After Christmas lunch, I managed to remind myself again that alcohol & chocolate makes a great combination. And no, I am not talking about liqueur chocolate either. What I am talking about is taking some alcohol & chocolate, putting it in your mouth at the same time, enjoying the taste of both together, then gulping everything down.
More specifically, what I had after Christmas lunch were some Orlando Trilogy sparking rose wine & Lindt chocolate. I put the Lindt in my mouth & chew for a bit. While still chewing, I took a sip of the Orlando Trilogy wine (which on its own has a mild & balanced taste) & enjoyed the alcohol & chocolate combination. It was superb. The Orlando rose wine tasted even better with the Lindt. Or was it a case of the Lindt tasting better with the Orlando rose wine??? Ooohhhh well, let's just say I enjoyed the combination.
That wasn't the first time I combined alcohol & chocolate at the same time. A long time ago, I had Heineken beer & a Ferrero Rocher chocolate. I put the Ferrero Rocher in my mouth, then gulped down some Heineken & then chewed on the chocolate while the beer was also in my mouth. It was superb.
Alcohol & chocolate....I must do this again sometime!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Boxing Day shopping - not all that great
So I went out to Boxing Day sales today, at the Indooroopilly Shopping Centre. The sales seem to get worse over the years (though this time last year, I was in Malaysia so I can't comment on how good or bad the Boxing Day sales were in Brisbane last year). I was at Myer, & I didn't see any earth-shattering bargains to get excited about. In fact, I'm not certain if anything I saw can be classified as bargains. So I hardly bought anything from there this year.
I, did, however, manage to bump into church friend Chris Ooi at JB Hi-Fi, just across the road from Indooroopilly Shopping Centre. I was scouring through the DVDs & CDs when I looked around & saw a grinning Chris. I was in "dream mode" at the time, so it took me 1-2 seconds to realise who he was. He was there looking for a giant LCD TV (or did he say plasma?). We chat for a while, before he moved on to look at the selection of TVs on offer, while I left with some Seinfeld DVDs which I partly paid with a JB Hi-Fi gift card that I got for Christmas.
Apart from that, nothing really to get all excited about. Hopefully the sales will be better next year.
I, did, however, manage to bump into church friend Chris Ooi at JB Hi-Fi, just across the road from Indooroopilly Shopping Centre. I was scouring through the DVDs & CDs when I looked around & saw a grinning Chris. I was in "dream mode" at the time, so it took me 1-2 seconds to realise who he was. He was there looking for a giant LCD TV (or did he say plasma?). We chat for a while, before he moved on to look at the selection of TVs on offer, while I left with some Seinfeld DVDs which I partly paid with a JB Hi-Fi gift card that I got for Christmas.
Apart from that, nothing really to get all excited about. Hopefully the sales will be better next year.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
UEFA Champions League 2009/2010 - the draw for knockout stage
Here is the draw for the knockout stage of the 2009/2010 UEFA Champions League (ties to be played on a home-and-away basis):
Bayern Munich (Germany) v Fiorentina (Italy)
AC Milan (Italy) v Manchester United (England)
Olympique Lyon (France) v Real Madrid (Spain)
Olympiakos (Greece) v Bordeaux (France)
Internazionale (Italy) v Chelsea (England)
CSKA Moscow (Russia) v Sevilla (Spain)
FC Porto (Portugal) v Arsenal (England)
Stuttgart (Germany) v FC Barcelona (Spain)
Bayern Munich (Germany) v Fiorentina (Italy)
AC Milan (Italy) v Manchester United (England)
Olympique Lyon (France) v Real Madrid (Spain)
Olympiakos (Greece) v Bordeaux (France)
Internazionale (Italy) v Chelsea (England)
CSKA Moscow (Russia) v Sevilla (Spain)
FC Porto (Portugal) v Arsenal (England)
Stuttgart (Germany) v FC Barcelona (Spain)
Monday, December 21, 2009
Pedro Rodriguez - remember the name
In scoring Barcelona's equaliser against Estudiantes in the 2009 Club World Cup final, young FC Barcelona forward Pedro Rodriguez has done something remarkable. He became the first player to score in 6 different competitions in 1 single season.
Pedro is very new to FC Barcelona's first team squad. He made his first team debut during Barcelona's 2008/2009 treble winning season, & overall appeared 14 times during that season. But since season 2009/2010 started in July 2010, Pedro has slowly but surely been making his mark, culminating in that achievement of scoring for Barcelona in 6 different competitions.
Firstly, in August 2009, he scored against Atletic Bilbao to help Barcelona win the Spanish Supercup.
Then, in the same month, he came on as a substitute & scored in extra-time against Ukrainian club Shaktar Donetsk in the UEFA Super Cup.
Next, in September 2009, he came on as a substitute in the Champions League against another Ukrainian side (Dynamo Kiev) & scored.
Then in early October 2009, Pedro scored his first Spanish league goal, a brilliant strike against Almeria. Later in the same month, he scored a couple of goals in the Spanish Cup against a lower division opposition.
And finally, the strike against South American champions Estudiantes ensures that Pedro became the first to score in 6 different competitions in the same season. Let's run through all the competitions again: La Liga, Spanish Cup (a.k.a. Copa del Rey), UEFA Champions League, European Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
That is a remarkable achievement. But never mind the achievement, it is his footballing ability which fans are happy with. He is flexible & can play in a number of attacking positions - centre forward, supporting forward, or on the wings. He still has some way to develop, but already has all the makings of a top star for club & country. I hope he has a long & rewarding career with FC Barcelona & Spain!
Remember the name, Pedro Rodriguez.
Pedro is very new to FC Barcelona's first team squad. He made his first team debut during Barcelona's 2008/2009 treble winning season, & overall appeared 14 times during that season. But since season 2009/2010 started in July 2010, Pedro has slowly but surely been making his mark, culminating in that achievement of scoring for Barcelona in 6 different competitions.
Firstly, in August 2009, he scored against Atletic Bilbao to help Barcelona win the Spanish Supercup.
Then, in the same month, he came on as a substitute & scored in extra-time against Ukrainian club Shaktar Donetsk in the UEFA Super Cup.
Next, in September 2009, he came on as a substitute in the Champions League against another Ukrainian side (Dynamo Kiev) & scored.
Then in early October 2009, Pedro scored his first Spanish league goal, a brilliant strike against Almeria. Later in the same month, he scored a couple of goals in the Spanish Cup against a lower division opposition.
And finally, the strike against South American champions Estudiantes ensures that Pedro became the first to score in 6 different competitions in the same season. Let's run through all the competitions again: La Liga, Spanish Cup (a.k.a. Copa del Rey), UEFA Champions League, European Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
That is a remarkable achievement. But never mind the achievement, it is his footballing ability which fans are happy with. He is flexible & can play in a number of attacking positions - centre forward, supporting forward, or on the wings. He still has some way to develop, but already has all the makings of a top star for club & country. I hope he has a long & rewarding career with FC Barcelona & Spain!
Remember the name, Pedro Rodriguez.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
FC Barcelona wins 2009 Club World Cup
Spanish & European champions FC Barcelona have won the 2009 Club World Cup, beating South American champions Estudiantes de la Plata (of Argentina) 2-1 in the final after extra time. Estudiantes took the lead in the first-half through Mauro Boselli. Pedro Rodriguez equalised for Barcelona just 1 minute before the end of normal time. So the game went to extra-time, where the Argentine wizard Leo Messi scored the winner, & with it, the Club World Cup for Barcelona.The 2009 FIFA Club World Cup had taken place in Abu Dhabi, UAE between 9/12/2009 & 19/12/2009. As expected, both Barcelona & Estudiantes got to the final. Barcelona had beaten Atlante of Mexico (CONCACAF champions) 3-1 in the semi-final, while Estudiantes beat Korea's Pohang Steelers (Asian champions) 2-1 in the other semi-final.
The final was a hard-fought affair, with Estudiantes pushing Barcelona all the way before succumbing in extra-time. Commiserations to Estudiantes for the final defeat, but they have done Argentina & South America proud for the way they provided Barcelona with stiff resistance. They certainly gave Barcelona more problems than Manchester United did in the Champions League final.
Barcelona's Club World Cup win means that they are now champions of Spain, champions of Europe & champions of the world. It also meant that they have won 6 trophies in the 2009 calendar year - a record trophy haul. What a great year 2009 has been for them!!!! Barcelona's trophy cabinet must be really bulging now!! I am extremely proud of them!!
Visca Barca!!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Football Manager 2005 - Feyenoord wins treble! (season 2029/2030)
Remember Feyenoord's 5-1 win over archrivals Ajax in season 2028/2029? (refer last month's post: http://daplanetdt.blogspot.com/2009/11/football-manager-2005-feyenoord-5-ajax.html).
