other clubs such as Wrexham, Luton and Grimsby have not managed following relegation from League Two.

Imps fans dejected. (guardian.co.uk)

After going on a five win run earlier in the year, it seems there is no passion for the club from the players, there is little fight and some high-wage earners that will have to go or cut down on their demands. It will be a struggle and whether the £18 a match price-tag will remain will be interesting. Either way, it's a huge loss for the area and for all associated with the club. Here's hoping a return to the successes of the past is in store for a club I've become fond of as I've lived in Lincoln.

My Browser War Turns in Opera's Favour

2011-05-02T22:35:00.000+01:00

So I mentioned how the Flash plug-in on Chrome crashed for me and forced me onto Firefox. Well I've had enough of that now after slow loading times and regular freezing. It began to play up at the most annoying of times (namely my last week before third year, final hand-in) and I gave up on it.

Oper

The main problem was that Firefox would freeze whe trying to load something, either a page or an element of a page, until the cursor was moved. I have no idea why. And that was if I was lucky! Often, especially with YouTube, it would freeze indefinitely. At least Chrome loaded the page, even if it wouldn't play the video.

So Opera it is now. It's quite nice actually; the downloads tab is a nice touch, the 'speed dial' home page is just as nice, if not nicer than those of Chrome and Safari, and the whole program works smoothly and quickly. We'll see how long this lasts.

Sohaib Liveblogs the Osama Raid Without Knowing It

2011-05-02T12:42:00.000+01:00

The news of Osama bin Laden's death this morning has been met by jubilation by some, dejection by others and has been a reminder of the poor state of the world by most. However, for me, it was the news of one of the only Twitter users in the village of Abbottabad, Pakistan, that tweeted the events live that interested me most.

Shohaib Athar's Titter feed as the news of Osama's death comes through....

Shohaib Athar began to tweet about the noise coming from outside his home, "Helicopter hovering over Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event)", and proceeded to mention a "window shattering bang" and reckoned it was a "complicated situation" as one of the two helicopters was downed. Of course now his lowly, Pakistani Twitter feed is the subject of international news and the number of his followers has risen to almost 25, 000 overnight.

It goes to show the advent of citizen journalism in today's age, that by accident, the internet captures live a world event through the day-to-day activities of a villager in Pakistan. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter et al. is adding to the social media revolution, the biggest change in society since the industrial revolution in the early twentieth century.

PlayStation Network Still Down

2011-04-26T22:25:00.000+01:00

Today's video gamers will expect online multiplayer gaming as a standard. I first really heard about it with the advent of Final Fantasy XI which was a fully online RPG but there were many before and now, almost every big game has an online multiplayer option. The emergence of the internet usage with consoles also allows game and demo downloading and on-demand television viewing through the system. However, for owners of the PS3, this has not been such a luxury since last Thursday (21-4-11).

As reported through forums and also through Sony's official website, the network has been under attack and is being rebuilt by Sony technicians. There is no prognosis as to when the service will be back and this is a big setback for Sony in the week they unveil their tablets to rival Apple's iPad. Ouch.

As for me, I am left playing Manager Mode on FIFA and failing at the Spec Ops missions in Modern Warfare. Looking forward to Sony sorting themselves out!

Promotion Slips Under Chris Weale

2011-04-23T20:16:00.000+01:00

Last season it was the dodgy chipped penalty of Yann Kermorgant and the pressured miss of Martyn Waghorn that effectively finished off Leicester City's chances of promotion. It was Paul McKenna's weak volley that bobbled along the Nottinghamshire grass and somehow under the body of 'keeper Chris Weale that nailed the coffin shut this season. It had been coming but to come at Nottingham Forest wasn't great.

Chris Weale after his blunder. (guardian.co.uk)

For me, the dream of play-offs have really been over since the loss in Cardiff at the end of February but it was this loss that really ended the hopes. Although still mathematically possible, I wouldn't bet on it. I will write about my thoughts and feeling of the whole season once it's over but in the end I will be happy with a mid-table/top half finish after the dreadful start to the season and fully expect Sven to succeed fully next season.

As for the rest of the season, my prediction now is that Leicester will finish around 10th with a pressure-free end to the season. I see QPR and Norwich taking first and second with the play-offs fought by Cardiff, Reading, Swansea and Leeds. I don't see the bottom three ending to be honest unless we see some shock results. I can't split Reading and Cardiff but will go for the English contigent for obvious reasons!

Suckerpunch: Film Review

2011-04-20T10:48:00.001+01:00

Take the creativity behind films like 300 and Watchmen and mix it with a complex, Inception-style, multiple-levelled narrative set in a mental-health facility and you get Suckerpunch. Written and directed by Zak Snyder and starring a host of up-and-coming actresses, Suckerpunch is a visual and mental treat for film-lovers.

The film begins and ends with a mysterious monologue which uses metaphor and allegory and that gives a good idea of how the film as a whole will go. We follow the lead, Babydoll (Emily Browning), who is institutionalised by her evil step-father and begins a journey to escape the facility.

Due to her mental state or just her over-imaginative mind, we move to an alternate reality as Babydoll forms and executes her plan and, yet a third level of reality plays home to the battles she faces in this escape attempt. The mental home gives way to a burlesque house which gives way to a battle-field. Complex doesn’t quite give the story justice.

It’s this third level which gives the visual style typical of Snyder and provides the surreal action sequences that make Suckerpunch unique. One only needs to look at the posters, the additional shorts available online and the promotional adverts to get a glimpse of these sequences but the real spectacle the film offers can only be felt by seeing the film itself. If clockwork, WW1 soldiers, castles and dragons and robot guarded nuclear bombs gather your interest, then go and have a watch.

As for the more realistic realities, the stories are almost as gripping as the action sequences but still the dark and dirty visual style is kept. There is a sense of desperation rife in the mental institute scenes and a similar sense of dirtiness and enforcement in the burlesque ones.

Although there isn’t much on offer from the acting abilities of the leading five girls in the film, in opposition to the truly villainous Blue Jones (Oscar Isaac), a deal of sympathy is made for the quintet. It’s the classic underdog story and the slightly predictable twist that the film climaxes at makes a decent enough end to the film.

Suckerpunch is a provocative shock for the senses which could fit into both action-adventure and psychological thriller genre sections. In the mould of a video game, with mission briefings and all, it will serve to please fans of both these genres and, although it hasn’t lived up to many critics’ expectations, is well worth a trip to the big screen.

Every Cloud has a Silver Lining

2011-04-19T23:34:00.000+01:00

Sunday 4th May, 2008 wasn't great for fans of Leicester City as the club was relegated amidst the celebrations of Stoke City's promotion. I imagine the same dread of relegation has been felt by fans of Norwich City, Leeds United and Southampton recently and this year it's Sheffield United fans who are seeing their recently top-flight club hit League One. It's not the end though.

