Another tag by Naiza.
The Linking Tag Rules
1. List out five favourite links - the links can be of business sites, affiliate links or whatever that suits the blogger.
2. Tag five more people to share their links, so hopefully, at the end of the tag, we would be able to share good links with each other.
3. The links MUST be clean. No X-rated sites.
4. List out only FIVE links.
5. You MUST tell the FIVE people you chose.
6. Provide the link back to the person who tagged you.
7. Obviously, it should be an active link.
Well then, my five links would be:
1. Soccernet - Football related, results and news. And more news (I'm dreading the day when the headlines would read: Benitez sacked!)
2. NBA.com - NBA basketball related, results, videos and news. And statistics! I'm a stat person.
3. Yahoo! Sports - For other sporting results, including tennis, F1 and more NBA.
4. Facebook - A no brainer, since lately I've been hooked to it. Seriously hooked. Favourite application at the moment is Superheroes, Hobowars and Friends for Sale.
5. My blog - Well, it's easier to get around from there. I normally read the blogs listed on the sidebar.
Now let see, who should I tag?
1. Spena
2. Najib
3. Hazyr
4. Bakawali
5. Guile
Monday, March 3
Saturday, March 1
Streaking Rockets
14 straight win. The longest in the NBA so far this year. And one short of tying the franchise record. And that was an unbeaten February for them, going through the whole month unbeaten.
With Yao Ming out injured for the rest of the season, it looks like a daunting task for the Rockets to keep up with their winning ways. But with Tracy McGrady back to full health, and the Rockets rosters providing ample support, they might just have the chance of progressing far in the playoffs this time around. The West has not been won yet, and any 9 teams at the moment have the chance of winning it. The Rockets are sitting way down on 7th place, but only 2 games separate them from the Spurs who are at the top of the Conference.
The thing is, the lead has been changing for the past few days. The surprising Hornets have been on top, Suns and Lakers alternated a few times, and the rest of the pack are keeping close to them. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Rockets making it to the top, if they keep on playing like they did in February.
I have been particularly impressed with rookie Carl Landry. The power forward has been performing well, averaging 7.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game with an average of 16 minutes each game. He is also shooting really well, averaging 64.2% from the floor. Other than him, Luis Scola is also doing well, pumping in good numbers for the team, and for the first time in many years, the Rockets finally have a good supporting cast. The recent trade also landed them Bobby Jackson, a 10 years veteran who can provide enough experience and some offense from the bench.
Up next, it's Allen Iverson and the Nuggets at home tomorrow. Then it's the Pacers, and then the Mavericks, which could be the pivotal game that determines which team will finish above the other. But with 24 more games to go, a lot of things can happen. They still have to play the Hornets twice, and Spurs one more time. These might be the games that might shake the standings in the tough Southwest Division.
But if the Rockets keep on playing the way they do right now, with superb defense and workable offense, it could be a good season for them.
And I'm counting on that.
With Yao Ming out injured for the rest of the season, it looks like a daunting task for the Rockets to keep up with their winning ways. But with Tracy McGrady back to full health, and the Rockets rosters providing ample support, they might just have the chance of progressing far in the playoffs this time around. The West has not been won yet, and any 9 teams at the moment have the chance of winning it. The Rockets are sitting way down on 7th place, but only 2 games separate them from the Spurs who are at the top of the Conference.
The thing is, the lead has been changing for the past few days. The surprising Hornets have been on top, Suns and Lakers alternated a few times, and the rest of the pack are keeping close to them. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Rockets making it to the top, if they keep on playing like they did in February.
I have been particularly impressed with rookie Carl Landry. The power forward has been performing well, averaging 7.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game with an average of 16 minutes each game. He is also shooting really well, averaging 64.2% from the floor. Other than him, Luis Scola is also doing well, pumping in good numbers for the team, and for the first time in many years, the Rockets finally have a good supporting cast. The recent trade also landed them Bobby Jackson, a 10 years veteran who can provide enough experience and some offense from the bench.
Up next, it's Allen Iverson and the Nuggets at home tomorrow. Then it's the Pacers, and then the Mavericks, which could be the pivotal game that determines which team will finish above the other. But with 24 more games to go, a lot of things can happen. They still have to play the Hornets twice, and Spurs one more time. These might be the games that might shake the standings in the tough Southwest Division.
But if the Rockets keep on playing the way they do right now, with superb defense and workable offense, it could be a good season for them.
