Brand Knew's

2006-12-02T04:08:00.001-05:00

www.myspace.com/mikebrandknew

2006-10-06T08:22:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry...So sorry!!! I've heard from numerous people around the globe that I need to step up my blog game. I guess Grand Island NY just isn't that eventful. I actually did do a lot of stuff this summer I just didn't have a camera. I played a lot of lacrosse, went to a lot of weddings, and cut a lot of lawns. I got an lacrosse assistant coaching job at Medaille college in Buffalo. My friend Colin ,whos Skittle team I was on, brought his 2 kids, Mike and Beth, to visit. We saw all the sights, and even went to a Bills preseason game. I went to Austin Texas for the Austin City Limits Festival. I've been to four Buffalo Bills game, and a Buffalo Sabres game. I don't have a camera, so send me your pics...of anything.

2006-08-18T13:54:00.000-04:00

So my friend Tim Barrett challenged me to name my top 15 songs of all time. Here's the list in no order:

2006-07-21T22:22:00.000-04:00

I drink a lot of Gatorade

2006-07-15T17:12:00.000-04:00

Brand Knew Mixtape #7

2006-07-08T12:12:00.000-04:00

Finally!!! After a month and a half I finally have some pictures of Joe & Julie's wedding. I can't say that I've had a better time then this special evening. Everything went off without a hitch. Sorry for the delay but someone never gave me the website where the photos were!

2006-07-02T20:15:00.000-04:00

Broken Social Scene, Bloc Party, and Feist Olympic Island Toronto What an awesome show besides having to restrain Darth Jerry from bumping into people due to the duty free liquor.

2006-06-22T23:32:00.000-04:00

CONGRADULATIONS!!! YOU ARE READING THIS ON THE ABSOLUTE WORST SPORTS DAY OF MY LIFE!

First the U.S. Football team was eliminated from the World Cup, then my obsessive/favorite sports team in the world, The New York Knickerbockers, sacked the year old head coach Larry Brown.

To the English contingent who frequents this blog, I fully understand that I boasted about the American side. Considering the fact that our finest world class athletes are busy making small fortunes partaking other activities, and the PK called against Oguchi Onyewu was absurd. Someone please tell me how you get a foul when you connect with the ball...to me it seems that if you're going for the ball there can't be a foul. Getting back to my first point, some of you may have never heard of Willis McGahee, but if he was a seasoned trained footballer, he could rule the universe. Shaquille Oneal as a goalkeeper???

On to team Titanic. So the NY Knicks are already the highest paid team that also happens to have the 2nd worst record in the league. I was content with the situation after reading in the post that Marbury was happy and that he learned from last seaon and how Larry Brown was a good coach, also I could use the fact that some of their most talented players were new to the team and they needed time to adjust. After weeks of heavy speculation the owner James Dolan decided to fire Larry Brown the head coach. Please remember that Coach Brown is still $40 Million of a $50 Million contract, and he is also known as "Mr. Fix-it" being a coach who can take the worst teams and convert them into winners. Not a day goes by that I contemplate the possibility of covering up the tattoo with a Cleveland Cavaliers tat, as I am a huge fan of King LeBron James!

2006-06-16T00:52:00.000-04:00

Yo! Want a cheese-steak? Youse better speak EnglishPHILADELPHIA -- Bistec con queso? Not at Geno's Steaks.An English-only ordering policy has thrust one of Philadelphia's best-known cheese-steak joints into the national immigration debate.Situated in a South Philadelphia immigrant neighborhood, Geno's has posted small signs telling customers, "This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING 'SPEAK ENGLISH.' Click Here

2006-06-16T00:41:00.000-04:00

2006-06-16T00:17:00.000-04:00

So my precious American side got dicked by the Czech's , but my English friends assure me they are better than we even thought. They have a sharp kit though! My Italian-American friends don't know who to root for in Italy v US! England sure isn't playing to potential. They get good opportunities but miss the net. Lampard shoots high or Crouch rushes. They were tied with Trinidad untl the 83rd minute...that was unacceptable! Trinidad was 2000-1. I think John Terry is the best player I've seen so far. I can not believe he is younger than I! Another team from my heritage, Poland, is also playing poorly. They need Pierogies! I must say it is great to have soccer on every day although I am working most of the time I try to tape as many games as I can. Americans seem to worry about the golf major, that I don't even know the name of, than the World Cup! My new sleeper team is Ecuador!

2006-05-29T00:15:00.000-04:00

Wedding #1 of a possible 5 Timothy Smith and Amy Knepp

A great time was had by all in the Hershey/Harrisburg area of Pennsyltucky for Tim Smith and the former Amy Knepp's wedding. I am too tired to rant so I'll throw some zingers at you about the finer times. Old people call robots robuts, southern kids learn to count by saying "One, Two, Earnhardt...", Hershey does smell like chocolate but they don't put cocoa beans in the mulch, you can slow dance to Bobcaygeon, and most importantly if you try to break into the basement of a hotel and 3am to find more beer you'll only come away with bottled water and oranges!

2006-05-28T23:58:00.000-04:00

Nate Makes Rochester Rattlers

Nate Hill, who I have profiled many times on this blog officially made the professional outdoor lacrosse team in Rochester NY called the Rattlers. He has yet to see the field but they have 0 wins and 2 losses so hopefully they'll shuffle the lineup. Congrats Nathaniel!!!

Nates Profile

2006-05-20T12:25:00.000-04:00

Dowd delivers for Grand Island lacrosse

-from The Buffalo News

The Grand Island boys lacrosse team did more than beat St. Joe's, 4-3, in a nonleague game on Friday. "It was a big one for us because we had a tough loss on Wednesday (8-7 in overtime) to Gowanda," said GI coach Steve Steck. "We had had a good couple weeks, so we really wanted this one to get back on track heading into the Class B playoffs next week." Senior Justin Dowd scored the game-winner for the Vikings with less than six minutes left when he took a pass from junior Ryan Samland from about five yards out. The goal was Dowd's second of the game. St. Joe's (8-6) had tied the game with less than nine minutes left on a goal from Brendan Denz. Chris Miller won six of 10 faceoffs, which Steck said was a key.

2006-05-20T12:21:00.000-04:00

National Lacrosse League CHAMPIONSHIP Buffalo Bandits vs Colorado Mammoth

Yeah I was there! The Brandits lost 16-9 and at one time only trailed 11-8. I was a great experience though. I had never seen that many people at an indoor lacrosse game in my life. They said on the loud speaker that is was 16,000 plus. Unfortunetly the Sabres were playing their final game in their playoff series. During the lacrosse game people in the luxury suites would cheer really loud in random times. It was also televised nationwide on ESPN2...which means loads of TV timeouts!

2006-05-14T23:48:00.000-04:00

BUFFALO SABRES GO FOR THE CUP

The Buffalo Sabres ice hockey club are on the verge of playing for Lord Stanleys Cup for the first time in seven years and the third time in team history. They won their semi-final series last night with a 3 to 2 overtime victory of the Ottawa Senators. Here are a pair of videos. First of the highlights of the games recorded from Canadian Television. The second is a live account of the sudden death overtime goal scored by Jason Pommenville. Take notice of the local Buffalo announcer Rick Jeanerette....a legend! I'm not usually into hockey but since the rule changes and the fact that m local team is successful I find myself becoming more interested every game!

2006-05-14T23:16:00.000-04:00

The Sam Roberts Band

Town Ballroom May 11th 2006 It was a good show and was extremely loud. Nate and I were right up front next to a huge stack of speakers. Everyone was watching the Sabres so it was easy to get up front. They mixed up the old songs and the new songs well. The crowd was really responsive and energetic. The opener was an hour late so unfortunately I did not get to see the whole show.

