CLEVELAND....WE HAVE A PROBLEM....

For the first time in the playoffs, I actually think the Cleveland Caveliers will not make it to the Finals...

Not that I've already given up on King James, rather, I have kinda given up on the rest of his team...

The Orlando Magic currently lead the series 2-1 after winning Game 3 in Orlando this morning by a margin of 10 points.

Lebron James led all scorers with 41 points and the closest any Orlando player got to that point total was Dwight Howard, who scored 24 points.

And there in lies the reason for my pessimism....Cleveland is about King James...and sadly, nothing else...

The team has had two blowout playoff series wins...they beat Detroit and Atlanta 4-0 each and have had 7-9 days layoffs in between series.

They meet Orlando now.....a team worn thin thus far in the playoffs...pushed to the limit, tested in every possible way in the art of "winning games in the playoffs", evey player has taken turns to make clutch plays and push the team to a win, and more importantly, this team now knows how to fight because there is no one team out there in today's playoffs that has lost so many double digit leads and gone on to lose a game...this team has been slapped around by the coach and media so much that they are like the big corm under my feet....tough...

Cleveland...I think the only player on that team NOT AFFECTED by the long layoffs and hype is Lebron James.

He's absolutely the ONLY PLAYER who has turned up so far in all 3 games against Orlando and if not for his clutch last second 3 pointer in Game 2, the Caveliers would now be staring at a 0-3 deficit and a high chance of being swept by Orlando on Wednesday when they play Game 4. (by the way, that last minute shot by Lebron WAS AMAZING...and the reason why he's the league MVP)


Mo Williams has been an absolute dissapointment in the series...the man who was billed to be the perfect side-kick to Lebron...and he actually played the part really well in regular season, has wilted under pressure like a rose with goo poured over it's head....


Delonte West is but a fringe player at best, he's averaged about 12 points per game in the regular season and he's been incapable of carring anymore scoring load for the team....this is exceptionally painful when you consider how thin the bench is for the Caveliers...



Anderson Varejao is like an overly-excited little Brazilian jumping bean who is only good for 4-6 points a night and is not capable of really causing any ripples on defence especially not against the art of 3-point shot plays, which Orlando is a master off.


Big Z Ilgauskus is no match for Dwight "Superman" Howard...please don't hurt him Dwight...and please Big Z...I'm sick and tired of seeing a 7-3 Center shoot hopeless 3-pointers from the corner of the court...I don't even want to dig up your stats to see how many of those you have buried in the regular season...look, if you don't score to help the team, then at least put your 6 fouls to good use and TRY taking Dwight out of the game..

I've just finished listing the starting 5 players on the Caveliers squad and that's basically it...the bench is pathetic...they might as well play Lebron the full 48 minutes and have the Harlem Globetrotters sitting on the Caveliers bench..

Look at Orlando....though not the elite squad but definitely delivering when it matters...the depth of the bench is the key and will be the factor which will win the series for them...

Look at Game 3...5 of their players are in double-digit scoring, and the Caveliers only have 3 players with double digits and one of them being Lebron James...

JJ Redick, Courtney Lee (rookie), Michael Pietrus and Anthony Johnson have taken turns to carry the scoring load when the first team takes a breather on the bench....you put the ball in the hands of any player on the Orlando team and they will either pass it in for a dunk and post up play by Howard or they will simply pass it around to the corners for a 3-point play. How many places can Lebron be at any one time? Defending the post, defending the 3-point line and then streaking down court for a break-away dunk? That probably only happens all the time at Level 1 of my NBA Game on my PSP!

Lebron is King, but he's still human....

It's sad to see the Cleveland Cavelier's season end like this but honestly, I do not see how they can compete with the Lakers if they were to meet in the finals. Granted that the Lakers are not really playing inspired basketball at the moment, but again, I go back to the word "DEPTH".

I wait with abated breath for Game 4, knowing that even if the Caveliers were to lose, they still have to go back to Cleveland but at this point, I'm calling Orlando to take the series in 6 games...

Sad but true....

English Premier League - Post Mortem

Ok, I'm going to give a totally unbiased post-mortem of the season...and not dice Man Utd like I usually do...after all, the season's over and I think they deserve the title...

The English Premier League concluded nicely last night with the usual teams winning (top 4) and the usual teams losing (bottom 5).

Suprisingly, all the teams who needed to win to stave off relegation actually lost, and personally, I think the most pathetic of them all was Newcastle.

They lost to an own goal and basically needed only a draw to survive, after Hull was defeated by Man Utd at home.

All that talk and uproar over Sir Alex Ferguson fielding a weakened team and not being fair to the "chasing pack" and giving Hull the advantage, turned out to be nothing but a pile of crap.

Kudos to Sir Alex's team who pulled off the win, despite only having Darren Fletcher as the only first-team player in the squad. It made so much sense when people were saying that the 11 youngsters on the field last night for Man Utd were probably the only guys who would bust their lungs out there because all the first 11 team players would already have half their minds on the Champions League Finals happening this coming Wednesday.

I've taken so much crap from my colleague this season about how Man Utd would win the league, and actually did....and about how they are dominating the league that they should change the league to call it the Man Utd Premier League...

