Intanto - ma io lo scoprirò solo al mio rientro - la distribuzione italiana del primo film (lo stesso per il quale i francesi si mettono in coda per farsi fotografare) suscita non poche polemiche on line.
Il film è oggetto di critiche di vario tenore.
CineClick lo marchia con un cinque su dieci, e commenta...

La costruzione non tiene la suspense, i rimandi all’epica apocalittica e alla mitologia della serie sono fin troppi, e non sempre intelligibili, e l’interessante struttura narrativa si perde nei meri interessi spettacolari e nella piattezza del racconto.

Elvezio Sciallis non dà voti ma lascia poco spazio all'immaginazione

Mediocre nella sceneggiatura...
Mediocre nell'animazione...
Mediocre dal punto di vista dell'epica...

Carmilla lo considera il dono di Dio al cinema d'animazione

Si tratta, esattamente come per la versione manga e quella di serial tv, di uno straordinario capolavoro di grafica, struttura narrativa, invenzione immaginifica. La supremazia della leggendaria Scuola di Hokuto è ribadita da questa pellicola imperdibile, esaltante, che mantiene intatto l'afflato epico, che fu il reale elemento distintivo delle due lunghe serie trasmesse in Italia.

Mah.
Avranno visto lo stesso film?

È abbastanza interessante, a questo punto, considerare che Giuseppe Genna, l'autore della recensione comparsa su Carmilla, è anche autore di un post sul proprio blog, intitolato piuttosto esplicitamente Secondo me... Goldrake era una cagata pazzesca! Ken il guerriero, no.

Non sto ad entrare nel merito se sia meglio Goldrake o Ken il guerriero.

La cosa che mi colpisce, e mi rattrista, è la constatazione che la critica seria (o che vorrebbe essere percepita come tale) è ferma nell'estate del 2008 più o meno dove lo erano i dibattiti fra otaku in erba nel 1987.
Ken il Guerriero è più forte di Goku.
Creamy è più sexy di Fujiko.
Daitarn 3 va più veloce di Gundam.

Di fatto, nulla ritrovo nei due pezzi di Genna che non fosse già presente nel francamente insopportabile chiacchiericcio dei fan vent'anni or sono.

• L'ignoranza di base del fenomeno, per cui affermiamo che Ken il Guerriero (1984), va ad influenzare Dragonball (1983).
• L'ignoranza di base di certi elementi tipici del tratto di ciascun autore, per cui i personaggi caricaturali di Go Nagai, intesi come comedy relief, vengono letti in maniera ideologica (abbastanza dubbia).
• Una totale mancanza di riguardo verso i modelli narrativi impiegati dai diversi autori.
• La tendenza a confondere l'originale con gli elementi del suo adattamento in Italiano, per cui il critico confronta le due sigle italiane cercandovi una riprova delle qualità differenti dell'originario prodotto giapponese (mai sentito parlare di Carl Macek, evidentemente).
• Un effetto di contrazione temporale per cui si confrontano prodotti distanti trent'anni applicando gli stessi parametri, senza far concessioni all'evoluzione.
• La partigianeria di fondo per cui il mio eroe è comunque meglio del tuo.

Dal canto suo, Giuseppe Genna ci mette una certa tendenza al trombonismo ed al parolone per il gusto del parolone - ma quello è probabilmente il suo stile - ed una chiave di lettura ideologica e quasi complottistica che già causava l'ilarità degli studenti dell'Università di Torino nei primi anni '90 - quando una docente ad orientalistica sostenne seriamente che i veicoli caricaturali disegnati da Akira Toriyama erano in realtà una pubblicità subliminale per le autovetture prodotte in Corea.

Il fatto che l'esempio dei due articoli citati non sia il primo, non sia l'unico e molto probabilmente non sia il peggiore, è una magra consolazione.

