Be Wary Of Fake Netflix Emails And Texts

I'm getting a worrying amount of fraudulent contact from people claiming to be from Netflix.

For example, here are some of the emails that landed in my inbox last week.

I opened one of the emails just to see what the content looks like. I suppose there is a good chance that there are people out there who would fall for this. 

People who are clued in on what to look out for in fake emails such as this will obviously know what it is. However, for those who aren't as savvy, this might be trouble.

I would surmise that it's a way to get your payment details. Or, failing that, at least your Netflix login credentials. I don't know anything about it, but I would not be surprised if there is a black market somewhere in the deep, dark web which sells Netflix information.

To further my concern over how these fake Netflix have began to pop up in my mail's inbox, I was surprised to see a text message from 'Netflix' informing me, once again, that they were unable to charge me for month. I was then asked to complete a form. I obviously didn't click on the link that it wanted me to access. However, I did a WHOIS search for the website and it is apparently based in Malaysia.

I called a number to try and report the URL, but it turned into a game of 'sorry?' because they couldn't understand me.

Be alert!

The 2020 Cadbury's Twirl Orange Presale

In 2019, Cadbury brought out a limited edition of its Twirl chocolate bar. It turned out to be a huge hit by selling out everywhere.

The company decided to bring back the Twirl Orange - once again for a limited period - this autumn and did so with an online promotion last week.

Cadbury's Twitter account set up a couple of presale events last week. It allowed 10,000 people to nab an early bar for 69p.

I gave it a go on the second day.

What I had to do was tweet the Cadbury account using the hashtag 'TwirlOrangePresale' after 12PM on the Thursday. I then had to hope that my tweet was in the first five thousand. 

After posting my tweet a minute after midday, I received a reply ten minutes later. It informed me that I was 3,371st in the queue. All I had to do was wait.

It was then a waiting game. 

At 3:03PM, I received a second reply. This time, it gave me a code and a link that allowed me to go onto the Cadbury website, buy ONE bar for 69p and get free delivery.

I did what was asked of me. 

On Monday morning, a shiny orange envelope landed on my doormat. I knew what it was, but I didn't know what else was inside.

Not only did I get the chocolate bar. I also had a badge which read 'I Got A Twirl Orange' and a certificate which - on the front - read 'Congratulations For Getting Your Hands On A Twirl Orange In The First Ever Presale'.

The back of the certificate claims that my bar was the 1,120th out of the 10,000 that were given away in the promotion. 

When I saw the number, I immediately thought that it didn't make sense considering I took part in day two. Therefore, five thousand bars should have already been given away by then. Add in the fact that I was the 3,371st person in the queue on Thursday, my guess is I should have had bar number 8,371 out of 10,000.

Then it dawned on me. Some people might have queued up on the two days and still haven't purchased their bar. Therefore, I jumped ahead of them.

Still - considering how many people were ahead of me, it still seems odd that I ended up with the 1,120th bar.

Not that I'm complaining. 

As for the bar itself - I enjoyed my portion. My nephew liked his. 

I like orange chocolate. I don't usually go out of my way to eat Twirl bars, but I found 

The bars will arrive in shops sometime in mid-September. It'll be interesting to see if the demand is as intense as it was last year.

Not Facing The Bill And Ted Music (Yet)

I had been looking forward to yesterday for quite a while, but something got in the way.

You see, August 28th was pencilled in my diary as the date that the third Bill and Ted movie - Bill and Ted Face The Music - was released. 

I assumed that, just like over in the USA, that I would be able to stream it because - over there - the movie is being released not only at cinemas, but also online.

It was a case of 'not so fast, my friend' earlier this week when I found out that the Coronavirus-forced alternative approach to premiering the filmwas only going to happen in the US. 

The only way us Brits can watch it legally is to do so in a cinema.

And - to add further insult to the injury I suffered when realising I would have to add more months to the twenty-eight year wait to see new Bill and Ted antics - the movie isn't going to be released theatrically over here until September 23rd.

14

It's 1:20AM BST when this post is published. I purposely set it to go live at this time for one reason.

It's exactly two weeks until the 2020 NFL season begins.

I still have doubts that this season is going to avoid any hiccups, but - the closer it comes - the more excited I'm getting.

I've missed watching American football ever since the XFL season was pulled this spring. 

14 days and counting....

Revisiting Revisiting Runaround

It has been over a week since I wrote about watching an episode of the children's game show - Runaround - for the first time since I was a very young boy.

I thought I'd revisit the topic for one last time because, in the aforementioned post, I closed by stating that there was another memory of the series that flooded back when I watched the episode over a week ago.

Those who may remember the series are sure to know that the children would stand in semi-circle compartments before they're asked a question by the show's host - Mike Reid. 

The thing that caused me to remember a childhood memory was seeing the kids inside the compartments.