As I'm writing this post, I'm actually looking at this drawing he made on my office whiteboard which says...TITLE RACE IS OVER....GO UNITED!!!

That was left on the board back in March...

They deserved the title..and in the true spirit of sportsmanship, I dare say that none of the teams in the league right now can beat them in depth and consistency.

Let's turn over now and talk about Liverpool...



Nice win to end the season...they defeated Tottenham 3-1 at Anfield and effectively kicked Tottenham out of Europe for next season...poor Robbie Keane...somehow I think he finally realised last night that he's just not good enuff...

It was nice to see the full squad on parade last night and to have Torres score as well...but I think this is the last time we'll see some of the folks out there in a Liverpool Jersey...here's what I think the team needs to do in the off-season to stand a chance next year...

1) Defence

Please..no more Italians....Andrea Dossena, Emiliano Insua...cheap but please cheap AND OFF SUBSTANTIAL QUALITY...the only contribution from Dossena worth mentioning this season was his last minute goal against Man Utd at Old Trafford but the team was already up 3-1 then and it was nothing but a very lucky punt over the keeper.

I think it's passe when we still think that "Italian Footballers make the best defenders"....they may be but the league which they play in makes a whole lot of difference...the English Premier League is no training ground for uninitiated Italian Defenders who are used to the cushy playing style of the Italian Serie A.

The core of the defence is good, if Benitez manages to convince Daniel Agger to stay but the team definitely has to strengthen in the fullback positions. Fabio Aurelio to me is a little light weight....I would fancy someone like Philip Lahm if we don't have enough $ for someone in the mould of Daniel Alves.

Benitez...read "Bacary Sagna"...

2) Midfield

Abundance of talent here for Liverpool with the exception of wingers....somehow, we've never had any luck signing good talents in this area...Jermaine Penant was a gamble which went South very quickly, Ryan Babel was good till he came to Liverpool, Alberto Riera and Yossi Benayoun were probably the only ones who did good this season...

I'm not mentioning Dirt Kuyt here because he's a striker being played out of position on the right of midfield...

There's mention that Xabi Alonso will be leaving (again) this summer although Benitez has come out to say that Alonso is very much part of his plan for the future.

In my opinion, Lucas has to go....we never win when he plays and he's way too lightweight for this team...

If we have to sell Alonso to fund purchases this summer, then I'd say let Alonso go...he can fetch quite a tidy sum and we can use the $ to get another good creative player in the middle and strenghten the wings.

There's again talk about bringing Gareth Barry to Anfield, I think he'll be a great replacement for Alonso.

What I think Benitez should really do here is to raid Middlesbrough now that the team has been relegated...

It would be great to pull Stewart Downing over to play on the right...that would be amazing...and he would cross over before you can say the phrase "Champion's League Football"...

3) Attack

We definitely need someone who can play second fiddle to Torres, can shoulder the load of scoring at least 15-20 goals consistently.

I'd like to give Dirk Kuyt the credit for a job well done this season and I don't think there's doubt that if he's willing to stay on in the team, he'll have a future here. The problem is if he feels he deserves to be the main striker and would fancy his chanced somewhere else away from Anfield.

I would say a big no to Carlos Tevez...he's totally overpriced at 20+ MM and although I believe he'll not be another Robbie Keane, he's just too much baggage for that price tag....

There's again talk of David Villa coming...that would just be sensational to have him link up with Torres....if that really happens...Man Utd..be afraid..be real afraid...

But realistically, I don't think that will happen...I don't think Liverpool can afford him unless the two American goons sell off the club to the oil rich Arabs (oh please please do)...

I seriously think a cheap and viable option will be Emile Heskey...big target man to play off Torres...good for knock downs and headers during set plays....defenders hate these strikers because they are so big and strong and they have no way of defending the knock downs unless they are equally capable of winning the aerial balls...

The other option will be to raid Middlesbrough again....Tuncay Sanli would be a great option...I think the Turk is very underrated at Boro and would be a great addition to Liverpool.

And how about the Nigerian Obafemi Martins? He's only 24 years old, pacy and powerful and will definitely need a club like Liverpool to rescue his flagging career now that Newcastle has been relegated.

I like Martins and I think he never got the service he needed to excel in Newcastle...I think he's in the mould of Samuel Eto + Emile Heskey and if he's affordable, I would take him for next season.

OK, that ends my post mortem for the season...as usual, I'm left dissapointed that we again fell short and we've won nothing this season...

But it was a good fight till the end for the League Title and you have to admit that Man Utd got some really big breaks towards the end but that's what champions have...skill, consistency and a little bit of luck every now and then...

I still harbour the hope that I will see Liverpool lift the League Trophy in my lifetime...it may come as soon as next season or maybe as long as Thane's 18th birthday....but as of today, I'm still a Liverpool fan...although I get increasing delusioned as the years go by....

Till the next season...

AMERICAN IDOL SEASON 9 : WHAT A FARCE!

Three words to describe the season : WHAT A FARCE!

I hate myself...why did I have to turn on the TV and watch the final performance on Tuesday? My entire day has been ruined just because I decided to jump on the American Idol bandwagon on the last day.

I have not watched a single American Idol Season since Fantasia Burino won in Season (not sure which was it) but that was A LONG TIME AGO.

