Nice t-shirts!

Look at these t-shirts! I recently found these among other pics on The Times website.

Nice, interesting & funny shirts. I really like the "You To be" & "my space" shirts. Actually, I like them all.....I want all of em!

2008 UEFA Cup final, FA Cup final

A couple of final matches took place in Europe over the past few days.

2008 UEFA Cup final

On Thursday morning (Brisbane time), Russian club Zenit St Petersburg beat Scotland's Glasgow Rangers 2-0 in the UEFA Cup final, played in the City of Manchester Stadium (home of Manchester City). Both goals came late in the second half, after a tight & rather tentative first half (I managed to miss the first 17 minutes of the match because I woke up "late"). Firstly, Denisov opened the scoring in the 72nd minute after playing a nice one-two with influential playmaker Arshavin. Then, in the last minute, with almost the last kick of the match, Zyrianov tapped in a low cross to seal the trophy for Zenit.

The win was deserved, because Zenit looked to be the more accomplished & more adventurous side. It's a great achievement for their experienced Dutch coach, Dick Advocaat. Zenit had some remarkable results on the way to the UEFA Cup triumph, including a 4-0 hammering of German giants Bayern Munich in the semi-final second leg. So it is fitting that they won the trophy. Rangers did very well to get to the final, though some say that the style of football displayed by Rangers (they defended grimly & pinched a goal here & there) left a lot to be desired. All things said, I'm glad to see Zenit win (nothing against Rangers, though) because of the football that they have displayed in the tournament.

2008 FA Cup final

This morning (Brisbane time), Portsmouth beat Cardiff 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley, London. This final was an intriguing match-up: Portsmouth, 8th in the English Premier League (England's top football league) against Cardiff, 12th in the Football League Championship (England's second highest football division, after the Premier League). Cardiff is actually a Welsh side, but allowed to compete in the English football leagues. So the 2008 FA Cup final was seen by some as an England v Wales contest. The only goal came in the 37th minute, after Cardiff's Finnish keeper Enckelman fumbled a cross from Portsmouth's Nigerian attacker Utaka, giving Kanu (also a Nigerian international) an unmissable chance to score. Kanu could have scored earlier in the match after a nice passage of play by Portsmouth saw him rounding Enckelman, but he tapped his shot against the post. The goal that Kanu did score seemed harsh on Cardiff, who had been comfortably holding their own against the more fancied Portsmouth.

On the whole, the match could be regarded as fairly even, with neither side able to say they really dominated the other team. Cardiff continued to search for the equaliser in the second-half, but without success. It's refreshing to see a different name on the trophy for once, after recent editions have been dominated by England's top 4 clubs (between 1996 & 2007, the final was always won by either Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester United). This was Portsmouth's first FA Cup win in 69 years. It's good to see Portsmouth likeable manager Harry Redknapp with a trophy to show for his good work for the club. Commiserations to Cardiff, who did so well to reach the final. In defeat, they showed that they are definitely a capable side, & if they can keep their squad & get in a couple of decent signings, then there is no reason why they cannot achieve promotion to the Premier League next season. Good luck to them.

Possible merger between Westpac & St George

Look at the news below (obtained from NineMSN).

Westpac (one of Australia's biggest 4 banks) & St George (Australia's fifth largest bank) have had merger talks this morning. According to another source, should the merger go ahead, the new entity would actually be Australia's largest bank. Know what the interesting thing is? Gail Kelly, the Westpac CEO, used to be the St George CEO. But she left St George last year, to work for Westpac. And now look, she & her bank are returning to her old bank to absorb it.

Now, the banking regulations in Australia (it's called the "four pillars rule") prevent Australia's biggest 4 banks (CBA, NAB, ANZ, Westpac - not sure the order of size) from merging with each other. Since St George is not part of that top 4, the proposed merger will not fall foul of the "four pillars rule" but obviously there will be other regulatory "hurdles" which must be cleared before the merger can go ahead. But looks as if we have a case of a member of the top 4 banks taking out a major competitor to the top 4. Perhaps Westpac see this takeover as a way of expanding to challenge the other 3 members of the top 4.

At least the St George brand will stay (or at least that is the plan at this stage, anyway). I have an interest in this news because I am a St George customer. I've been largely satisfied with St George thus far. I don't know what Westpac are like. Maybe they're not too bad. But if the merger goes ahead, how will things change? The talk is that of a bigger & better organisation, & while it will certainly be bigger, will it be better? Hopefully the level of customer service at least stays the same, if not improve. What I look forward to see is the range of new products that will be released by the newly merged entity. What new products will the new entity offer to customers? New savings accounts with high interest rates & Nil fees? New investment products? If the merger eventuates, all I got to say to the new entity is: show us what u got!


*************
Westpac, St George in merger talks
10:00 AEST Mon May 12 2008

Two of Australia’s biggest banks have kicked off merger talks after Westpac approached St George about a proposed takeover of its operations.

St George told the Australian stock exchange today that Westpac had approached it after close of business on Friday.

Both banks this morning asked for trading halts in their shares to allow confidential discussions to continue and for an announcement to be made, possibly within 24 hours.

In a statement, Westpac said the respective brands would be better able to compete and flourish by belonging to the same larger, stronger entity.

"Both organisations are strong businesses, with iconic brands, strong and highly complementary cultures and long track records of delivering for customers, employees, shareholders and the community," it said.

Under the potential merger, all Westpac and St George brands, including Bank SA, and branch/ATM networks would be retained.