Matt Oakley tries to avoid the Stoke celebrations. (www.stokecityfc.com)

As Leicester fans complain that Yakubu's 7 in 16 games isn't good enough and see a releagtion threatened turned to possible play-off season draw to an end, this very interesting article about that relegation season of 07/08 has appeared. In the end, that releggation got rid of the dead wood that was drifting around the Championship and has brought pride, promise and a former European and International manager to the Walkers Stadium.

Norwich have done even better than Leicester on their return to the Championship; being in a position to gain a second automatic promotion to the promised land. Leeds similarly have gone straight into a strong possibly play-off position and Southampton look to be making a return to the Championship in second place of League One.

Relegation is the end of the world until the day after the last match of the season. From then it's usually up-hill from there as the staleness of the relegated team is replaced by fresh new talent; every cloud haas a silver lining...

Kamara Leads the Final Push

2011-04-11T10:54:00.000+01:00

It may be too little too late but Leicester City pulled a fantastic performance out of the bag to smash play-off rivals Burnley 4-0 this weekend. It was pretty special but, for me, it was home-debutant Diomansy Kamara who stood out in a top all round team performance. Scoring the first, winning the penalty for the second and wriggling in and out of the tightest situations, he is a class act on this showing.

Kamara uses his signature celebration in Leicester City blue (lcfc.com)

Four goals: Premier League class linking beautifully; Kamara setting up Gally's signature penalty; a 30 yard thunderbolt; an equally spectacular curling finish. A clean sheet, one of only three in the last eleven, from a stable and mistake-less defense and popular and confidence bringing goalkeeper. A clean disciplinary record, 40% shots to goals conversion rate (4 from 10) and a comfortable passing performance.

Maye it is too little too late but five points can be made up in six matches, especially if the Foxes continue to play like this. If not, the momentum that Norwich, Leeds and Reading experienced at the end of last season to propel them into promotion contention will serve us well as we regroup over the summer.

One of my favourite photos for a while. (lcfc.com)

As for the new big screens up at the Walkers, I am a fan. There were some mistakes by the team working them (failing to provide a replay when promised, showing replays too quickly) but they are obviously learning and they will end up being a great addition to the match-day experience. Well done owners. And what a great display to test them out with?

I had a nice view of one of the new big screens...very nice!

BBC Conquers the 'Dark Side of the Course'

2011-04-06T13:03:00.000+01:00

I have a new favourite advert, by our very own BBC, advertising their upcoming coverage of the Masters Golf 2011. Not only do I love the effects and the concept but the pun is amazing! Enjoy.

Steve Howard: Venn Diagram

2011-04-01T17:43:00.000+01:00

A lovely mixture of mathematics and Leicester City's Steve Howard, courtesy of The 72 on Football Venn Diagrams.

The Business End: Team Selection and Season Predictions

2011-03-31T22:51:00.000+01:00

Leicester City go into their last eight games of the season this weekend against Middlesborough. After a shocking start to the season, Sven replaced Sousa and brought success and a wealth of impressive loanees to the club to bring it to within 2 points of the play-offs after a great Jan/Feb. However, with four points out of eighteen won in the last month or so, it now seems to be a mammoth task to make the play-off places.

Sol takes on ginger, Kitson. (lcfc.com)

Four of the eight are against promotion rivals and only if the Foxes get wins against these teams will there be a chance. For me, get Weale back behind the defence to restore some confidence and play the form players. Maybe Yakubu needs to be dropped for a match to give him the kick up the arse he needs to get going again and Kamara could be a hit for the end of the season. My team for the coming matches would be:

Weale

Naughton Bamba Vitor Mee

Abe

Wellens King

Vassell Gallagher

Kamara

As for predictions for this season now, I don't really see leicester catching up just because of the strength of those teams around them. They really need the teams ahead to slip up.

As for the bottom, like with Leicester's relegation season, Coventry look to escape the drop by the skin of their teeth and Sheffield look to have two teams in League One.

We'll see what happens, hey?

Time is Coming to an End?

2011-03-27T07:49:00.000+01:00

Harold Camping, a California radio braodcaster and preacher, has a tip-off to know the date of the end of the world. He has come to this knowledge through studying the Bible and other things:

- carbon dating has lead him to date Noah's loading of the animals into the ark to 4990BC

- Noah, says the Bible, loaded the animals for 'seven days' which, according to his interpretation of 2 Peter, is really 7,000 years, or until 2011 (add one year as there is no year 1 in the Bible)

- the 'flood' began on the 17th day of the second month which, using the Jewish calendar that God uses, is May 21st

- on that day, the Lord will return, taking his people with him leaving their clothes, and after five months of burning and suffering, the world will end with a bottomless pit, as it says in Revelation

Harold Camping

He is not the first person to 'figure out' what day this event will happen 1843, 1994 and 2010 have all been stated as the big day but have all come and gone. Camping says that his theory is right above the others as he has found the answer in the Bible itself as opposed to merely being told by God in a dream.

Unfortunately, it seems Mr Camping has not quite got round to reading Jesus' words in Matthew. Here, he says that not even he knows when he will return and says that he will come 'at an hour when you do not expect him'. Harold Camping, in my opinion, is looking far too far between the lines in order to learn what we will never learn and his theories have even less validity in light of some damning reviews of his heretic teachings.

We do not and will never know when the end will come and so, as Jesus goes on to say, we should be ready for it at any moment.

The Loan System's Ugly Side

2011-03-25T18:09:00.000Z

As a fan of Leicester City, I'm quite glad that we have five top class Premier League players helping our faltering promotion push this season. Naughton from Spurs, Mee and Cunningham from Man City, Van Aanholt and Bruma from Chelsea and Yakubu from Everton have added some Premier League class to the squad and given the players some much needed first team experience.

The loan system is great because it does both those things and everyone is happy. The bigger clubs in England loan out their fringe-players and up-coming youth players all the way down the leagues even past League Two, but down there things get a bit messier. Thus the situation with Lincoln City and Sunderland's Trevor Carson.

Trevor Carson kicks for the Imps. (thisislincolnshire.co.uk)

After signing intially for one month, Carson extended his deal to keep him at Sincil Bank until April 23rd after even expressing his desire to be a part of next season's team. However, a big blow was dealt to the team as Craig Gordon's injury caused Sunderland to recall, leaving Lincoln with just 42-year-old Paul Musselwhite in goal. Fair enough, it's Sunderland's perogative to recall their own player, especially to cover their first choice but it was what happened next that shows the ugly side of the loan system.

The next day, fans of League One Brentford were glad to see a young Sunderland goalkeeper come in on loan to cover their newly injured goalkeeper Richard Lee. That goaly was indeed Mr Carson, taken from Lincoln under seemingly false pretences to gain experience higher up the leagues. Great for the Bees but where does that leave Lincoln?


