Month: March 2013

Is there anyone else out there having problems with this Pistorius guy? Six weeks ago he shot and killed his girlfriend. Apparently, she was the love of his life. He broke down and wept in court. We were all told he was bereft.

Now, he says he may well compete in Russia, at the World Athletics Championships, in August.^[1]

It would seem the only love of Oscar Pistorius’s life is Oscar Pistorius. While it’s true we have to move on when adversity and tragedy afflict us, to consider such action after only six weeks, and while a murder charge is hanging over one’s head, smacks of cold-blooded, callous, indifference.

Meanwhile, in Cyprus, the banks have decided to open their doors once more after holding onto their customers’ money for almost two weeks. European finance ministers, led by Germany, apparently saw nothing wrong in demanding a substantial percentage of the money in the bank accounts of ordinary Cypriot citizens, as security for a Euro loan to the Cypriot government.^[2]

Let’s not bandy words. It’s stealing. Anyone else taking money from other people’s bank accounts without permission would be sent to jail for a long time. The money doesn’t belong to the Cypriot government. It belongs to ordinary citizens. They’re not responsible for the collapse of the Cypriot economy.

Is this the thin end of the financial wedge? If they get away with it in the tiny island of Cyprus (and it looks like they will), how long before they come for your money, or mine?

But that’s okay because Easter’s here and it’s a time for forgiveness, repentance, and washing other people’s feet. Our new Pope is no exception.

Today, in the best biblical tradition, he visited a prison in Rome where he washed and kissed the feet of twelve prisoners, representing the twelve apostles of Jesus.^[3]

This, again in the best biblical tradition, has caused discord among certain of the Catholic faithful, as four of the feet belonged to women – one of whom was a Serbian Muslim. We know the twelve apostles were all males. And, definitely, Christian.

And, well, yes…of course, it goes without saying, obviously they were all Catholic.

As a footnote (excuse the pun!) his predecessor, Popey Ratzinger, didn’t lower himself to wash the feet of the peasants. He delegated other priests to do it for him.

^{[1] “Oscar Pistorius to consider World Championships” BBC, March 28th 2013}

^{[2] “Cyprus capital controls ‘may last a month'” BBC, March 28th 2013}

^{[3] “Pope Francis washes prisoners’ feet on Maundy Thursday” BBC, March 28th 2013}

The Godfather of the Kremlin is dead^[1]. I first wrote about Boris Berezovsky in July 2007. He’d been making headlines in Britain and I’d recently finished reading Paul Klebnikov’s book, exposing this Russian gangster-oligarch for the monster he was.

The book, “Godfather of the Kremlin” cost Krebnikov his life. Four years after it was published he was shot nine times as he left his Moscow apartment. A contract killing, almost certainly on the orders of Berezovsky, though it was never proved.

Paul Klebnikov

According to official reports, Berezovsky hanged himself. It’s unlikely. His fortunes had certainly taken a turn for the worse but this Israeli/Russian oligarch was not the type to take his own life – unless, of course, he was left with no option.

Assassination attempts had been tried previously, and failed. It’s possible this one didn’t.

Whatever – he’s dead. We can all be thankful for that.

^{[1] “Boris Berezovsky died by hanging, police say” BBC, March 25th 2013}

^{NOTE: previous posts on Boris Berezovsky:}

^{1. “A British Stiff Upper Lip – Above A Weak Flabby Chin? Sparrow Chat, July 18th 2007}

^{2. “The Bulldog, Bear, And Boris Berezovsky – An Update” Sparrow Chat, July 19th 2007}