"The focus will be on investing more in front-line services," Westpac said.

Westpac chief executive Gail Kelly said the merger was a unique opportunity to bring the brands together in a way that would benefit both banks and their customers.

"It would create Australia's leading financial institution with regard to meeting customer needs, distribution, strong brands, scale, financial strength and the best products," she said.

"For customers, it would make it more convenient to access customer touchpoints, including the largest distribution network with over 1,200 branches and in-stores as well as more than 2,700 ATMs.

"It would also provide greater diversity and choice of products from both organisations."

Radio talk by Phil Campbell on greed

On the way to church this morning, I heard a talk on the radio (FM 96.5) delivered by Phil Campbell. The topic of the talk was greed. I remembered Phil from last year's Men's Training Event. He was a very good speaker (I'm sure those who attended MTE would agree). His radio talk this morning was rather enjoyable. I don't think I remember exactly everything that was said (selective memory retention, is what it is), but I hope this post covers the gist of the talk.

Phil Campbell's talk was on Luke 12:13-21. The passage talked about the parable of the rich man. Phil emphasized Luke 12:15: "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions".

Phil said that the passage warns us against greed. He referred to inheritance as one situation in which greed can manifest itself. He gave an real-life example of a man & his sister who both inherited some things (jewelry or stuff like that) from their mother's will. The sister would insist that she inherit those things which are of better quality. That sort of "me first" mentality is greed. The person thinks he/she should be number one & scramble to get as much as he/she can get.

Time & time again, Phil implored his listeners to be on our guard against greed. He mentioned that the world does encourage greed, this desire to get & accumulate more. Phil said that the problem with greed is that it reduces life to less than what it really is. There is very little point in accumulating treasures on earth, things which we cannot take with us when we move on from this world. Instead of focusing on those things, we should focus on things which are more permanent. Jesus in the passage was warning His audience to be on their guard against greed, & seek the kingdom of God instead of material things. Phil encouraged us to do this - to seek the things of heaven instead of focusing on accumulating earthly possessions.


Reflection:

I'm glad I got to hear Phil Campbell's talk, & I managed to do so because I left home a little earlier than other Sundays (so I won't be too late picking up Mark & Chris H). The timing was interesting - Phil Campbell's talk came on the radio so soon after I started the car & left home. It's almost as if God had planned on me listening to the talk. And probably with good reason, too. It's because I think I at various times & at various degrees, do struggle with greed. There are lots of things around me which can potentially tempt me & foster greed. I see them on the internet, in the financial newspapers, investment magazines (which I subscribe to!).

For example, I read about top performing managed funds during a given period of time. I will think: "Wow, I wish I got money to put into those shares or managed funds. Then in X number of years, my investments will grow, my stocks will rise & I will have more money! Money, money, yeah, yeah!". Sheer greed - & this, despite the fact that I already got a portfolio of investments already. I remembered having a chat about this particular struggle at BLT 2006 with one of Fayette's friends, Chris (different one from Chris H). Though I don't look as much or as obsessively at managed fund prices anymore, it'll be dangerous to think the problem is completely gone.

Anyway, I pray that God will help me be watchful against greed, & that I will look to prioritise building my relationship with Him, instead of building up material wealth or possessions. It won't be easy at all, as I think I can be susceptible to be tempted by the things around me (it's possibly one of my weaknesses). But I pray that God, with whatever ways He has, will strengthen my heart to want to seek His kingdom first, & to remember the warning in Luke 12:15.

Mother's Day 2008

It's Mother's Day today. We had a quiet one. We went out as a family for dinner, to a Thai restaurant in Graceville (near Val & Andrew's home). Val & Andrew recommended the Thai place, so we decided to have a go. The restaurant had nice interior. The place was packed, probably because it's Mother's Day. Despite the busyness, our dishes came out rather quickly, which was good. The food was really nice (including the green curry with chicken & jungle curry with beef), even though the portions are small. But it seems to be like that in Thai restaurants. I like Thai food - it's yummy. After dinner, the whole family went to Val & Andrew's place for some ice cream, stayed back to talk a bit, before calling it a nite.

To mum, Happy Mother's Day. Thanks for all your love, kindness, patience & sacrifices. Thanks for being a godly mum, always encouraging us to look to Christ in all things. Thanks to God for looking after u all these years. I pray that God will continue to bless u richly.

RIP François Sterchele

François Sterchele (14/3/1982 - 8/5/2008) was a forward who played his club football with Club Brugge, one of Belgium's top professional football clubs. He played 4 times for Belgium. He was apparently the top goalscorer in the Jupiler League (Belgium's top football league) during the 2006/2007 season, while playing for another club, Germinal Beerschot who are based in Antwerp.

Just a couple of days ago, Sterchele was tragically killed in a car crash. He crashed his Porsche Cayman S into a tree & died instantly. He had been visiting some friends in Antwerp, & was on his way home early in the morning when, driving at high speed, he lost control of his car & hit a tree. No other cars were involved in the accident, according to Belgian police.

Sad sad news. What a terrible thing to happen. I feel really sorry for his family, friends, his club, his club supporters & his team mates. They have lost a loved one. Both club & country have lost a football star who could have offered them much. As a football fan, I do get upset when I hear footballers die. It does seem unfair for someone who has a lot ahead of him to die so young. It puts things in perspective - at the end of the day, football is just a game. There is more to life than football. And life is short, time is short.

RIP François Sterchele.