Jack Hobbs moved from Lincoln to Liverpool for £750k at the age of 17 (oleole.com)

Fortunately, England U20 goalkeeper, Elliott Parish has been brought in from Aston Villa, another advantage of the loan system, but it just seems that the lower league teams can be used and abused by 'bigger' teams in this way. As Lincoln recently experienced with Jack Hobbs, promising youngsters are often plucked out of lower league clubs to mature in the reserve sides of the Premier League but to no avail. They will often be messed around like with Carson and end up joining a lower league club again at 21 or 22 having missed a good four years of competitive football had they stayed at their original club.

While the loan system gives great benefits to clubs that cannot afford permanent class, sometimes it can be messed around by the parent club for their own advantage with no concern for the promotion/relegation battles of the lower leagues. It's becoming harder and harder to hold on to young stars so how are the 'smaller' clubs meant to manage when their loans are messed around like this?

One Mistake Too Many

2011-03-20T16:27:00.000Z

Leicester City's one mistake against Portsmouth lead to the opposition's only shot on target and, with the defence and Ricardo miscommunicating, it flew into the back of the net. Leicester's 13 shots, four on target, were not enough to make a reply and so, for the fourth time in six matches, Leicester succumbed to defeat.


Yuki Abe led out the team in respect to something a little more important than football. (lcfc.com)

Unfortunately, this has happened all season, under both Sven and Sousa, and, with the defensive frailties, added to Leicester's failure to reach promotion comfortably. Promotion now is still possible but improbable and I think it is time to start to look to next year.

First, let's just enjoy the rest of the season with little expectation. To get to where we are from the bottom of the table in October is impressive to say the least. Next, we need to look to signing some of the outstanding loanees this season (namely Naughton and Mee) and then adding some much needed Championship experience to the team in defence and all over the team.

In the meantime, as I said, enjoy the football to be played, like I did with a short trip up to Scunthorpe last week...

Google Chrome vs Shockwave Flash

2011-03-19T19:50:00.000Z

This week my internet browser, Google Chrome, began a spat with Shockwave Flash, the plug-in that allows the playing of some websites and most internet videos. It meant that YouTube wouldn't work anymore and most other websites caused it to crash for some reason.

This is the error I get which renders most videos online useless.

I've spent weeks scouring the internet for an answer, for a solution, but to no avail. Even Google's technicians didn't really come up with anything useful. Chrome is clever in that it has Flash integrated and updates automatically. Unforutnately, this means that now Flash has gone wrong, it is very hard to fix it!

For now I'm using FireFox, which I haven't used before, and am happy for now. I'm getting used to it and, although I miss Chrome, it's good to have Flash working again! Please if anyone has a solution or if Google sorts itself out, let me know...

Extreme Sports and Romantic-Comedy Combines

2011-03-17T11:18:00.000Z

Billed as 'this year's Bridget Jones', Chalet Girl brings a wealth of British talent, young and old, to the cinema this March. Not my kind of film (I went with the fiancee), it's quite an enjoyable film as long as you don't expect a Speilberg epic or a Nolan thriller!

It's lead actress Felicity Jones' big step up into the cinema as she plays and ex-up-and-coming skateboarder who is scrounging to keep her and her widowed father afloat. This leads her to take a well paid job as a chalet girl, sending her money back to her Dad, and, of course, she gets into snowboarding and meets new friends and a love interest.

There's something in this actress as she plays an independent, working class girl from London trying to fit into the upper-class society that comes with working in such places and the scene where she opens up about the death of her mother atop of a mountain, showered in an Alpine sunrise, is particularly moving.

The addition of two great British actor/comedians in Bills Nighy and Bailey sets the tone for the comedy, and the other actors, mostly big American TV series actors, duly oblige to make a humorous film which is both silly and serious at the right times. Add the extreme sport action and you have a film that has potential to appeal to a wide variety of cinema goers.

Chalet Girl can be predictable at times but you wouldn't expect a lot more from a rom-com, would you? In the end, this is a film primarily about the trials and tribulations of a small family which is a nice way to spend an hour and a half. Add in comedy, some nice scenery and snowboarding action and you get a half decent film.

How Not to Avoid Relegation

2011-03-16T10:22:00.000Z

This morning brought the news that the second Championship manager this week had been sacked, Ian Baraclough fired from Scunthorpe and after Aidy Boothroyd had been sent packing from Coventry. Both teams have had some bad form of late and, with less than ten games to go before the end of the season, both teams are now managerless.

Boothroyd and Baraclough; looking for new jobs.

What I don't quite understand is what the clubs' boards expect to do by sacking a manager at this point in the season? The new manager will have the same players, the same amount of money to play with and will be in the same position in the league as the previous manager.

Anyone who takes these jobs will surely be looking to merely do as well as can be done for the rest of this season and look to the next...but itsn't that what the current managers would have been doing? Changing managers brings instability more often than radical change. Both Sheffield United and Preston North End have tried changing managers to turn their season around and it hasn't quite worked.

It's been tough for Scunthorpe as, with what is usually the case, they have lost the players which helped them to promotion and consolidation. Coventry have been on a tight-rope for quite a few seasons now and should be ok with the players they have. Whoever takes over now, at either club, will have a very hard job to do anything this season; it may be a move that both boards live to regret.

Apple Continues with the iPad2

2011-03-09T09:10:00.000Z

On May 28th 2010 the iPad was released in the UK bringing the success of the iPhone and iPod Touch to a bigger device, making this the first of the huge market of tablet computers that is available today. Not even a year later, the update is coming out, this Friday in fact, which isn't really a surprise.

The revolutionary iPad. (crenk.com)

It hardly seems yesterday that the iPad was first released, prompting a scourge of other manufacturers trying to compete in this new market which Apple seem to have created. The new iPad is thinner, quicker and has two cameras. But it's still just a big iPod Touch, right? It's a little but more than that but not too far off...

The iPad does all the things an iTouch will do; all the apps can be bought in some shape or form and most have been remade to fit the iPad's new high-resolution screen and new technology that goes with it. Others things such as word processors, calendars and visual media are vastly improved on too and it can now take the place of a laptop for casual use around the home. This makes surfing, social networking and other such things much easier to do on a nicer piece of equipment and you can leave the more important things such as work and using high RAM using programs for your desktop or laptop.

The new, thinner, faster iPad2. (staenz.com)

If I were fortunate enough to have an iPad, I don't think I would fork out the same price for another one less than a year on. There are improvements but Apple expect their customers to fork out year upon year for them which, although they get what they want from it, is unfair. Why not create the best iPad they could first off...surely a camera could have been added in a year ago?

One day I hope to have the luxury of an iPad but for now, I'll just play with my housemate's instead.

The Difference Between Champions

2011-03-06T16:14:00.001Z

As the form league leaders met the actual league leaders, it promised to be an interesting match-up. Either side could have been mistaken for the league leaders and it was one chance taken very well which gave QPR the 1-0 win over Leicester with an 88th minute goal by the man Sven tried to bring in last year.

