COVID19 lockdown

The virus with crowns have most countries on lockdown, families and close ones will have to be with each other for extended period.

Watch out and I don't mean the virus.

Body: 4pm, 31 Dec 2017: Changing a nasty diaper. Radio’s on.

🎼 Hey, what’s wrong with you.
You’re looking kinda fine to me.
Cause things ain’t getting over.
Listen to what i say.

Mind: New Year’s Eve party in the noughties at Viva/some place...drinks, flashing lights..

Body: 4.01pm, phew.

True story.

Disaster

On Arsenal's team sheet against Villa yesterday, Higuain and Suarez at the front. Gustavo slotted straight in for injured Arteta. Ivan Gazidis and Arsene Wenger, for the first time in a long time, came through to buying early in the summer. Walking the now infamous June talk.

Then opening day disaster happened. 1-3 to Aston Villa.  

Let's go into the details eh, of this alternate reality Arsenal find themselves in.

Higuain

Higuain is on the periphery of the biggest team in the world, only 19 starts but with 16 goals to show. Only 25 years young, heading to his prime, what's there not to like after a season watching Olivier Giroud. Higuain is however not brought in by the incumbent president, unlike Karim Benzema Real's preferred no. 9. Real's kind early valuation was 'agreed in principle' at £23m.  but gazumped by Napoli at £35m led by their new manager whose nickname is The Fat Waiter. 

There are a few undercurrent this summer which played its part over this shamble of a which defined this summer, Napoli's Cavani to PSG for £55m, so Napoli has money to reinvest. Ex-Chelsea and PSG manager Carlo Ancelotti replacing Jose Mourinho, wanting a better deal for Higuain.

If you pay peanuts, you get Sanogo (no racist pun intended). My personal view is Arsenal was a bit naive to walk away, just because someone else bid higher for a proven 25 year old Real Madrid striker with Champions League pedigree. 

Final word on Higuain, salt to wound, he turned up at Emirates in one of many Arsenal's money grabbing pre season tournaments in Napoli sky blue. Ugh.

Suarez

What is there not to like to a chomping, diving racist valued at £40m. Oh brilliant striker too.

If I were to be a fly on the wall in Arsenal's boardroom, this was probably what happened:

Ivan: Fat Benitez put £35m for Higuain!

Arsene: I thought it was a done deal, Fat Waiter is with Chelsea no?

Ivan: Napoli now mate. That's a good £12m more I have to fork out of my pocket.

Arsene: Cest a dire?

Ivan: Um, I mean Arsenal Football Club has to pay. We have to make a profit and return money to the shareholders and Financial Fair Play whatever.

Arsene: Si si. You know what chief, Pep Guardiola's brother told me Suarez is only £40m. 

Ivan: Ok if he is related to Pep he must right then! Alright we'll go after Suarez then (all the time gnashing his teeth at the price like he lost his arm)

Bringing us to date, to the very public courting post Suarez's transfer trigger ala RVP/Fabregas that Arsenal as a selling club is becoming accustomed to.

Gustavo

Young midfielder who is part of the treble winning Bayern Munich. He even came on the Champions League final match. 

Well he made too much sense for Arsenal to buy. Yep too much sense. Off he went to Wolfsburg for 15pence.

Alas, while I tore myself apart with this offseason's logic defying shenanigans above, Arsenal could do no worse with a decent keeper (Begovic) and few more functional defenders (Sagna is not a central defender). Unfortunately there has been not a whisper of a transfer gossip about defense.

The saving grace has been well documented that a whole heap of deadweight has been shipped out (hi Chamakh, hi Santos to namedrop a few), but it just translates to saving the salaries and increasing the stake of cash stashed under AFC's pillow. 

When Roman's image was shown at Stamford Bridge, there was a round of applause by the home fans. Any decent Chelsea would have clapped in appreciation for his vision, his enthusiasm and more importantly his willingness to getting players (and manager, ha) to Chelsea every new season. No money for guessing what will happen if Ivan 'the Terrible' Gazidis is spotted.

Fifty Shades of Grey

Over the years, to those who (still) follow this blog, have come to enjoy reading "Voices in My Head". 

This carefully manicured section of blogs gives an insight to the enigma of thie writer, his insensible fascination with Chelsea Football Club, his popcorn spitting movie criticism (save Christopher Nolan to whom he has mad man-love) and there are the occasional truism, when he feels it, putting to writing voices in his head.

Here's a spoiler alert, this Blues fan has read Fifty Shades of Grey and since it took over as the voice in his head. Word is, this mommy porn will become a movie. Expect a toe-curling review.