Somehow, something told me to turn on the TV and watch Adam Lambert sing in the finals...I've been hearing some murmurs here and there about how good he was and I knew I had to at least hear him sing at least once...

And my....what an amazing talent...for those who have not seen Adam sing, please go find, whatever way you can, a clip of his final song....No Boundaries...this was the original composition written to be sung by both the finalist..

I would gladly share it with anyone who wants it...once I get my hands on it first...

This guy is a born performer, I mean he can sing a phone book and make it sound good......he was all poise, confidence and his delivery was superb....he had a fantastic voice, the right moves and he was original and to say he owned the stage is a gross understatement...

Mind you, this was the first time I was watching Adam sing....only 3 songs and I was sold...completely sold....completely blown away...

There was no way on this earth that Kris Allen could win...don't get me wrong, Kris is a great talent in his own right...but seriously, does America need another "dime-a-dozen" guitar struming crooner? America needs someone special...someone different...isn't that what American Idol is all about?

Give me any of the songs which Kris sang in the competition and I can find at least a 100 current artiste out there who can deliver it much better than Kris...

So why pick Kris to win? He will not sell any albums, he will be forgotten just like the rest of the AI also-rans like Rubben, Clay, Fantasia....

America needs someone different, someone who can stand out with the rest of the current singers, bands...someone who can sell records...someone who is versatile.....

But no.....Kris Allen won today....I threw away my TV remote in disgust at exactly 8.50am this morning when the results were announced...

As I marched out of the room declaring aloud that I wasn't going to watch this anymore...that was when Kris Allen was starting to brutally massacre (again) the song "No Boundaries", Terelle was skipping into the room and loudly asking Mummy...why is Daddy angry with this man?

I'm sorry Kris...I ain't angry with you...I think you're a great guy but you were OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE against Adam and i think you know it too...

So on hindsight, did Kris win because he was a worship leader in some church, and had the backing of the entire congregation of Christians in America?

Or was it because Adam was overwhelming favorite to win and his supporters were complacent and did not pull their weight and make enough calls to vote for him?

I read in some article that from the start of the final 12 rounds, this was labelled as the Adam Lambert show...the rest of the 11 finalists were mere "guest stars" on his show...so maybe America did not like his sweeping popularity and decided to punt for the underdog?

Or was it simply because America did not like his controversial "gender confused" personality, especially with his "suspected gay" photographs making their rounds over the internet?

Whatever the reason, I'm very, very dissapointed with the ending, bordering on disgusted...

American Idol is a show about talent, musical talent...it's not about religion, color, background, social life, qualifications...no...it's about musical talent...

Adam Lambert is in every way, the true deserving winner of American Idol Season 9...I will challenge anyone out there who thinks otherwise and I will personally challenge anyone who thinks Kris Allen is better and more deserving -> I want to see you buy his first album when it hits the shelf...put your $ where your mouth is...

For me..I will spend my last $20 of the month on Adam's first album....that is my personal commitment to Adam...

I wish him all the best in his singing career...in any case, the runner-ups to this competition usually come out much better in their careers than the winners.

He will forever have a fan and convert in me, which is something he might never come to know, but for that one moment in time when I heard him sing that song...I was forever a Adam Lambert fan.

Cleveland Caveliers vs Orlando Magic : Game 1 Post Mortem

Ok, this was an absolute bad morning....

The primary reason why I did not write my preview to Game 1 for the Eastern Conference Finals, even though I promised in my earlier post that I would....I didn't think it was worth spending the time writing about a game that was a done deal...

My my...was I proven wrong this morning...and it hurt....that was one hell-of-a spanking on the buttcheeks....

The Caveliers got home-court advantage stolen from under their noses by losing to the Magic 107-106...and that after taking a 15 point lead at halftime.

Mind you...this was the Quicken Loans Arena, home of the Cleveland Caveliers where they've lost only 2 games...I repeat...2 games the entire regular season.

The fans have actually forgotten how it felt like to lose here at home...

Before the series started, the only fear on my mind..the only ONE reason that I could conjure up that would cause the Cavelier's to lose....was that the King's supporting cast did not turn up...

And that certainly happened this morning....

Lebron James would get his Double-Double game any night, and even though he didn't today, he ended with a personal playoff high of 49 points. Mind you, that is half of the overall team total for the night.

You send your biggest man to guard him, double him, triple him, foul him...he'll just beat you with one of his many repertoire...

The way to beat this team...is to shut out the rest of the cast...and the Orlando Magic did that to perfection tonight...

Delonte West and Mo Williams combined for 10 out of 32 shots, and contributed a total of 28 points. Being the "left and right arms" of Lebron, that is in no way good enough to take the scoring load off the King.

Maybe it's the "rust" from having 9 days off...maybe it's the pressure from being favorites and not having been "tested" by any of their first 2 opponents in the playoffs...

The Orlando Magic knew that as long as they kept up the pressure, they had the advantage because they've gone through a tough tough series against the Boston Celtics...these guys were resilient and patient...cutting into the lead point by point and stole the win at the end....give them the credit...they deserved the win.

Whatever it is, I believe this MIGHT just be a blip in the march towards the championship title for the Caveliers....

I refuse to believe that the Caveliers would come out in Game 2 and meekly lose the Game like they did in the 2nd Half tonight...

