BIGFOOT DISCOVERY ADVENTURE

This weekend, my friend ZJ and us will go for our first out of four legs of hiking near Johor Bahru. As mentioned earlier, there are 4 hills nearest to Singapore. They are:
Gunung Pulai @ 700 metres
Gunung Panti @ 513 metres
Gunung Belumut @ 1,010 metres (which I climbed earlier)
Gunung Lambak @ 510 metres


View Johor Hill Hiking in a larger map

We plan to start by climbing Gunung Panti first because there had been bigfoot sightings there in the past. We so wanted to see bigfoot in real life that we decided we should go to this one first! We target to finish all four by December 2009 if possible. I can climb Gunung Belumut again by following a different trail since there are many alternatives there. If we have spare time, we can visit Kota Tinggi and their famous waterfall. Mention the name Kota Tinggi and people will tell you that the place is famous for the waterfall. It will be my first trip to Kota Tinggi although I passed by there many times before to go Desaru and Mersing. If we have time, maybe looking for fireflies will be cool as well!

Now, I must buy some tobacco leaves to prepare for leeches and some banana for the bigfoot if we ever meet one. I hope bigfoot is only interested in banana. Haha!

Bigfoot @ Gunung Panti

MANCHESTER UNITED 4-3 MANCHESTER CITY

Thrilling match from start to finish! Manchester United scored three times and City equalized three times too before Manchester United added an injury time goal in the very end of the match. Rooney scored very early and Owen scored very late! Bellamy's incredible double and Fletcher's brace of headers! Tevez hitting the goalpost after beating the keeper. Given's superb one on one battle against Berbatov to deny him two clear close chances! That's how you sum up the entire match!

However, the time added deep in the second half was to be disputed. The referee had allowed too much time to be added, even more than what was indicated as Owen scored in the 96th minute. City's defence needs a lot of improvement, especially at the right side with Man Utd getting goals mostly from their left flank.

Foster was definitely the reason for City to score a few goals. He was inexperience and because of that resulted in some easy or dangerous situations to arise around his penalty box. Carlos Tevez had tested him once when he ran down as Foster left it very late to kick the ball, resulted in the ball hitting Tevez's body. That was the first warning but Foster still thought that Tevez could not run that fast. The second time Tevez finally managed to steal the ball from his hands and assisted the ball to Barry for the first goal.

Bellamy's first goal, a scorcher, was magnificent and beautiful. His second was an individual brilliance too. Berbatov must be the most unlucky guy on the pitch with many chances saved when they should have gone in. Given seemed to have an upperhand when both are in 1-on-1 situation. If Shaun Wright-Philips was the dangerous dribbler with dangerous runs to the Man Utd's defence, Ryan Giggs was the equivalent. He was also the one who sent the injury time assist to Owen to score.

Still I was hoping for a draw at least and was not happy with the result of the match. Both clubs committed some very bad defensive mistakes. Still, I believe City deserves more. Will this prove that Manchester United will still be better than the new heavily invested Manchester City? Well, the season is still very young and to be fair to City, they have a few top players unavailable for the derby. Hughes needs to improve his club's defence, which is so identical to Real Madrid's.

Manchester Derby Comment: Premier League Refs In A League Of Their Own?
Michael Owen scored a last-gasp winner for United, but it was all too predictable, writes Clark Whitney...

Sep 20, 2009 6:30:41 PM

A personal opinion from Goal.com International's Clark Whitney

I might as well have not watched today’s Manchester Derby. When I awoke this morning, I predicted a close match but also a Manchester United victory. If United were to be level at the stroke of full time, there would be just enough injury time (regardless of the amount merited) to score the all-important winning goal.

Surely enough, seconds after Craig Bellamy equalized for Manchester City, it was announced that at least four minutes would be added to account for stoppages. And surely enough, five minutes and thirty seconds into injury time, Michael Owen almost poetically scored the winner. United fans around the world erupted in celebration. Wayne Rooney was pictured giving a mighty battle cry. Pomp and circumstance ensued. But to me, the result was no surprise.

You may ask: how could I have predicted the result of today’s derby? The answer is simple: it’s a situation so familiar that it’s no longer a surprise when United, or any of the Big Four side for that matter, score a last-gasp winner. In April, I wrote a comment on a similar situation, in which United were given five minutes to down Aston Villa when really, there was no reason to continue playing for more than a minute after full-time. Today’s match, although highly entertaining, was ultimately just another case of déjà vu.

Before I go any further, I’d like to make clear the official rules for stoppage time. An excerpt from the 2009-2010 edition of Fifa’s Laws of the Game defines the conditions for added time as follows:

“Many stoppages in play are entirely natural (e.g. throw-ins, goal kicks). An allowance is to be made only when these delays are excessive.

The fourth official indicates the minimum additional time decided by the referee at the end of the final minute of each period of play.