And I'm counting on that.
Saturday, February 23
Bedtime story
I didn't read much when I was a kid. And when I read, I only read Malay books, to be exact, those translated Enid Blyton's books. I never knew they were translated. I thought Enid Blyton was a Malay with a weird name. And I also thought that Enid is a male's name. How wrong I was at that time! And it was easy to get hooked to any of her books, since most of the times, you can relate to the character in the books, or imagine that you were one of them.
My favourite series would be the Secret Five. I'm sure almost all of you would have at least read one of the series. In Malay, it was translated to Lima Penyiasat. The main character is Gemuk, who was a master in disguise and always outwitting the local policeman, Encik Goon. He was assisted by John, Mary, Samy and Saroja and also at times, his dog, Buster.
There were a few tricks that they did in the book that was quite impressive. I still remember some of them, which includes the invisible ink trick (supposed to be lime juice) and to reveal the ink, you need to iron the message. Also the one where they were locked in a room, and what they did was slipped a piece of paper underneath the door, and poke the key out until it fell down onto the paper (of course the key needs to be in the keyhole on the other side of the door).
And I remember Gemuk has this shack where he hid his disguises. And he would disguised himself as different characters and walked around town to fool people (especially Encik Goon). Somehow, Goon and his bicycle always provide the humour in the story (with Buster occasionally barking and biting his legs).
Other than that, another one of my favourite is the Lima Sekawan series. This one is about Eddie, Dean, George, Mona and their dog, which I can't remember its name. Also about kids playing detective, but it is more like stumbling into a case rather than looking for one. Eddie, Dean and Mona are siblings, with George (Georgina is her real name, but she prefers to be called George, and likes to wear boy's clothing) being their cousin who lives in a house near the sea. So there were plenty of secret caves, islands adventures with the occasional pirates and treasures.
I think that was why I yearned for adventures and mystery during my childhood years. I even formed my own detective club in school, with our secret meetings and codes. But we didn't solve any mystery. It was more to creating our own mystery and solving them with our imagination. Something like role-playing (of course at that time, we had no idea what Dungeons and Dragons were). But all in all, we had a lot of fun. I still have our membership card, tuck safely in my drawer back at home.
I think I shall rummage that drawer the next time I'm home.
My favourite series would be the Secret Five. I'm sure almost all of you would have at least read one of the series. In Malay, it was translated to Lima Penyiasat. The main character is Gemuk, who was a master in disguise and always outwitting the local policeman, Encik Goon. He was assisted by John, Mary, Samy and Saroja and also at times, his dog, Buster.
There were a few tricks that they did in the book that was quite impressive. I still remember some of them, which includes the invisible ink trick (supposed to be lime juice) and to reveal the ink, you need to iron the message. Also the one where they were locked in a room, and what they did was slipped a piece of paper underneath the door, and poke the key out until it fell down onto the paper (of course the key needs to be in the keyhole on the other side of the door).
And I remember Gemuk has this shack where he hid his disguises. And he would disguised himself as different characters and walked around town to fool people (especially Encik Goon). Somehow, Goon and his bicycle always provide the humour in the story (with Buster occasionally barking and biting his legs).
Other than that, another one of my favourite is the Lima Sekawan series. This one is about Eddie, Dean, George, Mona and their dog, which I can't remember its name. Also about kids playing detective, but it is more like stumbling into a case rather than looking for one. Eddie, Dean and Mona are siblings, with George (Georgina is her real name, but she prefers to be called George, and likes to wear boy's clothing) being their cousin who lives in a house near the sea. So there were plenty of secret caves, islands adventures with the occasional pirates and treasures.
I think that was why I yearned for adventures and mystery during my childhood years. I even formed my own detective club in school, with our secret meetings and codes. But we didn't solve any mystery. It was more to creating our own mystery and solving them with our imagination. Something like role-playing (of course at that time, we had no idea what Dungeons and Dragons were). But all in all, we had a lot of fun. I still have our membership card, tuck safely in my drawer back at home.
I think I shall rummage that drawer the next time I'm home.
Friday, February 22
The long road
It has been a while. Come to think of it, it has been almost 3 years since I last frequented the MRR2 during peak hours. And this week, I was on it twice.
