Birds and the bees

“Shanti, I am going to the beach,” the husband said, “to watch the birds.”

Shanti, stared at him, for a minute, wondering whether they were the feathered ones, or the human kind.

We may put aside the feelings of Shanti, as such is the case, with the word ‘bird’, which is used liberally. It is used to indicate a situation one is in, or to express a certain exploit. 

Birds are, undeniably, exceptional creatures, and their flying aptitudes, and other distinctiveness give cause for ideas for proverbs, puns and phrases. Continue to read on and you will notice those.

Birds have been the inspiration behind the production of aeroplanes, helicopters, fighter jets, gliders, and even the space shuttles. The analytical and systemic studies of a bird to the very minute details - of its lift off, its flight, and its landing, in relation to the pull of the earth’s gravity - have enabled man to create his own machines that can fly in the air, and land on the ground, as well as, on water.

The reason that I am talking about birds is that, birds, being such marvelous and awe-inspiring creatures, we are taking them for granted. We demean them, by using them as example, as in the case of ‘the birds and the bees’, to explain and, supposedly, enlighten our children about the expansion of population on earth! The amount of understanding by the children, in this matter, is doubtable. Many are the children, who so associate the birds with the population growth, that it is quite laughable, as in the case of a child, who told his friend that his village had less people, because, there were less birds! If one can, inconspicuously, listen to the children speaking after they had undergone a short ‘birds and the bees’ explanation, one will, certainly, obtain quite a bit of ammunition for laughter. Preferably, a more direct approach to express the reality of the human being’s multiplication process, is more apt and agreeable.

By using the ‘birds and the bees’ theory one may think that he or she has killed two birds with one stone; by enlightening the children of the human birth process, and at the same time, giving more knowledge on the 'birds and the bees' themselves. The matter of children getting educated more about the 'birds and the bees' is acceptable, but, the children’s perception of the former, and the main purpose is debatable. Small and young, though, they are, the children are not bird-brained. 

Taking a bird’s eye view of the situation, a child is quite intelligent enough to accept the explanations in plain, scientific terms. Just as, the early bird catches the worm, an early education on the human multiplication process, in plain, actual interpretation, will do a lot of good, to the grasping ability of a child. At a time, when the child is feeling as free as the bird, it will eagerly seize, and perceive anything that is thrown at it. The child will not have the perception that a bird in hand is worth two in the bush. It will always go for the extra. It will always search if it is worth more! More so, when they are amongst their own kind. Thrilled, and encouraged they will be, and gladly mingle around with their own groups, and crave for the chance of getting more knowledge of life. How so right is the saying 'birds of a feather flock together'. 

When such is the unavoidable situation, one who tries, insistently, to use the above said theory, will not succeed in his venture, and the theory in the end, will only go to the birds. I hope my point has hit its  target. A birdy, I hope so!

Pros and cons of wearing a face mask - the secret is out!

 

Wearing a face mask is the first priority in helping to stop the uncontrollable dispersion of the covid- 19 virus.  Wearing a mask is not that simple and straight forward. There are some pros and some cons attached to it; some serious, and some laughable. Below are some of the pros and cons of wearing a face mask,according to my observation and experience.

Pros;

Prevents covid-19 virus  loitering in the air from entering the body through nose and mouth.

Covers up any scars, warts and other skin marks on bottom half of face. One's feeling of shamefulness is thus avoided! 

Covers up the face without your macho moustache that was newly shaved off. And, thus, avoid being asked about it by your friends wherever you go!

Prevents your bad breath from reaching the other person when you are talking. Phew!

People cannot see all the red spots and bumps on your face during the occurrence of measles. Get well soon!

Hides your shyness and nervousness when you are facing or addressing a big group of people in a meeting. What an opportune time to get yourself trained up!

When you have a running nose the mask will soak up the water. Ha! Ha! Ha! Time to change onto another mask!


Cons;

People cannot see your beautiful or macho face! What a waste of makeup or moustache styling!

Some lipstick always sticks on the mask. Also some black Artline ink, used as temporary dye on moustache (unfortunately, applies to me! ), sticks on the mask!  Another mask please!

Your specs always get blurred up by the vapour from the nose, as it is blocked by the mask from spreading out. Hold on a minute. Let me wipe clean my specs first!

Robbers are indistinguishable when they wear the face masks and dark glasses. One could be near you! Get help ready!

Some do feel uneasy and get the feeling of shortness in breath if worn the mask for long periods. Remove the mask, turn your face away from people near you, take a deep breath, and put the mask on. Don't forget to turn back to face the people near you!

When you smile seducingly at your girl/boy friend, she/he goes on, indifferently. Your smile can't be seen. Sob!

Do you have any other pros or cons? Please feel free to add in!

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine first in the race!

 

 

In these times of Covid- 19 virus explosion and the devastating, unending deaths, some countries have started injecting vaccines onto their citizens, the earliest nations being UK and US. The American/German Company, Pfizer- BioNTech’s vaccine seemed to have received or earned their trust for now. Even though, in some way, the actions of these nations seem to have been done in desperation, to me this is the correct step and action, in view of the persistent and sorrowful departure of human lives. Yes, all the nations should not dilly-dally anymore. They should try to stop the deaths.