Yakubu thrived in a 442 formation. (lcfc.com)

Positives

- Sven changed to a 4-4-2 formation, partnering Yakubu and Vassell up front: this worked well and seemed to cancel out QPRs strengths for the match: good tactics

- with Van Aanholt injured, Ben Mee took over at left back and did very well, as did Bruma in Mee's usual centre-back position

- most reports have been favourable about unliked goalkeeper Ricardo...maybe things are turning round for his relationship with the fans?

- Leicester comfortably matched the league leaders

Negatives

- with the amount of chances Leicester had, they should have had a couple of goals themselves: it was QPR though who took their best chance and won the match (champions must take their chances)
- obviously losing isn't great, even against the best team in the league, but one point out of nine is bad and the promotion dream seems to be slipping away

With the promotion dream slipping away, maybe a loss of expectation will create a late surge of confidence and the Foxes will do a Blackpool? Until then, lets enjoy each game as it comes and try to secure contracts for our best players who are not permanent. With latest financial figures coming out, there looks like if promotion doesn't come this season, there will be a big push to get it next.

Also, Forest lost.

Gay Hotels Up Next

2011-03-04T21:57:00.000Z

As The Telegraph reported the other week, gay only hotels are being investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) for discrimination against heterosexuals. The claim is that, in being a hotel designed to cater for homosexuals in an environment which allows them to do things they wouldn't feel comfortable doing in other places, they are being unfair in the provision of goods and services.

This all feels very familiar and is part of the fall-out of the campaign against the bed and breakfast of Mr and Mrs Bull, a Christian couple whose policy to restrict double rooms to married couples was seen in the same way. The high court order to fine the couple three and a half grand damages has pushed the business, also their home, to near ruin in addition to the abuse still being suffered by email and telephone.

Mr and Mrs Bull at court.

The EHRC, which spent more than £15k to enforce the new laws on equality on Christian ran hotels, now says it must make an objective balance to make the laws go both ways, something expected by one gay hotel owner. He says 'the law is a double edged sword' and equality laws had 'come at a cost'.

Indeed, any equality laws should be seen across the board but is this just beurocracy gone mad? Although I don't want to encourage the homosexual way of life, which is against God's natural order of things, I believe that businesses like these, across the board, should be allowed which policies they want. The gay couple who were turned away from the Christian could have easily found the next one along in the same way that heterosexuals can easily find a generic hotel in place of a gay one.

Let's not go as far as Naziism, banning certain people from certain businesses, but businesses being allowed to market to a niche market is how many businesses thrive and being able to implement your beliefs into your work should be a right. As a famous gay historian said this week, going too far either way just goes to show the lack of tolerance that this society seems to crave.

Blowing Bubbles

2011-02-26T18:04:00.000Z

Leicester City returned back to their old ways against Coventry City today, creating no end of chances but letting silly mistakes and poor decisions get in the way of winning a match that was easily winnable. Kyle Naughton replied with a great goal to a Marlon King goal to drag out a disappointing 1-1 home draw. Is the promotion dream fading away?

Naughton celebrates his cracker. (lcfc.com)

Positives

- Leeds, Forest, Hull and Reading all dropped points along with us today which makes the result not a total disaster

- Leicester still have only one loss in the last ten and are unbeaten at home since Sven came, thirteen matches ago

Negatives

- poor games from new Chelsea loanees Van Aanholt and Bruma didn't help the team at all, especially since Bruma was at the expense of Ben Mee and put Sol Bamba on his weaker side...get Berner and Mee back please

- again, the chances we made were not put away.

- teams like Burnley are catching up with us (they have two games in hand) and the top four (plus Forest with their game in hand) are flying away

- the promotion dream is pretty much out of Leicester's hands, having to hope for others above to drop points whilst keeping consistent with winning

In the end, it was a poor performance in which Leicester's point came because Coventry played poorer and could be a definitive moment in the season with QPR and Norwich coming up. To come from bottom of the table to the place the Foxes are now is amazing in itself but they can't afford another blip to add to the beginning of the season and December.

Automatic promotion is as good as gone, can Sven and the Foxes pull a trip to Wembley out of the bag?

Google Connects the Cloud

2011-02-25T21:21:00.000Z

Google have released a lovely plug-in to go with your Microsoft Office called Google Cloud Connect. It connects it to the cloud automatically and for free and allows documents from Word, Excel or Powerpoint to be accessed from anywhere to connected to the web and to be edited by two people in two different locations simultaneously.

This is how it works: open your document and save. This automatically tells the Google Cloud Connect bar to 'Sync' with the cloud. It does so and give you a link to where it is located online.

My document on Word is now synced.

Just click on that link or share it with someone else to access it anywhere you like.

I can access my document anywhere with the link provided.

This puts an end to taking your work on a memory stick here there and everywhere and, if they have the plug-in also, can simultaneously edit, going back and forth between two or more authors.

Very nice. Thanks, Google.

The End Was Inevitable

2011-02-23T00:46:00.000Z

After eight games without defeat, a run that looks like WWDWWWWW, it seemed inevitable that an away trip to the most well known attacking side in the league would put an end to it. Of course it did and in a top of the table six pointer as well as Cardiff beat the Foxes comfortably, 2-0.

Sol Sol Bamba struts his stuff in Cardiff. (lcfc.com)

Positives

- I didn't see or listen to this match but from what I've heard from fans who did, new boy Bruma, who seems too good to stay on the bench, did very well in central midfield and Naughton had a good evening

- it could have been worse and results around Leicester went well with Forest, Norwich and Leeds all dropping points too

Negatives

- again, from other fans' views, the midfield were again outplayed (as with the second half against Bristol on Friday), Ricardo didn't do much (although that might have been more Weale bias), Van Aanholt disappointed and the attack was ineffective

- a disappointing end to the great run of form over the last couple of weeks

- automatic promotion now looks out of Leicester's reach as QPR continue to fly away and the three tams behind them keeping up: it's a fight-out between Leeds, Norwich and City now

- maybe teams have figured out how Leicester work and are neutralising their attacking force...time to freshen up I think

Bruma sweeps through the Cardiff midfield. (lcfc.com)

It could have been worse for the Foxes but still a disappointing night. Losing to play-off rivals makes beating lower-half teams like Coventry City (Leicester's next opponents) so important. The next month or so will really see how far Sven has brought the team since they were bottom of the table in October.

Worshipping in the Spirit and in Truth...and in Flash Mob

2011-02-22T18:32:00.000Z

Jesus said that the kind of worshippers the Father seeks are those that worship in the Spirit and in truth. It's easy to forget this, get caught up with 'worship music' and think that when the song finishes, so does the worship. However, it's not just music that is worship, I've even been reminded that worship can be done even by washing up the dishes to the glory of God!

