Rolling blackouts

Yesterday turned out to be quite a frustrating day. I had meant to watch some soccer and post a review of The Martian by Andy Weir, but our national electricity supplier decided to implement phased blackouts across the country to compensate for their gross incompetence negligence maintaining the grid.

So there I was all settled to stream the early afternoon Manchester Derby on my computer, fresh whiskey and soda poured, pretzels and chips neatly laid out by my side… when the bastards at Eskom decided to throw the switch. I wouldn’t have minded so much had it been earlier in the day as I had slept in late, but why the fuck at two ‘o clock in the afternoon?

When the power did come back on some six hours later, I was far too deep into the bottle and all interest in writing had dissipated… and Manchester United were probably either well into the post-mortem of their latest defeat at the hands of Manchester City, or into bottles of their own. Can’t say I feel too sorry for them; never did like that team much.

They say that the rolling blackouts, or load shedding as Eskom like to call it, will continue well into the week, maybe longer. I have all my fuck you’s nicely bottled up inside for when they do happen. Off course, the wankers at Eskom can hardly take all the blame; the fucking politicians have had a major role to play in the demise of the power utility. Yeah, I’m talking to you, you ANC half-wits.

Oh well, on to better things…

A fellow blogger who follows my posts regularly mentioned in an earlier post that he had nothing to fill the silly box segment of his daily blog, so I thought I would help him out. Now this really put a smile on my face and brightened up (fuck you Eskom) what would have been an otherwise gloomy Monday.

A Malawian diplomat who had once described dictator President Robert Mugabe as an idiot, refused to take up the post of envoy to Zimbabwe. He was quoted by Germany’s The Foreigner magazine in 2006 as saying:

Zimbabwe has an idiot — I am sorry, I know you are recording — but they have an idiot for president.

This guy Robert Mugabe, I hope that he lives a long time, so that one day he can go before an international tribunal. He is a horrible man.

Well done Thoko Banda, you have made my day. You earn a noddy badge; the only one I’m likely to hand out to a politician this year, or ever.

Now where’s the rest of that whiskey?

The only reason culture is sacrosanct, is because you say so…

I have in fact said this before, but not in those same words.

Well, at least one other person believes the same thing. Online editor Chris Roper, writing in the Mail & Guardian about football culture, sums it up pretty nicely in his opening paragraph:

A useful rule of thumb is to avoid anybody who uses culture as an excuse for doing something stupid. From wearing neckties to picking brides out of a line-up of bouncy little breasts, from showing respect for your elders to hunting a whale, it’s all a bunch of bullshit. Yes, I’m sure your culture is vitally important, and we have the right to practice whatever nonsense we want, but really. The only reason it’s sacrosanct is because you say so.

The rest of the article mostly makes reference to Manchester United players, one of which goes like this:

Park, Park, you’re an ugly fuck, you’ve got a face like a crispy duck; could be worse, you could be gay, getting bummed by John O’Shea.

Football culture aside, if you want your culture to not be ridiculed, leave it at home where nobody else can see it or be bothered by it. It goes without saying that it is not deserving of any respect.

Gunners love scoring goals…

Image via Wikipedia

Even if it’s for the other team…

I mean WTF is going on! I tried to be critically nasty towards Arsenal and when that seemed to be, well…too nasty, I tried to be accommodating. That seemed to do the trick as Wenger actually bought some new players – players who could potentially arrest Arsenal’s decline over the last few seasons.

I tried to be positive when they leaked 8 goals against United. I sucked up the derisory taunts from the ManUre faithful after that debacle. And then I was overjoyed when Arsenal got their first win in the Premiership and drew in the Champions League.

I really thought they were going to score some good goals against Blackburn yesterday – give them hell-for, show the world what the Gunners are really capable off….I really wasn’t expecting us to score for the opposition, almost as many goals as we scored for ourselves.

Wenger’s synopsis that the team are “just not defensively solid enough,” is an incredible understatement. The reality is that Arsenal are defensively clueless. That’s harsh, I know; but it’s unfortunately the truth.

The other harsh reality is that Arsenal are lazy in the in-goal area, on both sides of the field. The players are just too lazy to give that extra 10% to reach for a pass in order to score; the players have become inured to receiving the ball at their feet. It’s perhaps the one drawback of that precise passing game that is so pleasing to the eye.

As much as I hate to say it, perhaps we need a new coach who is more attuned to the demands of the modern game. Wenger has without doubt been an excellent manager/coach, but maybe it’s time to admit that his talents may be better served in the area of the club’s finances or in the boardroom.

Unless he makes a radical change to his approach off course…

Match officials are ruining the beautiful game

Image via Wikipedia

I’m as disgusted as Arsene Wenger over the two blatantly unfair refereeing decisions against the Arsenal in the game versus Sunderland, yesterday. However, this is not the first time, nor will it be the last, until some sort of technology is introduced into the sport to aid the match officials.

Off-side decisions which are glaringly wrong are being given so often, it’s turning the beautiful game into a farce. The linesmen it seems are competing for attention, as much as the players. The game today is invariably played at a furious pace, and there are some genuine speedster’s in most teams, and Arsenal are masters at the fast flowing game. Their pace unfortunately tends to show up the linesmen’s inability to keep up with the flow of the game.

Surely there is technology already available that can assist the match officials? What about a simple tag in the player’s clothing or boots which transmit a signal that processing software can interpret to show his position on the field at all times relative to opposing players. Such a system could easily be linked to the officials ear-piece to emit a signal when an advancing player strays beyond the last opposing player’s position.

I’m no software or hardware boffin, but this is in no way rocket science. Sure there are problems to be overcome, such as delays to the flow of the game, but match officials blow up such petty transgressions anyways, I’m sure the viewing public can learn to live with it.

It’s time that that dinosaur in charge of FIFA, Septic Bladder gives technology a chance.

It’s certainly better that cheating good teams by making decisions that cost them vital games; because that’s exactly what it is – cheating, albeit from the officials rather than opposing players.

On a brighter note, it seems that the refereeing blunders from yesterday may not cost Arsenal that much after all – Liverpool have done us a monumental favor by downing Manchester United. The title race is on again, but I would have loved to have seen Arsenal on level points terms with United, with a game in hand…

The Arsenal Strip Show

Like myself, if you’re an Arsenal supporter, you might be furiously fending off nasty comments from the Chelsea and Manchester United faithful, or just tearing your hair out in exasperation. Against Chelsea yesterday, after yet another promising start, the Arsenal succumbed to the ugly determination and sheer [brute] strength of a lesser deserving team.

My disappointment is so immense, I can’t help comparing watching the Arsenal week after week to going to a strip club, week after week. You get to watch some great ass, but if you don’t get any action from one of the lovelies on show, it becomes an expensive waste of time. Just like the Arsenal; fantastic moves but they don’t get to score…

Football is about scoring goals; the intricate passing and fluent movement should be just a bonus. Sometimes… no most times, an ugly goal or two will do just fine. It’s time some of the players showed that they’re not just ballerinas in baggy shorts, dancing across the turf.

I’m actually convinced that Wenger, being the shrewd economist and tactician he is, is actually colluding with the board by playing percentage football. My theory is that he just does enough with his (showy, but ultimately inadequate) team, winning games to keep the fans interested….just so that they can continue keeping the club profitable. Perhaps he’s trying to seal his place seat on the board of directors.

I read about one fan last night who is determined to start supporting another club. Who knows how many others there are. I know that the die-hard faithful will stay, but these performances are hurting the club.

It’s time Wenger showed us that he can coach as well as make profits. I’ll tear the rest of my hair out in appreciation.