Failing with Grace

The better half organised a Eurovision party last night. Not that I needed an excuse to take a peek at the goings on in this year’s kitsch fest but a bit of party snacks and company for the dissing always helps. So we’re out – and a song that was never really destined to shoot through the charts makes a gracious exit (almost gracious bar the snipe at “neighbour votes”) from the world of euroglam and drug-free fantasia.

There’s something eerie about this Eurovision. Its thrown up the usual suspects from the weird to the tasteless to the musically undesirable but there is something more to it. There is almost (and I stress almost) a whiff of the political once again. It’s not all Plastic Bertrand if you know what I mean – there is a DNA of the economic depression that runs through most songs and – weirdly enough – a very unexpected common strand in what is generally considered a heathen festival of bugger-thy-neighbourdness (while getting his vote) is the constant appeal to religion and spirituality – a peak reached by the weepingly ungrammatical implorations to Mr God (was it Moldavia?).

Eurovision cds
Image via Wikipedia

Lithuania promise a musical solution to the depression on Thursday but Russia has already dug into the deeper and darker side of its soul providing with an incredibly melancholy outfit that reminds you of anything but music but that would also be a brilliant soundtrack to a Euro-Dollar exchange chart. In times of trouble we take refuge in the spiritual and phantasmagorical. What better place then for the expression of men with bulging crotches dressed as birds, butterflies gone wrong and trees that dance and sing Whoary-horny?

The festival will go on on Thursday and Saturday. The French have an Outre-Mer catchy football anthem featuring Brasil football gear while any intelligent bets would be on Ze German song- catchy and full of euro-pronounced English. Intelligence is not what wins the Eurovision though and given the usual betting shenanigans Deutschland and Merkel will be spared the expense of hosting the next edition of the travelling circus.

Back home we will probably revert to the usual suspects of accusations of waste and disquisitions as to whether the € spent on euromadness would have been best spent on something with more “kulcher”. We just don’t get it … c’est ça la culture … and even in this kitschfest of depressive depravity and soul-searching spirituality we exit early in a shower of self-commiseration, misguided xenophobic accusations and a renewed disgust at the failure of Greater Europe to give credit to this small island’s Dream.

***

ADDENDUM:

And even more Maltese kulchur unveiled. The PL HAD to have its say on the matter.

PL sends its congratulations

The Labour Party in a statement congratulated Thea Garrett and her team for an excellent performance and said that Thea should continue to pursue her dream in the music industry.

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Dear Long Weekend

J’accuse is anything but a personal diary but sometimes we do take a little snapshot of the j’accuse life out of a mere desire to experiment with the more conventional way of blogging (as well as an indirect justification
as to why j’accuse has not been so engaging over the weekend). In short it’s just been sunny, sunny, sunny.

Saturday was BXL day. A quick scappatella into the bowels of the city of stink. Walking along a sun drenched Place Stephanie and Avenue Louise we played a game of teaser window shopping. It’s NOT ok to only look – not for shopaholics like myself but I had to find a way of avoiding monetary dispensation since the NY trip is now only weeks away. A weird exhibition was to be found in a square bang in the middle of Avenue Louise. It represents all the things that have not been said… ever and is an itinerant Mexican exhibition that is also commemorating some jubilee anniversary of La Rivolucion!

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Muted on Avenue Louise

Just after the muted giants we discovered the newly refurbished Toison d’Or shopping centre complete with Scotch & Soda and all the brands that make your shopping euros tingle. The pièce de resistance was the Desigual (yep, Desigual… we still love it on the ladies notwithstanding the recent bad publicity it might have got) store (ladies only for now but mens will be open in a few weeks time). Embargos on purchases were thrown out of the “It’s not the same” window and we walked out of there a couple of euros poorer (thank Haysus for the fidelity discount).

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It

Back in LUX there were two splendid sunlit days to kill. Sunday began with the downer of no Brit papers delivered. Shock. Horror. Survival without the Independent would require some inventive creativity. No worries. Shorts, tee and sunroof open – one hour drive of pure greenery to the idyllic surroundings of Vianden and the piscine communale. The tanning began in earnest and with sundown a banquet fit for kings on the mosellan riviere (cote allemande) with a festival of spare ribs and scampi washed down with copious amounts of Riesling. Hot. Scrumptious. Relaxing.