The Christian Union at the University of Bath are currently having a week of mission on campus and to advertise put this lovely little piece of worship together. More of this kind of worship would go down well with me and I'm sure God was loving it too...

The Two Million Pound Goal

2011-02-19T01:00:00.000Z

Wow. Back from a rollercoaster night at the Walkers Stadium where MartynWaghorn scored an injury time belter to gain a 2-1 win for Leicester City against Bristol City. It's the least he deserved after a frustrating season on the bench so far and could win him a starting place on Tuesday with the fans and Waggy reigniting their love affair from last season.

Waghorn and teammates celebrate the laste winner. (lcfc.com)

Positives

- another goal from hungry Yakubu and the winner from Waghorn are welcome and show that our strikers still can score

- winning the night before four of the teams above Leicester play each other heaps the pressure on them and they must be looking over their shoulders

- although the Foxes were second best in the second half, grinding out a win like that shows real class and quality that they will need to reach the play-offs, and more

- the depth in the squad is showing and Sven still feels confident enough to change the team to find a better mix...it hasn't backfired yet, either!

- Leicester City are now twelve matches unbeaten, unbeaten in 2011 and unbeaten at home since Sven first came to the club: impressive

Negatives

- into the second half the midfield shape fell apart and it became a defensive training session as Bristol City hit the Leicester box hard

- in-form Chris Weale was dropped last match and Ricardo, his replacement, kept his place tonight, duly worrying the defence and the Foxes fans...on tonight's showing, Weale must be back in the starting team on Tuesday?

Another solid defensive display from centre back duo Sol Bamba (with an amazing assist for the Yak's goal) and Ben Mee added on to some class in the attack provided this win on a cold February night. The two million pounds spent to bring Waghorn to the Walkers permanently are reaping their rewards... When not at their best, this team seems to be able to win, which is a great tool in the quest for promotion.

Have a look at my experience under the floodlights...

Forget Rooney, It's All About The Muzzy

2011-02-16T14:13:00.000Z

This weekend saw Wayne Rooney pull a 'wondergoal' out of the hat to help Man Utd to a 2-1 win over man City. Good as it was, it was in fact off his shin, and there has been an even better overhead kick goal in the past decade that has gone unnoticed...

Rooney shins it in. (AP)

On the 30th of November, 2002, 10 man Leicester were about to drop two points against Grimsby Town when Turkish international, Muzzy Izzet popped up with a Rooney-topping goal to win the match in the 74th minute. It was technically better than this week's overhead kick, actually off the foot this time, and although not as high profile, just as important. Have a look:

The Bytes of the World

2011-02-13T16:45:00.000Z

I remember my first computer, when I was at the age of maybe 7 or 8, had something like a 16MB hard-drive. At over a thousand pounds, this was pretty top of the range for home computing at the time.

Of course, today, you wouldn't expect that small a memory in anything, with the biggest iPods at about 120GB, seven and a half thousand times the size of that old IBM PC.

Something like my first PC...a familiar start-up
screen. (maximumpc.com)

With the digital age now well an truly here, things are growing exponentially. In fact, the amount of data storage, worldwide, is now estimated at 295 exabytes. That's two hundred and ninety five billion gigabytes, enough to store, on an iPod with that amount of storage, around 118 trillion songs; if the data was stored digitally on CDs it would make a pile that reached beyond the moon.

Unfortunately, the study showed a negative side to this technological progress, the digital divide. Between 2002 and 2007 the amount of information that the developed world could communicate rose from eight times as much as that from the undeveloped world to almost double that figure. Although technology is now more easily available, there is still a growing gap between the well-off and the poor of the world.

Maybe most astonishingly is how creation trumps all of this. According to Dr Martin Hilbert in the study, human DNA can store 300 times as much in a person than we store digitally. Mankind may continue to strive towards progression and perfection but will never equal the handiwork of God that made it all possible.

Season On a Par, Finally

2011-02-13T14:58:00.000Z

Yesterday held place to Leicester's third East Midlands derby of the season, against Derby at Pride Park. Would they win this match, they would equal the number of points after 31 games as they had last season under Nigel Pearson and would move into positive goal difference for the first time this season. They did, and they did well.

Andy King slots in to finish a great team goal. (lcfc.com)

Positives
  - Leicester now only need to beat Forest away (easier said than done) to make an East Midlands grand slam and you might bet on them doing so in this form and with this kind of performance
  - this makes seven games unbeaten, six of which were wins; momentum which will be invaluable coming up against matches with Cardiff, Norwich, QPR and Forest
  - a great show of attacking prowess in the first half and a great show of defensive solidity in the second, very promising
  - now on 48 points from 31 matches, the Foxes are at the same point as they were in Nigel Pearson's play-off season; a remarkable turnaround from Sven Goran Eriksson
  - the two changes, Ricardo for Weale and Oakley for Abe, worked very well and shows a great depth to the Leicester squad

Negatives
  - the very impressive back four, by the end of the match, was made entirely of loanees which is worrying if they don't stick around next season (which I imagine only Naughton has a big chance of doing...)
  - as we climb the table, that four point gap to the play-offs has been consistent and still is there now with the teams ahead of us all picking up wins (a few with laaaaate goals)

The Yak is fed and celebrates his
top-class goal. (lcfc.com)

It's looking good for Leicester who have made an incredible turnaround from bottom of the table to almost play-offs. There is an incredible amount left to do, taking points off the teams ahead of us would help. However, the Foxes look untouchable at the moment...long may it continue.

Powerful Portman in a Brilliant Ballet: Black Swan

2011-02-12T10:39:00.000Z

Black Swan was well recommended by the five Oscar nomination it received as it came out and, being a film based around a ballet and music by Tchaikovsky, it looked very interesting anyway. I eventually managed to see it this week and I was very impressed.

  One of the nominations which could well be won by this film is that of Best Actress for Natalie Portman. She has performed many great roles in her time, Star Wars and V for Vendetta to name a couple, but this is the performance that has truly singled her out as a top actress.

  She moves from the fearful and naiive white swan to the confident and seductive black swan, by the end of the film, easily and effectively, and her final black swan performance is amazing.

  Possibly the best aspect of this film, among many, was the music, a mix of PyotrTchaikovsky and Clint Mansell, coming through the cinema sound system. Beautiful and powerful, it naturally accompanies the dancing and equally artistic drama.

  Darren Aronofsky directs Black Swan, adding to his short yet impressive filmography including Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler, making 8 Oscar nominations for his films and wins his first Best Director nomination for this film. I think it's deserved for the way he presented the on stage scenes, the New York on location scenes and Nina's (Portman) ever loosening hold on reality.

My favourite scene is probably that dance of the black swan that Portman performs as she finally understands the black swan role she is asked to take. Beautiful.

Fans of classical music and ballet will love this film, how Swan Lake is involved in both plot and concept. It's not a film which is exclusive to music lovers, however, as it is a great psychological thriller in its own right. A film which is not necessarily a family pleaser, it should still be a film on all film lovers' lists. Expect it to be mentioned at the Oscars in a couple of weeks time.

