Is That All It Takes?

http://www.mmail.com.my/content/8849-datuk-seri-golden-boy

MALAYSIAN football golden boy Amri Yahyah's two goals against Manchester United have earned him the adoration and recognition of fans, even non-football fans.
The latest, a group called "Amri Yahyah for Dato' Seri" was formed on Facebook, and six videos highlighting the newly-crowned Malaysia's football "saviour" have been uploaded on YouTube.
According to the administrators, Vincent Liew and Armand Zarim, the group is the "official petition to honour and reward Amri Yahyah with a Dato' Seri title''. Liew said: "If Shah Rukh Khan can get a Datukship, why can't Amri? Shah Rukh didn't do anything for us, except for the dancing around trees with 40 dancers. Datuk Amri Yahyah is more like it!"
Meanwhile, Amri was shocked to learn of the group and thanked them for the support they've given him. Asked if he'd like to get a title for his performance, Amri said he doesn't mind at all, as long as his performance as a player gets better. Last Saturday, Amri scored in the 45th minute, followed by another in the 52nd minute. (The Malay Mail)What is wrong with you people? Like the editor of a “major” Malaysian newspaper, these guys seem to have lost any ability to think logically. A Datuk Seri for scoring two ordinary goals against a team playing an exhibition match? Puh-leez! (Wow! I feel so hip n happenin’).

Okay, let’s say our star footballer (who would struggle to sit on the bench at Grimsby Town let alone Barnsley, with no disrespect to the teams) is awarded a Dato’ship (if it happens, my bet is it’s from Malacca), that will open the floodgates to claims for Dato’ships. If goldenboy Amri gets the 4 initials after his name, these people should be given initials too;

• Matlan Marjan (he scored 2 goals against England, the national team!)
• Shalin Zulkifli (didn’t she beat the men in some world championship?)
• Dr Lennard Lee for swimming across the English Channel
• Lim Teong Kim for making it good in Germany and at Bayern Munich
• Shebby Singh for being the only Malaysian commentator of the BPL
• Hafiz Hashim for winning the All-England
• Me, for writing this blog
• My friend "The Sponge", for writing his blog

Amri is a footballer, it is his job to score goals. Yes, it is right to reward people who do their job well but did he? I would not object to him (or any Malaysian footballer) being awarded the title if he consistently scores against quality opponents, top scorer in a world class league, awarded player of the year by his peers, and helps the country win a few major tournaments (no, the Merdeka tournament is not major enough). Even then, the award should come after he retires.

Sir Geoff Hurst was knighted by the Queen 32 years after scoring the hattrick against West Germany that won the World Cup for England.
Dato’ Mokhtar Dahari got his Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (D.I.M.P) 9 years after his death and SuperMokh is bazillion gazillion times better than Amri “he scored 2 against Man U so give him a Datoship” Yahyah.

If a Malaysian player had scored against Brazil in 2002, would he be awarded a Tun-ship?

I pity Amri, if this issue blows out of proportion and he is made to look like a fool, scoring two against Man U is probably going to be his biggest regret.

These People Got Brains or Not??

Excuse the Manglish. I tend to use them when I come across morons. Yesterday I came across one. He happens to be the editor of major national newspaper.

His piece “Kematian Teoh timbulkan pelbagai spekulasi politik” is very offensive, vulgar and disrespectful and is very damaging to the race relations in Malaysia.

Let me demonstrate his moronic thoughts:
He claims that MACC, PDRM are Malay-controlled institutions. I think he is an idiotic racist bigot because this is Malaysia and governmental institutions are Malaysian-controlled not Malay or Chinese or Kadazan or Senoi controlled.

He even questioned the Selangor MB’s trust in his fellow Malays. Trust should not be race based; it is about integrity and trustworthiness, don’t expect me to trust a person just because we are of the same race.

The Law(less?) minister Nazri warns the opposition not to turn Teoh’s death into a racial issue. Looking at how his party’s media organs are playing the racial card, that warning is better served to his editors and their advisors.

Muslim Idiots

I apologise for the title. It is meant to describe the moronic, idiotic, stupid, brainless journalists, editor and publisher at a magazine called “Al-Islam”.

Two dim-witted journalists from Al Islam magazine disguised themselves as Catholics, went to a church and participated in the Holy Eucharist and received Holy Communion. That was done under the pretext of investigating and reporting “mass conversion of Muslims” by Catholic priests and their agents.

What the hack did those two MF idiots do that for? That is not the way of Islam. Even KJ knows that! In any case, if there were any mass conversions of Muslims, the SB would have known about it as it is their job to visit churches to see what is going on.