Anyway, to our deep felt solace and relief, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is being used only after some positive test results and outcome which is said to include high efficient rate. The next company to be deeply involved in supplying a vaccine seems to the American company Moderna, with its mRNA vaccine. At the moment some other companies are also strongly contending to prevent this scourge of a disease from further spreading and causing deaths.  And, most importantly, these companies also yearn for the fame and the huge financial rewards that come with it! Big pots of gold! Among the front runners are Oxford-AstraZeneca (British-Swedish), Novavax (American-Swedish), Johnson & Johnson (American), Sinovac Biotech (Chinese), Gamaleya’s Sputnik V (Russian), CanSino Biologics (Chinese) and Sinopharm (Chinese). You can be sure many other nations and companies will throw forward their vaccines later!

Speaking of pots of gold, several other companies, of different sort, have already made and are making, and will continue to make them, the pots of gold! Yes, you guessed right; the companies producing the ppe products (especially, the producers of gloves and face masks should be laughing all the way to the bank, though it was not their own doing), swabs, hand sanitizers, body temperature scanners, red tapes (I mean the out-of-bound tapes!), record books pens, desks, injection needles and other medical equipments, etc, etc.

One can’t be surprised if, inwardly, these companies, unwillingly and, perhaps, unwittingly thank the Covid- 19 virus for their great fortune! Remember, after everything said and done, this is still a materialistic world! 

Relaxation time - away from it all

What did one river said to another? “Long time no sea!” 

A mountain to another, “High there!” 

A piece of cloth to another, “See you sewn!” 

A wall poster to another, “Let’s stick around.” 

A buffalo to another, “Meat you someday.” 

A wall to another, “Meet you at the corner.”  

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What is common between: 

1. Dogs and trees  - they produce barks 

2. A gardener and swordsman  - they fence well. 

3. Shoes and men  - they have souls (soles). 

4. A car and a deer - they have horns 5. A lawyer and footman - they bring up your case. 

6. An author and a liar - they make stories. 

7. Fish and balance - they have scales. 

8. A typist and postman - they handle letters. 

9. Children and lamps - they brighten up your life. 

10. Knife and words - they can hurt. 

11. Batteries and kings - they have power. 

12. Judges and teachers - they give sentences. 

13. Nervous system and cars - when they break down you are in trouble. 

14. A ship and a football team - they have captains. 

15. A painter and thief - you can catch them red-handed.  

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Their languages 

Optician: Now, look here… 

Undertaker: Good grief…. 

Oil digger: Well, well… 

Teacher: You know something… 

Cobbler: My foot! 

Publisher: So long… 

Weather forecaster: Good morning… 

Ear specialist: Did you hear about… 

Tailor: Try this for size! 

Timekeeper: Just a minute… 

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Their jobs 

Chauffeur: drives you mad. 

Barber: trims your pride. 

Cook: boils with rage. 

Housekeeper: sweeps you off your feet. 

Fisherman: up to something fishy. 

Teacher: will teach you a lesson. 

Butler: puts you in your place. 

Milkman: milks away your money. 

Footballer: goes for kicks 

Well digger: has a boring job.

Okay then. Hope your mind is lightened. Your soul, enlightened! Or vice versa! Have a good day!

Aliens in the world!

 

Everyone knows when seen from outer space the world is round and there are human beings on it. We call the human beings, who are us, the people of the world. Yes, it belongs to every one of us because we are the people of the world, right? Wrong! There is a huge group of human beings who cannot call themselves ‘people’ of the world because they do not have a place in it. Do you know whom I am talking about? Yes, I am talking about the Rohingya populace. If you got it right the first time then my congratulations to you!

The Rohingya masses do not have a permanent land anywhere in this world, a place where they can settle down and call home. Once upon a time, they thought the Rakhine state in Myanmar, where they had been living for decades, was their home. But not anymore. In the year 1982, the Myanmar government outlawed them, saying that they were not citizens of Myanmar and that they had been staying illegally, all the while. They had said and are still saying that Bangladesh has the full rights on them as they had emigrated from that region originally, and that they were Muslims, the official religion of Bangladesh. They asserted that the mostly Muslim Rohingya populace have got no rights to be the citizens of the predominantly Buddhist Myanmar. 

The Myanmar military has been forcing them to leave for Bangladesh for several years now. It is still going on. However, Bangladesh does not recognize and accept them as its own. Even the several thousands of Rohingya community that Bangladesh took in under refugee-status have been forced to be transported to some remote islands, the latest being Bhasan Char, in Bay of Bengal. To Bangladesh, the Rohingya do not belong to the mainland as they are the people of Myanmar.

