Having one company take care of all of your cars needs is a great idea. Not only will all of your car repairs happen in one place, but your auto repair shop will also have an accurate record of all maintenance and repairs that your car has received. Looking for a car company can be a little intimidating, especially if you are not too familiar with your car’s care needs.
Continue reading ‘What Are The Benefits Of Having An Auto Repair Service?’
Shopping online for tools and hardware is proving to be the most convenient way of finding best bargains without leaving home. Nowadays many online tools and hardware store have come up due to consistent demand for hardware equipment and services. These tools and hardware stores provide tools and other hardware products for homes, offices, commercial areas, industrial areas, and recreational areas.
If you consider picking up your wife’s, or your girlfriend’s, shopping bags all the way home after a spending a day packed with nothing but shopping nothing less than a, in the simplest of terms, pain, then online shopping is the perfect alternative. It is the easiest and most efficient, not to forget least tiresome, option that men have to counter being a shopping basket while their ladies spend time in bargaining and choosing.
by Alex Dimond
MJ — All part of the masterplan?
Another Six Nations encounter, another batch of yellow cards, another defeat for England. The defeat to Ireland at Croke Park may not have been entirely unexpected — indeed, the 14-13 was both a flattering and misrepresentative scoreline — but England’s failure to really perform for much of the match will still be a source of great disappointment.
The real annoyance for many fans is that the team does appear to have some genuine quality in the squad, quality that should be capable of challenging for the Six Nations trophy. The likes of Delon Armitage, Joe Worsley, Lewis Moody, Phil Vickery and Andy Sheridan — to mention a few — will likely be expecting a place in the British Lions squad when it forms later this year. For England, however, these players are simply not reaching their peak.
Continue reading ‘Is Martin Johnson Suffering From ‘Tony Adams Syndrome’?’
The naughty table
Following the cringe-worthy show trial of the former bankers I am left increasingly annoyed at the actual outcome. Each banker treated like a pantomime villain. I half expected cries of “he’s behind you” emanating from Gordon Brown. In turn each former banker was ridiculed and made to say sorry like a naughty schoolboy. The Government unleashed a startling barrage of questions and criticisms over the complete failure of the banking system. Some deserved and many simply venting the anger shared by the British tax payer.
The banks are accused of heavily over-investing in hazardous institutions with flagrant disregard of the long term. Pumping so much money into such a toxic investment, as it is now been deemed in hindsight, has led to this systematic failure. Now we, as the tax payer are drawn even further into this situation as the Government has too invested, through spiralling borrowing, countless billions of pounds into a failing and toxic system.
Whether the bail out of the banks will be deemed as a systematic failure or resounding success will only be discovered through the magic of hindsight. If it does fail, as I am cynically afraid of, the question remains; will we see Gordon Brown and his peers sitting at a desk answering questions over blame and culpability?
This is an official extract from the committee meeting held on 10th February 2009 which unedited could easily apply to the future…
Deputy Chairman of the Committee George Mudie MP/ or possibly in the future David Cameron PM: “You are all in denial aren’t you?”
Former HBOS Chairman Lord Stevenson/ Former PM Gordon Brown: “We are not in denial. We didn’t spot scenarios coming up that have come up. Stress testing didn’t stress test adequately.”
Former HBOS Chief Executive Andy Hornby/ Former Chancellor Alistair Darling: “I don’t feel I am particularly personally culpable”.
John McFall MP/ Kenneth Clarke MP: “Then, are you expressing sympathy because your PR advisers advise you to do so?”
John Mann MP/ George Osborne MP: “You don’t like criticism do you? You don’t like it when people bring you the bad news do you? You lived for the good times but didn’t want any criticism.”
Former RBS Chief Executive Sir Fred Goodwin/ Peter Mandelson former MP: “I cannot live in denial of the facts. But I don’t accept your characterisation. I believe I have led the bank in a responsible fashion. I don’t have a track record of ignoring problems.”