Muslims are very particular about all this “murtad” (apostate) business and rightly so. But let’s deal with it in the proper way and not by having a (respected?) mufti making unsubstantiated claims of 250,000 Muslims had apostatised themselves.

If one’s faith is strong, there should not be any fear of being a murtad. We have thousands of Muslim boys and girls educated at missionary schools, (La Salle, MBS/MGS, Convents, and St Xavier etc) who grew up being decent Muslims. We send our Muslim youths to study in non-Muslim countries like the UK, USA, Australia, India, Russia and I’m sure none of them became apostates.

No doubt the incidence of non-practising Muslims is abundant but that cannot be blamed on the Christian (or any religion’s) missionaries. The blame should squarely be on the upbringing and lack of religious education as well as excessive unenlightened exposure to non-Islamic lifestyle.

One doesn’t need to officially be an apostate to practice a non-Islamic lifestyle or lose faith in Allah. What about the bars, clubs, gaming outlets and karaoke joints patronised by Muslims? The activities that go on in such places could lead to "unofficial" apostasy. Why aren’t the religious authorities raiding these places on a regular basis or strictly ban Muslims from frequenting such establishments?

If Islam is under threat, it is not from the Christian (or Buddhist or Hindu or Zoroastrian) missionaries. The threat is mainly from within, and if we want to effectively counter the threat, let’s familiarise ourselves and our families with Islam, what it means, what it stands for, let’s be good Muslims.

The Sport Killer

What the fish is Manchester City Football Club trying to do? Has the Sheikh lost his mind? No doubt he has (literally) tons of money but spending £200 million on players is a bit too much I must say. On top of that they are paid over a hundred thousand pounds a week (I’m guessing the average working class Englishman makes +/- £35,000 per year)

Why do they need more than half a dozen (1) world class(-ish), international strikers in their payroll? And that does not include Adebayor, should he decide to join Man City. Why not spend on midfielders and defenders? How does Mark Hughes plan to play them? Maybe he’s thinking of a 2-3-5 formation?

If I was in Hughes' position, I'll be looking for good, skillful, young English/British players and spend big money on a few experienced internationals to guide the team. Keep the team intact for a couple of seasons, make them click together and hopefully in a few years time they'll be mature enough to challenge and even win some trophies.

Football teams should be built and not bought. There is no glory in buying a team. I like how Arsene Wenger builds Arsenal, by buying young promising players (2) and moulding them into world class players. Alex Ferguson successfully groomed a team (3) that turned out to be multiple champions.

Money is the root of all evil they say. That is not very far from the truth. Like speed, money also kills and as far as the beautiful game is concerned, money could be the cause of its death.

(1) Robinho, Santa Cruz, Tevez, Bellamy, Mwaruwari, Caicedo, Bojinov
(2) Viera, Anelka, Fabregas
(3) Giggs, Beckham, Scholes, Neville brothers, Sharpe, Butt

The Legend

I love BMWs. I have wanted one ever since I was a small boy. Not just any BMW but the 2002tii. Of course I wouldn’t mind a 635csi or 3.0cs or E21 323i but if I can only have one, the 2002tii would be my choice.

So what is a BMW 2002tii?
The origins of the 2002tii can be traced to the early sixties when the New Class “1500” 4 door compact sedan was introduced in September 1961 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The New Class line offered four-door sedan and two-door coupe variants and was powered by BMW's four-cylinder M10 engine, featuring fully independent suspension, MacPherson struts and disc brakes in the front.

The line-up was expanded to include two-door sports sedans with the introduction of the 1602 and 2002 in 1966, “02” denoting the number of doors. The new two-door sports sedan was designed by the famed Italian stylist Giovanni Michelotti. Between 1966 and 1976, an estimated total of 862,000 2002s were produced.

The 2002tii was produced from 1972 to 1975 and is fitted with a single overhead camshaft and mechanical fuel-injection instead of carburettors. There was no automatic version of the 2002tii, a four-speed; floor-shifted manual was the only option.

In 1975 the production of the 2002 ceased after the introduction of the E21 3-series.


Specs:
Engine: 4 Cylinders
Valve linkage: SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder
Displacement: 1990 cm³
Power: 130 hp (97 kW) at 5800 rpm
Torque: 130 ft·lbf (176 N·m) at 4500 rpm
Gearbox: 4 speed manual
Top speed: 118 mph (190 km/h)
0-60 mph: 8.1s

The Greatest Red

Who is the greatest Liverpool payer? The club has been around since 1892 and it is difficult to say who their greatest player is. For one, we do not have sufficient documentary, especially visual verification on the greatness of players from the pre-TV era. So, in making my list of the greatest reds, I shall limit the selection form the mid 60s onwards.