So this is the complicating issue; Bangladesh says the Rohingya are not its citizens.  Myanmar also says likewise. Other countries are also not welcoming them with open arms. And they can’t wait to see their backs of. Even the British, once the colonial rulers of Myanmar, then called Burma, seem to have washed their hands off them. Who are the Rohingya then, without any part of the world to call their own? Aliens in human forms? That the world looks upon suspiciously?

Could President Trump have really won the US presidential election?

 

President Trump has still not admitted he lost the election to Biden even though the courts and other election authorities proclaimed that there has been no foul play.

Knowing Trump’s adamancy, even if after Biden has taken over the Presidential office, Trump will continue to say that he won the election and that they had made it to look like Biden won. Unfortunately, this is going to put the US in bad light to the world in later times”.

Also, I had seen one of his press conferences, after the election results, in an American TV Channel allowed in Malaysia. He was putting forward his arguments regarding the outcome of the election and why he was saying that he was the one who won.

And he did have a point! He sarcastically said that ‘super’ machineries were involved in counting the ballots and  machineries could be set up to say Trump votes as Biden votes! Wow! Could it be done? Well, we know that in the electronic and machinery world anything is possible. We have seen money being scooped off, computers being hacked and important information being compromised, and so on.

As to the postal voting he alleged that a person could have received more than one absentee ballot to vote, even four or five! This is because postal votes seemed to have supported Biden! He said he had been against postal votes from the beginning. 

There you are. My, there is also some logic in there. I am also being swayed! Swayed, that's all.

Major news!

 

Amongst the headlines of today’s news media was the foot of President-elect Joe Biden that got fractured while playing with his dog, Major.  Some big news! It concerns the whole world! Later I got to know that it was his right foot and he got another dog named Champ. And both are German Shepherds.  Now let us focus on the main dog in the news, Major. The news media are full at it because Major is a major news!(smirk). So far we know Major has been in Biden’s custody since 2018.

Later we will know;

How old Major is

From where was Major was acquired

What food does Major it and how often

The complexion of Major

The likes of Major

Where will Major normally go to play.

How is Major’s relationship with Champ

Did Major get ill before

Hahahahahahaha! Don’t be surprised if some reporters stalk Major! But, seriously, I don't have anything against news on the President-elect. But to treat this as a headline news is what I can't stand. And to give details of the dog....!

China rocks!

China rocks. Yes, China has come out from its wilderness and now rocks the world. Rocks. This will be the, immensely, often repeated word, in the noun form, in association with China, in these few days and weeks. Just when the Americans and the Russians were feeling smug about their capabilities in the area of space, China launched a rocket, they called Chang’e-5, to collect lunar 'rocks' from the moon. The launch was executed on November 24, 2020 from Wenchang, in the island of Hainan. A lunar lander was expected to land on the moon on November 27, 2020, and after collecting the rock samples the spacecraft is expected to return back to earth on December 16 or 17.

An anchor of a news program of an American TV Channel that I was watching, smilingly, said that China had sent a rocket to space to collect rocks from the moon, 40 years after the Americans and Russians had done so, with their Apollo and Luna expeditions, respectively. I could not help noticing a hint of sarcasm from her tone, and her grinning face. She was trying to emphasize that China was 40 years late. Ha ha! Your jealousy showed ma'am!

That sarcasm aside, China indeed seems to be moving stride for stride to catch up with the Europeans and western nations in every aspect, be it economy, weapons, agriculture, electrical and electronic products, all sorts of modern and state-of-the-art vehicles, even in sports and anything else that comes into your mind. You name it they have it. They have moved away from the stigma of being known as a nation of backwardness and protectionism. I, when young, had been an avid fan of old cowboy and western movies, and had watched and enjoyed many of those types of films. And in some of those films I had seen old Chinese men portrayed in shamble clothes slaving out for the horse-riding cowboys and outlaws in the saloons. Boy, in those old days the Americans really looked down on the Chinese!

Wow! How China and the Chinese have changed, progressed! Skyscrapers and other modern amenities are everywhere. China is now a nation with ultra-modernism and having somewhat some openness and accessibility, unlike before. The Chinese are everywhere in this world. Even the football jerseys of some European clubs have Chinese writings on them, advertising some products  They are imposing their presence, their culture in many parts of the world. 'China towns' had sprung out in many places outside China. Maybe, rightly so, as it is known to be the oldest surviving civilization in the world, commonly being said to be about 3500 years old. And it spreads.

Speaking of oldest existing ancient civilization, India is next in line. Now, this is a nation worth watching, too.

Looking at China, now, its motto seems to be ‘what you can do, I can do better'. I hope China just doesn’t overdo it. Better, maybe, but not overdo. You can ponder that one. Ha ha!

Kamala Devi Harris - A Tamil, out of the blue!

 

When Kamala Harris was debating incumbent Vice President Mike Pence, I still did not know she had her ancestry roots in Tamilnadu and that she was, as-a-matter-of-fact, a Tamil. I, actually, thought she was a product of a white and black American marriage. Though the name of Kamala is common for Tamil females I did not give it a thought, then. Names could be stylish and could be very deceiving, as to a person's real racial or national identity. 