My grandmother used to have an aid to help her stand in the shower. I vividly recall that the part in which my nan had to lean against was shaped exactly like the semi-circled pods the children in the game show stood in.

I remember this time. It could have been many times, actually. When this aid was not in use and I would pretend to be playing Runaround with my nan telling me to 'Guhooooo!.. and Runaround' just like Mike Reid would with the kids on the show.

It's one of the few memories I have of my grandmother. I'm glad that watching the episodes have reminded me exactly why the shower standing device (or whatever you can call it!) was the reason why we pretended to play Runaround.

Messi Asks To Leave Barcelona

Even though it shouldn't really be THAT surprising, considering there have been hints in the media for what seems like a long time, I was surprised to read that Lionel Messi has finally asked Barcelona FC to release him.

Apparently, the Argentine has a clause in his contract which allows him to leave the club for free if he requests it at the close of a season.

I read that there might be some ambiguity over that particular term of the deal considering that - in regular circumstances - the end of the season and start of the following season are established. The pandemic has led to 2019/20 ending later than that and, therefore, makes it difficult to determine whether the new season has started already despite there being a delay for 2020/21 due to the, yes - you guessed it - pandemic.

Still, it's a crazy time in football. Messi has been with the club since he was a teenager and has become a worldwide star.

If he goes, there would be many clubs out there looking to add him to their rosters. Manchester City are the betting favourites followed by Inter Milan.

I can't help but think that Paris Saint-Germain will be in for him. 

The team missed out on the Champions League trophy over the weekend, has money to spend and might see Messi as the missing piece to bring them the trophy.

Puzzling Times

One of the things I have done over this summer - when I haven't had anything else to do - is spend a few hours playing puzzles.

I started out by purchasing a crossword magazine and had a few goes at that. To be honest - I'm not that good at those kinds of puzzles, but I've enjoyed attempting them.

From there, I reacquainted myself with another kind of puzzle. One that I haven't played since my youth.

Criss Cross puzzles are word games in which you are given words and have to fit them into the right boxes on the page. To better explain what I mean, I'll add an image of one below.

As mentioned above, I first had a go at criss cross puzzles when I was younger. If I'm not mistaken, I did so on a family holiday because my dad bought a book for the flight. 

I recall being asked what kind of magazine I'd like for our holidays the following year and asking for one of those puzzle books.

I hadn't played another one until recently. At the risk of coming across as braggadocios, I believe that I am a lot better now than I was back then. 

To prove just how much I've thrown myself back into this criss cross thing, I've been timing myself to see how long it takes me to complete each game. Back then, I wasn't THAT much into challenging myself to see how well - or in some cases, not so well - I have done. 

Not Popping In A Pop Tart

One of the best things about my childhood visits to an American Air Force base in Germany during the 1980's was the fact that I got to sample some American cultures long before they made their way to these shores.

An example being the Pop Tart.

Pastry for breakfast was something very new to me when I was staying with my relatives. My aunt would pop one of these things into their toaster and then, shortly after, I'd have a warm treat to start my day off.

I cannot remember when, but just a few years after my experience, the Pop Tart finally came out over here and - if I'm not mistaken - has been a mainstay ever since. 

There was an offer on at my local supermarket the other day, so I thought I'd treat myself to a box of the strawberry flavour.

I burnt my thumb while taking one of the Pop Tarts out of the toaster a few days ago. I told a friend of mine about it and she told me she doesn't put hers in a toaster.

'Wait!' I thought, 'what kind of crazy idea is this?'

She explained that she enjoys them that way. I had never ever considered eating one that way. Until right now.

It's Sunday morning as I'm writing this post. It will go live on Monday morning. However, what I am going to do to close out is try a Pop Tart that hasn't been warmed up by a toaster.

Here is the room temperature edition of a strawberry Pop Tart in question.

 

Here goes...

Hmm. It isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I still prefer eating them the way I've always eaten them, but this way is not as unappealing as I initially believed.

Would I eat them like this again? Probably, but I won't do it regularly.

Leagues Return For 20/21

The Premier League and EFL released their fixture lists for the 2020/21 season this week.

All of the leagues will kick off on September 12th. In usual times, it's the EFL that starts first with the Premier League starting its season a week later.

We aren't living in usual times, though.

Another thing that I noticed is the FA - for the upcoming season - has done away with replays in the FA Cup matches. Therefore, if a game is a draw at full-time, it will go into extra time, and potentially penalties, rather than having a replay a few days later at the visiting team's home ground.

This kind of scenario was lucrative for lower league teams that played the top clubs, so - even though I can understand why it has been done - I still feel it's harsh. 

Back to September 12th - it's going to be an interesting weekend as the NFL season starts that week as well.

Spilt Mylk

I bet on a horse in the 1:35PM from Killarney yesterday morning. Its name was Tiger Mylk.

