FIFA World Cup 2010

[The Hitch]

Awww... The Portuege had black armbands during the anthem playing, presumably for Jose Saramago. Nice gesture, although the odds that any player on the team has ever read one of his works is next to zero.

Surely not

 

[The Hitch]

Maybe the portugese players are wearing the armbands in support for the millions of children forcibly starved to death by the North Korean motherland.

It would be the honorable thing to do and i dont care what Sepp Blatter says about seperating politics from football.

 

[Moondance]

Surely not

Well, who else could they be for?

Although, ironically, Saramago was a commited Communist

 

[The Hitch]

Well, who else could they be for?

Although, ironically, Saramago was a commited Communist

exactly he was controversial.
And footballers commemorating writers. I can maybe see it being done for an author some footballers might have read (like JK Rowling)

But for a nobel laureate, well its strange.

 

[Moondance]

Portugal scores. I imagine that 10 seconds before the goal the transmission of the game will go black in North Korea

 

[The Hitch]

nice finish

 

[The Hitch]

Portugal scores. I imagine that 10 seconds before the goal the transmission of the game will go black in North Korea

nice.


Though i dont imagine there will be too much coverage in north korea for this reason:

electricity in South Korea to North korea

 

[Moondance]

exactly he was controversial.
And footballers commemorating writers. I can maybe see it being done for an author some footballers might have read (like JK Rowling)

But for a nobel laureate, well its strange.

Well, there was a big funeral for him in Portugal yesterday... I'd imagine a footballer would always be willing to jump onto any kind of public bandwagon. Also it's a nice gesture for a great writer (although I confess to only having read two of his novels, sadly )

 

[Moondance]

nice.


Though i dont imagine there will be too much coverage in north korea for this reason:

Well, enough for TVs for at least a couple I imagine

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/21/north-korea-tv-portugal-world-cup

 

[Christian]

Though i dont imagine there will be too much coverage in north korea

On German TV they said North Koreans get to see recordings of the games with 18 to 24 hour delay.

I'm rooting for them, they play really well, much better than most "small" football nations in this tournament, who are mainly destructive. I don't know how they do it but North Korea almost never fouls, and they play three of the strongest teams.

Plus they probably have a really tough life compared to Portuguese/Brazilian football stars, so it would be nice to see them win just this once!

 

[The Hitch]

On German TV they said North Koreans get to see recordings of the games with 18 to 24 hour delay.

I'm rooting for them, they play really well, much better than most "small" football nations in this tournament, who are mainly destructive. I don't know how they do it but North Korea almost never fouls, and they play three of the strongest teams.

Plus they probably have a really tough life compared to Portuguese/Brazilian football stars, so it would be nice to see them win just this once!

That was what i thought to. Udai Hussein used to torture in chambers members of the football team when they lost and since this regime outshines even the baathist for brutality, i fear what awaits the north koreans if they underperform.
Then again their striker is a privelaged japanese born lad who they say is very rich and drives expensive cars but insisted on playing for north korea. He cried when they played the national anthem and said he would score in every game (though he has failed in that). While i understand its ignorance which drives ppl to make these dicisions i really want to see him lose as well.

ps from the responces i cant be sure if the image i posted is visable to everyone else. Is it?

 

[issoisso]

although the odds that any player on the team has ever read one of his works is next to zero.

Actually it's required reading in school

Although ironically Saramago was a commited Communist

How is it ironic Portugal is quite left-wing, as the western world goes

In memory of his unique writing style I've decided to stop using any punctuation whatsoever

 

[The Hitch]

How is it ironic Portugal is quite left-wing, as the western world goes
r

Not neccesarily. Salazar was right wing. And it is a catholic country (so saramangos anti semitism might not have been frowned apon). Besides theres a fine line between social democracy and communism

In memory of his unique writing style I've decided to stop using any punctuation whatsoever

Very nice.

 

[Moondance]

Actually it's required reading in school

How is it ironic Portugal is quite left-wing, as the western world goes

In memory of his unique writing style I've decided to stop using any punctuation whatsoever

Yes... That doesn't necessarily mean anything, though.

