There we were late Saturday night, settling in to watch the late news, and along comes Francesco…again. If you don't know who "Francesco" is just Google the name and chances are you'll discover he's one of the four most famous Francescos in the world, according to Google.
The last name is Schettino and if that doesn't ring a bell then you haven't been paying attention. He was the last captain of the Concordia (a name likely never to be used 
again for a cruise-ship christening) and he has been charged with manslaughter over the deaths of 32 passengers. Yesterday, hours before the start of the Concordia's final journey — from the Italian island of Giglio to Genoa, where it will be dismantled — the ex-captain spoke publicly about the disaster when he was interviewed by Italy's consumer protection agency.
He laid responsibility at the feet of the helmsman, although this was hardly newsworthy since it was the same thing he said, in court, some months ago. He admitted that he took the Concordia off course, but the helmsman made a right turn instead of a left, and that's why the ship crashed on the rocks. There was no mention of why the captain abandoned ship.
There are lots of people who'd like Francesco Schettino to go away, which he could do for decades, and not all of them are victims families looked for closure or cruise-line officials looking for a merciful end to an accident that haunts the industry.
Some of them are just people lying in bed on a Saturday night, watching the news.
Today at Phil Reimer's portsandbows.com: Carnival, New Orleans make a deal
Sapphire Princess
17 nights
September 3, 2014
Shanghai, Nagasaki, Busan, Taipei, Hong Kong, De Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Singapore
Inside: $1,199
Cost per day: $70
www.princess.com