PS I promise to write something much more jovial and in keeping next time
“Its just not fair. He’s got 8 inches and I’ve only got 4!” Its a call that has been going up and down the land the past week as people all over facebook have been confirming what they have got. But for many its a subject for despair. Its divinding the confident from the week and its even tearing couples a part “My wife said she would have stayed in bed with me if it was two or three inches more. But she says she’s going to work instead” one man said.
Snow envy has proved a huge issue right across the UK. All the main medai outlets have been running pictures and stories from people gloating and what they’ve go and how tough it is to deal with it, while others have been saying how much fun they’ve had with theirs: ” We’ve had a great laugh and the kids have been playing with it non-stop” .
Yet for some trudging their way to work, its simply an inconvenience “I’ve barely got anything at all” one man said “I’d rather not think about it”.
Those who have been off work with their snow seem to have employed their time purely in making others feel worse by building snow men and other huge structures. A family man told me “we’ve erected a huge one and now we’ve stuck my carrot in it”. For tothers who can barely gather a small pile together, times will remain misearable until warm weather comes -“Then we’ll see how big they all are” a grumpy ginger man said
by Alex Dimond
Tom Shanklin was the first to break Scotland's defences
Wales kicked off the defence of their Six Nations crown with a solid 26-13 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield.
For 65 minutes it was an impressive and professional performance from a Welsh side that many have tipped to complete a historic second consecutive Six Nations Grand Slam. They sucked in the Scottish defence and spread the ball out wide at will, creating problems for the opposition defenders that they struggled to deal with.
In the last 15 minutes, however, Scotland offered glimpses to suggest to the vocal home fans that they could go on to make an impact in the reminder of the tournament.
“It was potentially a huge banana skin for us today, so we are just glad to get off the mark with a win,” said Welsh captain Martyn Williams, who was standing in for the injured Ryan Jones. “Scotland are never going to lie down and let you walk all over them. The good thing is there a lot of things for us to work on, and a lot of things to improve.”
Continue reading ‘Wales Start Six Nations Defence With Solid Win Over Scotland’
When my best friend said to me, “Do you fancy seeing TNA?” I thought he was suggesting taking our long standing friendship to the next naked level. However after explaining that it was a newly founded wrestling entertainment company I soon lost my initial fears and replaced them with excitement. It brought back fond childhood memories of wrestling superstars like Hulk Hogan and Jake the Snake. I am even cool enough to admit that I watched it in my late teens and early twenties. I could smell what The Rock was cooking and was hoping Wembley Arena would serve some up for me too.
As we reached our seats, with comical foam finger in hand, I realised that there were definitely more adults than children. This combined with the licensed bar helped to ease the embarrassment factor and increased my confidence to shout and scream. The arena was visually stunning as the lights poured down upon the signature hexagonal ring. The action exploded as the bell sounded and I was truly in awe at the athleticism and acrobatics of both male and female professionals. Elbow drops, chops to the chops and ridiculous flips ensued. People were hit with chairs, ladders and even a mop handle. It got better as one unlucky gent got literally slammed through a table to the adoration of the crowd.
The main event did not disappoint either. The famous Kurt Angle, former Olympic Champion and WWE superstar lined up against TNA founder Jeff Jarrett. The reaction of the crowd was unbelievable and action was top class. In what other sporting event can a match be decided by hitting someone around the head with a guitar?
TNA is shown on BRAVO at 9pm on Saturdays
The Bears Are Coming
The city’s contribution to the national music scene has been well documented and celebrated in the past, but herein lies the fundamental problem. Manchester has never been able to shake off the lad-rock indie label so brilliantly bestowed upon it by the Stone Roses and Oasis. Following a sprinkling of commercial breakthrough last year, notably from the Ting Tings and The Courteeners, 2009 could see the Manchester music offering blossom in a spectrum of varying guises and styles, finally relegating the ‘Madchester’ scene, alongside, hopefully, those soulless billionaires, Manchester City. But that’s another argument for another day…
The resurrection will be a five-pronged attack. These five bands will smash through your radio and gallop to the top of the league, alongside, hopefully, those illuminating romantics, Manchester United. But that too, is another argument…
These five bands, hand-picked by, well, me, are… Ten Bears, The Travelling Band, It’s a Buffalo, Twisted Wheel and Kid British. Mad for it!