After that astonishing result, it was thought that Feyenoord would go on & complete the treble that season. Well, it didn't happen. Feyenoord got knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals by AC Milan. They finished second in the Dutch League, 1 point behind champions PSV Eindhoven. They did win the Dutch Cup, beating NAC Breda in the final (2-0, i think). So after all the hype & hysteria from the Ajax demolition, Feyenoord ended season 2028/2029 with just 1 trophy. Injuries & bad luck didn't help.
After that astonishing result, it was thought that Feyenoord would go on & complete the treble that season. Well, it didn't happen. Feyenoord got knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals by AC Milan. They finished second in the Dutch League, 1 point behind champions PSV Eindhoven. They did win the Dutch Cup, beating NAC Breda in the final (2-0, i think). So after all the hype & hysteria from the Ajax demolition, Feyenoord ended season 2028/2029 with just 1 trophy. Injuries & bad luck didn't help.
Feyenoord headed into season 2029/2030 with added motivation to succeed where they fell short in season 2028/2029. For season 2029/2030, Feyenoord kept most of the key players in the squad but sold a fair few players, including Serbian forward Milovanovic & Czech forward Krejcik. Those forwards would be replaced by youngsters Simek (another Czech forward) & Chinese striker Li Wei. Both chipped in with their share of goals, though Simek is more regular than Li Wei. The chief attacker is still Roy Van Der Linden (worth more than 13 million euros). The emergence of Dutch young forward Bert Rijsbergen is particularly encouraging - he has a mixture of the pace of Fernando Torres & the aerial ability of Nicolas Anelka. Feyenoord has other quality forwards, too. The midfield department is also very competitive, where young midfielders like Dutchman Bert Bakker & Martijn Verhoeven had an excellent season 2029/2030.
In fact, Feyenoord had a lot more than just these players - most of the squad had an excellent season 2029/2030. Why??? Because Feyenoord won the treble!! Yes they did!! Dutch championship, UEFA Champions League & Dutch Cup. All in 1 season!!!
Feyenoord won the Dutch championship with a few games to go. They regained the Dutch title after beating Ajax 1-0 thanks to a goal by Verhoeven (for Ajax, it's better than losing 5-1 last season). That win meant that no one could catch Feyenoord on the table, & how sweet it is to clinch the title by beating your greatest domestic rival. Feyenoord ended up 20 points ahead of second-placed Roda JC & 21 points ahead of Ajax, who finished third. But this Ajax are no mugs - they reached the Champions League semi-finals before losing to Milan. Feyenoord's comprehensive semi-final aggregate win over Roma prevented an all-Italian final. So the Champions League final took placed in Lisbon on 22 May 2030, & it featured Milan (representing Italy) against Feyenoord (representing the Netherlands). Feyenoord won after a nail-biting penalty shoot-out 3-2, after the scores were 1-1 after 90 minutes & extra-time. That was revenge for losing to Milan in last season's Champions League quarter-final. So that is the second trophy in the bag, & Feyenoord are 2029/2030 champions of Europe.
The magical treble was secured on 25 May 2030 (a day to remember for Feyenoord fans), when Feyenoord beat PSV Eindhoven 3-2 in an entertaining, closely fought Dutch Cup final. Each time Feyenoord take the lead, PSV Eindhoven equalised. However, PSV could not respond to Feyenoord's third goal, so the final result was 3-2 to the Rotterdam side. Worthy but vanquished opponents PSV finished a disappointing fifth in the Dutch championship, & were beaten by Milan in the Champions League. That's interesting......Milan had to face all the big 3 Dutch clubs in the Champions League. They got past PSV Eindhoven in the quarters & Ajax in the semis to get to the final. But once there, they could not overcome Feyenoord, although perhaps Feyenoord did have a bit of luck in the Champions League final.
The next challenge is to do it all again, & this time to win the Champions League without the penalty shoot-out. Meanwhile, season 2029/2030 is Roger Kronendijk's best ever. He is the most successful manager in the Netherlands, in Europe & in the world. He has led Feyenoord to 20 Dutch championships, & champions of Europe for 5 times!!
Feyenoord Rotterdam, treble winners of season 2029/2030. Champions of the Netherlands! Champions of Europe!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Failed Plans; God's Plans
Interesting article from the Gospel for Asia website, which I saw a few months ago....but only now managed to post it up here.
Failed Plans; God's Plans
July 20, 2009
A prayer tower stands tall in Sabal's field, reminding him of who he used to be and the grace that changed him. Now a church leader, it wasn't long ago that Sabal was a drunk and a debtor, with the structure of his life crumbling before his eyes.
Sabal was a businessman who always had new ideas for success, but his drinking problem ensured that they all failed. With each new endeavor he borrowed more money from his friends to get the business running, and he soon found himself bankrupt.
Sabal never panicked. Like any good businessman, he had a back-up plan to pay off his debts and, perhaps, start another business. This time it was a farming venture. His crop was small, but he was certain the high-demand plant would give him a large return come harvest time. All he had to do was wait.
Before long, though, the crop was attacked by pests. This time Sabal was out of ideas. As he watched the leaves of the thriving plants turn yellow, Sabal began to lose hope. Pastor Jaideep, a Gospel for Asia–supported missionary, arrived in the village just in time.
Sabal asked the pastor to pray for the dying plants, and within a few days, God healed them. The leaves became healthy and green, and Sabal was able to pay back all his debts. He gave his life to the God who had saved him from ruin, and built a tower in his field where he prayed for hours.
The change in him was impossible to ignore, and his friends and neighbors became jealous when they saw the great blessings taking place in his life. As Sabal prayed for his neighbors, many of them chose to receive Christ, too.
One day, Sabal invited Jaideep to a prayer meeting with three other pastors, and 50 believers came. When a group of religious fanatics heard praises to the Lord coming from Sabal's house, they tried to disrupt the meeting by throwing sand, stones and clay at the believers. One even grabbed Sabal's neck and threatened to kill him, but the believers ignored the commotion and continued to pray.
After an hour, the fanatics realized they weren't having any effect, and they left. The Christians thanked God for His favor and mercy. They knew God had protected them, just like He protected Sabal's plants.
Please pray for the continued protection of the believers in Sabal's village, and that the fanatics, along with the rest of the village, will come to know the Lord soon.
July 20, 2009
A prayer tower stands tall in Sabal's field, reminding him of who he used to be and the grace that changed him. Now a church leader, it wasn't long ago that Sabal was a drunk and a debtor, with the structure of his life crumbling before his eyes.
Sabal was a businessman who always had new ideas for success, but his drinking problem ensured that they all failed. With each new endeavor he borrowed more money from his friends to get the business running, and he soon found himself bankrupt.
Sabal never panicked. Like any good businessman, he had a back-up plan to pay off his debts and, perhaps, start another business. This time it was a farming venture. His crop was small, but he was certain the high-demand plant would give him a large return come harvest time. All he had to do was wait.
Before long, though, the crop was attacked by pests. This time Sabal was out of ideas. As he watched the leaves of the thriving plants turn yellow, Sabal began to lose hope. Pastor Jaideep, a Gospel for Asia–supported missionary, arrived in the village just in time.
Sabal asked the pastor to pray for the dying plants, and within a few days, God healed them. The leaves became healthy and green, and Sabal was able to pay back all his debts. He gave his life to the God who had saved him from ruin, and built a tower in his field where he prayed for hours.
The change in him was impossible to ignore, and his friends and neighbors became jealous when they saw the great blessings taking place in his life. As Sabal prayed for his neighbors, many of them chose to receive Christ, too.
One day, Sabal invited Jaideep to a prayer meeting with three other pastors, and 50 believers came. When a group of religious fanatics heard praises to the Lord coming from Sabal's house, they tried to disrupt the meeting by throwing sand, stones and clay at the believers. One even grabbed Sabal's neck and threatened to kill him, but the believers ignored the commotion and continued to pray.
After an hour, the fanatics realized they weren't having any effect, and they left. The Christians thanked God for His favor and mercy. They knew God had protected them, just like He protected Sabal's plants.
Please pray for the continued protection of the believers in Sabal's village, and that the fanatics, along with the rest of the village, will come to know the Lord soon.
Link: http://www.gfa.org/news/articles/failed-plans-gods-plans/
Saturday, December 5, 2009
RIP Eddie Fatu (aka Umaga)
I cannot believe it. I simply cannot believe it. Former WWE wrestler Eddie Fatu (ring name Umaga) has died, only age 36. Heart attack claimed his life, according to reports.
The wrestler, also known as The Samoan Bulldozer, was actually my favourite when he was in WWE. He was a good worker, with good moves & very underrated. In case u don't know, Eddie Fatu is the cousin of Dwayne Johnson. Yes, that very same Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock during his WWE days. The very same Dwayne Johnson who featured in films as The Mummy Returns, The Scorpion King & Get Smart (as agent 23).
