Dawn

Dawn

Monday, October 24, 2011

Well, as someone wrote, the rugby World Cup Final between New Zealand and France was "an utterly gripping, dog-fight of a match." In a nutshell, France decided to turn up to this one and played out of their skins. In doing so, they "won everything bar the match" and more than regained their honour. Indeed, despite being everyone's underdogs, they could easily have won the match. Happily, they didn't and rugby-mad New Zealand went berserk. There'll be some celebration down there tomorrow.

Back here in the UK, Ricky Gervais - the comic genius of The Office and Extras - is in hot water for using the word 'mong'. Since this derives from 'mongoloid', it's long been regarded as politically incorrect usage. Gervais's defence will be familiar to anyone who's lived in Spain for a while. "I didn't mean to upset anyone. So I couldn't have done. And there's nothing to apologise for." "Oh and, by the way, I have a new series coming up."

Click here for a nice little piece on the Camino.

And here if you live in the UK and want to watch, for free, any TV program on your computer as it's being aired. Of course, you must have a TV licence.

Over in Brussels, tempers seem to be fraying. And M Sarkozy has been reduced to begging Frau Merkel that she defy her party and her electorate and take an approach to the ECB that was expressly ruled out on the introduction of the euro. Looks like being a very interesting week. Anyone courageous enough to make any predictions? Will the circle be squared? With smoke and mirrors?

Meanwhile, click here for an incisive view from The Times - Banking for Babel - on a soap opera that would be funny if it weren't so terribly serious.

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