A few years back, I used to drive to Cheras from Sunway thrice a week. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday I would leave work and head straight to Cheras for our weekly basketball game. The road was long and torturous. At times, I can be on it for more than an hour. The deadly stretch was along the Sri Petaling area, where the crawl normally starts. I found ways to entertain myself during the long crawl, and I also learnt the best lane to be in when stuck in a jam. Of course, what made it worst were the drivers who kept on changing lanes every five minutes or so.
But normally, after the Bandar Tun Razak exit, the crawl subsided. And then there is the infamous Pandan Indah stretch. Because of the stupidity of the planner, somehow there is a bottleneck where the three lanes become two, and that is why every evening, the crawl will start at least two kilometres away. Then, if there is an accident, or a stalled car, things can get from worse to really ugly. The crawl can start from 10 kilometres away. At that time, you could spend 2 hours just to get past that stretch.
Luckily for me, I only encountered minor crawl this week. Not that there were less cars on the road, or the road has become wider. I think it has to do more with my luck on those days. But I dread the next time I have to travel on that road during peak hours.
I think that time will be next Tuesday.
A few years back, I used to drive to Cheras from Sunway thrice a week. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday I would leave work and head straight to Cheras for our weekly basketball game. The road was long and torturous. At times, I can be on it for more than an hour. The deadly stretch was along the Sri Petaling area, where the crawl normally starts. I found ways to entertain myself during the long crawl, and I also learnt the best lane to be in when stuck in a jam. Of course, what made it worst were the drivers who kept on changing lanes every five minutes or so.
But normally, after the Bandar Tun Razak exit, the crawl subsided. And then there is the infamous Pandan Indah stretch. Because of the stupidity of the planner, somehow there is a bottleneck where the three lanes become two, and that is why every evening, the crawl will start at least two kilometres away. Then, if there is an accident, or a stalled car, things can get from worse to really ugly. The crawl can start from 10 kilometres away. At that time, you could spend 2 hours just to get past that stretch.
Luckily for me, I only encountered minor crawl this week. Not that there were less cars on the road, or the road has become wider. I think it has to do more with my luck on those days. But I dread the next time I have to travel on that road during peak hours.
I think that time will be next Tuesday.
Wednesday, February 20
Stay of execution
There was a huge sigh of relief after the game last night. I think everyone in the stadium were happy with the results at the end of the game. But they had to wait until the last 5 minutes of the game for the first goal, and it was a double relief when the skipper blasted another cracker at the stroke of full time.
But of course, Rafa must have had his heart skipped a bit or two during the whole game. It was frustrating watching the home team having the mighty lion of possessions, and playing with an extra man (Inter was down with 10 men on the 30th minute), but was unable to get the goal they desperately needed. Shots after shots on goal were off target, and if they were on target, the keeper did well to save them. Rafa then brought in two attacking players for more firepower, and it finally paid off when a cross from one of the substitute was met by Kuyt who volleyed in his second goal in two games for the long awaited breakthrough.
And the goal from Gerrard was like the icing on the cake, and with a comfortable lead to take to San Siro, Liverpool must now be counting their chances of progressing to their 12th European Cup quarterfinals. Of course, anything can happen in the second leg, but now it's up to Inter to make things happen.
Hopefully this win will be the start of a good run, and maybe, just maybe, we'll be in the running again for that elusive top spot in the league.
But most importantly, it means Rafa won't be going anywhere for the time being.
Not yet.
But of course, Rafa must have had his heart skipped a bit or two during the whole game. It was frustrating watching the home team having the mighty lion of possessions, and playing with an extra man (Inter was down with 10 men on the 30th minute), but was unable to get the goal they desperately needed. Shots after shots on goal were off target, and if they were on target, the keeper did well to save them. Rafa then brought in two attacking players for more firepower, and it finally paid off when a cross from one of the substitute was met by Kuyt who volleyed in his second goal in two games for the long awaited breakthrough.
And the goal from Gerrard was like the icing on the cake, and with a comfortable lead to take to San Siro, Liverpool must now be counting their chances of progressing to their 12th European Cup quarterfinals. Of course, anything can happen in the second leg, but now it's up to Inter to make things happen.
Hopefully this win will be the start of a good run, and maybe, just maybe, we'll be in the running again for that elusive top spot in the league.
But most importantly, it means Rafa won't be going anywhere for the time being.
Not yet.
