Another good episode of The Apprentice last night.
Noorul (the quiet Asian doctor) got fired and - although he probably shouldn't have gone last night - I'm a bit surprised that he lasted 6 weeks in the show.
As Nick (Sugar's sidekick) put it in the studio with Adrian Chiles later, Noorul is a very nice guy.... which is what ultimately led to his downfall. Probably too nice and definitely too quiet to have any chance of landing the job. Shy mice needn't apply to go onto this programme as sooner rather than later, Sir Alan will cotton onto the fact that they are flying under the radar. Noorul had already been warned by Sir Alan and his sidekicks so his days were kind of numbered. And I suppose that asking "Is it in foreign?" about a catalogue didn't exactly help him prolong his stay....
The episode couldn't have started better as far as I'm concerned as the two most despicable characters (Ben and Philip) were chosen as Project Managers. "Great - I thought - one of them is gonna get canned!!". And secretly I hoped that both would infuriate Sir Alan so much that both would get the chop on the same night. Little I knew that Ben's and Philip's deceitful tactics and blatant lies could fool Sugar once again.
As far as Ben is concerned, he didn't waste time to remind us that he bloody won a Sandhurst scholarship (although he never went). I honestly wish he had actually gone there: 1) so he wouldn't annoy me by being on TV; and 2) because I don't think they suffer fools gladly in the Army and therefore Ben would be bogwashed more times than Ian Beale did in Eastenders.
Here are my highlights of last night's episode:
1) "WHAAAAT??" - James' shocked reaction when Ben mentions him as one of the two teammates he'd like to bring back in the boardroom for the final three showdown. James' mood improved considerably seconds later when Ben (playing 'strategic' games) changed his mind and chose Debra instead.... only for poor James to be shot down in flames when Sugar implied that James had been picked as he was the village idiot!
2) PTN (ie. Philip) sitting very unfomfortably in a posh restaurant after leading his team to victory in last night's task. The guy wouldn't know style if it hit him in the face and it was glaring that PTN was like a fish out of water. He tried to sip a glass of expensive red wine like a connoisseur... however (unlike connoisseurs!!) he had nothing valuable or interesting to say about it. Just like good wines, antiques are another totally grey area for PTN as he failed to see any value in the £200-worth rug. Although I am not into antiques at all, I probably have more chances of appearing in this Sunday's Antique Roadshow than PTN.....
Thursday, 30 April 2009
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Another one bites the dust
I read in the papers yesterday that a 15 year old boy was stabbed to death in South London on Monday night. He is the 7th teenager to die violently in London this year. Surprisingly enough (NOT), he died whilst being involved in a running battle between two rival gangs of hooded youths, respectively called O31 and ABM (All 'Bout Money). You must be kidding me!! And there was me thinking that these gangs tend to fight over which Shakespeare play they liked best!!
"Take that, you mug (stab stab stab).... and this is for Desdemona as well!!"
"Watch your mouth you p**fter (stab stab stab).... you know what you can do with your Midsummer Night's Dream, dontcha?!?"
"Fark off, you're all a bunch of Merchant (bankers) of Venice".... and so on. But I digress.
Predictably enough last night on TV, the TV crews interviewed a couple of people (neighbours... relatives.... friends.... it doesn't matter) and all you could hear was the usual litany spouted on these occasions - "He was such a good boy".... "he was very polite".... "he had a brilliant career in front of him". Sorry but that's all bollocks. If he was such a great teenager, he wouldn't have been roaming the streets of Lambeth at 8.30pm with a gang of knife-wielding, hooded scumbags, full stop.
I also hear that the police arrested 4 people, allegedly involved in the battle. ("Allegedly".... I sound like a bloody journalist now. These 4 scumbags are guilty as sin as far as I'm concerned).
Anyway these 4 people now risk being put behind bars for a considerable length of time, which I think is rather unfair. Unfair on the taxpayer I mean. Putting this pondlife behind bars won't do anyone any good because they certainly won't come out of it as better citizens. The only 'benefit' that they will get from a stint at Her Majesty's pleasure is a massively improved street cred. It's no secret that in their deranged world, an ASBO or a prison sentence is seen as a badge of honour.