The announcement of the additional time does not indicate the exact amount of time left in the match. The time may be increased if the referee considers it appropriate but never reduced.

The referee must not compensate for a timekeeping error during the first half by increasing or reducing the length of the second half.”

The word “excessive,” being subjective to one’s opinion, essentially exonerates referees from any blame they may receive for timekeeping “mistakes.” But let’s be honest: were there really four minutes of "excessive" time loss in the second half of today’s derby? And during the four minutes added on, were there really an additional 90 seconds of "excessive" loss? No: there wasn't even a momentary injury delay, just one brief substitution.

This is where refereeing in the Premier League so greatly differs from that in the league I watch most, the Bundesliga. Personally, I embrace the multiculturalism of European football. It’s great that, on a regular basis, we can see the pace and athleticism of the Premier League, the tactical chess battle of Serie A, the technical mastery of La Liga, and the unpredictability of the Bundesliga. But when it comes to refereeing, my view is that rules are rules, and that all leagues should be refereed to the same standards.

If leagues are officiated differently, one can claim that Champions League matches can be decided not by the merit of the teams, but by a referee’s decisions (recall Chelsea’s complaints in last year’s Champions League semi-final against Barcelona).

In a sense, regardless of its disagreement with FIFA’s rules, the Premier League’s excessive injury time may seem just. Although City held their own in the first half, United probably deserved today’s win due to their commanding performance after the break. Not to mention, as commonplace as it now is, the last-second winner always makes for an exciting end to a match.

Given the high prices of Premier League tickets, shouldn’t fans be entitled to a few extra minutes of glory?

On the other hand, one could easily claim that referees in England are ruining the league’s competitiveness. In a league so top-heavy as the Premiership, it just seems wrong to artificially promote the best teams at the expense of others who thoroughly deserve to take something from the match.

If a Big Four club hasn’t won a match in 92 minutes despite having dominated the game, perhaps a victory hasn’t been earned. Perhaps the underdogs deserve something for their efforts. The situation is especially dire when the losing team (Aston Villa last April, and Man City today) is struggling to break into the Top Four. Wouldn’t it be exciting if, at the end of the season, the Premier League’s Top Four were to include at least one surprise?

The Premier League is structured such that each club holds a vote on issues including rule changes. To the 16 clubs not among the big four, why not start a movement calling for Premier League referees to award stoppage time in strict accordance with FIFA’s rules? The power is yours by a 4:1 ratio. So long as you wait, enjoy finishing 20-60 points behind the league's hegemony.

Clark Whitney, Goal.com

SINGAPORE, ARE YOU READY?!!!


The UFO (the object at the center of the photo) is ready!


The Maybank Tower is ready!


The entire CBD is ready!


The Supreme Court is ready!


The Fullerton is ready!


The Anderson Bridge is ready!

9 DAYS TO GO!

LET THE STREET RACE COUNTDOWN BEGIN!

2009 FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX

PADDLE POP & THE MALAYSIAN FORMULA 1 TEAM

The biggest joke nowadays is what Wall's Paddle Pop ice-cream has in common with the Malaysian Formula 1 team? Of course the design of Malaysian Formula 1 race car. The country which lacks creative design from local university professors who plagiarize to the origin of the national anthem melody to Made in Malaysia logo similarity to Nike's to having the Agro bank logo to be so similar to Airwalk's to all the arguments with Indonesia that we expect the same from the race car body design. I am sure this car design will cause chaos, confusion and eye strains to rivals on the track.

F1 COST

Ferrari and McLaren estimated annual expenditures in 2006 of over US$400 million.
Toro Rosso (Minardi) was estimated to have spent US$75 million.
Toyota is estimated to be spending US$450 million a year but has yet to win a single race.
Honda, was also estimated to have spent US$380 million in 2006.

A £40 million budget cap incentive, however, has been offered to teams next year in exchange for greater technical freedom. The cap, however, does not cover driver salaries, engine costs, marketing and promotion.

Ferrari was estimated to have spent US$44 million in driver salaries in 2003 and US$175 million on engines. Minardi was estimated to have spent US$500,000 on salaries and US$15 million on engines during the same period. But that does not take into account start-up costs.

How much will it cost Malaysia to have this team?

Let's sing along now
Paddle Pop
Paddle Pop
Super Duper Yummy!


