What's Happening Around Us?

Soccer

Jose Mourinho was hugely successful. He made Chelsea formidable. He won big with Inter Milan too and now at Real Madrid he could still make it three in a row but that humbling 0-5 thrashing by Barcelona said quite a lot by itself. "When nothing within you stays rigid, outward things disclose itself" Bruce Lee once said. Watch Xavi's goal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS9OMVfxmbQ

Was Mourinho's Real Madrid too rigid that the outward thing (Barca) revealed itself so rampantly? No, I think it is applicable to Barca who always play to an artful tempo such that they flow like water with the ball moving and filling cracks like how water will flow naturally and at the right momentum, it crashed like a waterfall. In Messi, Xavi and Iniesta they have three of the world's most naturally gifted players. One thing to take note - Barcelona may buy sometimes but it is their youth policy that made them what and who they are.

More on soccer or soccer related issues. Ronaldo is quite a name. The Portuguese one Cristiano went to the USA, had a one night fling with a waitress and paid $21 million for a son. Now, the original phenomenon Ronaldo has a five year old son, Alexander living in Singapore. This is the Ronaldo who toe-poked Brazil to World Cup victory. After watching Singapore going down 0-1 to Vietnam in the Suzuki Cup, I hope Singapore offers citizenship to Alexander and let him train together with Fandi's two talented sons. He just need half his father's genes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy35p7gcN6c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=200UXfWgMQM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_oUa1yCpgs

What do you think about FIFA awarding the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar? It is laudable for the World Cup to go to places that have never hosted it but if they had this firmly in mind, why did they waste so much time and resources to go through the motion? To increase value and appeal so that each potential candidate host countries will try to outdo one another?

WikiLeaks

Should we take this seriously? Or just treat it like a leak in a washroom? It appears those leaks were so far were most damaging to Asian, African or Arab countries. Were there some motives?

You had better be careful what you do or say as you may appear on WikiLeaks too to your own detriment. There is nothing and nowhere you can hide. All the more it is important to take note of what we say all the time because if we are speaking the truth and in a frank and honest manner in any given situation, there is nothing to worry about as Wiki can leak all it wants. However, if you like to gossip or talk about and bad mouth others or to cause misunderstanding, you will get licked some day even if Wiki doesn't. Otherwise, just get some beer and go for a leak.

Charity

Another charity The Singapore Red Cross is under investigation as a former employee has misappropriated $90,000. In the last few years, there have been a slate of such offences. Will this deter you from donating? Will you still donate your hard-earned money? There are still good people around doing charitable causes. The unfortunate and under-privileged still nee support. So how? A monk recently released from serving time attended a $200k dinner celebration organised by his supporters. Some elders wanted a disciplinary hearing or apology or something like that. I followed briefly, the best part involved him having a "pet" race horse in Australia. Then I read about a guy, an ex M1 staff having embezzled and owned a $200k sting ray. You will probably not hear the last of all these things.

In our modern world today, you are going to hear more of these things happening. Tell yourself you do not need all these - pet race horses, exotic sting rays or a goose that lay golden eggs.

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