Only one other...

BBC: "Spain claimed their first major title for 44 years after winning Euro 2008 with a deserved victory over Germany"...and they deserved it, no doubts, no what-ifs, no dodgy referee or offside descisions...they won all their games and they looked good; Germany played a better game tonight than they had done in all the qualifying rounds...they nearly pulled off what everyone expected...but they didn't and to be honest Spain could have had at least 2 or 3 more goals: 15 shots to Germany's 4 (mind you, Germany had 4 shots against Turkey and got 3 goals!) Well done Spain...about fucking time! ;-)

The "only one other" in the title was explained by Baldinio: he wrote on this post a comment thus:

Spain must not win Euro 2008 at any costs - all English fans realise this and the horror that would be unleashed if they did. It's nothing against the great underachievers of European international teams but it will mean that England will drop to last place on the roll of honour among international countries since their last victory in a major competition.

He went on to say..."It could read:

2008 - Spain >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>2006 - Italy (World Cup)
2004 - Greece >>>>>>>>>>>>>>2000 - France
1998 - France (World Cup) >>>1996 - Germany
1992 - Denmark >>>>>>>>>>>>1990 - Germany (World Cup)
1988 - Holland >>>>>>>>>>>>>1984 - France
1982 - Italy (World Cup) >>>>>1980 - (West) Germany
1976 - Czecholslovakia >>>>>>>1974 - (West) Germany (World Cup)
1972 - (West) Germany >>>>>>1968 - Italy

1966 - England!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Spain are currently last on 1964!"

...not any more.We're next: WE'RE NEXT! South Africa here we come!! ...and we'll have Italy to thank! Look at the coaching staff (that's Baldini not Baldinio!) What say an England vs. Spain final in 2010?

Outstanding or ominous...

...or both! Click image for the BBC full results of the Henley (UK) By- Election

Gordon Brown suffered the humiliation on Friday of Labour crashing to fifth place in the Henley by-election on his first anniversary as prime minister.

[FT Link] OK, I realise I'm a few hours behind but I've just been reading the news....Wow!

Olé, olé, olé olé... I can't believe that Spain will appear so good as they did yesterday - although I hope they are - against a disappointing Russian side; also I also can't believe that Germany will be as poor as they were on Wednesday against Turkey - no disrespect to a fantastic and uplifting Turkish performance: my cheer/scream for their second goal (2-2) was the loudest I'd shouted for any goal in any game so far - it's sure be a great final! Viva España! 'Podemos' although I should be saying ¡pueden hacerlo - a por ellos!

Oil on...

Claude Monet (1840-1926) Le bassin aux nymphéas signed and dated 'Claude Monet 1919' (lower right) oil on canvas 39½ x 79 1/8 in. (100.4 x 201 cm.) Painted in 1919 ...nice, I'll take two. Selling price £40,921,250 (36.5 million before tax) Enlarged image zoom and detail at Christie's HERE. Easily the highest paid for a Monet although as I've mentioned before nowhere near the highest ever, which as I also said, was a load of Pollocks.

Outstanding odds...

Update: Sunday 22nd June: 4th time lucky! Yep, not just for me - having seen my previous 3 quarter-final winner predictions fail - but also 4th time lucky for Spain who tonight won despite the odds having lost before on the very same date...3 times!

"And it was a change of fortune for the Spanish, who have gone out of three major championships on 22 June, the World Cups of 1986 and 2002 and Euro '96 - all in the quarter-finals on penalties."

This doesn't include another 3 times (so 6 in all) they've been knocked out of World or European Cups in the quarter-finals on penalties since 1984.
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Outstanding indeed: tonight in Euro 2008 I got the 3rd - of four - results wrong; well, I speak of who I wanted to win not whom I thought would win. In the first quater-final I wanted Portugal but thought Germany; later I wanted Croatia but also thought Croatia and I wanted Holland and thought Holland would win: 3 times how wrong I've been: tonight Russia were outstanding, completely dominating throughout and derailing the Orange omnibus...they deserved it and played the best game I've seen this far in the competition...except, ironically, for the Dutch in their previous games! If anyone stood out it was, for the Dutch, Van der Sar (!!!) and for the Russians Pavluchenko but moreso the rosy-cheeked Arshavin who from the first 5 minutes looked completely knackered...he looked the same after 120 minutes after having played some divine football and is now surely worth far more than his weight in gold!...come on Arsene and Arsenal, pay Zenith St. Petersbourg what they want; with a name like his there's only one place he belongs.