È insomma molto triste vedere che, mentre nel resto del mondo occidentale lo studio serio e competente del fenomeno anime e manga ha prodotto i libri di Frederik L. Schodt (il suo Manga! Manga! Manga! è del 1983!), di Helen McCarthy (ricordiamo almeno Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation, del 1999) , fino al mastodontico (sebbene ingannevolmente esile) Robot Ghosts & Wired Dreams (Bolton et al, 2007), da noi la critica non è ancora riuscita a lasciarsi alle spalle i vizi più infantili del vecchio fandom.
Di solito per bocca (o tastiera) di personaggi che dal fandom tendono a prendere - paradossalmente - le distanze.

E dire che siamo il paese che - per un certo periodo - ha importato con maggior entusiasmo l'animazione giapponese.

Sir Alex Ferguson has other plans, as he is on the verge of signing Dimitar Berbatov.

Saha has been linked to three clubs. Most linked to Craven Cottage and Roma and Bolton can be possible.

I samband med den just avslutade tennisveckan i Båstad gör nämligen Norman, som numera är kapitalförvaltare i Stockholm, följande uttalande i Göteborgs-Posten:

Att en spelare får betalt för antal spelade matcher och antal gjorda mål borde vara en självklarhet. Nu kan en kille skriva på ett kontrakt, hämta ut en hög lön – men utan att han behöver prestera något.

Men nu är det ju så här att alla spelare har inte till uppgift att göra mål, och det är en fysiologisk omöjlighet att spela varje match. Man tycker ju att en elitidrottsman som Norman borde känna till sådana här elementära saker.

Dessutom; så vitt jag vet så går det ingen ekonomisk nöd på de tennisspelare som kommit upp i eliten heller, så han är kanske inte rätt person att uttala sig om det här heller.

Det är alltid svårt att sia om vad som är en skälig lön och vad som inte är det. Speciellt när det kommer upp i miljonbelopp som här. Men en sak jag brukar gå efter i frågan är hur många utomstående personer man kan påverka på ett positivt sätt, och då tror jag verkligen att Elmander har större möjligheter att frälsa tiotusentals supportrar i Bolton Wanderers än Norman någonsin kommer att ha på någon centercourt i hela världen.

The new shirt integrates 'PLAYDRY' technology into the fabric, which is a moisture management system that helps keeps the body cooler, drier and more comfortable.

Wanderers will also revert back to their traditional navy blue shorts for the new season.

Steven Davis, Fulham - Nordireren blev rygtet væk i slutningen af maj, men er stadig indlogeret sig i det sydvestlige London. Fulham forlanger 4 millioner af eventuelle arvtagere, og Rangers skulle eftersigende stadig være interesserede.

Daniel Cousin, Rangers - Den store franskmand var tæt på et skifte til Fulham i januar, og blev i starten af juni igen rygtet til The Cottage. Det er dog længe siden, vi har hørt noget til et eventuelt skifte, og det ser ud til interessen er kølnet, og det er jeg i bund og grund glad for...

Marlon Harewood, Aston Villa - Den engelske betonangriber har udtalt, at han vil kæmpe for sin plads i Villa, og Fulham ser også ud til at have taget følehornene til sig.

Brahim Hemdani, Rangers - Hemdani er helt forsvundet fra transferzonen, og et skifte virker til at være faldet til jorden.

Blerim Dzemali, Bolton - Udover en lille fodnote i starten af juni, er Dzemali ikke siden sat i forbindelse med Fulham.

Mark Bresciano, Palermo - Den lille skaldede tekniker var et hot transferemne på et tidspunkt, men er ikke sat i forbindelse med Fulham siden. Håber dog på, at interessen stadig er at finde hos The Cottagers.

Roman Eremenko, Udinese - Finske Eremenko blev automatisk sat i forbindelse med hans gamle landstræner, men intet er sket siden.

Oguchi Onyewu, Standard Liege - "Gooch" har igen og igen været en tur i rygtemøllen, men på det seneste har man ikke hørt noget fra Belgien.

