brickwallviews

Saturday Brief

The lads went down 1-nil but thanks to the flying Dutchman they head back to north London with all 3 points. Van Persie leveled 11 minutes after Bent's tally for Charlton and then struck what AW simply dubbed "a goal of a lifetime"! Just a crushing strike into the top corner of the net. Not to be lost is the fact that it was another magical Eboue cross that set it up... brilliant!

Liverpool got beat up 2-nil at Bolton and Aston Villa drew Chelski at the Bridge. All in all a good day!

My Lightning FC kids got hammered again but we did score and the effort was much improved... progress.

Tragic plane crash in Brazilian jungle... not cool.

bwb out.

Friday Oh Friday

Yes it's Friday and a bit of a quiet news day thus far...

Sunday (Sat 11:30 pm CST - Speed TV) brings the Chinese Grand Prix with Alonso's lead reduced to 2 pts over Schuey! Go Go Fernando!

The Gunners visit Charlton Saturday in what will hopefully be a continuation of our recent good form. Word has it Gallas and Djourou are both healthy enough to play so that is a welcome development. A 2-nil or 3-1 victory should be on the menu. Jens has been stunning so a clean sheet is quite possible.
C'mon you Gunners! TV coverage limited to Setanta Sports (Dish Net?)... bollocks!

I have rescinded my request for a transfer to Colorado as school security there appears to be on par with that of your typical Baghad checkpoint... yikes! Safer in urban H-town than suburban CO... go figure!

Have a merry weekend.
bwb.

Arsene Anniversary / TO not dead

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger celebrates his 10th anniversary with the club today! The frenchman has quite simply transformed a fairly good but "boring, boring, Arsenal" side into an EPL powerhouse and one of the most feared and respected football clubs in Europe. As TH14 once mentioned, Wenger's biggest legacy with the club, even more important than all the trophies he's brought, is the respect and admiration felt for the club worldwide for their attractive / attacking brand of football. Many tributes over the next couple weeks including massive coverage on the Arsenal web page. Thanks skipper, here's hoping we celebrate a 20th year!

So, TO didn't try to kill himself... if there is a more pathetic egomaniacal spotlight magnet on the face of our dear planet, please don't inform me... what a weasel! Dallas could be burning to the ground and all the press types would be at Valley Ranch asking little Terrell about his latest hangnail! Here's an idea, how about catching a damned pass or something you lout! just... kill... me. please. Oh, and one more thing (only one, I promise), that "publicist" of his... I think we all feel much better knowing that she is in no way involved in educating our children!

However, if you happen to be looking for a couple guys to kick back with and throw down a few drug cocktails, TO and Anna Nicole Smith's son would apparently be hard to beat. Note: you may wanna grab a shovel on your way to pickup the Smith kid! sorry, that was clearly uncalled for.

Tunes from the aforementioned new Samiam platter can be streamed here and a more detailed review can be found here.

Houston's Menil Collection has a goodie on the way. Paul Klee and America will explore the German modernist icon's meteoric rise to art god status in the good 'ol USA... a status well deserved by the way. Go check it out if you find yourself wandering the streets of Houston. (Oct 6 - Jan 28)

Kate Atkinson, author of the dynamite novel Case Histories, has a new one! Get the scoop here.

G'day all, and remember, it's vicodin OR supplements... not AND.

bwb out.

Gunners win! 2 coming flicks!

Yes Yes, the lads played quite well and put home 2 goals at the Emirates against Porto last evening (afternoon in da' states). TH14 put an almost identical header in the net as the one he tallied last weekend vs Sheffield. The cross by Eboue was simply brilliant! Then, just after the break, Gallas drove in on the left, touched to Henry who flicked to Hleb who then smashed it home. Game essentially over at that point. Gallas had some sort of injury later and we shall cross our fingers on that! All in all a solid 3 points! Another outing wherein our midfield controlled the ball (for the most part) and dictated the action! Cheerio!

Oh, by the way... I was stifled in my attempt to view said match on my PC because the damned site is not compatible with Internet Explorer 7... geez, and I thought I was being all cutting edge and stuff downloading it the other day. So Beta really is a type of common pet fish (that apparently are known to kill their own) and a term for software that essentially doesn't REALLY work! Once again Microstalin takes their tried and true, 1 version forward, 2 versions back approach to software introduction! I bet it handles porn just fine! %@*#*%

Another round of CL matches today with Chelski, Barca and Liverpool all in action... I believe ESPN2 has the Chelsea visit to friggin' Bulgaria to humble Levski @ 1:30 CST... that should be a close one.

Two new films that have caught my eyes and ears of late are maestro Scorsese's The Departed and an adaption of PD James' novel The Children of Men. I am currently reading the James novel in anticipation of the film... beautifully written and it is building steam as it goes... based on the trailer the film will be a bit more dark and action oriented, but it looks delicious and damn touching frankly. Click the above links for info, trailers and the like.

As promised, House was genius last night... sure you wanna slap the man half the time... but like smack, it may be killing you, but what an interesting ride!

Long time Screeching Weasel  / Riverdales front-man Ben Weasel is putting together a new record and recently re-located to Madison Wisconsin... he chronicles both in his ever Weaselly way. enjoy.

A to-remain-unnamed major league baseball team here in my fine metropolis is actually putting together an unlikely / historic run... it would be colossal people... and said team shall not be spoken (or written) aloud for fear of karmatic reprisal! carry on fellas.

brickwallboy out.