It was a tip from somebody I follow on Twitter. He backed the horse at 14/1. It had dipped into 12/1 when I caught it.

After placing the wager, I got on with my day. 

Until a bottle of milk dropped out of the fridge onto the floor.

I had to mop it all up. Once I had finished, I checked the time - I had missed the race. 

The horse won in my absence, which means I mopped up a win from Mylk while I was mopping up real milk!

Trying Another Mini Cheddars Flavour

A little over a month ago, I wrote about liking the Red Leicester flavour of Mini Cheddars and went on a trip down Memory Lane by looking through old - and current - varieties of the biscuit snack and wrote about whether I liked them or not.

Since publishing the post, I've tried another flavour.

This one was Smoky BBQ Flavour. 

I didn't dislike the taste, but I wouldn't go so far as to state that I enjoyed it. They were just.. a barbecue flavoured cheese biscuit.

Nothing special and nothing that came close to the Marmite variety from back in the day.

Red Leicester is still the best of the current crop of Mini Cheddar flavours.

Back Dated

If you're a frequent visitor to my blog, you're bound to be aware that one of my annual traditions - as I prepare for upcoming American football seasons - is to purchase a handful of yearbooks.

My favourite title is the Marc Lawrence Playbook Handicapper's Yearbook. It has been a handy assistant for my gambling ever since I bought my first issue in 2009. 

I have bought it every year since.

After buying the first I first book, I have had an idea in the back of mind to keep record of the historical stats from each season and use is for my betting so that - in years from now - I will have a lot of information to have at hand to help me with my betting.

With my fear that there will not be a proper season in 2020, due to the worldwide pandemic, I thought now was the right time to get to work on the project.

Each issue has date dating back ten years. Therefore, seeing as I started with the 2009 issue, I have pointspread and totals records from 1999 right up to the most recent season.

I figured that one way to get even more information for my project was to hunt any older issues of the yearbook.

And I found one on eBay.

However, there was a problem. The seller didn't list the UK as a country he was willing to sell it to. 

A friend of mine had told me recently that, if I ever needed anything sent from the US, she would get it for me and send it across. I took her up on the offer and asked if she could buy the magazine and send it over to me once she had it.

Well, she did just that. And then some. A parcel with the 2002 Playbook issue - and many more goodies that I'll write about in the future - arrived on my doorstep yesterday morning.

This additional magazine in my collection now means that I will have a database filled with pointspread and totals history all the way from 1992 to the present day.

It's going to be a huge project and I know for sure that I won't get it completed before the start of the 2020 season (if it happens!). I do aim to have it all done by the 2021 Kick Off.

Before I close this post, I'd like to say thank you to the person who made this possible. Thank you!

Revisiting Runaround

I recently found out that a television series from my very early childhood has been airing on Talking Pictures TV - a cable channel from over here in the United Kingdom.

Hosted by the late Mike Reid, Runaround aired on ITV regions between 1975 and 1981. It was a children's game show which had a group of kids compete against each other for prizes.

The contestants all start out in their own compartments. Reid would then read out questions and the children would then shown three answers. One answer was correct, the other two were false.

When a question is asked, and the three options are displayed, the children have to run towards the part of the studio and stand below what they think the true selection is.

Once situated under the answer, they have a split second to switch before their response is locked in. Subterfuge plays a part in the game as some kids might run to the wrong selection initially in an attempt to mislead their rivals  before their final decision is made.

The children that are positioned under the correct answer each get a ball to place in a container next to their compartment while those that get the question wrong end up in what is best described as a jail. 

At the end of the game, the player with the most points (balls) gets to choose their prize.

The episode I watched was dated June 13th 1980. I would have been one at the time.

They had special guests on during the game. First there was a man who rode a miniature locomotive train onto the set, then there was a lady who made silhouette pictures and then there was a man who rode a three-wheeled fire engine onto the set. He didn't get to ride it off, though. The vehicle wouldn't start, so Mike Reid had to push him out of the studio. When Reid did this, he muttered something about it being 'live TV'. 

There was also an appearance by The Jags, who played their song Party Games. 

The game was won by a young boy. When he was victorious, he had the choice of a selection of prizes like: a photograph album, watch, radio, DIY woodwork set and a pair of bonoculars.

He chose the star prize - a portable television.

It's incredible to think how much was packed into thirty minutes. Especially if it was live as Mike Reid said whilst dealing with the fire engine calamity.

I have another thing to write about Runaround, but that's for another day because it's a personal memory that deserves its own focus.

Yet Another Newcastle United Takeover Story

There was yet another Newcastle United takeover story in the news yesterday.

This time, the alleged party that is interested in the club is a group of investors from Singapore. The article goes on to state that the group has been speaking to one of the club's most famous players - Alan Shearer. 

They've also spoken with Michael Chopra.

Yes - Chopra, who played twenty-one times for the Magpies. 

I can't help but feel this is a BS story, but we'll see.