When the Democrats won the election I was jolted. Who is this woman who has the chance to become the future President of United states! I googled and Wikipedia said her name is Kamala Devi Harris, 'Harris', being the name of her spouse. That's it! 'Kamala Devi' is a very common Tamil name. Believe it or not, my own sis-in-law's name is Kamala Devi! No, I am not making it up! It is real! She has her Certificate of Birth and the Malaysian Identity Card to prove it. My sis-in-law, being, unfortunately, poor and, naturally, having that feeling of deprivation, will be, indeed, very proud and, surely, get some solace and satisfaction, from knowing that her namesake is soon to be the Vice President of USA! See what I mean? Ha ha! Good for her! By the way, congratulations to all the Kamala Devis out there, on your proud association!

It is, truly, an 'out of the blue' thing to me, this news about the vice President of the great superpower America being a woman with Tamil roots. Yes, say what you want about her ethnic status - black American, African American and what not - but the fact is she is an American Tamil! I wonder if she knows the Tamil language, her mother having migrated from Tamilnadu of South India. 

Moving over to another matter, a matter of tongue-in-cheek in nature, if you will, Kamala Harris becoming the vice president of US will be the subject of future motivation talks for women. It may go like this:

*** “Women, you can really achieve anything if you really put your mind into it. You can even enter the man's domain. Look at Kamala Harris!”

*** “Black women are not any less inferior than white women. They are equally good, if not even better. Just look at Kamala Harris!”

*** "Asian women are no less talented than the western women. You are also as talented as them. You can also do what they do. You want one example? Kamala Harris is there! So don't let anything demotivate you!"

*** In Tamilnadu, India – “ You, the Tamil women of this nation, you can also become as great as women of other races. You also have it in you to become great. Just look within yourself. Don’t give up on anything that you want to achieve. You must try and try until you acquired your purpose. Look at the Vice President of US, Kamala Devi. Come on, she is also Tamil, an American Tamil!”

Ha ha ha! There you are! Those are just assumed examples. Just having some fun in the excitement! Good for you, Madam Kamala Harris!

Covid- 19. End of the world?

Remember the 2012 spectacle and brouhaha. There were strong speculation  and assertions that the world was going to end on December 21, 2012 because the calendar of the Mayan civilization (Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador) ended on that date! 

Well, the world did not end. We are still up and about, but not very much of it, up and about, I mean. Because we are engulfed by the plague of Covid- 19 virus disease. Here is the bombshell! Could there have been a mistake in the deciperation of the Mayan calendar. Could the year of doom be 2021 and not 2012, what with the all present incurable disease? Looks like vaccines for preventing the deadly coronavirus are not being found. Many countries have claimed "Eureka!" But until now nothing has materialized. The countries are desperately competing to be the first ones to have discovered the vaccine. They want other countries to applaud them, accept them as the genius they are! You see, they are greedy for the wealth and the power that monopolizing the vaccine will bring!

Coming back to the matter of similarity, just look at the numbers; December/21 /2012 or 12/21/2012. It could easily have been 12/21/2021! 

Painful, it may be, yes, let the world end in 2021! Man has gone overboard. He has thrown morality out of the window. He is slaughtering his own kind for the control of territories, for power, for wealth.  Abuses of all sorts are becoming the norms of the day – women abuse, child abuse, abusing and killing of one’s own kin – you name it, they have it. Even the priests whom we, faithfully, respect cannot be trusted! They can be so shamefully embarrassing! Adulteries, infidelities, frequent marriages and divorces are almost accepted as trends and envious life styles. Platonic friendship has given way to what they call now as polyamory – a term stylishly given for multiple partnerships. Innocent group relationship has been taken over by their ‘polyfidelity’. “Till death do us apart” has become “Till wealth do us apart”!

Man’s morality has gone down the drain! It is right that he too should follow along and drown! Yes, let the world end before more humiliation surfaces! It did not end in 2012. Could it end in 2021?

(The above is my singular observations and frustrations. Don't let it affect you).

Malaysia - 1Malaysia wonders - the mamak restaurants

People may say what they want. That, they are expensive. Or, their food is tasty because they are putting the harmful monosodium glutamate in their recipes. Or, even, that they are dealing in some ‘mantras’ or magic spells to attract customers. Ha ha! But the fact is, the Indian Muslim (follower of Islam of the Indian sect) restaurants, fondly called as the ‘kedai mamak’, are real portrayers and propagators of the 1Malaysia, or unity of the Malaysian people concept, initiated by the, then, Prime Minister, Najib Abdul Razak. People of all races and religions - Malays, Chinese, Indians and even the westerners - are found eating there.

To explain further, Malays hesitate to go to the Indian or Chinese eateries because of the halal (food fit to be consumed by Muslims) requirements, which these places may not have. The Indians shilly-shally to enter Malay restaurants because of the fear of being, unintentionally, served food containing meat of beef (disallowed in Hinduism). It is difficult to see Chinese patrons in a Malay restaurant either because the food is not to their likings or the uneasiness that they may attract undue attention upon themselves, being consumers of foods prohibited by Islam. Having said that, to be fair, I do remember having seen, occasionally, some Chinese customers in a Malay eatery, most probably, due to the eatery being in close proximity.

