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It is irony at its best and a vicious cycle to boot…
Public transportation sucks bcos of timing issues and space = Raise fares to buy more trains, buses
More trains & buses = Raise fares bcos higher operating cost
Raise fares= Ppl calculate and decide to pay slighter higher to take a cab to work due to greater comfort and it reaches their doorstep
More ppl take cabs = Not enough cabs
Not enough cabs = Raise fares
Raise fares = Ppl calculate and decide to pay slighter higher to have a car
More ppl buy car = Congestion
Congestion = Raise ERP
Ppl calculate and decide to take public transport then what will happen?
The cycle continues…
to be exact, a little part of it.. 
Liverpool FC fans set to launch takeover bid for club
LIVERPOOL FC fans have launched a sensational bid to buy their own club.
The newly-formed Share Liverpool FC announced a radical move to purchase the Anfield enterprise from its US owners.
The group hopes to find 100,000 supporters to invest personally in the club and prise away it from Americans Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
They aim to raise £500m to buy the Reds from the billionaire tycoons and finance a new stadium.
The member-share scheme is based on a continental-style model, where fans own a huge stake in the club.
Spanish giants Barcelona FC operate under a similar system.
The announcement came as Reds fans sobered up to the reality of having to pay £30m-a-year interest on new loans taken out by Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett.
Many supporters are worried about the club’s financial future after the pair completed their controversial £350m re-financing deal.
Share Liverpool FC comprises of legal experts and people in senior public positions.
If it succeeded in its bid, it is understood that fans who bought a share in Liverpool would be entitled to a vote on who ran the club.
The person ultimately elected would be responsible for all major decisions at Anfield.
The exact workings of the sceme were due to be unveiled at Liverpool university later today.
A website is also expected to be launched by the group and Share Liverpool FC has been in contact with major LFC fanzines to inform them of the move.
They have acknowledged there is no precedent for the scheme in this country, but said it has worked successfully abroad.
The plan is headed by Dr Rogan Taylor, director of the Football Industry Group at Liverpool university.
He said: “The time is right to offer a different solution to the rising concerns that football fans have about the patterns of ownership developing at our major football clubs.
“Thousands of Liverpool fans have already demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs.
“Large amounts of debt often devolves onto newly purchased clubs, but the fans know that in the end, it will be they themselves who will have to pay it off through increased ticket prices and other schemes.
“In such a case, why not simply buy the club yourselves?”
The group argue that many top-flight sides in Germany and Spain are owned by thousands of “member fans”.
Also involved in the project is Phil French, formerly of the Premier League and now chief executive of Supporters Direct.
He is joined by Kevin Jaquiss, from law firm Cobbetts, who has headed some of the country’s most successful sport legal cases.
Some Reds fans are already sceptical that even huge numbers of supporters would not carry the necessary financial clout to achieve such an audacious move.
But the idea has received wide backing from internet forums, where anti Hicks/Gillette sentiments is still running high.
Richie Pedder, chairman of the Liverpool FC supporters’ club, said: “I have heard about these member-share arrangements on the continent.
“It would certainly be worth looking into.”
John Mackin, of fans’ group Reclaim The Kop, said: “I will be attending the meeting to hear more details.
“It is definitely getting a favourable reaction and it would get rid of owners we do not want in charge of our club.”
* A separate fans’ meeting is taking place tonight at 7pm at The Sandon pub in Anfield about the club’s future.
Wonder if Wifey will allow me ?
Let’s put aside the owners problem, Rafa problems, tactics etc etc and for once, we focus on the players..
After the West Ham game, i commented that this bunch of players lack a certain something but i didn’t know what it until just now…
I don’t buy the “we-must-have-a-first-team-players-otherwise-there-is-no-understanding-and-cohesiveness” theory” or “rotation-is-bad” theory..
