Best British Sitcoms Of All Times
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10. One Foot In The Grave:
Victor Meldrew (Richard Wilson) is the original grumpy old man with wavering levels of tolerance. His outbursts against what life throws at him are made possible only through the situation of early retirement that has been forced upon him, leading to events that would otherwise seem trivial if they happened to anyone besides Victor. His wife Margaret (Annette Crosbie) is very much the antagonist whose own tolerance levels, living with a man like Victor, are very high leaving her with nothing to do but push on with a smile. The show has everything, even a catchphrase that sets the viewers off even more so than anything else.
9. The Good Life
Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal star as Mr and Mrs Good who literally want to seek out the good life. Trying to become non-dependant and self-sufficient, Tom Good turns his home into a farm, which annoys the neighbours quite a bit and provides much laughs for anyone watching the show. Interesting fact - over in America the show was retitled to 'Good Neighbours'.
8. Open All Hours
A corner shop owned by Albert Arkwright (Ronnie Barker) who is quite 'tight' with money leaves Granville (David Jason), his nephew, with much more to do than he should be doing. While trying to make the most money by using as little as possible, Albert also has another goal. Nurse Gladys Emmanuel (Lynda Baron).
7. Porridge
Ronnie Barker stars as Norman Stanley Fletcher serving 5 years at HMP Prison Slade for a bout of breaking and entering. Having his own cell is perfect for Fletcher, it is the only thing that makes him happy inside... but he is forced to share with a first time offender Lennie Godbar and subsequently takes him under his wing leading to much anticipated trouble. However, it is not the situation that makes this comedy one of the greats but the dialogue between Fletcher and Godbar resulting in a brilliantly written comedy.
6. Yes Minister
Right Honourable Jim Hacker MP is the Cabinet Minister for Administrative Affairs. A shaky start to a comedy character but this is balanced beautifully by the introduction of Sir Humphrey Appleby, the head of the civil servants who work under Hacker. Appleby is very much the Iago to Hacker's Othello and this leads to an eternal struggle between good and evil, mirroring the politicians and the elitists and providing much humour for the sake of being funny. But unlike most comedies, this one leaves the viewer thinking quite a bit, many of the famous debates surrounding 'Yes Minister' were headed by one major question - is Hacker a Tory or Labour? The Tory supporters would say Tory and Labour supporters would say Labour, which just goes to show how great the characterisation of Jim Hacker was. Definitely worth watching again and again.
5. Fawlty Towers
Basil Fawlty and his wife Sybil own a hotel in Torquay. The only problem is Basil is short tempered and Sybil is highly strung which does not make much of a partnership and chaos ensues in the most ridculos fashions. This is one of those comedies that you just have to watch; there are so many things to say about Fawlty Towers that even thinking about it makes a person want to stop thinking about it and just watch it.
4. Dad's Army
Britain is in war with the Nazis over in Europe but there is nothing funny to be gained from that. It is the effort of the Walmington-On-Sea platoon who take care of the home-front, that gives us the laughs. But what makes this comedy so appealing? It would have to be the characters, all of which never falter from their personalities. Truly one of the greats of British comedy.
3. Vicar of Dibley
Who can forget the wonderful Geraldine Granger (Dawn French) who took over the village of Dibley as a warm-hearted, chocolate-loving female vicar. After winning over the village and gaining the respect of the parish, Geraldine goes on to have many hilarious adventures with an underlying threat of one who never approved of her actions.
2. Blackadder
Blackadder takes place over 4 series, each one a different period in history and with each one comes a new reincarnation of Blackadder, his servant Baldrick and his friend Percy. Each time, the roles are changed in every way imaginable and with Rowan Atkinson and later Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie on the bill, this is definitely one of the greats and would be adequate sitting here as joint first.