Some pics found on the internet:

Humiliation & embarassment for FC Barcelona

Real Madrid 4 Barcelona 1. That was the result from the latest El Classico this morning (Brisbane time) at Real's home, the Bernabeu. With it, Madrid have beaten Barcelona home & away during this La Liga season. The result confirms that they deserve to be champions of Spain. For Barcelona, it totally humiliating & embarassing. I'd even argue that it's beyond humiliating & embarassing. Yeah, it's really that bad. I never got to see the match, & perhaps just as well.

Real Madrid had won the La Liga championship during the weekend. So, that meant that the Barcelona players had to form a guard of honour & applauding their bitter rivals onto the pitch to commemorate their championship success. Sporting gesture. And as if that ignominy was not enough, it got even worse once the match kicked off.

One thing I don't understand - how can Barcelona go from winning 6-0 against Valencia during the weekend to losing 4-1 to their bitter rivals just days later? True, Valencia are having an even worse season than Barcelona. But to have such extreme results in a short space of time is simply bewildering beyond belief.

According to reports, Real played very well, & Barcelona played very poorly. Real reportedly played with skill, confidence & assurance of champions. A superb team performance from them. Barcelona? Goodness gracious, I wonder if they actually played any football during the match. I was fuming at Barcelona when I learned of the result & continued to internalise my fury for much of today. By now, I've run out of insults & bad things to say about Barcelona. So I'll try not to rant & rave in a hysterical manner. I heard 1 or 2 of the Real goals happened in "questionable" circumstances, with the referee's performance (which went heavly against Barcelona) being blamed for contributing to the result. Well, even if true, the fact remains that Barcelona were abysmal. Yes, Real Madrid are currently better, but by that scoreline? Come on. Barcelona should never lose heavily like that to Real or any other side. Never.

No finger pointing at specific players right now. True, some will have to go during the off-season & replaced by better players. But right now, no finger pointing at certain players. It's a team game - win as a team, lose as a team. On the whole, it was a collective failure against Real, a very bad day at the office. They got to take the result on the chin, move on & buck up. Hopefully, with what's left of the remainder of the season, they will pick things up somewhat.

As for the manager Rijkaard, well, looks like his time is up. Rijkaard is a nice guy & have achieved success at the club - up until last season, when things seem to start going downhill. So perhaps things have gone stale. And what do u do when the bread goes stale? You get a new loaf. Thanks for your efforts, Rijkaard. But it's time we part ways, & Barcelona will have lots of planning to do, both to find a new manager & also new players. A big rebuilding job is due, & if the Barcelona board are in any doubts as to the need for rebuilding, they would surely have been emphatically dispelled by this morning's debacle at the Bernabeu.

I should commend Real for their achievements this season. Reports say that Real's Argentinian players did very well against Barcelona - Gago was superb in midfield, young forward Higuain scored barely a minute after coming on as a substitute, while defender Heinze had a solid game. Speaking as someone very fond of Argentinian football, I'm glad to hear that these players are doing well, even if it comes at Barcelona's expense. Real had 3 Argentinians involved in the game. Barcelona had only 1 (the whizzkid Messi, of course). It might sound simplistic, but there might be a message there for Barcelona - look to Argentina if you want to sign players.

The crushing result means that Barcelona cannot even finish second in La Liga - third is the best they can hope for. For a club like FC Barcelona, going 2 consecutive seasons without winning any silverware is considered a failure. So yeah, big rebuilding needed. The wheels must be set in motion, sooner rather than later. The one silver lining is that the only way is up, so I'll try to enjoy the upward ride. Things surely cannot get any worse for Barcelona. Or can it? If worse is to come, then I'd shudder to even think about it. Time for me to head off now....

Barca crash out of Europe

This is old news now. But in the middle of last week, FC Barcelona crashed out of the UEFA Champions League. They lost the semi-final second leg 1-0 away to Manchester United, at Old Trafford. So, with the goalless draw in Barcelona the week before, Barcelona bomb out 1-0 on aggregate. It means that the Champions League final this season will be an all-English affair.

How am I feeling? Sad? Yes. Disappointed? Yes. Depressed? No, I won't go that far. Embarassed? Not really. Humiliated? Certainly not. Nothing humiliating or disgraceful to be beaten narrowly by very very strong opposition on their home ground.

True, I was not happy with the 1-0 loss. But I had a feeling Barcelona wouldn't win anyway, & so it proved. The result (a narrow loss) & the pattern of the match is merely a continuation of an ordinary season for Barcelona. Barcelona did have the better & more impressive general play, in terms of passing & maintaing possession. But that's basically all they did - impressed more in general play. They couldn't score, & when that's the case, u can't win a lot, can u? Barcelona are all style, but not enough substance. Their midfield didn't provide consistent support to the forwards, & the defence as a unit once again look very unconvincing. Messi played well, but unfortunately, many of his team mates didn't. Luck was also not on Barcelona's side with a couple of good chances which might have gone in on another day (e.g. Deco's shot which went narrowly wide, & Henry's second-half header straight to United's keeper).

Manchester United did look more dangerous, but the goal Barcelona conceded was a gift. Zambrotta carelessly & needlessly gave away possession to Man Utd, & Scholes made the most of the charity to score. A dumb mistake for Barcelona to make, & of all times they had to do it in a European semi. Sheessh.