Photo credits:
Top left: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_vJdH9HPWwZmFfojFvWT6-caVMD4DF4NqZRQh9ZaDKfPGg-eNLsdQdclG7H9d58-OlScfaguCEMvJVkcgHMcngyDEkMp12XmK2HHgNmo7l-8KaBXbnczzk9uHktVWfCILjoTpg/s400/qlion.jpg
Bottom left: http://12.media.tumblr.com/3PatDBgqAi4vzgpiBK5gNUNAo1_400.png
Top right: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2009/9/15/1253030188703/1MalaysiaF1Lotus-001.jpg
Bottom right: http://media.sanluisobispo.com/smedia/2009/09/15/07/16Malaysia_F1.sff.mi_embedded.prod_affiliate.76.jpg

SIC: 1Malaysia F1 Team HQ Will Include Wind Tunnel
September 16, 2009 15:50 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 (Bernama) -- Sepang International Circuit (SIC), a joint partnership involving the government and a consortium of Malaysian entrepreneurs for the 1Malaysia Formula (F1) One Team project, has allocated between 8,000 and 12,000 hectres for the development of the Made-in-Malaysia F1 team headquarters.

SIC chief executive officer (CEO) Ahmad Razlan Ahmad Razali told Bernama the headquarters, to be located at the circuit, would be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including a wind-tunnel, to test the aerodynamics of the Malaysian-made machines.

He said the headquarters comprising an office, reseach & development (R&D), manufacturing, technical centre and other related departments would be fully functional, two years after the preliminary works expected to begin by the middle of next year.

"SIC have chosen a suitable site for the team headquarters which will be located at the parking area before the tunnel, to enter the podium building.

"But it's all in the preliminary stages. All the parties involved will have to sit together after the Hari Raya and submit whatever plans we have to the motorsports governing body, the Federation of International Automobile (FIA) for endorsement," he told Bernama here Wednesday.

Ahmad Razlan admitted, the cost to build the team headquarters at SIC would involve millions or may be, billions of ringgit, but could not reveal the actual cost because it was still in the preliminary phase.

SIC would only build the physical infrastructure but the hardware and software of the projects would be decided by other parties, he said.

Ahmad Razlan said cooperation between SIC and Air Asia began a few months ago when Asia's low-budget airlines boss Datuk Tony Fernandes told him about his ambitious dream to set up an all Malaysian F1 team.

For SIC, the idea will not only enhance the level of the company's involvement in the motorsports industry but also show Malaysia's direct involvelment with F1.

"This is a new chapter for SIC...as organiser of Malaysian F1 race to the niche Home of Motorsports and now, we can boast that we're the hub for motorsports in Asia," said Ahmad Rzalan.

Asked if the Malaysian-made machines would be on the grid before the Australian Grand Prix in March next year -- the first round of the 2010 F1 calendar -- he said the mean-machines would be in Malaysia before the race.

"I can assure all Malaysian that the 1Malaysia F1 Team machines will be in this country before the Australian race, most probably for testing at the 5.543km Sepang Circuit.

"We're not building the car from scratch. We already have the Lotus technology for the engines and within three month, the car is fit to be on the road. The Malaysian car has enough time to make a pinacle for the motorsports industry. That, I can assure them," he said.

He said the team's technical director Mike Gascoyne had over 20 years experience in F1, and previously performed the same role for the Force India, Toyota, Renault and Jordan Formula One Teams.

Meanwhile, National Sports Institute director-general Datuk Dr Ramlan Abd Aziz said the institute was willing to share its expertise with the budding F1 drivers.

He said former national F1 driver Alex Yoong used to undergo physical training under the institute's supervision as F1 drivers needed to be physically and mentally ready.

"If necessary, we will set up a team comprising experts to help in the training.

"However, before we provide any assistance, we must get the green light from the youth and sports ministry," added Dr Ramlan.

-- BERNAMA


September 17, 2009 19:45 PM

F1 Team Investment 100 Times Better, Says Dr Mahathir

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 17 Bernama) -- The value of advertisement benefits derived from the country's F1 team is 100 times more than the cost of investment for the team, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Thursday.

He said it was not a waste of money to invest in the country's F1 team as the advantages, including tourism and technological advancement, had always outweighed the disadvantages.

Even when the country was experiencing economic recession and negative growth, Tun Dr Mahathir said, there were industries that could flourish such as tourism.

"We viewed Formula One as an important instrument to promote Malaysia to the world," he said in an interview with Bernama.

He said Malaysia would have to pay US$1 million just for a three-minute advertisement in Japan.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that the 1Malaysia F1 team would participate in Formula One race starting next year.

Najib had said that the project was a joint government and private sector initiative with the government investment through Proton, the national car manufacturer.

According to news reports, it is estimated that at least RM1 billion a year is needed to keep the FI team.

"With the F1 race, Malaysia is shown to the world for hours. We don't have to pay a single sen. If we were to calculate the advertisement in Japan alone, it may run into US$100 million or US$200 million.

"So imagine... more than 300 television stations telecast the F1 race. People will know more about Malaysia if we have our own F1 team," Tun Dr Mahathir said.

He said investing in an F1 team was not merely about motor racing as technology developed for the motor racing engine could be applied for the country's automotive industry.

Najib had stated that the 1Malaysia F1 Team car would be designed and made by Malaysians in Malaysia.

Tun Dr Mahathir said that owning a team would also encourage the country to produce its own drivers to take part in the world-class race.