Chris Baird, Fulham - Lad os nu bare komme af med nordirske Baird... Nok den mest hadede spiller på Craven Cottage, og bliver hele tiden rygtet væk fra klubben. Baird udtalte forleden, at han var overrasket over et rygte, der påstod, at Fulham allerede havde solgt ham. Desværre var det ikke rigtigt... Forhåbentligt er det sidste kapitel ikke skrevet endnu i denne horror historie...

Paul Scharner, Wigan - Den stærke midterforsvarer har erklæret, at han vil lade sin kontrakt udløbe med Wigan og derved give sig selv mulighed for at vælge og vrage mellem tilbuddene.

Djibril Cissé, Marseille - Cissé har udtalt, at han vil til en større klub og derved har Fulham nok udspillet deres rolle..

Zheng Zhi, Charlton - Kinesisk playmaker, der var på tale først i juni måned uden, at der kom noget ud af det. Prisen på 4 millioner pund kan måske have afskrækket de fleste klubber..

Roland Linz, Braga - Østriger, der ikke fik vist meget i EM-slutrunden, men nu spillede han heller ikke for verdens bedste hold... Har været en ganske habil succes i Portugal, og kan måske stadig være et emne, selvom der ikke er blevet skrevet det store om Linz på det sidste..

Bobby Zamora, West Ham - Zamora er ligesom nogle af de ovenstående rygtet til Fulham i de sidste par transfervinduer... Kunne stadig være et emne, men prisen skal helst ikke overstige 2 millioner pund, for det er han ikke værd...

Danny Shittu, Watford - Muskelbundtet Shittu er forsvundet fra rygtebørsen, og ser foreløbig ud til at blive hos de gule fra Watford..

Jimmy Bullard, Fulham - Der publikumsliebling var offer for nogle fjollede rygter fundet på af aviserne, og er stadig i høj grad i fokus blandt medierne. Roy Hodgson har været ude at dementere alle rygterne, og Bullard skulle helst være at finde i Fulham, når Premier League starter til august.

Seol Ki-Hyeon, Fulham - Fiaskoen fra Sydkorea skulle have været på vej til Die Wölfe fra Wolfsburg midt i juni, men har stadig adresse i London. Han er blevet inkluderet i den trup, som tager til østen for at spille træningskampe, hvor han kan vise sig frem til potentielle købere.

Hameur Bouazza, Fulham - Den lille afrikanske tekniker rygtes i øjeblikket til Charlton og føljetonen fortsætter lidt endnu.

Steve Sidwell, Chelsea - Den hårdføre midtbanespiller skulle eftersigende være på vej til Villa, og et skifte til Fulham virker usandsynligt.

Kevin Doyle, Reading - Ireren er stadig at finde i Reading, og er i høj grad stadig aktuel på rygtebørsen.

Michael Kightly, Wolverhampton - U21 landsholdsspilleren er stadig eftertragtet, men skiftet til Fulham har vi ikke hørt mere til siden juni.

Pascal Chimbonda, Tottenham - Et skifte til Fulham virker ikke som en mulighed for den ambitiøse franskmand.

Lilian Thuram, Barcelona - Den franske landsholdsspiller har eftersigende stoppet karrieren pga. en hjertefejl.

Johan Elmander, Bolton - Rygtet til Fulham dagen inden han skiftede til Bolton for en vanvittig pris på 11 millioner pund.

Sorry folks been a while, though to be fair I haven't actually told anyone about this blog so I don't imagine anyone actually looks at it.

What a weekend just gone. Went round to check out Jaynar and Mitesh's new place (very nice) and watch the All Blacks - fantastic result, and I do think that Brad Thorn earned the week off - he was lucky not to get a card.

Saturday night Vanita and I went to see Shihad play at Shepherd's Bush Empire - courtesy of the gang - thanks guys it was an awesome present! Shihad rocked - it was just over an hour but it was a energetic show and my ears are still ringing.