Sunday, February 17
Dumped
I remember vaguely the last time Barnsley beat Liverpool. It was years ago, and it wasn't in Anfield. Anfield used to be the stronghold for Liverpool Football Club. Walking out of the dressing room, the infamous 'This is Anfield' sign used to give butterflies to those players playing on that sacred ground. But I guess that was during the glory days, when Anfield was a mighty fortress. Plans for a new stadium has demolished Anfield status and aura indefinitely. Nowadays, playing in Anfield is the same as playing anywhere else.
Anyway, the last time Barnsley beat Liverpool, it didn't happened in Anfield. And it didn't happened in Oakwell Stadium either. Come to think of it, it didn't even happened on English soil. It happened in Championship Manager 3 (CM3) and I was the manager of Barnsley at that time. It was also a cup tie, and the scoreline was the same as last night. Having been managing the team for 3 seasons at that time, it was a sweet victory for me, beating Liverpool at that time to advance to the semifinals. I think I lost the semifinals to Arsenal at that time, but that besides the point.
In reality, Barnsley did beat Liverpool once before. It was 10 years ago, the one and only season Barnsley played in the Premier League. But yesterday, it knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup. Already being written off for the Premier League title, and knocked out of the League Cup, their only silverware now lies in the prestigious Champions League, which they are up against Inter Milan this week.
Maybe that's why Benitez rested Torres and benched Gerrard. It's only Barnsley anyway, and they have one of the worst record in their division playing away from home. But sometimes, magical stuffs happened in the FA Cup. And it definitely happened last night.
With the score tied at 1-1, with virtually the last kick of the game, Barnsley did the unthinkable. Captain Brian Howard dashed the Reds dream of FA glory and added mounted pressure on Benitez. Already been broiled in controversy, he must be wondering how much longer is he going to survive before getting the sack. The results haven't been on his side lately, and it's only a matter of time when a better candidate emerges as a successor to him.
Of course, this can only mean one thing. The game against Inter Milan will be crucial, as failure to advance to the next level could spell an end to Benitez's job. But Inter Milan must be thanking their luck to draw Liverpool, instead of the other English giants. Manchester United might be faltering a bit in the league, but they have a strong team, and Arsenal and Chelsea are very consistent. Out of the four teams, Liverpool is proven to be the weakest of them all.
At the end of the game last night, Rafa had no words to describe the lost. "We had a lot of chances but it was the same situation as in other games, we cannot take our chances to finish games. Today was the same," Rafa Benitez moaned.
I think it has been the same for a very long time now.
Could this be the end of Rafa-Torres partnership?
Anyway, the last time Barnsley beat Liverpool, it didn't happened in Anfield. And it didn't happened in Oakwell Stadium either. Come to think of it, it didn't even happened on English soil. It happened in Championship Manager 3 (CM3) and I was the manager of Barnsley at that time. It was also a cup tie, and the scoreline was the same as last night. Having been managing the team for 3 seasons at that time, it was a sweet victory for me, beating Liverpool at that time to advance to the semifinals. I think I lost the semifinals to Arsenal at that time, but that besides the point.
In reality, Barnsley did beat Liverpool once before. It was 10 years ago, the one and only season Barnsley played in the Premier League. But yesterday, it knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup. Already being written off for the Premier League title, and knocked out of the League Cup, their only silverware now lies in the prestigious Champions League, which they are up against Inter Milan this week.
Maybe that's why Benitez rested Torres and benched Gerrard. It's only Barnsley anyway, and they have one of the worst record in their division playing away from home. But sometimes, magical stuffs happened in the FA Cup. And it definitely happened last night.
With the score tied at 1-1, with virtually the last kick of the game, Barnsley did the unthinkable. Captain Brian Howard dashed the Reds dream of FA glory and added mounted pressure on Benitez. Already been broiled in controversy, he must be wondering how much longer is he going to survive before getting the sack. The results haven't been on his side lately, and it's only a matter of time when a better candidate emerges as a successor to him.
Of course, this can only mean one thing. The game against Inter Milan will be crucial, as failure to advance to the next level could spell an end to Benitez's job. But Inter Milan must be thanking their luck to draw Liverpool, instead of the other English giants. Manchester United might be faltering a bit in the league, but they have a strong team, and Arsenal and Chelsea are very consistent. Out of the four teams, Liverpool is proven to be the weakest of them all.
At the end of the game last night, Rafa had no words to describe the lost. "We had a lot of chances but it was the same situation as in other games, we cannot take our chances to finish games. Today was the same," Rafa Benitez moaned.
