Quieroz on his way

So it seems, with just haggling over compensation between United and the Portuguese FA left to complete
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/07/07/ufnqueiroz107.xml McClair and Martinez of Swansea are early candidates to replace him according to teports
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_united/s/1057153_swans_dismiss_martinez_talk

Ronaldo has his operation and will probably miss the start of the season, wherever that is.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/ronaldo-blow-for-united-861777.html

Calderon just can't stop himself, as 24 hours after saying he thought Ronaldo would be staying at United he stirs the pot again.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_united/s/1057002_calderon_reds_should_let_ron_go?rss=yes

I wanted Nadal to win the tennis yesterday, but i have to admit when he let slip a 2 set lead i wondered whether he would blow it in that final set. But he was the one that seemed most likely to win it to me in what was a memorable final set from a magnificent sporting contest. His speed around the court is absolutely phenomenal, that's two great finals in two years.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/unrelenting-nadal-dethrones-federer-in-centre-court-classic-861338.html


Larry Elliot on Brown's ongoing enthusiasm for the free market
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/07/g8.economics

Changing times for Surburbia, especially in the States and Australia
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/06/travelandtransport.usa
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/07/motoring.transport

As Obama flip flops to the centre, McCain veers to the right argues Michael Tomasky in the Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/07/johnmccain.uselections2008

Ronaldo to miss start of season

as United's medical staff decide his ankle needs operating on.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/07/05/sfnman105.xml

Ronaldo is up to his old tricks, getting another member of his family to speak to the press this time saying he wants to stay at United. Trying to keep his options open as it looks like his dream move is doomed to failiure. Not very edifying really.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/07/05/sfnman105.xml

Real Madrid's allies in the media still playing games
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/07/05/ufnmanutd105.xml

Abramovitch admits to shady financial dealings in amassing his fortune according to Berezovsky court case papers.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4272509.ece
The murky world of post communist Russia revealed

The obituary of Charles Wheeler in the Independent, i saw the documentary that followed his life a couple of years ago, and it was excellent. He came across as a decent man with a nose for bullshit.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/sir-charles-wheeler-distinguished-foreign-correspondent-who-exemplified-the-best-in-bbc-reporting-for-more-than-60-years-860524.html

Tristram Hunt on new liberalism, sweden and the lack of social democracy in this country.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/05/9

Polly Toynbee argues that higher education levels don't affect social mobility overall.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/05/education.communities

Fergie happy with squad and expects improvement

Fergie puts his faith in last years squad and expects Ronaldo to stay and to get even better.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/07/01/sfnman101.xml
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_united/s/1056110_fergie_backs_reds_old_guard
I hope i am wrong but i can't have the same faith in Gary Neville recapturing the form of old after his injury nightmare of the last couple of seasons. It will be interesting to see who we buy, if anybody at all that is, as all the players we have been linked with don't seem to fit in with the attributes hinted at in the interview.

Henry Winter on why Enland were not missed at the 2008 European championships
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/07/01/sfnwin101.xml
I am glad we missed out on the endless hype and bullshit myself.

Amsterdam seems to want to get rid of it's coffee shops, every year they bring a new law out that makes it harder and harder for them to operate.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/01/eu.smoking

Dominic Lawson on Obama frantically veering towards the centre ground now the nomination is wrapped up. The only problem with this interpretation is he was hardly that much of a radical. Anybody that is bitterly dissapointed by any of his recent manoueverings must have been living in cloud cuckoo land anyway.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/dominic-lawson/dominic-lawson-meet-the-new-obama-master-of-the-uturn-857672.html

Jeremy Warner on the problems in the housing market and the lack of thinking out of the box.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/comment/jeremy-warner/jeremy-warners-outlook-dealing-with-britains-beleaguered-housing-market-may-call-for-some-radical-solutions-857745.html

A review of Radiohead's sunday gig at Lancy cricket ground.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/entertainment/music/live_reviews/s/1055990_radiohead__lccc
I had read a review of one of the London gigs, the reviewer had thought they were great but that the absence of the the OK computer and The Bends favourites had not gone down that well with the crowd. Whilst i love those two albums, i also love Kid A, Amesiac and hail to the thief as well as the last in rainbows. It's a fantastic set of albums really, a bit like Led Zeppelin to Oasis's Status Quo, so i suppose i couldn't lose. They are an absolutely blinding live goup, tunes that you think wouldn't make the transition from studio to live as well as the more obvious ones often end up as being amongst the most memorable. The review and the comments makes a good point though, there were a fair few just stood around not really listening and not really looking into it at all. That completely loses me, it baffles me how you can think they aren't absolutely brilliant if you like rock music. But you must have listened to an album or two surely if you are going to lay out £50 to watch a gig. I didn't see too much of the stage for the first third of the show, but it didn't matter that much as the music was so immense.
MGMT were pretty good, but i thought Bats for lashes was really excellent although the lack of crowd response was a shame. £50 is too much for a gig, but Radiohead are one of the groups who i would willingly pay it to see, thats when i have got £50.