Ten Bears are a ragged, sharp rabble of rustic brilliance. Heavily influenced by Young and Dylan, the Bears have successfully twisted in catchy, pacey tunes with clever, scratchy lyrics. Formerly The Deadbeats, and former winners of the Glastonbury Unsigned Act competition, Ten Bears have added the racier songs of the deadbeat days, such as the fabulous ‘Hotel’ and ‘Sex Music’, to their new furry armour that carries a clutch of electric, joyful, poppy teasers. New song ‘Dirt On The Radio’ gained its first serious airplay on Radio One last week and should kick-start the march of the Bears. Personal favourites include ‘To The Moon’, ‘Braces’ and ‘Zeus’, while ‘Charlie’ holds particular resonance for us boys here at The Equivalent. Remember, Keep It Simple, Stupid. And remember, Ten Bears are awesome. GRRRRRR…
Friends to the Bears, The Travelling Band offer a somewhat more relaxing take on Manchester Americana. Slow and unhurried, The Travelling Bands songs twitter along, and leave you feeling pretty darn… well, for want of a better word, nice. Debut album, ‘Under the Pavement’ has already been released, cementing The Travelling Band’s place as one of the favourite acts on Market Street. The rain may always pour in Manchester, but for those glorious few days of sunshine we’re hopeful for in the summer of 2009, cider drinking in Platt Fields Park will surely be accompanied by the easy jigs of the sublime Travelling Band, flowing, stream-like, from the radio.
Slightly quicker, yet equally as lovely, are the tales supplied by It’s A Buffalo. Hot from a stampeding support slot with The Courteeners, and with a release date of March ’09 for debut album, ‘Don’t Be Scared’, pencilled in, 2009 should witness the steady rise of the rough, yet pleasant, Buffalo boys. ‘Somewhere In Range’ and ‘Divorce Song’ are particularly gorgeous, and the appeal of seemingly ordinary, laid-back Manc fellas could guarantee It’s a Buffalo a comfortable space in the corner of the national conscience.
Much has already been written about fiery scamps, Twisted Wheel, but they’re just too bloody ferocious to be left out here. After being hand-picked by Noel Gallagher to support Oasis for their Wembley Arena gigs last year, they also perhaps hold the greatest chance for mainstream success in 2009. Rowdy and raucous live, tight and urgent on record, Twisted Wheel could whip the Manchester lad-rock tag into a rusty frenzy. They’re sharper than Oasis, more forceful than The Courteeners. Don’t dare take your eyes off the charts this year, Twisted Wheel are gonna smash it up!
Genre-slicing rapscallions Kid British are Manchester’s most intriguing melting-pot. Mixing dub, indie, ska and rap, Kid British are a rasping collective sure to divide, but certain to sky-rocket. Instantly brilliant, ‘Elizabeth’, is a personal recommendation, whilst ‘Lost In London’ could quite easily have been my running life story for the last few months. Comparable maybe to the style infusings of Jamie T, and equally as ace, Kid British look destined to kick on to a similar degree of success and acknowledgement. If they don’t, then they should, for the Kid’s got talent.
So, there you have it. Music isn’t dead. In fact, under the slate-grey Mancunion sky, it is about to be re-born. Manchester, it seems, is gonna command the music scene in 2009 as Man U are gonna dominate the Premier League. But that’s another article entirely… D’ya know what I mean?
Tardis-jumping Time Lord David Tennant hobbled triumphantly back into the limelight on 3rd January, returning as the Dane for the final run of a high-profile RSC production in Stratford-upon-Avon after several frustrating weeks on the sidelines following codpiece reallignment.