More importantly, there is no way they would let a crappy Magic team (in my opinion) come in here with their weak brand of 3-pointer dominated game and take a 2-0 playoff lead back home...no way...

I'd hate to be in that Cavelier locker room immediately after the game ended...for sure butts would be kicked and the team will come out all guns blazing on Saturday with King James leading the line...

Stay tuned...

LA Lakers vs Denver Nuggets : Game 1 Post-Mortem

Crap....what a let-off!!

Lakers win it 105-103 after Denver has led for almost the entire game!

What an ABSOLUTE let off!

I've made up my mind...Dahtay Jones and JR Smith are both chumps...how can Denver win a game against the Lakers when both their Shooting Guards take the day off at the same time?

Dahtay Jones : 0 for 3 FGs and only 1 point
JR Smith : 2 for 7 FGs and only 8 points

Carmelo Anthony had a HUGE night and what a waste....this will definitely come back to bite them when they were just SO CLOSE to stealing Game 1 from under the Laker's nose...

It was obvious from the get go that the Lakers were trying to adjust to the Nuggets fast-paced game vs the slower defensive-minded style of the Rockets.

Nugget raced off to a 8 point lead after the 1st quarter and on hindsight, they should have taken a bigger lead in that quarter because the Lakers were just pathetic.

Another stat to ponder : Denver made only 23-35 FTs, the majority of the misses coming in the first half...to me, making at least 95% of your FTs is 75% of the game won...those are free points!!

Kobe will be saying an extra prayer tonight for getting away with this game...I'm just hoping that the Nugget forget this one in a hurry, go to Game 2 with renewed purpose and win it because they need to take home court advantage away from the Lakers.

As in my earlier post, the Nuggets have the formula to steal this series...just stick to the game plan, no cheap easy fouls on Kobe...are you listening Kenyon Martin...and please Dahtay and JR....please take some time to learn from Carmelo how to guard Kobe Bryant and please...more shooting practice...

Anyway, kudos to Billups for a great game...I'm telling ya..Chauncey and Carmelo will be the new Batman and Robin in the Western Conference...goodbye Tony Parker and Tim Duncan.

Western Conference Finals Preview : Lakers vs Nuggets

I've decided to do my own rendition of the previews of the Western Conference Finals between LA Lakers and the Denver Nuggets, starting Wednesday morning Singapore Time.

No doubt, in the NBA, the LA Lakers are the equivalent of Man Utd in the Premier League. Not exactly similar but common in many aspects.

The most glaring similarity will have to be...."drumroll"...many people hate the club....just as much as there are fans. Infact, the Lakers is arguebly the most recognised franchise in NBA as is Man Utd in the world of soccer.

LA Home Games are littered with Hollywood stars who arrive at the game 10 minutes after the game has started and leave 10 minutes before the game ends.

Fans around the world tie the Lakers with Championships and today, the face of the Lakers is undeniably, Kobe Bryant.

Yes...Kobe "the ball hogger" Bryant...number 24...the apparent "Michael Jordan" heir...the greatest player to walk this planet....at least that was before King James showed up.

You can't deny his talent, his "clutch" performances and how he can single-handedly win a game by taking the team on his shoulders....BUT...statistically, it's very obvious why he cannot be compared to Lebron when it comes to leading a team and inspiring them to win, besides being totally dominant on the court.

Back to the Lakers vs Nuggets series, this one is going to be one-hell-of a fire cracker. The "thugs" of the NBA vs the Team who is tipped to win the Championship (or that was the way it was at the start of the playoffs)

Many questions have come up about the character and mental toughness of the Lakers team after their roller-coaster 7 game series win over the Rockets...especially when that came against a Rockets team already without the services of their "lame" star player Tracy Mcgrady and then the loss of "The Great Wall of China" Yao Ming after Game 3.

Kobe Bryant -> he's as good as everyone expects him to be, he'll be countered by Carmelo Anthony, which I feel comes really close to matching Ko-me Bryant

Pau Gasol -> he's not called Ga"soft" for nothing...he'll suffer terribly at the hands of Chris Anderson and Nene in the next series. This guy, being a 7-footer center, looks like a girl, has curls llke Goldilocks, and does a fist-pumping like an excited sexually-confused man whose finally decided who he wants to be.

Derek Fisher -> he's old and there was certainly no doubt about that after the Houston series...Chauncey Billups will eat him up for breakfast..

Andrew Bynum -> Inexperienced, too soon to regard him as a factor...also tends to do a Ga"soft" very often

Luke Walton -> this guy should be shot....period. Everytime he comes off the bench, it's TFB time...Turnovers, Fouls and Bad Shots...he probably makes his Dad cringe everytime he watches his son play...His Dad is Bill Walton..a Lakers legend...

Trevor Ariza, Lamar Odom -> they're ok...but nothing the Nuggets can't counter with Kenyon Martin, JR Smith and Dahtay Jones

So in short, I'm rooting for the Nuggets in this series...I'm calling a Nuggets victory in 6-games....not only because I'd love to see Ko-me Bryant's team get knocked out of the playoffs, but I think the Nuggets would make a better opponent for King James in the Finals.

But then again, I'd love to see a Lakers vs Cleveland Finals...kinda like Good vs Evil type Finals.

