How did this man, Sepp Blatter, get the biggest job in Football Administration and, more importantly, keep it: in spite of professed and demonstrated ineptitude?
I have been told that if you go to FIFA headquarters you will find Blatter's relatives working there and you will find Blatter's neighbours from his tiny home village in Switzerland working there too.
His recent analysis of racism in football is one of his ineptitudes but someone keeps electing him back to the job.
Finally, I saw David Beckham on the television today and whilst I admire him as a footballer, his arms are just a pathetic mess with all of their tattoos: what on earth is he thinking?
DW
18.11.11
Technocrats and Lame Ducks
If another reporter says that the Italian and Greek political leaders are technocrats, I'll heave a boot at the telly. They are NOT the only leaders ever to have worked in the appropriate business or to be qualified appropriately for the job in hand. Except in the UK, of course, where Strictly Come Politics and the X Bodger seem to help us to recruit our politicians.
Let's run a competition: I think it's Presidential election time in the USA next year. When do you think the first stupid journalist will tag obama as a lame duck president. Four years ago it was in January or February 2009 ... very early in the campaign.
DW
Let's run a competition: I think it's Presidential election time in the USA next year. When do you think the first stupid journalist will tag obama as a lame duck president. Four years ago it was in January or February 2009 ... very early in the campaign.
DW
17.11.11
Reggie Perrin ...
I watched a couple of films on my flight over to Dubai and then sought to change the tempo a little bit by listening to some music and then watching a television programme.
No offence intended but the majority of the television programmes they have on Emirates' ICE system are American so I looked for something British. I found REGGIE PERRIN. I found it hard to believe that they would revive such an idiosyncratic programme albeit one that was iconic in its own way at the time it first went out.
It started ... it was MODERN! A revival! Martin Clunes appeared as Perrin. Interesting, I thought. Was it any good? The lads in the office were nowhere near as good as the likes of John Baron, the MD Then former MD.
I didn't spot any of the classic one liners like, I didn't get where you are today without ...
I think the flashbacks were not of the mother in law and they were not of a Hippopotamus!
Was it funny? Hmm! A bit.
I only saw one episode so I cannot really judge too harshly or be to effusive in my praise.
Was it worth reviving? I don't know how many episodes they have made and whether they started with the fall ...
DW
No offence intended but the majority of the television programmes they have on Emirates' ICE system are American so I looked for something British. I found REGGIE PERRIN. I found it hard to believe that they would revive such an idiosyncratic programme albeit one that was iconic in its own way at the time it first went out.
It started ... it was MODERN! A revival! Martin Clunes appeared as Perrin. Interesting, I thought. Was it any good? The lads in the office were nowhere near as good as the likes of John Baron, the MD Then former MD.
I didn't spot any of the classic one liners like, I didn't get where you are today without ...
I think the flashbacks were not of the mother in law and they were not of a Hippopotamus!
Was it funny? Hmm! A bit.
I only saw one episode so I cannot really judge too harshly or be to effusive in my praise.
Was it worth reviving? I don't know how many episodes they have made and whether they started with the fall ...
DW
Nice Story from Afghanistan
Please find time to read this article from The Times today.
There's some good to come out of the place from time to time.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/article3227704.ece
DW
There's some good to come out of the place from time to time.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/article3227704.ece
DW
16.11.11
Pudding and a Crossword!
Decided I would have a pud: fruit dumplings with Mango sauce.
Now relaxing with The Times crossword!
DW
Now relaxing with The Times crossword!
DW
15.11.11
Dubai Metro Ineptitude
I am finding it very difficult to buy tickets from the machines on the Dubai Metro. I am sure it's simple but in the last three days I have bought an illegal ticket, a single instead of a double and a two station ticket when I wanted an all zones ticket.
Luckily this is not London so I am not losing a King's ransom but I need help!!
DW
PS I am on the Metro again and after waiting ages for the couple in front of me to buy their two tickets, I impressed myself with my efficiency by knowing what to press and how to pay. I did it correctly.
However, after I had gone through the barrier I noticed the I had been given a ONE zone instead of an ALL zones ticket.
If you know the ticket machines here you will know that the one zone button and the all zones buttons are NOT next to each other and I could not have pressed one instead of all and I did not!
So, I lost another 50 pence or so!! All in a good cause.
DW
Luckily this is not London so I am not losing a King's ransom but I need help!!
DW
PS I am on the Metro again and after waiting ages for the couple in front of me to buy their two tickets, I impressed myself with my efficiency by knowing what to press and how to pay. I did it correctly.
However, after I had gone through the barrier I noticed the I had been given a ONE zone instead of an ALL zones ticket.
If you know the ticket machines here you will know that the one zone button and the all zones buttons are NOT next to each other and I could not have pressed one instead of all and I did not!
So, I lost another 50 pence or so!! All in a good cause.