1. Only Fools and Horses
There is just one thing on the mind of Derek "Del boy" Trotter - to become a millionaire. The only way he plans on doing this however is through selling cheap knock-offs in his 3-wheeled van and coming up with ludicrous get-rich-quick schemes that always seem to fail hilariously. Every episode is funnier than the last (which oddly is also true if you watch the whole thing backwards). The following are the cast and characters explained in depth.
David Jason as Derek (Del Boy) Trotter A stereotypical market trader and a sort of petty criminal, Del Boy would sell absolutely anything to anyone to make some money by selling goods that are "off the back of a lorry", and was the driving force in all the schemes to make money.
Nicholas Lyndhurst as Rodney Trotter Naive and much younger than his self confident cocky older brother, easily influenced and more academically gifted out of the two, but lacking in common sense.
Lennard Pearce as Grandad Del and Rodney's elderly granddad was added to the cast to balance the three different generations Lennard Pearce unfortunately died of a major heart attack in 1984 and shortly after that Uncle Albert is introduced in to the sitcom
Buster Merryfield as Uncle Albert Shortly after the death of Lennard Pearce it was decided that a new older family member should be brought in, which eventually led to "Uncle Albert", Grandad's long-lost brother.
Roger Lloyd Pack as Trigger Is a small time thief and supplier for Del Boy and comes across as the village idiot. for Rumour has it that he got the name trigger because of his resemblance to a horse, and for some idiotic reason he seems to think that Rodney's real name is Dave........Don't ask me to explain, I have no idea
John Challis as Boycie A Dodgy used car salesman and a Stuck up Snob with a "machine gun laugh" who thinks anyone with a pound less than him is a peasant.
Tessa Peake-Jones as Raquel Ex Stripper who meets Del Boy and they get together and fall in love very quickly with wedding bells and a kid and everything and she is referred to by Del Boy as "my significant other".
Gwyneth Strong as Cassandra Who has wealthy parents hand has had a wealthy upbringing and chooses Rodney as her boyfriend which is ironic because Cassandra doesn't really think about money and that's all Rodney does think of.
Paul Barber as Denzil easy-going Liverpudlian Denzil was often on the receiving end of Del's scams. His inability to say no to Del's business deals frequently led to conflict with his domineering wife.
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Tags: Sitcoms, British, Best, Top 10
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Dubai Horse Racing Industry Defiant
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Just two days after Dubai outlined a restructuring plan to cope with its massive debt, the emirate aims to be seen in a more favorable light by staging the world's richest horse race at a new $2 billion facility on Saturday.
Dubai's ruler -- a well-known horse enthusiast -- has spared no expense to finish the Meydan Racecourse in time for the Dubai World Cup, an eight-race meeting with a total purse of $26 million -- a huge amount in an economic recession that has seen Dubai's economy plunge into the red.
"It's a mega event that will provide some reassurance for the racing industry by showing that Dubai's ruling family is still heavily involved, ready to invest and willing to keep going," said Sean Ennis, a professor of sports marketing at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.
With two racetracks, a grandstand that holds 60,000 spectators, a 290-room luxury hotel, a marina and a horse racing museum, Meydan stands as a monument to Dubai's excess. Saturday's card includes the $10 million centerpiece race run for the first time on the Tapeta surface.
Meydan features a left-handed 1 1/2-mile turf circuit outside of a smaller synthetic track that is just over a mile long.
Although initial reaction to the track has been upbeat, many of the jockeys and trainers have only had a few days to get used to the synthetic surface, which replaces the dirt at the old Nad al Sheba track.
Several top thoroughbreds expected in Dubai dropped out, including Japan's two-time Horse of the Year, Vodka, and American trainer John Shirreffs' mare, Life is Sweet -- making this year's World Cup the most open contest in its 15-year history.
Some of Europe's top 10-furlong horses are in the field, including British-trained Gitano Hernando, the Goodwood Stakes winner at Santa Anita in October. The lone Japanese entry, 4-year-old filly Red Desire, impressed earlier this month in winning the Maktoum Challenge on the Meydan course.