Kenny Dalglish (1977-91)
King Kenny was bought to replace the Hamburg bound King Kev in 1977. Bob Paisley paid GBP440k for the 26 year old striker, a princely sum back then but the new No. 7 repaid the manager’s faith by helping to win the European Cup in his first season. He went on to play 515 games for Liverpool, scoring 172 goals over a 14 year career which included six as a manager. He won 8 league titles, 3 European cups, 2 FA cups, 4 League cups, 7 Charity Shields, twice Football Writers' Footballer of the Year, PFA Player of the Year once and 3 Manager of the Year awards.

Ian Rush (1980-87, 1988-96)
Rush spent a total of 15 seasons and 660 games in two spells with Liverpool. He is the highest Liverpool scorer of all time, scoring 346 goals, 229 of them in the league including 47 in 1983-84. His record of 39 FA cup and 48 League cup goals for Liverpool is yet to be broken. Rush’s 16 hattricks puts him second behind Gordon Hodgson’s 17.

Steven Gerrard (1998- )
Stevie G was spotted by scouts at 9 and became a product of Liverpool’s youth system. He made his debut in place of the injured Jamie Redknapp in 1998 and was made captain five years later, at the young age of 23. Gerrard has won everything with Liverpool except for the League. The 2005 Champion’s league victory over AC Milan was sparked by the captain marvel and his equaliser in the FA cup final the following year ensured Liverpool won their 7th FA cup.

• Kevin Keegan (1971-77) He was permanently in the first team, Keegan never played in a single reserve fixture during the whole of his seven seasons at Anfield
• Greame Souness (1978-84) A true midfield maestro who is certain to finish on everyone's greatest Liverpool XI list.
• John Barnes (1987-97) Fans often targeted Barnes for racist abuse, but he silenced them with the sheer quality of his passing, dribbling and finishing.
• Ray Clemence (1967-1981) Arguably the best goalkeeper in Liverpool's history, keeping 335 clean sheets in 665 appearances.
• Robbie Fowler (1993-2001, 2006-07) He scored 5 goals in his 4th game for Liverpool's first team and a hat-trick in his 5th league match. He’s a Liverpool star who could have smashed Ian Rush's scoring record had he not left for Leeds in 2001.
• Michael Owen (1997-2004) The only Liverpool player who has been voted the best player in Europe
• Bruce Grobbelaar (1981-94) An athletic goalkeeper who kept virtually unstoppable shots at bay
• Roger Hunt (1959-70) Liverpool's top goalscorer 8 years in a row from 1962-69
• Phil Neal (1974-85) played 417 consecutive games for Liverpool, a record, from 23 October 1976 to 24 September 1983.
  

Did you know that the great Manchester United manager, Sir Matt Busby was Liverpool’s captain in 1939-40?

I hate it when …

I state my support for a certain political ideology; I’m accused of being ungrateful. They would say I got to go study in the UK because of a certain political party, I got my job because of that political party, and this country is an independent sovereign state because of a certain political party and therefore I owe my life to them.

They fail to recognise that the particular political party played a very small, if any, part in me getting into university (it’s a proper university mind you, not some poly-turned-uni), I think I got into university because I passed my A-level exams, I am quite certain that I got my job because my bosses need my expertise, my application did not come with a recommendation letter from the political party nor did they instruct my employers to employ me.

So what if the government led by that political party provided the study loan for me to go to the UK, isn’t that the responsibility of a responsible government, to provide education for the rakyat, regardless of their ethnicity? In any case, the funds came from the tax payers, so it’s them I should be thankful to.

Don’t get me wrong, I may support a certain political view at the moment but it could change if the other side offers me (the voter) a better deal. But I hate it when people tell me to be grateful to an undeserving political organisation.

Keeping the Keris in its Sheath

I laud PM Najib’s announcement on the abolishment of Bumiputera quotas and the setting up of meritocracy based scholarship programme. I will be branded a traitor for saying that. If Shahidan Kassim finds out, he might call for my expulsion from the Malay race like he did to Zaid Ibrahim.

The announcement came as quite a surprise to me as I wondered what happened to Najib’s war cry some twenty two years ago when he said blood will be spilled if Malay rights are challenged (his infamous “Soak (the keris) in Chinese blood” battlecry in 1987). I guess that’s what you would call adapting to change, different times calls for different measures.