I will remember Umaga for his match at Wrestlemania 23, in 2007, against Bobby Lashley, in a hair match.
There u are.....another person who died prematurely, way too young. Very very sad.....this well & truly sucks. It's as if someone has to die every few months. Umaga will be sadly missed by his family, relatives, friends & wrestling fans. Wrestling is poorer for his passing.
My thoughts & prayers are with his family. RIP Eddie Fatu. You will be very sadly missed.
The wrestler, also known as The Samoan Bulldozer, was actually my favourite when he was in WWE. He was a good worker, with good moves & very underrated. In case u don't know, Eddie Fatu is the cousin of Dwayne Johnson. Yes, that very same Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock during his WWE days. The very same Dwayne Johnson who featured in films as The Mummy Returns, The Scorpion King & Get Smart (as agent 23).
I will remember Umaga for his match at Wrestlemania 23, in 2007, against Bobby Lashley, in a hair match.
There u are.....another person who died prematurely, way too young. Very very sad.....this well & truly sucks. It's as if someone has to die every few months. Umaga will be sadly missed by his family, relatives, friends & wrestling fans. Wrestling is poorer for his passing.
My thoughts & prayers are with his family. RIP Eddie Fatu. You will be very sadly missed.
2010 World Cup draw
I woke up early this morning to watch the draw for the 2010 World Cup finals, live from South Africa.
Here is the draw:
Group A
South Africa
Mexico
Uruguay
France
Group B
Argentina
Nigeria
South Korea
Greece
Group C
England
USA
Algeria
Slovenia
Group D
Germany
Australia
Serbia
Ghana
Group E
Netherlands
Denmark
Japan
Cameroon
Group F
Italy
Paraguay
New Zealand
Slovakia
Group G
Brazil
North Korea
Ivory Coast
Portugal
Group H
Spain
Switzerland
Honduras
Chile
Here is the draw:
Group A
South Africa
Mexico
Uruguay
France
Group B
Argentina
Nigeria
South Korea
Greece
Group C
England
USA
Algeria
Slovenia
Group D
Germany
Australia
Serbia
Ghana
Group E
Netherlands
Denmark
Japan
Cameroon
Group F
Italy
Paraguay
New Zealand
Slovakia
Group G
Brazil
North Korea
Ivory Coast
Portugal
Group H
Spain
Switzerland
Honduras
Chile
Monday, November 30, 2009
Ibrahimovic strikes El Clasico winner for Barca
Zlatan Ibrahimovic came off the bench to score a superb volley to give Barcelona a 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the latest El Clasico.The match was a battle of Spain's 2 biggest clubs & most bitter rivals. On this occasion, it was also a battle of Spain's best side (Barcelona, treble winners previous season) against the most expensively assembled side in club football (Real Madrid, who has splashed €300 million on new players in the wake of Barcelona's treble success). Hence the build up & the hype in the lead up to the match was absolutely enormous. It was Spanish football's glamour match & apparently, it was the first time that cinemas all over Spain would be showing the match live.
The list of players on parade for the match reads like a "who's who" of world football: Messi, Iniesta, Xavi & Henry for Barcelona; Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Xabi Alonso & Benzema for Real Madrid. The match was end to end stuff, with Barcelona the home team trying to show who is boss & Real Madrid having something to prove, especially after last season's epic 6-2 drubbing by Barcelona at their home ground. Barca didn't play to their best level, yet were good enough to get the narrow win. They, as always, showed enterprise but never really carved Madrid apart, as Madrid defended well. Real Madrid had a couple of good chances in the first half to open the scoring, but missed them.
Barcelona were even down to 10 men just shortly after Ibrahimovic's goal, so they had to battle hard to earn the win. Interestingly, they were more convincing when playing with a men less. Meanwhile, the jury is still out on Ibrahimovic. Notorious for no-showing in big matches, he scored when Barcelona needed a goal. To be honest, a draw would probably have been a fair result - Real Madrid showed plenty of enterprise & must be commended for that. But hey, I am happy with the result. No repeat of the 6-2 scoreline, but 1-0 will do here, especially considering that Barcelona did not produce their greatest performance, while Real Madrid did play very well. At the end of the day, the win meant that Barca draws first blood in this season's Spanish title race, but there is still a long way to go. There were patches during the match where Barcelona were hesitant & inattentive, which allowed Madrid to have shots at Barca's goal. They need to cut down on those moments. And, I hope Barcelona will be able to use this win to spur them on to greater things.
Friday, November 27, 2009
See through tyres
This was emailed to me a few months ago. Interesting concept, but the types don't look great & it will most probably be very expensive.
*********************************
Radical new tyre design by Michelin. The next generation of tyres. They had a pair at the Philadelphia car show.
These tyres are airless and are scheduled to be out on the market very soon.. The bad news for law enforcement is that spike strips will not work on these tyres..
This is what great R& D will do, and just think of the impact on existing technology:
A. no more air valves...
B. no more air compressors at gas stations...
C. no more repair kits...
D. no more flats...
SCAN DOWN & SEE
These are actual pictures taken in the South Carolina plant of Michelin.
*********************************
Radical new tyre design by Michelin. The next generation of tyres. They had a pair at the Philadelphia car show.
These tyres are airless and are scheduled to be out on the market very soon.. The bad news for law enforcement is that spike strips will not work on these tyres..
This is what great R& D will do, and just think of the impact on existing technology:
A. no more air valves...
B. no more air compressors at gas stations...
C. no more repair kits...
D. no more flats...
SCAN DOWN & SEE
These are actual pictures taken in the South Carolina plant of Michelin.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Football Manager 2005 - Feyenoord 5 Ajax 1 (season 2028/2029)
In real life, Ajax recently thumped Feyenoord 5-1 in a Dutch league, a painful result for fans of the Rotterdam club.
On Football Manager 2005, the complete opposite happened. We are in season 2028/2029. Look at the scoreline from the most recent Klassiker (see attached pic) - Feyenoord 5 Ajax 1. So there's no doubt who's the boss in the Netherlands. What's remarkable about this win was that Feyenoord were without a number of injured key players.
Coached by Roger Kronendijk (the greatest football manager of all time!), Feyenoord are the best club in the Netherlands & Europe. This season, everything's going well so far. In the Dutch league, they are neck & neck with PSV Eindhoven. In the Dutch Cup, Feyenoord beat Ajax before Christmas (this time, 1-0 in Amsterdam) to set up a February quarter-final against PSV Eindhoven. In Europe, Feyenoord won all 6 of their Champions League group matches against Panathinaikos (Greece), Ferencvaros (Hungary) & Banik Ostrava (Czech Rep). Feyenoord are well on course to regaining the Champions League title which they lost last season after being eliminated by Lyon in the quarter-finals. They will play Arsenal in the round of 16.
If all players are fit & available, surely no one can stop Feyenoord from sweeping all before them & winning the treble this season!!!!!!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Bedlam in Africa, & THAT handball - what a week in football
Phhheewwww.......what a week it's been in football.
Firstly, there was bedlam & turmoil in North Africa, courtesy of the qualifiers between Egypt & Algeria. The 2 nations have a deep history of animosity & mutual loathing, so the qualifier in Cairo on 14/11/2009 was filled with tension. To add further fuel to the fire, Algeria's team bus in Cairo was attacked, & there were allegations that Egyptian security had disappeared to allow the home fans to stone the visiting team bus.
Going into the Cairo match, Egypt were 3 points behind Algeria & needed to win by a 3 goal margin to overtake Algeria & go straight to the World Cup. Algeria would go through if they win, draw or lose by no more than 1 goal margin. A 2 goal win by Egypt would mean playoff in a neutral venue. Algeria was losing 1-0 & looked set to book their tickets to South Africa, when Egypt dramatically scored the vital second goal deep into stoppage time. That sealed a 2-0 win to Egypt, which meant both teams are level on points, goal difference & goals scored. A playoff in neutral venue was needed to decide who goes to the World Cup. So near & yet so far for Algeria.
So the tension continued into the playoff on 18/11/2009. Algeria preferred Tunisia as the neutral venue, believing that the Tunisian public would side for them against Egypt. Egypt preferred nearby Sudan & got their wish. The momentum looked to be in Egypt's favour. But Algeria stunned their more fancied arch-rivals with a 1-0 win, & so seal a place in the World Cup finals for the first time since 1986.
And then, there is the handball by Thierry Henry in the lead up to France's decisive equalising goal in Paris against Ireland which allowed them to qualify for the World Cup. The French finished second in their World Cup qualifying group European zone, & so enter a two-legged playoff against Ireland (who also finished second in their group) for a spot in the World Cup.