Insanity of Jordan 11 Concord

23rd Dec would have been circled since the start of the year for sneakerheads. Its re-release 12:00am this morning of Jordan 11 Concords was met with hysteria all around the world.

To begin to understand the hysteria you’d have to be one of us. For the people who love shoes, explaining or understanding the fascination is beside the point. The latest Jordan 11 re-release has played out like the golden ticket in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, but with web servers and eBay and overwhelmed shoe stores everywhere. Exactly the way it happened 15 years ago, when the shoes first hit the market.

Jordan 11s are the one shoe that really did feel magical when it came out. There's never been an athlete so magnetic like Michael Jordan, and he lent a mystique to shoes that we'd never seen before or since.

In 1995 he was at the height of his powers. He'd just left the NBA for a year and a half, leaving the whole world begging for more, and then sending the world into ecstasy when finally decided to come back. And as we all became entranced by the Jordan mystique again, he was out there wearing these that futuristic-looking patent leather wrapped around the bottom of his shoe. If there'd been any doubt that he was the coolest athlete on earth, his shoes ended that debate.

16 years on, needless to say, this kicks remain the legendary king of all sneakers.

Hysteria around the world:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/nike-air-jordan-xi-concord-shopping-frenzy/story?id=15220618#.TvT8VDWDv4s

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/1223/Air-Jordans-Sneakerheads-flock-to-grab-retro-kicks-VIDEO

http://www.waff.com/story/16383548/shoppers-throw-punches-while-waiting-for-sale-of-popular-tennis-shoe

Entourage

End of another era. Brilliant end track, take it away lads.

It's not a business

Football is a global sport adored by all around the world. Globalisation helped its expansion and reach. It's true what they say, there are more United fans outside Manchester but it doesn't and shouldn't count as any less.

As the fanbase grows and percolates the globe, it became noticeable that football champions has been restricted a cartel few. It's inevitable the more trophies you win, the more resources you have and the better the talent you attract. This does not discount the quality of champions as in this modern world where all footballers are looking after number 1, to win in this team sport requires more than money but also luck and individual playing for the shirt rather than ego.

This act of attrition did not occur overnight but those winning clubs during the early 90s horizon has gone to the bigger and better things, example in case United and Ajax the opposite. Underdog winners are lesser since the dawn of globalisation, the only recent win is Birmingham over Arsenal (where Birmingham was subsequently relegated & its chairman charged with money laundering). The dominant leagues in Europe hasn't seen a healthy level of competition with predictable champions at the start of every season.

There are multiple clubs whom spent their way to relevance, some successfully and some straight to relegation. In cases of bottomless pockets, there were championships to be won. Any pro comes with a con, as with the current example of Greece, terrible things happen when you spend without remit and find yourself leveraged to the tilt.

The alternative is less myopic, sensible, sustainable view for a club like Arsenal, a different modus operandi. This experiment started in 2005 since the last trophy and the emergence of Cesc has been fruitless, winless, pushing the label from champions to feeders.

In the past few years, those who left Arsenal were those decided by Monsier Wenger, eg. Ade, Flamini, Hleb and see where they are now. No big mistakes so far. This summer pending departures, quoted from reliable sources (ie. The Sun and Mirror) that Cesc and Samir are leaving, the arrival of just Gervinho and potentially Samba (Blackburn), Cahill (Bolton) begs the question of intent and impetus of the club.

It's been run like a business, but football is not a business is it?

Midwest

The first quarter of the year almost over, this means most will be running just to stay still, grafting in the twilight zone between after lunch to dinner, your cubic desk, chasing deadlines and fast food.

It doesn't always have to be. In an alternate world, there are wide open spaces where multitasking is unnecessary. Time was to able to tick slower than your rebooting laptop. For a change you look forward to the day, enjoying the day.

Trust

and world peace.

Wikileaks?

Julian Assange has a plan.

The result
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/10/wikileaks-reaction-world-reaction

The poison pill
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/12/08/wikileaks.poison.pill/?hpt=T2

Cult status?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40559236/ns/us_news-wikileaks_in_security/


There has been so much goings on, with a lot at stake resulting predictable uproar and furore. Moneybags with entitlements are crying wolf on national security risks, whereas the naive young anarchists are questioning the so-called government transparency.

There is however only one question, are we shooting the messenger?

Stuff matters

Here are a few anecdotes or quotes found in Stuff Matters by Harry Bingham, which i found rather strangely fulfilling.

Risk
Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant dangers, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.

