Is World Cup 2010 Fixed?

Lord Triesman is now the former chairman of the English Football Association and England's 2018 World Cup bid team as he has resigned from both of the positions.

This resignation came after he has revealed that Spain will be getting Russia, who didn't qualify for the coming World Cup 2010, to 'buy' some referees in next month's World Cup to be held in South Africa.

Why is Russia being so accommodating in helping Spain?
It seems that both Spain and Russia are putting up a bid to host the World Cup in the year of 2018. Spain was alleged to have offered Russia that Spain will pull out of the race provided Russia helps to settle with some of the referees in next month's World Cup. That Spain will also support Russia's bid and will help to obtain votes from the Latin Americans to support Russia as well.

This puts the World Cup 2010's integrity into a big question - has the World Cup 2010 been fixed?

Does Lord Triesman know something that we all don't know?
Was Lord Triesman a whistleblower in this case?

Lord Triesman was actually entrapped by a former aide of his during his posting with the government. This traitor former aide of his somehow sold the recordings of the personal conversation to Mail on Sunday newspaper. Lord Triesman not knowing the entrapment spoke from what he knew already or from his heart. His recorded conversation was released to Mail on Sunday, after a few other publishers had been approached possibly on price tag issue, and published publicly.

Well, the former aide was rumoured to be his 'mistress', Ms. Melissa Jacobs. Poured out everything not knowing she will betray him. It seems that this girl has a second batch of recordings yet to be released. Presumably looking for a higher price tag since the first batch of recordings have fetched an unsurmountable worldwide interests.

The English Football Association even tried to get a High Court injunction to prevent the article from being published.

There goes everything, maybe even English Football Association's chance to host the World Cup 2018. Melissa Jacobs not only destroyed Lord Triesman's reputation but a multi-millions of potential businesses if England was to host the World Cup 2018. English fans of this era/generation may have been robbed of their chance to witness the best show on earth right at their doorsteps. You can say thanks to her.

Personally, Lord Triesman shouldn't be put on trial here as I expected the FIFA to act and investigate further on his purported claim. It will be a disaster if what he claimed was true. Anyway, FIFA's Ethics Committee has requested English Football Association to provide a report on what was alleged by Lord Triesman.

Your World Cup 2010 might be fixed! So, don't put so high hope for your favourite team as the winner could have been decided waaaaaaay before the first ball is kicked in South Africa. Spain to progress all the way to the finals? Let's watch!

Now, let me guess who will host the World Cup 2018. Will FIFA's 24 executive committee members decide on Russia? We will see!

Reading: FA chief Lord Triesman accuses Spain and Russia of bid to bribe World Cup referees - Mail On Sunday
Tags: World Cup 2010, World Cup 2018, English Football Association, Spain, Russia, South Africa, Lord Triesman, FIFA Ethics Committee, Mail on Sunday, Melissa Jacobs

New Sponsorship For Cardiff FC

Cardiff City FC has just gotten a new owner who has bought a 36.7% stake. That stake's worth about £6 million.

Of all people, this new owner comes from Malaysia - Chan Tien Ghee. He said to be the business partner of Vincent Tan, one of the richest men in Malaysia, where both are mentioned to have collaborated to buy the Welsh football club.

Both of them became the first Malaysians to own an English football club. This is a rich man's game. Another top Malaysian businessman - Tony Fernandes, the owner of the low cost carrier - Airasia and Lotus F1 team, just missed out on West Ham recently.

Cardiff City will not worry about new sponsorships for the next few years to come. Why is that so?

Vincent Tan's vast business empire in Berjaya Group has a number of businesses that could sponsor Cardiff City and guess how the football jersey will look like next season.

Suprised?

Got the jersey design from another blogger.

Cardiff City is to play Blackpool for a place in the Premier League next season. It will be a good £6 million investment if it wins that ultimate play off finals.
Tags: Welsh Football Club, Cardiff City FC, Berjaya Group, Chan Tien Ghee, Vincent Tan, Blackpool, Football Jersey Design

Designated Decoy

Based on a true story -

Recently, a routine police patrol car parked outside a local neighbourhood pub.

Late in the evening the officer noticed a man leaving the bar so intoxicated that he could barely walk. The man stumbled around the car park for a few minutes, with the officer quietly observing.

After what seemed an eternity and trying his keys on five vehicles.

The man managed to find his car, which he fell into.

He was there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar and drove off. Finally he started the car, switched the wipers on and off (it was a fine dry night).

Then flicked the indicators on, then off, tooted the horn and then switched on the lights.

He moved the vehicle forward a few metres, reversed a little and then remained stationary for a few more minutes as some more vehicles left.

At last he pulled out of the car park and started to drive slowly down the road.

The police officer, having patiently waited all this time, now started up the patrol car, put on the flashing lights, promptly pulled the man over and carried out a random breathalyser test.

To his amazement the breathalyser indicated no evidence of the man's intoxication.

The police officer said "I'll have to ask you to accompany me to the police station as this breathalyser equipment must be broken.."

"I doubt it," said the man, "tonight I'm the designated decoy".
Tags: Designated Decoy, Police Officer, Patrol Car, Breathalyser Test

Who Invented English Language?

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Then shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England .

We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing,
grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.
If you have a bunch of odds and ends
and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English
should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?

We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
in which your house can burn up as it burns
down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out,
and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

And, in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop?

And if people from Poland are called Poles
then people from Holland should be Holes
and the Germans, Germs
Tags: English Language, Crazy Language, Germans, Poles, Plural, Pronouns

20,000 At Underworld Boss' Funeral

Taiwan big underworld boss from the Big Lake gang, Lee Chao-Hsiung, passed away and other underworld gangs will be making their ways to pay a last respect.