Malaysia has been involved in Formula One since 1999 through the Sepang circuit which has been on the race calendar since then.

Petronas, the national oil and gas giant, has made further advancements in this arena via its sponsorship of the BMW Sauber team for the last four years.

Tun Dr Mahathir, who is also the Petronas advisor, said it was cheaper for Malaysia to set up its own team than taking over the Sauber team after BMW withdrew from sponsoring the team.

"If we (Malaysia) can invest billions of ringgit for corridors which we can't see, why can't we invest for our own F1 team?" he said.

The national F1 team will integrate a Malaysian technical and pit crew totaling some 200 people.

Six local and international drivers have been shortlisted for evaluation and the team will announce its two drivers by the end of next month.

-- BERNAMA

THE BIBLE EVOLUTION

I went to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition last night with my good pal, WK! It's good to update with him since he started practicing again. Well, the exhibition is called The Dead Sea Scrolls & The Ancient World but I was extremely disappointed because I was expecting the Dead Sea Scrolls to take the center stage and the highlight of the entire exhibition. It ended up with just 4 small fragments to be exhibited. I don't care if each of them is alleged to be able to fetch an asking price of USD400,000 but you don't give the exhibition that title eventhough the four fragments are the most precious items exhibited. It should be called The Evolution of the Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

What I learnt from the exhibition is the amount of hardship, suffering, persecution endured, dedication and passion by many important people in history to get us to what we have in the bible today. If it is not because of their determination to bring through the wisdom of God to survive till now, we could not have a chance to read it today. The exhibition gave a good summary of the history of the bible and how it was painstakingly preserved to be brought down from generations to generations, going through different eras, from hand copy to printing technology, surviving different reigns of kingdoms and the translation from one language to another. Now, when I see a bible, I will definitely appreciate it more and not take for granted for its existence. There are so many heroes behind it that give us the opportunity to read it today. I will talk in detail about the exhibition in another post when I have the time. For now, I shall remind myself not to take for granted the existence of the bible.

“Most human beings have an absolute and infinite capacity for taking things for granted” (Interestingly I saw this quote on the TV Mobile on the way to the exhibition in the bus)
Aldous Huxley quotes (English Novelist and Critic, 1894-1963)

MARKING GEORGETOWN

An ideas competition for a UNESCO world heritage sites.

7 Sep 2009	Launch & Registration Begins
15 Oct 2009	Registration Deadline
15 Nov 2009, 12pm GMT+8	Stage 1 Submission Deadline
1 Dec 2009	Stage 1 Judging
7 Dec 2009	Stage 1 Winners Announced

8 Feb 2010	Stage 2 Presentation & Judging
10 Feb 2010	Announcement of Winners

Prize: RM10,000 (around SGD4,067 or USD2,883 or EUR1,958 or GBP1,746)

For more details, please check Marking George Town

SHIT!

Well, I guess I should tell this little story since it's pretty funny (at least for me). Anyway, here's how it goes.

I was doing transfer between departments so in the process cleaning up some stuffs and moving some books. My colleague saw this book and got interested. I told him my brother left it behind to me as a 'souvenir'. He began reading the book and for the last few days I kept hearing him saying Shit jokes or quotes from that book. Oh well, if you can handle the joke and quote, you can just have a good laugh.



Alright, soon last Monday we went to the canteen to pack lunch as it's common to have it fully loaded with people that you need a lot of luck to secure a table. We ordered from the same store, then we went to get fruit juices in packets since the fresh fruit juice stall has a long queue which extends to the next store. We ate lunch happily that day. We also moved into the new office so we are using the new water dispenser.

Now, that evening he texted me saying he has diarrhea. He was checking with me whether I am fine. I told him I was feeling fine despite ordering food at the same stall with him. I told him probably it was the fruit juice. I advised him to check the expiry date. Well, we never experience them selling expired fruit drinks but just in case. The next day he was on MC. It was serious! I told him to drink 100Plus. Well, on Wednesday (yesterday), he finally came to work and told me the fruit juice is not expired. Then, he said perhaps he did something bad. You know, karma. Haha!

He continued his shit jokes and quotes later. Then, the lightbulb just struck me.

"Ah hah, I know why you are having diarrhea! It must be all the indulgence in the Shit book all this week. Your body naturally started to adapt to the influx of shit jokes and quotes and interpreted it naturally to generate lotsa shit! Hahaha!" I shared with him my revolutionary explanation.

"Maybe it's true. Hahaha!" he replied.

Last night, he texted me again.

"It is really good not to have a single shit for the entire day!"

I texted him back.

"No shit all day
Makes the man gay (happy)"

Shit indeed. Then this morning another friend is getting MC for diarrhea as well. The only difference is she was not exposed to the Shit book.

In conclusion, SHIT (IT HAPPENS!) or ARE YOU SHITTING ME?

