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Raul Malo, lead singer of The Mavericks.

Only 60.

Got diagnosed last year with stage 4 colon cancer. Kept touring until a few months back.

Had not heard of him so looked him up on youtube
Crying

What a voice, RIP

Ralph mcclean show tonight played this and a few others, worth catching on bbc sounds.

[2 Become 1 by the Spice Girls]

Underrated: 2 Become 1 by the Spice Girls. Always reminds me of Christmas, and I always liked it. I'm not ashamed of this.

Stay Another Day by East 17. Couldn't bate it.

In the classics, I'm fond of Merry Xmas Everybody by Slade, Winter's Tale by David Essex, and Stop the Cavalry by Jona Lewie.

Now that's the definition of a guilty pleasure

I'm still shouting for the SPICE girls to go on Austin's List. That's a cracking tune.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62vnqvxre1o

"The judge said he did not consider the attack a terrorist offence."

As a convention report not a planning g document seemed ok to take a minute to say well done for all the effort (there Isn't a queue of people to do the roles nor a crowd applauding those who do)

I thought it was a straightforward enough document and was clear on a lot to do and focused on the positives around secondary school work/officers etc

For adult club level 2 main points. No change in championship structure "without significant consultation", maybe football reserve sides might play in the main leagues and to be assessed in Jan review.

Joni Mitchell - River
Paul McCartney - The Frog Chorus
Run DMC - Christmas in Hollis

Honourable mention to De Burgh for Spaceman came travelling, smashing tune to join in with in the shopping centre and embarrass the kids. Dishonourable mention to Springsteen for Santa Claus is coming to town, what was he thinking.

"Layman's view on how to fix the issues, build more hospitals"
Has it occurred to anyone why we have an ever increasing sick population? Have we somehow created a system that incentivizes poor health, for as far as I can see most of this is self inflicted.
Also, how about tackling the systematic waste in the NHS. If something is "free", people can't help themselves but take the piss out of it.
I am for paying a bit less tax but paying for healthcare and medications as an when I need it.

The much vaunted Bengoa report which is probably defunct now said that we had too many hospitals and services needed to be centralised into specialist hubs.

image a Unionist minister giving the go ahead to close Lagan Valley or a nationalist minister giving the go ahead of closing Downpatrick or Omagh!

Total lack of leadership, the argument is people don't want to die on the road to [bigger population centre]

Well, you are going to die anyway as the consultant treating you as no experience which is why he is working in your local rural clinic.

It is one of the downside of mandatory coalition, why take the risk of changing anything, protect the status quo.

At some stage people have to be levelled with, if you want to live in the arsehole of nowhere then you can't expect the same services as large populations unless rates go through the roof, that includes the ability to drive into those large centres - get the bus or train or cycle or walk but stop polluting the town/city air because you want to live on a half acre next to your ma.

Does Lisburn have a soccer team?
Does Lisburn have a Gaelic football team?

What the hell is wrong with Lisburn?

St Pats,'doing good work seeing as they have to arm wrestle the unhelpful local council and the MOD on pitches.

They've improved a lot over last number of years. It'd be good to see them up to top end intermediate or even senior. Lisburn always was a fight to get a team in with the demographics and seem a bitter place. I would have used to play them in lower leagues and they were dreadful but they have improved a lot and seem to be holding their own in division 2 which is good to see. I would expect them to keep improving.

The demographics tilt in the last 10/15years has been marked in support of them, next big step is improved facilities.

If they could get Wallace or Friends to field a Gaa team that would turbo charge them, seems unlikely though.

For Antrim county the unploughed field is the likes of Methody/Inst/Wallace/Friends/Bra who all have significant Gaa populations and not school outlet - I'll send like an alliance party meeting with hopes here but at some
Point they will.

Does Lisburn have a soccer team?
Does Lisburn have a Gaelic football team?

What the hell is wrong with Lisburn?

St Pats,'doing good work seeing as they have to arm wrestle the unhelpful local council and the MOD on pitches.

A simple bit of clarification/tidying up.

I see the LGFA are trialling TWELVE new rules.
Some hurling ref calling for a "HRC" to among other things stop rucks and throw passing.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-41752521.html

By and large the existing lgfa tackle rule
Is mostly ok (only tackling ball when it's out). Changing this to copy the men's game is a mistake and in the long term will be bad for the ladies game and put players off the game.

Allowing players to put hands up against a runner is correct though.

can raise an eyebrow to all of that, if they can get close with the Galway side it'll be some step up. Winning would be a different level altogether.

it's a serious win given the resources and playing quality of Crokes (which pretty much matches their men's set up).

Players moving to get games is totally understandable, players moving for trophies less so.

I can't though understand "home" clubs celebrating "their" players success under the arrangement when they now have their own senior team, by rights those players should have come back to their home clubs and it's embarrassing for those clubs to celebrate this.

Good to see other clubs building out their codes and certainly Cargin seem likely to make heavy inroads here, one super stronger club (as we have seen on the men's side) does very little for the club or county game no matter the success that club may have.

Some of them may be celebrating, particularly if they are not used to success.  Others maybe just wishing their own girls good luck which is natural.

How much stronger would these parent clubs be if the players returned to them? On the flip side, how much weaker would their current club be?

Division 3 a tough sell for the love of the parish when there are all ireland medals within touching distance 

If they are playing permanently for another club in the next or even same parish, they aren't their players, as I said it's embarrassing.

Not sure why people think Newbridge would fare any better against Kilcoo than Scotstown will. They're still very inexperienced at this level, I reckon Kilcoo would have been way too cute for them

Purely on pace and willingness to run at defenders, it's been refreshing.

it's a serious win given the resources and playing quality of Crokes (which pretty much matches their men's set up).

Players moving to get games is totally understandable, players moving for trophies less so.

I can't though understand "home" clubs celebrating "their" players success under the arrangement when they now have their own senior team, by rights those players should have come back to their home clubs and it's embarrassing for those clubs to celebrate this.

Good to see other clubs building out their codes and certainly Cargin seem likely to make heavy inroads here, one super stronger club (as we have seen on the men's side) does very little for the club or county game no matter the success that club may have.

For what should be a very experienced team Scotstown appeared very naive at times today. Can't see them beating Kilcoo based on that.

I thought Newbridge would have given Kilcoo a serious rattle, Winter football
is tough though.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2025/1129/1546487-watty-grahams-glen-raise-concerns-over-season-extension/

The point is well made on how long county development squads are running for.