So what shall we do with them then? What punishment should we impose on these people? Here are some humble suggestions:
1) A lifelong ban from TK-Maxx and Primark. They will be forced to buy decent clothes in decent shops.
2) Their MP3 players / iPods / 3G phones will have earplugs superglued to them. Therefore if they want to listen to their sublime music of choice, they will have exclusive access to it and everyone else (particularly fellow commuters) will be green with envy as they can't hear it. I haven't finished with their MP3 players / iPods / 3G phones - more about them later.
3) A limit on the size of their baseball cap visor. Some visors I have seen in the streets are as big as Wimbledon's Centre Court, including the flipping Royal Box, so a limit is absolutely necessary. No more than 15 square inches per visor I say.
4) They won't be allowed to wear their trousers any lower than the middle point of their thighs. This is quite harsh and will require a radical change in their dressing habits but as they say 'no pain, no gain'.
5) Repeat the following 100 times a day "I am.... you are....he/she/it is" - none of this "Is it because I is black / white / pink with green dots (delete where applicable)" nonsense. Ali G overdid it, it's not funny anymore.
Should these scumbags breach any of the covenants above, their MP3 players / iPods / 3G phones will be temporarily confiscated and their music of choice will be replaced by a special compilation, including among others Rhydian, Ray Quinn and Lionel Ritchie.
Should they persist in breaching said covenants, they will be forced to follow any of these crooners on their world tour, attending every single concert. Now that is bad enough to make you stab yourself, isn't it?
"Take that, you mug (stab stab stab).... and this is for Desdemona as well!!"
"Watch your mouth you p**fter (stab stab stab).... you know what you can do with your Midsummer Night's Dream, dontcha?!?"
"Fark off, you're all a bunch of Merchant (bankers) of Venice".... and so on. But I digress.
Predictably enough last night on TV, the TV crews interviewed a couple of people (neighbours... relatives.... friends.... it doesn't matter) and all you could hear was the usual litany spouted on these occasions - "He was such a good boy".... "he was very polite".... "he had a brilliant career in front of him". Sorry but that's all bollocks. If he was such a great teenager, he wouldn't have been roaming the streets of Lambeth at 8.30pm with a gang of knife-wielding, hooded scumbags, full stop.
I also hear that the police arrested 4 people, allegedly involved in the battle. ("Allegedly".... I sound like a bloody journalist now. These 4 scumbags are guilty as sin as far as I'm concerned).
Anyway these 4 people now risk being put behind bars for a considerable length of time, which I think is rather unfair. Unfair on the taxpayer I mean. Putting this pondlife behind bars won't do anyone any good because they certainly won't come out of it as better citizens. The only 'benefit' that they will get from a stint at Her Majesty's pleasure is a massively improved street cred. It's no secret that in their deranged world, an ASBO or a prison sentence is seen as a badge of honour.
So what shall we do with them then? What punishment should we impose on these people? Here are some humble suggestions:
1) A lifelong ban from TK-Maxx and Primark. They will be forced to buy decent clothes in decent shops.
2) Their MP3 players / iPods / 3G phones will have earplugs superglued to them. Therefore if they want to listen to their sublime music of choice, they will have exclusive access to it and everyone else (particularly fellow commuters) will be green with envy as they can't hear it. I haven't finished with their MP3 players / iPods / 3G phones - more about them later.
3) A limit on the size of their baseball cap visor. Some visors I have seen in the streets are as big as Wimbledon's Centre Court, including the flipping Royal Box, so a limit is absolutely necessary. No more than 15 square inches per visor I say.
4) They won't be allowed to wear their trousers any lower than the middle point of their thighs. This is quite harsh and will require a radical change in their dressing habits but as they say 'no pain, no gain'.
5) Repeat the following 100 times a day "I am.... you are....he/she/it is" - none of this "Is it because I is black / white / pink with green dots (delete where applicable)" nonsense. Ali G overdid it, it's not funny anymore.
