I want, I want!!

Ok, I may be a bit too old for these things.... but they look great!!!

This article is published, courtesy of the FT:

Five battery-operated robotic hamsters costing about $10 each have become the must-have toy of Christmas 2009, with parents in North America and the UK snapping them up as soon as they arrive on retailers’ shelves.
Zhu Zhu Pets, sold in the UK as Go Go Pets, are the hottest toy of the season, according to Jerry Storch, chief executive of Toys R Us, the retailer, a phenomenon on a par with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the smash hit of Christmas 1987.
The interactive hamsters, Mr Squiggles, Patches, Chunk, Pipsqueak and Num Nums, respond to touch with squeeks and noises, and can be set to run about randomly in “explore” mode, or to “coo and chirp” calmly when held.
They also react to separately sold accessories that include a toy house, a bed and a small car with sound effects such as teeth cleaning and toilet flushing noises, televison sounds, disco music and yawning.
Mr Storch said initial demand for the toys was so strong that Toys R Us had not listed them in its Christmas toy catalogue to avoid disappointing customers.
“Word of mouth alone stimulated demand to the point that if we advertised it would only be bad for business,” he said.
Walmart, the largest US retailer, kept the hamsters off its shelves until this weekend.
The range – which includes various separately sold accessories – was launched this summer by Cepia, a small company based in St Louis, Missouri. It was founded in 2004 by Russell Hornsby, an entrepreneur whose previous success was a battery-powered sprayer.
Mr Hornsby said the hamsters spent only between 30 seconds and three minutes on the shelf before being bought.
He had shipped about 6m units and expected to ship another 6m by the end of the Christmas period. He estimated sales of $300m to $400m in the coming 12 months as the product range expanded.
“It’s not just hamsters,” Mr Hornsby said. “We are bringing out the clans: chipmunks, squirrels, hedgehogs, rabbits ... We have all sorts of cute things coming.”
An active secondary market for the hamsters has developed on Ebay, with Mr Squiggles and Num Nums changing hands this week for more than $20.
Jon Diver, managing director of Character Group, which distributes the toys in the UK, said “sell-through has been quite incredible” and that extra supplies have been air-freighted in from China.

Holiday - Day 8 & 9

Not in the best of moods as my back / leg doesn’t show any sign of improvement, not to mention that this otherwise fantastic holiday is coming to an end.
Yesterday morning I went for the second threesome... and I wish I hadn’t bothered. I don’t know if the massage is to blame but last night my pain was so intense that I could barely walk. The situation was definitely worse than the day before.
After a good night’s sleep, this morning I went to the local hospital to see if they could do something about it. They gave me some strong painkillers and obviously recommended seeing my GP once I get back to London. I’m not exactly looking forward to a long-haul flight with such an intense pain in my back so the stronger the painkiller the better.
The weather has not been very good over the last couple of days so – rather than wasting a trip to the beach – yesterday afternoon I did a little bit of DVD shopping. Today the weather seemed to be considerably better so I ventured all the way to Surin beach. It goes without saying that as soon as I settled down the sun disappeared behind thick clouds, never to show again!
A few goodbye drinks to be had tonight in Bodega, the Offshore bar on Nanai Road, Mai Thai bar in Soi Eric etc...

Holiday - Day 7

No messing about, I’m going to give it to you straight... today I went to a ‘massage parlour’ and had a superb threesome, involving myself and two Thai ladies. There you go, I said it!! It was the best threesome that I’ve ever had... probably because it was the first?!?! Plenty of action – it lasted over 2.5 hours (you never knew I had so much stamina eh?!)... awesome satisfaction for all concerned with lots of ‘oooohhh’s and ‘aaaahhh’s..... not to mention the odd ‘f@ck’ for good measure... and a little bit of pillow-biting for the kinky among you!
Ok, before you report me to the Interpol, let me give you the full picture. As my lower back / left leg is showing no sign of improvement, I decided to have another massage, following the one that I had last week in Bangkok. This particular massage parlour was recommended by Jen, a friend of Sefton. Jen is the nice Thai lady that rented me a motorbike for my holiday.
Just very close to Jen’s office, there’s this little unassuming massage parlour, which from the outside is not different to any of the hundreds of parlours here in Patong. However they don’t provide any dodgy massages (thank Buddha for that), but what they're good at (allegedly) is treating people with back problems. As I’m at the end of my tether with this pain, I decided to go down this avenue.
I had two ladies pummelling my back and my legs for 2.5 hours, which was very painful indeed – to use a technical term, they beat me to a pulp! If you consider the the total bill came up to 750 Thai baht (roughly 15 squid), it is definitely a bargain. I can’t begin to think how much a 2.5 hour-long massage would set me back if I had it in London. In fact, even in Leeds or Newcastle you can’t have someone beaten to a pulp for such a small figure! Said that, in those cities you could probably find someone willing to do it for free on a Friday night if you tell them that the ’victim’ is an Italian hailing from Surrey.
There was a lot of pain involved in all honesty, hence all the noises, the pillow-biting and the odd swear word mentioned in the first paragraph above. Was it worth it though?! The honest answer is.... I don’t know (yet). I may have a better indication tonight when I try to go for my usual post-dinner stroll. Fingers crossed!

Holiday - Day 5 & 6 (Part 2)

More Surin beach pics:

Holiday - Day 5 & 6 (Part 1)

From today I’ll have to stop referring to my 'favourite' beaches in Phuket.... as there are just too many of them! Today I went to Surin Beach, about 10km north of Patong, just past Laem Singh beach. Surin has always been famous for its crystal clear water. In fact the water is so clear that it makes Patong beach look like Blackpool or Brighton
There are lots of little restaurants and stalls lining Surin beach, serving both Thai and western food. I got a bit thirsty and got myself a very big fresh coconut. In fact to be honest with you, I didn’t even have to leave my sun lounger as they can bring it to you. Very lazy I know!
What I like about this beach is that – although it is packed with sunbeds and parasols as far as the eye can see, there is quite some distance between each parasol so you don’t have the dreaded Torremolinos effect. And I love the extra large wooden sunbeds (available for 100 baht) that they have here.
Last night my friend Jaroon took me to a new bar that opened only 2 months ago in Patong, very close to the Jungceylon shopping centre. This bar is called Bodega (http://www.bodegaphuket.com/) and is just off one of the main arteries (Rat-U-Thit Road). It’s a kind of tapas / lounge bar, with a very relaxed atmosphere. They have some very nice paintings on the wall and decent live music, although not of the eardrum-breaking variety that you get in so many bars in Patong. And for once it was nice to hear somebody singing pretty well – Simon Cowell would have the mother of all field days if he listened to most of the live acts in Patong!
This bar is run by a truly nice and welcoming couple, Robin and Amy Donovan. Robin is a great bloke from Bournemouth, whilst his wife Amy, also born in the UK, has a nice Sith-Ifrikan twang. My friend Jaroon informed me that Amy is one of the leading members of Chicky Net, a social network for expat women in Thailand (http://chickynetphuket.ning.com/). It’s amazing to see how you can build up a loyal clientele base in just two months, a clientele that wants to chill out in a laid-back environment as not every tourist in Patong is after Thai girls (or ladyboys!). Bodega certainly gets my vote and I will certainly pay them another visit before the end of my holiday.

The first two pics below were taken in Surin, whilst the latter two refer to Laem Singh beach.

Holiday - Day 4 & 5

Yesterday evening I went to see Sefton, a great English bloke that’s been living in Phuket for a number of years.
We met up in the Off Shore Bar on Nanai Road. Nanai Road is on Patong Hill, quite off the beaten track, which was good for a change as you don’t get any hassle from girls or touts soliciting any sort of funny/dodgy business.
Talking of dodgy business going on in this part of the world, after many years it still escapes me what the attraction is in seeing shows where Thai girls shove ping-pong balls up their whatsits, only to churn them out seconds later at sound wall barrier-breaking speed. What is remotely sexy or funny about it?!?!? The only rational explanation that I can think of is that it’s a rite of passage and initiation for aspiring gay blokes. And don’t get me started on darts.... yes darts, as in oooonneehuuundredandeeeiiigghtyyyy!!! Truly mind-boggling stuff.
Anyway on the Off Shore Bar, I had a taste of Britain as Friday night is curry night! Chicken Masala with plain rice for 150 Thai baht, which is roughly less than 3 quid. Not the best cuzza I’ve had in ages but how can you complain at that price?! In London I can barely sniff the poppadoms for 3 pounds.
Today I went to Nai Harn, which in my humble opinion is one of the best beaches on the island (along with Laem Singh and Nai Ton). The pictures below probably say a lot more than a thousand words.

Holiday - Day 3 & 4 (Part 2)

Today I went to Laem Singh beach, roughly 10k north of Patong. It's a lovely little beach that usually doesn't get too busy.
Before getting to Laem Singh, I stopped off for a quick spot of lunch at one of these road stalls that you can see in Pic 4 & 5. The Ivy it ain't... but who cares when the food is so good and cheap.
On Laem Singh, there is Ali's restaurant - Ali is a great bloke and always has a smile for everyone. His business got literally wiped away when the infamous tsunami hit Phuket a few years ago. Luckily none of his family and staff lost their lives on that tragic day. He was able to re-build his little restaurant, that serves amazingly fresh seafood, within very few months.