Another thing that me question the legitimacy of the story is the potential new owners have already spoken with Shearer and want him as their new manager.

There's no doubt Shearer was a magnificent player, not only for Newcastle, but everywhere else he played. However, if I were looking to buy the club, Shearer would not be on my list of possible managers.

In my opinion, and if this is all true, the group is catering to the Newcastle fans who are rightfully upset at the current owner - Mike Ashley. 

With all that said, I am sure there is a contingent of Anti-Ashley supporters that are fearful of Shearer being the manager considering how poorly he did in the few months he took over in their relegation fight - and ultimately, loss - of 2009.

Shearer has not managed a club since that experience.

Ticking Off A Mars Bar In Batter

I'm not going to flat out state that it has been on a bucket list, but - ever since I heard about their existence - I've always wanted to try a Mars Bar in batter.

The food item was invented in 1992 by John Davie at the Haven Chip Bar which is Stonehaven in Scotland. The chippy has since changed its name to 'The Carron', but still boasts to be 'the birthplace of the world famous deep fried Mars Bar'.

As noted in the open: ever since I first came across news articles about them, I wondered what it would be like to buy one from a chippy here in Wales.

Well, I finally found somewhere.

This past weekend, I was looking through the Just Eat website for local chip shops that sold Clark's Pies for one of my family members. During the search, I stumbled upon three four words I hadn't thought I'd ever see down here in Wales.

Mars. Bar. In. Batter.

The shop didn't sell the pie I was looking for, but I immediately went to Plan B because there was no way I was going to hold off any longer.

I was going to buy - and ultimately try - my first ever Mars Bar in Batter.

I have to admit, I was quite disappointed when I first opened the polystyrene box it came in.

Yes, I know Mars Bars aren't the same size as they were back in the day. However, the one the chippy gave me was the snack version.

If I'm paying £2.50 for a deep fried Mars Bar, I should have a regular. No?

As for the taste - well, it was peculiar. The chocolate and caramel had obviously melted in the fryer so it was quite soggy. The nougat part kept it from being a complete mess to hold, however.

I can now tick it off my list. I have eaten a Mars Bar in batter from a chip shop.

Even though I didn't dislike it, I doubt I'd go out of my way to buy one again. With that said - I  might entertain the idea of doing my own. That way, I'll get to eat a regular sized version of the chocolate bar.

As for what's next on the 'Not a Bucket List List' - I've got something else in mind.....

Hard Knocks 2020

I caught the first episode of the latest season of NFL Hard Knocks on Friday and found it to be even more intriguing than previous editions.

The series - which comes out around this time each year - highlights an American football franchise as it prepares for the upcoming season. In 2020, two teams are covered: The Chargers and Rams.

I surmise the reason why the two teams were picked for this year is because they're both moving into the newly-built SoFi Stadium.

The decision to focus on the two Los Angeles teams turned out to be a lucky fluke considering how there will be no pre-season games due to the Covid Pandemic and, as a result, will limit the 'storylines' that will play a part in the documentary

Covid was obviously a key story in the first episode. I have no doubt it'll be the focus of the entire season.

It was interesting to see all the safety measures the NFL has implemented to make sure things run smoothly. 

With that said, I still fear that something is going to happen that will result in games, and maybe even the season itself, being called off.

Three Men And A Remake

I recently found out that Disney is working on a remake of Three Men and a Baby.

My initial thought was 'okay', but then I started thinking a little more and came up with an even better idea.

Why not just have a third movie?

The original came out in 1987. I fondly remember it because it is the movie my father took a friend and I to see on my birthday. My mother took my sister and I to see the sequel - Three Men and a Little Lady - in the cinema when it came out over here in the UK in the early 1990's.

A third film could see the three original men - Ted Danson, Tom Selleck and Steve Guttenberg - reprise their original roles and find themselves having to deal with some sort of catastrophe a grown up Mary puts them in (marriage,  her own pregnancy?).

I'd much rather revisit the people from the 1987 and 1990 movies than start all over again.

According to the articles I've read, Zac Efron has signed up for the project. It still needs a director. Once its complete, it will air on Disney Plus.

The Household Appliance Scam

I had another one of those household appliance phone scams on Wednesday.

What happens is the mark is cold called by someone claiming to represent an warranty company to inform the person who answers that the cover on their household appliance is due and they'll allow them to renew over the phone.

It's a scam.

In my call, the person told me the insurance on my refrigerator needed to be renewed. Here's how our short conversation ended.

Me: Okay, what brand is my fridge? 

Scammer: Hotpoint

Me: Ummm (I legitimately forgot what I had, so walked over to the fridge with the phone in my hand).. I have an... errr.. (it also took me a while to find the logo as we have a lot of pictures on our fridge)..

Scammer: You have a..

Me: I have a Samsung. You lose. Goodbye.