Some Malay non-UMNO (and ex-UMNO) politicians have been accused of selling their souls to the Chinese, Jews etc for calling for the abolishment of Bumiputera quotas. UMNO Youth is usually the first to crucify anyone, Malay or otherwise, for suggesting the removal of Bumiputera quotas but this time, they were relatively quiet. Former leader Hishamuddin’s keris antics (pic) were directed precisely at those questioning Malay rights (removing quotas is considered as challenging Malay rights)

Another bewildering statement came from PAS the Islamic party. No, not the secret talks with the “kuffar” UMNO but their stand on maintaining the quotas. I have always regarded PAS as an Islamic party first and a Malay party second. The only reason I consider them a “Malay” party is because a majority of their members are Malays but in actual fact the party cannot be considered Malay at all by virtue of them accepting people like Annuar Tan and Idham Lim as full party members. So, PAS is an Islamic party and not a Malay party and therefore they should subscribe to the Islamic ideals of justice and equity which means unfair quotas is a big NO-NO.

Why do I laud PM Najib’s announcement? No, I haven’t sold my soul to some foreign race or the CIA or Al-Qaeda. We live in a “borderless” world where the invisible hand is playing a more effective role in resource allocation. In this globalised, flat world we live in today, protectionist policies will only serve to stifle growth. Unfair policies will dissuade effort and innovation and create disloyalty. Why do you think Malaysia suffers from a brain drain? Not only talent are leaving Malaysia but big local businesses are also moving overseas not only because of expansion and diversification but also because protectionist policies are limiting their opportunities to participate in the Malaysian economy forcing them to bring their talents, capital and efforts elsewhere. In the end the whole country suffers.

Many will ask, “Where do the Malays go from here?” That is a stupid question, it is insulting. The Malays are more than able to fend for themselves in this highly competitive world and the removal of the “crutches” (to quote ex PM Dr. M) will make them even more resilient to face global challenges.

Switching Allegiances

Michael Owen became the first player in the modern era to move to Man U after a successful career at Liverpool. Many have gone the same path but Owen was a Liverpool legend and it’s quite difficult for me to accept. I’m quite disappointed actually …

The following are players who have played for both great rivals in English football

Liverpool and Manchester United
Paul Ince
Micheal Owen

Liverpool and Everton
Peter Beardsley
Gary Ablett
Nick Barmby
Kevin Sheedy
Abel Xavier
Don Hutchinson
Steve McMahon
Sander Westerveld

Manchester United and Manchester City
Peter Schmeichel
Denis Law
Andy Cole

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur
Sol Campbell
Pat Jennings
David Bentley
George Graham (Manager)

Quotable Quotes

Fitness Centre sign: "Self Esteem is feeling good about yourself - regardless of the facts."

Crime doesn’t pay… Does that mean my job is a crime?

Any woman that thinks the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach is aiming just a little too high.

Never forget that you’re unique, just like everyone else.

If practice makes perfect, and nobody’s perfect, why practice?

Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try. (Homer Simpson)

If you want a committed man, look in a mental hospital.

Life is what happens to you when you’re making other plans.

Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.

It’s always darkest before dawn. So if you’re going to steal the neighbour’s newspaper, that’s the time to do it.

Money can’t buy you happiness… but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery. (Spike Milligan)

By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he’s too old to go anywhere. (Billy Crystal)

To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.

Do You Believe In Ghosts?

I found this on the net ...

A professor at a University is giving a seminar on the supernatural. Getting a feel for his students, he asks “How many of you believe in ghosts?” About 80 of his students raise their hands.

“That’s a good start I suppose. Those of you who believe in ghosts, how many have actually seen a ghost?” About 30 students raise their hands.

“That’s good. I’m really glad you’re taking this seriously. Ok, has anyone here ever talked to a ghost?” About a dozen students raise their hands.

“That’s a great response. Has anyone ever touched a ghost?” Two students raise their hands. “That’s fantastic. But let me ask you one last question… have any of you ever made love to a ghost?”

One student in the back raises his hand. The professor is astonished. He removes his glasses, takes a step back, and says, “Son, in all the years I’ve been giving this lecture, no one has ever actually claimed to have slept with a ghost. Why don’t you come up here and tell us about it.”

The redneck student replies with a nod and a grin, and begins to make his way up to the podium. The professor says, “Well, tell us what it’s like to have sex with a ghost.”

The student replies, “Ghost? Oh… I thought you said ‘goats’!”

Malaysia Boleh

In fact, anyone boleh, if they put their hearts and minds to it, be disciplined, honest, brave, prepared, yada yada. But in Malaysia, boleh is at a totally different level.

Malaysia boleh build a very tall building but that does not mean we have to build tall low cost flats and squeeze 120 families into an 18 storey tower block, each getting 700 square feet regardless of the family size. And guess what, Malaysia also boleh squeeze half a dozen of these tall low cost flats into 1 acre piece of land.