Should these scumbags breach any of the covenants above, their MP3 players / iPods / 3G phones will be temporarily confiscated and their music of choice will be replaced by a special compilation, including among others Rhydian, Ray Quinn and Lionel Ritchie.
Should they persist in breaching said covenants, they will be forced to follow any of these crooners on their world tour, attending every single concert. Now that is bad enough to make you stab yourself, isn't it?
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Darling, what have you done??
First of all, let me say that I don't earn £150k per year. Nowhere near it, as it happens. I never did and I never will. And even if I did.... I would be on a Thai beach with a cold coconut in my hands rather than here, talking rubbish 24/7.
Therefore the recent introduction of the 50% tax rate on personal earnngs above £150k doesn't even remotely hit me in the pocket.... but it still stinks big time.
It is probably one of the worst (political) statements that that buffoon Darling (only a clown could have grey hair and black eyebrows) could ever make - it stinks of Old Labour, plain and simple.
This 50% tax rate may win Labour a few votes on the far left but it will lose them many more votes across the entire political spectrum. I am positively sure that only a tiny, tiny minority of the people earning over 150k are to blame for the mess that we are in. So why do we want to make them pay even more taxes? If this is Labour's main tool to plug the hole in the public finances then The Deadly Duo (Darling & Brown) are even more detached from reality than I thought. This tax hike will drive more people to a) move abroad if they can; or b) employ a cunning accountant to find some tax-efficient loopholes and avoid paying taxes altogether. And even if all the people earning over 150k were to stay in the UK and pay their taxes, I very much doubt that the money raised in this way would make a significant impact.
So what was Darling's goal in this Budget? Plugging the hole or punishing the rich for the sake of it?? If it was the former - but I have some grave doubts about it - then why didn't he make some serious plans about restructuring Northern Rock and all the other financial institutions that they nationalised and make them profitable, or even VERY profitable (if that doesn't cause any offence to the lefties in his party)? Rather than flogging them at a loss to your chums like Richard Branson, make these banks earn their profits so that they can pay healthy dividends to the main (or sole) shareholder, ie. the Treasury. In this way you can raise much more money, without alienating honest taxpayers.
If it was the former, then I have some news for you Darling. Enjoy the limelight that this Budget has brought to you bacause you will not be in the same position again for a long, long time.
Therefore the recent introduction of the 50% tax rate on personal earnngs above £150k doesn't even remotely hit me in the pocket.... but it still stinks big time.
It is probably one of the worst (political) statements that that buffoon Darling (only a clown could have grey hair and black eyebrows) could ever make - it stinks of Old Labour, plain and simple.
This 50% tax rate may win Labour a few votes on the far left but it will lose them many more votes across the entire political spectrum. I am positively sure that only a tiny, tiny minority of the people earning over 150k are to blame for the mess that we are in. So why do we want to make them pay even more taxes? If this is Labour's main tool to plug the hole in the public finances then The Deadly Duo (Darling & Brown) are even more detached from reality than I thought. This tax hike will drive more people to a) move abroad if they can; or b) employ a cunning accountant to find some tax-efficient loopholes and avoid paying taxes altogether. And even if all the people earning over 150k were to stay in the UK and pay their taxes, I very much doubt that the money raised in this way would make a significant impact.
So what was Darling's goal in this Budget? Plugging the hole or punishing the rich for the sake of it?? If it was the former - but I have some grave doubts about it - then why didn't he make some serious plans about restructuring Northern Rock and all the other financial institutions that they nationalised and make them profitable, or even VERY profitable (if that doesn't cause any offence to the lefties in his party)? Rather than flogging them at a loss to your chums like Richard Branson, make these banks earn their profits so that they can pay healthy dividends to the main (or sole) shareholder, ie. the Treasury. In this way you can raise much more money, without alienating honest taxpayers.
If it was the former, then I have some news for you Darling. Enjoy the limelight that this Budget has brought to you bacause you will not be in the same position again for a long, long time.
