Last night I was ‘forced’ (Mothership usage of term, meaning doing it quite voluntarily) to watch a Peter Green tribute show led by Mick Fleetwood.
There is a star-studded cast of musicians, mostly playing very well, but they insist on playing twelve-bar blues, which must be the most rigid and repetitive form of music in existence, except for the even more terrible ones.
It’s like watching endless pick-and-goes, only there might be a chance of something exciting and different happening as a result of those pick-and-goes. A try might be created, or a horrible mistake might occur that leads to an end-to-end score by the opposition.
No chance of anything like that with twelve-bar blues, even as played by expert musicians. It is going to have exactly the same key and rhythm, the same clichéd lyrical and musical tropes, everything completely predictable and boring. The musical ball gets recycled, stuffed up the jumper, and goes again. And again. And again.
It’s also like watching scrums being reset for what feels like hours, but is probably only about three or four minutes. And the same thing happens in every scrum, but the referee just calls for a reset again. And again. And again. A dystopian nightmare.
But rejoice! There is some rugby available to watch in the near future, and hopefully it will be much more exciting than that.
Onna telly in the next week or so
Showing matches that are televised in the UK and Ireland or on popular subscription services. Bold indicates that it’s on a free to view channel. Times are in the UK zone, so adjust as necessary.
Friday 6th September
| Tonga v Fiji | 04:00 | TNT Sports 1 |
| Japan v USA | 11:05 | TNT Sports 1 |
| Scotland v Wales (women) | 19:35 | iPlayer |
Saturday 7th September
| Bayonne v Perpignan | 13:30 | Premier Sports 1 |
| England v France (women) | 15:30 | BBC1 |
| South Africa v New Zealand | 16:00 | Sky Sports Mix |
| Argentina v Australia | 20:00 | Sky Sports + |
| Bordeaux v Stade Français | 20:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
Sunday 8th September
| La Rochelle v Toulon | 16:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Vannes v Toulouse | 20:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
Ovally Balls 
Ugh, please, Deebee – I did not want that association!
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I remember reading that carrots come in all colours, I’ve seen purple and yellow ones for example. The reason that orange ones became the norm is purportedly because of William of Orange and all that, and the Dutch making a stand against the Papacy.
Presumably the people that came up with an Aldi carrot as a mascot for Irish rugby didn’t read the same stuff I did.
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On Stuart Hogg, a Times article that isn’t paywalled
https://www.thetimes.com/article/dd14e64a-80d0-4ac3-a68e-7ee3dd677556?shareToken=452bcd8b8b1e79c369e887d1b3da7b8f
He was in a car crash when he was a teenager, kids flying round Border roads, and his best friend died – that’s the story behind him looking up when he scores.
I don’t think he’s ever come to terms with that and his subsequent fame and fortune, all the booze and the attention, as result he became the worst thing he could become – he scared and threatened the people he is supposed to support and protect.
He’ll probably end up a fat old fuck at the end of the bar, telling old rugby stories to anyone who buys him a pint.
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My bad, I thought it was a leek.
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Ireland (v New Zealand):
Player/Club/Province/Caps
Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(66)
Replacements:
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I genuinely didn’t think Cian Healy was still playing.
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I’ve just been told I can take my slings off and I don’t have any restrictions on my movement. This is a big step in my rehab 😊
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Refit – congrats!
I also thought that I’d seen Healy play his last match recently.
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The surgeon also showed me the x-rays and scans of my shoulders, from when I came in. Bloody hell, I didn’t half make a mess of them 😲😂
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Refit, I missed the beginning of this, what happened for you to undergo all of this?
It’s good to hear you are on the road back, Bon Chance and all that.
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I still don’t know how you managed that, Refit. Do you keep a lot of large, pointy rocks next to your bed? Osteoporosis?
Still obsessing slightly over the US elections. Harris lost Michigan, where I used to live, and I am fairly sure that that is largely down to Arab voters staying at home due to her non-support of Palestinians; Michigan has the highest population of Arabs outside the Middle East (and consequently lots of gorgeous – and cheap – food*).
Harris was a bit fucked over that issue as Biden refused to support Palestinians, and as VP, she could hardly campaign against him on it.
Of course, she also lost all the other swing states, which may or may not be for different reasons.
*I’m guessing the cost of living was a major factor. Housing is cheaper in the US, but I was absolutely shocked at the price of food last time I went there, which was 2018, and apparently it’s gone up 22% in the past four years.
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Ticht – tsk! Luck is a lady as we all know, so it’s bonne chance!
Refit’s story is that he fell out of bed, sober and not involving any sexual gymnastics, and he’s sticking to it.
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Ticht – would you believe I fell out of bed?
On Friday 20th Sept, I went to bed at midnight and set my alarm for 6:20am (to get up for the Aus v NZ rugby match). At some point before that I fell out of bed and (I think) hit my head on my bedside table, which induced a seizure, which caused me to break & dislocate both my shoulders. I landed facedown on my bedroom floor, with my left hand trapped under me, in a fist.
Then my alarm went off.
For the next 2 days, I would come round, realise I was hurt on the floor, try to move and then pass out from the pain. All the time, with my alarm going off until it ended up being part of my dreams.
Luckily, I have a very good neighbour, who noticed that my living room curtains hadn’t opened for 2 days and called the police. At 3pm on Sunday, they kicked in my front door and found me in my bedroom. I was very confused.
However, after first turning off my alarm, then having some water and a couple of ibuprofen, I walked out of my house on my own, to the ambulance.
I now have approx 2 plates and 5 screws in each shoulder and I’m 3 weeks into rehab.
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Oh, and I still haven’t seen that rugby match.
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Jesus, Refit, you didn’t tell us you were lying there for two days before, or the hitting your head & seizure bit! Then the alarm torture….