2006-05-10T22:38:00.000-04:00

Grand Island Lacrosse

Click to Zoom

Right now we have 7 wins and 4 losses. Tomorrow is our biggest game vs Sweet Home, the team who has eliminated us from the playoffs the last 2 years.

More team pics

Team Website

Our rankings on LaxPower.com

For the fan, for the sport

2006-05-08T22:04:00.000-04:00

2006-05-04T00:05:00.000-04:00

Sir Timothy Smith's Bachelor PartyWe journeyed down the barren Interstate 90, took a right on the Interstate 81, through a sovereign nation, and arrived at the metropolis that is Binghamton New York. I was introduced to Tim's new split level abode, and I must add it is very comfortable homie....like my homies! The "Drink Yourself to Death Corner" in the downstairs "Man Room" was very impressive. We traveled to Boca Joe's, a tropical themed bar/restaurant/club where the festivities began. Bud Light draught beer, horrible pizza, and the Sabres on the big screen, is all a man could ask for! The rest of the evening is hazy except for Clip's brow being owned by the cross bar of a folding chair, Tim attempting a worm break dance then finally spraining his ankle in a dancing move where left a fence in the bar. Remember what the commercial says...What happens in Binghamton stays in Binghamton!

2006-04-22T01:04:00.000-04:00

Check The Timestamp My condolences to those dissapointed in my efforts to keep this blog alive! My schedule is chock full of activities that hinder my efforts to write.

I cut lawns on these

Here's our results and schedule

I FINALLY GET TO PLAY BASKETBALL AGAIN...TWICE A WEEK!!

Bloc Party Broken Social Scene Feist Olympic Island Year Two!~

2006-04-05T10:21:00.000-04:00

Grand Island Lacrosse and the Ever-Changing Weather of Western New York

I decided to take my digital camera to practice yesterday and take some pictures and videos. Little did I know that it would go from windy to a blizzard in a half hour.

2006-04-05T10:15:00.000-04:00

Leathered at "The Worst Bar Ever"

Thanks to everyone who made my welcome home party a great success. Pictures to follow!!

2006-04-03T11:02:00.000-04:00

Back in the U.S.S.A.

Finally made it back after the worst travel experience of my life. The following is an account, the names have not changed to protect the innocent.The legend that is Jo Ziegert (my English mum) gave me a lift to the Bristol Airport. I was the first person in line for my flight and I had a feeling everything was gonna work out alright. Upon reaching the counter with 26 kg of luggage over the limit the stone faced attendants at the Ryan Air counter assured me there was no way to get out of the £130 fee. I went back and forth to the counter and an independent courier to see who would be the cheapest. After going back and forth a few times I decided to go with the airline price. The mistake the counter girl made was to give me my boarding pass before I paid the other counter girl. Instead of paying I just boarded the plane without question. That flight was OK but I learned one valuable lesson. DON'T TAKE A NO FRILLS AIRLINE WHEN MOVING HOUSE!!! Got to Dublin and made my way to my next gate nice and early. Unfortunatelyy the starter motor was busted so I had to wait 8 HOURS! Luckily I had my laptop and mic so I could use Skype and make plans with people in the states. Luckily my brother was in NYC on business. Unluckily I had to miss my JetBlue flight so I needed to reschedule. Luckily my friend Bob Whalen works for JetBlue in NYC so he got the changing fee waived. Unluckily he didn't get the $85 price difference waived. So there I sat every hour hearing that I would have to wait another hour for an update. I was much more patient than most people. The one time they announced one of the delays I heard a man scream "F***" I found this very ammusing. Like his cursing was going to help fix the plane. So we finally took of around 11 oclock and landed in NYC around midnight. The flight sucked. The seats just simply aren't built for my frame and I was constantly looking for the most comfortable position to no avail. To my surprise my MP3 player was legend and worked for about 6 hours with one bar of battery left.When we landed at JFK airport my brother was there to pick me up. He had a hotel room in Staten Island and a GPS in his car which was clutch. Went to bed fast and got up in the morning to go back. I flew on standby with JetBlue which is by far the best airline in the world. Picked up my brothers car at the airport, went to lunch with DJ Rara then straight to lacrosse practice! Since then I've been doing nothing but coaching and waiting to start landscaping! If I can dig up some pictures from Saturday, there was a literal red carpet rolled out for me and blown up pics of yours truly at The Worst Bar Ever in South Buffalo.

2006-03-28T14:20:00.000-05:00

My friends Alan Govern and Rachel Wilkinson had their modeling debuts with my other friend Anthony Martellos company. Good luck guys...can't wait for those nude shots Aldo!!!

2006-03-28T14:14:00.000-05:00

Brand Knew Mixtape #6 The final English mixtape

2006-03-23T05:50:00.000-05:00

Some Random Pics From the Weekend and Amsterdam First Amsterdam

The lone pic from my BDay. That hat started a fight!

East Grinstead Minor Flags Champs

Bath Uni in the West Uni Tournament

2006-03-20T05:33:00.000-05:00

Luck of the IrishKnicks wear green...beat the best team in the league. WEAR THEM ALL YEAR!

2006-03-16T11:59:00.000-05:00

Tim "Don King" Barrett

At the local hot spot Molly's Pub where Tim is the bartender extrordiare, he decided one night to insite a Wrestling match. Supposedly the guy who gets slammed said he was the toughest guy on Seneca Street!

The instigating!

The showdown!

2006-03-16T11:51:00.000-05:00

Still More News About Stretch of Road Where I Had My Accident

From last Friday March 7th:

ACTION AT LAST OVER DEATH CRASH BLACK SPOT

I was called for a testimonial for this article.

From Today March 16th:

CRASH DRAMA ON DEATH ROAD

I was searching on the Bath Chronicle website for the older article and found this one.

2006-03-15T14:51:00.000-05:00

FIFA World Ranking

#5 #9

Enough said

2006-03-13T05:47:00.000-05:00

Yahoo NCAA Tournament Fantasy Pick'em

Anyone who is interested my sign up. It's just for fun, and seeing that I haven't watched one game of college hoops all season I reckon I'll win. Just click anywhere on the pic and it will prompt you to sign up.

The ID# is 63443 The password is hoops

2006-03-13T05:42:00.000-05:00

Baths first ever entry into the National U12 8 a side tournament

This was a big risk, the U12s don't have much experience, and there is always a danger of them being demoralised if they get blown off the pitch by stronger opposition. After much soul searching the decision was made to for it. A squad of 9 was chosen, and they all made their way to the Agricultural College near Cirencester to meet the other 7 teams in the tournament. Bath's group was Brooklands, Heaton Mersey Guild and Portsmouth. In the first game against Brooklands confusion reigned, and the squad didn't really get it together, although there were signs, and as the game wore on the Bath team was definitely more competitive, losing 8:0 but towards the end matching their much stronger opposition. Against Heaton Mersey Guild the team started to think better and movement and possession was in abundance, the last pass was all that was letting them down, losing only 4:0, by now the team were starting to gravitate to their natural positions, Sam King outfield (Matt chose goals this time) began to get to grips with facing, and the defensive pairing of James Filipiat and Matthew Almond was showing some signs of understanding and with some outstanding goalkeeping from Matt King keeping the scores within reach.Against Portsmouth the improvement continued, and finally the goals started, Joe Noonan (1) and Mark Lane (2) scoring to get the team so close to registering on the table, losing 4:3 was a huge improvement. Coming bottom of the group meant playing against Welwyn from Group B for the 7th/8th position. For this the boys really turned it on, winning plenty of groundball, communicating, passing well and shooting on target, a superb 3:1 (goals from Jack Coward, Mark Lane and Joe Brickel) victory brought a smile to all the faces (even coaches Nik Roberts and Mike Brand). For all the cold weather and heavy results, the boys played brilliantly with great spirit, never letting their heads drop. With a few additions in the summer Bath have the making of a really good squad which will move into theU14 division with ease. Was it worth the risk? Most definitely.Squad: Jack Coward (1), Joe Brickel (1), Joe Noonan (1), Mark Lane (3), Tom Lane, Matt King, Sam King, Matthew Almond, James Filipiat.

