Favourite Album cover (s)

1. Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien - Classic Marvel comics Silver Surfer in Satriani's 2nd album offering. His later albums don't compare (musically, not so) to this. All later albums merely have some arty shots of Joe, guitar in hand, looking all pensive with light drenched behind him.....still looks good though!!

2. Sonic Temple - The Cult (Billy Duffy just looks "The Man", we've all practiced this pose before!! Haven't we?

3. Arise - Sepultura - Okay, so it's a blast from the past, but great artwork from Dan Seagrave


Thoughts and your fave cover(s)

Nintendo Wii - Let battle commence

I love Nintendo let's get that clear.

I admire their vision, their spirit and their desire to innovate in an otherwise bland market driven by cash hungry, multi-national corporate organisations. These huge businesses (M'soft and Sony in case you were wondering!) are simply built on stripping kids (and parents) of their hard earned cash for second rate games and hardware that is merely a poor improvement on the last...

Nintendo on the other hand offer something different. Everytime.

Whilst Gay-station and X-Bollocks merely improve the graphics on their new system, Nintendo fire things up with a totally new controller (again!) and offer gamers the opportunity to take a blast from the past and induldge in all the retro games we love from Snes / N64 and Gamecube via and online portal.

The new control system alone looks fascinating. Game designers are buzzing with ideas on how it can further enhance the gaming experience and bring the human / computer interface a further step closer. Nintendo creates gaming systems, not a "jack of all trades, master of none", like the "so called", competition. DVD players play DVD's, Stereo's play music, gaming systems play games?! It's a simple concept. You'd think.

At E3 last week, queues for Wii were 4 hours long compared to less that 20 minutes for PS3 and X-Box 360 - The word is out, the word is Wii and the future is bright...

...and I didn't even mention The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess once. That's a thread all of it's own...

Arsenal 1 Barcelona 2

Firstly, I am not an Arsenal fan.

However, I was dis-appointed to see the cup leave to a non-British club. What was Lehman thinking?

After last year in Istanbul to this years spectacle in the Stade de France, I think the UK is breaking into the big time again. We are a growing force to be reckoned with and we maintain it. How long has it been since 2 British clubs made the final on consecutive years?

My only hope is that the bloody Mancs don't get there next year.

My good spirit only goes so far.

Current top 5 albums:-

1) Mew - Frengers (Danish demi-gods debut album and an absolute corker. Comforting Sounds is a masterpiece)

2) Mew - And The Glass Handed Kites (2nd album, and in places batters the predecessor. Some great singles and can't wait for the US tour, hopefully coming to Toronto too!!!)

3) Pink Floyd - The Division Bell (the last studio album from them. Stunning guitar work from Dave Gilmour, great Friday afternoon drive home music)

4) The Open - Statues (just had brought over from the UK - Thanks Denise!!! Sounding very good, a far cry from 2004's The Silent Hours but very cool - A band clearly going places)

5) The Delays - You See Colours (A far stronger and more muscular album than Faded Seaside Glamour. Less padded too and a lot more stronger tracks than much of the pap on their debut)

Thoughts and your current Top 5 Albums?

Liverpool 3 West Ham 3 (L'pool win 3-1 on Penalties AET)

Remember when all we talked about was how shit it was to be a red fan? Wasn't that long ago either I might add...We'd reminisce about the glory years gone by and how we'd cling onto the hope that maybe, just maybe, that win at against a permiership B team at the weekend was the start of a new era?

How things have changed.

The miracle in Istanbul and all the emotion wrapped up in that day came flooding back. Joy, despair, more joy, anguish, torment, exhilaration and final relief. Even Thomas (a red fan, but still discovering the beaitiful game) was captivated. Lucy on the flipside, spent most of the second half, extra time and penalties in tears due to the sudden screams and hollering!! She was cheering at the end though

Steven Gerrard is without doubt, the greatest modern day English footballer I have ever witnessed. His ability to lead by example and drag the team to victory when it matters most is outstanding.

This cup final brought all the feelings of being a kid and watching the FA Cup on a Saturday afternoon flooding back. The excitement the week leading up to the game, the build-up on a Saturday morning, right up to KO at 3.00pm. My only regret is that again, I can't be there in Liverpool to see the lads bring the cup home. I missed the Champions league parade and now I've missed the FA Cup. More despair.

The future looks good for us reds now though. Progression each and every campaign. Rafa the Gaffer? You better believe it.

YNWA