Frankly, this bunch of overpaid-posers are paid to play football day in day out. If they train day-in-day-out and still no understanding with their teammates, i would say fire them.. To say that bcos rotation = no understanding on the pitch will equal that WE, the fans are wasting our bloody money supporting the club.. It is like throwing money into the sea bcos they are just taking money and not working hard enough to establish understanding with ppl that they see everyday.
Freaking hell, i have said this many times.. If those who plays social football(once a week) can understand their team-mates characteristics, i don’t see why these inept overpaid posers cannot do it..
During the past few month, i have hear a lot from the players about “we will do better”, “i will score”, “we will put off-the-pitch issues out of our minds”. But time and time again, they only walk the walk but never talk the talk. And now, the reason is clear in my mind…
My opinion is that WE LACK LEADERSHIP ON THE PITCH !. This is a tough period of time where we need the real men to stand up and drag the entire team towards victory. When the going gets tough, every player just disappears and that includes Carra and SG. It is as simple as that. It is evident that no player wants to pull up their socks and say, “SCREW THIS ! JUST PASS ME THE BALL AND I DO WHAT IS NEEDED TO WIN”. NOBODY!!
We just don’t have leadership on the pitch. It doesn’t matter if we strip SG and pass it to Carra. Carra can scream, rant and shout but can he drive the team forward ? I don’t think so.
Look at teams who have won the EPL.
LFC had great captains like Daglish, Souness.
Arsenal had Vieira.
Man U had Robson, Cantona, Keane.
Would these players allowed the nonsense to continue on the pitch? Is it any concidence that Man U domination kicked off when they got Robson, Cantona and subsequently, Keane? Is it any coincidence that their nearest challengers were Arsenal who had Vieira? Is it any coincidence that we won the CL, FA due to SG’s influence?
So why can’t we do it in the league?
If Keane or Vieira was our respective captains for today’s match, i would believe that they would have fight for the ball, drive forward and demanded more from the players. And it will gear up the entire team to do the same. It is true that a team is made up of 11 players but a captain responsibility goes beyond flipping a coin and choosing who to kick off first. His responsibility is to be the LEADER on the pitch, to demand that the players put in as much effort as he is doing and drive towards victory.
If the captain cannot drive the team, then some other player should step up and show the way. We see glimpses of it when Yossi stepped up against Havant to lead LFC to victory, SG lead LFC to victory against Derby with his surging run and Torres who often save our asses by taking on the responsibility. But it seldom happens.
WHERE WAS HE or better still, WHERE ARE ALL OF THEM!? WHERE ARE THE LEADERS !?
Everybody is waiting for somebody to do something. Freaking hell.
SG has the ability and desire to be a great captain but he needs to get his head sorted out and become mentally strong for the team and it is time for his to start acting like one. Otherwise, i just pray to God that we can somehow find one from somewhere
Only then, we can win our bread and butter..
Haiz…
Wow, I just had my confirmation review and it was damn good. Out of a score of 85, i got a score of 70 which put me in the “excellent” range.
My boss is really impressed by my performance and has recommended that i move on to the next level which means that i should be getting a promotion next year. But the hierarchy is a bit strange here..
It starts from Information Analyst -> Senior Information Analyst -> System Analyst -> Senior System Analyst -> Asst Manager -> Manager
So now, I am currently a Senior Information Analyst so it seems my next step will be a System Analyst *rolleyes*.. Sound likes a demotion.. Hahahahah.. Oh well, we will just see how it goes. Hopefully, this is a sign of better things to come… … Promotion = Higher pay ?
Hmmm, seems that going to Robinsons was a blessing in disguise after all. Although it was torturous but i had a good mentor who taught me quite a number of things about working hard and smart. I guess she helped me to develop me into a more all-rounded, efficient worker.
And it does help that my family life is stable and i have something to look forward soon.
Finally, we are able to see the heartbeat.. It is not shown clearly here and i doubt anyone can see it 
.. Anyway, i saw it when Wifey did the ultrasound and we could see the heart beating very fast.
Naughty BABY !!! Start being naughty so early liao ah !!!! Gave us a big scare !