The NFL's New UK TV Deal

I received an email from the NFL UK yesterday to inform me that the league and Sky Sports have negotiated a new deal to air American football over here in the UK.

The contract is for five years.

What I was also told, in the email, is that Sky will have a channel dedicated completely to the NFL. It''ll start in early September and will be called..

..drum roll...

Sky Sports NFL.

Here's what will be included in the channel:

- A minimum of five live games each week

- First-pick exclusive game on Sky Sports in the 6PM and 9PM slot every Sunday

- NFL RedZone (yes!)

- Every minute of every playoff game, Pro Bowl and Super Bowl live

- Flagship programming from the NFL Network, including Good Morning Football and Total Access

- Award winning documentaries and other content from NFL Films and NBC Sports

- Brand new weekly shows to review the action and discuss the stories of the league, including original Sky Sports programming

To be fair, it just seems like what we have been getting on Sky Sports before now. However, it'll all be on one dedicated channel.

Another 'Exact Finishing Order' Bet For The 2020 NFL Season

I placed yet another 'Exact Finishing Order' NFL division bet recently.

It was an extension of a plan I wrote about last Wednesday. In those bets, I placed three Super Heinz bets using the predicted finishes that three annual publications came up with for the 2020 season.

I once again used the finishes projected by the yearbooks. However, I made some changes.

- This time, I did a Lucky 31 and bet on the five divisions in which the three magazines were not in agreement

- I chose which magazine's pick to use for each division by spinning a circle (this was an idea my nephew suggested)

The spinner was also used to work out the order I picked each league.

Here's what the division order spinner looked like.

The order came in as follows:

1. AFC West

2. NFC North

3. AFC South

4. NFC West

5. AFC North

Here's what the yearbook picker looked like. I added each magazine three times. 

Here are the results. I have added the odds beside each order.

AFC West

Gridiron's yearbook was the winner in the battle to have the selection for the AFC West. 

 KANSAS CITY, LAS VEGAS, DENVER, LA CHARGER 9/2

NFC North

Lindy's prediction for the NFC North was what was selected in the second spin.

MINNESOTA, CHICAGO, GREEN BAY, DETROIT 17/2

AFC South

The circle stopped once again stopped on Gridiron in the third spin. This time, it was selecting for the AFC South pick.

TENNESSEE, INDIANAPOLIS, HOUSTON, JACKSONVILLE 7/2

NFC West

The Street and Smith yearbook is what the spinner stopped at for the NFC West selection.

SAN FRANCISCO, SEATTLE, LA RAMS, ARIZONA 7/2

AFC North

Street and Smith was the magazine that the circle selected for the AFC North. 

 BALTIMORE, PITTSBURGH, CLEVELAND, CINCINNATI  8/5

My Bet

As mentioned above, the five selections were to be placed in a Lucky 31. I chose to go with 50p a line, so the total spend came to £15.50.

If I am fortunate to get everything right, not only would I be very surprised, I would also have a return of £3,715.71.

Kamala

 I woke up in the early hours of yesterday morning to find out that Kamala had passed away after contracting coronavirus.

The Ugandan Giant had short spells in the WWF when I was a child. Despite those brief runs in the WWF, Kamala had a lengthy journeyman career  starting out in 1978 as 'Sugar Bear' Harris.

The Kamala gimmick was that of an African native. He'd come to the ring with a shield and spear. His body and face would be covered in tribal paint. He also wouldn't talk English and would need handlers to bring him in and out of the ring. 

It's a character that I highly doubt would be seen as politically correct nowadays. 

I do have some fond memories of the character. 

I wasn't following the WWF when he had his first stints in the company, but I was when he returned in 1992. He had a feud with The Undertaker which saw the pair wrestle at Wembley Stadium at SummerSlam 1992.  There was also the coffin match the two had months later at the Survivor Series.

After the coffin match loss, they turned Kamala into a babyface but it was short-lived. 

I can't recall exactly when he showed up, but I can remember him being a part of WCW in 1995 and then - after that - he would make rare one-night appearances in WWF/WWE, but - like I said - they were infrequent.

I remember him inside William Regal's office and standing on the table. Regal made me laugh out loud when he said something like 'what's he bloody doing on my table!' (or something along those lines).

I never got to see Kamala wrestle live. However, there was an occasion when I fell for a bait-and-switch by a British wrestling company.

In early 1993, I saw a poster advertised locally with Kamala and the Mongolian Mauler advertised. As noted above, Kamala was still contracted to the WWF and working as a babyface at that point but I still went to the show. 

Well, I don't really need to continue do I? Yes - there was no sign of Kamala, but the Mongolian Mauler was there.

Another completely random memory I have of Kamala had nothing to do with seeing - or not seeing! - him wrestle.