For the premier World Cup race, though, most observers are focusing on Gio Ponti, winner of two Eclipse Awards in 2009.
The 5-year-old from Kentucky is a turf specialist, but his backers hope the second-place finish in November in the Breeders' Cup Classic on an artificial surface will prove beneficial when Gio Ponti races on the similar track at Meydan on Saturday.
In the $5 million, 1 1/2-mile Dubai Sheema Classic, Presious Passion, the runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Turf last fall and winner of the Mac Diarmada at Gulfstream on Feb. 28, is among the most fancied.
The two entries from the Godolphin Racing stables of Dubai's ruler, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, are both long shots.
Since the 1980s, Sheik Mohammed has turned Godolphin into a major force in racing with purchases of top bloodstock around the world and the establishment of United States-based operations in Kentucky and South Carolina.
But there is one coveted trophy that has eluded him: the Kentucky Derby.
The $2 million, 1 3/16-mile UAE Derby is one of eight races Saturday and is seen as a key warm-up for the Kentucky Derby on May 1.
One of Godolphin's Churchill Downs hopefuls, Vale of York, was scratched from the UAE Derby, after finishing a disappointing fifth in the colt's first start of the year at Meydan earlier this month.
The sheik's efforts to win a Kentucky Derby have been stepped up in recent years with record-shattering purchases of not just stallions but also mares, including Playful Act, which he bought in 2007 for an unprecedented $10.5 million.
Sheik Mohammed and his family have been among the biggest spenders at major American thoroughbred auctions, often paying millions of dollars for top bloodstock even during market downturns.
Saturday's meeting is an indication that Dubai's ruler, who invested millions in sports infrastructure, remains committed to hosting high-profile golf and tennis events.
"Many came to doubt it will continue after the financial crisis hit," Ennis said. "The purpose of the grand racing event is to prove that Dubai is not falling apart or disappearing back into the desert."
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Tags: Dubai, Horse, Racing, World. Cup
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Horsepower With Martin Clunes On ITV
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Martin Clunes travels the world to unlock the secrets of man's partnership with horses in Horsepower, a new documentary series for ITV1.
His fascinating journey takes him from remotest Mongolia to the deserts of Arabia; to see the enigmatic wild Mustangs in Nevada, and watch the thrills and spills of rodeo in Las Vegas.
He finds out what life in the saddle is like for cowboys out west and rides into battle on horseback in a suit of armour at Warwick Castle. He is given in a crash course in snow polo in Colorado and joins the pomp and ceremony as horses and carriages are prepared for the State opening of Parliament.
Martin is a special guest at the world's most glamorous and lavish racing event in Dubai, and watches the colourful Palio horse race in Italy, which dates back to the 1200's.
No animal has changed the course of human history as profoundly as the horse. For 6,000 years there was no faster way to travel. It helped us to win battles and build empires. It carried kings and emperors. It also pulled our carts, ploughed our fields and carried our heavy burdens. It's been called the best slave we humans ever had – though that does not do justice to the rich and mutually rewarding relationship that's possible.
Martin unravels the story of how man and horse first got together, what the horse has done for us through the ages, and what the horse still means to us today.
“I wanted to find out how this animal became so important to us. How did we manage to tame such a huge, fearful prey animal and make it both our servant and our friend,” says Martin.
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Tags: Horsepower, Horses, Martin, Clunes, ITV, Document...
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Derby Hopeful
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At 74, eight-time Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Herb Alpert still plays a mean trumpet, still produces songs and albums and still tours with his wife, singer Lani Hall.
He even finds time to do oil painting and sculpture, but he leaves mundane tasks like managing thoroughbreds to his 80-year-old brother, David.
"He comes to the track once in a while, but he knows where the horses run and what they do," David Alpert said in a telephone interview. "He's busy with his music."
One horse owned by Herb and David Alpert is Ranger Heartley, who won the California Derby on Jan. 16 and makes an encore appearance at Golden Gate Fields in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 El Camino Derby.