The mamak eateries seem to have overridden all these obstructions. The Indians in Malaysia, who mostly comprise the Tamils, go there as the hosts speak their language, the age old Tamil language, and the food is similar to their own, what with dosai, capati, rice, curry and so on, and the ingredients, spices and such, similar to that of the recipes of Malaysian Indians' cuisine. 

The Malays patronize the kedai mamak because the food is halal, and what's more, the recipe also is not too far from their own, most of their ancestors having some South Indian roots. 

The Chinese are there because they like changes in their taste buds and also the Indian outlook of the hosts at these restaurants put them at ease. The other races are also there due to the wide variety of colourful and spicy fare.

Now, a kedai mamak is a place where all races of Malaysia converge and see each other eat! They are all under one roof, in a small place, rubbing shoulders with one another, if you please. To all the mamak eateries of Malaysia, I salute you! You are indeed 1Malaysia exhibitors. Long live the kedai mamak!

Animal life? Not for me!

Not that I am a Buddhist, but I do have some respect for the religions and their beliefs. I have started treating cats kindly now, since, I read about the Buddhists’ belief that one can be reborn as an animal, and for that matter, a cat, in afterlife, or rather after human life.

I hope in my afterlife, if I am reborn as a cat, the cats that I threw slippers and sticks at are not there! They are sure to give me a tough time! (Most Indians consider cats crossing their paths as a bad omen and choose to chase them away). 

If I am reborn as a goat, I hope the goat on which I shot water with a pump gun  accepts my apology. 

And the fowls! Oh, my God! I don’t know what I am going to say to the fowls! They had been so tasty! I am a goner for sure!

President Trump's Covid- 19 virus attack - a hoax?

 

Could President Trump’s Covid- 19 attack be a hoax, a drama, perhaps? I hope so. Yes, I hope him being found positive for Covid- 19 virus is just a gimmick to offset his doing badly in the Trump vs. Biden Presidential Debate. Trump being found positive, and being quarantined just after about 1 day from his debate held on September 29, in Cleveland, brings about this unintended suspicion. The fact that he can be driven around in his Presidential car and waving to the well-wishers along the street further strengthens this notion, added with the  presence of the political syndrome called as 'sympathy votes', and elections being just a month away.

Of course, we do not want anything untoward happen to Trump because of him being the current President of the American people.

USA, being the superpower that it is, and having control, whether directly, indirectly or even remotely over the world’s wellbeing of its economy, political stability, environmental dispositions will greatly bring about some anxiety to many leaders of the world.  And, generally, USA, having the internationally assumed task of being the ‘big brother’, whatever nastiness happens to its leader is sure to disrupt the routine functions of the world on a lot of aspects. Often, negatively, for many nations that depend on it, be it openly or secondarily.

If President Trump has truly contracted this scourge of Covid- 19 virus,  I, as a normal and caring human being, sincerely, wish him speedy recovery to his twitting self!

Super 7 Son Heung-min

 

Yesterday night, many people in South Korea would have gone to bed very happy as their super-hero footballer Son Heung-min had scored in the Tottenham Hotspur vs Southampton Premier League game, not once, but four times! Believe me, many citizens in South Korea and the South Koreans of elsewhere in the world would have been, surely, watching a game where their favorite ‘Son’ was playing. And, surely, would they have been overwhelmed and felt delighted and proud of their footballing citizen number one!

I, too, was happy for Son, for, he seems to be such a nice guy, and so very hardworking, running for every ball. His speed towards the goal and his ability to twist and turn are his assets.

And he is so passionate towards his club, Tottenham Hotspur. The look on his face after a defeat for his club tells it all. Another footballer that I like – a rare, yellow skinned man, thriving amongst the, mostly, dark and white skinned players and personnel. That is Son Heung-min. (Not being racial, just emphasizing)

Shooting dead a cyclist

There has been another shooting by a police officer on the heels of the George Floyd killing, by another police officer. The protests against the shooting of George Floyd have not completely died down and yet another Black American has been victimized. How distressing! On August 23, 2020, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, 29 years old Jacob S. Blake was shot several times in the back by a police officer, while Blake was trying to get in his car, after a tussle during which he was also tasered (shot with an electroshock weapon). Even though Blake had some other criminal records against him, the police should not have taken such a devastating measure like shooting, as the police officers were close by to the victim. This ‘Have gun will shoot’ rational of USA’s police officers must change.

Oh no! Just heard the news from TV Aljazeera that another black American was shot dead by USA police! This time it was 29 years old Dijon Kizzee, who was cycling in the Westmont neighborhood of Los Angeles County. It is said that two police officers shot him several times when he punched one of the officers attempting to question him on some unlawful bicycle code. He is also said to have possessed a handgun in the bundle of clothing that he carried.