France won the first 1-0 in Dublin. In the second leg, Ireland was leading 1-0 after the normal 90 minutes. So the game went to extra-time, & just 7 minutes from the end, Henry controlled the ball with his hand before setting up France's equaliser. That goal proved to be decisive, for the match finished 1-1 & allowed France to qualify 2-1 on aggregate. It was claimed that any professional in Henry's position (with so much at stake) would have done the same thing as Henry did. It was also claimed that it was up to the match officials to spot the handball & disallow the goal. They didn't, so the goal stood, & therefore denied Ireland the chance to take the match to a penalty shoot-out - which would have happened had France's equaliser been disallowed & had Ireland retained their 1 goal lead to the end of extra-time.
Henry's handball controversy created massive headlines in the Irish & British press (who were quick to sympathise with Ireland), with headlines like "The Hand of Henry", "Le Hand of God" & "Le Hand of Fraud" flashing out prominently. Most French fans were embarrassed by Henry's actions. But at the end of the day, France are going to the World Cup, despite some ordinary performance in the qualifying matches.
Someone once said a week is a long time in football. Well, this has been one hell of a football week!
Firstly, there was bedlam & turmoil in North Africa, courtesy of the qualifiers between Egypt & Algeria. The 2 nations have a deep history of animosity & mutual loathing, so the qualifier in Cairo on 14/11/2009 was filled with tension. To add further fuel to the fire, Algeria's team bus in Cairo was attacked, & there were allegations that Egyptian security had disappeared to allow the home fans to stone the visiting team bus.
Going into the Cairo match, Egypt were 3 points behind Algeria & needed to win by a 3 goal margin to overtake Algeria & go straight to the World Cup. Algeria would go through if they win, draw or lose by no more than 1 goal margin. A 2 goal win by Egypt would mean playoff in a neutral venue. Algeria was losing 1-0 & looked set to book their tickets to South Africa, when Egypt dramatically scored the vital second goal deep into stoppage time. That sealed a 2-0 win to Egypt, which meant both teams are level on points, goal difference & goals scored. A playoff in neutral venue was needed to decide who goes to the World Cup. So near & yet so far for Algeria.
So the tension continued into the playoff on 18/11/2009. Algeria preferred Tunisia as the neutral venue, believing that the Tunisian public would side for them against Egypt. Egypt preferred nearby Sudan & got their wish. The momentum looked to be in Egypt's favour. But Algeria stunned their more fancied arch-rivals with a 1-0 win, & so seal a place in the World Cup finals for the first time since 1986.
And then, there is the handball by Thierry Henry in the lead up to France's decisive equalising goal in Paris against Ireland which allowed them to qualify for the World Cup. The French finished second in their World Cup qualifying group European zone, & so enter a two-legged playoff against Ireland (who also finished second in their group) for a spot in the World Cup.
France won the first 1-0 in Dublin. In the second leg, Ireland was leading 1-0 after the normal 90 minutes. So the game went to extra-time, & just 7 minutes from the end, Henry controlled the ball with his hand before setting up France's equaliser. That goal proved to be decisive, for the match finished 1-1 & allowed France to qualify 2-1 on aggregate. It was claimed that any professional in Henry's position (with so much at stake) would have done the same thing as Henry did. It was also claimed that it was up to the match officials to spot the handball & disallow the goal. They didn't, so the goal stood, & therefore denied Ireland the chance to take the match to a penalty shoot-out - which would have happened had France's equaliser been disallowed & had Ireland retained their 1 goal lead to the end of extra-time.
Henry's handball controversy created massive headlines in the Irish & British press (who were quick to sympathise with Ireland), with headlines like "The Hand of Henry", "Le Hand of God" & "Le Hand of Fraud" flashing out prominently. Most French fans were embarrassed by Henry's actions. But at the end of the day, France are going to the World Cup, despite some ordinary performance in the qualifying matches.
Someone once said a week is a long time in football. Well, this has been one hell of a football week!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Amazing pictures - hippos kill crocodile
Amazing pictures captured by the Czech photographer - great job.
Moral of the story: Don't mess with hippos. Not even if u are a giant crocodile.
Crocodiles are normally fearsome & would probably be considered the most feared reptile. But this particular crocodile in the pictures looked like a puny lizard compared to those hippos & seemed so helpless especially after getting bitten. You got to feel sorry it. Why did it not stay well clear of the hippos?
Article from Daily Mail:
Oops, they weren't logs after all: The moment a crocodile was killed after taking a foolish shortcut across a herd of hippos
Their bone-crushing jaws, 24 razor-sharp teeth and armour-plated skin are enough to ensure most animals keep their distance. But, as our incredible pictures show, even crocodiles are no match for a herd of angry hippos.
This young reptilian predator paid the price for swimming too close to a mother and her calves while they bathed.
As 50 hippos gathered into a defensive circle around them, the crocodile panicked and raced over their backs in a bid to escape.
The spectacularly rare battle of the beasts was captured by Czech wildlife photographer Vaclav Silha.
He had set up his camera on the banks of the River Mara in the Serengeti national park, Tanzania, when the unbelievable scene unfolded before him.
But the 45-year-old got more than he bargained for when a colossal fight broke out between the group and a sneaky crocodile he had spotted earlier.
‘Mutual respect between these animals means fights occur very rarely,’ he said. ‘One of the only reasons you might see a conflict is if the hippos have young and they think the little ones are under threat. That’s exactly what happened here.
‘I have absolutely no idea why but the crocodile suddenly raced across the backs of the hippos. I think it might have panicked and thought it was a possible escape route. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
‘It was the worst choice the reptile could ever have made and it was definitely its last.
‘The island of hippos suddenly erupted with teeth and all I could see was the crocodile being repeatedly crushed in their huge mouths.’
Described as one of the most aggressive creatures in the animal kingdom, an adult hippo can apply several tons of pressure in a single bite.
‘Even the toughest crocodile could not have withstood being repeatedly bitten like that,’ said Mr Silha, from Prague.
‘There was no way for him to escape. I few seconds later his lifeless body slipped below the water and I didn’t see him again.’
One of these pictures was originally published in the November issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine.
Moral of the story: Don't mess with hippos. Not even if u are a giant crocodile.
Crocodiles are normally fearsome & would probably be considered the most feared reptile. But this particular crocodile in the pictures looked like a puny lizard compared to those hippos & seemed so helpless especially after getting bitten. You got to feel sorry it. Why did it not stay well clear of the hippos?
Article from Daily Mail:
Oops, they weren't logs after all: The moment a crocodile was killed after taking a foolish shortcut across a herd of hippos
Their bone-crushing jaws, 24 razor-sharp teeth and armour-plated skin are enough to ensure most animals keep their distance. But, as our incredible pictures show, even crocodiles are no match for a herd of angry hippos.
This young reptilian predator paid the price for swimming too close to a mother and her calves while they bathed.
As 50 hippos gathered into a defensive circle around them, the crocodile panicked and raced over their backs in a bid to escape.
It was the last mistake he ever made. The beast's defences were no match for the maze of angry mammals, who proved their bite is every bit as lethal as his.
The spectacularly rare battle of the beasts was captured by Czech wildlife photographer Vaclav Silha.
He had set up his camera on the banks of the River Mara in the Serengeti national park, Tanzania, when the unbelievable scene unfolded before him.
But the 45-year-old got more than he bargained for when a colossal fight broke out between the group and a sneaky crocodile he had spotted earlier.
‘Mutual respect between these animals means fights occur very rarely,’ he said. ‘One of the only reasons you might see a conflict is if the hippos have young and they think the little ones are under threat. That’s exactly what happened here.
‘The incautious croc got too close to a female who had calves and the whole group gathered into a defensive circle around them. It was a strong message for the crook to clear off.
‘I have absolutely no idea why but the crocodile suddenly raced across the backs of the hippos. I think it might have panicked and thought it was a possible escape route. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
‘It was the worst choice the reptile could ever have made and it was definitely its last.
‘The island of hippos suddenly erupted with teeth and all I could see was the crocodile being repeatedly crushed in their huge mouths.’
Described as one of the most aggressive creatures in the animal kingdom, an adult hippo can apply several tons of pressure in a single bite.
‘Even the toughest crocodile could not have withstood being repeatedly bitten like that,’ said Mr Silha, from Prague.
‘There was no way for him to escape. I few seconds later his lifeless body slipped below the water and I didn’t see him again.’
One of these pictures was originally published in the November issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine.
Bold move: The crocodile races across the backs of the hippos in a bid to escape after trying to snare a mother and her calves
Making a splash: The crocodile writhes and wriggles but cannot escape the clutches of his angry opponents
In the jaws of death: The crocodile is defeated by a maze of angry hippos after trying to kill one of their young
Make it snappy: The raging hippos take revenge by biting back while feeding at the River Mara in Tanzania
Finish him, boys: The crocodile writhes in its final movements before being finished off by his mammal opponents
Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1228242/Oops-werent-logs-The-moment-crocodile-killed-taking-foolish-shortcut-herd-hippos.html
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Workplace dares
ONE-POINT DARES (BEGINNERS...)