Holiday - Day 3 & 4 (Part 1)

Ok, I promised to post a few pics yesterday (or was it the day before yesterday?? Time flies when you're having fun hehehe), so here they are. Hardly David Bailey material, so don't say I didn't warn you if they're not your cup of tea.
The first lot refers to Patong beach, not the best beach on the island but walking distance from my royal apartment.

Holiday - Day 2 & 3

I am beginning to settle in nicely in my little Guest House. Like every accommodation, it’s got its pros and cons. Let’s go through them quickly... Pros: 1) it’s central – less than 10 mins walk to the beach; 2) it’s rather cheap – less than 10 squid per night; 3) it offers free wifi. Cons: 1) it’s located in a dark back alley, populated by a few dodgy dogs and stray ladyboys (or the other way around, maybe?). In all honesty, its location makes Khaosan Road in Bangkok look like feckin Mayfair. Anyway the room is clean and spacious enough, it’s got almost virtually everything you need for a stay in Phuket, plus the Guest House owners are a friendly bunch so altogether I’m happy with my choice of accommodation.

Last night I visited one of my favourite restaurants in Patong (Chiang Rai, at the back of Soi Tiger) to get my Thai food fix. One tom yam kung, 4 big fried prawns and 2 Singhas later, all I was ready for was... the bed! I suppose that a mix of jet lag and sleep deprivation finally caught up with me as I made my sorry way to my room, yawning like a hippo just as everyone else in town was about to go out and have fun. There are some malicious rumours going round that I accepted the kind offer of a blanket and a cup of cocoa by the Guest House owners before retiring to my royal apartment but they are totally untrue.

One minor annoyance is the big number of touts plying their trade in the main streets of Patong. Besides the tuk-tuk mafia, one of my main gripes is with those guys that hold some sort of big lizard (or is it a small iguana??) in their hands, giving you the fantastic opportunity (NOT) of having your picture taken whilst holding such exotic creature. Now don’t get me wrong, I am no tree hugging vegan and I understand that everyone has to make a living... but I can’t help feeling very sorry for those poor blighters (the animals, that is, I’d shoot the touts). Those poor animals look absolutely petrified to me – in fact, surrounded by all those humans and all that noise, they almost definitely are.

Another nuisance is provided by the ubiquitous tailors. Again, they are there to make an honest living for themselves and their families... back in Nepal or Burma (none of them are Thais!!) but why, oh why, do they all have to shake your hand and ask you ‘where are you from boss?’..?? A few years ago I made the mistake of telling a few of them that I’m from Italy so their usual retort would be either a cheerful “Buongiorno, como stai amigo mio?” or a mood-darkening “Ciao Napolitano”. As 1) the mere option of being taken for a Neapolitan would spoil my entire day, and 2) I am a grumpy unsociable b@stard (by my own admission...) and don’t want to shake more hands than a diplomat at a UN conference, now I either cross the street to avoid them altogether or tell them that I’m from Estonia, which seems to shut them up. It’ll take them a while to find out how to say “Fancy a nice suit?” in Estonian.

Today I went to the beach and I’m pleased to report that it’s been a scorching day so far. Apart from a few clouds in the sky, the sun has been shining all day long and the temperature must have been in the early 30’s. I’d like to think that I learnt from previous mistakes so I only spent less than an hour in the sun - I’d rather spend the next few days under the parasol sipping a fresh coconut than in my room licking my badly sunburnt wounds.

Off for a nice shower soon and then I’m going to see an English-speaking pharmacist - my lower back / leg pain doesn’t seem to get any better and, after 2 weeks of unsuccessful treatment, it’s not funny anymore. Fingers crossed.

Holiday - Day 1 & 2

Yippee... finally I’m on holiday! A long-awaited holiday! Currently I’m in Phuket, however I arrived in Bangkok yesterday morning (Tuesday 27/10) but I flew again today to get to the southerly island of Phuket.
The first leg of my flight was not that great as The Qatar Airways aircraft was not one of the newest in their fleet. The In Flight Entertainment (IFE) was slightly defective and my window seat had a fairly big metal box (something to do with the IFE, so I’m told) placed right underneath the seat ahead of mine, which meant that I could not stretch my left leg at all. This worked wonders for my already dodgy left leg...
The in-transit area of Doha airport is nothing to write home about but luckily the 3-hour stopover went relatively quickly as I had a good book with me (Starting Over by Tony Parsons).
The second leg of my flight went even quicker as I took full advantage of Qatar Airways’ superb catering and gurgled two (small) bottles of wine with my dinner. In other words, I had barely managed to finish my food that I was already in the Land Of Nod.
No matter how many times you have been to Bangkok as a visitor, probably you will never get used to the hustle and bustle of this city. The traffic is atrocious at almost every hour of the day and night with all those cars, motorbikes and tuk-tuks competing against each other for the next square inch of asphalt with scant regard for the road rules. Yeah, I know, a bit rich coming from an Italian...
In the afternoon, after visiting my favourite tailor and buying far more shirts than I really need (histiry has a penchant for repeating itself...), I opted for a good massage to see if they could alleviate the pain in my left leg. Knowing only too well what sort of comments my mention of a ‘good massage in Bangkok’ can raise, I’d like to stress that ‘good’ means a massage not of the dodgy variety! In this city it’s much easier to get a massage with a few extras added on (wink wink.... and the letter I can be replaced by an A) than a traditional massage for the infirm and the needy like yours truly.
I’m pleased to report that – in time-honoured fashion whenever I’m in this part of the world – the seafood and the coconut industries got a bit of a boost last night. Had an early night as I was rather tired due to the flight, plus this morning I had an atrociously early Air Asia flight to Phuket.
Got to Phuket about 9am and I was (once again) quite surprised by the pace of change that this island is experiencing. Every time I get here there are new buildings being erected, new roads being built.... maybe a bit too many? I wonder if Phuket one day is going to experience a Spanish-style economic bubble.
Patong (the main town in the island) is busier than I thought. Reading some reports on the Net, I would have thought that I was coming to a ghost town but this is far from the truth. Sure, there are ‘Vacancies’ sign almost everywhere but seeing how busy some of the streets are you wouldn’t think that we are in low-season (and in the midst of a recession!).
Back to my Guest House now as the heavens have opened big style. So today in Phuket we have seen clouds, heavy clouds, sunshine, hot sunshine, rain and heavy rain - all in the space of few hours. It’s just like being in London, innit.

No rest for the wicked

It was a hectic week last week. Final week at my Japanese employer so had to tie up all the loose ends before my departure... Roma away at Fulham on Thursday.... leaving drinks on Friday (thanks a lot to all the lovely people that turned up)..... flying to Rome at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning.... coming back to London on Sunday night (got home at 11pm)....and now at 3am on Monday morning I have just finished packing up for my 10-day holiday in Thailand!!
Have to leave home in 2 hours at 5am as my Qatar Airways flight leaves Heathrow at 8am. Qatar Airways enjoy a great reputation, therefore I so hope they’ll leave up to it as I’m sick and tired of crappy airlines, like Alitalia just to mention one.
I’m planning to stay awake for the first leg of my flight (London to Doha) and then have a good snooze on the second leg (Doha to Bangkok). The idea is to try and adapt to local time as soon as possible. Staying awake on the first leg shouldn’t be a problem at all as allegedly the In Flight Entertainment on Qatar Airways is top notch... we’ll see!
I plan to post daily updates on my holiday in Phuket... with hopefully some great pictures as well. Please feel free to send your comments. Speak soon :)

Mrs Mastella

Scoppia lo scandalo dell'Arpac e coinvolge anche la presidente del consiglio regionale, Sandra Lonardo Mastella. Secondo la procura di Napoli, all'Agenzia regionale per l'ambiente le assunzioni clientelari, messe nero su bianco in un file, sono state per lungo tempo la norma.
Nell'inchiesta sono indagate ben 63 persone ma il provvedimento più eclatante assunto dal gip per la presidente del consiglio regionale Sandra Lonardo, moglie di Clemente Mastella (leader dell'Udeur e noto porco democristiano) è il divieto di dimora in Campania e in sei province limitrofe (Latina, Frosinone, Isernia, Campobasso, Foggia e Potenza).

E che e’ una punizione?? Io pagherei di tasca mia per non risiedere in quei posti...
Nell'abitazione di Sandra Lonardo a Ceppaloni si sono presentati cinque carabinieri in borghese. Successivamente la moglie di Mastella ha lasciato la villa e si è diretta a Roma. La presidente del Consiglio campano si dice sconvolta. Prima in un lunga dichiarazione e poi in una lettera, nella quale si legge: “Mi è crollato il mondo addosso”.

E MAGARI FOSSE VERO, diciamo noi....