MALAYSIA'S FORMULA 1 TEAM

Well, many top automobile manufacturers have seen the Formula 1 as not something sustainable and decided to pull out entirely. They said the costs incurred is not worth the promotion they get. This includes renown brands like Honda and BMW, who in combination I wonder have how many times experience, technology and expertise we Malaysians can only dream of. Now, comes rich Malaysia who is willing to throw money into the industry. Whose money is thrown in for burning the fuel per kilometre faster than you use petrol in a month? The government is investing, which means tax payers' money, all of you Malaysians working in Malaysia. First, it was the first Malay space traveler burning money, now it will be the first Malay Formula 1 driver burning money! Let's bet how many decades it will take before the first podium finish or should the bet be how many last places they can get per season or better yet, unfinished races per season?

The Proton is not even a reliable car on the normal road, let's not talk about the Formula 1 race track. It's like you don't even know how to walk but you already want to fly. What we have are basically everyone else's technology bought over with money. Malaysia did not create anything (probably just the body), everything is bought. Malaysia is crazy about records and most of these records are achieved using money. Most of these records are pathetic. Is there any sense of pride or satisfaction gained from these money spent achievements? There is nothing to be proud of.

Go to The Malaysia Book of Records for a look. Some of the proud records we have:
Longest Jalur Gemilang on the Great Wall of China
110,461 trees planted in 1 minute
Tallest pencil (20.248m)
Largest bean art using 12 tonnes of beans
Longest coin line
Most eggs crushed with the wrist (25 eggs in 30 seconds)
Fastest pyramid cans stacking
Longest abbreviation for S.K.O.M.K.H.P.K.J.C.D.P.W.B., the acronym for Syarikat Kerjasama Orang- Orang Melayu Kerajaan Hilir Perak Kerana Jimat Cermat Dan Pinjam-Meminjam Wang Berhad
Longest fire dragon at 118.54m long

BURN BABY BURN!

Malaysia’s own F1 team
By LIM TEIK HUAT

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will have its own team in Formula One next year.

A Lotus-powered racing team, to be called the 1Malaysia F1 team, will take on giants like Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes and Renault in the premier motorsports event next year.

The team will join Force India-Mercedes as Asia’s representatives in F1, along with old-timers like Toyota.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has accepted Malaysia’s bid to enter the 2010 and future Formula One World Championships, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced yesterday.

The 1Malaysia F1 team will be a partnership between the Govern-ment and the private sector, including investors led by Datuk Kamarudin Meranun (AirAsia Deputy CEO), Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes (AirAsia CEO) and SM Nasaruddin SM Nasimuddin (Naza Group CEO).

The Malaysian-owned team will also mark the return of Proton-owned Lotus, the prestigious constructors who left F1 in 1994.

Najib, who made the announcement at the Ministry of Finance yesterday, said the team would be based at the Sepang International Circuit, making it the first to be located outside Europe.

“This is where the cars will be designed, manufactured and tested. It will be ‘Made-in-Malaysia, by Malaysians’ and of course, the pit-stops will be run by Malay-sians,” he said.

“This is a meaningful development and I hope that it will further raise our country’s profile on the world stage.”

The team will have a Malaysian technical and pit crew, totalling some 200 people, to be managed by former Renault technical director Mike Gascoyne.

Najib added that the team hoped to announce its two drivers by Oct 31.

“Currently, six local and international drivers have been shortlisted for evaluation,” he said.

“Our F1 team will also have technical experts from outside Malaysia to ensure that we are ready to compete on the world’s most prestigious racing stage.”

Malaysia hosted its first F1 race in 1999 at the Sepang F1 Circuit and Alex Yoong was the first Malaysian to race in the championships in 2001 and 2002 for Minardi.

The Prime Minister had earlier launched the exchange programme between employees from the government and government-linked companies (GLCs) as part of the Government-GLCs Cross-Fertilisation Programme.

He handed letters-of-trust to 47 government and GLC staff taking part in the programme.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2009/2010 STARTS!

Internazionale VS. Barcelona
19:45 UK Giuseppe Meazza

Well, this is the clash worth waking up for! I will try my best, eventhough I'm loaded with work! Enjoy football guys!

It will be Eto'o VS. Ibrahimomic! Who will have the last laugh?

Inter’s Samuel Eto’o Keen To Prove A Point To Barcelona Coach Pep Guardiola
The Nerazzurri hitman still doesn’t understand why his former coach had a problem with him.
Sep 14, 2009 11:12:12 PM

Inter and Barcelona will meet this week, to kick start their respective campaigns for the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League.

It promises to be an enthralling battle between two of Europe’s heavyweight clubs and the stakes have been raised even higher with the recent comments made by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who left the Italian club in the summer to join the Spanish outfit, and now Samuel Eto’o who went the other way.

The Cameroonian international is determined to do some damage this week, mainly to get back at former coach Pep Guardiola.