Obviously, Manchester United's players & fans were delighted at reaching the Champions League final. They've had an excellent season, & to secure the final appearance probably came as no surprise considering the fine & consistent form they've been in. Yet I don't think they are truly superior to Barcelona. I mean, this one of the best United sides in a number of years, & they've been in top form. But for all that, all they did was narrowly beat a Barcelona side in crisis & playing far below their potential. The "out of sorts, crisis club" from Spain still managed to outplay United for long period of both legs. So imagine then what Barcelona would have done had they been in form, & had their forwards shown the same ruthlessness of the Barcelona of old. Having said all that, this United side are very very strong, & credit to them for reaching the final.

Anyway, the one possible good thing to come out of this is that the loss would make the Barcelona hierarchy realise that the squad needs to change. New players will be needed to replace those players who are underperforming & who are not likely to make much contribution in the long run. Perhaps a new coach may come in (personally, I like the current coach for his attacking philosophy, but a lot of people say he's not the best tactician). If losing now means winning next time, then maybe it's better to lose now, & make the necessary changes to ensure future success. I mean, if Barcelona had got past United & gone on to win the Champions League, will the Barcelona hierarchy be inclined to provide transfer funds to sign new players? Likely not. In that situation, they will conveniently forget Barcelona's inadequacies & point to the trophy as argument that if it ain't broke, don't fix it, so let's not change the squad. Then, with the problems or inadequacies not fixed, Barcelona will be shown up in the future.

Anyway, whatever Barcelona's failings or deficiencies, whatever problems they've been having this season, I appreciate their efforts in reaching the Champions League semi-finals. Better luck next time. I'll be behind Barcelona all the way. Hola Barca!

It's May already!

Wow! I can't believe we've arrived in May already! I said as much to a couple of friends a few days ago. Time really does fly.

Looking back, I'm scratching my head to think of what I've achieved between January & April. Anything to show for those months? Anything that really sticks out? Hmmm, I won that 30GB iPod a couple of months ago (& which of course I blogged about). Errr, that's basically all I can think of. Nothing else happened during the first 4 months of the year that is unusual.

I can't say I have been particularly productive during those months. At times, I feel I'm just going through the motions of life. Work, eat, sleep, work, eat, sleep, hang out with friends, go here, go there, do this, do that, yadda yadda yadda. And don't get started with quiet time (still can't really get this going consistently). I don't want to say my life is directionless, but sometimes it does feel like it. So here's hoping my next 4 months will be more productive. And I hope God will show me the way forward.

Brave Barca shoot blanks

FC Barcelona drew 0-0 at home in that Champions League semi-final first leg against Manchester United. Considering their recent indifferent form, the draw was not a particularly bad result, though not fantastic either. At least they didn't lose. But it would have been so much better if they managed to have got the win they so richly deserved for their domination. Even a 1-0 win would have been a good result to take into the second leg.

I woke up early this morning to watch the match. It could have started horribly for Barca - they conceded a penalty in the third minute, thanks to Milito's silly & completely unnecessary handball. But Man Utd star Cristiano Rolando missed badly from the spot. A let off for Barca, who then proceeded to control the rest of the match. In general play, Barcelona absolutely pulverised Man United, having at least 65% possession (some sources have it as much a 73%) & constantly attacking the English club, creating some good chances too. But unfortunately, for all their attacking waves, they fired blanks & failed to score. Viewers might have recognised some shades of Arsenal in Barca's play - all style, imaginative passing & entertaining attacking football, but with little or no end product. Watching the match unfold, it's not so difficult now to see why Barcelona have struggled in the Spanish league this season - they don't score enough goals. If you don't take your chances, you can't expect to win many matches. The Barcelona of a couple of seasons ago would have annihilated Manchester United, because that side never had problems putting the ball in the back of the net.

Overall, I was very happy with Barcelona's performance, which while not totally marvellous, was nevertheless good & impressive enough in light of their recent indifferent form. Where some might expect them to be nervy, they were brave. They comprehensively played Man Utd off the park. This Man Utd, remember, are famed for their high-tempo, speedy & lethal attacks. We saw none of that from them. Instead, we only saw one team trying to entertain & win, & that's Barcelona. I've never seen Man Utd play so defensively & cagily, & I'm not sure why. Was it because they feared being carved apart by Barcelona? Were they saving a bit of energy for this weekend's top of the Premier League clash with Chelsea? Who knows....

There were some encouraging performances from some of Barcelona's players. Lionel Messi, the young Argentinian prodigy who returned from injury, played well. Yaya Toure was superb & tireless in midfield, & Deco (who also came back from injury) didn't play too badly either. Defensively as a unit, they don't look totally convincing (though Marquez had a good game - shame he'll be suspended for the second leg), but it wasn't really an issue because Barcelona mostly attacked throughout the match.

The decisive semi-final second leg at Old Trafford will be different, as United will certainly be more adventurous in front of their home crowd & play their normal attacking game. This will allow Barcelona to find more space for their attackers to do some damage. But on the other hand, it's also hard to see Barcelona keeping a clean sheet against United. Though I'll still say United will probably go through to the final, anything can happen now. The 0-0 draw, while not great, isn't too bad for Barcelona, because United failed to score an away goal. So any goals Barcelona manage to score at Old Trafford will count double, i.e. whatever goals Barcelona score, United must outscore them. So if both sides score the same number of goals, Barcelona will go through on away goals.

For the second leg, I think Barcelona must start with Henry - he has a good record against United when he played for Arsenal, & the experience of having played against United would help Barcelona. Puyol will be back in defence, to replace the suspended Marquez. Apart from that, Barcelona should pretty much stick to the same players that started the first leg match. And hopefully they can at least reproduce the first leg performance at Old Trafford. Of course, it will be difficult in United's own backyard. But they should just try to play their normal game, not make silly mistakes. Then they will have a good chance. Win or lose, I'll be behind FC Barcelona all the way.