Sunday had a few catch up drinks with the guys, and saw Helen and Simon off on their walkabout through the continent. Saw the the tennis - a few of us were going for FedEx but Vanita was gunning for Nadal, and is still going on about it.

Speaking of which Vanita was up in Bolton a few weeks back - trying to get her to write a page and post a few pics - watch this space!

The pub, which is on Massam's Lane, is a charming, old worlde sort of place  with lots of nice antique furniture, wooden floors, comfortable seats and superb range of guest beers.

I'd like to say something about what the brewer had to say about his ales, but alas, gentle reader, I found my knee stuck to the bar as the evening passed in good conversation with Camra members Ian and Julie, landlord Gareth and local heart-throb Andrew Ashcroft.

The ales were hit and miss, in my opinion, the best being Flat Cap – a hoppy, golden beer with hints of orange in the taste.

Someone standing at the bar told me that the beer had originally been called Fred's Cap after chimney toppling flat-cap wearer Fred Dibnah.

Apparently the widow Dibnah heard about the brew and contacted the brewery asking for royalties, prompting them to rename the beer and pay for new pump clips and advertising.

However, there is no truth to the rumour that revenge was a motive in naming their next two ales Gold Digger and Old Slapper.

“Tôi đã tập luyện cả kì nghỉ hè. Gần nhà tôi có một hệ thống luyện tập, vì vậy, tôi đang làm việc cùng một giáo án đặc biệt. Tôi hiểu tôi muốn gì – đó là sẵn sàng cho sự trở lại.”

“Tôi vẫn đang thực hiện bản hợp đồng có thời hạn đến năm 2010 với Man Utd. Hơn nữa, huấn luyện viên cũng chưa nói gì với tôi về một cuộc chuyển nhượng cũng như một cam kết cho mượn.”

“Tôi không che giấu bất kì điều gì. Xin nhắc lại: Tôi phải ra sân và thi đấu trước khi có thời gian nghĩ về bất kì điều gì khác.”

“Tôi sẽ chẳng dự đoán điều gì cho đến khi biết được những thứ đang xảy ra xung quanh mình.”

(Theo MUSVN)

TEL AVIV. Im Dauerstreit mit Iran kann Israels Regierung einen weiteren diplomatischen Erfolg verbuchen. Nicht nur US-Präsident George W. Bush will mit allen Mitteln verhindern, dass Iran in den Besitz von Atomwaffen gelangt. Auch die europäischen Regierungen würden nicht zulassen, dass sich Teheran Nuklearwaffen beschaffe, sagte gestern der französische Außenminister Bernard Kouchner. Damit hat sich der Ton in Europa gegenüber Teheran deutlich verschärft. Weil Iran auf die Urananreicherung nicht verzichten will, hatte die EU Anfang der Woche neue Sanktionen gegen Iran verhängt.

In Israels politischen Kreisen gilt es als wahrscheinlich, dass es zu einem begrenzten Militärschlag gegen Iran kommen wird, solange Bush noch im Weißen Haus sitzt. Und John Bolton, der frühere US-Botschafter bei der Uno und ein Vertrauter von Vizepräsident Dick Cheney nennt sogar einen ziemlich konkreten Termin: Sobald am 4. November der neue Präsident gewählt sei, beginne der Countdown, sagte Bolton dem britischen "Telegraph". Denn der Angriff müsste vor dem Einzug des neuen Präsidenten im Weißen Haus am 20. Januar stattfinden.

Aber auch in Europa sieht Israel inzwischen Rückendeckung für einen Angriff. Die zuletzt auch in Deutschland, Großbritannien und Italien laut vorgetragenen Freundschaftsbeteuerungen zum jüdischen Staat zeigten, wie ernst Europa die iranische Atomgefahr inzwischen nehme, sagte ein israelischer Diplomat. Zwar schrecke die Sorge vor einem noch weiter steigenden Ölpreis die Europäer ab - doch mache sich die noch größere Sorge breit, dass ein atomar aufgerüsteter Iran die Ölpreise nach Belieben beeinflussen könnte.

