After the Champions League draw, Arsenal fans are saying that they're opimistic that their club can emulate what Man Utd and Chelsea did in recent years. Play in the Europa League.

Of course, I am more nervous of the game on Sunday than I am of our poor prospects in the European Cup.  Players apparently want to join the club, but they just seem not to be doing so and the Scum keep on buying.  Unless you count our two free transfers!  Anyway, it is the last day of our holiday, time to pack...

The beach at Alvor (Portimão)

Today we went somewhere different.  To Alvor where there was a different beach to try.  While it was a great place to go, I have to say that I prefer Praia dos Caneiros as the sun loungers that you can hire are closer to the sea and the sand is finer as well as the view in my opinion being more spectaculor.  The beach at Alvor is much larger, and when I say that one beach is better than this, that is not to say that this is not a great place.  There are more places to eat at Alvor, there is more parking, the beach being larger means that there are more places to be when you are there.  And we had a great time here, the kids loved swimming in the sea and making loads of things on the beach with the buckets and spades that we brought from the UK.  Afterwards a quick trip to Carvoeiro for lunch and to pay our toll charge for using the motorway.

While I type this, the kids are sleeping, having had a busy few days.  One thing that we felt we had to do to make the most of the day was to arrive at the beaches early to to get parking, more of an issue yesterday compared to today though and this has had to mean that while the kids have had late nights, they have continued to rise early in the morning.  So, while typing, I am also reading about the Arsenal draw for the European Cup as it looks that Arsenal are in the group of doom.  Saying that, when our backs have been up against the wall, we have managed to get some great results, but time will tell if our squad will be enough for this season or not.

Praia dos Caneiros

Today was a trip to the beach finally, and to a beach that we have been to before.  When we were there before, we had explored the rock pools.  My son got cold feet, not literally, which was a shame as he did not get to see as many of the creatures that are there which my daughter did instead.  So far he has told my mother that I told him to leave, but my daughter remembers that he got scared.  It was great looking at the different animals that we found and later we are going to look up more of them on-line.  They are knackered at present and I have got them watching a DVD, Wreck-It Ralph which my son has said is more scary than Star Wars!  A great film that I think shows that team work is important and that while some people may do jobs that no one likes, those jobs are important anyway.

Restaurante Rei das Praias

Evening all, and for the kids, another day at the pool. But, we did sort of visit the beach, having a trip to a restaurant that we went to before back in early May on more than one occasion.  The view from the restaurant is amazing as it overlooks the beach and the food is terrific as well.  Like most good food, it takes some time to arrive, which is an issue if you have children, but ours are quite good when they have been kept occupied.  My daughter is a fan of sea food and loved sharing a large dish with my wife, my son like me is not a fan of that and while I had steak (and loved it) they altered one of the dishes that they made to suit him.

Anyway, they are in bed now and we might go to the beach properly tomorrow.  Did not get to watch the Arsenal game, we won, but have had a few injuries and no players coming which means that I am dreading the weekend as we play the scum then.  I have already warned work that I might be ill afterwards...

If you've ever lost your iPhone, take solace in the thought that maybe - just maybe - some mouse family now has a flat-screen TV.

Today resulted on no trip to the beach, but it was one of the best days yet.  My daughter had bought herself a snorkel and some flippers after making a friend on holiday who had the same and loved them, so when at the local supermarket my son spent some of his holiday money to get a set.  The kids love them, that and some toys to play in the pool resulted in a very enjoyable day for them, and therefore all of us!

Steve McManaman: "Gareth Bale needs to embrace the Spanish way". With his record for diving, it appears he's already done that.

Evening all, again a day at the pool.  I am not going to get to watch the football tonight.  We heard an interesting discussion where one husband was trying to convince his wife to eat somewhere that he could watch the match.  Words relating to poo and hole were used to describe one of the places that he wanted his wife and baby daughter to visit for this!  The wife is getting better, but my daughter has now hurt her ankle!

The facts about the need for the Affordable Healthcare Act

As some of you are aware, I make a few posts on Yahoo Answers! of which some are based on dispelling the myths, lies and half truths spread by the far right.  In addition to this, I also like to make balanced posts about the US healthcare system.

The only reason I got into this was due to the lies that those on the right in the US have spread about the NHS, and then I guess, I got a bit carried away.

But back to the point, here are some points on the need for health care reform in the USA and some facts about the nature of the reforms.

FACT - Insurance companies in the USA before the reforms pushed up prices, did not pay out claims when they should and bought or blackmailed politicians
FACT - PER PERSON the USA spends more on healthcare than any other nation onthe planet
FACT - Obama debated his healthcare plans before he was elected in 2008
FACT - the chance of a child under five of dying in the USA is greater than industrialised nations with universal health coverage
FACT - Obama was elected to bring in change
FACT - Obama wants to stop insurance companies from screwing America and Americans
FACT - The reforms Obama wants work in the Netherlands and Switzerland

Let me know if my facts are wrong, but please provide proof.