No one wants to watch a Superman vs Iron man battle...rather a Superman vs Dr Octopus would be better.

Stay tuned for my previews of the Eastern Conference Finals....

FASHIONISTIC DUGONG and his WAG!

Ok, I've decided to jump on the WAG bandwagon...WAG = Wifes and Girlfriends..

Seems like everyone is using the WAG terms these days, but that, I will leave for my next posting..

This one is about the FASHIONISTIC MUM contest which was held on 9th May last weekend in Plaza Singapura....so means Dugong is not the highlight here, his WAG is...

RB had signed up for this contest which was organised by both THE SUNDAY TIMES and PLAZA SINGAPURA to mark Mother's Day for 2009.

Apparently, this contest is an annual affair, well at least since 2008 I was told.

We headed down to Plaza S for the first round of interviews in the early part of the week...and lo behold, moi WAG got chosen as one of the 8 finalists....50 ladies had been shortlisted for the first round interviews..

Exciting.....

The contest basically runs like this....at the finals, the mummies would be given a "mysterious theme" and then they had 2 hours to pick up an attire to match the given theme.

They are free to shop at most of the shops within Plaza S (there was a list given), and the cap was $300 (given in the form of vouchers)

In addition, this year, they require the husbands to be dressed as well...meaning Dugong had to be decked out too...AND APPEAR ON STAGE!!

Getting more exciting....fainting...

True to form....the Leongs started doing some research during the days running up to the Finals on Saturday...i.e. looking around the shops, remembering what is where, where is what...

We've never seen so much of Plaza S...at least not for the past 6 years minimum...made me hate the incredulously idiotic carpark design even more...

Saturday came and the entire family trotted down to Plaza S....

Excitement level reaching boiling point.....

First Round of the Contest was about "plain Jane"...the mummies were introduced to the crowd with zero make-up on and in casual white blouse and denim...

Needless to say, moi WAG looked the best because she never wears make-up...al natural they call it....hehehe...

Next Round was the main attraction...the shopping....the theme given was "Go on a holiday"...

Here was where we made the biggest of errors....which is something we never fail to make each time....we never stopped to think...

From the get go, we dashed off to the shops, already having in mind what we wanted to look for...which in the end turned out "not in line" with what the judges were expecting....

Why did we choose this combi, don't know....strange enuff, we both "had the same wrong idea"...

In any case, we spent $290 out of the $300 getting dressed up in an attire which was "quite far" from how we usually dress and in many ways, "not at all" us....

So we didn't win....not even placed among the top 3 placings...nope...although RB picked up the "most number of votes from the public" prize...

The Q&A session for the mummies went ok...I think RB answered the best..even her frens who turned up to support her thought so...

Side point....some of the answers given by the other mummies were just "out of this world".....it really didn't take much to outshine those answers...

Not really "Channel 5 S-Factor" type crappy answers....but quite bad....there was a lady standing next to me below the stage and she rolled her eyes at one of the answers and looked like she wanted to collapse from shock.....

Question : What would you do if your child was hooked on internet gaming?

Answer Given : I would put the computer in the living room so I can monitor what he is doing so he will not surf internet porn......

Question : What would you do if your son says you are restricting his freedom by doing that?

Answer Given : Too bad because my parents brought me up like that, I will be doing the same to him...that is why I have become a good mother and have been able to marry a good husband who loves me....

Judge for yourself people...."tell you a secret....they cut out the silliest parts of the answers and only publish the ok bits in the newspapers"....hehehe...

As for us.....Dissapointed...yes....Upset....no....Had Great Fun....totally.....the both of us relish these events, not for the limelight, but for the opportunity to go crazy and do things together....sorry kids but mummy and daddy do miss our crazy globetrotting days...

So it was during my evening jog the other day that it finally dawned upon me....why did we lose? Because we were not ourselves....

We were totally awkward on stage...talking about a type of holiday which we would never go for, at least not on first priority..and dressed from top to bottom in something un-Ryan and un-LiAnne...

And in this, we learn one of the most important lessons in life.....always be yourself....

And of course, think before you leap....

Catwalk...not for Dugong...luckily, I did not have to walk more than 10 steps on the catwalk that day...but that was the weirdest 10 steps I've ever had to take....

Maybe a eating contest next time ok RB? :)

Durian would be a bonus...

Mr Prawn, come swim into my mouth...

JOO CHIAT PRAWN MEE
75, Carpmael Road (Closed on Tuesdays)
Business Hours : 7.30 am to 3.30 pm

If there's only one bowl of prawn noodles you'll ever eat for the rest of your life, make this one it.

Not the easiest place to locate but once you find it, you won't forget it.

It's right smack in the middle of Carpmael Road and is one of the two coffee shops along this road. Both the coffee shops are located together at the cross junction.

The Beach Road Famous Prawn Noodle is but a stone's throw away from this location, but take my advice, swallow the stone and stay put right here. There's no need to go anywhere else.

Yummy....

Dugong irked by dumb things...

Sometimes I wonder if it's just me, or maybe I'm possibly the only one who verbalises or shows a clear disdain for people who continues to do things which clearly are not right but don't seem to be to these people..

Give you several examples...