2006-03-10T08:12:00.000-05:00

What the F*** does superimposed mean?Before

After

I arrived after they took the picture so I wasn't in it. Props to Jonathan Troll for working his photoshop magic!

2006-03-09T07:33:00.000-05:00

Furry 'lobster' found in Pacific Story from the BBC

2006-03-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

This may have to replace my green Sabres jersey

2006-03-09T07:23:00.000-05:00

I challenge you to find a funnier picture

2006-03-06T16:50:00.000-05:00

Amsterdamage

The adventure begins hungover in Barry Carey's spare bedroom. A good night at Skittles did not put me in proper form for traveling. My main man Double C gave me a life to Bristol and I was early as usual. Besides being a little delayed (not as bad as my East Grinstead teammates) it was smooth and effective. From the Schiphol airport I hailed a cab to take me to the tournament. Here's a transcript of the exchange with the cab driver.

Brand Knew: I need to go to a place called "Sportlaan". Cab Driver: Is it in Amsterdam? BK: All I have is "Sportlaan"...sure. --CD fiddles with GPS/SatNav as we proceed into Amsterdam. No Sportlaan found.-- CD: Are you sure it's in Amsterdam? BK: All I was told was Sportlaan. --CD calls headquarters for direction. Turkish words fly like Pterodactyl's. CD: THAT'S IN AMSTELVEEN!!!! Now I have to turn around and go a different way.

So the first person I interact with has a go at me. Great start. I get to the grounds where we play around 4:30 Dutch time. I am introduced to the rest of the team and they instantly begin to harass me. Not only for the fact I am late, but mostly because of the "sleazy" handlebar moustache. We roll to the bar for my first of about six hundred Heinekens. We watch some lacrosse then make our way back to the hostel. I was expecting you typical Full Metal Jacket style open room dormitory with dirty hippies who have smelly feet. It was, in fact, a hotel style room with 2 sets of bunk beds, a toilet, and a shower. We were all sorted so we set off for the evening. The group decided to eat at the "New York Steakhouse" in the square near our hostel. It wasn't my choice but my idea of experiencing a foreign city has never been going to a restaurant named after your own state. After dinner we decided to hit up the party being thrown by the tournament. I was in the most odd bar I've ever been in. The entrance is completely unadvertised with set of stairs running up to a door. We walk in through a unfurnished undecorated corridor into the bar. This has to be the most bland bar I've ever been in. There isn't one piece of art or decoration in the whole place. The music was Euro and atmosphere was even worse. We then decided it was time to see the world famous Red Light District. I must admit which I did at the time that the red light mentioned was referring to the street lights. I assumed Roxanne would hit the walk button to change the traffic lights thus stopping cars to solicit. Well I was wrong, just like most of the women seen...that's the end of that chapter. We stopped at a bar that happened to be open on the way home and had a few laughs. The middle aged female bartender was really putting her young face on and it was met with loads of sarcasm from us. God know what time we got back to the hostel, but I hit the rock hard bed and passed out. The next morning we had a nice breakfast at the hostel...ham and cheese on white! Got a large cab to take us to the tournament. Once we arrived we watched a couple games that were already being played and began to get ready. Put in mind, these may have been the 2 worst pitches I've ever played on. One was just a hard sandy mud with no grass...and that was the nice one. Next to it was a grassier pitch but no where near the creases. It was basically sloppy mud for about 75% of it. The first team we played was Kiel from Germany. I thought we played great team defense. They wanted to start their offense from X but we never once let them get it back there. I think my man touched the ball about 3 times. I did though pull of a world famous Mike Brand head fake very effortlessly. Unfortunately our O had a tough time finishing shot although they were getting great opportunities. The final score was a 1-1 draw. I have probably played close to 1,000 lacrosse games in my life and never have I seen a 1-1 draw. So then we were officially out of contention for the championship. We watched the championship, which for some reason was the 3rd last game of the day, and Spencer from London easily took the championship. We then played Maastricht who we easily beat 4-0. They had one American kid who wasn't bad but he certainly was getting frustrated. We were leading 3-0 when our 37 year old Canadian attackman Nigel Tasko, who was on the ultimate bender the whole weekend, decided to take it all the way to the cage, knock a kid over, fall on him, get back up and score top corner with no time left. We made our way back to the club house for the trophy ceremony. We received our 5th place trophy and had a few more beers. Before we knew it we were the last team left in the clubhouse. Then came my first experience with fines. At the end of any tour the club designates fines for every person on the team. It's a way to raise funds for the clubs and a great laugh. Basically they write funny things that happened all weekend and announce them to the group and a payment into a cup is expected for each fine. I was fined for; coming late to the tournament, having a cheezie moustache, being an American, and being soft on ground balls (nothing new). The rest of the team took cabs to the airport to catch their flight and Nigel and I caught the bus back to the hostel. When the Dutch bus driver instructed us that it was our stop, we got off expecting to see our hostel and go in it. Unfortunately we were about a mile from the hostel. Lugging our kits around Amsterdam through a huge park was not fun. We finally got to the hostel and went to our room. I open the door and there sits a strange man with all our clothes, my MP3 player and all our extra lacrosse kit. His name was Francisco or something, but he was on his way to Nepal to go mountain hiking. Thank god he wasn't American or our stuff would have been history. I then grabbed a quick shower and made my way to the train to go and visit a friend. My friend Greg from South Buffalo's girlfriend Jackie told me once that an old friend of hers was visiting England and I should e-mail her. Although she was going to London and I couldn't meet her, I found out she lived in Holland and not to far from Amsterdam. We made some plans to meet in several different places and decided on Den Haag. I took the train to Den Haag and arrived about 10:30 pm. Katie, who went to Mt. Mercy in SB, and her Dutch boyfriend picked me up at the train station and we went back to his place. I really didn't get to hang out with them as long as I would like. We really had a great time catching up with what all the people in SB are doing, and Thomas would have been a great asset at the beginning of the trip as he knew all the best places to go and see. After a great homemade meal and conversation I decided to call it a night. The next morning Thomas was off to work, as they are both bureaucrat's, in a suit and tie...on an old bike. This found me strange but in a city like that I'm sure it's very common. Katie and I caught the tram to the central station and we said out goodbyes. She recommended I put all my kit in a locker in the train station and go see Den Haag. Unfortunately six foot lacrosse sticks don't fit in lockers. I took the train back to the airport and after going on a text message mission I tracked down the other two English guys on my team who stayed another day. We had lunch and walked around the airport. They took off and I waited for my flight. The flight was uneventful but the best part is as we were landing I asked the lady in front of me if she knew the best way to get from the Bristol Airport to the Bristol train station. I was telling her I needed to get to Trowbridge. A head pops up from the row in front of us and asks, "Trowbridge?" Basically I got a free ride right to my door...can't beat that. So there you go. Holland is pretty cool. I definitely didn't get enough time to spend there so I really couldn't enjoy it, but it was worth it.