- Advertisement placed by Ernest Shackleton in 1914

Invention
Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something.

- Thomas Edison

Will
If you start to take Vienna - take Vienna.

-Napoleon Bonaparte

Masch

Full name: Javier Mascherano
Employer: Liverpool FC
Wanted by: FC Barcelona

Well boys, who doesn't want to play for sexy fantasy football with Barca? It's the only club in the club that pays to have a 'sponsor' on their front kit. World champions as colleagues, the best player in the world (who is Masch's home boy) plays there too. Let's not forget the food, seista, beach and sun, compared to grim, thieving town famous for the Beatles, now 40 years ago.

So what's the hold up in this straightforward conundrum? The same reason I think why Cesc Fabregas is still a Gunner.

If I may quote Russell Peters, "doo the right thing". Pay up Barca.

Tantrum in a mall

John Bishop is a Scouse comedian or more accurately a comedian from Scouscer. He has a weekly prime time show, which goes to show that if a Scouscer can get on the Beeb, you know you're overpaying your TV license.

So he talks about parenthood, and the famous/infamous scenario of someone's kid throwing a tantrum in a mall. The parent then, spots you looking, gives you a shrug and forced smile.

Public social étiquette puts that down as an embarrassed parent failing to control his/her own offspring. And you on your high horse, proudly and solemnly swore your kid wouldn't be like that, your kid wouldn't throw any tantrum, your kid is gonna cool, colder than ice cold.

John proceeded, no one wanted a kid with attitude. It's just how it is, kid below the age of five is not going to comprehend beyond basic instincts ala Resident Evil zombies . So the next time you see a combo of a shrug and a forced smile, he reminded, it is not a gesture from an embarrassed parent. Instead it's a message for you to look away as this tantrum can be easily sorted, if you just look away.

Bang on, they may preach you should reason with kids, but it's on they mind to whip the shillbilly outta kid to discipline them here.

Ohh

Imagine.

Saturday afternoon, at home, coffee and quiet.

Your 4 year old kid sped across the living room asking if you would take him to the loo. "Mommy's busy at the kitchen" says the 2 feet odd recently toilet-trained halfling.

So you'd do your part in this hunter-gatherer combo, followed the kid to the destination, lifted him up so his chubby tiny feet lightly stands on the rim for small business to transact.

Wifey walked past the toilet and she lovingly questioned if you've lost your marbles.

'What's the shizzle?' you'd inquisitively grunt.

"Next time you're not around, he's gonna do that by himself." Gatherer would say. "And fall over".

Ohh.

Women

These are toilet signs, but i couldn't resist taking this photo.

News today

Inter 3-1 up on Barca.

An elected MP in Perak, a catalyst in the notorious state takeover was awarded Datukship.

Ribery, only last year was the hype of football transfer market questioned over a call girl.

Goldman, the most evil (read powerful) bank being sued.

Fergie's clock starts ticking, again.

Truth is stranger than fiction.

Dailies

There are numerous dailies in London, for every man, for every caste, for every party, for everyone. Guardian, Times, The Sun, Daily Star, FT, etc. Each with press freedom, each with its responsibility to report the what is happening out there, keeping us informed of what is important where its corruption among members of parliament, Arsenal going into the last eight of Champions League without Fabregas or if there is a hot 36DD girl from Leeds on Page 3.

One thing we count on is that news will be reported, and that duty is in the safe hands of the dailies. There is information, and there will be bias. Guardian isn't always going to agree with the London Standard, Tories v Labour supporting papers. Arguments and bloodspit had and to be had for everyone to read and I can only wish the same for Malaysian broadsheets.

I do understand the need to cushion the bad & embellish the good..in the name of peace. It is striking how there are common themes among mainstreams but not the independents, Strait Times/Star v Malaysiakini/Malaysia Today news. This post by no means illustrates my right or left inclination but anyone who would read any of the abovementioned papers would opined that there are more pressing internal matters to debate, to learn, to action. It is dreadful to think that even in this day and age, information stays premium.

Resuscitation

This blog is dying in the new decade huh. It was once short on money and long on time. Dying as young anger and meditated fight are leaving this space. The travel of time sands your edge. Enthused imagined ideals lingers and only hopeful bursts in spurts. A star no more but well rounded to fit into a circle hole in the house of blocks.

2-0 to the Arsenal

The walk from the tube. On your way to the stadium. There's a general sense of exuberance. Robbie Williams in the early noughties, singing Let Me Entertain You.

It should read "You earn your seat chaps, signed Roger & Rafa"

Captain America

Even he needs a pint.