Even then, as I had said before, shooting a disadvantaged man is not the answer. It is not the way to maintain law and order. This incident almost looks like the police officers are taking revenge for the continuing protests against the police. Hope this is not payback time!

You may wonder why I am always commenting on incidents in USA. It could be that, unknowing to me, I have got a soft spot and feel associated with America, though, quite remote that association could be, having grown up on cowboy and western novels since young, my favorite author being Louis L Amour, my favorite western movies being  Django, Trinity and the Clint Eastwood films. I was also a keen reader of anything written by Samuel L. Clemens, popularly known by his pen name, Mark Twain.

Well, the stories in those books and films were portrayed as to have happened during the lawless days, when everyone had a gun to defend themselves, and for others to obtain their requirements through the show and use of guns. Lawless days, remember? But, not now. The world has matured. It has laws and laws. Has judges and juries. Has life councilors and advisors. Has great orators and leaders.  Has great buildings of worship and the teachers and guiders of goodness against evils. All for what?  What use are all those when you shoot dead a cyclist!

Merci beaucoup, Kingsley Coman!

Victorious Bayern Munich

“Merci beaucoup, Kingsley Coman!”  These are the words the fans of Bayern Munich as well as the people of Germany should be saying for winning the Champions League. It is French, the language that Kingsley understands. Maybe, many have already said it! 

How ironical!  A German club fighting against a French club and a French man scores against the French club.  Ha ha! This is football! The beautiful game, with twists and turns at every corner.  On winning, Kingsley said he felt a little heartache, but he is “100% Bayern Munich”.  Of course, he is '100% Bayern Munich'; otherwise he would not have played so well and headed in that beautiful goal!

Kingsley Coman

The score was 1 - 0, so it would have gone either way.  Bayern Munich, indeed, played slightly better, but PSG did have its chances. There were goalmouth melees, and with luck, PSG could have scored. Manuel Neuer, the Bayern Munich goalkeeper, was also exceptionally good on that day. Knowing football, often the better teams lose, by a stroke of bad luck or inopportune.  Bayern Munich did not lose, though. This time PSG, and especially, poor Neymar did not have it, the providence to win.

Some fans commented on the media that Neymar, the Brazilian, was just ordinary but with a high price tag, and that is why PSG lost. They said he should have stuck with Messi at Barcelona.  I disagree. Neymar knew  what he can do to a club. That was why he moved to PSG. The new Neymar looks matured and is often mesmerizingly skillful with the ball and his strong and resilient play for the club had enabled it to top the Ligue 1, three times. If ‘Barcelona’ was mentioned, Messi ‘s figure would crop up  into mind. Mention 'Juventus'  and Ronaldo pops up into mind. Mention 'PSG' and who is the first one to appear in mind. Neymar, of course. To my mind, anyway, and !00%. Yes that same Kingsley’s !00%! Chuckle.

Inconsolable Neymar

Neymar really thought PSG could win the European Cup this time. It clearly showed on his reaction at the end of the game, having lost the game. He looked so inconsolable! Poor guy! I am sure he felt bad having let down his fans and his club.

Come on Neymar! Even if you did not win the Champions League you are the current No. 1 to me! Neymar, the ‘Camisa 10’!

Achtung! The Germans are here!

       

Nagelsmann ( German) - RB Leipzig

Rudi Garcia (French) - Lyon

I am not crazy about football, let alone a football fanatic. Just because, the other day, during the PSG versus RB Leipzig match, I told my friends that PSG’s  manager, Tuchel was on crutches because he broke his left foot during a training session, they began to say I know all, and am a football fanatic! Ha ha!

But I do follow the football news and developments, especially, from the portals of 'Mail online Football' and 'BBC Football' and recently '24/7 Football'. From there, I became familiar with the likes of Klopp, Guardiola, Lampard, Zidane, Solskjaer, Tuchel,  Simeone and, of course, Mourinho. I said ‘of course Mourinho’ because I am a keen follower of this guy. No, not stalking him! Just not failing to read about him whenever his name his mentioned.

Okay. Coming to the matter of football managers, I am red faced 😒 to say that last week was the first time when I had the feeling that I was being introduced to the names of Rudi Garcia and Hansi Flick, the two managers of Lyon and Bayern Munich, respectively. For the first time! Oh my God, what had I missed? Their teams, Lyon and Bayern Munich were involved in the semi-finals of the Champions League and I am blank about them, the managers, I mean. Some football fanatic I am! 

The other two semi-finalists were PSG and RB Leipzig. For the record, in the semi-finals, PSG beat RB Leipzig 3 - 0, and Bayern Munich beat Lyon, also 3 - 0. 

I got to know about Tuchel of PSG, when, quite a long while back, there had been mischievous talk about Mourinho replacing him at PSG. As for Nagelsmann of RB Leipzig, he was also new to me. Only got a slight touch of news on him when he was playing against Mourinho in round 16, but I couldn't forget his frantic walkabouts in front of his dugout during the semi-final!