2006-03-03T13:05:00.000-05:00

Off to Amsterdam

2006-03-03T13:02:00.000-05:00

This is Pretty Funny

2006-03-01T13:04:00.000-05:00

Nasty Nathan

My mate Nate Hill popped up today on the cover of the Great Atlantic lacrosse catalog. He probably won't find out about it because he's too boho, and he's guarding trees in North California.

Previous story on Nate

2006-02-28T18:28:00.000-05:00

You've got to be kidding me, but I'm sure I'll try it. It's almost as absurd as this... How many flavors can you fit in one can?

2006-02-28T13:55:00.000-05:00

Nostalgia of the Month

2006-02-28T13:45:00.000-05:00

"Broken" Social Scene

Chart Magazine is about to release an issue with a cover story about BSS keeping it together. The cover photo features the full lineup sans the Metric members. MTV.com posted a story yesterday about the bands demise. Look 3 or 4 stories down to see your best friend Brand Knew broke the story a week ago! It's a cool picture and I can't wait to come home to see my copy...I have a subscription. One question though...why does MTV do a story on a band that they never play any videos from???

MTV Article

2006-02-27T19:23:00.000-05:00

Cum Posey gets elected to Baseball Hall of Fame!

Just waiting for my man Rusty to join him!

2006-02-26T20:42:00.000-05:00

The Knicks really need to sign this kid!

He scored more points in a varsity game then I ever did!

2006-02-26T17:28:00.000-05:00

My U12 Team

Had an under 12's tournament today. The kids really did a great job! We won our first game against Penarth 6-nil then lost our second match against Portsmouth 5-3. The kids had loads of fun as did I!

2006-02-24T11:15:00.000-05:00

Team Titanic Acquires Franchise

Steve Francis is now officially a NY Knick. I really don't know what my opinion on this is. I haven't watched one game all season (thank god), so I don't know if this will hurt or help. What I do know is that Isiah Thomas has to be the worst GM in the history of sport. Larry Brown is a proven winner with ass loads of credibility. Isiah has none. He ruined the Raptors, the CBA, and the Pacers. He even ruined the Knicks PR dept. When I was working there and he was hired I didn't like the move. Even when I rode in the elevator with him I wasn't impressed...even Jay-Z and Whoopi Goldberg exchanged pleasentries with me, but not Zeke.

2006-02-24T05:49:00.000-05:00

Brand Knew Mixtape #5

2006-02-23T17:09:00.000-05:00

Broken Social Scene Portsmouth

Saw the mighty BSS again in Portsmouth on Sunday night. Another stellar show, I expect nothing less. I few tossers in the crowd started shouting stupid stuff like, "Bryan Adams" and "Celine Dion." Kevin Drew the lead singer just got on with business as usual and played on. After the show I was reacquainted with Justin Peroff the drummer. He and I became friends after the London show back in December. We hung out longer this time, and Joe (my mate who I brought along) was stunned at how easily I got us back stage. Joe had a little meeting with the porcelain later on. His mate who he grew up with, goes to school in Portsmouth. This guy was in Amsterdam at the time so he gave us the keys to his place. Unfortunately it was a seaside penthouse in walking distance from the venue. I emailed Justin and he responded and kind of hinted that the band is not too far from being finished. I must say I am not surprised and I am not all that sad about it. Like Robert Frost, who was so famously quoted by Ponyboy in The Outsiders, said, "Nothing gold can stay."

2006-02-21T11:34:00.000-05:00

Purley 6:12 Bath

It's been a long time since Bath recorded a win over Purley, 11 successive defeats since the last win on 7th Feb 1998, last century to be exact, Purley appear with alarming regularity in the biggest scores against tables, in fact out of 32 First Team games Bath have won only 10 including this one and the they have scored 458 goals to Baths 263, a margin of 195, basically this was a big win, cementing Bath in the top half of the premiership and putting what little hope Purley had of winning the league right out of the window. Purley, at home started the game with only 9 men, but held Bath to 2 goals before getting the 10th man on the field, if they though that would even the odds they were sorely mistaken as the visitors continued to pile on the pressure and make better use of the slippy surface, going into the first quarter 5 nil in the lead. Purley didn't recover, losing some of their composure, every time they managed to score so did Bath, in fact Bath in all departments were the better team, going for every ground ball and moving the Purley defence around affectively. Doug Mackay, for the third game on the trot was just too hot for the opposition to handle, bagging another 6 goals (that's 17 in three games), but man of the match goes to Matt Grody, who ran the long stick middie role to perfection, throwing checks and coming up with ground ball like his life depended on it. A mention also to Nige Gates, who, yet again came up with some cracking saves. Mike Elmes playng his first ever game against Purley put in a crashing shot in the third quarter which goes down as goal of the game.If Bath can play at this level every game, there is every chance that they might have a say in who wins the league.Quote of the day:'Like I'm going to do something else'? Matt Grody after throwing the 4th big check on the trot being told to do the obvious by Ken Murray.'Yeh, I'm going to try and pick the ball up just to get it slashed when we're 5 up with 3 minutes on the clock, I need that hand for W***ing' Mike Brand

2006-02-21T11:29:00.000-05:00

Follow Up

After the Bath Chronicle ran the front page story, I was saved by Helphire and give a new automobile. The Bath Chronicle came out again to take a picture of me with the kids and the car. This photo is courtesy fo the Bath Chronicle.

2006-02-13T08:37:00.000-05:00

Bath Chronicle and Aftermath

Here is a closeup of the paper:Me with the issue:The Volkswagen Touran I received from Helphire in response to the Article:

The article from the Bath Chronicle

2006-02-12T19:16:00.000-05:00

Bath Uni 2-12 Oxford Uni

Took a day trip to Oxford for a lacrosse trip with the University bloke's. A great time was had by all. Although the score says we got our asses kicked, it was a lot better than the score depicts. It was a great chance to get some of our younger inexperienced players a run. The man of the match was Dommo who can be see funneling a bottle of Rose' through a D pole. The city is very beautiful with great architecture and great culture.

2006-02-09T04:33:00.000-05:00

2006-02-08T19:02:00.000-05:00

Our last home Skittles match at the Larkhall liberal club, not only did we win but Rich Shipp took on a vicious bet and lost. For the post game meal, the club gave use bread, butter, cheese, and a large tupperwear bowl of vinegar and onions. Si and I wagered 5 quid a piece and after Dave P. offered 10 Euro's Shippy decided to neck the bowl of vinegar. The stipulations of the bet were that it had to be all in one go and he couldn't chunder in under a half hour. Unfortunately he did neither. Although he didn't drink it all in one go, he was determined to finish the bowl. On the walk home I turned right, he turned left and I swear I heard the loud splat of liquid hitting the pavement. At our last match he denied that it happened but admitted it made it's exit at home. I can't imagine his breath!! I love the look on Barry's face in the background!

2006-02-07T16:25:00.000-05:00

Had a little accident today on the A363 in an area called Sally in the Woods. Went a little too fast around the corner, over corrected and took a little tumble. I left the scene without a scratch. Obviously I was sort of mentally scratched afterwards. I now have a deep deep respect for large trees and seat belts. Many thanks to Nik and Nicola Roberts who were very understanding and comforting!!

2006-02-06T18:49:00.000-05:00

Super Hole

If you hated the Super Bowl as much as I did (besides the fact I had to stay up until 3am to watch it and I only broke even on bets) take a look at my mate Josh Kruk's maiden blog entry. He started a blog because he hated the Super Bowl so much...so classy. I must say I agree with him on every point!

