The Battle of Dublin...?

So, there I was at work looking at my laptop, wishing it was time to go home. Need.to.focus.on.work.


It was then I noticed that an email from a mate of mine was in my inbox. Hmmm...probably nothing other than the usual mindless online banter (that I thoroughly enjoy by the way) but, something caught my eye immediately.

blah blah blah...RATM...blah blah blah

Rage Against the Machine? Rage Against the f***ing Machine?

  

F.F.S. That's so f***ing typical. I wait most of my adult life to see them play live and then, all of a sudden they pop up in Dublin without me noticing. Tickets were probably gone at this stage especially since their Xmas chart-topping exploits over in the UK.

Note to self: Need to subscribe to Ticketmaster.


After some online cursing via email to everyone on the email thread, another email popped up, this time addressed solely to me.


I've got a spare one, you interested?


OH YES! Came the answer. Thanks man. I can't thank you enough.

OK, so the tickets aren't actually perfect. They're actually in the seated area of the O2, not right in front of the stage. The type of seats mak ciks get when they go to watch Westlife, Michael Buble, Siti Nurhaliza or Zaiton Sameon because they can't bear to stand for 4-5 hours. Mak cik or no mak cik. I'll take them anyway.


There was no way I was going to miss this one. Now, here's hoping my wife hasn't thrown away my fifteen year-old Rage t-shirt...

Football money league

So, the latest figures have been released and unlike the actual Premiership league table, the one below has been finalised at least, until another season.

The information was extracted from a European-wide study of football clubs' finance. As much as football fans try to avoid associating off-field wealth with on-field footballing achievements, the table below (based on annual revenues) doesn't seem too far off the Premiership's league standings over the past 4 or 5 years.

That's just the reality of football these days. Money actually does buy sucess. OK, Newcastle are in the mix but the club's recent bad fortunes are not down to money but more down to severe mismanagement of the club.


The good news is Liverpool have gone up a ranking in the European Top 20 standings thanks to a 167% uplift in sponsorship revenue. Although this says a lot about Christian Purslow's efforts to date, it also reflects on the inadequacy of the old Parry regime that never did realise Liverpool's full potential as the global brand that it is.


Now, hopefully the funds for the new stadium would come along so that we can up the game to next level. As of the previous report, Manchester United makes approximately €80m more than Liverpool on matchday takings alone. That's just matchdays. Imagine what we could do with €80m more...?

By the way, here's the official European Top 20 (revenue figures quoted are in millions):

The Green Vespa at work

I work in place that has close to 1,000 employees. It's a great place to work (I'm not saying this just because I think my boss would be reading this, it really is) and there are some perks, both tangible and intangible. To focus on a tangible perk, I get my own parking spot. Even the big boss here doesn't get his own designated spot and has to rough it out with the other minions...

OK, I admit, it's really not mine but since, out of the 1,000 people or so, I'm the only that comes into work on a scooter (what they REALLY meant when they painted Motorcycles on the tarmac), I consider the parking spot MINE. As the famous Vespa sign goes: Vespa Parking Only-All other vehicles will be crushed!

So, to re-balance this awful imbalance in benefits to me, the office has introduced some counter-measures. More recently I have been joined in MY parking spot by this annoying blue Honda learner-legal type bike. I don't have a thing against bikers but this one in particular annoys the s**t out of me. The guy seriously thinks he's Valentino Rossi or something...

Also, not content with providing me with an annoying co-worker biker play buddy, they also added some additional facilities to MY parking spot. I now get 2 or 3 industrial-size bins close by, providing me with fragrant smells as I make my way into work.Nice touch.

PS: Good week for the Redmen. Got Unirea out of the way plus a good 3 points at home against one of Fergie's minions.