Ken

Blended with banana, kiwi, mango, non-fat yogurt and apple juice it isn't. Not fucking delicious, but it's not bad. Been doing a lot of blended stuff recently. I have raw beetroot (blended) daily without fail now.

KP versus Andy Flower showdown. Flower (from the outside) looks like a twat, especially given the weak comments he made earlier on in the Ashes series publically stating his worry for the short-stuff. Not what you want to hear from a leader. Excused them to play like cowards thereafter which they did. Oh and if anyone needs reminding, 5-0.

Watched all three series in the week after Christmas. I'm hooked. Never been into fantasy stuff, comic books, or RPG games when I was a younger lad, but this is quality. Need to watch it in blocks of 3-4 episodes at a time especially to start with so you quickly get accustomed to 'their world' so-to-speak. I shall do the same when series four comes out - record the shows and watch them that way.

One of my favourite slow cooker recipes this one, I make it often in the cold winter months. Piss easy to do and the end product is lush. If you want it a bit more soupy, which I prefer, just add a cup and a bit of beef stock and a bit more stout, and an extra teaspoon of cayenne sprinkled over the veg at the start doesn't hurt either; http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Beef-and-guinness-stew-recipe-306133 Edit - Been a few months since I last made this, I had forgotten to mention that chucking in potatoes cut into quarters, as well as celery and onion cut rustically as well adds more depth to the stew/soup hence the need for the beef stock. I also add in about 2-3 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce, 3-4 cloves of crushed garlic instead of the suggested one, and a couple of bay leaves. Chuck it all in the slow cooker and forget about it for five hours, come back and when the veg is soft (as the beef would be) it is ready. Absolute comfort food.

Think this will be over sharpish anyway, which I am not happy about. If it doesn't get through to the fourth day with a fair challenge available I'll be fucked right off,

Well done son

Try it in soups as well. One week have a Mexican variation - veges of your choice, beans essential, with smoked paprika, cayenne, Mex chilli mix, bay leaf, tin of tomatoes. The next week have a Moroccan version - veges of your choice, chick peas would be advisable, tumeric (fresh is best, but the powdered stuff is all right too), grounded coriander seeds, grounded cumin, masala, bay leaf, tin of tomatoes (optional but preferred). Obviously you need veg stock to make thses soups so make your own, and don't add salt to it. Only add it while cooking soup to taste, you may think you won't need it in the end. The key to this venture is to not get bored. Vary it up and good luck friend.

Hypnotised? Perhaps you don't cook it properly. Nothing wrong with the texture if it isn't undercooked, and taste wise, well it's almost neutral. But, yes, it is a health food, and that is what you are getting at here, aren't you?

Had us on the ropes for a while. Then the same old Haddin story came about. I do hope your young leg-spinner's career isn't destroyed before it starts. Don't think he should have started this one. Monty was the safer option.

Quinoa is the answer there, apart from soy based products. Makes you full and regular too.

Someone's got to show some sympathy.

Happy new years my friends. Off the drink from here on in, my liver will greatly appreciate it.

Piers Morgan has tweeted that he has just gone in for x-rays - he asked for and he got it. Hope the mouthy bastard is ok though...

Oh, I didn't know that. You've joined the dots and it makes sense. Wouldn't have been surprised if he was on amphetamines 2 days ago the way he just kept going on and on and on at times. Made Mike Goldberg feel uncomfortable forcing out a, "yes", and, "I agree", at times during one of Rogan's long rants. I am a master of body language, Goldberg was very, very uncomfortable. Never seen that kind of interaction before. I knew Rogan was a pro-cannabis advocate. I'm not a huge Twitter user myself, I use it merely as a tool for information, but I clicked on him a year or so ago to see what he had to say and all he did was post up links for pro marijuana articles. Bored the shit out of me so I never ended up following him. Might do so now and look out for his podcasts and see what makes him really tick. Ariel Harwani is basically an interviewer for the UFC on the FOX Network (US). Interviews fighters and Dana White after the bigger shows finish (shown on the post event show which we get here). We also get two weekly UFC half hour shows a week (Kenny Florian and Chael Sonnen present it) and he is basically a mole on there with his own segment. Has all the inside scoop of fighters' injuries, possible future matchups and the like. The UFC are putting on many more shows in 2014 and beyond so he'll be around somewhere like a bad smell.

Fair point, we have strayed off course. Back to the cricket.

So do I. He's been there and done that, my knowledge of MMA/UFC would be nothing without him. Seriously, he has the best technical explanations in UFC commentary by far and sells the product better than Dana White can (orally). Whatever he does in his own time is his own business tbf, though I've sometimes wondered why in some broadcasts he's looked like he's sweated bullets (with an obviously abnormal heart rate) while others next to him (like Mike Goldberg or Dana White) are dry and relatively calm as fuck even accounting for the normal adrenalin rush that they would have. Can't stand that Ariel Halmani(sp?) bloke. What a weed. Tweeted yesterday that Silva was in the back screaming at the top of his lungs. You would too if you had to endure that! The poor bloke was in so much agony on the ground (when the pain finally started to register) that he couldn't make his screams audible. Like watching Al Pacino (Michael Collione) in that second last scene in Godfather 3 after his daughter got shot.

To be a reserve of their reserves with a clear directive to improve his team play and awareness if he wants promoting in the squad.

Commentators get into it too, "Now watch the replay you get to see it snap. See? THERE! SNAP! RIGHT THERE!"

From England, Italy or Spain I meant...

Agreed. The UFC production crew need to learn to be much more tactful when it comes to this, it's not the first time. Replaying Nogiera's arm being broken against Frank Mir last year with all those slow motion replays was appalling as well I thought.

Ben Arfa doesn't have the footballing intelligence to match his skill and pace - it has always been a problem with him. If he did have better awareness he'd already be playing for a club in the Champions League. Thought we knocked the ball around ok in the first half without creating any real chances. Both teams looked jaded. Unlucky to concede that goal as well. We've had a real good run of late so there's not much to be complain about.

Christ almighty, very distressing end to the UFC. Dampener on what was otherwise a good day.

This should all be wrapped up (and you suffering chums put out of your misery) in time to switch to the UFC. Perfect. Just perfect.

Oh how things can turn. England looked quite solid to start with too - obvious that they had the upper hand. I don't think 230 is going to be quite enough to defend I'm afraid.

Yeah, a 5-0 drubbing looking pretty unlikely now, unfortunately. But watching Piers Morgan cop a battering again has cheered me back up though; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-2529781/Ashes-2013-14-Piers-Morgan-faces-Brett-Lee-England-v-Australia-test-Melbourne-VIDEO.html