Emerging from behind those famous velvet curtains early in the first act, Tennant startled awake an audience of otherwise uninterested Trekkies who had been waiting patiently for Patrick Stewart (playing Captain Picard) to sign their endless mounds of Claudius memorabilia. With talented understudy Edward Bennett due to step up in his stead, Dr Who’s timely reappearance proved a welcome relief to the many feckless grazers baying for celebrity. As the Scot finally whipped out his Hamlet with all the tigerish tenacity of a young Olivier, the crowd went mild.
By all accounts, Tennant brought a puckish sense of adequacy to the melancholy prince, a certain indefinable, other-worldly competence not seen since Kenneth Branagh stepped into those most tragic of tights in 1996. Indeed, many legendary thespians have undertaken this great role (although it is more typically the provender of heterosexual males) and Tennant may one day be among them. The scene is which he is confronted by the ghost of his slain father is grandly long and just the wrong side of excellent. Stewart meanwhile is, as ever, reliably bald and loud. This experienced ham is clearly enjoying himself exploring the rich personal resonances to be found within his character, a murderous egomaniac. But for a wet Ophelia and the want of a happy ending, this Hamlet was certainly one to remember.
Or presumably would have been, had I actually seen it. Apparently the Equivalent’s budget wouldn’t stretch to a ticket. They wouldn’t even spring for a cheap seat to watch Mr Bean’s panto Fagin in the latest tawdry West End bastardisation of Dickens. Tight-fisted vulgarians. I’m supposed to be the bloody drama critic, for the love of Sir John Gielgud! Oh! How those callous beasts know nothing of the agony and the ecstasy! (Faints)
A Greenwich man has been cast out of his family home after not appreciating The Dark Knight enough. The incident happened over Christmas but is only now being reported.
Brian Greene, 31, says his family have “totally gone ape” over his failure to recognise 2008’s tour de force as the greatest movie of all time.
Heath Ledger: literally the world's greatest actor ever. Fact.
“I can’t understand it,” Greene said. “After Christmas dinner we usually watch a film and my cousin Milo wanted to show off his new Blu-ray player. It’s like DVD but clearer, or something.
“Anyway, my other cousin was given The Dark Knight so we stuck it on.
“But after the best part of three hours of turgid moralising and overdone set pieces I was pretty glad to see the back of it. And that was when the trouble started.
“I flicked on the light and said something like, “Wow, even Aunt June’s turkey wasn’t that dry. And why does Christian Bale have to sound like he’s gargling hammers?””
Unfortunately for Greene, his family had fallen under the spell of the innate genius of Christopher Nolan’s screenplay and Heath Ledger’s deservedly award-winning turn as The Joker. Understandably, they did not take kindly to the clearly unwarranted criticism.
“They just flipped. You want to know how I got these scars? My uncle just stared, then smashed his sherry on the table and rushed me. I fell back on my brother’s Star Wars Lego and that’s when my Gran’s pug Buster went for my face.”
Greene contrived to escape when, cowering under a table still heaving under the remnants of turkey and trimmings, his hand fell on the very pack of mini-screwdrivers he had earlier won in a cracker.
“For some reason they loved it when I threatened them. My aunt screamed I should jam it in her eye “like Heath did”. They kept coming at me. I found myself shouting “come on, I want you to do it, I want you to do it. Come on, hit me. Hit me!”
“That’s when I got the Hell out of there – I knew they wouldn’t go down without a fight, but this was different. They crossed the line”
Greene dashed to the park in a hail of pigs in blankets, but his future looks bleak.
“I’m still finding parsnips in my hair. I thought I was dead. Well, at least half. There’s no way back for me now, not unless I agree to love the film.
“I haven’t anywhere to go – I’m an outcast. Everyone’s creaming themselves over The Dark Knight. When I’m bored I usually head to the IMAX but that piece of crap is on four times a day”
Greene’s case is not an isolated incident. Many other Britons seem to have been affected by the undeniable brilliance of 2008’s highest grossing movie.
In November, a Tolworth man threatened to “blow” the Isle of Wight ferry, bellowing, “They’re talking over the same exact thing in the other boat. They’re murderers…they’ll blow us sky-high in a second”
The Dark Knight is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray. The producers have released as statement saying “anyone who chooses not to buy The Dark Knight in ALL formats is clearly homosexual”.