I think it has been the same for a very long time now.
Could this be the end of Rafa-Torres partnership?Friday, February 15
Rainy day man
I love the rain. Sometimes, I just sit outside and watch the raindrops fall from the sky. I always dream of lying down on the ground and watch the rain falls into my eyes. Tried it before actually, and discovered that dreaming about it is more pleasant than actually doing it.
Lately, it hasn't been raining as often as before. It used to rain almost everyday, heavy evening rain. Not a good time to be on the road, since rainy days mean bad traffic. Nowadays, there is more sunshine, and the mornings can get really hot. Parched hot. The kind of hot that makes you want to spend the day indoors in an air-conditioned room, or maybe soaked in the swimming pool. And definitely not stuck in a bad traffic crawl in the car with the air-conditioning not working.
The wind has also make limited appearance nowadays, preferring to blow someplace else instead. With the hot sun and no wind, temperature has been high, and the same can also be said with some people's tempers. Weird how the word temperature seems to come from the root word temper. Not that it has any relations, come to think of it. But if there was a research done to study the relationship between temper and temperature, I'm sure the results would show that they are proportional to each other. In other words, it would show a linear relationship.
But I digress. It's easy to let your tempers run wild when the conditions are set for it, like a fire being fed with kerosene, or a hungry dog being thrown a piece of meat. And it's a lot easier to just let it loose, and hurt the people around you. But most of the time, it's the people you love who gets hurt, and in the end, all you'll end up with are regrets, and most probably, lesser friends.
There are times when I can feel my temper flaring up, and I would close my eyes and count to three, and take a deep breath. But in that 3 seconds, plenty of things are going on in my mind. I would play the scenario of me losing my temper, and how the consequences would effect me, and the people around me. After a while, that would calmed me down, and I would be able to think rationally.
Of course, it depends on the situation too. I think I lose my temper more when I'm in my car, driving. It's very easy to get angry and start cursing when inconsiderate drivers are all around you. Then again, the AC in my car has gone busted, so that probably explains why lately there were more cursing while I'm cruising along the road.
That's why I'm glad when it rains. Somehow, the sound of the rain soothe the beast in me, and keep my temper in check. And the air is a lot cooler too. It's easier to be calmer on rainy days. Well, as long as there are no flash floods around, because that would make me even madder.
I hope it rains tomorrow, because I miss the rain.
Lately, it hasn't been raining as often as before. It used to rain almost everyday, heavy evening rain. Not a good time to be on the road, since rainy days mean bad traffic. Nowadays, there is more sunshine, and the mornings can get really hot. Parched hot. The kind of hot that makes you want to spend the day indoors in an air-conditioned room, or maybe soaked in the swimming pool. And definitely not stuck in a bad traffic crawl in the car with the air-conditioning not working.
The wind has also make limited appearance nowadays, preferring to blow someplace else instead. With the hot sun and no wind, temperature has been high, and the same can also be said with some people's tempers. Weird how the word temperature seems to come from the root word temper. Not that it has any relations, come to think of it. But if there was a research done to study the relationship between temper and temperature, I'm sure the results would show that they are proportional to each other. In other words, it would show a linear relationship.
But I digress. It's easy to let your tempers run wild when the conditions are set for it, like a fire being fed with kerosene, or a hungry dog being thrown a piece of meat. And it's a lot easier to just let it loose, and hurt the people around you. But most of the time, it's the people you love who gets hurt, and in the end, all you'll end up with are regrets, and most probably, lesser friends.
There are times when I can feel my temper flaring up, and I would close my eyes and count to three, and take a deep breath. But in that 3 seconds, plenty of things are going on in my mind. I would play the scenario of me losing my temper, and how the consequences would effect me, and the people around me. After a while, that would calmed me down, and I would be able to think rationally.
Of course, it depends on the situation too. I think I lose my temper more when I'm in my car, driving. It's very easy to get angry and start cursing when inconsiderate drivers are all around you. Then again, the AC in my car has gone busted, so that probably explains why lately there were more cursing while I'm cruising along the road.
That's why I'm glad when it rains. Somehow, the sound of the rain soothe the beast in me, and keep my temper in check. And the air is a lot cooler too. It's easier to be calmer on rainy days. Well, as long as there are no flash floods around, because that would make me even madder.
I hope it rains tomorrow, because I miss the rain.
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