Am I your caucasian?

After driving 5,000 miles and crossing 16 state lines we finally arrived in Las Vegas yesterday, the first place on the road trip that I have visited before.

Since leaving Austin on Tuesday we have averaged over eight hours per day in the car so the iPod continues to be our best friend and this weeks highlights have been:

1. Beautiful Day-U2

2. Hit the Road Jack-Ray Charles

3. Everybody’s Talking-Harry Nillson

4. Viva La Vida-Coldplay

5. Vincent-Don McLean

6. Forever-Drake(feat.Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem)

7. It Was A Good Year-Ray Charles & Willie Nelson

8. Heroin-The Velvet Underground

9. Maybe Tomorrow-Stereophonics

10. Idler’s Dream-Oasis

DAY 14-AUSTIN

A 'laid-back in time' feeling to South Congress Avenue, Austin.

Downtown Austin in the distance

DAY 15-AUSTIN TO LUBBOCK

The Buddy Holly Memorial in his hometown of Lubbock

Dusk in Lubbock-I assure you a better view than the rest of the town

DAY 16-LUBBOCK TO SANTA FE VIA AMARILLO AND ALBUQUERQUE

Cadillac Ranch outside Amarillo-a road trip highlight

Albuquerque, New Mexico-No Country For 36 Year Old Road Trippers

DAY 17-SANTA FE TO BOULDER VIA DENVER

Downtown in the historical settlement Santa Fe, New Mexico

A night out in Boulder, Colorado-Not the greatest night-spot

DAY 18-BOULDER TO GRAND JUNCTION VIA ASPEN IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS

Driving through the Rockies-some hairy moments along the way

A scenic view from the rugby pitch in Aspen, Colorado

DAY 19-GRAND JUNCTION TO GRAND CANYON VIA MONUMENT VALLEY AND LAKE POWELL

The mind-blowing Monument Valley in Navajo country, Utah

The man-made reservoir Lake Powell in Arizona acts as a water storage facility for the Upper Basin states-Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico to supply the Lower Basin states-Arizona, Nevada, and California

The eery Glen Canyon valley at sun-down en route to the Grand Canyon

DAY 20-GRAND CANYON TO LAS VEGAS

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon-it literally takes your breath away

Vegas baby-As contrasting as it gets in comparison to our morning view above

On Tuesday (tomorrow) we set-off on the last leg of the trip to Los Angeles to complete our coast-to-coast driving marathon. Do not expect too many photos from Vegas though, because you all know the clichéd expression.

The Mustang has now purred its way over 2,500 miles and across eleven states in thirteen days. Tomorrow morning we commence the final week-long leg of the road trip that takes us to our final destination Los Angeles via Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Monument Valley and Lake Powell.

The iPod continues to be the number one invention (along with sat-nav and truckers honking their horns upon request) to relieve the boredom on the road and this weeks Top Ten road trip classics are as follows:

1. Just Looking-Stereophonics

2. Another Brick in the Wall-Pink Floyd

3. Insomnia-Faithless

4. A Boy Named Sue-Johnny Cash

5. Walk on the Wild Side-Lou Reed

6. Can’t You See-The Marshall Tucker Band

7. Hit Em Up-Tupac Shakur

8. Profit in Peace-Ocean Colour Scene

9. He Got Game-Public Enemy

10. Champagne Supernova-Oasis

Internet access continues to be difficult and with so many hours driving I will post my daily musings when I have some more time, but for now just a few more snaps and captions.

DAY 5-TOLEDO TO CHICAGO-VIA NOTRE DAME

Touchdown Jesus at Notre Dame University

Back in the city-Chicago

DAY 6-CHICAGO

The Architectural River Tour

Street sculpture downtown

DAY 7-CHICAGO TO COLUMBUS

Taking in the culture at the Art Institute of Chicago

Back on the road-Laid-back Columbus

DAY 8-COLUMBUS TO NASHVILLE-VIA LOUISVILLE

The Ultimate Sportsman of the 20th century. The Muhammad Ali Centre in Louisville, Kentucky-his birthplace