The Tories' best ally

Yesterday Harriet Harman warned that companies with men-only boards will fail to win government contracts if they fail to appoint more women.
Is there any limit to the sheer stupidity of this woman?
Call me old-fashioned but if I had to make an appointment to the board of directors, I would tend to choose the best candidate for the job, and I could not care less if this person is a man or a woman (or a South African athlete).
If Harriet ‘chip on her shoulder’ Harman is really so desperate to get more women on companies’ boards, maybe she should try and offer some form of tax incentive to those companies that appoint a female director, rather than threatening an embargo on said companies.
Long live Gordon Brown if this lefty feminist is the best candidate that Labour can offer to the nation in case of a leadership challenge.

What a U-turn

Boris Johnson – formerly the City’s self-proclaimed champion – went on the offensive yesterday as he said he would take a harder line with the banking industry.
It was only 2 weeks ago at the Tory party conference that he stood up for the country’s most vituperated sector, reminding everyone that the so-called leper colony in the City of London produces 9% of UK GDP etc... etc...
Therefore it was rather surprising to read that Bozza described bankers as ‘cockroaches’ and attacked the City’s culture of ‘greed’. The man is not afraid of taking a stand and has made his feelings very clear once again.
The obvious question is: what has prompted a volte-face of such magnitude? I think that Boris Johnson has realised that the main players in the City are refusing to learn from their recent badly misguided actions. He has probably felt that the same horrible mistakes that led to most of the problems that we are facing now can be easily repeated again and again. If my assumption is right, then surely I can’t blame Bozza for making such strong statements, in fact I support him wholeheartedly.

World Cup qualifiers

With the vast majority of matches in European groups being lame ducks, surely the spotlight tonight has to be on South America with Argentina having to avoid defeat in Uruguay if they want to make it to South Africa next June. Depending on the outcome of the Chile v Ecuador match (more about this match later), should the Argies lose in Montevideo, they may end up fifth and therefore having to play off against a team from the Concacaf zone, or sixth in which case they can look forward to watching the World Cup on TV without taking part.
It’s true that most fans want to see all the best countries competing for the top prize at the World Cup come next June, however I can’t help laughing at the prospect of seeing Maradona & Co. in front of their plasma TVs next June.
Argentina’s away record in the qualifying group is far from impeccable, and Uruguay are no mugs, particularly on home soil, therefore Argentina can expect more than a few hairy moments in those vital 90 minutes in Montevideo. Considering the Argies struggled to beat Peru last weekend (they only scored the winner in injury time!!), my prediction is a priceless 1-0 win for Uruguay.
At the same time, I still think that Chile are just too good for Ecuador and should get at least a draw in Santiago. Saying that, Chile have absolutely nothing to play for whilst for Ecuador the carrot dangling in front of their eyes is no less than a ticket to South Africa. Luckily the evil of corruption has never affected the outcome of important games in Latin America therefore I would bet my house that Ecuador will not beat Chile at home. Hhhmmm, maybe not.............

Pay up or quit

Well done to David Cameron for stating clearly that if his MPs do not pay back money at the end of the expenses review they will not be able to stand again for the Conservatives.
But what if the greedy feckers have already decided to give up politics anyway? I hope that this will be a matter for the courts. If you or I are caught with our fingers in the till, saying sorry and promising to give the money back is not good enough to avoid being prosecuted. Why should it be different for MPs?

Moving on

Finally... some good news with regard to my professional life. After being severely underpaid for the last 6 months at a Japanese bank, yours truly has managed to find alternative employment in the City.
It’s not the solution to all problems but getting more dosh in your pockets at month end may solve quite a few of those.
Last day in the office will be Friday 23rd October so have less than 2 weeks to go. Then 2 weeks on holiday (to recharge my batteries!) before starting work at my new employer on Monday 9th November. Leaving drinks likely to be on my very last day, ie. 23/10.
Things could only get better... the comeback has begun!

Bring it on

The real problem here is the sheer embarrassment and the loss of international credibility (provided we ever had one) for Italy, thanks to the antics of an outlaw, a court jester who has been lucky and clever enough (why not? Credit where is due) to fool the majority of the Italian voters several times since 1994.
This article is published courtesy of the Financial Times:

Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s centre-right prime minister, on Thursday said he would defend himself in court against what he called “absurd” charges following the rejection of his immunity from prosecution by the constitutional court.
(I will tell you what it is absurd here – it’s the fact that he has not resigned yet…; every politician with a shred of decency would have done so ages ago).

“The two trials against me are false, laughable, absurd, and I will show this to Italians by going on television and I will defend myself in the courtroom and make my accusers look ridiculous and show everyone what stuff they are made of and what stuff I am made of,” he said in a radio interview.
(Looking forward to it mate – bring it on….).

Mr Berlusconi had been on trial in Milan in two separate cases last year when parliament passed a law giving immunity to him and three other holders of top state office. The trials were suspended.
After two days of deliberations the 15 constitutional judges ruled by nine to six on Wednesday that the immunity law was unconstitutional on the grounds that all Italians are equal before the law.
The trial in which he is accused of bribing David Mills, his former UK lawyer, to give false testimony to protect his business interests will have to start all over again with new judges, lawyers said. A date has not been announced. Mr Mills, who was found guilty last February and given a 4½ year jail sentence, will have his appeal heard from Friday. Both men pleaded not guilty.
The second case involves Mr Berlusconi’s Mediaset television company and allegations of tax fraud and false accounting surrounding the acquisition of foreign television and film rights. Mr Berlusconi has denied wrongdoing.
Reacting to the constitutional court’s ruling, Mr Berlusconi defiantly declared on Wednesday night that he intended to stay in office until the end of his term in 2013, ruling out resignation or early elections.
But raising the stakes in his long-running battles with the courts, Mr Berlusconi also launched a broadside against the constitutional court and the judiciary as a whole, accusing judges of leftwing bias. He also attacked Giorgio Napolitano, head of state and a former communist, as being from the left.
(What? Turning against your partners in crime now, are you? That's not very nice... but neither is lying to the whole country time and time again.)

His attack on the court and the president has polarised public opinion more than the issue of immunity. His angry broadside shocked even some of his coalition partners who had already started distancing themselves from Mr Berlusconi during exposure over the past six months of sex scandals involving prostitutes at his parties.
Gianfranco Fini, speaker of parliament and co-founder with Mr Berlusconi of their new People of Liberty party, upheld the prime minister’s right to stay in office but pointedly rejected criticism of the court and the president.
Giulio Tremonti, finance minister, said in a statement he was most honoured to serve in Mr Berlusconi’s government. He avoided criticism of the institutions of the state, however.
Leaders of the divided centre-left opposition were delighted that Mr Berlusconi had lost his immunity. But they were also clearly relieved that they would be spared snap elections which opinion polls indicate Mr Berlusconi’s coalition would win comfortably.
Commentators on Thursday said the nation risked being the loser in all this, with a government handicapped by Mr Berlusconi’s legal battles and his standing in the international community further weakened.
Rome’s daily Messaggero newspaper commented: “The real problem is the good of the country.”

Is the law equal for all?

Not in Italy, it seems, according to Niccolo’ Ghedini, Berlusconi’s lawyer and court arselicker.

This article is published courtesy of The Times:

It was an interesting piece of legal doublethink: although the law was equal for all, said Niccolo Ghedini, the wily and cadaverous personal lawyer for Silvio Berlusconi, “application of the law is another matter”.
When Patrizia D’Addario, a prostitute from Bari, alleged this year that the Prime Minister had slept with her on the night of the US election, Mr Ghedini said that his boss had not committed a crime because he was merely “the end user”. A draft law penalising male customers of prostitutes was postponed.
Mr Ghedini is also a deputy for Mr Berlusconi’s ruling party, the People of Liberty, and has a role in framing laws and in defending the Prime Minister. No one has challenged this obvious conflict of interest. It is taken for granted that all aspects of life in Italy are politically coloured — including the Constitutional Court.
Five of the 15 judges ruling on the immunity law are appointed by parliament. Three of those are on the Centre Right, two on the Centre Left. In May Mr Berlusconi was accused by the opposition of trying to nobble the judges when he dined with two of them. Only one, Maria Rita Saulle, 73, is a woman — and whether she shares the distaste felt by many Italian women for Mr Berlusconi over his sex scandals is not known.
For the Prime Minister’s supporters the challenge to the immunity law is part of a fiendish plot. People of Liberty MPs claim that there is a “subversive plan to challenge the will of the people”.
No conspirator forced Mr Berlusconi to go to the 18th birthday party in Naples of Noemi Letizia, an aspiring model, prompting his wife to demand a divorce. No plotter forced him to go to bed with Ms D’Addario, who last week told millions of Italian television viewers that he knew “perfectly well” she was an escort girl.
Equally, the corruption allegations he is likely to face if the immunity law is lifted stem from his own actions. If Mr Berlusconi’s immunity is lifted and he faces prosecution for evading taxes, and for trying to bribe centre-left senators to desert the fragile Government of Romano Prodi, it will be because prosecutors believe that he has broken the law.

