June 2006 Archives

Despite the fact that I'm close to watching my 20th soccer game in this year’s World Cup, I am by no means yet an expert when it comes to the rules. However, what is abundantly clear is that they need to institute instant replay for controversial goals and plays -- particularly in the knock-out stage. Considering that so much national pride is at stake, it seems stupid not to implement for fear it might disrupt the flow of the game.

Here my friends is further proof, that the English have a wicked sense of humor. Apparently, this video is a response to SNL Chronicles of Narnia Rap. Personally, I think the UK version is better. I mean, who knew that rapping about one's love of tea could be so funny? Surely not me!

In the last 10 days, I've watched about 12 World Cup matches. This is quite surprising, as prior to the start of the World Cup, I wasn't really a fan of soccer. In fact, I thought it rather boring. However, there is something to be said for watching the best players across the globe represent their respective countries in what I now view as the worlds game. So can't wait for the knock-out stage to begin, even though the US team probably won’t proceed afterThursdays game. I’m torn because I want them to beat Ghana, but I am also secretly hoping that Ghana wins. Mainly because Ghana is my team in the office sweepstake. Plus, they had a convincing victory over the Czech Republic who crushed the American team in their opener.

Thought of the Day:

Contacting ex-boyfriends (no not Racquetball Guy!) who you constantly dream about can be disastrous. Thus, as tempting as it may be, never do it again. It is better for the fantasy to remain a fantasy because things will never turn out the way you'd like them to -- even if the other party is a willing participant. Thus, one must always remember that there is a very valid reason why the relationship ended.

Taste of London looks inviting as I would get the chance to sample cuisine from some of the top restaurants in London -- however, I am slightly turned off as in addition to purchasing tickets to sample the food (no problem there), I have to pay £15 (roughly $28) entrance fee. Thinking the organizers need to follow Taste of Chicago's lead and make the entrance to the event free. End result would be more people attending to sample the food which I'm sure would make the restaurateurs happy! Particularly since people like myself are likely to become patrons of a few of the establishments.

Of course, I realize that may be easier said than done as upon further inspection, looks like the Taste of Chicago is organized by the City of Chicago, while Taste of London seems to be a private enterprise. That said, Taste of London has a lot of large name corporate sponsors who I’m sure are helping the subsidize the operational cost of running the event.

At least four of the women in this season's edition of Big Brother UK have had breast augmentation. Not surprising really, as recent reports indicate that the plastic surgery is on the rise in the UK. In fact, the article points out that the "UK market is valued in excess of £250 million and last year the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons said the number of surgical procedures had risen by more than a third to 22,000 operations."

Now I'm not against women or men for that matter using plastic surgery to enhance their looks (heck - I'd like to have some fat sucked out) -- but what I can't understand is why some of the women getting breast augmentation, get them the size of watermelons. For example, one of the women on the show got implants so large that she needs to wear a size 30M bra. What the f*ck? They don't look real, are out of proportion with the rest of the body and its just not attractive. Well at least not to me anyway.

Either way, it’s just sad that celebrity standards of beauty which we all know are airbrushed are now causing women to loose perspective and take things to the extreme.

I continue to meet more and more people, but no serious boyfriend prospects yet. Despite this, I am not tempted to try again online -- not even with a dating site targeted towards Michigan graduates like myself. However, if I was in New York, I might consider signing up with professional matchmaker and fellow Michigan alum, Lisa Clampitt via her company VIP Life. Particularly because the service is much more personable and free for women!

A reason to be thankful that I'm merely middle-class (aren't we all??) and not rich or famous.

Deathstyles of the Rich and Famous: The upper class has its problems, too.
Slate, By Jacob Weisberg, Posted Wednesday, June 14, 2006, at 3:45 PM ET

There are diseases of poverty, such as tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/AIDS. There are diseases of affluence, such as lung cancer, high blood pressure, and type-2 diabetes. And then there are the hazards of extreme affluence, such as being thrown off a polo pony, flipping your Cigarette boat, or succumbing to altitude sickness on a vanity expedition to the Himalayas.

. . .

