FIFA World Cup: Time to embrace technology

The match between England and Germany in the second round of the World Cup yesterday has provided some quality of excitement to the game and hopefully, as the tournament progresses, the fans can enjoy such quality in this beautiful game.

The hottest topic about this game is most probably not the victory of Germany but the shot by Frank Lampard which hit the goal bar that bounced down and back up off the bar again. An almost instant replay during the live telecast clearly showed that the ball has indeed crossed the line. To the horror of all, from the the Englishmen to the football fans, the referee waved to play on as if he has not seen it. If the referee is 'blind' or being blinded, how about the linesmen?

It is indeed pitiful that England has to relive the equally controversial shot by Geoff Hurst during the 1966 World Cup. Many has argued that the ball has crossed the line and to this day, it is still being debated. Unlike today, where video technology is in such an advance stage, whereby any shots can be replayed almost instantly from any angle and in HD too! If such technology is available, shouldn't FIFA embraced it to be used in future tournaments so that there is some fairness?

Since the controversial goal by Thierry Henry in the return leg playoff between France and Ireland, I have blogged about the use of video technology and how it should be implemented.

Kindly read here for the proposals.

Maybe for once, FIFA should listen to an outsider.

FIFA World Cup: Let's hail the Yankees!

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is already half-way through and the tournament is anything but exciting to-date.

We have witnessed how the top teams like England struggled to survive in the Group matches and the biggest shocker must be the elimination of Italy and France who are the defending champion and runner-up respectively in the last World Cup. Then there is Spain, which is the favourite to win the Cup by the pundits, is hanging precauriously for survival in the last group match. These countries are supposed to be the top teams in the world and they have the biggest and richest professional leagues. The players are being paid incredulously high which at times looked so outrageous that I wonder if football is being played by one or two players only. And it is for this reason, where monetary rewards overtake pride and dignity for the game, that I am never interested in any of the professional leagues, especially the English Premier League.

In the United States where the American football and basketball supersede all other sports in popularity, one cannot help but wonder how they managed to qualify for two consecutive World Cups and has now qualified for the Group of 16 round by beating Algeria. It is indeed delightful and exciting to watch the Americans attacking relentlessly in the match against Algeria with their never-say-die attitude. Ultimately the winning goal came, at the last minute of injury time. If only luck is not against the Americans, the score could be easily 3-0.

If the United States wins the World Cup, the booster dose for the popularity of football will be tremendous: both in the US and the world. Maybe for once, the cup should be won by an 'outsider' team so that it can breathe new life for the next World Cup.

Possibly related post: here

Its now or never

I believe many of us must have felt very disheartened after reading today’s Star paper on the removal of various subsidies by the government on this auspicious Wesak day. Maybe Lord Buddha has already enlightened the government on how to manage the country efficiently before it goes bankrupt by 2019.

If these removals can indeed save the country from bankruptcy, then it is the duty of all to accept and adapt to the many changes that are bound to affect our lifestyles in one way or another. But the question is: Is the removal of subsidies the only means to safe this country financially?

I concur with Tony Pua who is DAP publicity secretary that the government must also do away with the many wasteful expenditures which are actually black areas for massive corruptions with the creation of the many rent-seekers. If we are to look deeply into the financial management of the government, corruption is the greatest sin that is plunging the country into bankruptcy, subsidy being only a secondary factor. The list of financial scandals is just too long. Maybe someone can assist me in compiling the list.

The government must not forget that there are still many who possessed the siege mentality and the removal of these subsidies might make them want to run amok. Can the government contain them? Can the government utilize the saved money prudently, efficiently and fairly?

There is a Chinese saying that goes something like this: With extravagance, even if you have a mountain of gold, it will eventually be finished.

And Malaysia fits the saying beautifully: A country with plenty of natural resources like the mountain of gold which is being plundered by the extravagants and the corrupts.

May Lord Buddha, Allah, Jesus Christ and Lord Muruga bless us all.

Born to act

It has been a long time since I last watched and followed intently Cantonese drama movies that are produced in Hong Kong, until recently.

A few months back, while my daughters were watching a Cantonese drama series titled Rosy Business, I joined in and watched the first episode. As the story progresses, I started to enjoy and became engrossed with the storyline. When the first episode was finished, I requested for the second and then the third episode and watching them way past midnight.

What captivates me in this movie besides the storyline is the acting by the veterans and even the newcomers who both acted superbly and so naturally. There is the plot and sub-plot and then more plots and sub-plots making you sitting on the edge of the chair yearning for more. So, it is no wonder that both the lead actor and actress won the Best Actor and Actress Award in the Hong Kong movie industry last year.

There is one particular scene that is worth mentioning here.

When the lead actor (played by Wayne Lai), was caught for stealing because he was poor by the gangsters, he was set to be punished severely by the leader unless he is prepared to crawl like a dog with a dog bone in his mouth! When the bone was forced into his mouth and as he crawled along the street with the people laughing and cheering, his facial expressions of humiliation, anger and sadness was indeed heart wrenching.