Josh's Diatribe

2006-02-06T18:14:00.000-05:00

Supposedly this is true: In 2004, a trademark case was brought against Randy Savage by the makers of Kool-Aid claiming he stole the catchphrase "Oh, Yeah!" from their anthropomorphic mascot. The case is still pending.

2006-02-04T16:18:00.000-05:00

Rose Garden

The Knicks finally made a move and acquired Jalen Rose from the Toronto Raptors for the embattled Antonio Davis. This trade has been in the works for almost two years. New York finally has an experienced gritty shooting guard who isn't afraid to take the big shot. I hope Jalen can put his differences with head coach Larry Brown behind him and actually play some defense for once in his career. In losing Davis they give up a veteran leader and an inside presence, but his off court behavior will not be missed. After being traded from his wife's hometown of Chicago to NY, he complained and threatened not to report to Knick camp. Then a couple weeks ago he decided to enter the stands to stick up for his wife who had a shouting match with a fan. He has already burned his bridge to Toronto when again his wife became involved. She reportedly talked bad about Canada and refused to have her children taught by Canadian educators

Who can forget Jalen's draft night red pinstripe suit!

2006-02-01T18:30:00.000-05:00

Broken Social Scene on Conan O'Brien

The greatest band in the world takes their act to national American television. COUNT THE FRIGGIN GUITARS AND WEEP!!!!

2006-02-01T18:21:00.000-05:00

New York Knick Rookie Nate Robinson to Compete in 2006 NBA Slam Dunk Contest

He's 5'9" so I have to pull for him.. Don't forget what the 5'7" Spud Webb did in 1986

2006-01-30T18:49:00.000-05:00

Bath U16/U12 v Penarth U16/U12

The regular games against the Bath juniors nearest rivals are proving vital for the development of the junior team, without this regular cross border fixture, games would be few and far between.As usual a mixed age group team was agreed with the range from 10 to 15, albeit small 'old' players. Bath had a squad of 18 and Penarth travelled with 15, and boy has the lacrosse improved, guest Referee Mark Coups, the English Lacrosse Association National Development Officer was impressed to say the least, commenting on how the teams had improved tenfold since he last saw them play a year ago. There was never going to be much between the two teams, Penarth went into the first break up 1 nil, from an opportunist goal swatted in off the ground in front of goal, both defences were proving well equipped. By Half time the visitors had stretched their lead to 3:1 despite a good individual goal from Mike Carey. In the third quarter Penarth dominated possession, creating two goals to no reply. The fourth quarter saw a vast improvement in the Bath team, with goals from George Devitt, assisted by Jake Beck and Jake Beck assisted by Mike Carey. The final score of Bath 3 Penarth 7 was a fair reflection of the game, considering the younger spread of the home side the coaches can be very pleased with the way the team played.Quote of the day:Coach Mike Brand pulled Mark Lane off for walking back to defence, when asked why he wasn't running the reply was 'I am running it just looks like a walk'

2006-01-30T18:41:00.000-05:00

Justin in Nigeria

My friend Justin Steele is currently working in Nigeria. Here is an excerpt of an email he sent.

I arrived in Nigeria last week for my second rotation with Chevron, my first rotation had me out in San Ramon, CA working in our Compensation group. I will be in Lagos, Nigeria for six months. When I return to the states I will be stationed in Houston, TX. Carrie....for those of you I haven't spoke to in a really long time or who don't know yes we are back together.....are getting married on Labor day weekend in the grand metropolis of Beaumont, TX. We got engaged over Thanksgiving and are very much looking forward to starting our lives together. I will probably not be coming back to the states during my time here, Carrie and I will most likely meet up in Madrid to visit with my parents and Jonathan who are living there. Nigeria is a beautiful place. There is a lot of poverty and crime as you would expect in any city with 20 million people, but I find the people I work with absolutely wonderful. Nigeria has a very warm and welcoming culture and the people here are some of the most genuine that I have ever met. They remember every thing you tell them and genuinely care to know if you have even the slightest discomfort. It is refreshing to interact/work with such a cheerful group. I attended a Nigerian church with one of my colleagues last week and I was the only Caucasian in the room and it was so neat, kind, humbling, educational , and welcoming the way they treated me. There were three young kids around the age of 4 who got out of there chairs and stood in front of me staring for around 10 minutes...they were adorable.....I wanted to steal them. After the 3-hour service they handed me the microphone and asked me to stand up and introduce myself....so reluctantly I did. There are so many social/political/religious/economic dynamics to learn about I regret that I will only be here six months.......but Carrie probably doesn't. English is the pre-dominant language but I have been making efforts to learn the other languages and they all appreciate my failing efforts.

2006-01-28T22:15:00.000-05:00

For those of you who haven't seen this...watch it now! It may very well be the greatest SNL skit of all time!

2006-01-26T17:49:00.000-05:00

Bath 2nds 7:5 Swindon

Friendly games are extremely important for the development of Bath Juniors, practice is all well and good, but there is no substitute for game time, and to play along side adults really brings the best out of the kids, or 'young adults' as we are meant to call them. So a friendly against Swindon, the newest club in the South West is a big deal. Swindon arrived with 8 players of varying ages, and Bath University provided 6 more players, making them the toughest team the Bath development squad had come across. As usual the seniors rallied round, especially in defence to provide a solid backbone to the team, Jim Cowen playing short stick and Tricky Bowden playing his first game of the season since his knee operation last autumn. Yet again the 'young adults' were not phased out by the older faster opposition and played some really good Lacrosse. Man of the Match was Luke 'Fluffy' Wilmot in defence, who had a cracking game, not far behind was George Devitt playing in Midfield, both of them only 13. The game was even throughout, but the home team edged the third quarter to take and hold the lead, Lloyd Butler, playing in goal despite a bad back getting a shutout in the fourth quarter. The return of Tricky Bowden saw him get a hat trick, two of them from good feeds from Jake Beck and Pat Peacock. He also got an assist to Mike Carey in the third. Yet again a proud day for the coaches, these guys are going to be good, really good.

Quotes of the day:

'Do the kids have to whinge all the time'? Jim Cowen to the referee

'Ah fresh meat' Mike Brand just before facing off to a guy one quarter of his size

2006-01-26T16:32:00.000-05:00

Feist on Jimmy Kimmel This is by far the best performance of "Mushaboom" I have heard!

2006-01-24T19:48:00.000-05:00

News Potpourri

UPN, WB to shut down; Even worse new network formed

The way that the media in the United States constantly merges is sickening. Whether it is terrestrial radio, motion picture, television, world wide web, or even consumer outlets, eventually we will end up with one massive media conglomerate to rule all of us. I hope the gaining speed of internet access can break these trends by letting us the consumer choose what content we want, what format we would like it in, and when we went to consume it. Lastly, both of these networks show such poor quality content, I'm happy now that there is only one of them

Tour de France gets on its bike with 2007 London departure

The Frogs must be heated. Why can't the Brits just let the Franco's keep the last meaningful thing they have left. I hope people don't begin to suspect that Lance will come out of retirement because of this. Who gives a crap! Let the one testicled freak, relax and live his life with that talentless horse of a girlfriend he has. ...and lastly

Bard act to follow

Today is Burns night in Scotland and around the world. For those 3 of you left on the planet. I am a direct descendant of his. The customary celebration includes wearing kilts and eating haggis. I wore 3/4 length trousers and ate English sausage instead.