Wie sensibel der Ölpreis reagierte zeigte sich, als Transportminister Schaul Mofaz kürzlich erklärte, Israel werde bei einer Fortsetzung des iranischen Atomprogramms die islamische Republik angreifen: Sofort machten die Ölpreise einen Sprung um neun Prozent nach oben.

Viel Zeit bleibe nicht, um die Atomkrise diplomatisch zu lösen oder zumindest zu entschärfen, lautet der Konsens in israelischen Sicherheitskreisen. In spätestens zwei Jahren werde Iran die Schwelle überschritten haben, um Nuklearwaffen zu entwickeln.

Quelle: Handelsblatt

Watch:

Besides the fact that, as Jason Linkins bets "Bolton about eleventy billion dollars that the World Trade Center is not going to get attacked again," it was during the Bush Administration that September 11th attacks happened. Of course what Bolton was trying to infer is that it was Clinton policies that brought on the attack, but what Bolton and most Republicans refuse to think about is that it was probably Bush's soft-peddled isolationist foreign policy (remember that? from before the Sept. 11th attacks?), one that stressed isolationism, that probably made the terrorists brave enough to attack in the first place.

It's also worthwhile to point out that the Bush policies have markedly increased terrorist attacks worldwide. The Center for American Progress points out that Al Qaeda attacks worldwide have increased during the administration from 28 to 200 a year, if you include Afghanistan and Iraq. Not including those two nations, there has still been a 35% increase in attacks.

If you follow the link to the Center for American Progress it also has a good interactive map which gives a graphic visual image indicating the increase in terrorists attacks since Bush came around.

During this election of historical precedents and alternatively, mind-numbing historical comparisons, I fail to see how the Republicans have missed the comparison to one of their party's most famous foreign policies in Barack Obama: Big Stick Diplomacy. Teddy Roosevelt advocated negotiations with our enemies and competitors while reminding them of our awesome political, economic and militaristic power. So is Obama.

The Republicans have a hard time thinking this way because TR had used this policy against our European competitors who were in most ways our cultural, economic and militaristic equals. For the colonial world, America had the "little brown brothers" policy adopted by Taft and McKinley. It was a policy that advocated helping those members of the world who couldn't help themselves because of some kind of ingrained inferiority; a form of paternalistic racism.

In many ways this is the policy that the Republican neo-cons still believe in. While the arguments for going to war are different in that they don't focus on the race of those being "helped," like McKinley or Taft had, they are not afraid to lump all of Islam together as one pool of ancient peoples who refuse to fess up to 21st century principles of democracy and free-market capitalism. Hence why the Iraq war had to be an occupation, so that Iraq could be brought into the future. Removing Saddam and finding (or not finding) weapons of mass destruction are goals that dissapeared years ago.

The Democrats have recognized that like the European states at the beginning of the 20th century, the third world is are new set of competitors. Whether it be China and India as economic competitors or the Islamic world as competitors in ideology and in our military interventions around the world. When dealing with our competitors, or people who perceive themselves to be in competition with us, we can't afford not to speak softly to them because the reality is, we're going to e wrestling with them anyways, if not physically then rhetorically, for other adherents.

As a world power though, we also carry a very very big stick, and we should also not be afraid to brandish it. However, that bludgeon is all that Bush, Bolton and Co. seem to understand, and they'll beat the whole world into agreeing with even if it means wrecking America as well.

-Marc-

A recent article in the Toronto Star discussed this situation as it is happening in Caledon Township near Bolton, Ontario. Caledon is a community north-west of Toronto with a population of around 60, 000 people. The debate is over whether or not a large chunk of land, 740 hectares, should be used for development or if it should remain as agricultural land.