Since watching this show, I subsequently began to follow many other drama series. The Hong Kong movie industry has improved by leaps and bounds with the many talented actors and actresses that are aplenty. In fact many of them were from other professions before they join the movie industry: beauty pageants, models, hair stylists and singers. And when they became actors or actresses, they just seem to act naturally and convincingly.

Are the people in Hong Kong born to act?

It is a well known fact that the society in Hong Kong is a very materialistic one, a kind of No Money No Talk. With a robust economy and the dynamism of the Hong Kongers in doing business, the chase for wealth is extremely competitive and strong. And many believe acting is where they can find fame and fortune. So, it is no wonder that one can easily find many of these Gen Y aspirants hanging around at the beaches and complexes flaunting their body hoping to be spotted by a film director for an audition.

Malaysians are also accepted. Do you want to try?

Is Malaysia a cursed country?

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We all know that Malaysia is blessed with an abundance of natural resources like oil, rubber, timber, oil palm and even gold that has made the country the envy of many. No doubt these resources have contributed greatly to the development of the country and despite of these rich resources, it has created a vast division among the different races with each wanting to fight for more distributions of the wealth. With the depletion of the country's wealth through the massive plundering by the corrupts seemingly with impunity,the fight will become more intense among the have-nots..

The different races of the country have created a cultural pot of diversities and a smorgasbord of food that make this country unique throughout the world and should made all Malaysians proud. It is a folly of the government for not doing enough to capitalize on this great asset of the country. Instead of the capitalization, we see a conceptualization of a fiercely racial base political rhetoric which has greatly divided the people. Instead of living in a heavenly place now, the politicians are making it hell.

When most of us have forgotten the horror of the May 13 racial riot and moving forward, we now have some political idiots who are led by one pigheaded idiot who wanted to organize an anniversary of this bloodshed event in the name of special rights and privileges as if the people are not already divided enough.

With so much of beauty and richness in this country and yet, there are full of hatreds and divisions among the people. When we should enjoy a good standard of living, we see so much of discords and dissatisfaction. When the country seems to be heading the right direction for political reforms, we see the implosion of racial threats.

When the world is envious of us, yet we have become the laughing stock.

If Langkawi has the Mahsuri curse, I wonder what curse does Malaysia as a country has and by who. Anybody got any idea?

Remembering the times

Do you remember the times when you were a baby and was refused the pacifier by your mother?
What do you do?

Like all babies, regardless of race, you start to cry and whine until your mother gives in and faithfully gives you the pacifier and you smile again. As you grow a little older and when your mother refused to give you some sweets to protect your teeth, you start to cry again and like all caring mothers, your mother will obediently gives you the sweets. Now, as you grow older, each time when you want something from the family and was denied, you start to make a ruckus in the family to attract attention until your demands are given.

As we grow older into adulthood, many of us must have realized that such a trait is utterly wrong and begin to repent and change to a better behavioral person. But then, there are also many who either refused or simply cannot change because such childish behavior are already ingrained too deeply in them.

Now, let us juxtapose the above scenario with Perkasa.

Do you see the many similarities?
Can you hear their demands?
Can you see how they seek attention?

I believe that if we do not give a damn about them, they might do something more sinister until its 'parent', Umno, gives in to their demands.

What do you think, we as 'parents' should do to such a defiant 'child'?

Related post: The spoilt child

Illusions and Perceptions

First and foremost, I would like to congratulate Pakatan Rakyat for getting rid of another froggie. This froggie assemblyman from Bakar Arang, Kedah although has stressed that his reason to quit had nothing to do with him being dropped as Kedah state exco member recently, the truth is for us to judge.

One of the reasons he gives is so stupendously stupid that it makes one want to puke:“I love Anwar but now I see Najib working, I am beginning to love him.”

It is akin to saying that this froggie loves his wife and if he sees another woman who is more beautiful and cooks better than his wife, then he will abandon his wife and marry the other woman.

This froggie must have been caught in an illusion created by the PR company that is engaged by the government to create a perception that Najib is working hard. Hence, the front page picture of Najib shaking hands with President Obama to let the the world knows that Najib is one of the privilege few who is able to meet the most powerful man on earth. With millions being spent to market his image, ultimately it is the people who will make the judgment.

As I have mentioned before, marketing is about perceptions. It gives you a sense, usually a false sense of what is to be portrayed. Some good examples are the many TV commercials like baby powder and health food. We see how the so called fortified milk powder with DHA that can make a child talk like an orator and study like Einstein. We also see another commercial showing a well known actress drinking a calcium drink so that her bones can be strong but without mentioning how much of calcium is being absorbed.

Let us not be fooled by those illusions that we perceived everything is all right and smooth sailing in this country. We have already being fooled for more than 50 years. We have gambled and already lost the future of two generations.

Let us wake-up and come to our senses to change this country for the betterment of all. We cannot afford to gamble the future of our children anymore.