If you survive paycheck-to-paycheck, you can also rest easy about dying while fleeing paparazzi (Princess Diana); at the hand of a servant jealous of your other servants (Edmund Safra); at the hand of the president of your fan club (Selena); at the hand of a lunatic stalker (John Lennon); at the hand of an impatient heir (the royal family of Nepal); from a face lift (Olivia Goldsmith); in your Porsche, while drag racing (basketball player Bobby Phills); in pursuit of a speed-boat record (Stefano Casiraghi, husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco); while diving off your yacht (Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys); after fighting with Christopher Walken (Natalie Wood); while trying to buzz Ozzy Osbourne's tour bus (Randy Rhoads); from injuries sustained in a cross-country riding event* (Christopher Reeve); in staged violence on a film set (Brandon Lee); as a former vice president, atop your mistress (Nelson Rockefeller); or of a disease that subsequently gets named after you (Lou Gehrig). Given the increasingly democratic nature of the game, middle-class people as well as corporate executives are occasionally struck dead by lightning on the golf course. But relatively few are victims of less-democratic ego-sports like off-piste skiing (which killed 25 people in the French Alps this year), yacht racing, hot-air ballooning, or trying to set various speed records with test vehicles. If you aren't worried that the Senate might not fully repeal the inheritance tax for estates above $5 million, you probably don't need to be worrying about these perils, either.

The problem of having more money than sense also drives fatality statistics in the world of high-end travel. Given the cost of a tour to the top of Mount Everest (between $10,000 and $40,000), it's safe to assume no one collecting the Earned Income Tax Credit was among the 10 deaths there last season. Similarly, while the poor of Africa are sometimes eaten by wild animals, it is only the well-to-do from other continents who face the risk of being mauled by lions or trampled by hippopotamuses, which surprisingly kill more people than any other animal in Africa.

The next frontier for extravagant death is, of course, space. Richard Branson is taking reservations for his Virgin Galactic airship, which promises "the world's first affordable space tourist flights" to view the aurora borealis, possibly as soon as 2008. Affordable, in this context, is somewhere around $200,000. Let us hope it will be a round trip.

To read the full article, go here.

I started a post earlier this week regarding the English's constant complaining about the weather. First they were complaining that it was cold and raining and that summer had not yet arrived. Then they complained when it got sunny and hot (85 degrees hot!) late last week. Now it’s cooler again, and they are still complaining. Personally, I don't understand it, but hey -- I'm a foreigner here. In any event, article below kind of sums up how some people are coping with the weather and all the World Cup excitment.

Mad Dogs and Soccer Fans in Midday Sun New York Times, By ALAN COWELL, Published: June 14, 2006

LONDON, June 13 — It is summer in Britain and — surprise, surprise — the sun came out and the weather got hot. But just as the British always seem nonplussed by sprinklings of snow in winter, so too the heat of summer is greeted as somehow shockingly unexpected, an intrusion into the unremitting litany of complaints about the rain, and one more pretext, as if one were needed, to quench the national thirst.

This year, too, there was an added twist: the World Cup soccer tournament in Germany, coaxing forth twin passions of hope for, and despair of, England's chance of victory.

Soccer, indeed, offered the nation a sun-struck parable for its discomfort.

"Deep in the English soul is the feeling that playing football in hot weather is not natural," Simon Barnes wrote in The Times of London after the England players wilted and wobbled their way through 90 degree heat in the Frankfurt stadium, barely clinging to a 1-0 lead over Paraguay.

Usually there are two constants in a British summer — beer, and headlines using "phew" and "scorcher," deployed this year as temperatures "soared" to 87 degrees on Monday to provide the hottest day of the year so far.

And so it is a time that blends heat and headlines, pints and patriotism.

"Another scorcher" was on the way on Monday, said The Daily Mail as Britons braced for a beer or two.

"We are struggling to keep shelves stocked with beer," said Jennifer England, a spokeswoman for Asda supermarkets, which is owned by Wal-Mart. "It is absolutely flying off the shelves. What with the combination of the weather and the World Cup, it's been a busy old weekend."

As always, though, the alchemy of sport and booze yielded a darker subtext.

While England fans filled the bleachers in Frankfurt in relative peace on Saturday, crowds closer to home — an estimated 50,000 — thronged to watch the game against Paraguay on huge screens in city centers.