“Since the moment I joined Barcelona and since my very first game for them, I did all I could to do the job asked of me,” Eto’o explained to Catalunya Radio.

“I never refused to do anything, unlike some of the other players at Barca who said no, and refused to play there.

“I have always helped everyone, and for me last season was a good year, as we all worked together for the good of Barcelona.

“I didn’t have any problems, but okay, if Guardiola said that I had no feeling for the club, that’s his opinion. I always committed myself, and I will show him that this week.

“My only problem now is that I still have no idea what he means by this 'feeling.'”

The Nerazzurri and Blaugrana kick-off on Wednesday at 20:45 CET at the San Siro. Eto'o notched 34 goals in all competitions last season, including one in the 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the Champions League final.

Adrian Del Monte, Goal.com

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Desperate To Score For Barcelona Against Inter
'Ibra' will put aside any emotions over his return to the San Siro...
Sep 14, 2009 6:41:41 PM

When Inter host Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday night, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has admitted he will be fully focused on the task at hand and is desperate to get on the scoresheet.

"I will do everything to score against Inter, because now I play for Barcelona," Ibrahimovic told Il Corriere dello Sport.

"I will go to San Siro to do my best, and I hope we win. People know my qualities and for me it is an obligation to win every game.

"It's normal to have to adapt [to a new club] and it's something that will come with time. For me, it's important to play and rediscover my rhythm. When I play more games, then you will see the real Zlatan."

Despite his desire to find the back of the net, the Swede conceded that Inter were one of the strongest teams in the tournament and it will not be easy to do so.

"I believe Inter are among the favourites to win the Champions League. I'm sure that they will win it one day," he stated.

Anthony Wright, Goal.com

ONLY IN MALAYSIA PART 3

I'm officially done with transferring between departments so I have finally settled down now. We continue the 'Only in Malaysia' series with another cool record after Part 2. 23 husbands? Pride of Malaysia indeed!

Monday September 14, 2009
107-year-old wants 23rd hubby
By R.S.N. MURALI

KUALA BERANG: Afraid that her current husband might leave her after completing his drug rehabilitation programme, centenarian Mek Wok Kundor is looking to marry again - for the 23rd time.

The 107-year-old, who married Mohd Noor Che Musa, 37, in 2005, said they lived blissfully until he volunteered to treat his drug habit in Kuala Lumpur in July.

Tok Wook, as she is fondly known, now believes her husband might leave her after his programme ends and settle down in Kuala Lumpur besides marrying a woman younger than her.
Still going strong: The centenarian’s wish for a husband is so that she can fill her ‘forlornness and nothing more than that’.

“Lately, there is this kind of insecurity in me,” she said.

Tok Wook, who lives in Kampung Bukit TokBat here, said she planned to visit Mohd Noor on the second day of Hari Raya if her neighbours were willing to drive her to Kuala Lumpur.

“I want to express my feelings and tell him that I am lonely without him and if he reciprocates, I will wait for him without thinking of another marriage,” she added

She said she felt lonely without a companion during Ramadan.

“I am not searching for a man as handsome as our Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak), but someone to accompany me in my twilight years,” she said.

“I realise that I am an aged woman. I don’t have the body nor am I a young woman who can attract anyone.

“My intention to remarry is to fill my forlornness and nothing more than that.”

She, however, declined to talk about her past marriages and the number of children she has.

All she said about her kids was that they were old and dependent on their children.

While she spent her last Hari Raya with Mohd Noor’s family in Bachok Kelantan, Tok Wook will celebrate it this year with her neighbours.

“I will wear a baju kurung that was given as gift by my husband in January,” she said.

ARGENTINA'S WORLD CUP HOPE

Will Argentina make it? If you read my previous post in the match against Brazil, I have been saying that they should not put old man Veron in the team. He slows down the entire plot to attack. His freekicks are not lethal at all. You can even have the goalie asleep and the ball still won't go in. I did not watch the latest match but losing to 2nd place Paraguay now makes them drop to 5th place. Perhaps the red card to Veron is a blessing in disguise. Now Maradona, use someone fast and imaginative to replace him. I did not watch the latest match but if they are still playing the same, I really think they should beef up their defence, which is as lousy as Real Madrid's. I cannot envision a World Cup without Argentina!!!

Portugal is another team which may risk not going to the World Cup. Pepe helped Portugal win 0-1 away against Hungary. I hope Portugal can qualify too. France is also in a desperate situation as Domenech is being blamed. England has qualified because of the Capello formula. Others that have qualified include South Africa (as host), Australia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Holland, Spain, Ghana and of course Brazil and Paraguay. Countries assured of playoffs include Bahrain, New Zealand, Slovakia, Germany, Russia, Serbia, Italy, USA and Mexico.

HOW TO RULE WITH POWER?