Champions League / New Samiam

Well the Gunners host FC Porto tonight at the Grove! AW warns the Portuguese side is quite tough in the middle and will prove to be a hardened foe...Let's hope they cut back on the damned diving and dramatics since Mourinho scooted off to Chelski! We yanks can view the match via ESPN / UEFA joint video on demand action here. 3 points here after the victory at Hamburg would be quite comforting as knock-out qualification beckons... those not wanting to throw down $9.95 for the live stream can get live scoring updates on all the day's matches here. Or hey, join Arsenal TV via the official club site and get live audio and text commentary... C'mon you Gunners! (me thinks Baptista may tally).

Samiam has a new record! Yes, that's right, after a near 6 year gap seminal SF Bay Area power poppers / punkers have a new offering!!! It's called Whatever's Got You Down and the fellas at Hopeless Records have put the baby out! After "acquiring" it a couple weeks back I was first struck at by how "different" the mix is (sound wise that is)... a bit muddier than that of standard Samiam practice... much due to this, I wasn't sure how I felt about it the first few spins. Alas, somewhere around the fifth listen it dawned on me that they have either: A) tried something new and daring and failed miserably, or B) created a "heartbreaking work of staggering genius" (props Dave Egger's)... clearly the 8th exposure made it official... GENIUS! multiple gems of syrupy pop love layered with heavy guitar fuzz and sledgehammer drums!!!... and James' voice even flirts with gruff at times. neat. Great stuff, buy it you pod freaks and discover why hacks like Fall Out Boy even exist and see how this type of stuff is properly delivered!

Killer Bees are in fact real after all and are taking over Texas one hombre at a time! good luck.

Watched the pilot for NBC's Heroes last night... quite good actually, but I could easily see them wandering off into "same old tv land" in the future... time shall tell. House tonight, FOX at 7pm CST. TV's best show, easy... though I am pissed they moved it to 7pm from 8pm... do they think I can really feed the kids, bathe the kids, read to the kids and get them to bed in time to go couch-slouch with Dr. House?... c'mon now. Can I get an Amen for the cat that brought us the DVR! Amen!

Take care brothers and sisters. bwb

Monday Monday

Happy Monday and all that rubbish...

Things appear to be coming together for the Gunners after that miserable start... tomorrow evening sees Porto visit the Grove in Champions League action... more on that later. Seems our defeat in the CL final has motivated the lads to do one better this time out. Funny how getting your throat cut in the final minutes after working yer arse off will do that...

We can all relax a bit it seems... I guess the folks at Homeland Security have all the mouthwash and bottled tea they need for awhile as they are "loosening" the ban on liquid carry ons. Thank goodness, I was quite concerned an air Marshall might get overtaken by a band of crazed deodorant wielding anglo senior citizens! help us all!

Football, that type primarily played with ones hands, returns to New Orleans tonight! Now don't get me wrong here, I'm a true believer in the power of sport as a vehicle for a sense of pride and joy in ones community... I just rather not be the one to explain the $115 million Superdome rehab to the elderly woman that still has a FEMA trailer and the corner gas station in her front yard.

Lack of perspective... may just be why we are the world's, and our own, worst enemy...

Lighten up Francis... or Cormac. Award winning author Cormac McCarthy's (All the Pretty Horses, No Country for Old Men) new novel The Road is on the way! In a departure from his usual take on tales of the semi-old west, etc... this one follows a Father and Son on a post-apocalyptic trek. Probably bleak, depressing and damn genius!

My dear wife informed me that somebody has had the incredible epiphany to not be satisfied with a mere exhibit of art (sic) featuring all things canine, but an entire museum space dedicated to such. Has no one shot William Wegman yet? Did I mention the whole lack of perspective thing?...

G'day!

3 Pts at Emirates

Despite Sheffield U playing just about everyone but the manager in the back, the Gunners finally broke through with some Arsenal football in the second. Henry got back to being Henry, driving in deep on the left and creating havoc... leading first to a smash into the net from Gallas and shortly thereafter an own goal by a hapless defender just outside the goal face! Beautiful stuff... TH14 was then rewarded a bit later for his efforts with a picture perfect cross that he headed past the keeper. Brilliant!

Arsenal 3 - 0 Sheffield Utd

Rosicky, Freddie, Gallas and our Ivory Coast pair were excellent! Wenger was proud of the lads' work-rate!

Bad tummy has me caring little about the world today... though word has it Hezbollah's top man thinks Chavez is dead on with the Bush = Devil vibe... this from the fellow who has a great desire to erase all Jews... at least he's credible right? geez... maybe we could invade Lebanon and install Mel Gibson as puppet dictator... oh wait, same thing...

Think I'll retire to the couch for some HGTV action...

Adios, brickwallboy!

Another blah blah blog...

I'm afraid it's true... I will now join the ranks of those with too much on their minds and the audacity to actually suppose someone out there might just want to hear about their passions, petty gripes, etc...

I will heretofore be blahging you to death for better or worse on matters regarding football (the soccer sort mostly), literary tidbits, art stuff, fatherhood and various pop (poop) culture ramblings... it will only hurt just a wee bit. promise.

OK then, more focused drivel... hello's out of the way and all. A couple of quick items then off to get a bite.

Thierry Henry is fit and ready to wallop the lads from Sheffield United on Saturday. He has also got a new Pollock vibe going on!

Completely sane and rational Venezuelan President Victor Hugo, I mean Hugo Chavez has called our dear President THE devil... I mean George Jr may not be saint material, but the actual devil himself? Hugo has also made cult icon / leftist super hero Noam Chomsky into a full fledged rock star!

OK OK... lunch then... come back early and often brothers and sisters... this animal will get much much longer and much much worse with every passing day. really.

Oh... Michael Jackson is apparently quite broke. bummer.

out.