2006-01-23T11:03:00.000-05:00

The Crown Jewel

The latest pint glass acquired from Bristol with the usual 5 finger discount. My collection is growing by leaps and bounds! Here is the website to Erdinger the beer printed on the glass.

2006-01-22T05:18:00.000-05:00

As reported on Christmas day of last year, I was the "I'm Feeling Lucky" search result on Google when the search terms "Brand Knew" had been entered. I as found out for myself, and reminded numerous times by countless colleagues, it is no more. For some reason the tides have turned. I am no longer even on the first page and have been replaced with an Ebay listing. I am though, the first listing on the less powerful Yahoo! search page. Hell hath no fury like a search engine scorn!

2006-01-22T04:59:00.000-05:00

Movie Review: King Kong

Upon seeing the early trailers of King Kong I knew I had to see it in the theatre rather than at home on my 15" screen. My premonition could not have been more accurate. Although I saw numerous holes in the plot, this film completely redeemed itself on special effects. Upon learning of the plotline involving dinosaurs I was taken aback by the cheesieness. Said dino's made for easily the best visual's of the movie. Some parts of the plot that were tacky and cliche were; all the main characters of course live throughout he film, transporting the beast from the island to New York City was completely skipped, and getting King Kong into a Broadway theatre was also omitted. I did love the fact that they tried to stay true to the original, even giving a mention to the original female lead Fay Wray. I am making a huge claim on this film that it still stand by. King Kong has the best special effects of any movie lit up on the silver screen.

I give King Kong 3 Union Jacks out of 5

2006-01-17T07:29:00.000-05:00

Finley Holt Rock God

2006-01-16T19:20:00.000-05:00

Walcountian Blues 8:10 Bath

After a hard fought win against Reading last week, Bath were faced with their second longest road trip to another of those 'must win' games. The bottom half of the Premiership is tight, with 2 points separating 5 teams. Walcountian Blues like all the teams in the South are much stronger at home, and the earlier win in Bath could not be an indication of the likely result.The game had so many good things to talk about, firstly it was in good spirit, highlighted by the continual banter between the opposing LDOs, the make up of both teams is similar, with a big mix of age and youth, and at Face Ken Murray and Amit Bizwas are very evenly matched, in fact it was the performance of 'back up' face man Phil Thomas who stole the show in that department for Bath. Bath fielded a 15 yrs old in attack (16 next week) in the form of Pat Peacock, despite his nerves at first Pat put in a great performance, making plenty of good cuts, he scored a goal and could have had a second (left handed) and any thought of just coming along to make up numbers were misinformed as he spent some 70 minutes on the field coming back into defence a couple of times as well (it also brought the average age of the bath attack down to 33).Man of the match, and Mr 'I'm playing out of my skin' is Doug Mackay, another outstanding performance saw him leap up the scorers table with a haul of 5 goals and an assist, numerous clearing runs and some brilliant defensive work, especially against the Blues main American Attack man, stripping him of the ball several times.In Goal Nige Gates, who 7 hours before had been in America (off the plane and around the M25) made two cracking one on one saves which were crucial in a very tight game.The game hinged on which team exploited the cross field slope the best, which in one on one situations favoured the attacker, both teams used it well, but Baths defence of Sam White, Paul Bown,Mike Brand and any combination of midfielders coped the better. Up front the Attack rode well, and backed up a great display by the midfield, who are exchanging with long stick Matt Grody at the right times, adding pressure to the opposition.Lastly the presence of three qualified officials makes a hell of a difference, less tension from bad calls (there are always some) and generally the game improves because of it.Quotes of the day:'Take him he's wearing purple gloves' Blues LDO to his attack on Mike Brand'I didn't see my goal, was it a good one?' Pat Peacock after scoring his first ever league goal.'If you do they'll be F****** ugly' Mark Pinnick to Nik Roberts after an offer by Roberts to have Mackays babies after the fifth goal.

2006-01-14T04:22:00.000-05:00

On Fire

The night after Mark Messier's jersey was retired, another milestone occurred at the Garden. New coach Larry Brown registered his 1,000th win. Also, the Knicks are on fire winning their 6th straight, keeping them undefeated in 2006. The usually disgruntled Jamal Crawford has taken his new role as sixth man in stride, looking to be the front runner for the best sixth man in the league. The Knicks roll into T.O. tomorrow to play another hot team the Raptors.

2006-01-13T17:20:00.000-05:00

Ralph Wilson and Marv Levy ponder their next head coach

2006-01-11T18:25:00.000-05:00

Hoax Or Not?

Supposedly this is a real cat, the name being Cy short for Cyclops. The article I have linked at the bottom argues that this is a real animal with the condition named "Holoprosencephaly." I don't know whether I'm just too tired, or my hatred of all things feline, that is stopping me from debating this in my head.

AOL Article

2006-01-09T18:39:00.000-05:00

Andy "The Viking" Fordham

Here's a quick lesson in English culture for all of you no passport having Yanks. Andy "The Viking" Fordham is a famous darts player from London. He won the 2004 World Professional Darts Championship. He is listed as weighing 30 stone (420 pounds), also it is reported that he regularly consumes 25 bottles of beer before competing in a darts match. Now would you call him an athlete or what???

2006-01-09T14:17:00.000-05:00

Brand Knew Mixtape #4

I believe this one to be my best yet. A good mix of fresh cuts, oldies and a little rap. Download and enjoy!

2006-01-09T08:13:00.000-05:00

BREAK UP THE KNICKS

The New York Knickerbockers are in the midst of their longest winning streak of the season...three games. Yes that is miniscule, but the way this turbulent season has been going it feels like the longest streak of all time. Unfortunately their next game is against Lebron James and the red hot Cleveland Cavaliers. This game will be a real test to see if this is a flash in the pan, or coach Larry Brown's reputation for coaching finally manifesting. The Knicks are undefeated in 2006 so I must think a few resolutions were made. I do believe this season is cursed considering I still have yet to watch one game this season.

2006-01-07T14:47:00.000-05:00

Bath v Reading

All the sevens 7th day of the year. 7th time Bath have played Reading competitively (1st win) 7 losses for Bath in the league this season so far 7 goals scored by Reading (Bath got 8 remember) 77 league goals scored by Bath so far this season. 107 league goals against Bath this season so far. 107 Years is the combined age of Happy and Trevor Rogers (good ground ball). 797 is the goal difference for the Bath first team in all competitions since 1982. 7 inches is just a wish.

Bath start the new year with their first ever competitive win over Reading with a mirror game of the away fixture earlier in the season, not since February 2000 in a friendly have Bath managed to get ahead of the Reading outfit, the win also moves Bath above Reading in the league.Some rapid rearranging was needed by the Bath captains, moving LDO Defenceman Mike Brand into attack and calling on Happy Harrop for a camio role in goal, both had good games, Mike with an assist and a goal and Happy with some outstanding saves, he even came out of the goal to contest ground balls, one of which, with Trevor Rogers must have been one of the oldest match ups in the game (107 years combined).Bath started well, controlling the ball all over the park and bossing the defence, getting Jim Cowen on at every opportunity as long stick middie. In a tight game Bath converted better with 2 goals from returning attack man Nik Roberts and a clean sheet for the defence, by half time Bath had gained a 6:1 lead and frankly looked the better team.The second half saw a shift in tactics by Reading, man marking Roberts and pressuring the ball carrier, gradually they got back into the game with a 4 to 0 third quarter, Bath looked nervous, and silly mistakes started to creep in, letting Reading go into the last 3 minutes of the game 7 all and a man up play. Happy saved well and in the last minute, Birthday Boy Ken Murray shot from midfield to score the winner.Most of Baths goals were well crafted with the midfield finding the attack well, Dougie Mackay in particular having an outstanding game scoring twice and assisting what was probably the best goal of the game.Lets hope the momentum is kept up in the weeks to come.Noise of the day:The Radiator like hissing of Happy''s lungs.Insincere Quote of the day:''So sorry'' Ken Murray after trying to decapitate Trevor RogersMilestone of the day:Kens Birthday, 43 and still the fittest (health not looks) bloke on the pitch.