What's this? Support from unlikely sources?

I was just surfing the internet, reading up all sorts of football news as usual. Then I read something which kind of shocked me - the club president, the coach & some players of Real Madrid have said they will be supporting Barcelona in the Champions League!

What??! Real Madrid & FC Barcelona are supposed to be sworn enemies! Both clubs have had years of mutual loathing & animosity. It's like the rivalry between Argentinian club sides River Plate & Boca Juniors. It's like Brazil & Argentina at national team level.

I would have thought that people connected to a given football team wouldn't support that team's most bitter enemies or arch rivals. Normally, u would want to see your arch rivals lose. And yet, it seems that the Real Madrid fraternity actually want to see us win in Europe's premier club competition! All this, after much slagging & mud flinging between both sides during much of the current Spanish season.

One of the Real Madrid players that voiced support for Barcelona, Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder, said Barcelona was his favourite team when he was a kid in the Netherlands. The Real coach, Bernd Schuster, was a former Barcelona player & apparently he even still holds club membership with FC Barcelona. As for the Real Madrid club president Ramon Calderon, he said he will support Barcelona in the Champions League because he is good friends with Barcelona club president Joan Laporta. So perhaps they had valid reasons for lending their support.

I was a tad amused by this unusual & unlikely support. A display of sportsmanship? Perhaps. Or perhaps, it could it be that they are a bit jealous that Barcelona are still in the Champions League while Real didn't even make the quarter-finals, & therefore see Barcelona's continued participation in the tournament as the embodiment of everything that their own club has failed to live up to. Actually, I shouldn't gloat like that, because I do respect Real Madrid & they are miles ahead of Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga standings. So, I'd say they are still better than us, despite being eliminated earlier from the Champions League.

But anyway, back to the unusual & unlikely support. It'll be interesting to see how this would go down with the Real Madrid fans. Although I have seen posts by some Real Madrid fans saying they would like to see Barcelona win the Champions League, because Barcelona are Spain's sole representative in the Champions League & they want to see a Spanish side do well become champions of Europe. Ah, that's it - national pride & solidarity, the reason that most Spanish football fans would be willing Barcelona on tomorrow against Manchester United. Hey, the feeling is mutual - although I'm a Barcelona fan, I would support Real Madrid if they play Manchester United. In fact, I'd support any Spanish side against Manchester United....

No doubt the Real Madrid fraternity will look at Barca's Champions League game tomorrow with envious eyes, wishing that their side are still in the competition. But hey, if they want to support us, they are welcome to. Go ahead, do as they please. Not that we need their support. And, of course, those Real people would support Barcelona only in Europe, & only because no other Spanish side remain. They won't support Barcelona if they were playing another Spanish side. Next month, Barcelona will have to travel to Madrid to play Real in el clasico. The Real fraternity surely will not wish Barca well then, will they! I'm sure in the lead up to el clasico, the slagging & mud flinging between the clubs will have well & truly resumed!

UEFA Champions League 2007/08 - semi-final preview

And then there were four. We're now in the semi-final stage of the UEFA Champions League. The line-up promises some mouth-watering matches:

Liverpool (England) v Chelsea (England)
Barcelona (Spain) v Manchester United (England)

Matches will be played on a home-and-away basis. The 3 English clubs which reached this year semi-finals were the same 3 that appeared in last year's semis. The possibility of an all-English final is strong, & only Barcelona stand in the way of that scenario.

My forecast on how I see the semi-finals unfold are as follows:

Liverpool v Chelsea

This will be the third time both sides meet in the Champions League semi-final! That's because these 2 teams previously faced each other in the semis of the 2005 & 2007 Champions League. On both occasions, Liverpool narrowly prevailed to reach the final. On the basis of those results, Liverpool are seen to be the favourites (though not strong favourites) in this tie. Indeed, Liverpool have really thrived in this competition over the last few years, so it will surprise no one should they get past Chelsea yet again.

Matches between these sides tend to be tight affairs. This particular tie will probably not be any different - there will only be 1-2 goal difference at most over both legs. It's possible that a penalty shoot-out may be needed to separate the sides, as was the case in 2007. Both teams seem to play a similar, disciplined style of football. That is not to say both sides do not have quality players. Far from it. There are match winners on each side - Torres & Gerrard for Liverpool, & Drogba & Anelka for Chelsea. Besides these, both sides can also call on numerous other international players. On the coaching side, both coaches enter this tie with an opportunity to prove something - Liverpool's Rafa Benitez has a chance to establish his credentials as a tactical master for the big-games, while Chelsea's Avram Grant will have a chance to step outside the shadow of the previous coach Jose Mourinho.

Benitez suggested that Chelsea's players must overcome the mental block from the 2005 & 2007 semi-final defeats in order to get past Liverpool this time. He suggested that Liverpool therefore have the psychological edge. Some may see this as Chelsea's opportunity to gain revenge on those defeats. And I think they will get it this time. Chelsea's players will have to be careful not to get carried away with the revenge factor - the danger is that the desire for revenge can be so strong as to get the better of their emotions & consequently the ability to focus on their game. But I would think Chelsea's players are experienced enough not to let "revenge" get to their heads. Furthermore, the difference between now compared to 2005 & 2007 is that this time, Chelsea will have home advantage in the decisive second leg. And, overall, I feel Chelsea have a stronger squad than Liverpool. So, all things considered, I think Chelsea will make it third time lucky & will prevail. My verdict: revenge for Chelsea.