Italy’s top court weighs Berlusconi’s immunity

Could this be the right time? Is Italy finally going to get rid of this pathetic excuse for a Prime Minister? Berluscummy is hanging onto power, he keeps saying that everything is ok but he reminds me of Saddam Hussein (or his cohorts) in their final days. They kept claiming victory after victory against the invading forces… whilst ignoring that the enemy was marching triumphantly towards Baghdad.

This article is published courtesy of the Financial Times:

Italy’s constitutional court on Tuesday morning opened deliberations to decide whether Silvio Berlusconi, prime minister, should continue to enjoy immunity from prosecution under a law passed last year by parliament.
The court – which could come to a decision within the day, or defer its ruling until next week – is to to determine whether the act breaches an article of the constitution making all citizens equal before the law.
A decision against the government would lead to the reopening of at least two court cases involving allegations of corruption against the billionaire prime minister and media entrepreneur. That prospect has triggered widespread speculation of early elections.
In 2004 the court rejected a similar amnesty law passed by Mr Berlusconi’s previous centre-right government. His lawyers said the latest law was passed with amendments that took into consideration the court’s previous ruling.
Legal experts said one option for the constitutional court would be to send the immunity law back to parliament with the advice that the act required approval by a two-thirds majority rather than the simple majority it received last year.
A defiant Mr Berlusconi, elected last year, said on Monday he intended to serve his full term until 2013 in spite of accusations issued by a Milan court in a civil case that he had been “co-responsible” as head of his Fininvest media company for the bribing of a judge in a 1991 court case that resulted in Fininvest beating a rival to acquire the Mondadori publishing house. In 2007, that criminal case against Mr Berlusconi was dropped.
Mr Berlusconi’s supporters on Wednesday dismissed speculation that the government intended to call early elections or that the prime minister would resign and make way for an interim administration headed by technocrats.
“Italians gave a large majority to this government,” Altero Matteoli, infrastrucuture minister, told Sky Italia television. “He is the only prime minister in the world with such a high approval rating in this financial crisis,” he said, adding that he awaited the constitutional court’s ruling with serenity.
Mr Berlusconi has repeatedly accused elements of the Italian judiciary of conspiring against him. The 15 judges of the constitutional court are clearly under pressure as revealed in statements by the prime minister’s aides demanding that they address the legality of the case and not take a political decision. This week’s deliberations were scheduled before the Milan court issued its ruling.
The centre-right government said the immunity law, applied to the four holders of high state office, was necessary to allow Mr Berlusconi to devote himself to running the country.
At the time the law was passed, Mr Berlusconi was a co-defendant in a case in which he was charged with bribing David Mills, his former UK lawyer, to give false testimony to protect him and Fininvest. The trial continued without Mr Berlusconi, and Mr Mills, who has appealed against his conviction, was found guilty in February. Delivering its reasoning in May, the court explicitly accused Mr Berlusconi of being behind the bribe.
Both men pleaded not guilty. Should Mr Berlusconi be stripped of his immunity, then, lawyers say, his trial would start from the beginning under different judges.
Mr Berlusconi was also the defendant in a separate case alleging fraud in the purchase of film rights for Mediaset, his television company. Mr Berlusconi denied wrongdoing.
According to media reports, two other cases against Mr Berlusconi are in their preliminary stages. One involves Mediaset and the other an investigation into whether he tried to corrupt two senators in 2007 to withdraw their support from the then centre-left government led by Romano Prodi with a slim majority.

The final nail in Labour's coffin

One of the few things that I have learnt in all these years living in Blighty is that the Sun always backs a winner. This paper may be populist, chauvinistic, offensive etc… but you can rest assured that they are pretty quick at sensing the British people’s changing mood and switch its allegiances accordingly.
The country is sick and tired of Gordon Brown and Labour? The recent Labour annual conference was a shambolic, self-praising farce? Hey presto… the Sun’s headline is “LABOUR’S LOST IT”.
Despite all the fighting talk from the PM and his sad ensemble of cohorts, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Tories will win the next general Election. They probably would have won it anyway, even without the Sun’s backing. Next May – with Murdoch’s endorsement –we could see a 1997-style landslide victory.

Who is he trying to fool?

From the BBC website:
The Prime Minister spoke for just under an hour, ending with an attempt to boost the morale of party members shaken by polls suggesting they are heading for a massive defeat, telling them New Labour was "not done yet".
He urged activists to "dream big dreams and watch our country soar" and "reach inside ourselves for the strength of our convictions" and to "fight" for victory - earning a standing ovation in the hall.
Honestly, who is Brown trying to fool? Himself? His loyal followers (both of them I mean)? The British public?? I know that a week is a long time in politics (so they say) but Labour are dead and buried. There is no way that they are going to win the General Elections next year. The only way for Gordon Brown to avoid a crushing defeat at the polls next year is to step down as PM and hand over the poisoned chalice to someone else. After all Tony Blair played this trick on him when Labour had started to lose support so Brown may as well do the same.

Greedish Airways

Just before the last weekend I heard that British Airways are going to charge their customers pay to reserve specific seats. Those who want to make sure they sit in a group or have a preference for aisle, window or exit seats will be affected.
This really is what I call scraping the dregs of the barrel. They may as well paint a big harp in blue and yellow on their aircraft and start calling themselves Ryanair... as there will be very little distinction between these two airlines once this ludicrous charge is introduced.
British Airways are not exactly the cheapest airline as it is... now quite frankly I will think long and hard before booking another flight with them as this is just one step too far.

How to sound rather stupid

“What a fantastic dream to have, to keep winning promotions and get Notts County back into the Premier League”, by Sol Campbell.
For a start, a pedant may argue that Notts County (or any other club for that matter) cannot get back to where they have never been. They have played in the top flight before but the Premiership only started in 1992 and the last time that Notts County were in the top flight was many, many years before, definitely in ‘black and white’ (pun intended, considering these are their club colours).
Anyway it looks like Sol is offski after only one match played for the League Two outfit. So what happened to the dream of winning back-to-back promotions Sol? So much for loyalty to your new fans eh?! A decent footballer you may be but the sharpest tool in the box you ain’t Sol.

Bye-bye Briatore

To be honest with you I don’t give two hoots about Formula One as a sport. In fact, I don’t even consider it as a sport as – in my opinion – the role of the driver is far too minor compared to the car’s.
Anyway, even though I don’t follow F1, I couldn’t help raising a chuckle today when I heard about the life ban imposed on the above mentioned sleazebag.

Here is an excerpt from the Guardian's website:
The former Renault Formula One managing director Flavio Briatore was today effectively banned from motor sport for life, for his part in a scandal that the sport's governing body said was of "unparalleled severity".
However, the World Motor Sport Council effectively gave Renault a green light to continue in formula one. The team, who chose not to contest Nelson Piquet Jr's claims that he was asked to crash into a wall during the 2008 Singapore grand prix in order to hand an advantage to his team-mate, Fernando Alonso, will be permanently banned only if they commit a "comparable breach" by the end of 2011.
Although unable to take action against Briatore personally, after he left Renault last week, the 26-member WMSC said it would not sanction any event involving him "in any capacity whatsoever".
It also said it would refuse to renew licences to any driver associated with Briatore in any capacity, meaning that all those managed by him will have to extricate themselves from their contracts. They include Alonso, Piquet, Mark Webber and Heikki Kovalainen.

Japanese Matsuri Festival

Yesterday I went to the Japanese Matsuri Festival in Spitalfields, near Liverpool Street, which featured Japanese art, crafts, food, and various performances. Apparently this festival was held in honour of 150 years of Anglo-Japanese relations.
To say that this event was mobbed from the early afternoon is a major understatement. In hindsight – which we all know is a great thing – the organisers should have arranged to have the stalls spread out over the whole Spitalfields area, not just a section of it.
It’s a shame that it was so popular as I was absolutely looking forward to trying some of the Japanese delicacies on offer. However the queues for any sort of food and drink were humongous and I had no intention of queuing up for 45 minutes so... it’ll have to be next time. Lesson learnt – never brave this sort of events on an empty tummy!
It was also very nice to meet up with Eva and Mark. We bumped into some of our colleagues and their partners and had a nice chat with them. Altogether it was a very pleasant way of spending a sunny afternoon in London.

Basel away

Got to Basle just before 11am on the Easyjet flight from Gatwick. I was quickly reminded of how efficient the Swiss are as the bus into town left right on time and took exactly 17 minutes as promised. The same journey by taxi would have cost me approx. 40 CHF, which served as a reminder of how bloody expensive that country is.
I was unable to check into my room at the Youth Hostel until 3pm, which incidentally is also when my mates from Rome were meant to arrive in town, so had a little wander by myself around the city centre. Very nice, clean and organised, just as you’d expect a Swiss city to be.
Wherever I go I try to sample the local cuisine, however on this occasion the Basel Building Society had failed to advance the necessary funds for a decent lunch so yours truly had to make do with Turkey’s finest (pide and kebab).
Approaching 3pm, I went back to the Yoof Hostel to check in, and the reception guy cheerily told me that unfortunately I had to wait just five more minutes. I looked at my watch and it was 2.55pm. I thought he was joking.... he wasn’t (sad ‘James Blunt’). Before going to my room, he asked me to follow him into the next room, where I’d be able to pick up my bed sheets. Then he asked me ‘would you like to get a towel as well?’. Unfortunately I think that my sarcasm (‘I’ll take it, you never know, that could come in handy...’) flew well over his cuckoo’s head.
In the end it was a good turnout for the lads from Rome. We had almost 100 in the pub before the match, and another 50 or so joined us outside the ground. I’ll try and post a picture or two this time, I promise.
The least said about the match, the better. AS Roma players had better get their arse in gear or we may be in for just another very long, hard season.