Friday, 24 April 2009
Alitalia
In all these years of going back and forth between London and Rome, I have almost always flown Alitalia. Rather than a matter of patrotism, I used to 'fly the flag' as they are/were always cheaper than British Airways. So over this time I think that I kind of got used to their average (at best) service, consisting of frequent delays, the more than occasional cancellations, the general absence of anything resembling that abstract concept called 'customer care'. Hopefully Alitalia will excuse me for using their name in the same paragraph as these two dreaded words, I didn't mean to cause any confusion.
After Alitalia's change of ownership in late 2008 - Air France-KLM now owns 25%, with the rest held by a group of 25 Italian investors called Italian Air Company - I was not very hopeful with regard the general improvement of the service, which in all fairness was only marginally better than Easyjet's, just to mention one name.
Now, almost 6 months after the takeover, I am 100% sure that my pessimism was entirely justified. The new Alitalia's penny-pinching is frankly rather appalling.
Here are a few examples: 1) they have totally changed the rules of their frequent flyer scheme ('Millemiglia'), whereby now you accrue much fewer airmiles (per journey) than before; this obviously means that fewer and fewer passengers may have access to Alitalia airport lounges and other so-called benefits; 2) on short-haul flights, the meal is now a distant memory; some passengers even swear that it never existed. Now it is a snack consisting of either a packet of 4 miniscule biscuits or a packet of peanuts. Needless to say, you can't have both (don't be greedy!!!). And don't have the audacity of ask for more than one drink, if you don't want to be the first person to experience that looks CAN actually kill.
These are only some of the grievances that Alitalia's passengers now have to put up with, as the old problems (poor time-keeping etc...) are still there, just like an old mantlepiece that no-one likes but has been there for so long that it would be a shame to get rid of. Alitalia employees have little reason to cheer either as the new management's not-so-hidden motto during the takeover negotiations was "we only want the best employees at the lowest cost".
Hhhhhhmmmm...... in this case, my new approach is going to be "I only want the best airline at the lowest price" - something tells me that Alitalia is going to lose my custom on both counts.
After Alitalia's change of ownership in late 2008 - Air France-KLM now owns 25%, with the rest held by a group of 25 Italian investors called Italian Air Company - I was not very hopeful with regard the general improvement of the service, which in all fairness was only marginally better than Easyjet's, just to mention one name.
Now, almost 6 months after the takeover, I am 100% sure that my pessimism was entirely justified. The new Alitalia's penny-pinching is frankly rather appalling.
Here are a few examples: 1) they have totally changed the rules of their frequent flyer scheme ('Millemiglia'), whereby now you accrue much fewer airmiles (per journey) than before; this obviously means that fewer and fewer passengers may have access to Alitalia airport lounges and other so-called benefits; 2) on short-haul flights, the meal is now a distant memory; some passengers even swear that it never existed. Now it is a snack consisting of either a packet of 4 miniscule biscuits or a packet of peanuts. Needless to say, you can't have both (don't be greedy!!!). And don't have the audacity of ask for more than one drink, if you don't want to be the first person to experience that looks CAN actually kill.
These are only some of the grievances that Alitalia's passengers now have to put up with, as the old problems (poor time-keeping etc...) are still there, just like an old mantlepiece that no-one likes but has been there for so long that it would be a shame to get rid of. Alitalia employees have little reason to cheer either as the new management's not-so-hidden motto during the takeover negotiations was "we only want the best employees at the lowest cost".
Hhhhhhmmmm...... in this case, my new approach is going to be "I only want the best airline at the lowest price" - something tells me that Alitalia is going to lose my custom on both counts.
Thursday, 23 April 2009
The Apprentice - Week 5
Great episode of The Apprentice last night - if you missed it, then you should try and watch it on the ITV website.
I felt a bit sorry for Kimberly when the got the sack from Sir Alan. Ok, I hear you, she was the team leader so ultimately the buck stops with her.
However it still puzzles me how Philip The Northerner could avoid the chop, when he was clearly the main responsible for one of the most inept team projects in the history of The Apprentice.
The whole Pantsman idea was (in the words of Sir Alan) total garbage and I couldn't agree more. The cereal box that Ignite (Kimberly's and PTN's team) created looked like it had been designed by a 4-year old or, even worse, me.