1) The escalator....it's a simple rule to follow, stand on the left...let the faster moving people walk up / down the right lane...why do many people still insist on standing on the right and holding up traffic?

The weird thing is the offender always end up standing right beside me....which makes it even more tempting for me to just turn to my right and give the person a smack on the head

I usually give the escalator hogger a disgusted look, after which I will make an obvious glance towards the back to look at the long line of disgrunted people, who is obviously pissed off at being slowed down by the moron.

2) Highway Road Hoggers....similar to (1), but this one is on the road. Maybe this one is not as bad, because you can always drive around the road hog on the left...but does it piss me off just the same? HELL YEAH!

I'm very tempted to pin this on the ladies, but I remember seeing wussy men committing the sin too.

3) Taxi Drivers who skid to an abrupt halt right in front of your car just to pick up a passenger.....man, this one really makes me lose it....just encountered one the other day....i didn't take my hand off my car horn until the passenger got in and the taxi moved off....to my glee, that took a good 15 seconds....so my horn was clearly making a big ruckus along Upper Changi Road...hehehe...

I probably have several more on my list but at this moment...these are the top 3 on my cheesed-off list...

Bring out the BROOM AGAIN!

Lebron James and the Cleveland Caveliers continue their playoff domination by sweeping the Atlanta Hawks 4-0 to charge into the Eastern Conference Finals against either the defending champions Boston Celtics or Orlando Magic.

The 2nd-round series involving Boston and Orlando is now tied at 2 games a piece.

What this means is that the Caveliers have another 9-day lay-off before they see some real court action again.

The Caveliers are the first team to start the playoffs 8-0 since 2005 Miami Heat, and they have won each of those 8 games by double-digits.

Check out these stats for King James :

Game 1 : 34 Pts, 10 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 4 Steals
Game 2 : 27 Pts, 3 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 4 Steals
Game 3 : 47 Pts, 12 Rebounds, 8 Assists, 1 Steal
Game 4 : 27 Pts, 8 Rebounds, 8 Assists, 1 Steal

There is no stopping Lebron; the man's a one-man wrecking crew and that look of destiny is etched on his face every time he takes to the court.

Just get out of the way.....

KING JAMES NAMED REGULAR SEASON MVP

Was there ever any doubt?

Not in my mind at least....He received 109 votes out of a total 121 first-place votes to easily outdistance the wannabe, Kobe Bryant...maybe next year Kobe.

Lebron James is the first Cleveland Cavaliers player to win the award. He averaged 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists this season, his sixth as a pro.

This man is phenomenal, he was born to play basketball.

For the uninitiated, please feel free to have a look at Lebron's Top 10 Plays of the Regular NBA Season here.

Pay close attention to Play 7 and Play 3..my personal favourites...

LEBRON TO THE "GREAT WALL OF CHINA" -> DON'T BRING THAT WEAK STUFF IN HERE!!

AWARE SAGA has ended..

All I can say is....DAMN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!

That would have been the BEST $40 I would have ever spent!!

MUAHAHAHA!!

TWO WORDS -> LEGALISED BITCHING

Great Article about AWARE

Found this Great Article on someone's Facebook's Page...a perfect writeup about what's going on in AWARE.

To those who do not know what's going on, read on...
To those who do and are confused, hope this clarifies...I am...


Christians in Singapore, listen! You should not be this conflicted about the AWARE debacle. It appears that a few churches have already taken the opportunity to preach on the issue of homosexuality from the pulpit. Some Christians have also been rattling on about it being time to make a stand and be counted for what one truly believes.

So this is me making a stand right here. I have been a Bible-believing Christian for 25 years now. I want first to acknowledge fellow believers who, like me, are shocked, angered, and saddened by the takeover and feel that their faith has been hijacked and their views ignored. I know that a lot of such affected Christians are out there. There is also another group which may not agree with the new team's tactics but admires its fervour or sympathises with it for the heat it has been getting.

But, most of all, I want to address a crucial third party: Christian women who have been encouraged to stand up and be counted for their beliefs. I wish to appeal to their good sense in these last hours. You may be one of these and have even joined, or are planning to join, AWARE to help swing the votes in favour of the new ex-co on Saturday. Especially if I am describing you, please read on!

Yes, there are times when a Christian needs to make a courageous stand – but, in every event, always ask yourself: For what cause is this? What context does it serve? The current scenario is not one where we are being asked what our beliefs on certain issues are or whether Christianity and homosexuality are compatible or we are being mocked or discriminated against. It is a simple context where a group of well-meaning Christians infiltrated a secular organisation in order to be in a position to dictate their own values in its daily running. In this light, what a Christian may feel about issues like homosexuality is besides the point!

As a secular body, AWARE rightly cannot have a vision that treats women from different backgrounds through the outlook of just one religious system. Indeed, I dare say that an appropriate Christian response is to resist the actions of these Christians. Just as God gave every person free choice and the opportunity to believe, we ought to support the sanctity of this right for others to make up their own minds and live their own lives. Just as we do not force the Christian faith down someone's throat against his or her will, we should not take over a non-religious organisation for the single purpose of making others unlike us behave as we believe. To do this would be a gross misapplication of the message of Jesus.