If you have the following specifications:
Intel Core i7-950 3.06 GHz
1792MB nVidia GeForce GTX 295
12GB DDR-1333 RAM
and you can improve it with one more option, what will it be?

While you have to choose between these three options, what will you choose?
A. Upgrade the graphics to SLI for double 1792MB nVidia GeForce GTX 295
B. Upgrade the two normal 60Hz monitors to two 120Hz monitors
C. Upgrade the i7-950 processor to the i7-975 (3.33GHz), which is the Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition

I am in a dilemma. Currently, I am considering between A or B.

Although SLI is not really giving you a 100% increase in performance, it is at least sustainable for the next few years from all the intense 6 months graphics card upgrade cycle. Then, I am looking into possibly getting the 120Hz monitors for the possibility of using the NVIDIA 3D VISION Kit.



If you are wondering, this computer will be used for 3D rendering, statistical, geographical, environmental analysis and virtual reality visualization.

COMEX 2009 SINGAPORE

A RECORD-BREAKING AND THE MOST COMPLETE SHOWCASE OF THE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES, EXCLUSIVE COMEX OFFERS AND GREAT BARGAINS!

10-13 September 2009
SUNTEC SINGAPORE
Levels 1,2,3,4 & 6
12pm - 9pm Daily
Admission is FREE

COMEX SHOW 2009

BUSY WITH TRANSFERRING

I'm currently busy with transferring between departments. Oh well, technically speaking I'm belonging to the same department but because of collaboration work, I am working at the other department. I am in the process of transferring back to my own department. I guess I will have more free time to blog next week.

I was hanging out with my friend the other day when we casually talked about the Hungry Ghost Festival and the Mooncake Festival. He took out his jailbroke Iphone 3G S and opened up his 老黄历 which he got from WeiPhone.com. It is so funny to be looking through this ancient Chinese lunar calendar on the iPhone 3G S. I found out that the most suitable day to move for this whole week is next Monday! Well, it is settled then. Hahaha! By the way, Jobs' return could again bring something exciting from Apple again.

By the way, I enquired about the availability of HTC Hero or Samsung i7500 (Galaxy) but they told me it is not ready as a bundle yet for any contract through StarHub. HTC Hero technically speaking had arrived last Friday and we can buy it. We are getting two for research, can't wait to touch it after touching HTC Magic.

09.09.09

Happy 09.09.09! You have two chances to make it an even more memorable day.

On 9 September 2009 at 9:09:09am or 9:09:09pm you can do something unique for this day to be remembered! I plan to do something crazy today! Haha!

For the Chinese, 9 sounds like longevity or longlasting (久). Therefore, it is an auspicious moment to vow for something longlasting!

If you do that, you have six 9s instead of 3.

09.09.09.09.09.09.

WORKING LIKE A MACHINE?

After the Cadbury commercial (OK, we know Kraft wants to buy them over), now we have the Kit Kat commercials that we get to see everyday everywhere, even in MRT stations! Enjoy! By the way, the song by Freestyle used in the Cadbury commercial is Don't Stop the Rock. I have been hearing the ring tone lately in public.




I like the karaoke lyrics changer girl version more.



Have a break, have a Kit Kat!

Here's a version that is not seen in Singapore.

ARGENTINA VS. BRAZIL = BEAUTIFUL FOOTBALL

Argentina 1-3 Brazil

First Argentinian home lost in 16 years.
Brazil qualified for World Cup.

I woke up in the plan to watch this match in the second half. Unfortunately the mamak store I went to do not subscribe the particular channel that shows this match. I came back to my apartment to bet on the cafeteria below my unit. Interestingly, they were showing the match and there were a few people watching there, most probably football betting fans and bookies from their conversation.

My analysis from the match from the second half alone, it is better than the Champions League football final. Both sides were dangerous and provided the fans with the free flow beautiful offensive football that was non-stop. You have to enjoy this match if you are a football fan, no matter which country or club you are supporting.

Messi was great but alone. I could easily spot the problem right on with Argentina when I was watching straight from where I started. What the heck is an old man which is already 34 years old, Mr. Veron doing on the filed? They even gave him the role to do freekicks which all ended ridiculously and wasted all Argentinian chances. He is too slow and takes too much time to send passes. Maradona should bring in younger players to the field like Brazil. It is time to move on away from Veron. Next, when I see Heinze on the field, I straight away concluded that the weakest link will cause a lot of attack to penetrate in from there.

Straight away a goal was scored with Kaka sending a beautiful assist for Luis Fabiano to score a brace. It was definitely straight at the left link. One of Real Madrid's best transfer decisions was to get rid of Heinze. Kaka shows how good he is in orchestrating the Brazilian offensive strategies from the middle. Jesús Dátolo, Diego Milito and Messi were the best players for Argentina on the field. Dátolo's goal just before Fabiano's brace was magnificent and beautiful. Messi was dangerous but his intentions and passes always ended up nowhere. Many a times he was stuck alone with many Brazilians defending him from going near the goalmouth.