Barcelona v Manchester United

It is this semi-final tie, more so than the other, that will have football fans everywhere excited. That is because Barcelona & Manchester United both play attacking, enterprising football, compared to Liverpool & Chelsea who are both considered to be more tactical & conservative. Past matches in this competition have seen lots of goals - 4-0 to Barcelona in 1994/1995 season, & 2 sets of 3-3 draws in the season Man Utd won the treble. Another goal fest could be on the cards.

Now, if this match was to be played 2 years ago, I would be absolutely confident of an emphatic Barcelona victory. Back then, Barcelona were the best team in Europe. Today's Barcelona, however, are not as strong, & so I find it hard to imagine a comprehensive win over Man Utd this time. Barcelona's performances this season have been very inconsistent, & at times, ordinary. They have been struggling of late - just refer to one of my previous posts on FC Barcelona. They are having problems on & off the field (injuries, erratic form, uncertainty over coach & players' futures, etc etc). By contrast, everything is going extremely well for Manchester Utd. They have been in fine form, have such great team spirit, have no injury worries, & some of their players recently having their contracts renewed, which should boost the morale of those players.

Needless to say, I would be supporting Barcelona. For those who know me, it's no secret that I am no United fan & would not want to see them win this competition. However, I do like a couple of their players - Portugal's sensation Cristiano Ronaldo & Argentinian forward Carlos Tevez. The best compliment I could pay these 2 is that I wish they were playing for Barcelona. If so, then I can definitely see a comfortable win for Barca. But the reality is they play for Man Utd, & they will most likely be key in helping Man Utd get past Barca. Verdict: Based on form & their consistency, I would have to say Manchester United will prevail over the 2 legs. Never mind the fact that Man Utd will play the decisive second leg at home, their more impressive form alone is enough to persuade observers that they look more likely winners. But in football, anything can happen, so who knows, maybe Barcelona can rise from the ashes? I hope so...

Joke - Getting into Heaven (Dolly Parton & Queen Elizabeth)

Dolly Parton and Queen Elizabeth die on the same day and they both go before an Angel to find out if they'll be admitted to Heaven.

Unfortunately, there's only one space left that day, so the Angel must decide which of them gets in. The Angel asks Dolly if there's some particular reason why she should go to Heaven.

Dolly takes off her top and says, “Look at these, they're the most perfect breasts God ever created and I'm sure it will please the angels to be able to see them everyday, for eternity.”

The Angel thanks Dolly, and asks Her Majesty the same question. The Queen takes a bottle of Perrier out of her handbag, shakes it up, and gargles. Then she spits into a toilet and pulls the lever.

The Angel says, “OK, your Majesty, you may go in.”

Dolly is outraged and asks, “What was that all about? I show you two of God's own perfect creations and you turn me down. She spits into a commode and she gets in! Would you explain that to me?”

“Sorry, Dolly,” says the Angel, “but even in Heaven, a royal flush beats a pair - no matter how big they are!”

The 10 most annoying alarm clocks

#10 - Climbing clock: It hangs above your head and starts climbing while it rings. Don't wake up fast enough, and you won't be able to shut it up without a ladder.

#9 - Wake Up Puzzle: You have to build the puzzle to make it stop

#8 - Wake or Curse: You can ask it what the time is and it will answer. But if you don't wake up quickly enough it will curse you.

#7 - High Tech: This one has a vibrator, 95 db alarm and police style rotating light that you cannot ignore.

#6 - Find The Pin: You need find the right pin to stop it's ringing. Not going to stay sleepy after this mission.

#5 - Chicken and Egg Problem: The egg laying alarm clock. It will only quiet down after you put all the eggs back.

#4 - GI Joe: You will wake to the sound of your commander's wake up call. Don't mess with it.

#3 - Floating Around: Will float around the room until you'll catch it.

#2 - Kaboom: This acoustic grenade will wake the neighborhood with its ultra loud sound level.

#1 - Hide and Seek: The winner is the hide and seek alarm clock. Once it begins to ring it falls down to the floor and finds a random place to hide. Chase it down or else you're doomed.

Article - Australians work longer than many others

I saw this article today on NineMSN. Apparently, on average, Australians work longer hours than workers in other developed countries.

Wow, more than 43 hours per week. And hey, the Europeans & Americans have lighter workloads. Maybe they work more efficiently than Australians in the hours they are at work? Who knows??

My official weekly hours is 37.5 (7.5 hours daily). But last week was horrible, one of the worst weeks in my career. I was totally snowed in - I estimate that I must have worked about 44-45 hours last week. It was so bad that I had to give last Monday's Clay a miss. And last Friday was the only day I arrived home before 7pm (& only because it's a Friday). Last week was very stressful & I'm not sure if the next couple of months will be much better if at all. The stress has brought the worst out of me, causing me to be moody, grumpy & snappy.

I don't like working excessive hours. It takes away from my "free time" which I could spend on other things. But with my work schedule over the next couple of months, it looks like there will be some days at work where I stay back for quite a while. Not good. However, the one possible "silver lining" is that working longer increases my chance of getting a decent bonus. The bonus is payable if I exceed my annual billing target - so the longer productive hours I put in, the better the chance of getting over that target. Not saying I will definitely get the bonus (I wasn't even told what my target is), but it'll be good if I did. And then, next in line hopefully will be a hefty payrise. Go DT!

