The Gambler

Guessed Blogger.

Cats to Get the Cream?

In AFL football, the Geelong Cats look like they will be making their way back to the AFL grand Final. Thus far they have strung some impressive AFL results together and sit on top of the AFL ladder with St Kilda. They are at 8 to go through the season undefeated which if you think about it is incredibly short for such an accomplishment.

In other AFL betting St Kilda are at 13 to finish the season in 11^th place or worse. You can not bet on them finishing any higher.

Geelong are still favourite to finish the season in top spot and are at 1.33 to do so compared with St Kilda’s 4.2. Incredibly, Carlton is on the third line but at a distant 18.5. All things considered it is still quite early in the season so it isn't too late for anyone to make a run.

Over in the NRL rugby league, the Brisbane Broncos are the favourites to finish in the top 8. NRL betting has them at 1.04 to do so. Despite their up and down NRL results, the Melbourne Storm are at 1.25 to finish in the top 8. When it comes to being the premier, the NRL odds have St George in second place. They are at 6.8 to the Storm’s 8.
The Sharks and Roosters are languishing down the bottom and they play each other this week in a match which could decide who finishes last.

The last time we spoke about Ashes 2009, England were at 3.4 to win. Australia was at 1.81 while a draw was at 6.2. That is now at 3.45, 1.76 and 6.2 respectively; so a slight drift towards Australia. We will keep an eye on this as the Ashes gets closer. Even though we are in the midst of the second IPL, people are already thinking about the Ashes cricket which is on the horizon. The Australian side is currently in Dubai playing Pakistan in a five-match series which is the reason why the likes of Shane Watson, Andrew Symonds and David Hussey aren't playing in the IPL.

And from me.

Has no-one sponsored my wife today in her valiant attempt to run 5,000 metres to raise money for "Cancer Research"? If no-one does shortly, I will probably never "BLOG" again. BLOG OFF.

Just listening to "Christy Moore" singing "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" on "RTE Lyric FM". What a singer. What a player. What a voice. What a great radio station. 0165 on Sky. Christy up there with Van the Man IMO.

I need another sponsor. That was off his new album btw. What a man. Followed by a good old jig btw. Jaysus. What a day . What a year. What a life. Wait till the wife gets homes and beats me to a ... toilet.

BFN.

Poem.

Comes in the pub to do the crossword.

Drinks lime and soda.

What a turd.

Gets upset when it's done already,

Would drink lager.

But doctor said if you do be deady deady.

Life's a rock and roll.

Think I'll put me shoes on and take a stroll.

BFN.

Good Morning.

How goes it people?

I see over the weekend my site meter went over 150,000 readers. Not bad for an old part-timer. Many Thanks to you all for reading. I feel like I have a 150.000  "Virtual Friends" all around the world. A few polite comments like "keep up the good work, or your thoughts about anything in the world would be much appreciated.

Many thanks as well to "PK" for sponsoring my wife on her 5K run. She is running 5K to raise money for "Cancer Research". Anyone else who wants to help please do so.  I am keen to use my blog to raise money for "good causes". In the case of "Cancer Research" it may save a life one day. It may be one of your friends or family. It maybe "YOURS". Donate what you can afford, and more important spread the word via the Internet or whatever to your "friends and family".

The link is below. Please make the effort. Every little bit helps.

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/louiseshearer2

.

Is it Wednesday where you live?

Finally time to update me boogie. Up down bloogie boogie baby. Bloogie. A 70's disco version of a Blog?

Y I man, it's been a busy couple of days.

Well weekend was nae that busy. Mainly consisting of not feeling well and watching sport. Chelsea beat West 'am. Guess Liverpool won, and United beat Spurs, after getting a very dodgy penalty when they were 2-0 down. Arsenal beat 'Boro 2-0. Their first goal was clearly offside. Amazing how these top two clubs in particular get so many vital decisions in their favour.

So that was the weekend. George Best drama was worth watching.

Monday made it to doctors. He gave me loads of drugs and cream. Prognosis optimistic. Seems to be improving already. Have to take six steroid tablets a day at two hour intervals. First one after breakfast. Already on four anti-biotics a day. First one hour before breakfast. Throw on two metformin a day and, I am doing twelve tabs as part of my daily routine.

Co-ordinating this with three meals a day is occupying quite a lot of my brain-power. Might as well try and do it properly.

Attended "Heart of Pangbourne" meeting but was not really in the mood.

Mrs G. picked me up and we had SB for tea. Reading beat Norwich 2-0, setting up an exciting finale to The Championship this weekend, and then the playoffs. Norwich looks doomed, unless Delia gets her boots on, and plays up front. Ended up watching "Ashes for Ashes" and videoing "24". "A to A" very good. Getting interesting. That was probably it for Monday, apart from Newcastle failing to beat Pompey. WD to "TB" for predicting both results. Nice double. So that was Monday.