Well, the two finalists of the 2019/2020 Champion League are PSG and Bayern Munich. Hope the media talks a little more about the managers of PSG and Bayern Munich. And others, too.  Not always about the players. And not always about Solskjaer,  Klopp,  Guardiola, Zidane, Mourinho….and the already well known. Maybe, my fault, too, for always reading the online portals of British tabloids only, on football. Or, maybe I missed their stories on the managers. Sorry about that.

Anyway, I  googled and discovered that Lyon’s coach, Rudy Jose Garcia is French and prior to Lyon he had coached  Lille, Roma and Marseille. He had been the manager of Lyon for just about 11 months now and his club had reached the semi-final of the Champions League. Quite an achievement, don’t you agree? He had been the French Manager of the Year for 2011, 2013 and 2014. That speaks a lot of him. No wonder Lyon is so competitive. He is a man to watch, alright. And let us watch him, shall we? Right on!

As for Hans- Dieter Flick, commonly known as Hansi Flick,he had played as a midfielder for Bayern Munich in the 80s. Prior to becoming the Bayern Munich manager, he had been the sporting director of the German football team for 3 years. He had also been the assistant manager of Germany from 2006 to 2014. He took over as manager of Bayern Munich in November 2019. So that makes him the manager of Bayern Munich for just about 10 months and he is in the Champions League Final. Standing ovation to him! 🙆 Yet, mostly, he looks so calm and composed, What a man!

Well, since Tuchel is in the final, a little more info about him. Prior to becoming manager of French club, PSG (Paris Saint Germain) in 2018, he had been the manager of German clubs, Borussia Dortmund, and before that, of Mainz 05. He had been successful in winning local trophies in Dortmund and PSG. 

Tuchel (German) -  PSG

Hansi Flick (German) - Bayern Munich

The Champions League Final between the French team PSG and the German team Bayern Munich will be played in Lisbon, Portugal, on Sunday 23^rd August 2020. Ironically, the managers of both the teams are Germans - Thomas Tuchel and Hans Dieter Flick. As it is now, the German media and tabloids are patting each other's backs, saying German football had never been better, having had 3 teams managed by Germans in the semi-final – RB Leipzig, PSG and Bayern Munich, managed by Germans Nagelsmann, Tuchel and Hans Flick, in that order. If Bayern Munich wins the Champions League, their feelings will be overflowing with pride. If PSG wins, they will breast beat that it won because it is managed by a German coach. Either way, the Germans are going to have a good time!  

Let us, too, be neutral and have a good time!

A tribute to Michael Jackson,

                                              

Michael Joseph Jackson, was his name 

Born on August twenty ninth, of nineteen fifty eight 

Was destined from the very beginning, to fame 

To 'shock and awe' the crowds was his trait. 

Amaze did he, the people of this very divided earth 

With his so bewildering endowment of songs 

And dances of exhilaration and mirth 

That the world forgot its rights and wrongs! 

Now, he is gone, went away on June twenty fifth, of twenty zero nine 

To be with God and to, finally, have the peace 

That he so craved for, in this land of yours and mine 

But never did attain, till the dance of his heart did cease. 

A thriller like him come but once in a life time 

To unite this world split by race, religion and creed 

To name him the icon of unity will be no crime 

Just a simple accolade that will be gladly agreed.

But alas! In the later part of his life, tarnished was his image

For the unsavory deeds he was suspected to have done

And which were, mercilessly, published, page after page

Please God, forgive him of misgivings, as he is also Your son!

He died, but still lived, in the hearts of his fans

In every corner of this wide, wild world

They hummed his songs of thrill, and songs of romance

While on his name their fingers and eyes swirled!

How Thou God!

Boy! God sure has a tough job in His hands. Here, there is a fan of Real Madrid FC looking up in the sky, praying to Him for Real Madrid FC to beat Barcelona, and at the other end of the stadium, there is another one, praying for Barcelona to win! Whom shall He help, without hurting the other! Life sure is tough for God!

A girl, in a house of God, is praying for the love of her favourite guy, and that guy is praying for the love of another damsel! Poor God, how is He going to solve this! He has to do something! He, at the least, may have to change their love-wish. No, that’s God’s problem. I can’t insinuate anything! I can only make the problem bigger for Him!

A guy is buying lottery ticket at a counter and is silently praying to God that he may strike it rich so that he may settle all his debts, and have plenty more to have the luxury life, that he had always dreamed of. God, sure, is in a dilemma! Will granting this guy’s wish make it a happy ending for him, or is he going to be a cause of several problems in the future. What a headache for God!

“Oh, God!” two parents were praying in a house of worship, “please let our son pass his exam with flying colours!” Aw, come on people! You are pushing God into a corner! How can God make your son pass, let alone with flying colours, when all the while your son was neglecting his studies and was enjoying himself loafing around with his friends, wasting precious time and money playing computer games in the cybercafes?