The Broadway in Nashville-The scene of our best night-out to date

DAY 9-NASHVILLE TO MEMPHIS

A warm welcome to the South in Memphis, Tennessee

The world-famous Beale Street-Downtown Memphis

DAY 10-MEMPHIS

Paying homage to the King of Rock and Roll at Graceland

The Lorraine Hotel in downtown Memphis-where Martin Luther King Jnr was tragically gunned-down in April 1968

DAY 11-MEMPHIS TO LITTLE ROCK-VIA HUNTING IN ARKANSAS

Quad-biking and shooting in the farm-land of Arkansas

Little Rock, Arkansas-Home to President Clinton

DAY 12-LITTLE ROCK TO DALLAS

Not much action to be had pool-side in Dallas

Sun-set in Texas from the mustang-9pm (roof down obviously)

DAY 13-DALLAS TO AUSTIN

The end of JFK-X marks the spot in Dallas

Keeping it real in Cowboy Country

After driving the Mustang 1,100 miles across six states in just four days and staying in: Boston, Cape Cod, Buffalo and Toledo en route, I finally arrive in the windy city that is Chicago for my first two night stay.

With over 22 hours driving (with the roof down obviously) the iPod has been a god-send and this weeks Top Ten road trip classics are as follows:

1. Have a Nice Day-Stereophonics

2. London Calling-The Clash

3. America-Razorlight

4. One-Johnny Cash

5. Sweet Home Alabama-Lynyrd Skynyrd

6. Hotel California-The Eagles

7. I’m Shipping Up To Boston-Dropkick Murphys

8. When The Music Stops-Eminem

9. Baby Please Don’t Go-Van Morrison

10. Whatever-Oasis

With internet access not readily available and so many hours driving I will update my daily musings when I have some more time but for now just a few snaps and captions.

DAY 1-BOSTON

Our preferred mode of transport

Boston State House

Boston Red Sox v Cleveland Indians

Ready for Action

DAY 2-CAPE COD

Historic Sandwich-Cape Cod

Our motel room with a view

DAY 3-BUFFALO

Downtown Buffalo

A no frills swimming pool Health and Safety warning sign

DAY 4-NIAGARA FALLS/TOLEDO

Niagara Falls

A short-stop in Canada

I will be posting an update and reporting on my stay in Chicago over the next couple of days. Tomorrow I head south-bound to Nashville and Memphis for phase 2 of the tour.

I apologise to all for the lack of blog action in recent weeks, but I am about to embark on a coast to coast road trip from Cape Cod to Los Angeles so my preparation has been somewhat intense.

I will be making a documentary of the trip and over the four weeks I will be visiting Boston, Chicago, Memphis, Austin and Las Vegas en route to the west coast.

I will be updating my blog weekly with observations, uppers and downers and hopefully will banish the Grumpster for good. But don’t hold your breath as along the way I am sure there will be a few issues that may provide some ranting inspiration.

Thank god it’s all over for another four years. The past two weeks (since our elimination) have been just a constant frustration. Like watching a stripper go off and dance for someone else. All that time, money and effort wasted believing you really stood a chance then in a moment it’s all taken away and you have to sit and watch while someone else enjoys all the action.

After all the anticipation it’s been a disappointing tournament on the whole. Unlike previous finals, the big names and teams failed to deliver and there are few lasting memories. Hopefully it will help South Africa’s progression as a nation and it’s economy, but it certainly hasn’t taken football forward.

To my mind the game has been going downhill since France 98 and we have been left with a legacy of over-paid and overrated stars who play in sterile corporate-driven stadiums.

We are constantly told that the Premiership is the best league in the universe and full of world-class players. On the past month’s evidence it’s just not true. You cannot be called world-class if you do not perform on the world stage. And our home-grown and foreign so-called superstars just did not turn up. The fact none of our teams reached the Champion’s League semi-finals this year was an early sign, but the performances of Gerrard, Rooney, Lampard, Anelka, Fabregas, Torres and Drogba prove that we may have the richest and most-watched league, but in terms of quality it really is nothing special. Forlan, Mueller, Casillas, Iniesta, Sneijder, Messi and Villa were the stars of the past 64 matches and guess what? None of them play in our league.

Another grievance about the World Cup, is that everyone suddenly has an opinion about the last bastion of national pride that is football. Honestly, I had to listen to my own mother explaining the frailties of Capello’s system and how they are all so over-paid and Beckham was only their for his own brand. I therefore find myself actually arguing with her. It’s bad enough failing to score against Algeria and then being thrashed by the Germans, but arguing with a woman in her sixties about a team and a game you love is just pure torture.