If you support the new ex-co's actions, be aware that you are sending a string of possibly irreversible wrong signals to every Singaporean. Consider carefully whether you are willing to shoulder the responsibility of damages that would affect the longstanding good work of Christians in Singapore. Since the government has chosen not to be involved in the matter so far, whatever happens will be seen clearly by all as the response of particular sectors of society.

Here is my short list of obvious implications:

[1] Support the new ex-co, and you are effectively saying that you condone its quasi-corporate act of infiltration, with related strategies of secrecy, disinformation, moral coercion, and fear-mongering. You are saying that you support its less-than-Christian covert moves more than traditionally Christian ones like dialogue, open engagement, honesty, and clarity.

[2] Support the new ex-co, and we will go down a slippery road with wide-ranging repercussions for all. Don’t believe for a moment that the manoeuvring will stop here. What this invites others to see is that infiltration is the most effective way for small groups of like-minded individuals to seize power quickly -- and where will this end? What is to stop any religious or ideological group from doing the same to any social institution at every level? In the long run, who do you think loses?

[3] Support the new ex-co, and you potentially make light of the freedom that is God’s gift to every human being. Against your best intentions, you may send out instead the message that we Christians think that we know better than everyone else and that we are willing to outflank, overpower, and overwhelm if we do not get our way.

[4] Support the new ex-co, and, if they stay and behave as predicted, you will be directly responsible for undoing the trust that many Christians have taken years to build with their non-Christian friends. This is a trust built on mutual respect. You will have made the Gospel of Christ more difficult to hear for years to come because people will think that they know what it is about. You will have created a new generation of Christ-haters.

This matter, in short, is not to be treated lightly. Jesus tells us all to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves". There are times to be passionate and helpful in a gungho way, but this is not the time. Christians can be wrong about many things too. So please, by all means, pray for the AWARE debacle to be resolved amicably and for Christians in AWARE, but do not, in the name of our common faith, go in blind support of other Christians because you are Christian!

Yours Truly,

Gwee Li Sui

Dugong's take on AWARE...

I know I may be threading on thin ice with this post but after deliberating for a week, I'll do it anyway.

Wanna know why this AWARE saga is a total mess?

Here's my take...

I have the utmost respect for woman leaders everywhere..infact, I've had to work under two ladies in my past two roles and the both of them were great leaders in their own unique ways.

I think women run governments, organisations and countries just as well as men. So where's the problem?

The problem lies in "GROUPS of WOMEN".

Women simply cannot co-exist with one another...if you put a group of women to work together...you get the AWARE SAGA!

It's a simple thing....if you spend some time to think this through, how ridiculous is it that an organisation comprising of ALL WOMEN cannot co-exist and see eye to eye on issues and they are suppose to be championing causes for women elsewhere?

All this cat-fighting about overthrowing the board, planned coup, not inviting the old board for EOGM....ssspppiiiiccccyyyyy....and I LOVE EVERY SECOND OF IT....it is SO BITCHY!!!!

Well, don't flame poor litle old Dugong me....I had my share of "AWARE" madness...during Li-Anne's first confinement month when she had Terelle, we made the mistake of spending the month at my mum's place...

Imagine this...Li-Anne vs Confinement Nanny vs My Mum vs My Grandmother...

One woman in each corner of the ring and Dugong right in the middle!!!!

I rest my case...just sit back and enjoy the show...

Dugong Dissapointed...

Our family makes it a point to go back to my Dad's home for dinner at least once a week...primary reason is for my parents to spend some time with our kids.

That's a cool arrangement...the grandparents get to see the grandkids, my kids get to play with their cousins...Li-Anne and I get to see my parents and sister and brother-in-law.....there's free food...

Why am I dissapointed?

Well, I think there's a distinct difference between spending time and spending quality time..

In this case, I just wish my mum had more chances to spend quality time with my kids.

My mum is a simple lady...never someone who would complain about anything...and is always happy and contented with what she's given. She's more than happy to see us once a week, although I know deep down, she wishes we could come home more often. She was probably the happiest person when our family had to bunk in at their place for 1 month when we were moving house in December.

Imagine this...she's taking care of my niece and nephew full-time and when we were bunking over, she had both my kids in daily attendance as well. She was happy...she just wanted every one of her grandkids together.

Nowadays, when we go back, it's usually for 2-3 hours and it's right smack in the middle of dinner time. Within that time slot, there's the mad scramble to feed my nephew and niece and even after feeding, the other un-ending needs of the two kids will bog her down for the entire timeslot.

I wanted to show my mum some photographs from Terelle & Thane's blog last night...it was the best way to keep her updated about the ongoings in their life...

It was tough...I could NOT catch her attention for longer than 5 seconds at a time and I was busy trying to narrate to her as I scrolled through the blog but it was an almost impossible task...

My Dad doesn't really help calm the chaotic scene, most of the time, his attempts to help makes things worse...in any case, I don't feel he sees the need to keep abreast of the happening's in the grandkid's lives...maybe to him that 2-3 hours a week is sufficient...

I am truely upset...and I said a silent prayer last night that I will see to it that things change. My kids won't be little and THAT cute for long, and there won't be many years left for my mum to enjoy them as they are now.

For all the quirky-ness of my in-laws, especially my mum-in-law, I'm deeply grateful and appreciative of the quality time they spend with my kids. There is undivided attention, although many a times, it borders on spoiling them, but hey, nothing's perfect....