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Aussies work longer than many, including US workers

From smartcompany.com.au
April 2008

Australians are working longer average weekly hours than their colleagues in other developed countries, according to new data from the OECD compiled by a Sydney academic.

Brigid van Wanrooy, at the University of Sydney, says there is a chronic culture of overworking among Australian full-time employees, which needs government intervention.

Australian employees' average full-time weekly hours exceed 43. By comparison, British workers do just over 42 hours, US workers less than 42, Spanish workers less than 41, German workers less than 40, and full-time workers in the Netherlands work on average less than 38 hours a week.

The data is being used to call for a cap on working hours because long hours can damage safety standards and productivity. Van Wanrooy told The Australian Financial Review that 48 hours of work a week is the tipping point. Working 48 hours in a week is likely to result in fatigue, poor performance and risks to health and safety.

Wheels falling off at FC Barcelona

All does not seem to be well at Barcelona FC. During mid-week, they chalked up an unconvincing 1-0 win over German club side Schalke in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals second-leg. The result meant they win 2-0 on aggregate to qualify for the Champions League semi-finals. OK, so they managed to win, but the performance was far from polished & left a lot to be desired. I woke up early in the morning to watch the match. I saw a Barca side that looked very uncertain in defence. And the display was patchy & lacked any sort of urgency - they seldom showed their free-flowing fluent football, although they did somewhat improve in the second-half. Barca coach Rijkaard was jeered, & sections of the Barca fans waved white handkerchiefs, which was a sign that the fans were unhappy & disapprove of the team's performance.

Then just this morning, they could only manage a 2-2 draw away to Recreativo Huelva in the Spanish La Liga. The draw is a blow to their hopes of regaining the Spanish championship from arch-rivals Real Madrid. Twice Samuel Eto'o gave Barcelona the lead, & each time Recreativo's young Argentinian striker Marco Ruben equalised. I didn't see the match (we don't get ESPN), but by reports, Ruben's first goal was debateable as it did not appear to cross the Barca line. Still, not to win the match was disappointing. But Barcelona's recent form can most charitably be described as mediocre anyway, & the latest result is merely a continuation of that bad run. The wheels are falling off, if they haven't already.

In the past few weeks, I've been livid at Barcelona's poor & inconsistent run of form. I think I have moved past that stage, because now I've come to accept that Barcelona might not win anything this year. That's simply because they don't look like winning anything this year. Barcelona are currently a shadow of the side which won La Liga & Champions League in 2006. So I no longer expect Barcelona to sweep all before them. I'm just relieved that Barcelona are in the Champions League semis, slightly happy that Barcelona are still in the running for the Champions League. Anything more will be a bonus, in light of their current form. Of course, if/when they do crash out of the Champions League, I'll still be disappointed, perhaps angry. But expectations are not high from me, so perhaps I'll get over the disappointment quickly.

I've heard all sorts of reasons/"theories" being put forward to explain Barcelona's patchy & inconsistent form. Here they are:

• Injuries - key players have been missing for long periods this season. Eto'o missed a large number of games earlier in the season. Argentinian whizz kid Leo Messi was out at one stage, then came back but then got injured again, & made his return as a substitute in the Recreativo match. Ronaldinho is out for the rest of the season, & though he's not been fantastic at all this season, a player of his class & skill will always be an asset to any team & will always be missed. Deco is still out. Other players such as Krkic, Henry & Iniesta were rested from the Recreativo match to nurse slight injuries.

• Players - A lot of players have not been at their best form, & many fans think that some players are past their best. Deco is frequently "accused" of not being the player he once was. And on top of that, it has been said that some players have been so distracted with contract negotiations that it affects their performances on the pitch.
  

• The coach - Some critics have said Rijkaard is not the most tactically astute of coaches, that he's getting stale with the Barca coaching job. For much of the season, there has been lots of talk & speculation about Rijkaard's long-term future at the club. The Spanish media constantly speculate on suitable replacements for Rijkaard in light of rumours that the Barcelona board are looking for such a replacement. And also, with such uncertainty in the background, would one think that Rijkaard can do his job effectively? Can anyone really blame him if he feels he lacks support from the Barcelona board & that his position is untenable? Would his heart still be 100% devoted to the job with all that speculation over his head?
  

• Team spirit - Another rumour has it that team spirit is not the strongest, with certain players not getting on well with each other (e.g. Eto'o & Ronaldinho), others not happy with the coach & his tactics, & others not happy at the club (e.g. Henry complaining he never sees his young daughter as often as he likes, that he does not like his new playing position of the left of the attack). I don't know how true this rumour is.
  

In light of the above, many fans seem to consider Barcelona FC to be a club in crisis. After all, they are 6 points off the top of the Spanish league & not exactly impressive in reaching the Champions League semis. While all may not seem well at Barcelona, to say Barcelona are in crisis is probably an exagerration. It is a reflection of how demanding Barcelona fans can be, particularly those based in Spain itself. Lots of clubs would love to be in Barcelona's current position.

Having said that, as a fan, my head spins when I think of all those "theories" behind Barca's inconsistent form. I mean, goodness gracious, come on. Low team spirit, players not getting on?? We are talking about a great football institution here. Players, coach & coaching staff, fans, everyone at the club or connected to the club need to realise this. Everyone need to pull their finger out. Put aside whatever personal differences people may have with each other, & be absolutely united for the greater good of the club. The best interest of the club must always come first - people need to realise that if they want to be part of Barcelona FC. Have more team bonding sessions, whatever it takes to bring everyone together.

