Fireworks welcome in 2003 at Sydney Harbour, still 9 hours to go here.

Another newish phenenomenon, to go along with the garish decorations on every house will occur in a few hours. On the stroke of midnight it will seem as if every house in the country is letting off industrial strength fireworks. It is intriguing how these things just sort of catch on. I have to say it's pretty spectacular from up this mountain, we can see straight over to Newport and it's a fantastic free show!

Some best ofs.
Best Track:
Without any shadow of a doubt and with no fear of contradiction, "Do You Realise" by Flaming Lips. Track , video and entire album available to listen to on their website.

Best Albums:
Jesse Malin: Fine Art of Self Destruction.
Neko Case: Blacklisted
Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Interpol: Turn on the Bright Lights
Brendan Benson: Lapalco
Mariza: Fado Em Mim
Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
Manu Chao: Esperanza A bit late with this one!
Also revisited loads of old stuff and thanks to MVC selling it all off for threepence halfpenny the South Wales valleys have been treated to loads of Seventies dub reggae as I go about my daily business.

Best Telly:
The Sopranos
The Shield

Best Books:
The best book I read all year was written in something like 1967: Cutter and Bone by Newton Thornberg, brilliant.
The Ice Storm by Scott Phillips has me salivating for the UK release of the follow up.
Loads of Pelecanos, each as good as the other.
Janet Evanovich for light relief.
A bit of Bukowski
Also got around to reading The Long Firm by Jake Arnott at last..very good.
The Rotters Club was interesting from a personal point of view but essentially it was boring old crap for middle class tossers.

Best Blog:
Ragamuffin

Best sporting moment:
Play Off Final!!!

Worst sporting Moment:
Play off final!!!!

Best Laugh:


There is something about Gerard Houllier and his poxy red scarf that really grates with me. He is squealing now that Francis Jeffers conned the ref into giving Arsenal a penalty against Liverpool on Sunday. Well I couldn't care less whether he did or he didn't but this is the same Houllier who went on national T.V after Barmby had won a penalty against us in a cup game to state that Barmby had been fouled and he had the bruises to prove it, only for replays to show he never been touched, not even close.
Aside from the fact that Barmby is another irritating tit, it's fair enough to win a penalty by dubious means. Just don't lie it about then complain when someone else does the same. Perhaps the debonair Gerard should start a campaign to introduce the Corinthian spirit into the game, and start by putting his own house in order.

A crude history of oil, Iraq, Iran and various interested parties. Head spinning.

Found this barking American Football game involving a guy in a wheelchair at Sportsfilter. My highest score so far is 2.

Ms Ross is unwell

Eclectic selection of the years best albums from The New York Observer

Despite being UScentric, this is very cool, and I applaud it.