On one side of the debate is the real estate speculator, Benny Marotta, who has purchased the land and wants to develop it into a community that will add, according to Marotta, 21,000 people and 11,000 jobs to the area. Marotta is supported by the local Chamber of Commerce and local businesses. On the other side are the town's Mayor, Marolyn Morrison, as well as other citizens of the community who oppose the development. They support intensification of existing infrastructure without the further rezoning of non-urban land.

In the article the reporter writes the following:

The Bolton freeze outraged business owners like Greg Pannia, chair of the recently formed Coalition of Concerned Residents & Businesses of Bolton. His group has joined the chamber of commerce to launch a concerted campaign that has flooded council chambers with the message that stifling Bolton's expansion will mean fewer new residents and businesses and lead to the town's slow death.

First, let me state that I have only a basic understanding of economics. I would really like to know some things about the economy, especially with regards to human nature and purpose.

Such as, mentioned in the quote above, how does a status quo lead to a slow death? I've heard this argument before, that there needs to be continued influx of population in order for the economy to grow. I understand this: increased population means increased consumer-base, which means a potentially stronger economy. But, just because a population doesn't grow, does this necessarily mean that the economy will face a 'slow death'? Can't economies remain healthy with a stable population?

I also have questions about what economic progress means. Where are we progressing to, exactly? Bigger and more profitable markets? For what purpose? Is there a maximum amount of progress we are shooting for, or does it just keep going indefinitely? When we reach a certain point of economic success do we win a prize, another moon for the Earth, perhaps? What is the goal?

Population growth is finite. The world will only be able to accommodate a certain maximum population: I don't think anyone can argue this point. We can accentuate the maximum sustainable population with technology but there will always be a maximum possible population that the planet can support. Does this mean that there is a finite amount of growth that we can experience with regards to the economy. When we get there do we celebrate or commiserate?

Basically, what is the purpose of the economy? Economics seems to me to be like the Ouroborus, the snake that is eating its own tail. Economics exists to generate new and improved levels of economy.

Why are we so afraid of economic status quo? I understand that economics, as it is, drives research and discoveries, but can't these things be accomplished without having to rely on corporations and economic concerns? Believing that economics is the only impetus behind intellectual advancement is naive.

If anyone can help me understand these issues, I'd appreciate it very much. The way society is structured today seems...well...useless and purposeless. I'm not talking about a god or religious purpose as a substitute either, at least not in the way that most organized religions approach things. Organized religions are so entwined with the economy that they have lost site of their true purpose. But there has to be a reason beyond economic manipulation that we exist. The world has to have more importance than to be a tool for corporate exploitation. What is it?

When will developers have enough land? Don't you think that the traditional development philosophy of expansion and sprawl is a little archaic in today's world, with today's engineering technology?

As she's "afraid to try new things. Crazy. Full story here.

Iransk playmaker på plads

En lidt overraskende og ud af det blå nyhed dukkede i går frem fra Fulhams Motspur Park, da det blev meddelt, at den iranske landsholdsspiller Andranik Teymourian har skrevet under på en 2-årig kontrakt med The Cottagers.

Teymourian blev løst fra sin kontrakt i Bolton, hvor han, trods gode præstationer, ikke kunne bruges af manager Gary Megson. Fulham skulle eftersigende have snuppet Teymourian foran en hel række engelske, spanske og tyske klubber, hvilket også er en cadeau til The Cottagers.

Teymourian gjorde en god figur til sidste VM, men om han bliver en profil for Fulham, er jeg dog ikke så sikker på. Men han var trods alt, ligesom Gera, ganske gratis, og jeg håber, han bliver et aktiv i Fulhams kamp for succes i næste sæson.

Profil

Navn: Andranik Teymourian

Nationalitet: Iransk

Født: 6. marts 1983 i Teheran, Iran

Højde: 1.80 cm

Position: Defensiv midtbane

Tidligere Klubber:

Oghab
Aboomoslem
Bolton (20 kampe/2 mål)

Landskampe: 28 kampe / 2 mål 

Today, about three weeks later Dana Perino said: "We are trying to solve this diplomatically" when asked about comments that Israel intends to attack Iran to disable the facilities our National Security Estimate said are benign. Isn't this what Bush called appeasement? How can Bush in Israel of all places compare a country with Nazi Germany, reject diplomacy as even worthy of consideration, an blanch at Israel's apparent intention to attack?