So a quick summary of  my five Uppers, Downers and Oddities that  we  have all witnessed over the past month and let’s hope Brazil in 2014 proves to be more fulfilling and successful for England and football as a spectacle.
Continue reading ‘World Cup 2010-Uppers, Downers and Never To Be Seen Again’

Apologies for the patronising tone for all the true film-lovers, but I wanted to post a list of ten must-see French movies produced in the last decade that highlight what a first-class movie industry there is just across the (26 mile) pond.

The UK industry somehow gets inundated with Danny Dyer and Tamer Hassan gangster dross or Richard Curtis rom-coms, meanwhile the French produce cinema that is both brilliantly written and shot and reaches deep into the soul whilst re-counting gripping tales of love, death and betrayal.

Mesrine-2008-Jean-François Richet

A two-part bio-pic about a confident and daring gangster Jacques Mesrine, (played by Vincent Cassel) whose ego caused his eventual downfall.

Tell No One-2006-Guillaume Canet

Based upon the book by US author Harlan Coben it is a fast-paced thriller from start to finish with twists and turns and one of the best movies of the past decade.

The Beat That My Heart Skipped-2005-Jacques Audiard

The director is a true genius and his three films in this list will justify my claim. This film is about one’s man journey and the choices we all have to make for better or worse.

A Prophet-2009-Jacques Audiard

The best films tell us visually about interesting characters and a decent story. This young convict’s journey has it all in abundance.

The Class-2008-Laurent Cantet

Perhaps the French World Cup squad should have watched this movie before the tournament to ease the racial tension burden that is clearly as much of a problem in Parisian schools as it is here in London.

La Haine-1995-Mathieu Kassovitz

Another film full of racial tension that doesn’t preach or try to teach us a lesson. It is raw and full of vitality but tells it exactly like it is. In comparison UK movies of similar ilk just don’t hit the same spot.

Read My Lips-2001-Jacques Audiard

Another complex highly original cliché-free thriller, that just doesn’t try too hard. It ebbs and flows its way to a memorable and satisfying climax.

The Singer-2006-Xavier Giannoli

In a style similar to The Wrestler and Crazy Heart, we see a washed-up and middle-aged singer living of former glories but is missing love and a purpose in life. Like Bridges and Rourke, Gérard Depardieu is a perfect fit for the role. Note this film was released first.

Hidden-2005-Michael Haneke

Haneke’s eighth movie shows us strong ideas about guilt, racism, recent French history and cinema itself. Starring two bastions of the industry Daniel Auteuil and Juliette Binoche, it twists and turns but reaches the conclusion that we are our own worst enemies and all of us are quick to blame everyone else when we have a problem.

Anything For Her-2008-Fred Cavayé

A Prison Break-style thriller that avoids the obvious and has a satisfying ending. Vincent Lindon is brilliant as the determined and loyal husband who fights to save the gorgeous Diane Kruger. (Inglorious Basterds)

In addition, you have to see these five recent Italian classics. Two classic feel-good movies and three very different gangster flicks.

Il Postino-1994-Michael Radford

Cinema Paradiso-1988-Giuseppe Tornatore

Romanzo Criminale-2005-Michele Placido

The Consequences of Love-2004-Paolo Sorrentino

Gomorrah-2008-Matteo Garrone

With the World Cup well underway now my excitement levels have been incomparable for any sporting event since Mexico 86. I cannot work out whether my near fever-pitch anticipation has been as a result of my general lack of current commitments or perhaps I still simply have the mental age of a twelve-year-old (Tom Hanks’s character in the movie Big springs to mind for my life presently). I have evolved somewhat and decided against collecting the football stickers this time round.

What is more likely is that we finally have a manager who has installed a winning ethos and discipline, together with a squad of players at the right average age to progress all the way. I don’t want to spook it though and after Saturday’s performance we have a long way to go.

I was actually worried that in the first few minutes we may have peaked too soon, but a draw was far from disastrous and half the team played well. Ever the optimist I cannot claim the performance as victorious, unlike yesterday’s US press. They just cannot understand the concept of a draw which is positive in terms of thinking, but explains a great deal in terms of recent world history.