Kenyon out

From the BBC website:

Chelsea have announced that Peter Kenyon will be leaving his chief executive role at the end of October. Kenyon, who left Manchester United in 2003 to join Chelsea, will continue at the Blues as a non-executive director. The 55-year-old will also continue to represent Chelsea invarious capacities, including committee roles with European governing body Uefa.

Am I being too cynical if I think that 1) there is a strong link between Chelsea's transfer ban and Kenyon's departure?; and 2) he will be completely out of the door within the next 12 months?

Personally I don't think it could have happened to a nicer bloke as I have NEVER liked Kenyon - first and foremost, he's a Manc and I was gobsmacked when Abramovich offered him a job at Chelsea. Secondly I don't think he has any style, he's just a glorified shirt seller FFS. That's what he's good at, that's what he should have kept doing, rather than darkening Chelsea's doorstep.

Made In Italy

Last Wednesday I went out for dinner with 8 of my colleagues. It was my turn to organise the team dinner so I thought we could do much worse than having some decent affordable Italian food.
I have never had a bad meal at Made In Italy on Kings Road and Wednesday was no exception. The main criticism that this restaurant gets on websites like londoneating.co.uk is about the rudeness of waiters/waitresses. In all fairness though I have to say that I have never been treated badly there. However I am also pretty sure that if I wasn’t Italian and didn’t speak the lingo it would be a completely different matter... but that’s another story.
We managed to leave work quite early so had time for a drink or two in the Cadogan Arms, also on Kings Road. This pub had been renovated quite recently and looks like an upmarket boozer, definitely fitting in in this affluent part of London.
My choice of starter consisted of melanzane alla parmigiana, that would probably score a 7.5 out of 10 on the tasteometer. Maybe just not as good as my mum makes but, still a pretty damn good imitation. Probably the best choice (in terms of starters) was Tom’s who went for a huge, yummy plate of mussels (‘cozze’).
For mains I had some sausage and pepper pizza, which was delicious and deserved a good 8 out of 10. I like pizza here at Made In Italy as it’s just like they... make it in Italy (funnily enough). It’s the real stuff, not the rubbish that’s served in most (fake??) Italian restaurants in London, where they can’t even spell dishes correctly on the menu.
Considering that this restaurant is in the heart of Chelsea, prices are rather reasonable. Also due to the fact that none of us had alcohol, we managed to get change out of £20 each, which is a right result.

Siena v Roma

La prima vittoria per la AS Roma in questo campionato (a Siena) e' foriera di buone notizie... ma anche di cattive. Cominciamo dalle buone notizie: 1) abbiamo portato a casa 3 punti che ci servivano come il pane; 2) abbiamo vinto su un campo dove l'anno scorso avevamo preso la sveglia, quindi diciamo che sono 3 punti guadagnati rispetto all'anno scorso; 3) hhhhhmmmmm..... anche a raschiare il fondo del barile non riesco proprio a trovare altre buone notizie.
Passiamo velocemente alle cattive notizie?? Abbiamo mostrato un gioco inguardabile per 75 minuti. Ranieri aveva messo tutti in allerta dicendo chiaramente "scordatevi il calcio champagne" ma quello che ho visto e' andato oltre le mie piu' funeste aspettative. Infatti - con l'eccezione dei primi 15 minuti - non si puo' neanche parlare di 'gioco' espresso dalla Roma. Nessuno che attaccava gli spazi, zero automatismi, svariati giocatori ridotti all'ombra di loro stessi.
Ci e' andata bene a Siena, ma mica ci puo' sempre dire bene. Siamo riusciti a segnare due gol negli ultimi 20 minuti quando il Siena ha finito la benzina. Gia' da giovedi' a Basilea bisognera' mostrare qualcosa di piu', altrimenti la nostra avventura in Europa League e' destinata a finire ben presto.

Adebayor - what a self-abuser

I don’t have much time for neither Man City nor Arsenal, so I think I can have a neutral’s viewpoint on this issue.
What Adebayor did yesterday in Man City’s match vs. Arsenal was nothing short of a disgrace. What point was he trying to make when he ran the whole length of the pitch to go and celebrate his goal in front of the away fans? What a wanker. Apologising in front of the TV cameras is nowhere near good enough in my opinion. Six Arsenal fans were arrested as Adebayor’s celebration sparked a riot in the Arsenal end. Can these six fans just apologise for their behaviour when they’ll sit in court and get away with it? I don’t think so.
Anyway it was obvious that Adebayor had a major axe to grind with his old club as he stamped on Van Persie’s face. Don’t get me wrong, it couldn’t happen to a nicer lad... however you just can’t kick an opposition player in the face like Adebayor did. I hope the FA will have a look at this incident and ban him for a few games.

AFC Wimbledon v Cambridge Utd.

Today I went to watch to my local ground (Kingsmeadow, 20 minutes walk from my house) to watch AFC Wimbledon play vs Cambridge United. I was in the away end with the Cambridge faithful, approx. 700 of them.
Have to say that the highlight of the day probably was the four pints of Kronenbourg 1664 that I had in the Albert pub, closely followed by a bag of chips from the chippy near the ground. The match ended 0-0, and rightly so as there was no worthy winner. Cambridge had most of the possession for the first hour, whilst AFC got increasingly threatening in the last 30 minutes. Anyway chances were at a premium today so one point each is a just reward for both teams.
I was pleasantly surprised by the attendance of 4,128 fans, which for a non-league match is no mean feat. I bet you that it’s going to be higher than the attendance in most matches in League 2 this weekend.

Tifosi senza un briciolo di dignita'

Quei circa 500 tifosi della AS Roma che andranno in trasferta a Siena dovrebbero farsi un bell’esame di coscienza e chiedersi se una trasferta a Siena vale la totale perdita di dignita’ da parte loro.
Le condizioni poste da Rosella Sensi (in combutta con la Questura) per poter partecipare a questa trasferta sono una vergogna per ogni tifoso che abbia ancora un minimo di dignita’.
Ma dove sta scritto che se io voglio andare da qualsiasi parte (non solo a Siena) a seguire la mia squadra devo accettare delle condizioni che sono a meta’ strada tra il Cile di Pinochet e la scuola elementare?
Schedatura e rilascio del nulla osta da parte della Questura.... Acquisto del voucher per salire su pullman predisposto dalla AS Roma, affiancati da stewards.... Acquisto del biglietto presso determinate ricevitorie in accordo con la Questura al modico (!!!) prezzo di € 26,50.....
Siete dei tifosi dal cuore di latta – se aveste un minimo di dignita’, dovreste fare come la maggiorparte del popolo romanista che ha votato con i piedi e ha detto a Rosella, alla Questura e a Maroni che a Siena, se vogliono, ci possono andare loro. Noi, questa volta, ce ne restiamo a casa.

Ransacking youth schemes

I must been mellowing in my old age as (for once) I have to agree 100% with UEFA and FIFA in their recent stance about (big) clubs poaching young players from other (smaller) clubs.
I don't care if these big clubs are called Chelsea or Man United or Toorichtocare FC. Chelsea have been found guilty of inducing a young French player to breach his contract with Lens (his French club) and sign for them instead. The same fate may happen to Man Utd. for a similar incident.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg - Manyoo have been at it for years. It's very nice and righteous for Fergie to complain about Real madrid making illegal approaches for Cristiano Ronaldo when his own club has been ransacking the best talent in youth teams all over Europe and Africa.
Tapping players up.... inducing them to breach their contract.... exploiting loopholes in local laws to their advantage.... all sides of the same coin. It's just unfair and it must be stopped now. Now if clubs can adhere to some self-discipline, fine, otherwise I personally welcome UEFA's and FIFA's intervention to stamp out this unfair/unlawful practises that stink of bullyism and colonialism.

A plea

So Peter Andre and Jordan have finalised their acrimonious divorce today, after weeks and weeks of mudslinging. Every single detail of their split has been thrust upon us as these two don’t seem to know the meaning of the word ‘privacy’. In fact they are both so publicity-obsessed that they would turn up at the opening of a door.
Anyway now that their shambolic marriage is finally over, can both of them please disappear from the limelight for a little while? Only blondes named Sharon or Courtney are interested in the lives of these two non-entities. The vast majority of us couldn’t give a flying duck about either of them.... so please just go.