I used to buy WWF bubble gums on the way to school. They'd have a sticker inside them. Well, on one of those days walking to school, the packet I had included a sticker of Kamala. Later that day, I was in one of my classes and must have been bored so I started messing around with the Kamala sticker. I tore around his head and put the sticker on the head on a picture of a motorbike rider that was on my pencil case.

I showed the people sitting around me in the classroom and it entertained them for a second or two.

Over the past few years, I read that James Harris - the man who wrestled as Kamala - had to have his leg amputated - among other ailments - so it doesn't seem like he was doing well in his later years.

Indianapolis Colts Face Coverings

 A few weeks ago, I received an email from the NFL Europe Shop informing me that face coverings - bearing team logos - would be made available in late August.

I pre-ordered a set of Indianapolis Colts masks. The price was £14.99. Each set contains three masks with differing designs.

My order came earlier than expected as they arrived last Friday. 

Here's what they look like. I've placed them in order of preference starting with the one I like.

This one has the strongest pattern, but it feels - to me - like it's a bit over the top.

I like this one second because it isn't as loud as the previous one.

This one has the most horseshoe logos and seems simple enough. Not as loud as the mask I ranked third and slightly better than the one I have in second place.

The Summer I Turned 16

I was given a pair of socks with a pattern of lobsters on them for Christmas 2019. Seeing them instantly made memories of the summer of 1995 to flood back.

That summer, I spent a week with my cousin and her husband in west Wales. One of her husband's jobs was a fisherman. On my first day there, he asked me if I wanted to get up early the following morning and go out on his boat to pick up lobsters.

I thought it was an interesting proposition and took him up on the offer.

And I bloody loved it. So much, in fact, that I did it for almost every day I was there.

We'd wake up at the crack of dawn and drive down to the beach and spend hours on the boat going from buoy to buoy picking up the pots to haul in the lobsters to sell on to, I believe, local restaurants.

It was an experience that has remained with me to this very day. 

Looking back, I recall walking back up the hill - on my own - after one of those trips and thinking to myself how cool it was to have woken up at silly o'clock in the morning and to have completed a day's work by lunchtime.

Not that I can call what I did 'work'. I was simply there for the ride.

Those mornings gave me an appreciation for the jobs people in that line of work do. And I am not missing out on the fact that I did it in the summer. It must be harder doing that gig in the colder seasons.

It was one of the most enjoyable things a young city boy - like I was back then - could have done. I have so many fond memories of those mornings. Little things like songs from 1995 - that were on the radio we would listen to - always brings back fond memories.

As did those socks on Christmas morning...

Welcome To The Castle

This year's edition of I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here is sure going to be intriguing.

Due to the worldwide pandemic, the series - which usually places famous, and not so famous, faces in an Australian 'jungle' - will be done over here in the UK.

Instead of camping in the jungle, the contestants will rough it out in a rural castle and will take part in tasks in the hope of outlasting the other participants to become king or queen of the castle.

I suspected there would be a twist to this year's series due to all foreseen, and unforeseen, problems that would - and could - arise.

To be fair, I am glad that it's not going on a forced break. I'm keen to see how the castle setting will work, but would much rather the usual Australian setting.

Hopefully things will return back to normal for the 2021 version.

The Crossing

I was recommended a video on YouTube yesterday. 

It was of an area in Tokyo, Japan where Shinjuku Station is located. Apparently, it's the busiest railway station in the world.

Going by the short time I sat watching the live stream, I cannot argue about the station's status as I constantly heard trains passing through.

The street outside was even more interesting to view. I couldn't get over how large one of the zebra crossings was. 

I don't even know if it can really be classified as a zebra crossing considering they, and I quote, 'typically give(s) priority to pedestrians'.

With all that said, it's still obviously a pedestrian crossing of some sort and has the zebra pattern, so I suppose it must be a zebra crossing!

If it's available, you might be able to find the stream by searching for 'Tokyo Shinjuku Live Camera' on YouTube.

Wilford Brimley And The Brimley/Cocoon Line

Something very peculiar happened to me last week.

Sometime at the start of the week, somebody on my Twitter timeline retweeted a tweet from an account named @BrimleyLine. I didn't know what it was, but seeing 'Brimley/Cocoon Line' as the user's name made me curious.

My investigation resulted in me finding out that the Brimley/Cocoon line account is.. well, it's probably best for me to copy-and-paste what it's all about.

When 'Cocoon' reached theaters on June 21 1985, Wilford Brimley was 18.530 days old. This account makes note of people who have reached that age

So, there you go. The account points out to its followers when certain celebrities reach the ripe old age of 18,530 days old.

Even though I had seen Cocoon many times as a child, I didn't know the name 'Wilford Brimley'. I checked out his bio on IMDB and noticed he had been in a few films I've watched over the years. For example, he was in one of the made-for-TV Ewok films that came out in the mid-1980's. He was also in The Thing and returned for the Cocoon sequel.

