I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah. Two hundred degrees, that's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit (Queen)

Wie geht's?

When I looked at the FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule, I didn't put a ring around Group J's first round game between Jordan v Austria as essential viewing, but I aim to watch as much of every game as I can. So, I tuned in when I got home from school.

Oh my! What a game that was! End to end attack and defense right from the first whistle. It was a magnificent game between two equally matched teams who were both desperate to win. It ended up 3-1 to Austria but that score line tells you nothing about how exciting the game was.

For me, it was easily the best game of the tournament so far (all the teams have now played a game). Jordan were magnificent in defeat. I'll be cheering them on in their next game fersure.

Compare that to the much-vaunted Portugal side with superstar Cristiano Ronaldo on the field for the whole game. It was very disappointing. For much of the game he ambled around offside, in the penalty box, waiting for a chance that never came. It was like his team were playing with ten men for the whole game.

So, no Ronaldo goals (yet?), while Kane, Mbappé, Elijah Just, Haaland, and Havertz scored two each and Messi three in their first game. 

Age catches up with us all.

Love and peace - Wozza

If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere (Frank A. Clark)

Wie geht's?

The FIFA World Cup is already consuming a lot of my daily attention. It's every four years, so I'm being kind to myself.

It's hard not to be impressed by the stadiums and the spectacle (Flower of Scotland was an awesome moment), but it's the football that I'm loving the most. 

What a great game football is! Generally, it flows, demands attention (it's end to end), and is drama-filled (joy, elation and despair are seconds away).

The changes to speed up the game, and the reduction of the VAR agonies by building those decisions into the game are all paying off. Amazingly, the summer heat does not appear to be affecting the players and their skill level at this highest of stages is gobsmackingly amazing.

And NZ, England, France, Argentina, Portugal and Spain haven't even played their first game yet!

There will be plenty of obstacles along the way in the next few weeks, but one team will rise above the others. It will be absolutely fascinating.

Love and peace - Wozza

Change is the law of life (John F. Kennedy)

Photo by Igor Omilaev on Unsplash

Wie geht's?

The whole quote by JFK was - Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future. AI is certainly happening now and will influence the future big time.

Yes, one of the biggest changes happening in the world today is the spread of AI both for good (developing vaccines against viruses and diseases like Ebola) and for nefarious purposes (deep fakes etc). 

I can only control how I react to it though, and that's by getting along without it as much as possible.

There was a great opinion piece in this week's Guardian Weekly by Wendy Liu titled Why do I avoid AI? Because thinking should be difficult.

She's wary of what she calls 'cognitive offloading'. As she puts it - 'Thinking is the point. I don’t want to get into the habit of avoiding it purely for the sake of convenience'.

More and more I see AI moving insidiously into people's lives. Certainly, my students are coming to rely on it more and more.

Some time ago, I decided not to use AI for my blogposts - either to generate subject matter or to actually write for me. What would be the point of that? 

Like Wendy, I want to be true to myself, or as she puts it - 'taking a path that I think will help me become the kind of person I want to be: someone deeply rooted in the world, who moves with intention and integrity'.

Love and peace - Wozza

In the end, we'll agree, we'll accept, we'll immortalise (Yes)

Wie geht's?

Sport brings out the best and worst in people. 

By any objective measurement, Arsenal F.C. has had a stellar season. Having led the English Premier League for most of the season, Arsenal are now champions. Generally, that's achieved by scoring the most goals, letting in the least and therefore accumulating the most points. That achievement is massive. It's 22 years since we were last champions. That's worth celebrating!

All that, plus we narrowly lost the Champions League final on penalties to PSG, having gone undefeated in that competition until then.

The haters are going to hate though.

They will call our team names (the 'boring' tag long became a badge of honour), support any team that plays against us in the name of 'rivalry', and celebrate our losses. How pathetic.

I will support England in the FIFA World Cup 2026, despite the fact there are non-Arsenal players in the squad. Obviously, I'll also support New Zealand, and Brazil as well - as I always do.

If a former Spurs player, Harry Kane, gets to lift the World Cup trophy, I will be ecstatic.

Every four years we get a chance to celebrate the beautiful game with a global competition. Pity that some of the game's supporters aren't beautiful in their support.

Love and peace - Wozza

To sleep, perchance to dream (Hamlet)

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦
on Unsplash

Wie geht's?

My sleeping patterns are interesting at present - Monday to Friday - sleep right through the night - awaken to the beeps of my phone alarm at 4.30am.

Saturday - a bit meh - shallow sleep mixed in with some REM. No alarm but still wake around 5 after dozing.

Sunday - fitful light sleep right through.

So, as I said to a colleague today - Working Monday to Friday may be taxing on the brain and therefore knackering, but I sleep soundly - which is healthy, right?

To sum up: not working = not knackered = no sleep = unhealthy. 

Another good reason why I won't be retiring soon.

Love and peace - Wozza

Eight miles high (The Byrds)

Photo by Wolf Zimmermann
on Unsplash

Wie geht's?

For the second year in a row, I managed to find a great desktop calendar that has a quote per day on it. I tear them off each day and save up the best ones for my Purdzilla blog. I currently have an overflow. 

Some of my readership like me using quotes in my day to day existence, and some don't.

Those that don't subscribe, I guess, to Ralph Waldo Emerson's statement - 'I hate quotations, tell me what you know'. Ha! That's a great quote!

Here's what I know - I love quotes. I find inspiration in them and the desktop calendar provides a constant stream.

The one for Thursday 21st May for instance was by C.S. Lewis:

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

That's a message and idea I need to be reminded of from time to time. 

Love and peace - Wozza

P.S. Big happy birthdays in May continue with Chris joining Andrew and Fanfa. Happy birthday for the 23rd of May, Chris. 

They say it's yer birthday...

Here's looking at you, kids.

Happy birthday Fanfa.

Wie geht's?

Recently, Samantha and Andrew had their latest birthdays. Since their last round-the-sun celebration, their lives have been altered forever by the birth of their first child.

Nothing prepares you for that explosive moment of unconditional love - when you are 100% charged with the protection and sustenance of another human being. It's real shock and awe territory. 

Three of the Purdettes have handled the transition to parenthood like a boss. I take my hat off to them. They make it look easy (it isn't).  

So, happy birthday to Sam and Drew. In a few years you'll be getting a special breakfast in bed from Billie (warm milky tea and soggy toast loaded with butter) but until then - celebrate good times.

Love and peace - Dad