Also what on earth possessed PTN to be the 'voice' for their commercial's not-so-catchy tune? He is so tone-deaf that watching him sing made me cringe. I could have done better, honestly I could. And I am no Andrea Bocelli, mind you. although I'm working hard on matching his size.
Just when I thought that I couldn't dislike PTN more, even if I tried, I found out that he is an estate agent from Durham. I would have thrown the remote in anger at the TV if I hadn't quickly realised that fate dealt him quite a few dodgy cards in his life already and you don't kick a man when he's down. Although I could consider making a special exception for PTN if I hear him say again "Business is the new rock 'n' roll and I'm Elvis Presley". You know what I mean?? What a five-knuckle shuffler. He's definitely taken on the mantle of most hated character in this year's series. Yes, PTN managed to even surpass Ben (the brace-wearing twat) in my hate books, which is no mean feat.
And last but not least..... I also hate PTN for seemingly getting cosy with the only decent bit of skirt left in the competition, ie. last night's Empire team leader Kate. Has she heard him speak?!? Or sing?!?!? What's she doing???!! STOP!!!!
The only thing I'll say about Empire's project last night (apart from 'well done', they were worthy winners by about 100 country miles) is that their effort could have been severaly jeopardised by their picking a child actor with a nut allergy as their advert's front man. This cunning assassination attempt would have made great TV, make no mistake. Sadly they opted to change the script and therefore the edited commercial showed this child joyously throwing his cereal up in the air (rather gulping it down with gusto), which incidentally is the same reaction that I have when I'm presented with a cucumber sandwich.... but that's another story.
I felt a bit sorry for Kimberly when the got the sack from Sir Alan. Ok, I hear you, she was the team leader so ultimately the buck stops with her.
However it still puzzles me how Philip The Northerner could avoid the chop, when he was clearly the main responsible for one of the most inept team projects in the history of The Apprentice.
The whole Pantsman idea was (in the words of Sir Alan) total garbage and I couldn't agree more. The cereal box that Ignite (Kimberly's and PTN's team) created looked like it had been designed by a 4-year old or, even worse, me.
Also what on earth possessed PTN to be the 'voice' for their commercial's not-so-catchy tune? He is so tone-deaf that watching him sing made me cringe. I could have done better, honestly I could. And I am no Andrea Bocelli, mind you. although I'm working hard on matching his size.
Just when I thought that I couldn't dislike PTN more, even if I tried, I found out that he is an estate agent from Durham. I would have thrown the remote in anger at the TV if I hadn't quickly realised that fate dealt him quite a few dodgy cards in his life already and you don't kick a man when he's down. Although I could consider making a special exception for PTN if I hear him say again "Business is the new rock 'n' roll and I'm Elvis Presley". You know what I mean?? What a five-knuckle shuffler. He's definitely taken on the mantle of most hated character in this year's series. Yes, PTN managed to even surpass Ben (the brace-wearing twat) in my hate books, which is no mean feat.
And last but not least..... I also hate PTN for seemingly getting cosy with the only decent bit of skirt left in the competition, ie. last night's Empire team leader Kate. Has she heard him speak?!? Or sing?!?!? What's she doing???!! STOP!!!!
The only thing I'll say about Empire's project last night (apart from 'well done', they were worthy winners by about 100 country miles) is that their effort could have been severaly jeopardised by their picking a child actor with a nut allergy as their advert's front man. This cunning assassination attempt would have made great TV, make no mistake. Sadly they opted to change the script and therefore the edited commercial showed this child joyously throwing his cereal up in the air (rather gulping it down with gusto), which incidentally is the same reaction that I have when I'm presented with a cucumber sandwich.... but that's another story.
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Buenos Aires
Despite being in South America, this city has a very European feel. The people, the architecture, the general atmosphere.... you definitely could be forgiven if you thought that you were in Spain. Buenos Aires is also one of the very few cities in Latin America with a reliable metro system. Pickpockets operating on it are all part of the service of course, although the best ones are like Argentina's most talented young footballers - they up sticks and move to Europe where they can make more money.