I thought point out people who have reached 18,530 days old was quite  a random thing to keep track of, but decided to follow the account for a laugh. 

And then, on Sunday morning, I checked into Twitter to find out that 'Wilford Brimley' was the number one trend.

He had passed away at the age of eighty-five.

It should go without saying that I was very stunned considering I stumbled upon the Brimley/Cocoon Line account days earlier.

Brimley was apparently a fan of the account. The person - or persons - running it have said it shall continue.

I haven't crossed the line yet.

As of the time of writing - and unless I haven't screwed up my calculations somewhere - I am 15,072 days old. I'll be hitting the 18,530 days mark on January 23 2030.

An 'Exact Finishing Order' NFL Betting Idea

I had yet another American football betting idea while looking through the 2020 season preview guides last week.

It went like this:

Wouldn't it be interesting to place bets on the exact division finishing order that each book has projected for the upcoming season?

I had a look across a selection of online bookmakers to see which ones were offering the ability to gamble on the exact positions each division will end. All I could find was Paddy Power.

I wanted to do a Goliath with the eight selections. However, for some reason (possibly Tom Brady jumping ship from the New England Patriots), the bookies weren't accepting wagers on the correct order that the AFC East finishes up.

With there only being seven divisions to bet on, I was forced to go the Super Heinz route. 

A Super Heinz wager consists of 120 bets starting from all possible doubles that can be made with seven selections right up to one seven-fold.

The three wagers were done using the following yearbooks:

Gridirion

Lindy's

Street and Smith's Football 2020

In the sections below, I'll write about the division orders that each book has predicted and then get on to showing you what the odds are as well as the possible winnings I'll make from each bet.

It should go without saying that these wagers are really something to follow along during the season. I'm not going in expecting to win the jackpot, if you will. 

NFC South

All three yearbooks have the New Orleans Saints winning the division. They also have the same sequence when it comes to second, third and fourth places.

The order is: New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Carolina

NFC East

The yearbooks have the NFC South to end in the following order: Dallas, Philadelphia, New York Giants, Washington.

NFC North

Green Bay is fancied to win the NFC North by Street and Smith and Gridiron. However, the folks at Lindy's have Minnesota to be division champions.

Street and Smith's Order: Green Bay, Chicago, Minnesota, Detroit

Gridiron's order: Green Bay, Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit

Lindy's order: Minnesota, Chicago, Green Bay, Detroit

NFC West

All the books have San Francisco to be the victors of the NFC West. They also believe Seattle will finish second. However, there is a conflict of opinion with how third and fourth place will end with Lindy's and Gridiron picking Arizona to finish third ahead of the Los Angeles Rams while Street and Smith has Los Angeles third followed by the Cardinals.

Street and Smith's order: San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles Rams, Arizona

Gridiron's order: San Francisco, Seattle, Arizona, Los Angeles Rams

Lindy's order: San Francisco, Seattle, Arizona, Los Angeles Rams

AFC South

Lindy's believes that the Indianapolis Colts will be AFC South division champions while the other two have the Tennessee Titans doing so. 

Street and Smith's order: Tennessee, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville

Gridiron's order: Tennessee, Indianapolis, Houston, Jacksonville

Lindy's order: Indianapolis, Houston, Tennessee, Jacksonville

AFC East

All three yearbooks have the AFC East to be won by the Buffalo Bills with New England as first runners up. Then comes a contrast with Lindy's picking the Jets to finish in third ahead of Miami while the other two publications have Miami and then the Jets.

As noted above - at the time of my wagers, the market for the AFC East was off the board. Therefore, I was unable to place bets on this division.

Street and Smith's order: Buffalo, New England, Miami, NY Jets,

Gridiron's order: Buffalo, New England, Miami, NY Jets

Lindy's order: Buffalo, New England, NY Jets, Miami

AFC North

The Baltimore Ravens are all three magazines' picks to win the AFC North. However, there are conflicts with the rest of the order. Lindy's and Street and Smith have the same order while Gridiron has a different projection.

Street and Smith's order: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati

Lindy's order: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati 

Gridiron's order: Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati 

AFC West

Street and Smith's book  - along with Gridiron - have Kansas City winning the AFC West followed by Las Vegas, Denver and the Los Angeles Chargers. Lindy's projection has the Chiefs followed by the Broncos, Chargers and Raiders.

Street and Smith's order: Kansas City, Las Vegas, Denver, Los Angeles Chargers

Gridiron's order: Kansas City, Las Vegas, Denver, Los Angeles Chargers

Lindy's order: Kansas City, Denver, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas

My Bets

I have wagered 10p per line in the Super Heinz. Therefore, I've spent £12 on each wager. That's £36 in total.

All of the bets can be viewed below. You can see what I've gambled on and, most importantly, see what the odds are for each selection.