I remember 'reading' The Grapes of Wrath quite well when I was 14. Passed the tests and everything with good marks too. I actually read approximately 17 pages of it. Along those same lines I also 'read' Madame Bovary and Anna Karenina when I was in school. I'm disappointed now that I look back on that. I've grown into much more of a reader since I left high school, and would love to have the time I had back then to do a lot of good reading. Sadly.

Also, it was ironic because Hitch made a comment along the lines that they should've worn a band in protest of North Korean policies.

 

[issoisso]

Not neccesarily. Salazar was right wing.

Wait, what?

You do know you're talking about a brutal dictator who was overthrown decades ago and who is still hated to the point of foaming at the mouth by basically the entire population.

And it is a catholic country (so saramangos anti semitism might not have been frowned apon).

Nobody cares much about Saramago's ramblings, to be fair.
Well, people liked it when he criticised the current president, but that was it.

Besides theres a fine line between social democracy and communism

Shouldn't I be the one using that argument?

 

[Christian]

Salazar was right wing.

Yeah but he died 40 years ago

 

[The Hitch]

Yes... That doesn't necessarily mean anything, though.

I remember 'reading' The Grapes of Wrath quite well when I was 14. Passed the tests and everything with good marks too. I actually read approximately 17 pages of it. Along those same lines I also 'read' Madame Bovary and Anna Karenina when I was in school. I'm disappointed now that I look back on that. I've grown into much more of a reader since I left high school, and would love to have the time I had back then to do a lot of good reading. Sadly.

Also, it was ironic because Hitch made a comment along the lines that they should've worn a band in protest of North Korean policies.

On that note i have to ask. . Did you read the grapes of wrath in english? Is the quality of education so high in the Netherlands that so many people speak English, since this north european country is so overrepresented in this forum?

 

[Moondance]

Saramago was highly critical of Israel. Perhaps he used some excessively laden language at times, but if criticism of Israel is automatically considered to be anti-semitism then where the fuck are we headed?



*edited for stupid typo*

 

[issoisso]

Saramago was highly critical of Israel. Perhaps he used some excessively laden language at times, but if criticism of Israel is not automatically considered to be anti-semitism then where the fuck are we headed?

Wait, what?

Most people here absolutely abominate the genocide Israel is currently involved in. But nobody has anything against Israel. Just the israeli government.

Don't mix religion with politics.

There's no logic in equating criticism of Israel's actions with criticism of Judaism or Jewish people. None at all.

 

[Moondance]

On that note i have to ask. . Did you read the grapes of wrath in english? Is the quality of education so high in the Netherlands that so many people speak English, since this north european country is so overrepresented in this forum?

I didn't attend school in the Netherlands. I got all of my secondary education at an English-language international school in Geneva, Switzerland, where I lived at the time (and my parents still do)

 

[Moondance]

Wait, what?

Most people here absolutely abominate the genocide Israel is currently involved in. But nobody has anything against Israel. Just the israeli government.

Don't mix religion with politics.

Sorry. I misworded it. I meant the opposite of what I wrote. I acidentally put a "not" in there.

I meant to criticize Hitch's statment saying Saramago was anti-semitic.

 

[issoisso]

Sorry. I misworded it. I meant the opposite of what I wrote. I acidentally put a "not" in there.

I mean to criticize Hitch's statment saying Saramago was anti-semitic.

Oh. YOu scared me there

 

[icefire]

Is this the football thread?

 

[Moondance]

Either way, Portugal is cruising right now.

If they continue to run up the score they'll be very hard to catch for the Ivorians.

 

[issoisso]

And back to the football topic.

4-0....it's WC 2002 all over again. Crappy first game, win by a ton in the 2nd game, then play like crap for the duration and go home early.

The only thing that's missing is for someone to physically assault the manager and for one of the players to be amazingly good in a game we lose, only to somehow be remembered as the single guy at fault for the loss.

Oh 2002. The memories