Argentina is still suffering from the economic crisis that affected it a few years ago. The effect of said crisis can still be seen in some shops - you can buy a shirt.... and pay in instalments (no... really). Also you can find many agencies in the high street, whose services consist of finding you an Italian or Spanish ancestor, thereby making you eligible for an EU passport. That is if you can stand the trauma of being officially (partly) Spanish for the rest of your life.
Things to see, people to do:
Plaza de Mayo:
in this nice square you can find the Casa Rosada (Pink House), which is the Presidential Palace, although the President does not actually live here. It's quite a remarkable building with the famous balconies where Evita Peron made her appearances whilst her husband Juan used to bore the tits of out their compatriots with his speeches. Some people say that the building's distinctive pink colour comes from a mixture of bovine blood and grease, which was used at the time to make the building waterproof. Why they didn't serve it to local drunkards instead (mixed with their doner kebabs) on a Friday night like they do over here is beyond me. This square was also made famous by those Argentine women who continue their fight on behalf of their children – los Desparecidos – who disappeared during the years of the Generals' dictatorship.
La Recoleta: it's a rather elegant suburb, just north of the central area of BA. Large avenues, nice boutiques and restaurants, cafes, nightclubs etc... can all be found in this area. Incidentally there is also a cemetery, which happens to be the final resting place of Evita Peron of all people. Ok, a cemetery may not be everyone's idea of a tourist attraction but .... different strokes for different folks, innit.
Calle Florida: pedestrianised street, right in the centre of BA. If you're into shopping, that's your natural destination, particularly for clothing.
Football: no offence to all the other football fans but Boca Juniors and River Plate are the biggest clubs in the capital. Their grounds have seen better days but a visit to them (possibly on match day) is a must. The atmosphere is one of the best that you'll ever experience at a football match. The Boca ground (La Bombonera) is situated in a rather rundown area in the south part of the city, whilst El Monumental (home of River Plate) is located in a residential, middle class suburb north of the city.
Filling your gullet:
Puerto Madero:
it is a rather new spot in BA. In the years gone by, this area consisted of a few abandoned docks and derelict warehouses. Then in the 90s they were redeveloped and made into offices, bars, restaurants and apartments. In other words, it's a poor man's Canary Wharf.... but very, very nice indeed.
There are lots of excellent restaurants. At the time of our visit, you could have a two-course meal (including wine) for less than ten squid. Bargain. And the main course used to consist of probably the best steak that you can have on this planet.
Empanadas:
'Empanada' literally means 'breaded', as in breaded chicken or vegetables. Effectively it's a semi-circular pastry, stuffed with a filling of choice, which could be cheese, vegetable or different types of meat. Empanadas are a snack that can be found in dedicated shops (Empanaderias) or on road stalls. Very yummy indeed.
Argentina is still suffering from the economic crisis that affected it a few years ago. The effect of said crisis can still be seen in some shops - you can buy a shirt.... and pay in instalments (no... really). Also you can find many agencies in the high street, whose services consist of finding you an Italian or Spanish ancestor, thereby making you eligible for an EU passport. That is if you can stand the trauma of being officially (partly) Spanish for the rest of your life.
Things to see, people to do:
Plaza de Mayo:
in this nice square you can find the Casa Rosada (Pink House), which is the Presidential Palace, although the President does not actually live here. It's quite a remarkable building with the famous balconies where Evita Peron made her appearances whilst her husband Juan used to bore the tits of out their compatriots with his speeches. Some people say that the building's distinctive pink colour comes from a mixture of bovine blood and grease, which was used at the time to make the building waterproof. Why they didn't serve it to local drunkards instead (mixed with their doner kebabs) on a Friday night like they do over here is beyond me. This square was also made famous by those Argentine women who continue their fight on behalf of their children – los Desparecidos – who disappeared during the years of the Generals' dictatorship.
La Recoleta: it's a rather elegant suburb, just north of the central area of BA. Large avenues, nice boutiques and restaurants, cafes, nightclubs etc... can all be found in this area. Incidentally there is also a cemetery, which happens to be the final resting place of Evita Peron of all people. Ok, a cemetery may not be everyone's idea of a tourist attraction but .... different strokes for different folks, innit.
