You couldn't make it up

That used to be a favourite phrase of Kelvin MacKenzie's.

Kelvin used to be the editor of the Sun newspaper in the 1980's.  Notoriously he chose to run a story in the aftermath of the Hillsborough tragedy, under the headline 'The Truth', making lurid claims about the conduct of the Liverpool fans on that day 23 years ago.  It wasn't any kind of truth and the city of Liverpool has never forgiven him.

Now, it appears, Kelvin has instructed his lawyers to write to South Yorkshire Police seeking an apology for the 'personal vilification' he's suffered, because, as we now know, it was South Yorkshire Police who were the source of that Sun story.

Kelvin claims that many other publications picked up the same story and is now wondering why the Sun was singled out.  Well it might have something to do with other newspapers deciding to check their sources, finding they couldn't substantiate the Police's claims and treating the story very differently, Kelvin.  Just a guess...

Happened to catch a rather splendid psychedelic wig out by Moon Duo on Radcliffe and Maconie's 6Music programme earlier today, called 'Circles'.

Couldn't find it on a quick shufti round the 'net, but I did find this...

More of the same, which is no bad thing.  It's easy to see why Mark Radcliffe suggested Suicide-lite and Spaceman 3, although there's also a hint of Iggy & the Stooges in there, or perhaps that's just the one note piano, which is very reminiscent of 'Now I Wanna Be Your Dog'.

Clearly mining the same seam as fellow travelers Wooden Shjips, (which is no surprise as Wooden Shijps guitarist Ripley Johnson is in fact half of Moon Duo, along with Sanae Yamada).  It appears West Coast psychedelia is alive and well in San Francisco. 

Rant no.1

A Passing comment on the Vuelta a España.  Best Grand Tour of the year, by a distance.  An absolutely mad course, with ten mountain top finishes.  Far more compulsive viewing than the Tour De France (not withstanding Wiggins win), and yet... 

This really isn’t sour grapes, but, just when cycling seemed to be getting its self-respect back, we have riders who have served drug bans filling two of the three podium spots in Madrid.  Hmmm.  Unfortunately it seems that in some countries getting caught doping is still seen as little more than an occupational hazard, and too many riders feel they can come back as if nothing has happened, other than being unlucky enough to get caught out.

Which I suppose makes David Millar’s long and loud criticisms of the doping culture he himself succumbed to before coming back to ride clean, all the more commendable.  There, it’s not sour grapes, honest.

[Climbs off soapbox and exits stage left]

Rant no.2

Back on the soapbox with a plea to the director of BBC’s generally splendid Match of the Day:  Will you please make up your mind about your graphics?

If it’s not bad enough that substitutions are now announced merely by a caption in the bottom left hand corner of the screen while play continues, now it seems we have to cope with not one, not two, but three different graphics to introduce the teams, and if we’re lucky the system they’ll play, as the start of the game.

First up we’ll get a full screen line up and system type graphic while Motty, Pearcey or whoever witter over it, telling us who’s in who’s dropped to the bench and who’s got a groin strain.

Fine.  Absolutely nothing wrong with that.  So we’d better change it then.

Rant no.3

OK, I’m on very dodgy ground here, taking a pop at Chris Boardman – a man whose forgotten more about cycling than I will ever know.  Since breakfast.

But he recently appeared on BBC radio 5Live’s breakfast show and seemed to dismiss the wearing of helmets and high visibility clothing as valid safety precautions when discussing  British Cycling's road safety campaign.

Arguing that we need a cultural shift in the UK, Boardman said; “The emphasis shouldn’t be just on the cyclist. We’re creating a symptom without looking at the cause. If someone gets shot on the street, the answer isn’t that everyone should wear body armour. You say – ‘hang on a minute, maybe we need to look at the reasons behind this?’.”

The key word there is ‘just’.  Of course road safety is more than just down to cyclists and yes I would love us to follow the Dutch and Danish examples of legislation that puts far more emphasis on car drivers’ responsibilities.  But as a regular urban cyclist I do my best to be seen and be safe.  In exchange for which I would like not to be ignored, cut up, forced off the road and abused by drivers about non-payment of mythical long abolished taxes on a regular basis.

Cycle lanes, legislation and sensible speed limits would all be welcome.  But there are a lot of roads in Britain and a lot of car driving voters, so I think we know how likely it is that we’ll see cycling lanes or new speed limits anytime soon.

So while I’m all in favour of campaigns like this one and really hope that we can affect a sea change in British transport policy and learn from the Dutch and the Danes, I’m not hanging up my helmet just yet.

After all, no cyclist chooses to crash into a car.  We tend to come off worst!

[Falls off soapbox and abandons ranting]

Never mind the shopping bags...

here's the Ramones.

Some fantastic footage from their legendary New Year's Eve 1977 show at the Rainbow.

This was the gig that went on to be released as 'It's Alive', quite possibly the most perfect live double album ever.

Absolutely wonderful.

Cav & Wiggo - the last time?

It this the last time for Wiggins & Cavendish as team mates?

Luke Rowe, centre, followed by Bradley Wiggins