Cheerfully concocted by Will Nichols
by Jon Bye
A new year, a new age, a new president far away…and the same old here in blighty. Exciting developments in music come thick and fast (who would have thought touring would become more profitable than selling albums). But when it comes to new artists, if you ain’t known already you can already forget the mega fame for 2009.
This comes thick on the heels of two pieces – one article in NME(the fallen bastion of new music) and a podcast from the Guardian (the music guide for the misguided). I must note that many other people have done it, but these two publications are the most likely to be picked up. Both backed their artists to make it, most quite obvious (if Little Boots doesn’t have a good year then none of us will) but the odd obscurity (the rise north-western dub anyone?!?)
Nothing unusual in these predictions in themselves. But arguably music is in such a fragile way right now that maybe this is not the best way forward. Its almost irresponsible. If its clear who the media pages and magazines are going to be talking about for the next year (and some key writers are already fixated on their new favourite band and deperate to tell us about it), why bother doing anything then put them on advanced order and go back to bed in a credit-crunching, fuel-rising, Woolies-closing state of apathy? Because whether we want to or not, we will be hearing about these bands for the next 6 months until they finally deliver their disappointing first album, at which point we’ll fall back on the tried and tested artists’ unoriginal new album and claim its gold.
In thi economic state as well, there is little hope for breaking this pattern either. One only needs to watch the glorified pop-youth talent show , T4’s Unsigned Act, to see that the men (or women…but most likely men) with the money are still the dinosaurs from the 90’s who were playing it incredibly safe and signing up only the artists who had the biggest buzz and the least controversy even before the credit crunch hit.
Now, I can gauge it will be even worse. Tips list of obvious bands become bibles to the casual investor, myspace becomes their billboard and the weekly music press become their whoring ground. This great bright future of music!
Continue reading ‘New Music in 2009 already written off – go back to bed’
by Alex Dimond
Big Sam — dishonest?
On Saturday Sam Allardyce enjoyed the perfect start to his Blackburn managerial career, enjoying a 3-0 win over fellow strugglers Stoke City.
For many, the result itself was the story of the weekend — marking as it did the return to form of a side that had begun to look dead and buried under Paul Ince.
For others, however, it was Allardyce’s post-match actions that were the most intriguing. Ever since a 2006 Panorama documentary — one that suggested “Big Sam” and his son, Craig, had accepted bungs as part of transfer dealings while at Bolton Wanderers — Allardyce had resolutely refused to talk to the BBC.
On Saturday, however, Allardyce was more than happy to speak to the BBC’s John Murray at great length after his side’s “near perfect” win.
Continue reading ‘Sam Allardyce Reveals Unsavoury Side After Blackburn Debut’
It was Dr. Pepper that did it. Promising a free can to everyone in America seems to have embarrassed Axl Rose in a way that the multi-million dollar ‘hurry-up’ payments and tales of chicken coops in the recording studio did not. And with a cheery “what’s the worst that could happen?” Chinese Democracy was released in November, a mere 15 years after Guns N’ Roses’ previous effort.
And 2008 seemed to be the year of the comeback for aging rockers, with new material from The Verve, Paul Weller and Oasis, along with news that Britpop rivals Blur are to reform. In pop, Britney and Boyzone returned, with varying degrees of success, while Snap’s Rhythm is a Dancer blasted its way back into the charts, presumably on the back of Brains from Thunderbirds pulling shapes around bottled water.
Katy Perry has kissed more girls than The Equivalent this year
But most of all, 2008 was a great year for quality, well-written pop, with new-comers Katy Parry and Alphabeat laying down the challenge to established acts. So much so that picking 10 songs of the year out of songs that have made the top 40 takes a huge amount of whittling down. This is why I can’t bring myself to agree with Phil Seaman that the late 2000s have been devoid of pop classics.
Continue reading ‘Reports of Pop’s death have been greatly exaggerated’
The Equivalent 