1. Ignore the first five people who say 'good morning' to you.
2. To signal the end of a conversation, clamp your hands over your ears
3. Leave your fly open for one hour. If anyone points it out, say,"Sorry,I really prefer it this way".
4. Walk sideways to the photocopier.
5. While riding in an lift, gasp dramatically every time the doors open.
6. When in the lift with one other person, tap them on the shoulder and pretend it wasn't you.
7. Finish all your sentences with "In accordance with the prophecy...
8. Don't use any punctuation.
9. Interrupt your conversation with someone by giving a huge dejected sigh.
10. Use your highlighter pen on the computer screen.
THREE-POINT DARES (NOT BAD)
1. Say to your boss, "I like your style", wink, and shoot him with double-barrelled fingers.
2. Kneel in front of the water cooler and drink directly from the nozzle.
3. Shout random numbers while someone is counting.
4. Every time you get an email, shout ''email''.
5. Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has got over his or her caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.
6. Keep hole punching your finger. Each time you do, shout,"dagnamit, it's happened again!". Then do it again.
7. Introduce yourself to a new colleague as "the office bicycle". Then wink and pout.
8. Call I.T. helpdesk and tell them that you can't seem to access any pornography web sites.
FIVE-POINT DARES (GO FOR IT!)
1. At the end of a meeting, suggest that, for once, it would be nice to conclude with the singing of the national anthem (extra points if you actually launch into it yourself). 2. Walk into a very busy person's office and while they watch you with growing irritation, turn the light switch on/off 10 times.
3. For an hour, refer to everyone you speak to as "Dave".
4. Announce to everyone in a meeting that you "really have to go do a number two". 5. When you've picked up a call, before speaking finish off some fake conversation with the words, ''she can abort it for all I care''.
6. After every sentence, say 'Mon' in a really bad Jamaican accent. As in: "The report's on your desk, Mon." Keep this up for one hour.
7. In a meeting or crowded situation, slap your forehead repeatedly and mutter, "Shut up, damn it, all of you just shut up!"
8. At lunchtime, get down on your knees and announce, "As God is my witness, I'll never go hungry again!"
9. Repeat the following conversation 10 times to the same person: "Do you hear that?" "What?" "Never mind, it's gone now."
10. Present meeting attendees with a cup of coffee and biscuit; smash each biscuit with your fist.
11. During the course of a meeting, slowly edge your chair towards the door.
12. As often as possible, skip rather than walk.
13. Ask people what sex they are. Laugh hysterically after they answer.
14. While a colleague is writing, grab their pen and throw it out of the nearest open window.
1. Ignore the first five people who say 'good morning' to you.
2. To signal the end of a conversation, clamp your hands over your ears
3. Leave your fly open for one hour. If anyone points it out, say,"Sorry,I really prefer it this way".
4. Walk sideways to the photocopier.
5. While riding in an lift, gasp dramatically every time the doors open.
6. When in the lift with one other person, tap them on the shoulder and pretend it wasn't you.
7. Finish all your sentences with "In accordance with the prophecy...
8. Don't use any punctuation.
9. Interrupt your conversation with someone by giving a huge dejected sigh.
10. Use your highlighter pen on the computer screen.
THREE-POINT DARES (NOT BAD)
1. Say to your boss, "I like your style", wink, and shoot him with double-barrelled fingers.
2. Kneel in front of the water cooler and drink directly from the nozzle.
3. Shout random numbers while someone is counting.
4. Every time you get an email, shout ''email''.
5. Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has got over his or her caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.
6. Keep hole punching your finger. Each time you do, shout,"dagnamit, it's happened again!". Then do it again.
7. Introduce yourself to a new colleague as "the office bicycle". Then wink and pout.
8. Call I.T. helpdesk and tell them that you can't seem to access any pornography web sites.
FIVE-POINT DARES (GO FOR IT!)
1. At the end of a meeting, suggest that, for once, it would be nice to conclude with the singing of the national anthem (extra points if you actually launch into it yourself). 2. Walk into a very busy person's office and while they watch you with growing irritation, turn the light switch on/off 10 times.
3. For an hour, refer to everyone you speak to as "Dave".
4. Announce to everyone in a meeting that you "really have to go do a number two". 5. When you've picked up a call, before speaking finish off some fake conversation with the words, ''she can abort it for all I care''.
6. After every sentence, say 'Mon' in a really bad Jamaican accent. As in: "The report's on your desk, Mon." Keep this up for one hour.
7. In a meeting or crowded situation, slap your forehead repeatedly and mutter, "Shut up, damn it, all of you just shut up!"
8. At lunchtime, get down on your knees and announce, "As God is my witness, I'll never go hungry again!"
9. Repeat the following conversation 10 times to the same person: "Do you hear that?" "What?" "Never mind, it's gone now."
10. Present meeting attendees with a cup of coffee and biscuit; smash each biscuit with your fist.
11. During the course of a meeting, slowly edge your chair towards the door.
12. As often as possible, skip rather than walk.
13. Ask people what sex they are. Laugh hysterically after they answer.
14. While a colleague is writing, grab their pen and throw it out of the nearest open window.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Spain v Argentina - should be great
vs
Spain are hosting Argentina in a friendly match soon. On paper at least, this promises to be a cracker. Just look at the amount of attacking talent each side can call upon. For Spain, they got the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, David Silva, Jesus Navas, Fernando Torres & David Villa. The Argentinians can pick from Messi, Di Maria, Pastore (if he is picked), Banega, Perrotti, Aguero, Higuain & Tevez. A lot of of the Argentina footballers ply their trade in Spain, so both teams will be very familiar with each other.
Yeah, both sides do have quality in their ranks. But if u look deeper, u can see why Spain are more likely to win the match. Their defence is stronger than Argentina's. Also, the team cohesion is considerably greater than what Argentina possess at the moment - Spain has a settled line-up, whereas Argentina coach Maradona is still searching for an ideal starting XI for Argentina. Remember, they struggled through the South American qualifiers & only made sure of World Cup qualification in their very last game away to Uruguay. On the other hand, Spain are the best team in Europe & have the Euro 2008 trophy to reflect this. For these reasons, it will be difficult to see Argentina win the match. A draw would be a good result for them.
Those who like the short-passing attacking game, with lots of thrills & combination moves, would absolutely love the prospect of Spain v Argentina. Maradona's inadequacies taken into consideration, this promises to be a great game.
Congratulations NZ, commiserations Bahrain
New Zealand qualifies for the World Cup for the first time since 1982. They did so after beating Bahrain 1-0 in the World Cup qualifying second leg playoff in New Zealand. The first leg in Bahrain was 0-0.
Congratulations to New Zealand for the qualification, & hopefully this will spark a football boom in the country. As for Bahrain, u got to feel sorry for them. They narrowly missed out on the 2006 World Cup after being narrowly edged out by Trinidad & Tobago. Now, NZ has done what Trinidad & Tobago did 4 years ago.
So NZ will be going to South Africa next year. Based on their ordinary showing at the 2009 Confederations Cup earlier this year (they got hammered by Spain), NZ might be seen as the weakest team at the World Cup & many teams will want to be drawn with NZ. I hope NZ will improve between now & the tournament next year, so that they can give a decent showing at the tournament. Best of luck NZ. Better luck next time Bahrain.
Congratulations to New Zealand for the qualification, & hopefully this will spark a football boom in the country. As for Bahrain, u got to feel sorry for them. They narrowly missed out on the 2006 World Cup after being narrowly edged out by Trinidad & Tobago. Now, NZ has done what Trinidad & Tobago did 4 years ago.
So NZ will be going to South Africa next year. Based on their ordinary showing at the 2009 Confederations Cup earlier this year (they got hammered by Spain), NZ might be seen as the weakest team at the World Cup & many teams will want to be drawn with NZ. I hope NZ will improve between now & the tournament next year, so that they can give a decent showing at the tournament. Best of luck NZ. Better luck next time Bahrain.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
What is generation Y?
What is generation Y?
Hhhmmmm, I've always wondered this myself....Now I know.
The Silent generation, people born before 1946.
The Baby Boomers, people born between 1946 and 1959.
Generation X, people born between 1960 and 1979.
Generation Y, people born between 1980 and 2009.
Why do we call the last one generation Y? I did not know, but a cartoonist explains it eloquently below...Learned something new today!
Hhhmmmm, I've always wondered this myself....Now I know.
The Silent generation, people born before 1946.
The Baby Boomers, people born between 1946 and 1959.
