Thinking positively
PERFECTLY RIGHT was the decision by the police to suspend the recent Apollon – Omonia match due to the fireworks displays on the terraces of Apollon supporters. If the police feel public safety is in danger at football matches then they should have the authority to terminate games, along with those moving targets for abuse and various missiles, referees! The reaction from various shades of the political spectrum to the issue was somewhat disturbing. Fanning the fires of populism perhaps various politicians view this as a vote loser. Lest we not forget, we live in a place where who you support football wise often determines who you vote for.
TOTALLY WRONG were the police and various media who harked on about a person (rightly unnamed) caught growing marijuana plants. Nothing new to that I guess, happens every week. However the lawyer representing said person – also rightly unnamed – used the defensive argument that his client was growing the plant for medicinal purposes. The Police Chief suggested this was ridiculous, indicating the lawyer should be reported, presumably on ethical grounds to the Cyprus Bar Association. Medical evidence suggests marijuana has medicinal purposes, particularly for people who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Medical evidence suggests it eases the pain of MS and can have a dramatic effect on muscle spasms, tremors, balance, bladder control, speech and eyesight. Medical marijuana is legal in Austria, Belgium, Israel, Spain, The Netherlands, UK and some states in the USA, such as California. Taking all this into account, the lawyer was brave enough to defend his client in Cyprus on similar grounds, and does not appear as ridiculous as the Chief of Police or the media have made him out to be.
BACK ON THE AIRWAVES as of this Monday on Astra Radio 92.8 FM, 9-11, yours truly returns to the flight deck. The show is called ‘Outernational’ and my main inspiration for doing it is there is so much good independent reggae music being made around the world, even locally, but none of it gets onto radio stations. Why? Because of the fascistically inclined practice of play lists and the corruption of payola scams. Being paid to be played has never appealed to me as an artist, nor as a broadcaster, being paid to play people. It’s also banal for someone to sit in front of a computer screen on air and just click on a list of songs that someone else has chosen. Aside from the boredom it may induce in listeners, it is such dumb act which has reduced the role of an on air radio presenter to that of a vegetable clicking a mouse. Whatever happened to the freedom principle and expressing an opinion? So enjoy the music and hope some vegetables soon return to a humanoid form. Evidence of independent music is everywhere these days through social media websites such as myspace. For example check www.myspace.com/deliriumf, cyber home for Delirium Framboise aka DF from Cyprus but also now based in London and Athens. Or take a trip down under to savour the unique reggae/hip-hop/world fusion of Chrisse Feros www.myspace.com/chrisseferos. Radio has always been and will always be about discovery and giving people the chance to be heard. Expect a different flight to uncharted musical waters each week on ‘Outernational’ – your Mondays will never be the same, whether you are on, or off ‘the plantation’ www.astra.com.cy
FUNNY GAME footie… How can a team like Man City slaughter FA Cup Winners Portsmouth 6-0 then a couple of days later draw 2-2 with a side three divisions down, Brighton, and, worst of all, lose 5-3 on penalties? Talk about underdog syndrome. Omonia plays City next Thursday, let’s hope they can pull it off as well! Or am I being way too hopeful? With City winning 2-1 in Cyprus (3-1 effectively with the first away goal counting for 2) it’s a daunting task for the Nicosia side to go to City and pull off the biggest miracle since Brighton knocked them out of the Carling Cup. Anything is possible in football, as long as smaller teams do not fear their richer and bigger counter parts. Remember ‘David and Goliath’. I know many of you will be laughing your heads off while reading this, and maybe next week I will be proved totally wrong, but who knows… it’s always good to think positive…
