RIP Amanda Vanstone - Aussie Immigration Minister

I have gone and done a Keropok and taken a long time to update. But been lazy, had my cousin and wife visiting and was distracted by being lazy.

But finally have some time to do so. There are a few things to discuss and I will start off with the football.

FOOTBALL

How can I not gloat about out 2 goal win over Chelsea. What made the weekend evenbetterwas for the Mancs to lose to a last miute Henry header but more on that later.

Liverpool dominated the match and outplayed their opponents all over the pitch and is that last comment I want to focus on. Because too many clowns (that is the media and no brained football fans) have been focussing on the missing Chelsea centrebacks. What about the offensive and creative talent they have at their disposal in Messers Ballack, Lampard, Shevchenko, Robben, Wringt-Phillips, Cole and Drogba which representys over 100m pounds in talent.

Surely between all of then they could have strung some good passes and maybe a few shots at goal.

Yet sadly they did not create much. Drogba was thoroughly taken out of the game by man of the match Carragher, Lampard provided futher evidence why Stevvie G should be playing central midfield for England, Ballack was missing the “o” in his name (thbk about that one and you may get what I mean), Shevshenko shows us that the EPL is too fast for his 30 year odl body and Cashely was just a little slow in picking up his ex-team mate Pennant when he scored his magnificient goal.

All Chelsea did was kick the ball long and hope something would happened.

Yet Moron the Ho wanted symphaty post match but please, stop whing mate and get on with it. I guess swapping Cole for Makele was a great chouice innit!

Overall, Liverpool showed that they are capable off but no use winning if we lose to West Ham tomorrow morning. We need to carry on and play like this for the rest of the season. And Crouch needs a neck muscle transplant.

Then we see MU clutch defeat from the hands of a draw. But that is what you get with all that time wasting.

I am glad the results panned out as they did. This now makes the top 4 more interesting however, I still believe MU will wint he title but the race for 2nd could get very, very interesting.

Lastly, did anyone see Van Persie’s celebration after he scored? I am talking about his jump and fist “pump”. How girly was that (and I apologise to all females because that is saying something here). I mean it was like a ballerina doing a jump and then this semi-mini fist pump. It looks like he does not know how to celebrate and it was embarrassing to watch. Henceforth, he shall be known as “Van Pussie”. I would be embarrassed about that celebration if I was an Arsenal fan.

DAVID BECKONS

Those crazy Americans, first they elect George Bush as a president with less than 50% of the vote, then they start a war in Iraq, then re-elect George W Bush and finally sign David Beckham to come over and play soccer with them.

But they lucked out as a Spice Girl gets thrown into the deal.

Still those clowns are willing to pay him A$125,000 per week (or 50,000 pounds or something like RM 340,000). That is a fairly big pay packet for a right cross.

I wonder if this also includes his appearance in Mission Impossible 4 - Soccer to be bigger than Baseball, Basketball and American Football (and I have to agree about this so called American football, 95% of the game involves the ball being thrown from one person to be caught by another person so "throwing the ball" would have been a much better name).

But power to the man, he conned the Americano's to make him well paid for the next 5 years. Now he can piss off the last remaining 300 million people who have never really listened to his voice.

LUCA$H "NEEDY" NEILL

As an Austrlaian, I was hoping that Lucas Neill would join Liverpool.

Then West Ham United came in to offer him more cash. Now he has joined them and said he gave up on his move to his "dream Club" becuase he did not feel the love from Rafa. So that means that he chose West Ham because:

He did not want to be in a club playing in the Champions League?

He did not want to be part of a team that would challenge for the Premiership title?

He did not want to play with one of the best managers in the game and with some of the best players in the world!

He does not want to play for a team that will be shown on worldwide television regularly, thereby increasing his exposure exponentially!

So it was nothing to do with the massive pay pack over the next 2 and a bit years. It was all about the opportunity to play with a club that is struggling to stay up inthe Premiership this season and is likely to struggle for the duration of his contract.

It was all about the potential of West Ham to the continuing improvement of Liverpool.

It was simple money over medals.

Just un-Australian.

POLITICS

I read in todays papers that John Howard has reshuffled his cabinet and removed Amanda Vanstone from her post. For those in the unknown, AV is a large women who was immigration minister and a tel it lik it is kind of person.

Comedians here used to joke about her a lot because of her forthright, boganish manner and that she would never let people in because she was scared they would eat her food. How I am going to miss Wil Anderson making fun of her.

"the fish I ate was really this big...and in one gulp too"

RIP Amanda, you were great value while you were here.

I think we should look at an eyebrow hall of fame and i have two inductees already, John Howard and Peter Gallagher - he is Sandy Cohan from "The OC". Amazingly massive!

"Ryan, Seth step away with those clippers"

"My gosh, John, they are some big eyebrows you have"

Lastly, it is Australia Day this Friday. So happy Aussie Day to one and all. Green and Gold all day!