Basel

Following one my recent posts below about forthcoming trips in the Europa League, I made it quite clear that I wasn't very happy with the first trip (to Basel). I am not particularly forward to it as I'm not very keen about Switzerland altogether but didn't provide a reasoned explanation. Now that I have booked my accommodation, I had a good reminder of why I was not very keen on this pretty country.... because it's flippin expensive, that's why!!
40 quid for one night is not usually considered outrageously expensive.... however it is when the night in question is going to be spent at Basel's Yoof Hostel. The room includes the luxury of a sink (!!!) but obviously private facilities were deemed surplus to requirements and therefore done without.

Ja, oui, och aye.... let's cap bonuses for bankers

In many years in banking I have never earnt a big bonus and chances are I never will, therefore my interest in the pro-bonus vs anti-bonus debate is purely academic. Said that, I think that all this hysteria about capping bonuses is just a load of old bollocks.
The only way a cap on bonuses could possibly work is if it was implemented worldwide - and the chances of it happening are as big as.... well, as those of me getting a big bonus. Do you get the picture??
Anyway this morning I read this editorial in City AM, written by Allister Heath. I think it raises some very interesting points. A word of warning: it doesn't make comfortable reading for those of us working in the City of London.
This article below is courtesy of City AM:

What a waste; what a u-turn. For the past six months, the FSA, the Treasury and many top banks had been beavering away on innovative proposals to reform bonuses. Their idea, which had been gaining influence globally and even been accepted by the Tories, was to retain basic freedom of contract and the incentivising properties of bonuses, while making them less short-term and allowing them to be clawed back if the profits on which they are based eventually turn out to be illusory, subprime-style. The entire endeavour was a bit of a distraction given that no serious economist really believes bonuses were the primary driver of the crisis; but at least it was a calm, level-headed attempt at making financial markets function better.

All of this work has now been thrown away. Gordon Brown, who until a few days ago was an enthusiastic supporter of this measured, reformist approach, and had little time for hysterical opponents of all bonuses, has suddenly switched sides. The Prime Minister is now officially committed to crude, arbitrary limits to compensation, just as he was in the 1980s and 1990s before he grudgingly accepted capitalism. What was left of New Labour finally died yesterday.

The Franco-German letter signed by Brown says it all. “We should explore ways to limit total variable remuneration in a bank either to a certain proportion of total compensation or the bank’s revenues and/or profits”, it says. Yet capping bonuses in this way won’t work, even if every country in the world were foolish enough to sign up. Basic pay would jump; high performers would be given regular pay rises; poor performers would suffer pay cuts or be fired. Bonuses would reappear, albeit in hidden guise. Caps would severely damage efficiency and make banks even more likely to fail. Linking all bonuses to overall profit would make it impossible to reward star performers in loss-making organisations, a recipe for disaster. Even worse, the proposal would only apply to the largest banks, triggering an exodus of bankers to unregulated, smaller firms, hedge funds and start-ups.

The letter states that “our citizens are deeply shocked at the revival of reprehensible practices, despite taxpayers’ money having been mobilised to support the financial sector”, without defining “reprehensible”. Clearly, Brown and his new allies believe in the disgraceful concept of collective punishment: even banks such as HSBC, which didn’t take taxpayer cash, apparently deserve to be punished for the sins of others; individual bankers who weren’t involved in sub-prime lending or other defective practices need to pay for the minority who were (most of whom, by the way, have long since been fired). Brown used the wages and profits of the City to fuel his reckless spending spree; he now appears to consider all big bonuses, even those that don’t endanger stability, as “reprehensible”.

Many argue that nationalised banks should not award large payouts, even to key members of staff who create value for the taxpayer. I disagree – but at least this would be a principled approach. But then why did Brown sign off huge bonus schemes for RBS, a bank he owns? Brown’s inconsistency and hypocrisy are breathtaking.

He has no interest in creating an economy less prone to boom and bust; he just wants to stir up populist hate ahead of next year’s election. Let us hope the Tories have the guts to stand up to him.

I am with Gandalf!!

I had more than a few doubts when Ancelotti joined Chelsea. Whilst he was a superb player (and AS Roma skipper to boot), he never particularly impressed me as manager. However having seen Chelsea since the start of the season, good old Carlo seems to have taken to the English Premiership like a duck to water.
Gandalf, if there's a slice of humble pie going spare, you can send it my way...

Vergogna

A seguito delle dimissioni/esonero di Spalletti, ci sono molte, moltissime persone che a Roma si dovrebbero vergognare per quello che e' successo.
Siamo - e dico siamo in senso molto lato, non perche' io mi senta responsabile - riusciti a mandare via un allenatore che ci ha fatto giocare per lunghi tratti il calcio migliore d'Italia e probabilmente tra i migliori d'Europa. Con risorse limitate, siamo entrati per 2 anni consecutivi ai quarti di finale di Champions League e abbiamo pure portato a casa qualche trofeo. Ora quanto dovremo aspettare prima di vedere ancora l'AS Roma giocare bene? E quando rivinceremo un altro trofeo? Spalletti se ne e' andato da vero signore, quale e', senza sbattere la porta, gettando in faccia a questa societa' di peracottari l'ingaggio che avrebbe dovuto percepire per i prossimi due anni. Comunque tornando al punto iniziale, ecco chi e' che si dovrebbe vergognare, in ordine di gravita':

LA SOCIETA': la AS Roma e' una societa' allo sbando, senza uno straccio di comunicazione o di pianificazione.... e senza un euro da poter spendere. La sessione di calciomercato che si e' appena conclusa e' stata una vera e propria umiliazione per noi tifosi. Giocatori sfilati sotto al naso sia in Italia che in Europa.... e noi sempre a cercare di fare le nozze coi fichi secchi, sempre ad elemosinare gli scarti degli altri. Persino uno Zamparini qualsiasi si permette di prenderci in giro e dire che non abbiamo una lira.... e noi sempre zitti. Alla fine ci siamo ridotti a prendere un portiere infortunato (!!!) ed un giovanotto di neanche troppo belle speranze. Questa e' una vera e propria presa per i fondelli ai danni della squadra. dell'allenatore e di tutto l'ambiente giallorosso.

LA SQUADRA: ci sono fin troppi giocatori della Roma che dovrebbero baciare la terra dove cammina Spalletti. Giocatori normali se non mediocri arrivati in Nazionale o alle sue porte grazie al gioco espresso dalla Roma e quindi grazie a Spalletti. E chi invece in Nazionale gia' ci stava.... si dovrebbe vergognare ancora di piu'. Quante volte abbiamo sentito di giocatori che chiedono alla societa' di tenere un allenatore in profumo di esonero? No, queste cose non succedono alla AS Roma. Alla Roma abbiamo giocatori che firmano contratti per 5 anni e ci fanno pure la grazia di ridursi lo stipendio a 4 milioni all'anno. Alla Roma abbiamo giocatori che nelle ultime due partite (Kosice e Juventus) si mangiano 4-5 occasioni soli davanti al portiere e poi protestano pure quando l'allenatore gli chiede di rientrare e dare una mano alla squadra.

I TIFOSI 'GIORNALISTI': a prescindere dal fatto che io chiuderei col fuoco tutte quelle radio private che forniscono ai tifosi di professione un palcoscenico virtuale per mezzo di tutte queste trasmissioni..... vergogna a tutti quei tifosi di professione per aver fatto a pezzi Spalletti lunedi' all'indomani della sconfitta con la Juve. Perche' invece non ve la prendete con quella scimmia vestita da donna che sta mortificando una citta' intera? Perche' non ve la prendete con quei giocatori che con il loro non-comportamento in campo hanno fatto si' che Spalletti si sentisse abbandonato?

Io purtroppo mi ricordo ancora in che stato penoso era la Roma prima che arrivasse Spalletti..... l'anno dei 4 allenatori..... disciplina inesistente nello spogliatoio..... per cui non posso non essere dispiaciuto per l'allontanamento del grande Luciano. L'unica speranza e' di rivederlo sulla panchina della Roma un giorno (non troppo lontano) con una nuova proprieta' che gli possa assicurare degli acquisti adeguati, senza dover andare a disturbare Lobont e Zamblera.

Presi in giro

Sotto riporto la maggiorparte dell'editoriale di Luigi Ferrajolo (pubblicato sul Corriere dello Sport di oggi) che mi trova d'accordo per ampi tratti. Vorrei solo aggiungere un paio di commenti personali a tale articolo.
LF sotto dice che Spalletti era gia' vicino alle dimissioni a luglio, rientrate poi dopo un colloquio con Rosella Sensi. Hhhhmmm.... magari gli sono state fatte alcune promesse riguardo il mercato in entrata che poi PUNTUALMENTE non sono state mantenute??
LF aggiunge anche che Spalletti ultimamente ha dato segni di insofferenza, prendendosela prima con la società e poi domenica scorsa con la squadra. Forse sono fatto all'antica, ma se il Capitone della mia squadra si mette a fare i colpetti di tacco nelle situazioni meno adatte, anche io - come Spalletti - mi incazzo. Se il Capitone si mangia 3 o 4 gol solo davanti al portiere nelle ultime due partite, forse anche io (al posto di Spalletti) potrei ragionevolmente pensare che la squadra mi vuole fare fuori.