DW
Incredible but True
Just saw three Russian women going into a fashion shop and they set off the alarm going IN!
Scary
DW
Scary
DW
Emporio Armani Caffe: Mall of the Emirates
I spotted this caffe last night but only after I had already eaten, so I returned this evening!
I have just ordered minestrone soup and some pasta I have never heard of, beginning with M! There will be porcini mushrooms and black truffle with the pasta.
Because I am not in a wifi zone, this message will contain my thoughts on the food as well as this anticipatory note!
The Verdict
The soup was a little heavy and more potato than minestrone. Earlier in the day it could be good.
The pasta was excellent: the pasta beginning with M was a kind of lasagne but much thinner. The mushroom flavour was strong, just as I like it and I would have that again at any time.
Tea time now: Armani black tea with ylang ylang and orange flowers! Very nice it is too. I have been given a small pot so let's see how good the second cup is. In terms of colour, the second cup is much darker than the first one. The orange is more pronounced in the second cup and there is a hint, just a hint, of bitterness behind it too. A nice cuppa!
The caffe was not crowded but there were enough customers to make life a little interesting!
DW
I have just ordered minestrone soup and some pasta I have never heard of, beginning with M! There will be porcini mushrooms and black truffle with the pasta.
Because I am not in a wifi zone, this message will contain my thoughts on the food as well as this anticipatory note!
The Verdict
The soup was a little heavy and more potato than minestrone. Earlier in the day it could be good.
The pasta was excellent: the pasta beginning with M was a kind of lasagne but much thinner. The mushroom flavour was strong, just as I like it and I would have that again at any time.
Tea time now: Armani black tea with ylang ylang and orange flowers! Very nice it is too. I have been given a small pot so let's see how good the second cup is. In terms of colour, the second cup is much darker than the first one. The orange is more pronounced in the second cup and there is a hint, just a hint, of bitterness behind it too. A nice cuppa!
The caffe was not crowded but there were enough customers to make life a little interesting!
DW
14.11.11
You Could not do that in X
There I was on the metro, minding my own business when a man in a black shirt came and stood near me. So far so good. Then he asked me if only women could get off the train through this exit ... motions towards the door nearest to us.
I say, it's fine and when he said he'd been barred from entering another carriage I pointed out the women and children only privilege.
At that point my reaction on hearing about that privilege was to accept and understand that I am somewhere different from home.
This chap said, "Whoa! In X the liberals would have a field day with that one."
I wished that Lisbeth Salander had been with me to deal with this man!
We got off at the same station and he introduced himself with a look that said, "Hey, buddy ..." An error on my part got me out of a fix. I used the ticket machine at the station for the first time and made a right Horlicks of it. It cost me what turned out to be an AED8.5 fine and another AED4.5 for the return trip on top of the AED8 I innocently but wrongly paid for what I thought was the correct fare.
My new buddy left me to it!
What put me off this chap, apart from his silly remark on segregated carriages, was that as we were talking he showed no interest in my responses (I know, who does?!) AND half way through a sentence he started talking to someone else.
There you are! I dined alone as I had intended to do all along!
DW
I say, it's fine and when he said he'd been barred from entering another carriage I pointed out the women and children only privilege.
At that point my reaction on hearing about that privilege was to accept and understand that I am somewhere different from home.
This chap said, "Whoa! In X the liberals would have a field day with that one."
I wished that Lisbeth Salander had been with me to deal with this man!
We got off at the same station and he introduced himself with a look that said, "Hey, buddy ..." An error on my part got me out of a fix. I used the ticket machine at the station for the first time and made a right Horlicks of it. It cost me what turned out to be an AED8.5 fine and another AED4.5 for the return trip on top of the AED8 I innocently but wrongly paid for what I thought was the correct fare.
My new buddy left me to it!
What put me off this chap, apart from his silly remark on segregated carriages, was that as we were talking he showed no interest in my responses (I know, who does?!) AND half way through a sentence he started talking to someone else.
There you are! I dined alone as I had intended to do all along!
DW
13.11.11
Watch The Guard
If you like Irish humour and police/detective stories then watch the film The Guard.
A lugubrious main character is the worldly wise Sergeant Boyle. He takes on all comers: a sidekick who has a secret but who meets a grisly fate; and an FBI agent who is taken for a ride by the locals.
Many priceless moments but one of the best us when a ne'er do well taken in for questioning asks if a murder victim corpse has made a complaint against him!! Seeing's believing.
Good one!
DW
A lugubrious main character is the worldly wise Sergeant Boyle. He takes on all comers: a sidekick who has a secret but who meets a grisly fate; and an FBI agent who is taken for a ride by the locals.
Many priceless moments but one of the best us when a ne'er do well taken in for questioning asks if a murder victim corpse has made a complaint against him!! Seeing's believing.
Good one!
DW
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