Syd Barrett

is dead I hear. Nobody is saying how he died, other than having diabetes (the epidemic of the old). I've been watching videos of him taking acid. And a home film slowed down and cut to solo music of his. I'll link to that as his music's gentle melancholy suits my mood better.
you and i, and domino. days go by.

More wrongness

The wrongest thing I predicted about this world cup was that France wouldn't get out of their group. When they did I didn't figure them for beating Spain - but I didn't figure Spain for being set up so STOOOPIDly. I had very few doubts about them giving Brazil a proper hiding however: Brazil were badly shown up and France got to play exhibition football. The closest Ronaldo got to a goal was a hilarious swan dive towards the end: way to go Ro! The camera shook as you hit the ground. As it happens I didn't think Spain could have exposed Brazil, and certainly not the way they were set up against France. Porugal have left two of the last three tournaments with fistfights and long bans. Considering their jammy diving, hacking, ill-tempered, dour progress so far and the fact that France is a grudge match after Euro 2000 I expect more of the same here. Really think Scolari is the man to take English football on a level to winning professionalism? Yeah right.

At least I was right about Germany doing well. Once they get out of the group you begin to feel they are very hard to beat (and an easy group didn't hurt), so predicting a penalties win against Argentina isn't too unusual. I suspect most people expect a France Germany final with Germany winning. Maybe I'm wrong (I don't have a vestige of anti-German sentiment in my body) but I think most people won't dislike that as much as they have in the past. The Germans have run a fun tournament with good football and played like ambassadors for the sport. Frings and Ballack have been excellent. Klose has been inspired and looks like he could unlock the toughest of defences. The toughest defences? They're Italy and France right?