We have decided not to go for a Down-Syndrome test and all i want know is for the baby to grow grow grow and Wifey to have a safe pregnancy and delivery.
Next appointment to the gynae is in 4 weeks time and hopefully, we can see more of the baby
p.s. i believe that the gynae’s estimation might be off.. i doubt my baby is 8 weeks..
The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.
I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.
She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?”
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze.
“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked.
She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids…”
“No seriously,” I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.
“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.
We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.
Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, “I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.”
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, ” We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.
There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it!
There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.
Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.
The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”
She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose.”
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.
One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.
Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.
When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they’ll really enjoy it!
These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.
REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
“Good friends are like stars……..You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there.
Kop Football (Holdings) Limited (“Kop”), the owner of Liverpool Football Club (the “Club”), is pleased to announce the successful completion of a £350 million financing package.
In addition it is pleased to announce confirmation of the selection of the architectural firm HKS, Inc. as designer of the Club’s new stadium at Stanley Park.The Financing Package
Kop has secured a £350 million financing package, led by The Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia Bank NA, which replaces previous financing that had been due in February 2008. The new financing will meet all of the Club’s current financial needs and includes facilities to support the commencement of construction for the new stadium at Stanley Park and to provide working capital for the Club and future player transfers. Of the £350 million financing, £105 million is Club-level debt that will be used to fund commencement of construction of the new stadium at Stanley Park, for future player transfers, and to meet the Club’s working capital needs.
The other £245 million will be at the holding company level and was used to refinance the £60 million of debt that was on the Club’s books at the time of last year’s acquisition as well as the loan related to the share purchase at that time. The overall financing is being supported by a combination of owner cash, letters of credit and personal guarantees totaling £225 million, ensuring that the Club remains on a sound financial footing.
Tom Hicks said: “This new financing package is a strong vote of confidence in the Club’s financial strength and a recognition of the exceptional opportunity represented by the construction of the Club’s new state-of-the-art stadium at Stanley Park. The successful completion of this financing package is particularly significant in light of the currently challenging credit-market environment. With the refinancing process now done, Club supporters can look forward to the timely commencement of construction work on the new stadium and renew their focus on actions on the pitch.”
The New Stadium:
Confirmation of the selection of HKS was based on the firm’s successful development of an improved stadium design that meets the objective of a cost-effective, supporter-friendly design. The new stadium, scheduled to open in August 2011, will ensure that Liverpool Football Club and its supporters get the much-anticipated groundbreaking iconic design at a capacity of approximately 71,000 seats, significantly more than is currently available at Anfield.
The new stadium will feature enhanced amenities for the Club’s supporters while preserving the history and traditions of Anfield and the Club itself. It will be anchored by an expanded 18,500-seat standalone KOP, an increase of more than 5,000 seats.
Kop also announces the appointment of KUD International as project manager for the stadium. KUD, which will establish a Liverpool office to oversee the project, has developed projects globally, including Silvertown Quays, a large-scale mixed use scheme in London, as well as collegiate and professional stadiums in the United States including the Philadelphia Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field and the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park.
Laing O’Rourke, the largest privately owned construction firm in the UK, has also joined, and provides further depth of experience to, the project team. Laing O’Rourke is currently working with developer Grosvenor on The Paradise Project in Liverpool – Europe’s largest city-centre regeneration scheme.
Tom Hicks said: “HKS has developed a more efficient design that, at the same time, is just as stunning as its original design. Liverpool supporters should have high expectations for the future: a premier sporting experience at their new stadium at Stanley Park and a winning Club on the pitch for years to come.”
Football Operations:
In response to questions recently raised about owner support of Rafa Benitez as Manager, Tom Hicks today commented: “Since the meeting with Rafa on December 16th, at which some widely reported communications issues were discussed, Rafa has been assured that he has continuing and enthusiastic support as the Club’s Manager.