Street and Smith's Super Heinz

AFC West: KC, LV, DEN, LAC 9/2

NFC East: DAL, PHI, NYG, WAS 2/1

AFC North: BAL, PIT, CLE, CIN 8/5

AFC South: TEN, HOU, IND, JAX 13/2

NFC North: GB, CHI, MIN, DET 13/2

NFC South: NO, TB, ATL, CAR 13/10

NFC West: SF, SEA, LAR, ARI 7/2

Potential Winnings: £12,270.73

Gridiron's Super Heinz

AFC West: KC, LV, DEN, LAC 9/2

NFC East: DAL, PHI, NYG, WAS 2/1

AFC North: BAL, CLE, PIT, CIN 11/5

AFC South: TEN, IND, HOU, JAX 7/2

NFC North: GB, MIN, CHI, DET 5/1

NFC South: NO, TB, ATL, CAR 13/10

NFC West: SF, SEA, ARI, LAR 13/1

Potential Winnings: £20,806.84

Lindy's Super Heinz

AFC West: KC, DEN, LAC, LV 4/1

NFC East: DAL, PHI, NYG, WAS 2/1

AFC North: BAL, PIT, CLE, CIN 8/5

AFC South: IND, HOU, TEN, JAX 11/2

NFC North: MIN, CHI, GB, DET 17/2

NFC South: NO, TB, ATL, CAR 13/10

NFC West: SF, SEA, ARI, LAR 13/1

Potential Winnings: £33,675.41

If all goes well (ie - the season happens and concludes properly), I'll publish an update with a look at how the yearbooks' picks compared to actuality.

The XFL Bought By A Surprise Buyer

In what was a surprise to yours truly, Vince McMahon's American football league - the XFL - was brought back from bankruptcy yesterday.

In an even bigger surprise - it was done by somebody well-known to Mr. McMahon.

McMahon's league was brought back to life after a 2001 run that ended in closure. However, the 2020 league restart was brought to a halt due to Covid-19 forcing world sports to go dark. Unfortunately for everybody involved with the XFL, McMahon's Alpha Entertainment - the company that owned the league - filed for bankruptcy weeks later.

I was gutted when the league abruptly stopped. I was even more disappointed when the league looked to be done for good. 

For a second time.

And then came yesterday's news.

Dwayne Johnson, along with his ex-wife - Dany Garcia - and RedBird Capital, were reported as having purchased the league for $15 Million. 

How about that? The guy who first found fame working for Vince McMahon now ends up owning one of his former boss' properties. 

It should go without saying that I am happy to see the XFL saved (if you can call it that). I really did enjoy watching spring football.

I only hope that the new owners find it a worthwhile venture and the league lasts longer than the previous two incarnations.

A Tribute To Jack

Here's something that I thought was really cool when I was looking at the mail that came through the letterbox last week.

When Royal Mail stamped the letter at its Chester and North Wales office, it did so with a special Jack Charlton tribute.

It came in the way of a printed football with Charlton's name above it. In the spot below the ball is '1935-2020'.

Charlton passed away last month. I wrote a little bit about him, and a period when he managed the Irish football team at the Italia '90 World Cup, in this post.

As for the tribute from the sorting office - very nice.

Gridiron's Quick Edit

As I have written a few times over the past few weeks, I've been buying American football yearbooks despite having a concern that the season might not happen. 

One of the magazines from my shopping list is the British publication - Gridiron.

I bought the yearbook direct from the publishers. It arrived this past Wednesday along with the Marc Lawrence Playbook annual for 2020. The first thing I noticed, when I leafed through - after opening the envelope - was how good a job they did at editing a certain thing.

It was only recently that the Washington team has felt the need (or rather been pressured) to rebrand from its Redskins name and logo due it being offensive to Native Americans.

The page for Washington doesn't have the former team logo and name. Instead it looks like this:

To contrast, here's what the Arizona Cardinals' page looks like:

I believe it's safe to surmise that this is the only 2020 season preview book that will have the adjustment because every other title I can think of must have gone to press and hit the shelves long before Washington's owners revealed its intention to rebrand.

Gridiron's publishers did well in the little time it had to change things before it hit the press. I for sure wouldn't have thought anything negative had the pages still referred to the team as the Redskins because I would have assumed they didn't have time to edit the content before going to press.

For this season, the franchise will be known as 'The Washington Football Team'. A new name and logo will be revealed at a later date. 

FA Cup Final 2020

It seems extremely peculiar to write this on August 1st because it's usually late-April or May whenever I have written the following sentence in the past, but:

Today is FA Cup day.

This year will see Arsenal and Chelsea go at it at Wembley. The two teams will do so in front of empty stadium,

Despite this, I am looking forward to seeing how it'll play out.

Arsenal are underdogs. Therefore, that'll be the team I am going to side with.

This isn't the first time I've sided with the Gunners to win the cup. It's just the first, and hopefully last, time I'll do so in August.