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Vianden, Piscine with view of Castle

Monday. Pentecost. Public holiday and all shops are firmly fermées. Which only leaves us with one thing to do. A second trip to the Vianden castle for a second coating of the by now Mediterranean tan (with the soleil des ardennes). Olive skinned and well coated we return to the Duchy in the evening for a terrrace mixed grill overlooking the Parc de Merl and its menagerie of singing volatids. Tuesday (aujourd’hui) is a day when we return back to work with the laid-back goodwill of a Mediterranean bon vivant. Even the Court of Justice can spare a smile….

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Steps to Main Gallery, ECJ

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Inter-cettati : Ridimensionati (Liar, Liar)

Il processo Calciopoli 2 continua oggi. Mancini ridimensiona le sue allegazioni del 2006… toh ne esce fuori un bel niente. Si continua però a scoprire i rapporti stretti di Giacintone con le terne arbitrali. Celebrate anche questa? All-night a Milano forse? Ma fateci il piacere. Vigliacchi e imbroglioni – questo si che è un record!

Calciopoli, Mancini ridimensiona le accuse del 2006

È durata poco più di 10 minuti l’attesa deposizione di Rioberto Mancini al processo di Napoli, anche perché gli avvocati della difesa hanno rinunciato a porgli domande. Con l’allenatore del Manchester City ed ex allenatore dell’Inter ha interloquito invece il pm Capuano, che si è soffermato anche sull’ormai celebre telefonata tra Facchetti e Bergamo, per ironia della sorte scovata dai difensori, segno che ormai anche l’accusa si avvale del lavoro della controparte.

Ma sono state soprattutto le proteste per i presunti torti arbitrali quando era alla guida dell’Inter in alcune partite del campionato 2004-2005 l’argomento al centro della deposizione. In particolare, Mancini si è soffermato su Roma-Inter arbitrata da Rosetti e finita 3-3. «Io spesso ho avuto episodi di liti con arbitri – ha detto fra l’altro Mancini – ma a fine gara, presi dalla foga, se ne dicono tante. Nella foga della partita a Rosetti ho detto “pagherete tutto, tu e i tuoi amici di Torino” e alludevo a Moggi, perché pensavo che, essendo lui (Rosetti, ndr) di Torino, avesse a che fare con quelli della sua città. Ma non so niente di particolare a riguardo. Ho fatto un collegamento facile perché pensavo fossero amici. Conosco Moggi da sempre, ma nello specifico il collegamento con Rosetti era dovuto al fatto che l’arbitro è di Torino». Una delle accuse più pesanti rivolte da Mancini a Moggi nel maggio 2006 era quella di avere più volte visto il dg della Juventus negli spogliatoi degli arbitri.

Ora il tecnico jesino fornisce una versione più morbida: «Ho visto Moggi più di una volta nello spogliatoio degli arbitri, ma quiesta era una prassi anche di altri dirigenti di società. Era una cosa che capitava. Magari negli altri casi si poteva trattare di dirigenti addetti agli arbitri, ma non so fornire il nome degli altri dirigenti che mi è capitato di vedere nella mia carriera».

Altro match preso in esame dal pm, la finale di Supercoppa italiana Inter-Juve. In quell’occasione, disse Mancini quattro anni fa, Moggi scese quasi in campo, posizionandosi tra le due panchine durante i supplementari. Adesso il tecnico marchigiano specifica meglio: «Di sicuro era fuori dal terreno di gioco. Ricordo che è successo in quella occasione, non so se è successo in altre, non venne allontanato dall’arbitro». Il pm Capuano a questo punto contesta a Mancini la diversa versione fornita nel 2006: «Lei aveva detto di ricordarlo in altre circostanze. E poi aveva anche detto di non avere mai visto altri dirigenti entrare negli spogliatoi degli arbitri».

Alla fine il pm pone un’altra domanda: «Ricorda di problemi con Bertini su Inter-Perugia? (in realtà si trattava di Perugia-Inter 4-1 con un gol segnato da Rapajc di mano, ndr)». Mancini questa volta proprio non può rispondere, perché all’epoca dei fatti era impegnato altrove: «Non ero l’allenatore dell’Inter in quella stagione e non ricordo comunque problemi particolari con Bertini». Eppure dalle telefonate Bergamo-Facchetti e Bergamo-Bertini, pubblicate in questi giorni, i lamentii per le designazioni dell’arbitro aretino da parte interista sono sotto gli occhi di tutti.