The entourage bringing his hearse to the funeral ceremony area was led by 12 outriders. Mind you, they are just his gang members, not the police force.

Being an underworld boss in Taiwan, you are given the right to have the road to yourself even after death.

Morale of the story - when you intend to thread into the underworld make sure you make it really big, that is to aim for the position of the triad leader. Otherwise, don't waste your time.

At the ceremony, the crowd built up and police force has to ensure security there. Now, you wouldn't want a big clash with all underworld bosses appearing at the same place same time.

Not only that it has drawn my attention, it has drawn the attention of international press agencies like the Agence France-Presse and those from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Philippines, Malta, France, USA, South Africa

Ironically, he died on 11 March 2010 and his funeral will be on 26 April 2010. The enbalming master must really preserve his body.

The Organising Committee has issued rules and regulations:-
* Each gang can only bring 300 of his/her gang members to attend;
* No persons under 18 years of age allowed to attend (yeah, unless accompanied by a parent due to its violence influence)
* If exceed 300 members, gangs are to present their best members (e.g. 180cm or taller, identical black suits and ties, etc)

Who's who? Many will be attending his funeral ceremony including Taiwanese senior politicians. Under his protection?

But I like the who's who in the Organising Committee better -
1) Assistant to a Legislator
2) Parliament speaker
3) Chief secretary to the President

Japanese leading Yakuza gang, the Yamaguchi-gumi, will be sending their representatives.

Any news from the Italian's leading mafia gang?

Police issued this ultimatum - "No mobilization; no associating; no gang identification."

For such a news, how can it not be published in Mafia Today, the main website reference for all mafias.

Taiwan press are currently presenting his good side (maybe forced to do so) -
1) donations (by his son) up to NT$60 million for thee disabled people and low-income families as well as four major religious organisations
2) known for helping to negotiate the release of a number of kidnapped politicians and businessmen, including the Taichung city council speaker (must be some kind of Godfather who's able to command such a release)
Tags: Lee Chao-Hsiung, Taiwan Mafia Boss, Mafia Boss, Triad Leader, Godfather, Crime Lord, Gangster, Gang Leader, Big Lake Gang

Half Revealed World Bank Report

The NST newspaper published an article on World Bank's forecast on Malaysia's potential growth.

Highlighted in bold that Malaysia may achieve a growth forecast of up to 5.7%.

After reading through the article, I found that all were very positive indeed and the economy is on the rise.

Seeing that the mainstream media are being controlled by the existing government (directly or indirectly), I checked further (my usual style on confirming stuff).

True enough that Malaysia could go all the way but it was subjected to a number of conditions. The article talks about end results only but was mum on how to achieve the potential growth of 5.7%.

The writer who's from World Bank, Philip Schellekens, has written more stuff and three main conditions have to be achieved prior to Malaysia hitting a good economy:-

High-income economy - Growth to date has been driven primarily by greater quantities of capital and labor. To break the glass ceiling between middle and high income, growth will need to be based on innovation with greater emphasis on the quality of capital and labor as well as the efficiency with which these are combined in production. Structural reforms, as argued in the report, will be essential to unleash Malaysia’s innovation potential and achieve the high-income objective.

Inclusive growth - Affirmative action is an essential policy instrument in many countries around the world and can be designed and implemented in ways that are conducive to growth. Pro-growth affirmative action requires a refocusing on needs so that the errors of inclusion and exclusion are minimized. More broadly, structural reforms that boost growth and enlarge the pie of national income make it easier to meet distributional challenges which remain significant. Poverty in Malaysia is four times higher than in Korea and Singapore, and inequality remains high at levels comparable with Indonesia and Vietnam.

Government debt sustainability - Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures and governments around the world expanded their balance sheets. The experience in Malaysia has not been different. Structural reforms, however, will be essential to ensure that the growth momentum is sustained and the debt level is gradually reduced. Slippages on the structural reform implementation front could be costly and cause the debt to rise relative to national income, which in turn would require additional fiscal consolidation. Structural reform thus matters not only for growth but also for debt sustainability.

More details are found here.

Unless most of the above are achieved / imposed / implemented strictly, the New Economic Model (NEM) is just a talk talk thingy again.

Maybe there isn't sufficient space in the newspaper print to publish such a long article but readers were not directed to read more elsewhere.
Tags: World Bank, Philip Schellekens, New Economic Model, NEM

Politicians' Mouth

Really a good laugh when you see cabinet ministers opening their mouth.

A renowned lady pathologist from Thailand, who was supposed to be back in Malaysia for being a witness in a court hearing, told the press that she's not coming back to Malaysia to give further testimony fearing for her life.

Opposition politicians quickly jumped up and blame the present government that they can't even protect a lady and wants to know why she feared for her life.

Then a minister said she's a liar.

Next, the opposition politicians said that this minister can be brought to court for sub judice.

The minister quickly responded by saying that she is afraid to come because she can't justify what she has testified earlier.

A state government who actually appointed her confirmed that she's not coming due to safety.

Another came up to guarantee her safety and re-assured her that she can testify.

With this assurance, the Thai witness suddenly availed herself.

It shocked both the ministers now.

The first minister then asked what sort of threats that made her changed her mind in the first place. He wants the proof also.

The second minister is now saying how to guarantee your safety when you can't even pin point the what where why how on her earlier concerns.

In other words, the guarantee is not guaranteed.

When you propose a protection guarantee, you are supposed to guarantee from top of the head right down to the toe and from all sorts of threats.

Imagine the when prime minister was to request for special police force protection and the police asked "what sort of threats do you want us to protect you from?".

What if the prime minister was to say "just protect me". Will the police say "since you can't identify your worries / concerns, we are unable to protect you any longer".

It's crazy, isn't it?
Tags: Thai Witness, Pathologist, Cabinet Ministers, Opposition Politicians