WTF

6 freaking goals scored..at Anfield by a visiting side. 4 days earlier they scored 3 against us!

They set the table Saturday for the main course today.

Fried Gerrardon a bed of pickled Xabi, Hyppia and a Paletta.

@#$%ing Pathetic display.

Embarassed to say the least.

And they were a bunch of kids....future looks bright for one squad!

My tribute to Rocky

As "Rocky Balboa" has come out across the world and will enter Aussie cinemas in February, I have rediscovered this classic series of movies and currently, I am in the process of reviewing its previous incarnations. Yes I am watching Rocky I to IV (still deciding about V)

Now to most people, your jaws have dropped as you try to comprehend why I like this movie.

Well the answer is pretty simplistic:

1. I am a guy
2. Guys enjoy a bit of punching and socking it up. It is in our DNA, we like watching mindless violence once in a while.
3. There are some classic moments of drama and comedy in these movies.

The first time I started watching these movies was many summers ago when I was not yet 10. I saw I and II together and as time came on I caught up with the others. I recall seeing them at home on video rather than at the cinemas.

When news came out about another installment, I knew I had to watch them again and get primed for number 6. Sure I was skeptical and thought it would be pretty boring but generally the movies had a good story line - after you get over the part an unknown gets to fight the world champion for for the world title. But this was America the land of opportunity right!

Then again, people watch Bollywood movies and believe that two people singing songs can move between the streets of New York to the Swiss Alps in a blink of an eye, while changing into 3 different outfits. (Yet these days I can actually sit through a Bollywood movie and enjoy them - see what marriage has done to me!)

Off all the Rocky titles, my favourite is Rocky 3 and my least favourite is Rocky 5. So much so that I am having a hard time deciding whether I want to watch the last installment of this franchise.

Rocky 5 just did not go down well. It was crap and the two times I saw it I fell asleep through the viewing. Yes I saw it again because I fell asleep through the first viewing and it put me in dream land again. A movie just does not do that. The franchise ended badly and that is why number 6 had to come out.

I also think Sly Stallone did not want number 5 to stain the franchise and as such titled this one “Rocky Balboa” and not “Rocky 6”.

As I mentioned earlier, in the original Rocky, you were required to believe that the then current world heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed played by Carl Weathers, wanted to fight an unknown fighter which he picked up from a book because he was named “The Italian Stallion”. Of course as Apollo calls him the “Eye-talian” Stallion which was great comedy.

But if you look over this part of the story, the rest of the movie dealt with a down on his luck street thug who is going nowhere in life. He is presented with this opportunity to make some money and when he gets his chance he takes it to the champ and nearly wins it.

I believe the fact that Rocky lost the fight was a reason why this franchise was founded. There were also so many blows to the head in one round alone, that I felt a headache coming along.

Another thing was that this movie won best picture at the Academy Awards so either says the movies coming that year was crap or the movie was great.

Rocky 2 was a bit slow for about the first 70% as Rocky dealt with getting over his injuries and whether to take Apollo in a rematch. The downside of this movie was Talia Shire who played his wife Adrian. Her constant negativity and attitude over all movies was a bit of a pain. In a way, I am glad she is not in number 6.

(Let me digress about Talia Shire - she was great in the Godfather series and I actually believe that Godfather 3 should have been renamed GodMOTHER because she was calling the shots then - but apart from these two movies serials, what else has she acted in??)

Back to II, a great seen here was when he is running through Philadelphia and we see the magnificent city. it ends with him running up some steps and jumping around like a mad man. He did a similar thing in I but in II he has a harem of kids running with him. Just seeing this and hearing the music makes me want to run. I actually want to run those steps to the theme music and record that all on video - would be a good 3 minute clip

At the end Rocky just beats Apollo to become world champion. How is does it was great. After pummelling each other for 15 rounds, they both collapsed and are struggling to get up, eventually our hero does it and he is the champ! What follows is the standard hug between the combatants when Apollo presents Rocky with the belt, to which he lifts up and shouts "Yo Adrian, we did it!!" i had a tear running down my eye, I was pumped up.

This sets it all nicely for the bst of them all – number 3!

The great thing about III was that it introduced the world to Mr T as Clubber Lang (talk about a great series of character names, Apollo Creed, Clubber Land and now Mason Dixon). How good was Mr T, his sneer, his attitude his “I pity the fool” exclamation (which was then carried over to the A Team) as he was about to take on Rocky.

Great stuff.

I liked the montage at the start of the movie to “eye of the tiger” (has to be one of the best, awe inspiring songs for movie along with “You’re the best” from the Karate Kid). That montage saved about 45 minutes of the movie as it gave you the backgorund of the last 3 years of both players lives, in 3 minutes.