Cruz ha preferito la Lazio, Crespo il Genoa. Negredo è andato al Siviglia, Pavlyuchenko è rimasto dov’era, al Tottenham. Anche Fred non si è mosso e persino Ghezzal sta benone a Siena. E’ arrivato invece Fabio Zamblera, 19 anni, bergamasco del Newcastle. E’ questa la punta che aspettava Spalletti, è questa la punta che cercava la Roma! Noi crediamo che ci sia un limite a tutto, superarlo non è segno di intelligenza. Che non ci fossero soldi si sapeva e da un pezzo e che per la Roma questo sarebbe stato un mercato di lacrime, anche. Che la società avesse bisogno di vendere Aquilani e magari anche un altro titolare di grido, era scontato, anche se doloroso. Che bisognasse preparasi al peggio e non credere troppo alle favole, anche. Che l’ultima pista disperata di Van Nistelrooy, peraltro lungodegente, promettesse poco era nell’aria. La società dice che ci ha provato sino alla fine e sarà pure vero, ma chiudere il mercato con Zamblera ci sembra uno sberleffo insopportabile, quasi una sfida alla pazienza e alla passione dei tifosi.
Ma sicuro, Zamblera non andrà da Spalletti, giocherà, a quanto pare, nella Primavera. Siamo felici per il papà di De Rossi, ma l’attaccante di peso, la prima punta di cui si blatera da anni, non serviva alla prima squadra?
Per Spalletti, in compenso ci sarà Lobont. Un portiere che non sarebbe nemmeno tanto male, se non fosse reduce da un intervento ai crociati. La Roma sapeva da maggio che avrebbe dovuto rinunciare a Doni per cinque, sei mesi. Non aver trovato sinora un dignitoso sostituto è molto grave, si conosceva bene il valore di Artur e Julio Sergio, prendere ora Lobont, che viene da un infortunio molto serio e che potrà esser pronto solo tra qualche settimana, sembra un’altra provocazione, più che una soluzione. Il mercatone della Roma si chiude, dunque, con la cessione di Aquilani e l’arrivo di Burdisso, cioè del quinto difensore dell’Inter, concesso generosamente da Moratti: dire troppo poco, è dire niente. Ormai la Roma è una società stremata, prossima alla paralisi: pensare che possa andare ancora avanti così per un’altra stagione è quasi folle. Il mercato però potrebbe riaprirsi all’improvviso, sia pur solo per la panchina.
Dopo la batosta con la Juve circolano voci insistenti: Spalletti sta pensando seriamente di dimettersi e la società, a sua volta, cerca il sostituto, con Ranieri davanti a tutti. Spalletti in queste settimane ha dato segni evidenti di insofferenza: se l’è presa prima con la società, domenica con la squadra. Spesso anche con se stesso. Che sia insoddisfatto, deluso, per i mancati arrivi è comprensibile, ma questo non giustifica il suo smarrimento, l’atteggiamento di chi si sente solo contro tutti, sempre in guerra col prossimo. E’ una situazione torbida che va avanti da tempo: già in estate si è parlato di un divorzio, poi è bastato un colloquio con la dottoressa Sensi per evitarlo.

Cominciamo a guardarci dietro...

2 partite e zero punti per l'AS Roma. Nessuna sorpresa in tutto cio' in virtu' di un calendario non molto agevole ma sopratutto 'grazie' all'improvvisazione con cui Spalletti e la squadra devono combattere tutti i giorni.

Si e' anche chiuso il mercato estivo e OVVIAMENTE di acquisti in grado di fare la differenza, manco se ne parla. Cosi' ora quella stronza di Rosella Sensi potrebbe cominciare a spiegarci dove sono finiti i 20 milioni e passa che abbiamo preso dal Liverpool per Aquilani. Dove sono finiti quei soldi? Sono serviti a far indietreggiare di qualche metro Unicredit, che vuole rientrare del suo credito nei contronti di Italpetroli? O quei soldi sono invece serviti a pagare lo stipendio milionario di Rosella Sensi e della sua corte dei miracoli (Prade' + Conti + Tempestilli)? Perche' non va mai scordato che mentre i giocatori hanno le loro entrate (giustamente) rapportate al raggiungimento di risultati sportivi, questa merda umana (R.Sensi) prende il suo stipendio a prescindere.

Mi sembra ovvio che questa situazione non puo' andare avanti a lungo. Con una tifoseria sull'orlo della crisi di nervi ed un allenatore che sta giustamente mostrando fin troppi segni d'insofferenza, ma che aspetta questa zoccola a cedere la mano a chi ha qualche soldo da investire? Ma che e' della Lazio per davvero??

Chewing a wasp... not funny, not nice

Now I know how the proverbial bulldog felt when he chewed a wasp... what a freaky accident.

I literally did that yesterday at this nice BBQ in Carshalton Beeches. Was about to finish eating a very tasty burger when I felt this thing in my mouth. I was pretty sure that I didn't have any food left in my mouth but then noticed this little 'bit' so I chewed. All of a sudden I felt like a pinch to my tongue, followed by some rather intense pain.

I was still none the wiser... it's only when I touched my tongue that I realised exactly what had really happened. For the rest of the day the feeling was that my tongue had turned into a 2kg steak and about to fall out of my mouth sooner rather than later.

Bank Holiday Weekend

I can't believe that it's the end of the summer already... well almost. At least it looks like we are going to have some nice weather.
BBQ at Shells & Des today: cider.... check; homemade coffee ice cream.... check (and very nice it is as well!!); Streetmap printout.... check; train timetable printout.... check; iPhone.... check; piggles in the garden.... check.
In Sainsbury's I went for the strongest types of cider... it could get a bit messy. When I made the coffee ice cream last night, I (inadvertedly of course...) tipped a little bit of dark rum in the the mix... oops. Let's go!!

Europa League - the draw

After 2 preliminary rounds in the Europa League, in which AS Roma managed to win respectively 10-2 and 10-4 on aggregate vs. sub-standard opposition, today we got to the long awaited draw for the Group stage, to be played over 6 games between September and December.
With AS Roma in Pot 1, along with all the other top seeds, all the possible permutations from the other lower-ranked pots offered some really mouth-watering prospects; lots of teams that you’d never get the chance to play in the Champions League, new destinations, new stadia etc..
After all I suppose that our draw was ok... could have been better, could have been worse. At least we avoided a trip to Israel (too far, too expensive, too.... not European at all) or other countries where you’d need a visa to get into. More in detail, we got the following teams:

1) from Pot 2, we got Basel FC. Not overly keen on a trip to this city in the German-speaking part of the country. For some reason Switzerland never did too much for me. It may be beautiful and clean but also very expensive. I dunno, I’d always prefer a trip to neighbouring Austria for example. Anyway, I have never been to Basel before so, all said and done, our first away trip is there in mid-September. Thanks to Easyjet, managed to limit the damage to £64, not bad indeed.

2) From Pot 3 we picked Fulham and this is a major disappointment. I mean, there were so many possible trips to Eastern Europe (Prague or Zagreb would have been excellent)... and we get poxy Fulham?? Looking on the bright side, at least it’s an ‘away’ game (to be played in late October) that will cost me zilch to get to. Apart from that, I can’t find any other positives. We should bring quite a few Roma lads for this match, as – being in London – you never know who’s going to turn up for the other side. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

3) Finally we got some joy from Pot 4 as we picked CSKA Sofia. Absolutely delighted with it – we have never played against this opposition and personally I have never been to Bulgaria before it’s good news all round. Had a quick gander on the Net and it looks like Stelios once again will be the carrier of choice for the last trip in the group stage in mid-December. If I book early, I could get a return ticket for less than £70, which considering the current state of my finances, is welcome news.

BBBB (Bye Bye Big Brother)

C4 have stated that Big Brother finish in 2010, with the 11th series, because of consistently poor viewing figures for the current show. Ha!!! Was I right or was I right?! Not that it happens very often, mind.....
On the 8th of June, I said on this blog "I wouldn't be surprised (or disappointed for that matter) at all if this happens to be the last edition of BB". You don't have to be Nostradamus to predict the beginning of the end for a programme that's become too stale, not to say just effin boring.
Obviously C4 couldn't halp putting some spin on this welcome announcement, adding that "the decision is a creative rather than commercial one". Yeah right LOL!! We are not all as thick as Jade Goody you know.... if showing some idiot taking a Number 2 would attract a huge audience (and BB pushed the boundaries of good taste far too many times), I'm sure that C4 would suddenly discover some 'creative merits' in it and give it a prime time slot.

Strictly Come Laughing

The Beeb have just revealed the line up for Strictly Come Dancing, whose new series starts next month. I will openly admit that I don’t mind watching this programme, provided it’s in small doses. Primarily I watch it because I usually like the tunes that they dance to. Then I also enjoy to hear what the judges have to say about the dancing and, last but not least, because of the totty factor of course.
Anyway I have to say that there two professional dancers that I really dislike, and they are Vincent Simone and Brendan Cole. Why am I not keen on them? Because they give me the distinct impression that they’d go for anything in a skirt... in other words they look two sleazy bastards to me!!
Last year Vincent Simone was all over Rachel Stevens like a bad rash, he salivated all over her like there was no tomorrow. Therefore I had a bloody good laugh yesterday when I heard that this sleazebag has been paired with Natalie Cassidy, aka the Mighty Minger off Eastenders. Let’s see if you grin like a Cheshire cat in this year’s series as well, Dirty Vinny...