Calle Florida: pedestrianised street, right in the centre of BA. If you're into shopping, that's your natural destination, particularly for clothing.
Football: no offence to all the other football fans but Boca Juniors and River Plate are the biggest clubs in the capital. Their grounds have seen better days but a visit to them (possibly on match day) is a must. The atmosphere is one of the best that you'll ever experience at a football match. The Boca ground (La Bombonera) is situated in a rather rundown area in the south part of the city, whilst El Monumental (home of River Plate) is located in a residential, middle class suburb north of the city.
Filling your gullet:
Puerto Madero:
it is a rather new spot in BA. In the years gone by, this area consisted of a few abandoned docks and derelict warehouses. Then in the 90s they were redeveloped and made into offices, bars, restaurants and apartments. In other words, it's a poor man's Canary Wharf.... but very, very nice indeed.
There are lots of excellent restaurants. At the time of our visit, you could have a two-course meal (including wine) for less than ten squid. Bargain. And the main course used to consist of probably the best steak that you can have on this planet.
Empanadas:
'Empanada' literally means 'breaded', as in breaded chicken or vegetables. Effectively it's a semi-circular pastry, stuffed with a filling of choice, which could be cheese, vegetable or different types of meat. Empanadas are a snack that can be found in dedicated shops (Empanaderias) or on road stalls. Very yummy indeed.
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Rosella Vattene
Vattene perche' e' ormai evidente che sei arrivata alla frutta finanziariamente. Nelle ultime due stagioni hai dovuto vendere un giocatore importante a stagione (prima Chivu, poi Mancini) per pareggiare i conti. Quest'anno - visto che probabilmente non ci qualificheremo per la Champions League - gia' hai cominciato a far circolare l'idea di un ridimensionamento. Visto che sei buona solo a spendere i proventi che ti arrivano dalla CL e non a metterci soldi di tasca tua, a questo punto il presidente posso farlo pure io, no?
Vattene perche' - vada come vada - tu ti porti a casa uno stipendietto annuo di 2 milioni di euro. Se i giocatori hanno uno stipendio base incrementato con premi a salire in base al rendimento, perche' non applichiamo lo stesso principio pure alla tua di remunerazione? Non sarebbe piu' giusto pagare anche te in base al raggiungimento dei risultati sul campo?
Vattene perche' sarai pure vice-presidente della Lega Calcio ma alla fine conti come il due di denari quando regna bastoni. Ci derubano a San Siro.... e tu stai zitta. Danno addosso a De Rossi perche' ha il coraggio di dire quello che tutti pensiamo..... e tu te la prendi con De Rossi invece di dare addosso ai ladri. Ma che presidente sei? E sopratutto... ma che romanista sei??
Vattene perche' con la risorsa di pubblico che abbiamo (potenzialmente siamo il quarto o quinto pubblico piu' numeroso in Italia), potremmo spaccare il mondo, o quasi. E invece non riusciamo piu' a riempire lo stadio neanche se diamo i biglietti gratis ai ragazzini delle scuole. Ormai molta gente va allo stadio solo per abitudine, non perche' e' infuocata dalla passione. E se non riesci a vedere la differenza tra le due cose, allora forse non saresti mai dovuta diventare presidente.
Vattene perche' abbiamo uno dei siti Internet piu' ridicoli del mondo del calcio. Non fornisce alcuna informazione utile e non e' quasi mai aggiornato. Ma che te lo devo spiegare io che un sito realizzato a dovere e puntualmente aggiornato puo' in teoria portarti piu' introiti?
Vattene perche' quando spunta fuori un pollo (Soros) che ti dava una barca di soldi per il pacchetto di maggioranza, tiri fuori la storia di un fantomatico gruppo arabo che offriva di piu', col risultato che il pollo se ne va e tu rimani col cerino acceso in mano, visto che il gruppo arabo esisteva solo nella tua fantasia. Anzi, mi correggo, col cerino acceso ci restiamo noi tifosi, tu ti porti comunque a casa 2 milioni di euro all'anno, sai quanto te ne puo' fregare. E se le cose non stanno cosi', diccelo apertamente come andarono, visto che all'assemblea degli azionisti non era ammesso parlare di Soros. Perche'? Avevi forse paura di qualcosa?