Then after Rocky is beaten by Lang he finds his trainer, father figure and friend, Mickey has died and now he is at the lowest point of his life. So what happens next?

Apollo comes and says he will train him. We get into another montage where Apollo builds him up top teach him to groove and fight like him. They go to some dodgy gym, back to the roots to keep it real. At the end both these guys just hug each other when Rocky beats Apollo in a foot race. This signifies how far Rocky has become and all to the tune of “Eye of the tiger”.

What happens next is pretty evident, Rocky knocks out Clubber Lang in the 3rd round and all is well in the world.

Except the threat of communism and this is what Rocky IV goes into. We meet Ivan Drago who is about a foot taller than Rocky and just massive. Apollo firstly decides to take him on and gets killed in the fight. Now who would have thought that would happen – when do movies kill of their favourite people in the 80’s, especially if Russians are involved.

This p’s of Rocky who then decides to fight Drago for revenge, in Russia on Xmas day. How American is that!

There is the montage of Rocky training in the farms and snowfields on outer Russia as be is tracked by KGB spies. Running through the snow, carrying old farm equipment and all the hard stuff. Meanwhile, Drago is in some start of the art facility punching into computer equipment and doing hard work on sophisticated gym equipment.

Stallone really wanted to show that the American’s could do it without all the fancy stuff! But the most memorable part of this movie was at the end.

As the fight starts, the whole Russian crows is booing and hissing him. As things progresses they start to support him and at the end they are cheering for ole Rocky. Russia loves rocky, even the Mikhael Gorbachev lookalike they got is clapping.

Then the funniest line of the franchise comes out. He exclaims: “At the start, I did not like you and you did not like you. But if I cane change and you can changed, then everybody can change”

Comedy and unappreciated.

And think about this, Sly Stallone showed the world that Russians and Americans could like together, a few years later the wall comes down and Perestroika takes over the USSR.

Rocky IV was the first, unacknowledged, step to ending the Cold War.

I won't discuss Rocky V like i believe that there were no matches on Boxing Day this year.

Bring on Rocky Balboa.

Breaking news

Poor Metria will be devastated but The OC has been axed.

Tis will be its last season!

Funny thing is that a lot of the newspaper sites here down under have carried this story. Guess it must be damm popular amongst the editors.

Now only if someone could do something similar about Paris Hilton.

Another published article

I finally got to finishing my next article for Sportingo and you click here for the link.

Hope you enjoyed this one.

Before the year ends I shall review the year and talk about the lows and highs on a few things.

Ponderings

I have always wondered about Adam and Eve.

As I am not Christian I am not very informed about what happens after these two came to the world. I know there was something about them having two sons and one killing the other. That is about it.

After that, I gather that they went forth and multiplied and we are now a planet containing 6 billion people.

Now I can explain why we have people of different colours, physical characteristics and languages because people spread forth over the world and over hundreds of years, they physical features adapted to the surrounding area they lived in and their languages evolved.

But the part between Adam and Eve to people spreading around the world is what I have always questioned.

If they were the first two people on Earth and had two sons, how did they procreate? Where did the women come from? IF Eve also had daughters, then her sons and daughters would have to get together to populate the world. Right??? After all they would be the only people in the world.

Maybe I would have the knowledge if I paid attention during conversion, I mean, Religion classes during my primary school days. But unfortunately I do not so if anyone can clear this up for me I would be most appreciative.

* * * * * * *

Hope everyone's Xmas was fun or fun filled. Melbourne certainly experienced a somewhat strange Xmas day. It actually snowed here!

You may say that Xmas equates to snow but listen up, it is summer here downunder (or that is what the rumours are). So some parts of Melbourne had a white Xmas. Unfortunately we were not so lucky, we were pelted with hail and rain.

Was pretty miserable but it was also cold, like a winters day!

We live in crazy times!

Yesterday was boxing day and that means Cricket tests and sales, the latter of which we partook in. We started out at 7am standing outside a major department store and once the doors opened we began an 8 hour shopping odyssey. I am glad to report we made it through although I was exhausted. but i out bought Metria!

YAY

The 100th Blog

Christmas this year has coincided with me contemplating what to write for my 100th blog entry. It is quite a milestone when you make 100 runs in a cricket match, when scoring goals in sports and when reaching that age. So I guess writing the 100th blog has to mean something.

However, first things first:

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and any other holidays that coincide with the 25th December.

As for my 100th entry, I thought I would 10 top ten's. Some are fancy, some are boring but generally these are things I want to share. I have decided not to provide an explanation for all things as I may want to revisit them at a later date and expand some more. Also note that some of these top 10's are not in order or reverse order or something or another. I just see what happens as I type.

So here goes with my 10 top 10's (because it adds up to 100 - get it!!)


