Quotes of the Week
16:30 UK time, Friday, 8 February 2008
MONDAY
"It's mostly their guitar solos, which can be fairly horrific" - Sir Cliff Richard on his dislike of the Beatles.
They were chart contemporaries in the 1960s but, Sir Cliff Richard revealed in an interview, he's far from the Beatles' biggest fan. His chief gripe is the "out of tune" guitar work of the late George Harrison. "I find it unforgivable," Sir Cliff told Q Magazine. As if this wasn't bad enough, the man cited as the inspiration for Harrison's sometimes dissonant noodling, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, on Tuesday, aged approximately 91.
TUESDAY
"We went for Staines because it sounds nasty" – An ad executive explains the slogan "Screw working in Staines, hello Adelaide".
Once to the other side of the world. These days a little more attitude is clearly needed. The advert is one of a series in an aggressive recruitment drive by the state government of South Australia which wants to attract some 5,000 skilled workers a year.
WEDNESDAY
"You get a bit carried away" – SocGen trader Jerome Kerviel explains his £3.7bn losses.
In his first interview since coming under investigation – and - for the biggest rogue trader scandal ever, Jerome Kerviel took criticism on the chin. Yes, the 31-year-old junior trader had made mistakes, but he wasn't going to be made a scapegoat by his former employer, he said. The bank had known and approved of his unauthorised bets, he claimed.
THURSDAY
"They're such ignorant layabouts. I wouldn't trust them walking my dog" – Austin Mitchell MP on why he doesn't employ relatives.
As fall-out over MPs employing family members continued to shower over Westminster, veteran member for Great Grimsby, Austin Mitchell, risked halving his Christmas card haul in 2008 with this comment. "I have a long, I hope devoted, and certainly long-serving staff. They're the best of any MP, and serve Grimsby well. They're also underpaid," Mr Mitchell told the Grimsby Telegraph.
FRIDAY
"I've earned a reputation for many things: being a provocateur… a cult member, a kidnapper" – Madonna at a New York benefit for Malawi.
In case it's too subtle for you, Madge was referring to her visit to the African country of Malawi in 2006 – from which she returned with a young boy. She and husband Guy Ritchie are currently trying to adopt the boy. (Other things the pop star said she had a "reputation" for included "pushing the envelope.. never taking no for an answer [and] endlessly reinventing myself.")