All that stuff about contract negotiations, if true, should wait until the season is over. Players & coach should concentrate on getting the club as far as it can in the Spanish league & Champions League. There is still plenty to play for. Not saying they will definitely win everything & anything. But that should be the aim. Hola Barca!

2 quotes (Chinese proverb; human beings)

Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still. Chinese Proverb

Hhhmm, that reminds me of my spiritual walk. It's much closer to standing still than growing slowly, with the way things have been going.


When they are alone they want to be with others, and when they are with others they want to be alone. After all, human beings are like that. Gertrude Stein

That is so true. I am sometimes "guilty" of such behaviour.

Unknown workers

Friend emailed me these pics this morning.

UEFA Champions League 2007/08 - quarter-final preview

Alright. The UEFA Champions League season 2007/2008 is now at the quarter-final stage! Some interesting match-ups are coming up. Anyway, here are the quarter-final matches:

Roma (Italy) v Manchester United (England)
Schalke (Germany) v Barcelona (Spain)
Fenerbahce (Turkey) v Chelsea (England)
Arsenal (England) v Liverpool (England)

The matches will be played on a home & away basis in the middle of this week & next week. Here's my forecast on the outcomes of the quarter-final ties:

Roma v Manchester United:

Both sides met at the same stage last season, & Manchester United ran out big winners, inflicting Roma a heavy defeat at Old Trafford. What will happen this time round? I think the matches will be a lot closer this time. Roma will definitely want to give a much better account of themselves this time round. Whether that extra motivaton will be enough to get past Manchester United is open to question. The tie promises to be interesting, as both sides like to play attacking, adventurous football. I think Manchester United will get to the semi-finals, simply because they have a stronger attack & have been in very fine form domestically & in Europe.

Schalke v Barcelona:

On paper, Barcelona are hot favourites. However, their form has not been impressive of late. For that reason, their ties against Schalke could be a lot closer than many people would expect. All is not well at Barcelona. They have been showing inconsistent performances & during the weekend, they let slip a 2 goal lead to lose 3-2 away to Betis in the Spanish league. An embarassing collapse, that, & a blow to their hopes of winning the Spanish championship. It's hard to tell quite how Barcelona will react to that massive setback. If they carry that patcy form into the Champions League, then Schalke are quite capable of causing a shock. However, if they can put that setback behind them, then they should beat Schalke. As it is (& perhaps I'm biased), I tip Barcelona to go through, but not by a huge margin.

Fenerbahce v Chelsea:

Turkish giants Fenerbahce caused quite a sensation by dumping highly fancied Spanish outfit Sevilla out in the previous round. That must be considered quite an achievement, given the talented footballers Sevilla have at their disposal. For that reason, it would be foolish to underestimate Fenerbahce. However, I still think Chelsea should have the measure of them & more. Chelsea look to have too much all round experience, & do have a bigger & better squad than Fenerbahce. For that reason, I think Chelsea will once again reach the Champions League semi-finals. But don't expect a walkover, for Fenerbahce should be tough to beat in Turkey. However, when they travel to London, it will be a different story altogether. And that's where this tie will be decided in the Londoners' favour.

Arsenal v Liverpool:

England's top 4 clubs have done very well in the Champions League this season. Two of them meet each other in the "all-English" quarter-final tie. Seasoned campaigners Liverpool travel to London to face talented Arsenal. Given their experience & European pedigree, some have considered Liverpool as the side no one wants to face in the Champions League. Many have said that they will be too experienced for Arsenal to handle. But then again, Arsenal were also written off when they were drawn against last year's Champions League winners Milan in the previous round. And guess what happened? Arsenal showed what they are capable of, knocking off the defending champions on their home ground. So having eliminated Milan, Arsenal will have no real reason to fear Liverpool, even though they may be the less experienced of the two sides. This will be a tactical battle between the respective coaches - Arsenal's Wenger & Liverpool's Benitez. Who will win the tactical battle, that's anyone's guess. But Arsenal are more talented than Liverpool & over both legs, I actually think Arsenal will narrowly edge it.

WrestleMania 24 - a review of sorts

OK, WrestleMania24 has come & gone. So let's look at how my predictions went.

Hmmm, looks like many of my predictions proved correct:

Randy Orton did retain the WWE Championship belt.
The Undertaker did extend his unbeaten WrestleMania streak to 16-0.
Kane did win the Battle Royal before WrestleMania & then win the ECW Championship during WM itself.
Shawn Michaels did beat Rick Flair in the retirement match, thus forcing Flair to retire. The next day on Raw, they had a Flair retirement address, & Triple H had the everyone in WWE (the entire roster, referees, officials etc) come out to farewell him. Thanks for the memories, Rick.
Batista did beat Umaga (not the result I wanted).
JBL did beat Finlay, despite the best efforts of Hornswoggle to help Finlay.

Where I had my predictions wrong:

CM Punk won Money in the Bank Ladder Match (I tipped Jericho to win), so he will have a future title shot at the belt of his choice (he can choose from WWE Championship, World Heavyweight Championship, ECW Championship).
Ashley & Maria didn't win the BunnyMania Lumberjack match - Beth Phoenix & Melina did.
And....The Big Show lost to Floyd Mayweather. Yeah, the wrestler who is more than 7 foot tall lost to a professional boxer in wrestling! But apparently, Mayweather had help from his crew, which was legal because the match was "no disqualification", meaning anything goes. So Mayweather managed to gain the win.

All in all, I don't think I did badly at all with the predictions!