"I've been in the horse racing business for about 30 years," David Alpert said. "I started off with Jerry Moss."
Moss, of course, partnered with Herb Alpert to form A&M Records in 1962 and now is one of California's major thoroughbred owners with horses like sensational unbeaten mare Zenyatta. David Alpert still handles a lot of personal business for both his brother and Moss.
"Jerry came to me and wanted to claim a horse, so he and I and another guy put up $10,000 each and claimed a horse named Concussion," Alpert said. "The first time out for us he won, the second time he won and the third time he won. I thought, 'Oh, my God, we're making money.' That sort of got us hooked. Then Jerry wanted to get out of the partnership and do things differently."
Herb joined David in the horse business and they have had mostly claimers, although Funontherun won the Grade 2 San Rafael Stakes in 1997 but was injured before the Kentucky Derby.
Their current trainer, John Sadler, claimed Ranger Heartley for $32,000 when the gelding was making his third start July 19 at Hollywood Park. Ranger Heartley, named by Texas breeder Sue Dowling after an Army Ranger from her hometown who was killed in Iraq, had finished fifth and eighth in two previous starts in higher-class maiden-allowance events.
"I told Sadler and his assistant (Larry Benavidez) we were looking for a horse and they said they had one they liked," Alpert said. "The horse finished sixth and I thought, 'Why didn't you claim the one who ran first or second?' Then the horse won at Del Mar (in another $32,000 maiden-claimer) and from then on he has done very well."
In his past four starts, all at 1 mile or longer, Ranger Heartley had three wins and a third while opening up clear leads soon after the start.
"He runs in front and doesn't look back," Alpert said. "If he feels or hears any horse coming near him, he just gets farther in front."
In the 11/16-mile California Derby, Ranger Heartley held off challenges from odds-on favorite Connemara and Thomas Baines en route to a victory by three-quarters of a length. The three horses meet again in the 11/8-mile El Camino Real Derby, with Ranger Heartley and Connemara the only Triple Crown nominees in the field of 10.
"I'm very excited about the horse," David Alpert said. "If he runs well Saturday, Sadler said we'll go straight up into a race like the Santa Anita Derby and then maybe we can qualify for the big derby ."
Tags: Derby, California, Herb, Horse, Racing
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The Care Horses Need
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Horses have relatively small stomachs and need frequent small meals to avoid problems like colic. Good quality hay should be available to the horse whenever he is at rest. Working horses, race or eventing horses and nursing mares may need extra grain to help them maintain body condition, but the average horse should not be overfed a grain diet.
There is more to horse care than a stable, a bale of hay and a pet insurance policy and owners who want to keep their horses healthy for the long term must keep in mind that all horses of every age need a properly balanced diet that is built around the fact that horses are built to forage.
Over-conditioning makes life hard for a horse. Extra body weight can lead to lameness and make subtle lameness worse and may increase the incidence of fatty lipomas in the intestines, while adding to general wear and tear on the horse's body.
General feeding tips for horse owners are:
1) Clean out the inside of storage bins, especially in summer when mildew builds up.
2) Keep the food supply covered to avoid contamination with rodent faeces. Diseases such as leptospirosis, salmonella and equine protozoal myelitis can be transmitted through feed contamination.
3) Maintain an adequate water supply for your horse and keep the water clean, ice-free, and of a drinkable temperature in the winter. This will also help prevent colic and impaction of the intestine.
Pet insurance for your horse is obviously a very necessary aspect when considering owning a horse, as not only are the costs of stabling and feeding very high, but vets bills can cost a small fortune. Pet insurance need not be expensive, and will save a lot of money in the long run.
Tags: Vets, Care, Health, Diet, Grain,
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Horseracing
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Horseracing, the "Sport of Kings," has been around for thousands of years and therefore has a rich history. It can also be extremely complicated, especially if you are one of those ambitious souls who is determined to handicap the races and make some money for your efforts.
