What’s Your Brazil Team Name?

I am Macmahiano, fear me.

http://www.minimalsworld.net/BrazilName/brazilian.shtml

What’s yours?

Cox Cable: The Surreal Life

In june of last year we got a DVR from Cox Cable here in San Diego. It arrived in a nice box, into which we plopped the old (non dvr) box before mailing back to them.

Jump forward 12 months, we’ve moved house. Cox transfer our service to the new place, a guy comes out when we’re not here and activates it all from the central box at the back of the house (on the outside). The cable internet doesn’t work when we get home, so I spend half an hour on the phone with their technical support and get it all sorted out, mapping MAC ids etc. All very straightforward.

Our first bill at the new place arrives, and for once we actually take a proper look at it. That’s odd, we’re being charged for two cable boxes, and they charged us a setup fee for our Cable internet. Strange. A long phonecall later establishes that they do indeed appear to think we have the old box, that they’ve been charging us for it since June of last year, and that they’re absolutely certain a cox person came into our house to install the cable for us (which warrants a charge). Wrong on both counts, unless he broke in to take a look at the cable when we weren’t here. He didn’t do that, according to the customer service chap.

A few more phonecalls and we’re assured a surpervisor’s going to call us back.

We call back and it happens again a little while later.
And again.

Then to today, one of the most surreal conversations I have ever had. The Cox guy told me it was my responsibility to produce the work order proving the guy hadn’t been into my house. But the guy hadn’t been into my house, so I’d never met him, so how was I supposed to have got him to sign something proving that he hadn’t been into my house. And whoever heard of somebody signing a work order when they don’t do any work? Come to think of it, whoever heard of a customer having the workman sign a work order?

The whole episode was Kafka-esque, it really was. Absolutely absurd.

We’ve got Direct TV now.

Are Spain Really Out?

It’s been two days, but I still can’t quite believe it. Perhaps the worst French team of my lifetime beating the best Spain team of my lifetime. Not only that, but a Spain that looked well in control of much of the match. I was hoping for big things from them, so I’m very disappointed indeed. Henry claimed he didn’t cheat, despite having gone down clutching his face like an absolute cheating bastard. Try the same thing against Roberto Carlos at the weekend and he’ll give you reason to clutch your face like that.

Earlier in the week the Aussies got dumped out by a cheating Italian sqad. I absolutely hate this Italy team (sorry Giorgia). An odious bunch of cheating feckers, most of whom will be playing in Serie C next season. Haha. Fair play Aussies, you deserved extra time at least. Horribly cruel way of going out, and I can’t help but feel that the big team factor came into the ref’s thinking in awarding that last minute penalty. You think he’d have awarded it at the other end? Heart breaker.

Only three days till England’s decimation of Portugal. Looking forward to that very much, of course. If we don’t turn up for this, we don’t deserve to be here. We don’t really deserve to still be here either way, but let’s not be picky.

Semi final predictions: Sexy Brazil v Boring England, Lucky Against Mexico Argentina v Cheating Italy

Final: Boring England v Lucky Against Mexico Argentina

Winner: Ingurland, obviously

Oh Dear…

So much for Spain then. What on earth happened there?

Sheesh.

We’re through then…

Quarter finals here we come. Just four shots on target, a fine goal from Becks (making him the first England player to score in three World Cups), and some pretty serious questions asked of us by one of the weakest team to get out of the groups. We're really going to have to improve, and quickly.

We watched the Argentina game here in San Diego in an massive Mexican restaurant: 800 mexicans in a barn, and us. Absolutely unforgettable experience, and a real shame for mexico. Argentina definitely looked vulnerable…

Perfect result for England in the Portugal game today: sixteen cards, two reds on each side… lucky win for Portugal… I can see the revenge factor coming in to play pretty seriously next weekend. No Deco, which although bad for the tournament is great news for us. Astonishing that Ruud didn't start…. he'd not have missed that one on one with the keeper Kuyt fired straight into him. There has to be more to that story… it just doesn't make sense for van Basten to leave him out.

England are going to win the World Cup.

Word.

Does Alan Hansen Read My Blog?

Hansen On Ronaldo, 06.24.06: "He is being played because he is Ronaldo and has been great, but on that basis Brazil would still have Pele playing up front for them"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/5112748.stm

My friend Dermot on Ronaldo, 06.14.06 "The manager says he’s picking Ronaldo for the next match, too. Why not go the whole hog and pick Pele? He was good once too…"

https://kaimac.wordpress.com/2006/06/13/eight-on-the-bounce-then/

Hmmm….

And they’re off…

Germany off to a quick start against Sweden. Two nothing up within 12 minutes…

Anyhow, WC knickers:

Auzzie! Auzzie! Auzzie!

Oi! Oi! Oi!

That's my new favorite game of the tournament… absolutely brilliant. Terrible football most of the time, but superb entertainment. Calamity goalkeeping, loads of near misses… a croatian getting three yellow cards… an insane final 20 minutes. Brilliant, brilliant stuff. I'm stoked for the Aussies…. they get screwed every time in qualifying, so it's nice to see them get through now that they finally made it. Absolutely deserved, too.

Italy next for them… second game in row I'll be supporting Italy's opposition 🙂

Cruel…. really cruel….

US equalises with a great goal only to concede a very dodgy penalty a couple of minutes later. To rub salt into the wound the Czechs are losing 1-0 and down a man.

Should be a cracking second half though. US needs to score twice.

Big Day For The US Tomorrow…

The day of reckoning. Unfortunately I think Ghana may prove to be too good for them, but you never know. Am expecting the Italians to take care of the Czechs, but on what I've seen so far I have to like Ghana to do the business. Will be interesting to see who starts for the US, given the suspensions. I would guess Conrad?

Today's games were good fun, despite the comedy referee in the early game. Holland/Argentina didn't turn out as I'd have liked, but I guess there wasn't that much on the line for them. Reasonably exciting, given the circumstances (both already qualified).

I can't stop thinking about how much better England need to get. Without drastic improvements, we're going to lose to Ecuador. We've had one good half so far this tournament, which given the quality of the opposition is pretty shocking. Mexico got through, which is good for me locally, and Ivory Coast got their first win.

I have a bad feeling about Sunday. Then again, I am English.