Enough said! Millions, all over the world are praying to God for something. How is He going to satisfy all their requests? He, sure, has hell of a tough job! Doesn’t He deserve a break? A break! Oh, my God! What am I saying!

Malaysia - Asian top news of the times - Najib

Mention 1MDB and words like Malaysia, Najib, MO1, Jho Low, money laundering and even USA’s DOJ (Department Of Justice) will come into one’s mind. It is so. because of the consistent frequency of those words being printed and mentioned in local and international media, over the past few years. Other words, too, may appear in one’s mind like Rosmah, hand bags, jewels, watches and so on, but that is for another day! (wink).

To be precise, during these past few years, seven criminal cases were filed against the former Prime Minister, Najib, in regards to 1MDB. On Tuesday, July 28, 2020, the Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge, Mohamad Nazlan found the former and 6th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato Seri Najib Abdul Razak, guilty on all seven criminal cases, that were brought up against him. Three cases were for criminal breach of trust, three cases were for money laundering and one case was for abuse for power. All the cases were connected to SRC International, a commercial unit of the frequently mentioned investment company, 1MDB, said to be the brainchild of Najib. Mr Najib was sentenced to 12 years jail for abuse of power, and 10 years each for the rest of the 6 cases. 

What? A total of 72 years? Will Najib last that long, you may ask, having pondered in your mind. I, too. Pondered, I mean! I rechecked the news. 

Actually, I was relieved. Najib was sentenced to 12 years in jail with a fine of RM210 million or about 49 million US Dollars. The Judge had ordered the jail term to run concurrently, as the seven cases were interlinked. I did check the word ‘concurrently’ in the dictionary. It said – at the same or simultaneously.

Phew! What an escape for Najib, and what a relief for me. A relief for me, because, I did not like Najib, a former Prime Minister of my lovely nation, Malaysia, to make prison as his first home for an endless 72 years. To me, once a normal person becomes a politician, he, involuntarily, becomes a crook. He pursues and practices various techniques to hold on to power and money. All of them, them politicians, become adapted to it. Sorry, that is how I feel. No, correction. I am not sorry at all I feel that way! It's the way it is.

Coming back to Najib, he is no different from all the others. Najib claims he did not know how that huge sum of money came into his account. RM42 million or 10 million US Dollars, is not a small sum! Maybe, so much money was moving here and there into his accounts, and poor Najib, didn’t know where to check. Ha ha! what a joke! Thank you, Najib, sir.

And a big thank you for starting the BR1M - Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia , a cash payment scheme for the Malaysian people, which is still being followed by subsequent governments. If not for anything else, the people of Malaysia will still remember you for that, the BR1M scheme. And 1Malaysia.

By the way, Najib is not going to jail, straightaway. He is still a free man, pending an appeal to the Court of Appeal. His lead defense lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah has applied for a stay of execution for both the jail term and the fine, and the Judge had granted it. Najib had been slapped with a bail amount of RM2 million or about 500,000 US Dollars in two sureties.

Najib is not completely free, though. He may visit various places of attraction within Malaysia, but of those visits, two visits in a month should be to the nearest police station!

Malaysia - Murder in Malaysia (old post, revisited)

The news of the murders in Banting, a district of Kuala Langat in Selangor, of Cosmetics millionairess, Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya, 47 of Gombak, Selangor together with 3 others, namely, Noohisham, 38 (bank officer), Ahmad Kamil, 32 (lawyer) and Kamaruddin, 44 (driver for Sosilawati), has pushed back all other noteworthy news in Malaysia for these past few days. News of the appointment of the new Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Ismail bin omar, the Hari Raya celebrations and, to an extent, even the installation of the Sultan of Kelantan went almost unnoticed.

It all started on the 6th September 2010, with the police saying that they had received report of their disappearance, since 30th August, by the families concerned.

The police were efficient in their investigations, and they were able to confirm, a few days later, that they had been murdered, and their bodies burnt in a plantation site called, Ladang Gadong, Tanjong Sepat. Their ashes were said to have been thrown in the river, nearby.

Two lawyer brothers, 38 and 41, who were said to be main culprits have been arrested. They were also said to be involved in the strange disappearances of a few other people of note, which the police are, vigorously,  reinvestigating.

It has been concluded that money, in the millions was involved, and that, basically, it was the result of a business dealing gone awry.

It is hoped the criminals who so mercilessly took away the precious God-given lives would be swiftly brought to justice. The punishment should be really and truly be a deterrent to the other would be murderers.

(On March 16, 2017, former lawyer Pathmanabhan, 47 and farm workers Thilaiyalagan, 25 and Kathavarayan, 37, were found guilty of the gruesome murders of Sosilawati and her three aides by five panels of judges led by Chief Justice Tun Arifin zakaria of the Malaysian Federal Court, and were sentenced to death).

Another thing, a real head scratcher; nowhere, was it mentioned, outright, how the four of them were killed before being burnt. One Malaysian Daily mentioned that Noohisham's DNA was found on a cricket bat, and the others' DNA profiles were found on blood stains on zinc sheets.