Stones and glass houses

I would like to add my tuppence worth regarding the controversy surrounding the release on compassionate grounds of Al Maghrahi, convicted for the Lockerbie attack.
In my humble opinion the only people that should have been allowed a say in the matter are not the Scottish government but the victims' families. If their majority had agreed to let Al Megrahi go and die in his country, then so be it. However if their majority were against it, then Al Megrahi should have stayed in his Scottish cell until the very end.
What I totally disagree with though is the US interfering into this matter. All this criticism coming from Washington stinks of double standards to me. Al Megrahi was tried and convicted for the Lockerbie bombing, At least here in Britain we don't put people behind bars or in a cage for years without a proper trial (Guantanamo Bay anyone?).
And is this the same US Government who wants the extradition of a British geek suffering from Asperger's syndrome for hacking into the Pentagon's computer systems?? He's just a geek, for crying out loud. I think you scared him enough... now leave him alone, or maybe even better, give him a job so he may protect you from other hackers' attacks.

Upgrading to iPhone 3GS

Browsing the O2 website, I found out that existing Pay Monthly customers can choose one of the three following options to upgrade to iPhone 3GS. I still have to understand why I would want an upgrade.... but that's for another day. At the moment all I know I do want an upgrade!
Option 1: purchase the iPhone 3GS on Pay & Go - well, if I had all this money to burn, I would have got a new phone already, thank you very much.... next....
Option 2: pay the remainder of your monthly line rental in one payment and sign a new Pay Monthly contract - ditto as above. this option includes the P word ('pay') therefore I no like.
Option 3: wait until eligible for an upgrade - I may already be eligible but if not, all O2 Pay Monthly customers are part of O2 Priority List and those paying £35 or more a month (and I do), have the opportunity to upgrade early. Customers won't have to see out the full term of their existing contract before being eligible for an upgrade. More in detail, all customers continually spending over a minimum of £50.00 a month, receive a 3 month early upgrade.
In other words, my next step is visiting an O2 shop to find out if I'm available for a FREE upgrade....

Nuova stagione, vecchi problemi

E' ricominciato il campionato di Serie A e, come prevedibile, la Roma ha incassato la prima sconfitta. D'altronde, cosa ci si puo' aspettare da una squadra con un organico limitato in qualita' e in quantita'? Quando persino l'allenatore ti dice che 'navighiamo a vista' quali obiettivi ti puoi fissare? Ma e' possibile che abbiamo sempre un numero spropositato di giocatori fuori squadra per infortunio?

Ci sono ancora 8 giorni prima che chiuda il mercato estivo - vogliamo aspettare una sonora sconfitta interna con la Juve domenica prossima prima di mettere mano al portafoglio?

Purtroppo si raccoglie quel che si semina e quando gestisci una societa' (ed una squadra) con criteri dilettantistici, questi sono i risultati. Vorrei tanto sbagliarmi ma ci aspetta un'altra stagione piena di amarezze.

Ora piu' che mai... ROSELLA SENSI VATTENE.

Premiership highlights - 22 Aug. 09

Here are today's highlights...

Man City's total inability to stick the ball in the net. Some of the chances that they missed vs Wolves beggared belief. The words 'cow', 'arse' and 'banjo' spring to mind. The match could (and should) have finished 8-1. City were almost punished for their profligacy in the end when Wolves hit the bar with only minutes to spare. That would have been incredibly funny.

Talking of profligacy in front of the goal, Blackburn's Kalinic is a hard act to follow. He fluffed at least 3 shots being under no pressure from a Sunderland defender. I can't stop laughing when I think that Sam Allardyce paid £6m for this dud. I would have been annoyed if I had paid 5 quid and a packet of crisps for him, let alone 6 big ones.

On a final note, interesting to see Portsmouth's implosion. With only 3 games played in the Premiership, they already look a certainty for the drop. Totally inept at the back, toothless going forward. Their supposed takeover by new owners must have been the longest one in football history. What are they waiting for?? If they don't act soon, Pompey will be relegated by Christmas. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing, mind you.

Once a chav, always a chav

Coleen Rooney held a party at her house so friends and family could watch her baby scan live. Coleen and Wayne hired an ultrasound scanning machine, allowing guests at their Cheshire mansion to watch the baby, due next month, on a video screen.

No matter how much money you have, you just can't buy style....

Him or her??

This incredibly feminine athlete is Caster Semenya, the new 800m world champion. Outrageously Ms Semenya - a sexy 18 year old from South Africa - has been asked to take a gender test, according to athletics' governing body.
The IAAF says it demanded the test three weeks ago amid fears she should not be able to run as a woman.
Are the IAAF blind? I mean... do you need a test to tell you that the rather aptly named Semenya is a bloke?!?
According to the IAAF, "The gender verification test is an extremely complex procedure. The situation today is that we do not have any conclusive evidence that she should not be allowed to run" and "the extremely complex, difficult test results were not due for several weeks".
Ok, I'm no sex reassignment surgeon (thank God) but how can it take weeks to check if someone has still got blokeish appendages??
And - without beating around the bush - even if said bloke had his meat and two veg chopped off, surely it can't take weeks to check if her (new??) bits were made in her mama's womb or in an operating theatre??

Twat alert

I read in the papers today that the plonker shown above (Peter Andre) is going to be on the ITV show “I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here” later this year.
I will openly admit that I enjoy watching this programme as it provides light entertainment and doesn’t require you to engage your brain, which is pretty ideal after a mind-numbing day at work.
Why, oh why does this publicity-seeking idiot have to feature on this show?? Watching him salivate over Katie Price 5 years ago was so cringeworthy and vomit-inducing... whatever nice bit of skirt the programme producers are going to bring in (and you just know that there is going to be at least one), you can bet your last penny that this self-obsessed plonker will be all over her like a rash.

What's worrying Berlusconi?

What’s disturbing his dreams, apart from the events with the women, the escorts, or rather let’s call them prostitutes, that are giving movement to our spring and summer? Probably one of the reasons for his worrying is the re-opening of the investigations into the secret instigators of the slaughters and the emergence of that famous letter, in fact of the three famous letters: famous for us who have talked about them here on Passaparola, famous for very few of those who have seen TV News, given that they have never heard tell the truth not even in many of the great newspapers, apart from the odd one, there is this: the famous letters from Provenzano to our beloved PM.

But there are also a couple of new things that have popped up in Milan and that are really not well known: as far as I know it’s only been Luigi Ferrarella once in Il Corriere della Sera to talk about this and also Paolo Biondani and Vittorio Malagutti in L’Espresso. One is the Mediatrade investigation and the other is the investigation into Lugano’s Arner Bank. I’ll explain and I’ll try to do it quickly, because these are investigations that are not covered by the Lodo Alfano. As you know the Lodo Alfano relates only to trials and thus the investigations against the top positions can still be done. There are 6 trials against Berlusconi that are blocked: the Mills trial for Berlusconi and the trial for the buying and selling of Mediaset rights (in which Il Cavaliere is accused of false accounting, tax fraud and embezzlement) is blocked whereas the investigations can still go on. Well, things are coming to a conclusion, for the end of the time frame for the investigations into Mediatrade. What is Mediatrade? It is a company that is controlled by the Berlusconi group that since 1999 has the task of purchasing the rights for the broadcast of TV and film programmes on Fininvest networks, rights that are bought above all in the United States, from the Major companies in Hollywood. Before these rights were bought for the Group by a company in Malta, the IMS and now since 1999 they have been bought by Mediatrade.

Consequently, the Mediatrade case is a separate issue and it relates to the buying and selling of TV rights. We have already explained on other occasions how, according to the accusation, this happened: if the one buying the films, the TV programmes the fiction and so on is the company Fininvest first and then Mediaset, the price is established and that’s the end of it. However, according to the accusation, what did Fininvest do and then what did Mediaset do? They got the films bought by an offshore company in the tax havens. These companies were secretly controlled by the Group and thus they didn’t appear to be part of the Group and thus the films, each time there was a change of ownership, had an increase in price: a fictitious increase that went on to create a gigantic supply of secret funds, that then were distributed to the various companies that in a chain system passed these films from one to the other. The first bought at 10, the second at 15, the third at 30, the fourth and the fifth and in the end, when they arrived at the final destination, the final user as we can call them, they had a value that was much higher than they were really worth and all the rest got sat upon in the form of secret funds, unknown to the tax authorities, and flying in the face of transparency of the accounts to go and provide supplies to these great big lungs of secret funds, and it is considered that it was Berlusconi who was really the final user, because he is accused of embezzlement, that is of having stolen from the cash supplies of his own companies, that are also partly quoted on the Stock Exchange, as well as not having paid the taxes and for having falsified the accounts, according to the hypothesis put forward in the accusation.