Frankly I wish your neighbour had been a bit more observant earlier, but thank fuck they noticed at last!
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Having my hand trapped under me has damaged the nerves in my hand/arm, so I can’t use my left hand at the moment (luckily I’m right handed), so that needs to be rehabbed in addition to getting my shoulders working again.
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Thaum, to be fair to him, he did call the police on the Saturday but got fobbed off and had to argue with them on the Sunday, when things still hadn’t changed.
The alarm was in my dreams!
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Oh, the old 48-hour rule. Not to be confused with the other 48-hour rule, which is that crimes that aren’t solved in that timeframe tend not to be.
Sounds like we are all very lucky that you’re still with us.
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The ball for my right shoulder joint was in my armpit. Apparently that was quite tricky to get back in the right place 😬.
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Eeeeeee!
I would be demanding a morphine drip for the rest of my life. Although I remember you saying that it didn’t really hurt after the first couple of days.
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Yeah, other than waking up from surgery without any pain medication – because the cannula in my foot hadn’t gone in properly – I’ve had very little bad pain and I’ve been on paracetamol only for most of my time in hospital*.
There have been a couple of times where I’ve had my shoulders get in an odd position that hurt and needed a morphine shot. It tastes bloody horrible, you know.
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I don’t think you’re supposed to lick the morphine.
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Seriously, what a completely traumatic thing to happen, in all senses of the word. I’d be afraid to go to bed.
You’re a trouper for managing to somehow operate a phone during all this time!
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Oh, they just squirt it into your mouth, if it’s just a one-off shot.
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My right hand is fine, so using a phone has been awkward but mostly fine. Tbh, it’s probably what’s kept me sane through most of this. Listening to podcasts (I’ve listened to so many episodes), being able to chat to people online and read books have kept me occupied for most of it.
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Bernie Sanders nails it.
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Refit – ah, I had assumed it was delivered through a cannula!
Still hard to operate a phone while keeping your arm immobile. I had an emergency appendectomy when I was 6 years old, and can remember than even slightly moving my little finger hurt my stomach. A lot. Then they made me walk.
I don’t think they did painkillers – especially not for kids – then.
Without wishing to pry (any further!) into your personal circumstances, this must be very difficult, and I hope you have an understanding employer or clients. Definitely no need to respond to that, I just wanted to say it.
And thank fuck (or, rather, Bevan) for the NHS. This is the kind of thing that bankrupts people in the US, and I certainly don’t see Trump ‘fixing’ that.
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It’s going to be interesting when I go home and have to sleep in my bed again.
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The company I work for have been excellent. For sick pay, they’ve given me 8 weeks at full pay and 6 at 75%. When I’m ready to go back, they’ll arrange for someone to give me a lift to and from work.
The MD has kept in touch and a few people have been visiting me (one of my colleagues has been kind enough to cut my nails when she comes in).
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Yes, maybe a guard-rail, or adjusting your position more to the centre? I always sleep at the edge of the bed even when I’m in it alone, and now I’m really afraid of falling out!
Also, the mister has the infuriating habit of locking his front door and leaving the key in it so that I can’t use my key to get in. I have said on multiple occasions, What if you had a medical emergency? and he still does it anyway…!
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That’s great news about your employer, and I expect that they miss you a lot!
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ps I am 99% sure that the mister isn’t locking me out to hide anything, except perhaps new motorbike parts that he’s ordered.
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Sheesh, Refit, that is awful.
I don’t know what to say other than best wishes for the recovery and now I’m rooting for Bristol even more in the Premiership.
I hope Big Bill gets fit and smashes through every defence and provides astounding offloads willy nilly.
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Thaum, on Bon, Bonne. :-(
my French was only learned by ear, I can usually make the call on the masc or fem in terms of whether it’s easier to say one or the other- Scottish Gaelic usually works like that
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Ticht – it’s a completely trivial thing compared to what Refit has been going through!
Although language trivialities can be amusing … don’t ever forget to put the tilde on the Spanish año, because without it, it means arsehole, so buen ano means something very different….
I’m off to bed; wishing all a good evening, or as good as it can be.
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Cheers Ticht ❤️
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My word, Refit! You certainly kept the gory details to yerself for long enough! Bloody English and your understatement. Agreed with Ticht, may Bristol batter their way to glory this season, and may England have a stonking win this Saturday!
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Glad the rehab is going well Refit. All this rugby games catchup should keep you from being bored.
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I…errr…what??!?
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Bloody hell! It’s a decoy – he’s probably lunching within the shadows of the Élysée Palace. Wonder if his table has a spot for one more? Asking for a friend.
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Ruan Nortje out of the Bok tour now as well. Irish reject Jean Kleyn called up in his place.
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@refit – wow, I recall you’d shared brief details earlier – but great stuff by your neighbour – a hero.
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Irish reject Jean Kleyn called up in his place
What’s going on with SA…calling up a player who’s “not international class” (according to O’Driscoll)
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Lood de Jager, Ruan Nortje and Salman Moerat all injured. We’re down to Etzebeth, Mostert, Snyman and Kleyn. Scotland by 21.
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Oh no, really scraping the bottle of the barrel there Deebee.
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Seems as though TNT Sports have a clause in their Autumn Internationals adverts in which they HAVE to call South Africa, The Mighty Springboks.
Every single bloody time they mention the game on Sunday, its Scotland against The Mighty Springboks. God knows what they’ll say when Scotland win…
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The godalmighty Scots?
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By the way, there will be a surprise tomorrow. And I don’t mean Ireland beating the ABs.
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They’ve bloody well said it again! Wish I had a drink every time they said it, I’d be well pissed by now.
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Thaum, the godalmighty comment made me really laugh 😆
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