Maybe it's because there are no "other grandkids" to contest for their attention...maybe...but I guess for now, it's up to me to change things on this side of the fence..

X-Dugong Origins : Dugong-rine

If you have not planned to watch X-Men Origins : Wolverine this weekend, then do it...

It is an amazing movie...and I'm proud to say : RB and I might have been one of the first few people in Singapore to have watched the previews today.

I think a lot has already been said about how cool and macho Hugh Jackman is as Wolverine...it's all true but on top of that, I think Liev Schreiber's potrayal of Sabretooth was equally good.....finger-licking good...

Exceptionally good was that last scene which was shot on top of the energy reactor...gosh...that scene alone was worth the $8 I paid for the movie.

Probably the only gripe I have about the movie was the casting of Lynn Collins as the leading lady Kayla Silverfox ...just thought that they could have found someone more striking to play the role....someone like maybe Kristin Kreuk would be just nice :)

All in all, a good movie to start of the "good-movie season".....please no more crap junk like 17 Again!!!

Dugong Dehydrated!

Is it just me, or is the weather in Singapore getting FREAKY, DICKY unbearable? I made the wrong decision to wear a long sleeve shirt to work today....I realised it the moment I stepped out the front door this morning.

I was "LAO-GUA-ING" like a XIAO-GAO even before I reached the bus-stop!

Its so bad that I don't even feel like taking my daily dose of hot caffeine in the morning. What that means is that I've been struggling to stay awake in office.

Well, not that I'm trying to blame the weather...it's actually a combination of factors but the weather DOES play a big part in it.

It certainly does not help that the aircon vent in my office is faulty, which never did seem to bother me in the past, but now, it's just killing me.

I truely wonder when this heat wave would end, but i'm not really optimistic. Even the occasional downpour has not brought any relief so for now, I'll have to run from one aircon place to another!!

King James getting it DONE in Detroit!!

King James has done it again....4-0 first round playoff sweep of the passe Pistons...not that anyone was expecting any less. 2 assists shy of a triple double...the man's getting it done IN STYLE!

The Caveliers now have > 1 week of rest while waiting for the winner of the Miami vs Atlanta series..which may or may not be an advantage since you would want your team to remain hot and not start winding down with the extra rest.

But having said that, I don't think a team led by Lebron will have any chance of taking things easy...the man's hungry....

NBA Playoffs 2009

Was racking my brains for something to blog about after such a long time...so I think I'll write about the NBA Playoffs.....not too taxing on the brains...

King James....who else is more deserving of the title this year?

If you have not seen him play, make sure you catch Sportscenter's Daily updates at 7.30pm and a repeat at 10pm....he's in the news almost everyday now...

I've always had a weakness for sports icons who totally dominate their opponents.....and Lebron James is the perfect example of someone like that....

He can destroy you in SO MANY ways...he'll beat you on the dribble, post up, step back shot, 3-pointer, draw the double / triple team and dish out for an uncontested 3-pointer...the man has done it all and does it so well..

He's got the physique of Wolverine but floats like a butterfly when he drifts in for the monstrous windmill dunk...

Anyway, the Caveliers is already 2 games up on the Pistons and I'm predicting a 4-0 sweep, just like everyone else.

I seriously don't see any team in the Eastern Conference today who is capable of stopping the Caveliers...so to the Lakers, I would say "See you in the Finals!"

Tis the season to be FRIED!!!

Would it be a Merry Christmas this year?

Not sure... Strangely enough, my employers found it fitting to make announcements for a major reorganisation 2 weeks before Christmas.

Its like..."Hey guys, it's the final stretch, please remember to bust your arses for the company you love so we can meet our financial commitments for 2008. And oh by the way, did I already tell you that your jobs are not guaranteed come 1st Jan? Oh well, it doesn't matter, I'm sure all of you will be mature enuff to accept this because you love this company rite?"

Timing and empathy has never been a forte in this company. Worse yet, rewarding excellence with crap is certainly not something you would associate with "THE MOST ADMIRABLE COMPANY"

Not to say i'm totally surprised since we've already been treated like that for the past 24 months. From being an organisation that delivered on it's financial commitments 8 quarters in a row, had it's leader yanked out and had to go rudder-less for 2 quarters and still cross the line smelling like a rose in 2 weeks time, it sure is nice to have a BIG FAT CUTTLEFISH waiting to shake your hand at the finishing line.

The last month has felt like walking around with a bullet in your head, just waiting for that moment when it dislodges and kills you instantly.

People pass you in the hallways, break out into a smile but deep down, wondering if they'll still see you next month.

It's been as real as HELL, so I'm carrying no illusions that I might be that lucky guy who would come out of this unscathed. Better to be prepared than pretend that it's never going to happen to me.

8 years in this company, straight out of graduation.....in here, people like us are termed as LIFERs.... we have the "system" genetically engineered into our DNA, so as to bleed and die for the company, to feel pain when the company falters and to treat company above self....

Huh...right now, I just feel like a BIG MEATBALL CRAP...topped off with a BIG STINKY FART..

Maybe it's time to set up that noodle stall I've dreamed about....like PO, the Kungfu Panda....