stuff in the paper

Quite a few interesting articles in the Observer, all worth a read.

Firstly, this is the best article I've read on the Big Brother racism issue (certainly light years ahead of Germaine Greer's idiotic piece in the week) - good stuff from Anushka Asthana:

'This programme has made me question what is racism,' said Roisin yesterday. 'At first I thought this was not it, but the more I thought about it I changed my mind. It is racist to bully someone because they are culturally different.

'But comments like those are made every day, in every town and every city across Britain. It is amazing that people saying them on television has created a global frenzy but I am glad that people are talking about it.'

And so, in the end, am I.

I read somewhere, incidentally, that Teddy Sheringham has called it quits with Danielle Lloyd (whose look of sudden terror when called up on her behaviour, panic glistening in her black evil eyes, was my favourite bit of big brother) - which brings us to football, and a very incisive article about excessive transfer fees, by Amy Lawrence.

"In many ways English players, as well as clubs, are penalised by football's Anglo tax. An inflated price tag can be a hefty millstone to carry around. It was refreshing to see Richards come out last week and speak of his desire to stay at Manchester City, but it cannot be easy to reject a potentially enormous pay rise while in your teens. On the one hand the Shaun Wright-Phillips example looms large, on the other agents and advisers push for big-money moves and remind you that these opportunities are not guaranteed to come along frequently in a career as short and vulnerable as football."

Lastly, a long and bewilderingly bonkers article by Nick Cohen, unamibiguously titled 'How The Left Lost Their Way'. Cohen continues to devote his time to savaging 'the left', something he seems to believe is a coherent, quasi-fascistic and anti-American mass movement. Utterly ludicrous, which is a shame, because he does make good points along the way. I'm tempted to quote the recent 'The Thick Of It' christmas special:

"He looked like that little guy on the green that shouts 'You're an Arab' at everyone".