You sure get the impression of a lot of angry directionless buzzing from Washington DC. It seems like our direction though is governed, not by policy, but the shifting winds of politics and a changing sense of expedience.  Apparently Bush's grandiose appeasement speech was intended merely as a political attack from foreign soil on a candidate for president of this country and not as a serious policy announcement.  (Thank goodness, I think.)

A friend of mine that is getting married in August came along, which woz brill cause not seen his 2nd baby and whilst chatting asked about the wedding and would there be any illegable single men there :-) but woz told No! OMG! then i got to thinking what has happened to the days when weddings were the best scouting grounds for single males and females??

So looks like i'll have to bring one of my own - which is no fun if i already know them :-( bit of a wasted night dont you think -and an expensive one at that! lol

John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the United Nations, faces a citizen's arrest when he addresses an audience at the Hay Festival in Wales this evening.

DAVID HOWELLS

John Bolton was the US ambassador to the UN until January 2006

George Monbiot, the journalist and activist, is planning the action because he believes Mr Bolton is a "war criminal".

Update: Security guards help John Bolton make a swift exit

He said he was surprised that Mr Bolton would be allowed to "swim through the politest of polite soirees – which is of course Hay."

Read more

And the day started of really good, got a txt of a cute guy i like, wnet into town had a few vodkas infront of Eurovision (UK can joint last with 2 others) and now of to my lonely bed :-(

Bedtime is the worst at the weekends, cant believae i cant meet anyone for some good 'ole hot n steamy Sex!

-Do you long to see and hear 17 minutes of Alan Hansen's opinions? Good news then, as BBC has put together a video tying together the big stories of the season. Unfortunately they don't own the rights to any match footage anymore, so they're just making liberal use of still photos, not unlike 16 year old YouTube fanatics experimenting with Windows Moviemaker. ...but you've got to work with what you have.

-Shed favorite Sniffing the Touchline will likely do a series of "wrap ups", but we particularly enjoyed this list of the players most likely to be cast off/happily leave from their clubs during the summer.

-Good ol' Pies takes a look at some of the best quotes of the 2007-2008 season (the Cesc doughnuts one is superb), and also unveils their report card for the season.

Hei, ingat gak apa kata orang-orang Chelsea (pemain, pelatih, suporter, dsb) sebelum pertandingan? Mereka bilang MU akan menang mudah melawan Wigan karena pelatih Wigan, Steve Bruce, adalah mantan pemain MU. Mereka juga bilang, karena Wigan sudah aman posisinya untuk EPL musim depan, dan lain sebagainya pokoknya melancarkan segala persepsi ke media yang mengarah bahwa Wigan akan “mengalah” untuk MU yang sedang mengejar juara EPL 2007/2008.

Buktinya, Wigan memberi perlawanan cukup sengit, tidak menunjukkan kalau mengalah demi MU. Striker Wigan, Emile Heskey, bolak-balik mengancam gawang MU, tapi akhirnya mentah. Karena? Kipernya dong... Van der Sar. Kemenangan MU dibuka dengan penaltinya si CR7 (Cristiano Ronaldo) pada menit ke 32 karena striker MU, Wayne Rooney, dilanggar di kotak penalti.

Gol selanjutnya dicetak oleh pemain senior MU, Ryan Gigs pada menit ke-81. Gigs masuk sebagai pemain pengganti pada babak kedua (menggantikan kalau tidak Park Ji Sung atau Scholes gitu, aku lupa). Gigs mencetak gol, dia ada di posisi yang tepat, tidak terkawal dengan baik oleh pemain belakang Wigan. Gigs juga sempat menyelamatkan bola yang akan masuk ke gawang MU. Dia berdiri di bawah mistar gawang, menghadang bola sundulan Emile Heskey hasil dari sepak pojok untuk Wigan.

