I arrived back last night from a rather successful sojourn down the Word Mines.
It was clear to me that I had to remove myself from the normal routine to burrow into the manuscript.
Writing a book, especially a novel, is akin to a long march through the imagination and sometimes that demands total solitude.
However, it is good to be back in my own corner.
Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin…
It was fitting that on World Book Day that there was a new copy of a very old friend waiting for me.
The fabulous folk at the Book Depository keep me in my drug of choice.
Actually, my original copy was, quite literally, falling to pieces.
I had read The Third Wave when it was first published in 1980.
Then his work hit the undergraduate me as being simultaneously visionary and evidence-based.
In the decades that have passed I have had no reason to recalibrate that view.
Yesterday I spent a couple of hours late into the night going through Toffler’s stunningly prescient work once more.
It was a pleasant experience to reminisce in what I felt the first time that I had considered his vision for the future.
Almost 40 years on I work in an “Electronic Cottage” and I’m definitely part of the “De-massified Media”.
However, this new world can be confusing at times.
If you disconnect for only a short time events can move with such dizzying speed that you are seriously behind the curve.
Consequently, I emerged, blinking in the light like a rescued Chilean miner yesterday.
It was disorientating to learn that while I had been gone Señor Alfredo José Morelos Aviléz had become a £20m striker.
I have only one explanation for what appears to be a game-changing turn of events for Sevco:
The Brexit shambles had caused a catastrophic fall in the value of Sterling.
Of course, dear reader, this little part of the De-Massified Media can offer you an alternative explanation from my Electronic Cottage on Ireland’s western shore.
The story is pish.
Moreover, it is re-heated pish…
My take is that a high-Level valuation had been passed via the usual channels to the Stenography Corps.
Of course, normal journalistic scrutiny would have rubbished the PR move within minutes.
Indeed, I made a couple of calls to Agentland this morning.
The notion that Morelos was in that category brought derisive laughter from folk who need to have a keen understanding of the market values of footballers.
For the avoidance of doubt, Toffler didn’t hold out much hope for the long term survival of the traditional media.
He reasoned that mass circulation newspapers were part of the Second Wave industrial method of information dissemination.
Everything he wrote in 1980 about the impending crisis in print sales has come to pass.
One thing that is based in fact though, is that selling the Colombian striker is seen by the Sevco High Command as their main chance next summer as they try to keep the basket of assets afloat.
Now, the weather is clearing outside this cottage in Dún na nGall and Madam Rusty has a nose for such things.
Have a great day.
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‘Alfre-doh’ has a tenuous ‘international ‘ status as his 90 seconds in a non FIFA friendly match doesn’t really qualify him for a playing license in most countries….
In England it is doubtful there would be any dispensation just because the media in Scotland keep saying he is EPL bound…
Of course… the same criteria are being used in Scotland … so presumably the SFA followed the rules in allowing his registration.
Oh hang on! I forgot. This is the same organisation who deem Dave King as ‘fit and proper’.
Amazing how the Scottish media just lap the Jabba generated pish about Morelos’ supposed value and the stellar clubs that are interested in him.
They all know the Chinese bids were fantasy – as proved by a bbc correspondent who strayed into the rarely trod realm of actual journalism…. only to be ‘threatened’ by his bosses to retract the truth – presumably due to threats from a very rotund, rapidly aging pr man with a pointy finger.
They genuinely do prefer to keep up a false narrative even though they know they are being fed utter garbage.
Now we have German giants Dortmund snd frankfurt fighting for him, , Leicester city in a BR 2 fingers (to Celtic) swoop.
Jeez…. why not ?! I’ve heard Real Madrid and PSG will have senior scouts in Edinburgh tonight…
Now … El Buffoonalo has signed a new contract…
There are a few points to be taken from this.
It’s no coincidence this ‘boost’ for the feel good of ‘ra peepul’ is on the day that Sevco have a tricky away game to Hibernian.
It’s being done to show El B that ‘they value him’.
It’s being done to try to keep his name in the news.
It’s being done so that in the event of some desperate English championship club actually taking a punt on him… that sevco can lever as much cash as possible from his 4 year tie-in.
Nothing whatsoever about actually keeping the player..
They absolutely MUST sell him. As we all know the finances depend on it . And a lot more besides.
It will be amusing though when he finally goes for an undisclosed fee ( rumoured to be 30 million but actually 3.5 million) to watch the gullible bears expect the money to be sunk into new players. I think it will be heading south of the equator.
Sevco have possibly seriously undermined their own ‘sell Alfie’ campaign here.
The ever increasing price tag will prevent the bulk of serious clubs from even looking. Those that really have 20 million to spend will prefer to spend on proven talent… without disciplinary baggage.
He will now be on a higher wage which the Sevco board will expect to cease in June..
Other clubs will know they are desperate for funds. They will smell s club desperate to sell and will lowball all the way.
Sevco could end up with a fraction of what hey want … or worse… actually be lumbered with him for next season and costing them significantly more for it!
Do they really have another kitchen sink to throw at this next season as well?
Has Morelos’ alleged, ‘new contract’ been copied to the SFA then?
I’m sure that the Ibrox club would have submitted a contract copy immediately.
And it should be easy for Sandy Bryson to check…
I liked the quote from the Duffalo when Slippy questioned him on the interview he’d given to a Colombian radio or TV station that ‘he’d be off to an EPL team in the summer’.
Duffalo replied he was only repeating what ‘squinty’ had told him…
Don’t suppose it’s any coincidence he’s reported to have signed a new contract, tying hom to ibrox till 2023.
Aberdeen’s Cosgrove must be a 20m player also in that case.
Jeez – the lassie that heats the pies up at ibrox must be worth at least half that!! Hahaha!!
That must have been an interesting job interview when Theresa May questioned Karen Bradley’s suitability for the NI secretary vacancy.
May….. What to you know about the NI situation?
Bradley….. Absolutely nothing.
May….. Congratulations the job is yours!
Dembele scored regularly for France 21’s, also got goals in the Champions League and scored a few against the Ibrox Club plus he had a first class temperament on the park.
El Buffoon has some minutes for Colombia, has failed to hit the net against the Champions and is walking another tightrope suspension, cup and league because he is incapable of controlling himself on the park.
Banging them in against Killie and St Mirren will not put you in the £20m bracket.
Ahhh… but he’s playing against the Killie and St Mirren big teams – no’ the reserves!! Heehee!!
Standard sales technique when offering something for sale is usually to ask up front for more than you would ultimately be willing to sell said item for. IMO, they are simply trying to set bar high, but would bite someone’s arm off if they actually could get half of that. Funny enough that would cover what has been reported recently as being near the mark of what the Close bros. loan is. Now if only I could remember where I had read that….. 🙂
”£20 million for Morelos ?” comes into the same category as the alleged Skripal poisoning or the hunt for BigFoot . ”Pish” is an excellent description of what is written by so much of the MSM today !
Phil now I know you are only worth what somebody is willing to pay but what you think he’s worth?
My opinion on his putative worth as a footballer is neither here nor there.
However, the two agents I spoke with this morning scoffed at the £20m tag.
My opinion on his putative worth as a footballer is neither here nor there.
However, the two agents I spoke with this morning scoffed at the £20m tag.
Yeah but…the rationale for Morelos’ £20M valuation is based on a clear, simple basis;
“Aye, but Dembele…”
Try googling “HMRC exchange rates”, and see what the Dembele Dollar is worth this month. Of course, there is no such currency, except in the delusional minds of the Klan.
Have a great day yourself young man!
A thoroughly entertaining & lively read; you’re cooking with gas!
Trips down the word-mine clearly agrees with you 🙂