Sven Sweeps Up His Transfer Dealings

2011-02-11T19:13:00.000Z

Couldn't help the pun but Jeffrey Bruma (get it?) signed for Leicester today to complete Sven's dealings in the transfer and loan market for this season.

Bruma shows his new shirt which will include
Matty Fraytt's old number, 12. (lcfc.com)

The Chelsea defender joins his team-mate Patrick Van Aanholt, Tottenham's Kyle Naughton, Manchester City's Ben Mee and Benfica's Miguel Vitor in a loanee heavy defence. Although this amount of loanees, who may not be around next season, is worrying, there's no doubt Sven has brought in a very talented and impressive back line, adding permanent signing Sol Bamba and current Foxes Jack Hobbs and Aleksander Tunchev too.

A full Dutch international centre-back, Bruma has ten appearances for Chelsea's first team already under his belt and, at 19, has a bright future ahead of him (if YouTube is anything to go by - check from 4:20). It will be interesting to see how he fits into Sven's revolutionised team with Mee and Bamba playing well and Vitor and Hobbs hot on their tails; it seems he thinks he'll be heading into the first team any minute now.

Sven seems to have got all the men he deemed to be needed at Leicester and, coupled with the great form they are in, has turned round the season from the dismal first month. Let's see what he's really made of.

Royal or Student: Why Get Married?

2011-02-11T16:50:00.000Z

Back in October whilst on holiday in Kenya, Prince William proposed to his long-term girlfriend, Kate Middleton with the ring of his late mother, Princess Diana. After practising for 10 years, the couple are expected to become the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the eve of their wedding in Westminster Abbey, which takes place on April 29th.

The Royal Couple.

Although security for the day will be paid by the tax-payer, ‘Wills’ and Kate’s family will be footing the bill for the actual wedding, which is believed to be in excess of £50m. With Britain enjoying a Bank Holiday to celebrate the nuptials, it will be one of the most widely covered Royal events with live, online broadcasts going out around the world.

However, it’s not the only wedding of 2011. Although the number of weddings in Britain are going down, figures from 2008 show that there were still over 200,000 of them a year. It’s the way many British people live today and, it might not be the typical choice for young people, but even students are choosing it as their lifestyle.

Read my full article in the print edition of The Linc (out on campus and online) or on The Linc's website.

Moving and Majestic: The King's Speech

2011-02-09T12:47:00.000Z

Most years, when Oscar nominations are announced, there is some sort of British contingent reaping the rewards for their hard work as well as a stand out film that gains the most wide-spread amount of nominations too. Not too often do those two things go together, but Tom Hooper’s “The King’s Speech” does just that, and for good reason.

Sorry that it's up a bit later than I hoped, editing takes time, especially when the print version of The Linc was coming out at the same time, but here is the full review.

If your local cinema is still showing this film, I very must suggest you go and see it, it was excellent!

Stockdale for England

2011-02-05T22:49:00.000Z

In Leicester City's League One season, six different goalkeepers took to between the posts. Then manager, Nigel Pearson, sought to bring in some Premier League class as an extra back-up to permanent goalys Paul Henderson, Conrad Logan and Carl Pentney. These included David Martin from Liverpool, Tony Warner from Hull City and David Stockdale from Fulham. Ending the season as champions, it was Stockdale who held the goalkeeping position in the last few matches.

Stockdale and Fryatt celebrate the title-clinching win. (bbc.co.uk)

Today came the news that, after returning to his parent club and impressing, Stockdale has been called up to the England squad. It's as much as he deserves; he was great for the Foxes and looked a real part of the team. I'll always remember when Steve Howard scored a last minute winner against Leeds it was Stockdale who ran the length of the pitch to celebrate. Just for that commitment to Leicester at that time, I wish him all the best. He'll be a great goalkeeper in the future.

A champion with Leicester and surely a champion of the future. (lcfc.com)

A Happy Birthday for Sven

2011-02-05T17:58:00.001Z

What more could the Swede ask for on his 63rd birthday but four goals and three points as Leicester beat Barnsley 4-1. A brace from Andy King and two more great goals from Gallagher and Naughton made it the second consecutive match at home where four goals were shipped and made it six games unbeaten, since the last match of 2010.

Andy King got the ball and scored two goals today. (bbc.co.uk)

Positives

- in the best form of the season, Leicester City are now one of the form teams of the league and surely must scare the teams coming up to play them next

- after five games without scoring, King now has three in two; can't complain!

- the signings and substitutions which Sven has been and is making have completely turned the season around and the Foxes are now three points from a play-off place, seven from automatics

Negatives

- hard to find some after such a great vein of form but Yakubu is a little bit concerning; his lazy style of play has not been working recently

- with players like King, Naughton, Wellens playing so well, how hard will it be to hang onto these guys, promotion or not

There is a long way to go before play-offs or automatic promotion is likely, mainly due to the bad hangover from Sousa's reign in the form of a bad goal difference, there's also a long way to go before the end of the season.

Gallagher after his moonwalking celebration. (lcfc.com)

With tough matches ahead against Cardiff, QPR, Norwich and Forest it's so important to keep playing well like now. It's also a chance to steal points from those teams and really make a mark in the top six.

The Stuff of Champions

2011-02-02T01:05:00.001Z

They say that playing badly and still winning is a sign of a great team and that applies well to Leicester's performance tonight. Against Sheffield United, a good team, struggling at the bottom of the table, the Foxes held on for more than 90 minutes to grab a 1-0 away win.

Goal-scorer, Andy King battles away. (lcfc.com)

Positives

- team spirit and effort was on show as each and every player made an effort towards the game in some way

- a resolute defensive performance from Naughton, Mee and new boy Van Aanholt with Bamba growing in his cult status

- Chris Weale had one of his best games for Leicester and was man of the match for me...it will be interesting to see how Ricardo fits in on Saturday

- with results around the Foxes going nicely with draws and losses, they are now only 4 points from the play-off places and our extra games are being played up by the others

Negatives

- it's only thanks to a lovely piece of skill from Andy King that we scored a goal with minimal shots compared to the Blades...we seemed to be at a loss without a nice pitch to play on

- some players looked a little lost on the choppy playing surface; Abe, Yakubu and Dyer struggled at times and were all suitably substituted

My view from the away end at Bramall Lane.

All in all, it's been a very good night for Leicester City who managed to put in a winning performance against a very physical hoof-and-hope team on a very dodgy pitch. Playing badly and winning is the stuff of champions. Play-offs beckon?

Sven Meets the Deadline

2011-02-01T01:56:00.000Z

It was an exciting day for football fans as the Transfer Window Deadline drew closer and closer with hundreds of millions of pounds being spent by English clubs on players like Andy Carroll, Luis Suarez (goalkeeper extraordinaire that plays upfront), Fernando Torres and David Luiz but the big news of the day was Sven's dealings at the Walkers Stadium.