Some brawled; all boiled.

I continue to be concerned about how my online persona is/will affect my personal and professional life and so more and more I have an internal debate with myself about whether or not to share an opinion or discuss personal matters. Particularly when I come across more and more articles like the recent New York Times article about how people's online persona is affecting their offline life -- and most often, not in a good way. But, I 'm determined to press on, because I want to document my personal history and having a blog keeps me accountable to the process. Oh sure, I’ll need to fill in the gaps that I’m self censoring, but what I’ve shared here is a good start.

In addition, through the years, I’ve met some really interesting people. People from different walks of life, in different parts of the world that I know I never would have met if I wasn't blogging. For example, a few weeks ago I met up with Jr a Chicago blogger who was visiting London. And just this past Friday, I met up with Andrew who was visiting from California. I’d been reading both their blogs for a few years and it was good to meet face to face. So from this standpoint alone, I think blogging is not a bad thing.

I only use my US bank account to pay my student loan, so I only log into the account about once a month. And so image my surprise when I logged on today and realized that my tax refund had been sitting in my account for close to a month without me noticing! Heck, I almost completely forgot I had it coming. Not because I don't need the money (I so do), but with all the extra forms I had to fill out for the move, I was worried it might take an extra long time to process. As a result, I am so surprised and excited that I don't know what to do with myself -- well, beyond planning my next vacation....

The team I drew in my office sweep stake for the World Cup, is Ghana. In doing a bit of research, found out that there odds to win is 250-1. Yikes! Guess my chances of winning the £32 pound jackpot is practically nil. The England team that I'm supporting has odds at 7-1. Not bad. The American team which I'd actually like to see do well has 30-1 odds. To it will be interesting to see who comes out on top!

In you are in London this summer and looking for a place to have lunch/dinner while enjoying a spectacular view of the city, then consider OXO Tower Brasserie. I had dinner there last night with colleagues and was quite impressed with the food and general atmosphere. Plus the view was incredible, particularly with the sun setting. Another good option for outdoor dining high up, is Coq D'Argent. I've have lunch and dinner there on several occasions, and so if you are budget conscious like myself, the more economical time to go is at lunch. Either way, the roof garden with spectacular views of the city makes this another worthy dining destination.

Charging customers for plastic bags might help cut down the number that end up in landfills, but the whole idea of seperating out the charge, leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Ikea to charge for plastic bags
BBC, Last Updated: Sunday, 4 June 2006, 11:45 GMT 12:45 UK

Ikea is to become the UK's first major retailer to regularly charge customers for plastic bags, to try and tackle waste and environmental damage. The Swedish firm will charge shoppers 5p for every bag with immediate effect, rising to 10p in September.

It believes the move - accompanied by a switch to biodegradable bags and lower prices for reusable bags - will cut total bag use by 20 million next year.

The Environment Agency praised the move as a "great example" to other firms.

Environmental price

Retailers are under growing pressure to curb plastic bag giveaways to reduce litter and encourage energy efficiency.

Most of the estimated 17 billion bags given away each year are only used once and then thrown away.

The Irish Republic has levied a 15 cents (10p) charge on plastic bags since 2002, a policy claimed to have reduced usage by 90%.

Discount firms such as Aldi and Lidl already charge for bags in the UK while B&Q have been trialling a scheme.

Ikea is the first major firm to proceed with a fully-fledged scheme, raising the possibility that other High Street firms may follow suit.

However, industry bodies say plastic bags account for just 5% of overall litter and that a compulsory charge would be counter-productive.

"The UK is addicted to plastic bags and we are paying a high price for this in environmental terms," said Charlie Browne, Ikea's environmental manager.

"We want to discourage customers from one-off use of carrier bags and help customers make an environmentally friendly choice."

Lifestyle changes

Ikea - which gave away 32 million bags in 2005 - said it had conducted a successful two-year charging trial in Edinburgh, which had led to a 90% drop in consumption.

"This may prove controversial with some customers but we really hope people will stick with us and realise that we are doing this to try and help the environment," Mr Browne added.

Ikea emphasised that it would not make any money from the move since all the proceeds would be donated to the environmental organisation Community Forests.