Tuesday. Spent morning doing some work for Mrs G. Very good , but after two plus hours in same position leg a bit stiff. Lunch. Walk. Got home. Internet not working. Finally worked out we had power cut which was expected to last four hours. Went for another walk as it was warmer outside than it was inside. Came home and sorted dinner out. By this time Mrs. G had departed to work as she needed internet access between 6.30pm and 8.30pm. Leccy came back on at 7.15pm, so it was the right decision. Watched the brilliant Chelsea draw 0-0 at Camp Nou against the not so brilliant Bar-celona. Looked more like Bar-nsley  than the "best team in Europe. No dis to my army of "barnsley" readers. Chelsea should do them at "The Bridge" before doing  a sadly under performing "Arsenal" and a somewhat out-of-form "United". Sad to see two top teams go downhill so quickly. Its a bit like watching an out-of control slalom skier on an alpine slope. At least the alpine skier only gets sent off once when he falls over, or else the Utd/Arsenal goalies would end up playing each other. Anyway should be an entertaining match.

Today up since 6am doing breakfast,"TV", "drugs", updating blog, answering emails, doing house husband duties, etc..etc...

Down to Pangborne later. Lots of decent sport on today. Snooker gets interesting as Hendry makes 147. Murphy worth a bet to win it outright, not just the match but the WC. Cricket, Tennis and football to follow, or will it be The World Diving Chapionships", or would anyone spot the difference?

Anyway that is me worn out for now, so catch you alll later. In your case mate, much later. Bye for Now.

One final plug. My wife is running 5K to raise for money for "Cancer Research UK". Evertyime we get a sponsor, I will update my blog, or give your blog a mention, or answer a specific quetsion, whatever?

Click on link below to make a small donation. It may save your life.

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/louiseshearer2

Quick update...

...to follow later this afternoon hopefully.

Questions/comments appreciated to stimulate a bit of debate.

No man is an Island. Who said that? Bye for now.

I'm tired....

.. but I will do it.

If I don't update my blog, who else will do it?

I'm not one of these part-time bloggers who likes to update his blogs once a month, and does not have the common courtesy to reply.

I am "The Gambler" and you "boys and girls" will probably have to put up with me for a few more months to come.

Note my site index is moving to 150,000 which would go down in my book as a minor achievement.

Funny also that some people read my blog, but never comment. Are they "too posh", or do they have something to hide?

Yesterday. Nutty day, Nothing strange there. Every day seems to be like a nutty day these days.

Went to Reading to do some business. Sandwich and coffee. Back in Pangbourne for docs at 10.30am.

More stuff to deal with. Skin specialist Monday. Another specialist to see. Have to ring up later and make appointment. I have seen this second specialist before, and he is a hard man. He does not mince his words, and he will probably stick me in the MRI scanner, which I can do without. Anyway probably do me good. Had to go private as next NHS appointment 69 days. Is that what they call an emergency? You'd be dead by then.

Went to get bus home but was informed that local pub was on fire. Subsequently bridge shut and not possible to get up hill. Not a big problem for me, as I can still just about walk. 45 minute walk up steep hill going onto an hour.

No problem, but two of my friends were at the bus stop. Hilda 92, 93 on May 14. Complaining about bad toe. No way could she get home. and my buddy Tony who is partially sighted and his guide dog "Hero". We could have walked but it would be some adventure as it is "very Country". You have to cross roads on several occasions, and cut through woody steep paths, trying to avoid the "local gentry" who at anytime might try and knock you down on their horses shouting "Tally Ho George, don't worry about that lot, they are only working-class scum".

Caught site of a mate and asked him to help out. He was busy but rang his brother. Ten minutes later his brother turned up, and rescued the situation. We had to take the 15 mile diversion rather than the two miles up the hill, but we all got up the home in one piece. I don't know who was more delighted. Hilda, Tony, Hero or me? On balance I will give it to "Hero" as he was so excited when he got home, he could not stop wagging his tail.

Did a few jobs when I got home, but then exhaustion took over. Popped out for beer. Met buddies, and discussed the excitement of the day. There was other stuff going on, but will leave that for now.

Mrs G. rang up. She was delayed in London, so did not get home till 8.30pm. Dinner was on the table when she got in, so she was quite pleased. Watched a bit of TV. By that time I was "zonked". Let us hope today is less exciting, but I doubt it. Cannot seem to go outside house without "sky falling down", and I am only telling you half of it.

Bye for now. Comments welcomed.