Generation X, people born between 1960 and 1979.
Generation Y, people born between 1980 and 2009.
Why do we call the last one generation Y? I did not know, but a cartoonist explains it eloquently below...Learned something new today!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
FAT players get free burgers in Thai sponsorship deal
FAT as in Football Association of Thailand.
Wow....these footballers free Big Macs & Fillet o Fish. Imagine if they eat that everyday. If Thailand do make it to the World Cup (& I wish them the best of luck), the goalkeeper by then might be fat enough to cover his goalmouth. Then no one can score against them (every shot bounces off the goalkeeper's body), & Thailand wins the World Cup. Hahaha.....
**********************************************************************************************************
Reuters, Wednesday November 4 2009
BANGKOK, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Thailand's top soccer players will feast on free burgers as part of a three-year sponsorship deal with American fast food giant McDonald's worth almost $900,000, the country's soccer president said on Wednesday. McDonald's will provide 25 million baht ($747,000) for the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) and will offer five million baht in products in exchange for shirt sponsorship for the next three years, starting this month. "This will be a great help towards our efforts to reach the 2014 World Cup finals," FAT president Worawi Makudi told Reuters. "This funding will help develop our game, especially youth football, and all the players, junior and senior, will get to enjoy the food too," he added. Thailand's national team, which is currently 110th in the FIFA rankings, signed a five-year kit sponsorship deal with U.S. sports giant Nike in 2007 for an undisclosed figure. The team has never qualified for the World Cup finals and is now being coached by former England and Manchester United captain Bryan Robson.
Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/feedarticle/8789806
Wow....these footballers free Big Macs & Fillet o Fish. Imagine if they eat that everyday. If Thailand do make it to the World Cup (& I wish them the best of luck), the goalkeeper by then might be fat enough to cover his goalmouth. Then no one can score against them (every shot bounces off the goalkeeper's body), & Thailand wins the World Cup. Hahaha.....
**********************************************************************************************************
Reuters, Wednesday November 4 2009
BANGKOK, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Thailand's top soccer players will feast on free burgers as part of a three-year sponsorship deal with American fast food giant McDonald's worth almost $900,000, the country's soccer president said on Wednesday. McDonald's will provide 25 million baht ($747,000) for the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) and will offer five million baht in products in exchange for shirt sponsorship for the next three years, starting this month. "This will be a great help towards our efforts to reach the 2014 World Cup finals," FAT president Worawi Makudi told Reuters. "This funding will help develop our game, especially youth football, and all the players, junior and senior, will get to enjoy the food too," he added. Thailand's national team, which is currently 110th in the FIFA rankings, signed a five-year kit sponsorship deal with U.S. sports giant Nike in 2007 for an undisclosed figure. The team has never qualified for the World Cup finals and is now being coached by former England and Manchester United captain Bryan Robson.
Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/feedarticle/8789806
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Banks - got to "love" em
It's interesting, isn't it, to observe bank's reaction time to RBA's raising of interest rates.
When RBA jacks up interest rates, banks are so quick to do the same for their lending products.....sometimes in a matter of hours after RBA ups the rates. It seems like a race at times - a race between the banks to see who is fastest to bring up their interest rates after RBA's announcement. But the banks are nowhere near as quick to raise interest rates for their deposits.
On the other hand, when RBA cuts interest rates, banks are ohhhh soooooooo slow to act. Sometimes, they wait for weeks before bringing their rates down on their loans.
Yes, I know the reasons why banks display such self-serving behaviour, but the sheer contrast in the banks' "reaction time" between RBA increasing & decreasing interest rates is just so great, that their actions may portray them as money-grabbing institutions. Who could blame customers for thinking that banks are just looking out for their own best interests instead of the best interests of customers?
Banks - u just got to "love" them.
When RBA jacks up interest rates, banks are so quick to do the same for their lending products.....sometimes in a matter of hours after RBA ups the rates. It seems like a race at times - a race between the banks to see who is fastest to bring up their interest rates after RBA's announcement. But the banks are nowhere near as quick to raise interest rates for their deposits.
On the other hand, when RBA cuts interest rates, banks are ohhhh soooooooo slow to act. Sometimes, they wait for weeks before bringing their rates down on their loans.
Yes, I know the reasons why banks display such self-serving behaviour, but the sheer contrast in the banks' "reaction time" between RBA increasing & decreasing interest rates is just so great, that their actions may portray them as money-grabbing institutions. Who could blame customers for thinking that banks are just looking out for their own best interests instead of the best interests of customers?
Banks - u just got to "love" them.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Article - curry kills cancer cells
My friend posted this article on Facebook. I checked it out & really liked it, coz I'm a big big fan of curry. So I thought I'd post it on my blog. Here it is. If what it says is true, then perhaps it's another reason to consume curry. Not that I need another reason to indulge in it :)
Curry kills cancer cells
LONDON - A MOLECULE found in a curry ingredient can kill oesophageal cancer cells in the laboratory, suggesting it might be developed as an anti-cancer treatment, scientists said on Wednesday.
Researchers at the Cork Cancer Research Centre in Ireland treated oesophageal cancer cells with curcumin - a chemical found in the spice turmeric, which gives curries a distinctive yellow colour - and found it started to kill cancer cells within 24 hours. The cells also began to digest themselves, they said in a study published in the British Journal of Cancer.
Previous scientific studies have suggested curcumin can suppress tumours and that people who eat lots of curry may be less prone to the disease, although curcumin loses its anti-cancer attributes quickly when ingested. But Sharon McKenna, lead author of the Irish study, said her study suggested a potential for scientists to develop curcumin as an anti-cancer drug to treat oesophageal cancer.
Cancers of the oesophagus kill more than 500,000 people across the world each year. The tumours are especially deadly, with five-year survival rates of just 12 to 31 per cent. Ms McKenna said the study showed curcumin caused the cancer cells to die 'using an unexpected system of cell messages'.
Normally, faulty cells die by committing programmed suicide, or apoptosis, which occurs when proteins called caspases are 'switched on' in cells, the researchers said.
But these cells showed no evidence of suicide, and the addition of a molecule that inhibits caspases and stops this 'switch being flicked' made no difference to the number of cells that died, suggesting curcumin attacked the cancer cells using an alternative cell signalling system. -- REUTERS
A molecule found in a curry ingredient can kill oesophageal cancer cells in the laboratory, suggesting it might be developed as an anti-cancer treatment, scientists said on Wednesday. -- PHOTO: AP
Link:http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Tech+and+Science/Story/STIStory_447509.html?vgnmr=1
Curry kills cancer cells
LONDON - A MOLECULE found in a curry ingredient can kill oesophageal cancer cells in the laboratory, suggesting it might be developed as an anti-cancer treatment, scientists said on Wednesday.
Researchers at the Cork Cancer Research Centre in Ireland treated oesophageal cancer cells with curcumin - a chemical found in the spice turmeric, which gives curries a distinctive yellow colour - and found it started to kill cancer cells within 24 hours. The cells also began to digest themselves, they said in a study published in the British Journal of Cancer.
Previous scientific studies have suggested curcumin can suppress tumours and that people who eat lots of curry may be less prone to the disease, although curcumin loses its anti-cancer attributes quickly when ingested. But Sharon McKenna, lead author of the Irish study, said her study suggested a potential for scientists to develop curcumin as an anti-cancer drug to treat oesophageal cancer.
Cancers of the oesophagus kill more than 500,000 people across the world each year. The tumours are especially deadly, with five-year survival rates of just 12 to 31 per cent. Ms McKenna said the study showed curcumin caused the cancer cells to die 'using an unexpected system of cell messages'.
Normally, faulty cells die by committing programmed suicide, or apoptosis, which occurs when proteins called caspases are 'switched on' in cells, the researchers said.
But these cells showed no evidence of suicide, and the addition of a molecule that inhibits caspases and stops this 'switch being flicked' made no difference to the number of cells that died, suggesting curcumin attacked the cancer cells using an alternative cell signalling system. -- REUTERS
A molecule found in a curry ingredient can kill oesophageal cancer cells in the laboratory, suggesting it might be developed as an anti-cancer treatment, scientists said on Wednesday. -- PHOTO: AP
Link:http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Tech+and+Science/Story/STIStory_447509.html?vgnmr=1
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Real Madrid humiliated!
Real Madrid lost 4-0 to Spanish third division club AD Alcorcon, in a Spanish Cup round of 32 first leg match. For AD Alcorcon, it would probably be their most famous win. For Real Madrid, this represents humiliation on a grand scale.