Vattene perche' - invece che dedicarti a fare una Roma piu' forte e a far riappassionare il pubblico - preferisci impegnare le tue risorse per rabbonire la stampa romana. Ormai ben pochi (tra i piu' seguiti) hanno il coraggio o la forza editoriale di criticarti sui giornali o per radio per timore delle tue rappresaglie.
Vattene perche' pensi che tutta la tifoseria sia come qualche gruppo (che si definisce ultras) che lo puoi comprare per un piatto di lenticchie. Impara che non potrai mai comprare tutti gli ultras, ne' con un piatto di lenticchie, ne' con un bel mazzo di biglietti per le trasferte a Londra, ne' con la promessa della gestione dei parcheggi nel nuovo stadio.
E infine vattene perche' non dici mai, MA PROPRIO MAI, niente di romanista.
Vattene perche' - vada come vada - tu ti porti a casa uno stipendietto annuo di 2 milioni di euro. Se i giocatori hanno uno stipendio base incrementato con premi a salire in base al rendimento, perche' non applichiamo lo stesso principio pure alla tua di remunerazione? Non sarebbe piu' giusto pagare anche te in base al raggiungimento dei risultati sul campo?
Vattene perche' sarai pure vice-presidente della Lega Calcio ma alla fine conti come il due di denari quando regna bastoni. Ci derubano a San Siro.... e tu stai zitta. Danno addosso a De Rossi perche' ha il coraggio di dire quello che tutti pensiamo..... e tu te la prendi con De Rossi invece di dare addosso ai ladri. Ma che presidente sei? E sopratutto... ma che romanista sei??
Vattene perche' con la risorsa di pubblico che abbiamo (potenzialmente siamo il quarto o quinto pubblico piu' numeroso in Italia), potremmo spaccare il mondo, o quasi. E invece non riusciamo piu' a riempire lo stadio neanche se diamo i biglietti gratis ai ragazzini delle scuole. Ormai molta gente va allo stadio solo per abitudine, non perche' e' infuocata dalla passione. E se non riesci a vedere la differenza tra le due cose, allora forse non saresti mai dovuta diventare presidente.
Vattene perche' abbiamo uno dei siti Internet piu' ridicoli del mondo del calcio. Non fornisce alcuna informazione utile e non e' quasi mai aggiornato. Ma che te lo devo spiegare io che un sito realizzato a dovere e puntualmente aggiornato puo' in teoria portarti piu' introiti?
Vattene perche' quando spunta fuori un pollo (Soros) che ti dava una barca di soldi per il pacchetto di maggioranza, tiri fuori la storia di un fantomatico gruppo arabo che offriva di piu', col risultato che il pollo se ne va e tu rimani col cerino acceso in mano, visto che il gruppo arabo esisteva solo nella tua fantasia. Anzi, mi correggo, col cerino acceso ci restiamo noi tifosi, tu ti porti comunque a casa 2 milioni di euro all'anno, sai quanto te ne puo' fregare. E se le cose non stanno cosi', diccelo apertamente come andarono, visto che all'assemblea degli azionisti non era ammesso parlare di Soros. Perche'? Avevi forse paura di qualcosa?
Vattene perche' - invece che dedicarti a fare una Roma piu' forte e a far riappassionare il pubblico - preferisci impegnare le tue risorse per rabbonire la stampa romana. Ormai ben pochi (tra i piu' seguiti) hanno il coraggio o la forza editoriale di criticarti sui giornali o per radio per timore delle tue rappresaglie.
Vattene perche' pensi che tutta la tifoseria sia come qualche gruppo (che si definisce ultras) che lo puoi comprare per un piatto di lenticchie. Impara che non potrai mai comprare tutti gli ultras, ne' con un piatto di lenticchie, ne' con un bel mazzo di biglietti per le trasferte a Londra, ne' con la promessa della gestione dei parcheggi nel nuovo stadio.
E infine vattene perche' non dici mai, MA PROPRIO MAI, niente di romanista.
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