KL boleh build 3 different types of modern light rail transport system but unable to integrate them into one connected user friendly system.

Malaysia boleh spend to send a man to the moon but cannot spend to give their young men and women free tertiary education.

Malaysia boleh build a Maracana sized football stadium but cannot keep the pitch decent.

Malaysia boleh build cars but cannot sell without the Government protectionist policies.

Malaysia boleh build new townships but cannot preserve old buildings.

Malaysia boleh create policies but cannot effectively enforce.

I boleh get into trouble for writing all this …

Boleh = can, able

Feeling Depressed?

Major depressive disorder, commonly referred to as "depression," can severely disrupt your life, affecting your appetite, sleep, work, and relationships.

Some people say that depression feels like a black curtain of despair coming down over their lives.

Many people feel like they have no energy and can't concentrate.

Others feel irritable all the time for no apparent reason.

The symptoms vary from person to person, but if you feel "down" for more than two weeks, and these feelings are interfering with your daily life, you may be clinically depressed.

Some people don't really understand about depression. For example, they may react to a depressed person's low energy with criticism, yelling at the person for acting lazy or not trying harder. Some people mistakenly believe that depression is just an attitude or a mood that a person can shake off. It's not that easy.

If you've been diagnosed with depression, you may wonder why it had to happen to you. The fact is that anyone can get depression.

Depression is a medical condition and you are not to blame for it, it is not your fault that you are suffering from depression. Change won't come overnight — but with the right treatment, you can keep depression from overshadowing your life.

The symptoms that help a doctor identify depression include:

• constant feelings of sadness, irritability, or tension
• decreased interest or pleasure in usual activities or hobbies
• loss of energy, feeling tired despite lack of activity
• a change in appetite, with significant weight loss or weight gain
• a change in sleeping patterns, such as difficulty sleeping, early morning awakening, or sleeping too much
• restlessness or feeling slowed down
• decreased ability to make decisions or concentrate
• feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, or guilt
• thoughts of suicide or death

Depression has no single cause; often, it results from a combination of things. You may have no idea why depression has struck you. It's normal to feel shock, anger, sadness, or other emotions—even relief—when you’re diagnosed with depression.

Whatever its cause, depression is not just a state of mind. It is related to physical changes in the brain, and connected to an imbalance of a type of chemical that carries signals in your brain and nerves. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters.

Many things can trigger debilitating depression. Feelings of depression are caused by a chemical change that affects how the brain functions.

A normally functioning brain is a giant messaging system that controls everything from your heartbeat, to walking, to your emotions. The brain is made up of billions of nerve cells called neurons. These neurons send and receive messages from the rest of your body, using brain chemicals called neurotransmitters.

These brain chemicals—in varying amounts—are responsible for our emotional state. Depression happens when these chemical messages aren’t delivered correctly between brain cells, disrupting communication.

Possible causes of depression

(1) Trauma and stress. Things like financial problems, the break-up of a relationship, or the death of a loved one can bring on depression. You can become depressed after changes in your life, like starting a new job, graduating from school, or getting married.

(2) Pessimistic personality. People who have low self-esteem and a negative outlook are at higher risk of becoming depressed. These traits may actually be caused by low-level depression (called dysthymia).

(3) Physical conditions. Serious medical conditions like heart disease, cancer, and HIV can contribute to depression, partly because of the physical weakness and stress they bring on. Depression can make medical conditions worse, since it weakens the immune system and can make pain harder to bear. In some cases, depression can be caused by medications used to treat medical conditions.

(4) Other psychological disorders. Anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and (especially) substance abuse often appear along with depression.

While depression can affect anyone, its effect may vary depending on your age and gender.

Women are almost twice as likely to become depressed as men. The higher risk may be due partly to hormonal changes brought on by puberty, menstruation, menopause, and pregnancy.

Men although their risk for depression is lower; men are more likely to go undiagnosed and less likely to seek help. They may show the typical symptoms of depression, but are more likely to be angry and hostile or to mask their condition with alcohol or drug abuse. Suicide is an especially serious risk for men with depression, who are four times more likely than women to kill themselves.

Elderly. Older people may lose loved ones and have to adjust to living alone. They may become physically ill and unable to be as active as they once were. These changes can all contribute to depression. Loved ones may attribute the signs of depression to the normal results of aging, and many older people are reluctant to talk about their symptoms. As a result, older people may not receive treatment for their depression.

Even after you've learned that you have depression and sought treatment for it, you won't feel better right away. Depression can be frustrating, because recovering from it takes time. So, keep your spirits up, surround yourself with supportive, caring and loving people and bring yourself closer to God.

www.depression.com