LA TELEFONATA – La sera del 12 maggio 2005, al termine della partita Cagliari-Inter (1­1), l’arbitro Paolo Bertini chiama il designatore Paolo Bergamo per lamentarsi delle pressioni di Giacinto Facchetti prima dell’inizio dell’incontro. «Sa, questa è la tredicesima partita, eh? – dice all’arbitro negli spogliatoi il presidente dell’Inter -. Per ora siamo in perfetta parità: quattro perse, quattro vinte e quattro pareggiate. Eh, sa, per l’Inter non è che sia un grande score». «Non è stato piacevole – commenta Bertini con Bergamo -. A volte è imbarazzante una premessa del genere». Si discute del mani fuori area di Carini, portiere interista, poi si va sulla visita di Facchetti a Bertini, evidentemente all’oscuro del tema della telefonata Bergamo­Facchetti sul 4-4-4 (ma Bergamo faceva così: la dava calda a molti, forse a tutti).

L’INTERCETTAZIONE
BERGAMO- Pronto?
BERTINI – Sei a letto, Paolo eh?
BERGAMO – No, se. Allora?
BERTINI – Com’è andata, che mi dici?
BERGAMO – Mah, ho visto l’ultima mezz’ora perché m’avevano avvertito di questo fallo di mano che. No, non è mica espulsione comunque.
BERTINI – Quella non è espulsione.
BERGAMO- No, non è mica una chiara occasione da rete.
BERTINI – Ma poi si può fare una disposizione di carattere tecnico su tutto ma non c’ha? Forse la mancata percezione di dove fosse come posizione ma non può essere ritenuta una occasione di?
BERGAMO- No, assolutamente.
BERTINI – È stato quello l’unica cosa.
BERGAMO- Protestavano un po’ quelli dell’Inter, so’ un po’ insofferenti, quando?
BERTINI – Eh, me ne so’ accorto. È stata una remata dal primo minuto, poi, eh? Non capisco, non capisco perché. Tra l’altro c’è stato Facchetti a inizio partita, è venuto dentro lo spogliatoio a salutare con quel fare di sempre. “Ah, sa questa è la tredicesima partita, eh? Per ora siamo in perfetta parità: quattro perse, quattro vinte e quattro pareggiate. Eh, sa, per l’Inter non è che sia un grande score”, ha detto. Quindi l’abbiamo preparata in questo modo la partita.
BERGAMO- Mh, mh.
BERTINI- Eh, non è stato piacevole, non è stato piacevole.
BERGAMO – E bisogna che ci parli, sì. (incomprensibile) .più tranquillo in campo. C’avevo già parlato, gliel’avevo già detto, ma questo non capisce un cazzo.
BERTINI – No, ma ho l’impressione. non so nemmeno l’interlocuzione più giusta quale possa essere perché questa veramente… A volte è imbarazzante. Una premessa del genere. Ci siamo guardati tutti, ci siamo guardati tutti prima della partita.
BERGAMO – Ascoltami, quando avrai buttato giù con me, dopo chiama Gigi (probabilmente Pairetto, ndr) che si è accorto che m’hai chiamato.
BERTINI – Dici? Sì, sì certo.
BERGAMO- Capiscimi.
BERTINI – E quindi, niente, insomma, questa situazione te l’ho detta appunto.
BERGAMO – Grazie, comunque la partita, a parte il clima.
BERTINI – Al di là di questo, insomma la partita è poi andata bene.
BERGAMO- Per quella parte lì che ti diceva, ti ci penso io, dai…
BERTINI – Sì, perché tra l’altro non ha neanche senso. Non mi sembra di avere fatto. Anzi, anzi. Vabbuò.
BERGAMO- Buonanotte, ci sentiamo.
BERTINI – Ci sentiamo domani, va.
BERGAMO- Vabbè grazie, ciao.
BERTINI – Ciao.

Afine gara il presidente Cellino dirà: «Si vede che devono far vincere qualcosa all’Inter. A questo punto non so se serva andare a San Siro la prossima settimana».

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Back with the Footballing Elite

Inter-cettati fans are extatic. They are at the top European echelon and boy have they worked hard to get there. Pity that footballing spirit has little to do with the work involved. For the inter-cettati to even get a whiff of victory they had to lie low while others around them were being crucified for the ills of italian football. Their phone calls and tampering with referee lists would pass unnoticed with the connivance of the investigating officers and a very sympathetic press. They would have the main obstacles to their victories eliminated in order to win alone – much in the fashion of the playground spoilsport.

