meandering and the evils of football

[smokingboot]

So it snowed and didn't stay, and the night was grim without beauty. But we were warm, if too tired to be of any use other than to point and laugh at Van Helsing - good wolfman mind you - the effect reminded me of a quote from the Duchess of Malfi:

I'll tell you.
In those that are possess'd with't there o'erflows
Such melancholy humour, they imagine
Themselves to be transformed into wolves;
Steal forth to churchyards in the dead of night,
And dig dead bodies up: as two nights since
One met the Duke 'bout midnight in a lane
Behind St. Mark's Church, with the leg of a man
Upon his shoulder, and he howl'd fearfully;
Said he was a wolf, only the difference
Was, a wolf's skin was hairy on the outside,
His on the inside...

- Act V, Scene ii.


I love and hate that play, the language is so rich. It is, however, the source of a quote I can never read without laughing:

'Rhubarb! Oh for Rhubarb to purge this choler!'

Still, if Jane Austen can get away with men ejaculating in ladies' ears, I suppose we must allow Webster some leeway. This is an age of puerile humour, round here at least. I love it.

Anyway, back to Van Helsing. No, let's not bother. Today could be considered a bit of a downer because we were meant to go clubbing in Brum tonight, but the kitties are deemed too small to be alone for two nights and a day. Also *sigh* I am tired, much less so than yesterday but still...

It would have been nice to go out with chums tonight, but I must be honest with myself: I would just end up exhausted in a corner, worried about kittens, embarrassed about my arm. Ridiculous. I need to knock this on the head before I get too self conscious about scars and whatever. Clubbing must happen soon.

And other stuff? Re the hunting ban, I read Caddyman's journal with interest. I look forward to seeing what will happen next. Football has been in the news a lot recently, and because I detect a bias in my attitude, I'll use the cut so no-one else has to read this:



First of all, if Wayne Rooney's too young to keep his temper, he's too young to be paid huge amounts to walk out in front of millions of kids and demonstrate that acting like a w*nker is all right if you can kick a ball. Stick him in a rugby scrum and beat the rubbish out of him. Or send him back to school

Racism among the Spanish fans? This so disappoints me, more so than among English fans, and I don't know why that is; I guess I am used to it among the English, and also, here it seems to have calmed down. My mother's countrymen have always been so laid back. There is the history of the moors of course, but that's not what's going on here; perhaps it has something to do with the influx of illegal immigrants from North Africa. Not that it makes it any less disgusting. Matches behind closed doors are the answer to this repulsive behaviour IMHO. Act like a turd and don't get to see your team play.

Maybe football just attracts and inflames the worst elements of society, traditionally among the impoverished and uneducated, those who need their 'tribe' to win because they have bugger all else - and so no, it's not a game. Not like Rugby is a game.

What a specious judgement! I don't even know the history of football in Europe. Maybe I just have to face the fact that I don't like 'The beautiful game.' But if I can write and think like this, it is clear to me that I am on the mend. And tomorrow will be better.