I was almost tempted to let Kevin Keegans re-appointment as manager of Newcastle pass without comment.
After Mourinho's departure, the Premiership (and the media) desperately needs some more characters and soundbites.
However, I just read that since his departure from Manchester City, Keegan has been running a football circus. YCNMIU.
The ideal preparation for his latest role. And just for old times sake, take a second to remember this classic (in full).
Let the mind games begin.
Howard
When Tim Hall tagged me, my initial, instinctive gut reaction was: God- what an infantile, puerile idea. There's no way I am going to participate in that 'meme'. The concept wasn't new to me as I'd already seen Scoble and those Web 2.0 PR types participate in similar mindless activities which I just chose to ignore.
However, my reasons for objecting were slightly different from yours. Normally, I despise being told what to so and what to blog about. Similarly, whenever my various employers announced a 'Dress down Friday' which was gleefully received by my colleagues, I would purposefully don a suit and tie. After all, a uniform on a Friday is still a uniform.
Secondly, the very thought of having to identify eight further victims to be tagged also filled me with dread. Not because I worried about OraNA being swamped with an exponential explosion and prolonged burst of non-technical content but, because, I feared the unlucky recipients may possibly share my feelings.
Of course, they could all maintain a dignified silence and simply ignore my pleas to join the party but what if they also hated this Web 2.0 'meme' but were too shy, polite and retiring to tell me what they really thought. I know a handful of 'bloggers' but have only met two in the flesh and (thankfully) slept with neither.
While I did discover some new blogs of interest, not necessarily because of the '8 things', I must admit that I quickly tired of hearing about people's job history, favourite cars, mental and physical disorders (mild or otherwise), alternative careers, wild death defying adventures and the fact they once killed a man with their bare hands in the Burmese jungle.
So why, I hear you ask, did I capitulate, run towards the cliff and conjure up a disposable blog entry titled '8 things' ? Well, the truth is I thought it was a cheap post, I was short on inspiration and there was some elements I wanted to write about which don't merit a full blog post but were better suited to a short bullet point.
I followed your analysis, comments and thoughts with interest (for the first couple of days at least). I continued to read your blog, I tracked your posts on c.d.o.s, I monitored your comments on other blogs. When I saw your detailed analysis, use of analogies and various lengthy responses and compared with it my paltry, throwaway one-liners, I felt like a troll.
I occasionally commented myself and you normally responded. Not, I suspect to get the last word but you genuinely care. A lot. I admired your passion and felt somehow inadequate that I had spontaneously chosen to respond to what some Oracle bloggers (unwisely IMHO) had termed a 'chain letter', 'spam' or a 'game'.
I am genuinely sorry that you have decided to shut down your site as (as I have stated before) your blog, forums and articles represent an invaluable set of technical resources for anyone working with Oracle.
I am sorry if my trite comment on your blog that I 'hadn't signed up to your terms and conditions when I started my blog' irritated you and may have, in some small way, contributed towards your decision.
However, just as it is your prerogative to close your site down, I have the same right to post about my travel nightmares, '47 things', my thoughts on Newcastle's new manager or Scoble's laugh.
Particularly, as my blog is not (currently) aggregated by OraNA and hence will not contaminate or interrupt the stream of consciousness.
Mind you, never say never.
Andy
Forgive me Father for I have sinned. It is 25 years, 3 months and 47 days since my last confession.
According to Feedburner, Tim Halls Oracle blog aggregator has 723 avid readers.
One of those readers summoned up the courage to send me an email complaining about my continuous off-topic posts. Apparently, the straw that broke this particular camel's back was my participation in the evil '8 things' Oracle TagFest.
Forget the fact, my blog is not currently aggregated by OraNA which is purely a temporary oversight by Eddie and will be rectifed imminently (once my cheque for $250 clears).
Forget the fact, I didn't tag 8 other unfortunates to propagate the Black Death. That was only because I have no mates and am very lazy.
I can only apologise. I owe you, Roger Howard, an apology. I never meant my inane posts to push technical content off the front page within 27.8 seconds.
I never envisaged that this blogging meme might possibly 'inconvenience' you. May the Lord have mercy on my soul. "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Oh, hang on, I nearly forgot your penance. 67 'Hail Marys' and 43 'Our Fathers'".
Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson. Growing up in the States in the 1950s. This opening (recursive) quote sets the tone beautifully
The State Senate of Illinois yesterday disbanded its Committee on Efficiency and Economy 'for reasons of efficiency and economy' - Des Moines Tribune, 6 February 1955
Watching: This is England. Growing up in England in the 1980's. A superb film.
REM - Country Feedback
Crazy, all the lovers have been tagged.
Yesterday, Norma collided with another car in a SW London rat-run.
The lady took Normas details. I mourned taking out a high excess (£250). We were both thankful no-one was hurt, then I flew to Newcastle and forgot all about it.
This evening, I spent 45 minutes on the phone discussing the fact that nothing had happened
Nothing else was discussed. Why did this call take 45 minutes ?
Tagged by Tim Hall.
After thoroughly enjoying watching Arsenal defeat Sunderland at the Emirates, I resolved to get off my barstool and try to get to see more live football in 2008.
Consequently, I have just purchased two tickets (South Level 5) for England versus Switzerland in a friendly on Wednesday 6 February.
Of course, I already know what the outcome will be but I am keen to visit the new Wembley Stadium and show Norman Junior what real England supporters are like.
Whatever next - a United away perhaps.
Not many things make me laugh out loud. Especially about Oracle.
With enough preparation, a Siebel installation (Next-Next-Next) could use a similar technique which is something I would dearly love to accomplish.