Real Madrid, remember, shell out €300 million to buy new players (including superstars Cristiano Ronaldo & Kaka) in response to Barcelona's treble success in the 2008/2009 season. The new signings will need time to settle; yes, that is true. But who would have thought they would have lost 4-0 to a third division side? Real Madrid may not have put their full-strength team out, but they still fielded 9 international players. Even a half-strength Real Madrid should have been able to beat AD Alcorcon. In fact, any team in Spain's top division should be able to beat AD Alcorcon with half-strength line-ups. No disrespect intended to AD Alcorcon.
Of course, both teams still have to play the second leg in Madrid. But AD Alcorcon take a handy 4-goal first leg lead to the Spanish capital, & Real Madrid must score 4 goals without reply, just to take the match to extra-time. The damage to Real Madrid's prestige caused by the 4-0 debacle in the first leg might stick for a while, even if Real Madrid wins the second leg by 5 goals or more.
Real Madrid, remember, shell out €300 million to buy new players (including superstars Cristiano Ronaldo & Kaka) in response to Barcelona's treble success in the 2008/2009 season. The new signings will need time to settle; yes, that is true. But who would have thought they would have lost 4-0 to a third division side? Real Madrid may not have put their full-strength team out, but they still fielded 9 international players. Even a half-strength Real Madrid should have been able to beat AD Alcorcon. In fact, any team in Spain's top division should be able to beat AD Alcorcon with half-strength line-ups. No disrespect intended to AD Alcorcon.
Of course, both teams still have to play the second leg in Madrid. But AD Alcorcon take a handy 4-goal first leg lead to the Spanish capital, & Real Madrid must score 4 goals without reply, just to take the match to extra-time. The damage to Real Madrid's prestige caused by the 4-0 debacle in the first leg might stick for a while, even if Real Madrid wins the second leg by 5 goals or more.
Monday, October 19, 2009
"1Toilet" plan....hahahaha!!!
Hahahaha. Look at this article from The Star (Malaysian newspaper) on 15/10/2009. It talks about a "1Toilet" plan. The things people come up with these days. Everyone shares 1 toilet!! Hahahahaha!!!!!!!! It's so very very silly, to put it kindly. Let's point & laugh!! Hahaha!!
The article says that students feel increased sense of importance if they share the same toilet as their teachers. This makes me LMAO. Aaahhhhhh, yes, I see. Teachers use toilet first, then students use after the teachers. Or hey, they can make it the other way round & let students use the toilet first before teachers. Either way, students & teachers get the chance to smell each other's shit. What a great honour, indeed. It must be such an honour for the teachers to have their faecal odour being discussed by their beloved students. "Hey, did u know what Miss Hasmah's shit smells like?" "You think that's bad? Mr Salleh's shit smells even worse! It must be all that roti canai"
Yeah, I can see "1 shit break per person per day" being introduced. If that really happens, u hear it first from here!!
‘1Toilet’ plan to let teachers and students mingle freely
KUALA TERENGGANU: The state government will introduce a “1Toilet” policy in a move to liberalise education, where teachers – and even principals – will soon have to share toilets with their students.
State Education, Higher Learning, Human Resource, Science and Technology Committee chairman Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman said the policy was mooted in line with the 1Malaysia concept, and teachers and students could have a feeling of “oneness”.
“We want students to have a sense of belonging that we believe would inspire them to excel further in their education.
“When students share the toilets with the teacher, they (students) will believe that they are on par with academicians and this automatically invokes a sense of being important to an organisation, which, in this case, is the school,” he said here yesterday.
“We are not compelling the school authorities to apply the policy. It is their prerogative,” said Ahmad Razif.
“So far, we have one school in Hulu Terengganu that has implemented the policy a few days ago. It has received positive feedback from the school management although it is still premature for us to evaluate its efficiency,” he said.
Ahmad Razif said that under the policy, teachers and students would also be encouraged to sit within a common space at school canteens during recess.
“This means that teachers and students will mingle freely during recess,” he said.
Ahmad Razif said the policy had initially been proposed by Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said earlier this year but that it took some time for it to be properly drafted.
On another matter, Ahmad Razif said the state government would continue to send students to pursue medicine and dentistry in recognised universities in Indonesia.
“We are looking into the option of sending our students to universities in areas classified as non-earthquake prone areas in Indonesia,” he said.
Ahmad Razif said the state government was also in the midst of discussions with officials from University Padjadjaran of Bandung on the possibility of sending Terengganu students for medical courses there.
He said other countries that the state government was planning to send their medical undergraduates next year were Poland and Russia.
The article says that students feel increased sense of importance if they share the same toilet as their teachers. This makes me LMAO. Aaahhhhhh, yes, I see. Teachers use toilet first, then students use after the teachers. Or hey, they can make it the other way round & let students use the toilet first before teachers. Either way, students & teachers get the chance to smell each other's shit. What a great honour, indeed. It must be such an honour for the teachers to have their faecal odour being discussed by their beloved students. "Hey, did u know what Miss Hasmah's shit smells like?" "You think that's bad? Mr Salleh's shit smells even worse! It must be all that roti canai"
Yeah, I can see "1 shit break per person per day" being introduced. If that really happens, u hear it first from here!!
‘1Toilet’ plan to let teachers and students mingle freely
KUALA TERENGGANU: The state government will introduce a “1Toilet” policy in a move to liberalise education, where teachers – and even principals – will soon have to share toilets with their students.
State Education, Higher Learning, Human Resource, Science and Technology Committee chairman Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman said the policy was mooted in line with the 1Malaysia concept, and teachers and students could have a feeling of “oneness”.
“We want students to have a sense of belonging that we believe would inspire them to excel further in their education.
“When students share the toilets with the teacher, they (students) will believe that they are on par with academicians and this automatically invokes a sense of being important to an organisation, which, in this case, is the school,” he said here yesterday.
“We are not compelling the school authorities to apply the policy. It is their prerogative,” said Ahmad Razif.
“So far, we have one school in Hulu Terengganu that has implemented the policy a few days ago. It has received positive feedback from the school management although it is still premature for us to evaluate its efficiency,” he said.
Ahmad Razif said that under the policy, teachers and students would also be encouraged to sit within a common space at school canteens during recess.
“This means that teachers and students will mingle freely during recess,” he said.
Ahmad Razif said the policy had initially been proposed by Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said earlier this year but that it took some time for it to be properly drafted.
On another matter, Ahmad Razif said the state government would continue to send students to pursue medicine and dentistry in recognised universities in Indonesia.
“We are looking into the option of sending our students to universities in areas classified as non-earthquake prone areas in Indonesia,” he said.
Ahmad Razif said the state government was also in the midst of discussions with officials from University Padjadjaran of Bandung on the possibility of sending Terengganu students for medical courses there.
He said other countries that the state government was planning to send their medical undergraduates next year were Poland and Russia.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Argentina finally qualifies for 2010 World Cup
Finally, finally, Argentina have qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. They did so courtesy of a 1-0 win away to fierce South American rivals Uruguay, in the very last qualifying game. The goal was scored by midfielder Mario Bolatti, just little over 5 minutes from full-time. Argentina only needed a draw to stay in fourth place in the South American table & qualify directly for the World Cup, while Uruguay needed to win to get that fourth spot. Thanks to Bolatti's late strike, Argentina got a bit more than the draw they needed. And with it, South Africa beckons next year.
According to reports, the match in Montevideo really was a tight affair as the scoreline suggested, with few scoring opportunities as both sets of defence were on top of their game. Apparently, Argentina's narrow win was just about deserved. I am just relieved they will be going to the World Cup. Going into the Uruguay match, I was very worried for Argentina. In their previous game just days before, they narrowly won 2-1 at home to Peru, with Peru scoring a late equaliser before Argentina scoring the winner deep into time added on. Montevideo was certainly not the easiest of places to go to get a result from. The fact that Argentina did get a result there will, hopefully, spur them on to greater things.
But let's not sweep things under the carpet. Argentina really made a huge mess of the South American qualifiers. With the players they have, they should have been able to qualify for the World Cup much more comfortably & much earlier than they actually did. Instead, they bungled their way through many of their matches, & had to wait until 5 minutes from the end of their last game to secure qualification. They had a change of coach midway during the qualifying series, & that added to the struggles. Goodness gracious, thankfully they have made it.
Uruguay, meanwhile, will have to fight it out another day - the loss to Argentina & results elsewhere means they clinch fifth spot in South America, & they now go to the playoffs with a team from CONCACAF to see who goes through to the World Cup.
So, Argentina finishes in fourth spot in the South American qualifiers. The teams above them are Brazil, Chile & Paraguay. Interestingly, Chile & Paraguay are coached by Argentinians....& both sides finish above Argentina on the standings. That's interesting.....to me, this suggests that there are better candidates to coach Argentina than Maradona. Why was Maradona picked, despite his inexperience???? I keep asking this question, & to this day, I cannot find an answer.
