What's Up Doc?
What's Up Doc? That's the catch phrase of Bugs Bunny! How we miss the Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies! This time of the year can be very busy for everyone and I know some of you are travelling for business of for leisure. There's no time to read the papers and anyway not much good things to read about. Just a same sh*t different day kind of thingy. Let me help you a little by condensing some news for your easy reading...
Soccer
We have Dollah Kassim still in coma, A. Sivalingam's demise, a very dedicated coach of our Youth Olympics team lost from heart attack while playing soccer for charity. German goalie Robert Enke gone too and now we have top Mexican striker Antonio De Nigris who also died after a heart attack - he was only 31. Brazil beat a depleted England 1-0 in Qatar.
Rooney was captain and was full of purpose but the second stringers were no match. Only James Milner gave a glimmer of hope with consistent and clever play. Milner has always been useful for the U-21 and was good at Newcastle so why didn't Liverpool sign him. He's plying his trade at Villa now. 2010 World Cup may be between Brazil v Spain on paper. In fact, the Brazilians look strong, fit, fast with their flamboyance intact. Under Dunga, they play a more continental style but their defence was impressive as theirs was a forward defence where England breached only twice. They were very quick to recover when they lost possession. Poor officiating caused Ireland a place in the World Cup despite dominating the two games v France. Irish eyes are not smiling and are crying. They are appealing the hand-ball goal by Thierry Henry.
On the local front, Singapore did what many thought they could not and reversed an impossible mission turning it into a roaring success - they beat Thailand 1-0 in Bangkok! Having lost 1-3 at Kallang and going head to head on Wednesday, you could not belive it was the same Singapore in red playing. Hassan Sunny parried and caught every shot, the defence with Saiful, Precious, Daniel Bennett and Baihakki Khaizan was resolute. Baihakki even have time and courage to venture up in attack. Johnny WIlkinson, Shahril Ishak, Hariss Harun and later Noh Rahman were biting in their battle for the engine room while Khairul Amri was full of trickery. In Alexander Duric we have an amazing striker as he nodded home the all important winning goal in the 38th minute. This is what I have been talking about, that "breakthrough" when you had belief, conviction and faith. This is it!! Both Hariss and Duric tipped both ends of the scale, one barely 19 and the other 39. Can you remember what you were doing when you were 18-19 and 39-40? How about when you were at 32? That was when MM became PM. This was a truly amazing result! The last time Singapore ever beat Thailand there was in 1975! Playing away against 30,000 away fans to beat a very good Thai team was really something to cherish. It must be remembered and spur them on.
In golf, Phil Mickelson showed in Singapore why he is so endearing. "Lefty" as he is affectionately known is always ready with a smile, a wave to the crowd, a finger to acknowledge the wishes, a nod of thanks. In the meantme, Tiger Woods made his first appearance Down Under for a cool USD3 million. He doesn't need to win. Just by turning up he's got more. Once again, he threw a club after a bad shot which bounced off the ground and landed into the crowd. Somebody got hold of it and returned it to him. The November rain is killing all golf enthusiasts. Even the uncles and aunties at the market food stalls are complaining about the wet afternoons which drive customers away. Somebody should come up with a bold venture to make the world's first indoor fully air-conditioned golf course. Ok, at least make it rain and lightning proofed.
On the economic front, APEC ministers garbed in Wykidd Song's lovely touches and designs made their meetings fruitful with President Barack Obama pledging the USA's commitment to the region. Even as we wish away 2009, experiencing something so historically unprecedented and the hardship that followed, 2010 offers new hope but we are going to get a USA, Europe and the rest like patients still limping after a major heart attack. Everything it seems have spiralled out of control. From agricultural farmers, we have gone into industrialisation which was a good thing and then we made that giant leap into the hi-tech world and financial quick bucks. The world is going to be a very different place. The world in the first half of 2010 is still going to be between a rock and a hard place. The only silver lining is that we could have probably seen the worst. Good riddance! Americans have the Chinese to thank for the trillions poured in. The Chinese are hungry. An old friend just told me a story when he was working in China that he once witnessed at a pub where the Chinese guys ordered beer in a tower. They had to leave but were still left with about half a tower. Anyhow, they paid up and left. Some Caucasians there asked the waiter to bring over the unfinished beer. I am not putting down anyone but what I am trying to point out is that they are the Noveau Riche (new rich). Many go to China to buy imitation goods and they are coming over in droves to buy the real stuffs. To my friends who are suffering due to the recession and are unhappy because they have no mood to buy some new golf clubs, I have a suggestion. Go get some deer testicles for food so that you can stretch the dollar. I heard they are good because you can get them under a "buck". Haha.
Songs and music is so much a part of our life. It cannot be separated. They use songs and music in the movies. You hear it on radio. You get your CDs, download online, etc. Even in heaven, they depict angels strumming their harps. You remember an age, an era by the music and songs of the time. A Couple of weeks back when I read of SMC (Sembawang Music Centre) closing down, I felt sad. Some years ago, whenever I have to travel to Sembawang, Yishun, Mandai, Sungei Kadut and Kranji I would find myself stopping over Sembawang Shopping Centre for lunch break since it is a place with air-condition because those days there was nothing around there. I mean birds don't even lay eggs there.