I firmly believe there is far too much news and scrutiny on the whole tournament and I hope Capello sticks to his own methodical plan as he has always been a winner. (However if asked, I would have always selected David James in goal, and Friday I would play Joe Cole on the left with Gareth Barry holding and bring in Dawson for Carragher in the absence of King. This means Gerrard can play behind the lone striker Rooney).

But no one is asking and I have never been a winner in soccer terms. In fact my last outing back in February ended up in me conceding six on a frozen pitch in Fulham. The team disbanded shortly afterwards and my career now seems truly over. I do remember though that my gathering the ball on the floor was exemplary on that fateful morning.

So fingers crossed for Friday now and the next four weeks (I am not plugging Kit Kats and all the other cringe-worthy football adverts-except Nike’s excellent offering) and we can win it or at least not exit the tournament in a huge drama. I would rather we were schooled fair and square by a superior team than suffer the pain and mis-fortune that have accompanied every campaign since that dreaded hand of god incident 24 years ago.

Before I start my top ten rants this month, I must also pay respects to two legends of stage and screen that have passed away in recent months.
Continue reading ‘The Grumpster Strikes Back’

Tomorrow morning seven men’s summer dreams will be shattered as Capello’s 30-man squad gets reduced down to the final 23 who will be travelling to the World cup finals in South Africa this week.

I am sure their “bouncebackability” will be speedy though. Just a quick glance at their bank balance followed by a warm welcome back from their twitter following and not forgetting their tattooist will surely see their smiles soon return. They will then of course be able to finally book their flights to the now standard premiership ballers go-to destination of Los Angeles, just to see them through to pre-season.

On the subject of warm welcomes I have to share the best after dinner-speech opening line I have ever heard. At a school reunion last week my former rugby coach arrived on stage to be greeted with cheers but the excitement didn’t last long for most of the audience as his opening gambit was:” As my grandma always told me it’s always nice to have a warm hand on your opening.” The crowd with an average age of over sixty left me and a friend feeling like we were laughing at a funeral.

After watching the unconvincing friendly wins this week against Mexico and Japan the only thing I can confidently confirm is that ITV finally have sorted their coverage out with a decent host and a studio that doesn’t look like an Aberdeen Steakhouse. Hopefully it will not be long now until Andy Townsend is given the boot to finalise the transformation into a classier presentation to at last compete with the BBC. Townsend could join Richard Keys on the struggling ESPN and help finally kill it off for good. Wishful thinking I know.
Continue reading ‘The (Un)Lucky Seven’

What an upsetting week it has been. My beloved Manchester City failed to deliver yet again and the populous of our great country could not decide on who was the pick of a pretty bad bunch. Thus leaving the country in disarray, not good news at all in the current economic climate. In retrospect I think the ash-cloud was more exciting. Stranded traveller’s epic journeys home at least had a happy ending.

In an earlier post I listed yesterday’s General Election as one of ten reasons to be cheerful in 2010, but after watching the three prospective leaders over the past month particularly during the supposed historical televised debates, I take it all back. I wanted to be positive, but it is so difficult when we have had to listen to the three stooges repeating their patronising pledges and when really pressed they didn’t really seem to have any clear answers. It now seems the voters didn’t either.

I realised what it was all about after leaving the polling station last night. I have to say I always find casting my vote the same disappointing over-rated experience. I don’t know what I expect to happen in there, dancing girls and live music, but anyway I digress. So upon collecting a Pizza Express take-away to cheer me up, the whole experience was summed up during two precious conversations.

Caught up in the fever of the day I asked the Polish girl at the cash register who she voted for. Thankfully she didn’t say I can’t tell you (I hate that. Why is it such a big secret to some people?) but instead declared she had voted Liberal, because she said: “Nick Clegg is sooooo sweet.” Brilliant I thought, well worth burning the bra for that one girls .

It got worse. I asked the same question to the girl who handed over my american hot. She replied:” I never bother voting, waste of time. Politicians are just like blokes (I know many of them actually are male) they say everything to get in your knickers and then just forget about you as soon as they get what they want.”  So after conducting my own impromptu exit poll I am not at all surprised we are left with a Hung Parliament.
Continue reading ‘The General Election-Another fine mess’