2006-01-06T19:52:00.000-05:00

Tropical Buffalo

I found this article in the Buffalo news and couldn't help but post it here. Don't worry it's just as dreary here in "The Jolly Old" but just minus the snow.

Buffalo News Article

2006-01-05T14:27:00.000-05:00

Welcome Back Marv

Marvelous Marv Levy was hired today as the General Manager and President of Football Operations for the Buffalo Bills. Most of you readers (beside the Briton's of course) know he was the head coach during the dominating years of the early 1990's for the Bills. Last August Marv turned 80 years old, but during today's news conference he spoke and looked like a young whipper snapper! He mentioned that he runs 3 miles 5 days a week. That is embarresing for young'ns like myself who probably couldn't run 3 miles in 5 days. I can't say I am disappointed with this decision, but I just hope Bills fans don't expect a quantum leap to the glory days. In closing Marv said, "People ask me 'Aren't you retired?' I say yes I'm retired, and now that I've got those new tires I'm ready to go!" THE BILLS MAKE ME WANNA SHOUT!

2006-01-05T06:53:00.000-05:00

Pump Up and Air OutI bought these trainers (sneakers) the other day for 10 quid. I feel like Michael Chang already!

2006-01-02T07:55:00.000-05:00

New Year's in Bath Nothing too special to report on. Drank too much fake champagne (Cava and Australian sparkling wine) and it felt like Hiroshima in my head the next morning.

2005-12-30T21:06:00.000-05:00

The Bard

Don't forget to sing Auld Lang Syne, written by my Great Great Great Great Grandfather Rabbie Burns, tomorrow at midnight.

Free Auld Lang Syne by The Glenn Miller Orchestra MP3
Auld Lang Syne Lyrics
Robert Burns Biography

Just a tip to all y'all Yanks...if a Scot ever tries to tell you a Haggis is an animal don't believe them!!

2005-12-30T08:16:00.000-05:00

I sure am glad I'm not home to witness this shite!

2005-12-25T19:45:00.000-05:00

I am Googled!

I discovered today that if you type "Brand Knew" in the google search engine, this very site is the first one listed. Mainly it has to do with the fact that Google does host this site.

2005-12-24T06:53:00.000-05:00

Broken Social Scene on NPR

If you've ever wondered about this band, Broken Social Scene, that I am constantly blabbing out on this blog, there's a great audio clip about them on National Public Radio. It really summarizes how they started, where they are now, and where they're headed.

To hear the clip CLICK HERE

2005-12-23T08:14:00.000-05:00

Brand Knew Mixtape #3

***CHRISTMAS EDITION***

2005-12-22T17:52:00.000-05:00

I received this in an e-mail today....they sure do make me wanna shout!

Should I send a reply saying, "I hope your plane crashes en route to your next away game!"? The fact that their punter in the most marketable player shows how bad the team is. HE SHOULD NEVER BE ON THE FIELD IF THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING! Don't even get me started with the Knicks!

2005-12-21T20:09:00.000-05:00

Knew's Top Five Albums of 2005

After viewing pitchfork media's query to some musicians asking for their top five albums, I thought I'd follow suit. I don't think I can think of another album that is even close to these five, although if we're talking songs I'm sure I could throw down 100.

Stars - Set Yourself on Fire (Arts & Crafts)

Although I was already a fan of this band due to their connection to Broken Social Scene, I was blown back by this album. To me it is the only "front-to-backer" of the year, whereas you can listen to it front to back without skipping a track. The buzz behind this band was solidified to me after seeing them in Manchester this past fall. Favorite Track: The Big Fight

Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene (Arts & Crafts)

This was an easy choice for me as they are everything I look for in a band. Experimental yet down to earth, hard yet soft, big yet compact, and old yet young. This may be seen as a slip from form for this band, but fortunately they should be releasing another album this year, considering it took three years to put out this one. As I once opened some Xmass gifts early then rewrapped them one year when I was a kid, I had heard most of the songs on this album before it came out, so it sort of ruined it. Favorite Track: Hotel

Danger Doom - The Mouse and the Mask(Epitaph)

Although my love for Hip-Hop has waned in the last few years, something as epic as Danger Doom can not be ignored. Comprised of two of the saviors of Hip-Hop, producer Danger Mouse (The Grey Album, Gorillaz), and MC MF Doom (KMD, Madvillian), their mixture gells like no other duo out right now. Playing on the fact that both of their handles are cartoon in nature, the whole Adult Swim gang makes appearances. The beats are stellar, the rhymes are ingenious, and the mix of real Hip-Hop and pot shots toward the rest of the industry mesh like two sides of a zipper! Favorite Track: Sofa King (Retarded)

Doves - Some Cities (Capitol)

Most people know I have a soft spot for Brit-pop and the rest of you have never heard that term before. It may not be the correct classification for this band, just like most people can't tell the difference from Techno to House (and rightfully so), but it will have to do. This Manchester trio hit a soft spot with me this year because as I learned I may be moving to England, their song "Black and White Town" was in my head, and gave me a taste of what it would be like (although completely untrue). I could have easily jumped on the Coldplay wagon for this list, but I haven't gotten through their whole album and this one is clearly better. They really mix pop with elaborate sweeping sounds so well. Favorite Track: Snowden

KT Tunstall - Eye to the Telescope (EMI)I also have a place in my heart for women singer songwriters. KT cannot hold a candle to the Feist's and Kimya Dawson's of the world, but her cocky attitude is so appealing. Her songs are a little poppy for the indie elite, but it suits my soul perfectly. The only thing she may lack is the mysterious qualities of the aforementioned singers, but the catchiness of her album drew me in immediately. Favorite Track: Under the Weather

When I embarked on this task I was under the impression it would be easy to pick five, but it was harder than I could have imagined. Next year should be unbelievably easy, as Feist, Broken Social Scene, Badly Drawn Boy, The Streets, Sam Roberts, The Strokes, The Shins, Tenacious D, Modest Mouse, and De La Soul are due to release albums in 2006. Shit, we may even see a Spice Girls reunion or even more unlikely, I may not even be using computers by next year!!

2005-12-21T13:37:00.000-05:00

My Neice and Nephews at ChristmastimeBaby Sarah

Finley and Grayson

2005-12-21T10:44:00.000-05:00

London Town

Being in London for the Broken Social Scene show, I took the next day to do some sight seeing. Here's a few pics from the trip. The rest of the photos (and there are many) are on my Webshots page.

Picadilly Circus

The London Eye

Big Ben Parliament

Buckingham Palace

Heeheeheeheehee

2005-12-21T09:34:00.000-05:00

Broken Social Scene London

I took a little two day trip to London-town to see the greatest band on the planet, Broken Social Scene. After checking into my two star hotel, meeting up with Joey Joe Joe, and necking a few Stella's, we hit the tube to make our way there.