Of course now I have a dilemma for the last quarter-final tomorrow: do I want Spain...or do I pretend to want Italy (in the hope that Italy lose!)? That won't work will it! Doh!

Ottoman ovation...

Cynic that I am all I can think of is that Germany have just been handed a place in the final: in my opinion the ref denied Croatia the win that was theirs...just. He should have blown the whistle for full time long before the 122 minute but hey, that's football; the Turks did their bit and deserved a chance which they took and won penalty shoot-out with aplomb [Reuters] there wasn't even any need to get to the 4th Turkish penalty as Modric and Rakitic for Croatia missed 2 and Rustu saved from Petric...unbelievable...maybe the Turkish team can pull off another...it would be the 4th (!!!) come back...but no, it's against Germany in the semi-final and with half their team suspended on 2 yellow cards I really can't see them getting a look-in...I predict 4 - 0 Germany; how annoying.

Update: Phil McNulty of the BBC puts it so much better than me...

And, with grim inevitability, I believe the real winners when the dust settles will be Germany.

...and who can't agree with his final comment:

Whatever the outcome, and I will not sit on the fence at this stage, Turkey have contributed hugely to the excitement and colour of what is turning into a classic Euro 2008.

Oomph! Orange omnibus...

Double Dutch! I'll not be a Dutch uncle and there's no evidence of a need for Dutch courage; certainly no need for a Dutch auction or for going Dutch ( ...and I think the English language needs to introduce a positive reference to our near neighbours!) I hope I'm not pissing on their fireworks by posting praise before even the first stage is over but the orange omnibus has driven right over the Football World Cup holders and tonight, in the amusingly named - if you're immature like me - Wankdorf Stadium, they did the same to the World Cup runnners-up; neither Italy or France played badly but both looked like aged, Dutch Elm infested, dead-wood compared to the flexible, whiplike, vigourous saplings that were the Netherlanders; the teams in blue suffered the blues; they were no match for the bright, slick, skillful, fast and tireless zest of those in orange: zij zouden winnaars kunnen zijn. I just hope the Spanish team don't meet them in the next round!

Ows opines...

Obama: Well, six months on from when I posted re race/gender issues the race is finally over; now they can get on with the race!..and ironically race could/ will be a factor (??). Confused...it's simple: Obama has won now he must win for real, however a major stumbling point is the Europe favours him greatly - [Angus Reid Global Monitor] this is most apparent in France and Germany where only an average 7% of those polled favoured McCain - a distinct disadvantage if American psyche has anything to do with it!

Oilman's orthopraxy? Hugo Chavez has surprised the world by calling for FARC to release all the hostages they are holding and hand in it's weapons: noble indeed. CNN reports that "The guerilla's war has passed into history," [Chavez] said, according to the Bolivariana News Agency. This could be a ruse or an attempt to cover something else; I say that because on the same day President Chavez was being so noble the BBC reported that a Venezuelan national guard officer had been captured and arrested along with three others - in south Colombia near the border with Venezuela - trying to deliver assault rifle ammunition to Marxist rebels….would this be 'other' rebels other than the FARC whom Chavez had just told to stand down?...maybe they’ll be like the IRA and we'll soon be treated to the FARC equivalent of Provisional IRA and Real IRA etc.

Overspending on Osman operation? I wonder how much money is spent on covert operations protecting drug dealers and gang members? The Times reports that 1028 people were warned that they were "at serious risk of being killed by individuals with the resources to arrange their death." That's not just any old non-specific death threats but clear and present danger of said threat being carried out: UK Police forces spent millions gathering information and conducting both covert and open operations to prevent these threatened murders, which of course is their job and understandable when business people/celebrities/non-criminals etc are at risk but I couldn't really agree with vast amounts of public money being spent protecting known criminals...

Obscene overspending...this time definitely not justified: MEP's - despite all the expense juggling and fiddling that they get up to - are paid a ridiculous amount of money in salary and expenses; [Open Europe] if they were worth it I'm sure nobody would mind! ...Salary = £61,820; First pension (after ten years service) £13,750; EU Parliament contributions to second pension: £18,500Staff = £148 761; Office costs "general expenses" = £37,881; Daily subsistence (180 days) £50,220; Travel excess = £10,000; Travel allowance = £2,316.