Hayo... akhirnya Chelsea seri gitu melawan Bolton.... Kalaupun hasil MU juga seri, MU juga yang juara EPL 2007/2008. Kalau MU menang karena penaltinya Ronaldo, toh golnya Gigs sangat telak Sangat menunjukkan kalau MU menang murni karena kekuatan MU sendiri, bukan karena tim lawan yang mengalah (atau apa lah...)!
Bagi yang menonton pertandingan MU vs Wigan kemarin (Minggu, 11/3/08), pasti melihat euforia/ selebrasi setelah gol Ryan igs. Selebrasi Gigs, pemain-pemain United, pelatih, official tim, dan supporter MU. Aku juga agak teriak kemarin, kasih aplaus untuk gol Gigs itu. Wah fantastis banget! Benar-benar kelasnya tim juara dengan materi pemain-pemain hebat.

Kemarin, aku menonton pertandingan MU vs Wigan di giant videotron Jalan Abu Bakar Ali, dekat Hotel Garuda Yogyakarta. Penontonnya banyak banget malam itu. Jalan Abu Bakar Ali yang terbagi jadi dua ruas (utara dan selatan), ruas jalan sebelah utara “tertutup” oleh penonton yang duduk di jalanan. Yang ruas selatan “hanya” tertutup separuh jalanan. Hal ini sering terjadi pada pertandingan-pertandingan big match. Seperti misalnya kemarin MU vs Arsenal (2-2), nutup jalan juga. Aku sendiri kemarin lihat dari ruas jalan yang selatan, duduk di atas motor. Aku lihat sama bapakku, yang sama-sama suka MU juga (wah... lengkap...).

Kabar tambahan, Ronaldo yang tahun ini menjadi top scorer EPL dengan 31 gol, tahun depan berencana membuat 50 gol dalam satu musim. Pelatih MU, Sir Alex Ferguson, belum akan berhenti melatih MU, setidaknya untuk beberapa musim kedepan. Dan juga kabarnya untuk tahun depan, MU akan membeli striker Newcastle, Michael Owen. Kenapa nggak Roque Santa Cruz aja (striker Blackburn Rovers)? Yang lebih muda dan juga naluri gol tinggi, jadi lebih efektif daripada Owen yang mulai tua dan gampang cedera.

Hmm... MU forever!

[googlevideo=http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=-4696431101729350959&q=motd&ei=SSAoSLC6FIGw2QKq7_nXCQ]

El Chelsea tenía que esperar el fallo del United que no ocurrió pero es que además los blues no pudieron pasar del empate frente al Bolton que con este punto se salvaba del descenso después de coquetear con el durante el año. Los de Londres han acariciado el título en la temporada post-Mourinho y deberán preparar bien la final de Moscú para llevarse un título este año, la que sería su primera champions.

El tercer peldaño del podium inglés fue para el Arsenal que se despidió de esta liga con una victoria frente al Sunderland. Los de Wenger tuvieron una mala racha tras ganar al Milan que les apartó del título aunque se quedaron a sólo cuatro puntos. Keane consiguió mantener al Sunderland en la Premier tras su ascenso y dicen será el sustituto de Ferguson.

[googlevideo=http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=-8756786014535704817&q=motd&ei=SSAoSLC6FIGw2QKq7_nXCQ]

Y acompañará al Arsenal en la previa de la champions el Liverpool que ganó en esta última jornada al Tottenham de Juande. Los de Benítez no estuvieron nunca cerca de la cabeza y acabaron a once puntos pero se llevan el zamora en las manos de Reina. Juande ya puede empezar a pensar en la siguiente temporada para intentar repetir los exitos de estas pero mejor clasificados en la Premier.

[googlevideo=http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=-7103793971510959722&q=motd&ei=SSAoSLC6FIGw2QKq7_nXCQ]