Argentina were lucky that Brazil did not push much further after the third goal. There were times where goals could be scored and Brazil could easily get two or three more. Argentina pushed too many players up front, leaving a big hole behind. At times, Brazilian counter-attacks were done with just 2-3 players at the back defending the goal. Dunga's decision to bring in the unwanted and overweight Adriano already signaled their intention to be contented with the scoreline.

Argentina need to regroup and really try harder to face the remaining three matches as they could wait until the last match to get confirmation to qualify for the World Cup. The next encounter with Paraguay will be tricky but crucial for their qualification to the World Cup. They are currently fourth on the table but Colombia, Ecuador, Uruguay and Venezuela have chances to overtake them. Their remaining matches are 9 September 2009 away to 2nd place Paraguay, 10 October 2009 home to 10th place Peru and 14 October 2009 away to 7th place Uruguay. I hope Maradona really do something wise and quick!

As for Pele, shut up. Your comments should not be taken seriously too. There is a famous known fact in the football field that whatever Pele said will have an opposite outcome. At least for Maradona, he has the guts to manage his country's national football team while you just stand at the side talking rubbish with ease all the time.

Brazil Legend Pele: Diego Maradona Can't Be Taken Seriously
'The King' sent harsh words to the Argentina boss...
Sep 2, 2009 2:34:57 AM

If there are two people who will never see eye-to-eye they are Pele and Diego Maradona, arguably the two greatest players to have ever graced a football field.

The lead-up to the crucial World Cup qualifier between Argentina and Brazil has been intense, and both sets of teams have exchanged opinions over the past few weeks.

After recent declarations made by Maradona, which included saying things like "I was a better player than Pele was" and "Argentina have better players than Brazil", Pele has finally attempted to put the 1986 World Cup winner in his place, right before the big match.

"I'm confident in Brazil, most of all against teams who we have always been superior to, like Argentina," said Pele.

"Beating great rivals like Argentina gives you a different feeling," he admitted.

Pele continued: "But we already know who Maradona is...what he says isn't worth taking into consideration."

Then he contradicted himself by stating that Maradona has the potential to be a good coach in the future: "He has everything to become a great coach, but hopefully it doesn't start against Brazil."

As is in his nature, Maradona will surely respond to Pele's declarations with harsh words of his own within the next few days.

Gregory Sica, Goal.com

DSS EXHIBITION @ SINGAPORE

DSS

Its ticket price is expensive but I really want to look at such ancient scrolls!!!

The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Ancient World
27 August - 20 September 2009
The Arts House
Singapore

09.09.09.09

So the Chinese were so obsessed with 08.08.08.08 that they wanted to have something historic done on that moment last year. This year, at least, Leica is doing something historic for 09.09.09.09. Anything else spectacular to happen on 09.09.09.09? Are you planning to do something memorable on this historic day? You have two chances, get it done by 9am or 9pm! One week countdown from today!


I thought I was seeing Fabio Capello in the video.

G-FORCE



When I heard about G-Force, I thought it will be a movie depicting the 80s cartoon I watched during my childhood, who are the guardians of space. Instead of the five humans in bird costumes, we get five guinea pigs that can talk and spy. There are many firsts about this movie. It is the first live-action Disney Digital 3-D film as well as Jerry Bruckheimer's first 3-D film. Suddenly 3-D film is an 'in' thing these days and if this trend persists and prospers, it will surely revive the almost dying autostereoscopic television industry which Philips invested with their WOWvx models.

People are smart to choose the guinea pigs as movie characters. Let's face it, these cute small creatures are ideal human pets, just like chipmunks and hamsters. Having them in a movie will definitely attract the young audience. The G-Force consists of a team of guinea pigs named Darwin, Juarez, Blaster, Speckles and Hurley. I guess as a male, my favourite character has to be Juarez, the hot and sexy guinea pig voiced by the hot and sexy Penelope Cruz. I would want a pet like that anytime! For the G-Force team which is so much smaller in size in comparison with human beings, it is crucial to have a member who has the brains to outsmart them. If you can't beat them in size and strength, than the brain will be a much needed advantage. Brain over brawn. In most cases, a sexy agent will help by using her seductive skills too when everything fails.


Juarez, the martial arts specialist

Coming second is Blaster, the gadget specialist guinea pig. If you lack the strength and size, the next best thing apart from brain is speed and power. I believe it is ideal for the team to have someone who can outsmart the human beings and any of their enemies with his technological knowledge. His creative and innovative designs will help the team overcome obstacles and challenges which are too impossible to handle for normal guinea pigs. The team will be able to scale greater heights with the aid of the sophisticated weapons, sensors and transport.


Blaster, the demolition specialist



Catch G-Force in cinemas 4th Sep 2009