The vulture team would then live off the falsely manufactured twisted image of victim of football and nurture and develop one of the most boring teams ever to be at the pinnacle of European football.- Forget Gullit, Rijkaard and Van Basten, forger Cruyff and Di Stefano, forget Platini, Bettega and Boniek – 45 years on and they can still only produce one type of football : the catenaccio. Watching the game for my sins I could only be reminded of the hundreds of matches Juventus played against minnows who locked 10 of their players in the defending quarter of their pitch and then lobbed the ball up in counterattack. We have seen thefts of the footballing kind before – the mind harks back to the 1990 elimination of Brasil by cocainomani and co in the world cup. Milito’s role has been played by dozens of stalwarts for the minnow teams before with the only difference being that the back five in most minnow teams is not made up of potential world champs. So yes, they built a machine – might as well have built a wall of bricks – it would probably have been just as entertaining.

For this is a complaint from the corners of entertaining football. From those who will not mind being defeated if defeated means outclassed. From those who can admire a fighting Fulham as much as they can admire a creative Barcelona and a triumphant AC Milan in the 90s. It is not a complaint out of jealousy for simply one reason – there is nothing to be jealous about. You will find it hard to remember the name of the team that won the 2010 Champions’ League in the future. Most people will think a team called Mourinho won it. That says much about the personality of the team that won on the pitch. Funny. 45 years ago it was il Mago wot did it. Now it seems to be Mourinho (the press just love him – they had more cameras for him than for Inter-cettati’s motley crew last night). Willl Inter-cettati ever win a Champions League I ask? I’m not holding my breath for another 45 years to find out.

The poetry of the figures involved speaks volumes. 39% possession and 2 shots at goal. Do you see the irony behind the name “European Champions” yet? No? let me help you further. Here is the list of European champions by nationality:

Argentine: 4
Brasilian: 3
Cameroons: 1
Macedonian: 1
Romanian :1
Dutch:1

7/11 starting were non-european

Subs
Ghana: 1
Serbia: 1
Italy (and what a fine example of Italian football) : 1

1/3 was non-european

That makes it 8 out of the 14 players who went on the pitch from outside Europe. And 1 Italian of dubious footballing quality.

Which brings us to the return with the footballing elite. In economic terms the match to watch yesterday was at Wembley. The play-off for the last place in the Premier League was worth 90 million pounds sterling. Twice the worth of the Champions League final. In an exhilarating match Balckpool ousted Cardiff with the odd goal in five. Real football with real emotions still exists somewhere. Ironically the Pool also had a four decade wait to reach their goal. At least one team yesterday can proudly say that it has returned among the elite of european football.

Well done Blackpool.

Selective Defence is Bondi's Plus

J’accuse has received a copy of Lou Bondi‘s defence argument before the Broadcasting Authority. It makes for very very interesting reading. Much as we would like to enter the debate on the issue of whether or not Lowell should have been allowed on the programme (and elsewhere we have done just that), we are more intrigued by the manner in which this ‘apologia’ continues to expose Lou’s selective amnesia as well as double-standards with regards to the weight of public opinion.

You will find below a link to the full document presented by Lou Bondi to the BA and you might like to read through it with particular attention to point 12 – regarding public opinion. Two questions stand out: firstly that Lou is arguing a technical point based on the very public opinion he chose to minimise in the Delimara program (Programmes People Watch).

Then there is the blatant selective amnesia – such as has been displayed before on the occasion of the infamous Plategate Bondiplus programme. Just look at point 12 of Lou’s apologia: first he quotes media guru Joe Borg and then he quotes an article in the Times – referring to the comments section. Having thus exhausted (according to Lou) all instances where his programme was mentioned and criticised he concludes:

Jidher car li ftit hafna kienu dawk li argumentaw li l-programm ma’ kellux isir. Interessanti wkoll li hafna minn dawk li qalu li l-programm kellu jsir, jikkritikaw, anki bl-ahrax, lil NL.

Brilliant. But false. Lou would like everybody to believe it. He probably believes it himself but the problem is tha this very forum chronicled the response in the mainstream media for you in the post entitled Gurnalizmu fuq Kollox (The Sunday Quotes). Claire Bonello, Mikela Spiteri and Tanja Cilia – all on the Times – and the Indy in a report all mentioned and criticised Bondiplus without any qualms.

You will notice of course that this assessment of all that Lou left out does not include the boringly irrelevant reality of the “peclieqa” on blogs… still, even without that proof you can see how selective Lou has been.

If you want a wider assessment of public opinion then dive to the wiked site youropenbook.org and input “norman lowell”. J’accuse has done it for you just click here. Scroll down to the period on and after 3rd May and see for yourself.

The farce continues….

Click to open the “Risposta BA re: Lowell” file.

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