This is where I got to know the boss Dave Boo of SMC who would personally recommend and introduce me to all kinds of music and helped me search for those that I wanted but could not find since the vinyl days. Dave was a guy who loves his music and is passionate about it and he led me to some very good Jazz and New Age mulit-instrumentalists and many audiophile recordings. The last time I met Dave was when he opened the unit at Millenia Walk. Dave was the first to have brought his shops into the heartlands. But alas, the times they were a-changing. Two major stores left now are That CD Shop and Gramophone. These downloads online are causing a completely changing landscape to the business.
At retail shops, everybody's working for the landlords and in every conceivable businesses everyone's working for the banks. Who are they working for? Who's getting all the money and all the goodies since everyone else is suffering? I spoke to a golf shop owner who was a former pro and he was lamenting how tough it is just considering rent and staff salaries. Even if I want to go back in time to be a farmer, I can't. If I were to go to those countries with farming industries I'll be a noob. Where do I go from here?
Talking about New Age Music, there are some fantastic record labels like Naranda, Real Music, Higher Octave Music, Windham Hill and many more giving you audiophile like qualities featuring World music, Jazz, Celtic, Flamenco and Acoustic and Vocals. This must be shared sometime. I'd like to lead you to heaven and you must receive the Good News.
Scams
Scams
If you have read yesterday's papers, you can't help but notice the article about this 30 year old guy who has cheated 91 people of $13 million in a scam of investment that promised 30 per cent earnings. Among those cheated were architects, senior managers, businessman, etc. To top it all, this is happening amidst a poor climate with huge reports of similar ponzi schemes like Madoff, Sunshine Empire and what nots. There was a guy who parted with $100,000 and another for $500,000. That's alot of money they have! I know and subscribe to the belief that we must never judge a book by its cover but the best part is that when you look at the conman's picture in the papers, you may not even wish to lend him your paper clip.
Online Games, Xbox & PS3
The latest and hottest releases are - Left or Dead and Call of Duty 4 and both are rated locally as M-18 due to the usual blood & gore, violence and probably some coarse language. The former's about shooting and blasting zombies amid some eerie background while the latter's a war game where there is a portion of objectionable gameplay where a player can infiltrate a terrorist camp where they go to an airport and start shooting at innocent people. Otherwise, it's a war game where strategy is required when playing.
It is so common now that our teenagers or younger children are exposed to such games. Singapore's ratings is possibly stricter than in the USA and many parents are freely buying these for their children. The dilemma here is that even if you do not get it for your children, they could access some games at the arcades or from their friends. Driving them underground without your knowledge could be more complicated. Would it be better to get it for them and invite their friends over? Does violent games lead to violence to people?
When I was younger, I saw more violence and deaths than today. Sometimes, I still have a natural urge to re-arrange some faces but I refrain and exercise self-control. Or should we ask the children why there are every other games, thousands of them that they could play and so why so bent on this one? I suppose it was like Adam and Eve where they could eat the fruits from every tree except one and yet they took the forbidden fruit. Don't have any teeange children yet. Don't worry, your time will come.
ST Columnists
I found the articles of Mr. Ho Kwon Ping, Dr. Andy Ho and Dr. Lee Wei Ling interesting read. Just two days ago, Mr. Ho Kwon Ping wrote a very interesting article. Dr. Andy Ho's articles have been very good to me but there are detractors as many of the topics are controversial by nature. Dr. Lee has been offering glimpses of her thoughts on many interesting issues and subjects too. Find their articles and follow them.
I heard that they conducted tests on Egytian mummies using CT Scan to check the heart conditions and found that the average age when they died was 50 years and quite a sizeable number of them were in their 40s and found to have clogged arteries. So this situation is not new to mankind and fast food, drinks or even lack of excercsie is to be blamed. However, to me those that were mummified were royalties not peasants so they probably did no work and just eat too and drink too much. They were under tremendous "pleasure". So the thing that is not new is that people from the early days were already eating and drinking too much and that has not changed. Are we eating and drinking too much? Arrgghhh!
They have just released 2012 another end of the world epic. 2012 has been made popular in accordance with the Mayan Calendar expiring on 21 December 2012. Some read it as the end of the world. Or is it the renewal of a new cycle? We are frightening ourselves silly? The cults are having a field day. No point doing much since we don't have much time? Pledge all your money to me? The Bible stated about the end times too but it doesn't give you a dateline to be good. Everytime there's a major catastrophe, an huge earthquake, tsunami, 911 situation, war, etc., some people would ask me what did Nostradamus said, what did the Bible says, etc. I may tell you about that later. In the menatime, Ciao! I need my weekend break. This is my calendar, my body and mind slither towards it. Have a nice weekend, Mayan or not.
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