We are living in the information age and that means that almost every day finds a new product supplying us with yet more data about equine sports. After a while, the mind boggles and we realize we cannot possibly make sense of all the information and we go into information overload.
Breeding information, sire stats, trainer moves, track models, jockey strengths and weaknesses, the list goes on and on. The human brain hasn't changed much in thousands of years, but we are asking it to do more and more with more information.
Regardless of what our powerful computers can do, we, as humans, can only digest and assimilate so much data and then any more we try to add becomes useless. What we have to do is to use our brains to figure out what we need to know and how to get that information and then we need to disregard the rest.
That being said, have you ever asked yourself this question, "What do I need to know to successfully handicap horse races?"
Here is a suggestion to help you to get your handicapping under control. Sit down and make a list of the points that you need to know in order to successfully pick winners and to make money betting on them. It is amazing how many people cannot tell you what it is they are looking for when they read past performances or a racing program. If you don't know what you are looking for, what you need to know, how will you know it when you see it?
The place to start is to look at recent winners and try to see what factors they had in common or that they possessed that the other runners did not. Make a list of those factors and you will soon have a list of what you need to know to find the next list of winners, before they run. That list of things they had in common will also serve as a list of things you need to know, in other words, everything you wanted to know about handicapping horse races.
But if you want to save money, just don’t bet.
Tags: Horses, Racing, Betting, Races, Fences
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Horse Health; An Abridged Guide
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Veterinary care: This can be an expensive part of horse ownership. Having a good working relationship with local veterinarians can help them understand what tasks an owner can handle. Taking an active interest and being involved with the daily care of a horse needing wound or medical therapy can increase owners’ education and interaction with their horse.
Learning to give intramuscular and intravenous shots will allow owners to give vaccinations and medications prescribed by the vet.
Fecal Test and Deworming: Internal parasites rob horses of feed nutrients and are a leading cause of colic. It is important to follow a deworming program that consists of testing for parasites and deworming with the appropriate product and amount. A fecal test indicates the numbers and types of parasites that are present.Most schedules include deworming or testing every 8 to 12 weeks. It is important to deworm according to the horse's weight, since many times one tube of dewormer is not enough to cover the entire weight of a horse. A weight tape can be obtained at many feed stores or through a feed company.
Vaccinations: Vaccinations are usually given on an annual basis, although some are given more often. Vaccines boost the horse's immune system and help it fight disease. It is far less expensive to protect the horse with a vaccine rather than treat a disease or lose a horse to a disease. Discussing a vaccination schedule with the vet can give owners a plan to maintain horse or herd health.
Nutrition: When making changes in hay or grain diets, do so over 7 to 10 days. If new hay is purchased, feed 25 percent or less of the new hay mixed with 75 percent or more of the old hay. Increase the amount of new hay daily until all new hay is fed by the 7-to-10-day change period.A horse needs 1 to 2.2 percent of its body weight in hay per day.Most horses do not need grain unless they are in hard work, late gestation, lactating or growing. A working horse may only need added protein if it maintains good body condition, so a protein/vitamin/mineral supplement may be better than a complete grain. Hay produces more body weight on a horse than grain (sometimes people get the two mixed up.) Make sure the hay is not stemmy and slightly leafy.
Dental Care: Dental care is important so the horse can chew properly, allowing it to get the nutrition provided through the feed. A horse's teeth develop points, hooks and other irregularities due to the fit of the jaw and the continued eruption of the teeth from the skull. Lack of dental care can lead to mouth sores, loss of body condition and colic. An annual floating (rasping of the edges) may be all that is needed to give the horse a proper grinding surface.
Farrier Care: Maintaining healthy, balanced hooves requires daily cleaning and trimming or shoeing every 6 to 8 weeks. Remember, shoes are not always required on a horse, if the horse is in pasture most of the time.
Tags: Health, Care, Horse, VET,
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