“Reflecting that support, Kop recently approved his transfer payment request to sign Martin Skrtel for £6.5 million and is in discussions with Rafa and Club management regarding additional player signings this summer.
“Rafa is under contract for two more seasons following this season. I am solidly behind Rafa and am confident of the team’s competitive prospects under his continuing leadership.”
Not sure what i feel about all this at this moment of time. I don’t trust Hicks and Gillett’s silence in this entire saga is scary. And we have DIC hovering in the wings to take over the Americans’ ownership.
I just hope that a few things will happen:
1) The players start performing to Rafa’s high standard
2) Rafa will be given a warchest to get a LB, LW and another striker
3) LFC to win the next game with beautiful play and get the critical fans behind the team again
I am not forgetting about the lies and nonsense that Hicks put us through but i just feel that this moment of time, the entire club(owners, mgmt, players, fans) need to pull in one direction together. I just hope that it won’t be too late…
LFC 2 – 2 Aston Villa
Didn’t watch the game as it was in the wee hours of the morning and i couldn’t wake up. Glad that i didn’t bcos it is another home draw. Sigh….
LFC 5 – 2 Havant & Waterlooville
Havant who !? That was exactly what i was thinking when the draw was made. I didn’t watch the match but was kept updated of the proceedings.. I was laughing when i realised that LFC was leading 3-2 at the 58th minute. I knew the lineup and i felt that it was a strong lineup but i guess Havant had other ideas. But i guess that it is the magic of the FA cup. Full credit to Havant.
I think Rafa must be pulling his hair out bcos of the players’ incompetence. I wonder how is he going to pull the squad together and play the type of football that we know that they can.
A man and his girlfriend were married. It was a large
celebration. All of their friends and family came to see the lovely
ceremony
and to partake of the festivities and celebrations. A wonderful time
was
had by all.The bride was gorgeous in her white wedding gown and the
groom was very dashing in his black tuxedo. Everyone could tell that
the love they had for each other was true.A few months later, the wife comes to the husband with a
proposal: “I read in a magazine, a while ago, about how we can
strengthen
our marriage.” she offered.“Each of us will write a list of the things that we find
a bit annoying with the other person. Then, we can talk about how we
can fix them together and make our lives happier together.”
The husband agreed. So each of them went to a separate
room in the house and thought of the things that annoyed them about the
other. They thought about this question for the rest of the day and
wrote down what they came up with.The next morning, at the breakfast
table, they decided
that they would go over their lists.
“I’ll start,” offered the wife. She took out her list.
It had many items on it. Enough to fill 3 pages, in fact. As she
started
reading the list of the little annoyances, she noticed that tears were
starting to appear in her husbands eyes.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Nothing” the husband
replied, “keep reading your list.”
The wife continued to read until she had read all three
pages to her husband. She neatly placed her list on the table and
folded her hands over top of it.
“Now, you read your list and then we’ll talk about the
things on both of our lists.” She said happily.
Quietly the husband stated, “I don’t have anything on my
list. I think that you are perfect the way that you are. I don’t want
you to change anything for me. You are lovely and wonderful and I
wouldn’t want to try and change anything about you.”The wife, touched by his honesty and the depth of his
love for her and his acceptance of her, turned her head and wept.IN LIFE, there are enough times when we are disappointed, depressed and
annoyed. We don’t really have to go looking for them.We have a wonderful world that is full of beauty, light and promise.
Why waste time in this world looking for the bad,disappointingor annoying hings when we can look around us, and see the wondrous things before
us?I believe that WE ARE HAPPIEST WHEN we see and praise
the good and try our best to forego the mistakes of our spouse Nobody’s
perfect but we can find perfection in them to change the way we see
them. Its is necessary to understand the difficulties and be a helping
hand to each other….
THAT BRIGHTENS THE RELATIONSHIP. ”“We forget that forgiveness is greater than revenge.
People make mistakes.
We are allowed to make mistakes.
But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever.
Pause and ponder.
Think before you act.
Be patient.
Forgive & forget. Love one and all.
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