Daniel Uchechi

Uchechi's Nigeria is beaten by Germany in the
U20 World Cup (guardian.co.uk)

Uchechi is an U23 Nigerian international joining fellow compatriot Yakubu on loan at Leicester City. Sven has said that he's one for the future and, at 21, still has a lot to learn in football but has already experience at Charlton, West Ham and in the U20 World Cup two years ago, impressing and scoring against Germany. He's a striker and so will make good competition for the Yak, Vassell, Waghorn and Howard.

Ricardo

Ricardo on goalkeeping duties.
(recordes.com.sapo.pt)

  In a crazy turn of events, ex-Portuguese international goalkeeper Ricardo joins Leicester as a free agent with the rest of the season to impress. With echoes of Paulo Sousa's Portuguese signings, he becomes team-mate with the man whose penalty he saved to put Sven-Goran Eriksson's England out of the European Championships in 2004 and became the first keeper to save three penalties at a World Cup as he put the same team out of the 2006 competition. Although now 34, there are still many years left in his career as goalkeeper and will be good back up and competition for Chris Weale in goal.

  Being linked with players such as Michael Owen, Shay Given, Abdoulaye Faye, Curtis Davies and Jeffrey Bruma (who may well still come) is great but Sven has brought us down to earth a bit with the signings he's made (bar Yakubu!) and is building an exciting, strong and deep squad.

  Eighteen games to make the dream come true...

ps. If you can bear it, skip to 10:26 in this video to see two of Sven's signings in action against eachother in some sort of international, Leicester City paralell universe in this video:

Awesome Astronomy

2011-01-30T00:34:00.000Z

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands!" (Psalm 19:1). This is another example of that glory, how amazing creation actually is, and it isn't even the beginning!

The Other LCFC Make it Three in a Row

2011-01-29T18:35:00.001Z

Having valiantly dropped out of the FA Cup against Manchester City, Leicester City didn't have a fixture for this weekend; time to rest before Tuesday's match at Sheffield United. However, this allowed time to go and watch the other LCFC: my local team, Lincoln City. Having been bottom of the Football League (92nd out of 92) they had won two matches in a row, both away, but now faced Port Vale who were early League Two leaders but had fallen away in recent times.

Ashley Grimes celebrates his winner. (redimps.com)

They didn't disappoint and, after watching six games at Sincil Bank, I witnessed my first ever Lincoln win; their third in a row! The 1-0 win over Port Vale propels them up to 19th in League Two and is an example of Steve Tilson's revolution there. Although disappointed by Port Vale, I was impressed by Lincoln's three main men.

Trevor Carson, a goalkeeper on loan from Premier League Sunderland, has made three appearances for the Imps, each one of those three wins. He commands the area with a bellowing voice and stirs confidence in the Lincoln defence: a great loan signing until the end of the season.

Josh O'Keefe sits in midfield and works very hard, being a part of most attacks that Lincoln make. After scoring a thunderbolt against Cheltenham on Tuesday he set up the winner for Grimes today. He is looking like a very good, free, summer signing.

Ashley Grimes, who scored the winner today, has now scored 6 in 9 appearances, a great return for any player. The former Man Utd, Man City and Bolton trainee, on loan from Millwall, is always a threat up front and, although he doesn't always go for the 50-50 challenges, looks a great addition to League Two.

My view today from Sincil Bank.

All in all, it is looking good for Lincoln City at the moment. Today, only 3,300 fans attended but this club belongs at least in League One where it's 10,000 seater stadium would be much fuller...

The Double Rescue of the Chilean Miners

2011-01-27T13:12:00.001Z

It was last August when 33 miners in Chile were trapped when their mine collapsed, causing a worldwide story of survival and rescue for the following 69 days until they were all released. A close shave, you might say. It appears though that something very supernatural was going on.

A miner thanks God as he is rescued (bbc.co.uk)

From the "needle in a haystack" chance of the drill reaching the right space in which the miners were to the survival without food and water to the changes in the miners' personal lives with their wives and families, it seems an answer to prayer. Jose Henriquez, the 24th miner to be freed, adopted the role of pastor in the mine and, through the events that unfolded, is now on a mission to spread what God did for those miners.

"When we felt we had lost everything, I was able to say to them we haven't lost prayer. We began by praying. We formed a circle of prayer and twice a day we would have prayer services where each one could pray and open his heart up, and then I would preach the word of God to them" he said. He believes the hand of God guided the drill blindly down 700 metres to them and says that this faith in a deliverer kept the miners going.

Pastor Jose celebrates his release. (bbc.co.uk)

In fact, two thirds of the 33 miners indeed welcomed Jesus into their lives whilst down there, something that came out when the wives of the men noted the change in their husbands when talking over video link. Not only were they rescued from the collapsed mine that was their home but from sin itself (Colossians 1:13-14).

I believe this is another example of a modern day miracle, prayer being answered and God working in the lives of mankind all over the world. Awesome!

More for the Sven Revolution?

2011-01-26T18:27:00.000Z

As Curtis Davies said on his personal Twitter account this week, he was on his way to 're-join Sven's revolution'. It really has been a revolution since Sven took over at the Walkers Stadium with the Foxes top of the league table had it started when he joined. Although Davies looks to be now on his way back to the West Midlands to join Birmingham City, there has at least been one new defensive arrival of note today at Leicester.

PVA signs for Leicester (lcfc.com)

Patrick Van Aaholt is an under-21 Dutch international from Chelsea. He plays left-back, joining Bruno Berner as a left full-back specialist and making some competition but also a chance for Bruno to have a rest. He is apparently pacey and technically able with a desire to help with attack and midfield. It leaves a nice back-four with the full backs both giving attacking options as the two centre backs and spread and cover if needed.

Naughton Bamba Hobbs/Mee/Vitor Van Aanholt

Although this is not great news for Berner after signing his new contract, it shows more ambition from the new owners (such a commonly used phrase nowadays with Leicester) and gives Leicester what some at Chelsea have called, the new Ashley Cole. It shall be exciting next Tuesday in Sheffield to see how he gets on in the Svenolution (don't know if that will catch on..).

Ten Billion Apps and Counting...

2011-01-26T17:19:00.001Z

If anyone has been on the Apple App Store in the last couple of weeks they would have seen the link to the count up timer waiting for the ten billionth app download. And the person who downloaded that app? Gail from Kent.

Gail first thought it was a hoax caller, hanging up, when Apple tried to congratulate her. Once Apple tried again, they awarded her more than £6,200 worth of iTunes credits for her hard work in downloading a game in which you control a paper aeroplane. It was her daughter really who downloaded the game so I'm sure she will get a share of the money, with which she could download 7,848 tracks from iTunes.

