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.

Ingenuity in the fight against the Covid-19 virus

   

The secret to overcome the ever-increasing covid-19 pandemic? It is here. See the picture below.

         

Ah, well! Malaysia has been successful in fighting off the covid-19 virus pandemic. Over here, even the robotic type flagman wears the face mask! Ha ha ha! But seriously, this is just reminding and emphasizing on how important and necessary the wearing of a mask is. That image will, surely, stick in children's mind, and, perhaps, in adults' minds, too, and encourage them to wear the masks. A pat on the back for the person who got this innovative idea!... PAT!