Top 10 in paperback

10. Emperor series - historical fiction about Julius Caesar
9. Asterix
8. Robbie Fowler's autobiography
7. The Chronicles of Narnia
6. Any book written about Michael Jordan
5. X-men titles (yeah this old and still reading comics)
4. Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby
3. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
2. Harry Potter - can't wait for number 7!
1. Long Walk to Freedom - The Nelson Mandela Autobiography

Top 10 TV shows:

10. Heroes - its new and I like where it is going!
9. Red Dwarf
8. The Simpsons
7. Blackadder
6. Angel
5. Battlestar Galactica (the new version)
4. Veronica Mars
3. Smallville
2. Star Trek - all series
1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

10 things I want to do or happen before I die (not in any order)

1. Sky diving
2. Score a goal in a football match with my friends and wife watching
3. See Liverpool play live at Anfield
4. Get up and sing live at my cousins pub in Malaysia (Bojangles)
5. Have another run with the AWESOMES
6. The world to stop paying attention to Paris Hilton and people of her ilk.
7. Watch a world cup in person with Australia playing in it.
8. A cure for cancer because one Uncle and one friend passed away from it and one Aunt managed to beat it - that is 3 people too many to know who have had cancer.
9. Liverpool win the English Premier League
10. People just getting on with people no matter what and people not being nice to people they know because they want something but because it is the right thing to do (hope that last one makes sense)


Top 10 movies

10. Snatch
9. Matrix trilogy
8. X-men Trilogy
7. Quarbani - my favourite hindi movie of all time which I saw when I was 8 or 9
6. Gandhi
5. The lord of the Rings Trilogy
4. Star Trek 2 - The Wrath of Khan
3. Star Wars Episodes 1 to 6
2. Mississippi Burning
1. Do the right thing

Top 10 musical artists who I would listen to

10. Nirvana
9. Public Enemy
8. John Legend
7. The Jackson 5
6. Arrested Development
5. Smashing Pumpkins
4. Stevie Wonder
3. Prince
2. U2
1. Michael Jackson

I was contemplating a top 10 of songs and albums but that was too difficult given the variety and numbers out there - this is better saved for another time. Instead I embarked on making a list of musical artists who I enjoy listening to. Some are dead and some do not perform anymore but their music is all that matters.

Top 10 people who I am most grateful for having in my life

1. My wife
2. Mum, Dad,my sister and brother.
3-10 (not in any order).

• DM, Parv and Tharan (also known as the Awesomes;
• Clarence J - for helping me settle into Melbourne and for being a top fella to know;
• The Tatla's of Taylors Lakes - for they really helped me feel like a part of their family when I moved to Melbourne and will forever be grateful to them even thugh the last couple of years they have not seen to much of me;
• Lena John;
• Sunil and Sushil - for all the good memories and times we have had;
• Jes, Sandog and Raj - good times and good friends here in Melbourne;
  
• Harry and Jen Chemay; and
• My football team.

10 things that annoy me

10. Overzealous people who try to force their beliefs on you.
9. People who have no belief system
8. People who take themselves and life way to seriously
7. People who complain and bitch about something but never do anything about it.
6. Football players who do not respect the umpires decision and carry on like twits, especially after I tell them not to talk back to the referee
5. Cruelty to animals - the thought of anyone hurting my Jordan makes me angry!
4. George W Bush
3. Ironic by Alannis Morisette - it so missed the point about what irony is about
2. John Howard
1. People who will not open their mind and will not change for the betterment of society

10 places I love to be at or be doing if I was not at work (all these events involve my wife of course)

10. On the pitch coaching (some would say screaming at) the football team
9. Cottesloe Beach
8. Margaret River
7. Adelaide with the big fella!
6. Yum Cha at Dragonboat Restaurant
5. At the movies watching the latest releases
4. Down the Mornington Penninsula
3. KL - for the shopping and being around my family there.
2. Perth
1. At my parents house in Perth


10 reasons why I heart Liverpool Football Club

10. Being the most decorated club in England
9. What LFC is all about
8. Following them for over 20 years
7. The Rafalution and the possibilities it offers
6. The rivalry with Manchester United
5. The mystic and power of Anfield - as witnessed when we played Chelsea in the 2005 Champions League final
4. The KOP
3. "You'll never walk alone"
2. Robbie Fowler
1. Steven Gerrard


10 things to do in 2007

10. Work more and stop surfing the net/chatting on msn/emailing people
9. Finish redecorating the house
8. Travel somewhere apart from Perth or Malaysia
7. Spell better on my blog
6. Watch less TV
5. Catch up with my cousin Steven and try not to torment him about the Ashes or about the English football team.
4. Stop procrastinating so much
3. Write more and get more articles published with Sportingo
2. Get fit and lose weight
1. Become a father (no one is pregnant yet)


So that is my 100th blog. Hope you enjoyed it. Also let me take this opportunity to wish you a Happy New 2007!