As for me, I didn't quite win the prize with my iPod Touch but am getting to grips with the Android Market of apps on my new HTC phone. Not quite as good as the Apple products, probably due to the fact that the Apple OSs are a lot quicker than my Android 2.2.1, but Apple face competition from Google's new mobile systems.

Either way, you can't fault Apple for their iPhone/Pod/Pad inventions and, in fact, much more than half of those 10 billion downloads have been in the last year. I don't think they will die out but the cheaper alternatives are putting up a good fight.

Leicester Battle Through With a Sol Double

2011-01-22T21:53:00.001Z

In a topsy-turvy match at the Walkers, the Foxes paid back Millwall for their 2-0 win in December with a 4-2 humbling. The match had everything: six goals, two penalties and a sending off. If it wasn't for a very dodgy referee, the score could have been much different but in the end, the Foxes came out on top.

Yakubu fires in Leicester's second. (lcfc.com)

Positives

- two goals in two for new signing, Yakubu, is a great return: long may he continue to be fed and score!

- two goals in two for Lloyd Dyer is also great after quite a few missed opportunities in previous matches
- three goals in four games is an amazing return for defender Sol Bamba who is quickly becoming a fan favourite

- another good passing and attacking team performance shows that the team is going in the right direction and might have found this good form just in time for a late play-off push

Negatives

- a poor debut for Ben Mee will disappoint many fans and it will be interesting to see if Sven sticks with him or not

- there are still gaps at times in the defence and Millwalll were given an awful lot of time on the ball in the first half

I have no idea how the referee missed two rock-solid penalty claims in the second half, one from the goaly tripping Vassell and the second from the resulting handball from a defender. Especially having gone on to give the opposition a dubious penalty. It says a lot that, even against these strange decisions, Leicester managed to be the best team.

My view before the match.

Tron Enters the Third Dimension

2011-01-20T14:42:00.001Z

Back before Christmas I saw Tron: Legacy and wrote a film review, as I normally do, for The Linc, Lincoln's premier student newspaper. Over Christmas, however, the site kind of shuts off until term starts again and, so, here is my late review of the film!

On his directorial debut, Joseph Kosinski’s Tron: Legacy is the sequel to Tron, first released in the 1980s. The original was arguably the first ever big CGI film and the follow-up is a hugely CGI film itself, being named the ‘3D film of the year’ and costing a modest $200m. Most importantly, Tron: Legacy shows us something brand new, both in 3D and in graphic imagery.

Click here for the full review on The Linc.

Two More Past City Isn't Quite Enough

2011-01-19T11:29:00.000Z

Leicester City became only the fourth team this season to score more than one goal at Eastlands, last night, in a 2-4 loss against Manchester City in the FA Cup 3rd Round repla y.

Lloyd Dyer rounds another Man city player (lcfc.com)

It was another good showing from the Foxes as Sven Goran Eriksson returned to the last club he managed in England but the extra class in the final third was the things that set the teams apart and leave Leicester to concentrate on the league.

Positives

- another solid performance has shown the world how much a footballing side Leicester are and fans can be very proud of them

- Dyer had a great game, winning a penalty, scoring a goal and beating Man City defenders all night long, finally scoring a one-on-one after missing his last two!

- Weale also had a good game, although possibly out of position for the first goal, pulled off some good saves, including a penalty from Tevez

- having a 6,000 strong away support on a Tuesday night is fantastic and is a credit to the club

Negatives

- the defence was sloppy at times, playing too high up the pitch although they learned from their mistakes after the third goal

- letting in soft goals has again hurt Leicester but the more this defence learns, the better it will get

- unfortunately Bruno Berner didn't have a great game, being caught out numerous times and maybe suggesting he isn't Premier League standard

All in all, 4-2 slightly flattered Man City and Leicester were still in with a shout in the last minutes, until Kolorov's fantastic shot went in the bottom corner. Sven has vowed to return to Eastlands with Leicester in the Premier League and now the team can concentrate on getting that promotion.

6,000 fans travelled to Manchester (lcfc.com)

1812: Napoleon's Final Invasion

2011-01-18T12:20:00.000Z

For my third year of university, I've created a documentary animation about Napoleon's fatal attempt at invading Russia in 1812. It's based on Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, which I played recently on tour with Soar Valley Music Centre and fell in love with. I've used sketches from Naomi Allen (using original paintings and engravings of the event), had help with translations from Victor D'Allance and designed and animated it myself using Adobe Photoshop, After Effects and FInal Cut Pro.

Enjoy!

Wife or Football...Wife or Football...?

2011-01-17T17:17:00.000Z

The news that almost a quarter of men from Birmingham would choose their football team ahead of their partner came as a shock to me. Not quite as much as when I found that 28% of men from Leicester would make the same preference! I guess a lot of Leicester's men wish they were with someone more like Natasha.

Natasha on Take Me Out (thisisleicestershire.co.uk)

26-year-old Natasha Tyers recently won a date on ITV1's Take Me Out where it became apparent she was a big Leicester City fan. This statistic means that there are 60, 500 men choosing their team over their partner in Leicester; they obviously don't have a girl like Miss Tyers!

As for me, my football team, Leicester City, is very important to me. I don't think I could choose it over my wife-to-be. She has to come first in everything for our marriage to work and I'm prepared to do that. However, I am ever so blessed to have a partner who has taken on my Fox-hood full storm and who is currently looking forward to our trip to the Walkers on Saturday, our sixth match of the season. She can even name players at a glance. Awesome!

Bettor.com's quote that women should respect the football love and just not ask to do something at 3pm on a Saturday makes sense to me. Although, if you are lucky enough, like me, you can just take your wife along with you!

The Yak is Fed But The Points Are Dropped

2011-01-15T18:48:00.000Z

Today saw Leicester City debutant, Yakubu, open his account for hi new club. It also saw an old Foxes-favourite snatch a point at the very death to draw 1-1 with Preston. It was a second debut goal in two matches for new Leicester players but not quite enough to move up the table.

The team celebrate the Yak's opener. (lcfc.com)

Positives

- a debut goal for Yakubu can only be a good thing and a sign of things to come; he always looked dangerous and scared the Preston defence.

- Leicester played some great football and managed twenty shots on goal

- they are still unbeaten in 2011 in all competitions

Negatives

- of those twenty shots, fourteen were off target, including another missed one-on-one from Dyer

- Leicester really should be winning against the bottom club and should have been up by two or three by the time Hume scored in the 90th minute

- not taking chances when they arise is, again, Leicester's downfall as they are persistently punished by defensive mistakes

All in all, a very disappointing day for the Foxes as they drop a position to 13th. Yakubu's permanent deal may well depends on promotion at the end of the season; is that dream slowly creeping away?

Adam, We Hardly Knew Ye

2011-01-15T11:48:00.000Z

Over night, after a horribly quick decline, Adam my gerbil died. He was the first pet me and my fiancee Hannah had and it's a very sad time for all. This is to remember him.