The venue, called The Cargo, was down a dark alley in the North side of the city. Unfortunately we missed the opener, The Most Serene Republic, who I didn't really like but have since changed my mind. As the band was setting up we purchased a couple Old Speckled Hen's and made our way into the bunker type room. As the band hit the stage the crowd jammed in the room to make it uncomfortably tight. After about ten songs and needing a bathroom break, we made our way out to the bar. Fortunately the whole show was on the big screen in the bar with the audio coming from speakers right next to us. Joe needed to catch his train back to Sussex, so he took off and I had a few more Hen's and watched the end. After the show I stuck around to see who I could talk to. John Crossingham first made his way through and we had a nice conversation. Then Justin Peroff the drummer entered the room and I approached him. Talk about the most down to earth human musician I've met. We chatted for a while and bought a couple rounds. After the crowd left and the security wanted to kick everyone out he gave the guard the ole "he's with us." I helped them break some of the set down and conversed with the rest of the band. Being from Toronto they are well aware of Buffalo television. Their horn/guitarist Charles Spearin and I had some laughs about Irv Weinstein and the town names he had remembered from the weather report such as Tonawanda and Cheektowaga. They then took me back stage. It wasn't the most glamorous setup but the booze was free. After having many conversations with a wide array of folks from the BSS family I need to crash. On our way out we ran into a elderly rastafarian who was freestyle Raggaing and asking for change. Justin and I both being hip hop fans were very intrigued. I then took a cab back to my hotel on the other side of the city and passed the hell out.What an amazing experience. They are coming back to England in February and I will surely run into them again!

2005-12-21T09:03:00.000-05:00

Bath T Christmas Party

The U16's and U12 Juniors met up at Chicago Rock, Trowbridge for the Christmas Party. In all there were 26 players letting balloons and food fly around. Coaches Mike Brand Colin Carey and Nik Roberts, chose the most improved players in both age groups. Darren May, who plays Defence for the U16''s and Sam King the U12 Goalkeeper. This is the third year that the juniors have met up for Christmas in the Chicago Rock, balloons that became missiles and helium that became squeeky voices were all provided.

2005-12-21T08:11:00.000-05:00

Pub Golf

After yet another loss to the hands of Hampstead, a majority of the team ventured into town for our Christmas party/pub golf debacle. This was my first experience with the sport, and if our country wasn't so massive I would recommend it. Here's a quick breakdown of the rules. Every drink is a hole, in our case we had every pub designated with two drinks as to keep our travels to a minimum. Each time a sip is taken from the designated drink from the list it counts as a stroke. The stronger or larger the drink the higher the par. You neck/slam/pound/down the whole drink in one that is of course a hole in one.

The game got off to a smooth smart with most of us getting a few holes in one in a row to start. If you know my drinking habits (it obviously is inherited from my father who gets pissed off of one Manhattan) I could only really last nine holes, which is more than I can last at real golf. I was then back to drinking pints at my own pace...very slowly of course. After hitting the Ale House for a few boundys, we finished at the infamous Huntsman. Of course the two pseudo alpha males, Sharky and Jeff, claimed to be tied after 18 holes warranting a playoff hole. The official for the match Nik Roberts disappeared to the bar to return with two pink drinks and 2 shots of Bailey's. The shots were dropped in and the drinks began to curdle. Both drinks were downed, Sharky's staying down and Jeff's reentering the atmosphere as fast as it was consumed, to the displeasure of the unfortunate table. After some unnecessary dancing we made our back to the hostel we rented and began to act like children. Wrestling matches broke out, underwear was forcefully removed, and my camera had a very bad meeting with the wall at high speed...it clearly deserved it!

To add insult to injury, the runner up Jeff, also vomited in the street the next morning!All pictures from the evening can be found here

2005-12-21T08:02:00.000-05:00

Bath 9:16 Hampstead By: Mike Brand (they've let the literary genius shine once again!)

Although marred by an unfortunate display of aggression from both sides, the match was very well played. The Bath side had to do some personnel rearranging which saw a defenceman and midfielder up on the attack side. With that in mind prior to the opening face, the defence and midfielder's picked up the slack to keep Bath still in the match. Fortunately the sun cooperated and stuck around for the whole match, although not to the delight of the goalies. The first quarter saw six goals as Bath trailed 4-2 at the end. The defence bossed the game and Dan Weil kept Bath in the match early with aggressive play that would set the tempo of the entire match. Matt Wellings and Doug MacKay paced Bath with the 2 goals of the 1st quarter. The 2nd quarter also showcased the defence, as Hampstead was only allowed 3 goals to make the halftime score 4 to 7. The 3rd quarter is when the Bath side showed their resilliance and battled back to tie the game. The lone regular attackman Simon Griffith's registered his first goal of the season off a botched clearing attempt by Hampstead, literally batting the ball into the cage. After a Hampstead penalty, usual long pole Mike Brand gave a no-look cross crease feed to Doug MacKay for another goal. The score was then tied 7-7 with Hampstead taking a time out. Unfortunately the break in action seemed to cool off Bath's momentum. After two lost draws Mark Jeffery's temper got the best of him and took his frustrations out on his opposing face partner. After a delayed retaliation attempt by Hampstead, cool heads prevailed and the game was brought back to order. Hampstead then added 2 goals to bring the end of the 3rd quarter score to 9-7. As has been the story all season, Bath's small and rearranged lineup ran out of gas. Hampstead pumped in seven goals in the 4th to bring the final score to 16-9. Bath has a length break in action until they host Reading on the 7th of January, whom they lost by one to earlier in the season.Quote of the day:'Moving Pick' by a referee. mmm really, on Mike Brand!!!!

2005-12-11T19:09:00.000-05:00

Sucks To Be Buffalo

Dry as a bone here in Trowbridge! The bottom of my jeans aren't ruined and our football team isn't absolute SHITE!

2005-12-11T18:48:00.000-05:00

Bath Uni 2nds v Bath City 2nds

Uni 8:9 City

I had 3 goals 1 assist and the game winning goal. I'm the best at being modest!

By Nik Roberts

When the decision was made to make a development squad it was done with the hope that the youngsters coming through the ranks would step up to the crease and play ball. As a coach you often worry that the lads will be put off laying bigger opposition, 14 yr olds against 20 yr olds doesn't look good on paper, but boy were we right to gamble, they looked good against Gloucester, and today they looked excellent.The whole day is a big step forward for Bath as a whole, given that the University team were also a development squad, the City looks strong for the future of the game. Bath City had 7 seniors and 10 U16's playing, giving a nice balance, and a good chance for the younger players to learn. Man of the Match for the City side must go to Lloyd Butler, who made half a dozen good, brave saves, and remained between the posts for the last 5 minutes, despite having a sprained thumb, and unable to hold the stick properly. Defensively the U16's have an awesome future with 5 really classy long sticks. In Attack there was some good movement, and a nice long give and go from Jake Beck resulted in his first goal. After a week that the Bath seniors would probably rather forget, this was a real tonic, good lacrosse played by enthusiastic, skilful players. Hopefully there will be a return fixture in February. Quote of the day: "Man, that's the most fun I've had all season" Coach Mike Brand at the end of the Match.

2005-12-11T18:41:00.000-05:00

Bath 5:11 Spencer

By Nik Roberts

Bath looked dreadful for a fair chunk of this game, they didn''t get out of the blocks, giving Spencer all the initiative and a healthy 7:0 half time lead. Despite a third quarter rally, Bath, who should regard Spencer as a winnable game just didn''t play. Even the Odd Down Pitch (used to accommodate the Rugby on the rec) couldn''t account for a dreadful performance. Dropped balls, bad passes, bad choices,etc etc. Highlights of the day few and far between, Matt Wellings three goals being it. Half the season over, and Bath need to pull their socks up.