According to reports, the match in Montevideo really was a tight affair as the scoreline suggested, with few scoring opportunities as both sets of defence were on top of their game. Apparently, Argentina's narrow win was just about deserved. I am just relieved they will be going to the World Cup. Going into the Uruguay match, I was very worried for Argentina. In their previous game just days before, they narrowly won 2-1 at home to Peru, with Peru scoring a late equaliser before Argentina scoring the winner deep into time added on. Montevideo was certainly not the easiest of places to go to get a result from. The fact that Argentina did get a result there will, hopefully, spur them on to greater things.
But let's not sweep things under the carpet. Argentina really made a huge mess of the South American qualifiers. With the players they have, they should have been able to qualify for the World Cup much more comfortably & much earlier than they actually did. Instead, they bungled their way through many of their matches, & had to wait until 5 minutes from the end of their last game to secure qualification. They had a change of coach midway during the qualifying series, & that added to the struggles. Goodness gracious, thankfully they have made it.
Uruguay, meanwhile, will have to fight it out another day - the loss to Argentina & results elsewhere means they clinch fifth spot in South America, & they now go to the playoffs with a team from CONCACAF to see who goes through to the World Cup.
So, Argentina finishes in fourth spot in the South American qualifiers. The teams above them are Brazil, Chile & Paraguay. Interestingly, Chile & Paraguay are coached by Argentinians....& both sides finish above Argentina on the standings. That's interesting.....to me, this suggests that there are better candidates to coach Argentina than Maradona. Why was Maradona picked, despite his inexperience???? I keep asking this question, & to this day, I cannot find an answer.
RIP Captain Lou Albano
Some sad news for wrestling fans. Former professional wrestling manager, Captain Lou Albano, has died aged 76. He died in his sleep.
Those who follow American professional wrestling closely would know who Lou Albano is. I remember him from watching World Wrestling Federation (as it was known back then) in the 1980s as a kid. He stands out for being on the overweight side (& I say this in a good way), his scruffy looks, longish hair & distinctive beard. He was one of the "good guys". The wrestlers he managed include such big names as Andre the Giant, Nikolai Volkoff, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka & The Iron Sheik. There were a couple of occasions where he would get into fights with rival managers. On top of that, he managed numerous tag teams. A lot of the wrestlers he managed (whether as single competitors or tag team) have won many titles. I can tell you he was some character, & I enjoyed watching him & the wrestlers he managed. If I recall correctly, there was one WWF segment where Albano was attacked by Bobby Heenan & a couple of Heenan's wrestlers, only for Albano's wrestlers to come to the rescue & take Heenan's wrestlers out. They then isolated Bobby Heenan for Albano to throw a couple of punches & dish out handsome retribution on Heenan, much to the delight of the crowd (because Heenan was one of the villains, a manager that wrestling fans loved to hate). Aaaaahhhh, memories.
Lou Albano's passing is a huge loss to the wrestling world. Outside of wrestling, I am sure his family & friends will dearly miss him.
RIP Lou Albano.
Those who follow American professional wrestling closely would know who Lou Albano is. I remember him from watching World Wrestling Federation (as it was known back then) in the 1980s as a kid. He stands out for being on the overweight side (& I say this in a good way), his scruffy looks, longish hair & distinctive beard. He was one of the "good guys". The wrestlers he managed include such big names as Andre the Giant, Nikolai Volkoff, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka & The Iron Sheik. There were a couple of occasions where he would get into fights with rival managers. On top of that, he managed numerous tag teams. A lot of the wrestlers he managed (whether as single competitors or tag team) have won many titles. I can tell you he was some character, & I enjoyed watching him & the wrestlers he managed. If I recall correctly, there was one WWF segment where Albano was attacked by Bobby Heenan & a couple of Heenan's wrestlers, only for Albano's wrestlers to come to the rescue & take Heenan's wrestlers out. They then isolated Bobby Heenan for Albano to throw a couple of punches & dish out handsome retribution on Heenan, much to the delight of the crowd (because Heenan was one of the villains, a manager that wrestling fans loved to hate). Aaaaahhhh, memories.
Lou Albano's passing is a huge loss to the wrestling world. Outside of wrestling, I am sure his family & friends will dearly miss him.
RIP Lou Albano.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Farina out!
Brisbane Roar just sacked coach Frank Farina for drink driving (bloody idiot). The announcement was meant to have been made yesterday afternoon, but it was delayed over dispute over his payout. Well, Farina is now gone! Gooooonnneee!!!
The amazing thing is - this is NOT the first time he's done it (drink drive). What a twit. Now that he's out of work, maybe he can take up new occupation as taxi driver (Silvercabs, anyone?) or a chauffeur. Hahaha....
The amazing thing is - this is NOT the first time he's done it (drink drive). What a twit. Now that he's out of work, maybe he can take up new occupation as taxi driver (Silvercabs, anyone?) or a chauffeur. Hahaha....
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
RIP Stephen Gately
Stephen Gately, former member of Irish pop group Boyzone, is dead. I just discovered the news while surfing the internet.
Gately was found dead in his apartment on the Spanish island of Majorca. Apparently, he died of excess fluid in his lungs. I was shocked by this - yet another celebrity to have died so young. I SMSed my good friend Ivan C the other day to tell him of the news. From his SMS reply, I think Ivan was shocked, too.
No doubt members of Boyzone, & thousand of their fans & others within the music industry, would have been devastated by the news.
RIP Stephen Gately.
Gately was found dead in his apartment on the Spanish island of Majorca. Apparently, he died of excess fluid in his lungs. I was shocked by this - yet another celebrity to have died so young. I SMSed my good friend Ivan C the other day to tell him of the news. From his SMS reply, I think Ivan was shocked, too.
No doubt members of Boyzone, & thousand of their fans & others within the music industry, would have been devastated by the news.
RIP Stephen Gately.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
50 ways to know if you're an "Asian"
1. You were/are a good student with very high GPAs. 2. You majored in something practical like engineering, medicine or finance.
3. You have more than one-college degree, especially more than one Masters.
4. If you play a musical instrument, it must be piano.
5. You have a vinyl table cloth on your kitchen table.
6. Your stove is covered with aluminum foil.
7. Your kitchen has a sticky film of grease over it.
8. You beat eggs with chopsticks.
9. You always leave outdoor shoes at the door.
10. You use the dishwasher as a dish rack.
11. You keep a Thermos of hot water available at all times.
12. You boil water before drinking.
13. You eat all meals in the kitchen to keep your dining room clean.
14. You don't use measuring cups when preparing foods.
15. You save grocery bags and use them to hold garbage.
16. You have a rice cooker.
17. You're a wok user.
18. You fight over who pays the dinner bill.
19. You wash rice 2-3 times before cooking it.
20. You make sounds when you have a bowl of soup.
21. You don't dry-clean clothes, even if they need to be dry-cleaned.
22. You iron your own shirts.
23. You like congee with thousand year old eggs.
24. You always cook yourself, even if you hate it.
25. You use credit cards, and pay monthly bills in full.
26. You do either soccer, swimming, badminton, volleyball, basketball, or ping pong, and have an obsession with making the Beijing Olympics.
27. You buy Christmas cards after Christmas, when they are 50% off.
28. When you hand wash dishes, you only use cold water. 29 & 30. You hate to waste food:
a) Even if you're totally full, if someone says they're going to throw away the leftovers on the table, you'll finish them. b) You have Tupperware in your fridge with three bites of rice or one leftover chicken wing. 31. You don't own any real Tupperware-only a cupboard full of used but carefully rinsed margarine tubs, takeout containers, and jam jars.
32. When toilet paper is on sale, you buy 100 rolls and store them.
33. You have a collection of miniature shampoo/conditioner bottles and little soap bars that you take every time you stay in a hotel.
34. The condiments in your fridge are either Price Club sized or come in plastic packets, which you save every time you get take out or go to McDonald's.
35. You carry a stash of your own food whenever you travel (and travel means any car ride longer than 15 minutes).
36. You spit bones and other food scraps on the table.
37. Your dad thinks he can fix everything himself.
38. When you go to a dance party, there is always a group of guys surrounding the dance floor trying to look cool.
39. Your house/aparment is always cold in winter, and hot in summer.
40. Your Mom drives her Mercedes to Foodtown, or Shoppers Food Warehouse regardless how far it is, even if the dairy is next door.
41. You always look phone numbers up in the phone book, since calling Directory Assistance costs 50 cents.
42. You only make long distance calls after 11pm or during weekends.
43. You prefer your shrimp with the heads and legs still attached.
44. You never call your parents just to say hi.
45. You think ONLY Japanese can make good CARS!
46. You use a colored face cloth every morning.
47. You starve yourself before going to all-you-can-eat places.
48. Almost all your money is in a savings account
49. You never discuss your love life with your parents.
50. You take this message and forward it to all your Asian friends.
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