Time for bed. Catch you all later.

Is it Thursday already?

Tempis Fugit.

Yesterday went down town in morning. Very pleasant. Very sunny.

Came home. Did loads of jobs.

Early evening beer. Dinner. Excellent. Applied my new cream and then my body went on fire. Very unpleasant. Tears before bedtime. OK now.

Today doctors appointment at 10.30am.

God knows after that.

Specialist 2pm Monday to sort my skin out. I really don't like pain, and must do something about this.

Not much else to report. Chelsea drew 0-0 against Everton, and United won 2-0. The league title surely now belongs to United. We will have to settle for The FA Cup, Champions League and 3rd in the league. Not too bad really. Everton can be a very frustrating team to play against, and David Moyes is surely the next United manager. If you like a long term punt get on now.

Catch you all sooner rather than later.

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/louiseshearer2

Wednesday.

Good Morning Vietnam, and people around the world.

Yesterday not a good day, apart from Tim the owner of "The Cross Keys" bought me a pint.

Will have to send him an email later.

Came home. Fell asleep. Tried to sleep in garden but it was just a bit too cold. Slight breeze.

Mrs G. came home. No dinner as did not feel well.

Watched first half of Arsenal game. 1-0 to the Arse at h-t.

Watched "All the small things". Probably best thing on TV at the moment. Excellent.

Switched back to football. Liverpool 4 Arsenal 4. What a game. I did suggest it might be worth watching, and you cannot back Liverpool without Gerard. Bet he was sick as a parrot. Good result for Chelsea btw, If they beat Everton tonight which I think they will apart from Tim Cahill, then they are not completely out of the Premiership. It would help if Portsmouth beat United but that might be asking too much.

Crazy football at moment, and probably quite entertaining.

One of the plusses of giving up gambling/sports trading is that you start enjoying watching sport again. You could even stretch it to say you start enjoying life again.

I wonder if that is true of other addictions. Work, alcohol, crack cocaine, CIGARETTES. I guess the quick answer to that is "YES". but then again all things in moderation. The odd "burger king" won't kill you, but if you had four a day you might put on weight.

Today jobs day. Ironing, putting out rubbish, tidying up, ring up specialist to make appointment, shopping, sort out dinner, and generally try to behave like a well mannered house husband, or should that be house boy.

Now back to sleep for a few hours.

I have some new cream for for my dry skin. It seems to be helping a bit. Early days, but god I hope so. Even doing my house husband duties take twice as long when my leg is swollen and my rash is itching. In fact it takes more than twice as long as nothing gets done. Not fair on Mrs G. and not that pleasing for me.

Anyway. Bye for now. Let us have a few comments, as like to hear what you are all thinking.

BOTS I will do an article on 2020 and ODI cricket trading at some point, but it will probably not be for month or so. Quick advice avoid IPL like the plague. It is on Setanta and the pictures will be about a week behind the live action. If any of the games are carried on Radio 5 or whatever, you might nick a few quid. Good Luck All.

Tonights game.

Surely Liverpool will beat a weakened Arsenal team, but you never know.

Liverpool without Gerard are not the same team.

Should be worth watching.

Self-exclusion.

I spoke briefly the other day about what a nonsense "self-exclusion is?

A serious problem gambler will not self-exclude. They will just keep on going till they hit rock-bottom.

Three questions.

One is it not possible for companies like "betfair" to have some processes in place to identify gamblers with a "potential" problem"?

Is it possible to identify if it is their money, not some they borrowed from a friend without asking?

Three, could companies like "befair", "betdaq", "ladbrokes", "william hill", etc... share information about problem gamblers, or would this raise data protection issues?

Would it be in the interests of these companies to get involved in such a campaign. In the short term, probably not. In the longer term "maybe"?

As more and more of these stories of "problem gamblers" emerge, especially on the internet, the government and "other people" might start to take an interest. The logical outcome would be to control or ban "internet gambling". What a frightening prospect, and maybe of concern to companies like "betfair", "betdaq, "party-poker", etc...

I always laugh. When I used to go into bookies about 10 years ago, and stick a "wunner" on the favourite. The cashier would ask the manager. The manager would ring the head office. Two minutes later, I would get my bet on, demanding I got 7-4 not 13/8. Nowadays I can sign on the internet stick 10 grand on the spin of an FOBT/roulette wheel, and nobody even turns their head. Has something gone wrong here, or is it just me? There needs to be some "control", or else a lot of people will end up in "barney rubble".

The taxpayer will end up picking up the bill. Even being by ripped off by "ex-army-colonels" stealing money off the "NHS" or whatever, or picking up the bill when they end up doing two and half years in the local nick.

Enough for now. Comments welcome.