The Environment Agency said small lifestyle changes such as use of biodegradable bags could make a huge difference to the environment.

"If everyone in the UK stopped using plastic bags and switched to a reusable bag, we would save enough plastic bags to tie around the earth 103 times," said its chairman Sir John Harman.

I've been thinking that a good shag would cure most of what is currently wrong with me. It would at least go a long way towards wiping from my memory my last experience where I inadvertly paid for it. Yup! You read that right. I was still going out with Racquetball Guy, and despite the fact that we talked every day, he was keeping his distance. I had my own issues to deal with, and in that I am not one to force myself on others, I didn't push the issue of us meeting up. In any event, one night he invites himself over. I remember vividly as I had a Michigan Club meeting that night and so we didn't actually meet up until quite late. Once we got to my place, we had what I will describe as awkward sex. My heart really wasn't it in, but I thought it might help us reconnect. Shortly thereafter, he asked me to borrow money that has yet to be repaid. This was not the first time. So I am mighty grieved about the whole situation because he didn't even spend the night and the way it played out, I now view it as the defining moment in our relationship. It made me realize that despite what he said or problems he tried to hide behind, his actions clearly demonstrated that he didn't really love me and I needed to move beyond the fantasy.

I try not to think about these events from the past, but more and more they pop up in my head and send my emotions in a downward spiral. I feel completely used and taken advantage of. And since I’m being completely honest, I feel somewhat ashamed by the whole situation. Plus it has made me completely question my judgement when it comes to men. Thus the current thought that it might be good to hook up with someone – you know, clear the air and maybe, just maybe get me to stop thinking that all men are evil and have ill intentions. However, in that I'm not into one night stands or even sex with people I know but am not in a relationship with, I really don't see that happening. So this is where I’m at. Trying desperately to let go of the memories since I really don’t want him back, but still feeling quite angry about the whole situation.

Goodness! I think I need to plan another European city break. Travelling always helps! So maybe I'll have to lock down a trip to Paris or Rome sometime soon.

Facebook, an online social network for high school and college students recently turned down a $750Million offer for the site. With 7.5Million member, they are apparently holding out for $2Billion. Since these numbers are astronomical, I joined to see what all the fuss was about. There are lots of people in the database from the University of Michigan, but most are current students or recent graduates -- only 10 were graduates from my year, the class of 1992. Interestingly enough, one of the 10 Michigan graduates from my year, one was Hesiman Trophy winner Desmond Howard. As for members who graduated my year (1988), from the Jeremiah E. Burke High School, there were none. Not surprising really. As such, I just see this as further confirmation that sites like facebook and myspace are for the younger generation, people currently in school or recent graduate. I've had more luck locating/networking with former school and work mates via classmates.com and linkedin.

Surprisingly, Former Prime Ministers in the UK do not automatically get a state funeral on their passing. Such honor is reserved for "royalty" and those "politicians who saved the country at times of dire need." Personally, while I didn't agree with all of her policies, when her time comes, like her American counterpart Ronald Reagan, I think she should have a state funeral. Same goes for former president of the U.S.S.R. Mikel Gorbachev. Their efforts helped to bring about the end of the cold war, and as such, should be honored by their nations for service to country and globe.

Blair plans state funeral for Thatcher BRIAN BRADY, Scotland on SUnday, 4th June 2006

TONY Blair is backing a controversial plan to provide a state funeral for one of the Labour Party's most reviled enemies of recent decades: Margaret Thatcher.

Scotland on Sunday can reveal that civil servants have been working for months on the details of Baroness Thatcher's funeral, even though there is no suggestion the 80-year-old is suffering from any life-threatening condition.

But Blair believes Thatcher's eventual passing should be marked with the first state funeral for a commoner since Winston Churchill more than 40 years ago.

The proposal has astounded constitutional experts, who argue that - royalty aside - the honour is normally reserved for politicians who "saved the country at times of dire need".

The funeral plan has also sparked furious debate at the heart of the New Labour government, with a number of ministers opposing such a mark of respect for a Conservative Prime Minister.

The move is also likely to provoke a furious backlash from the grass roots of the party, where Thatcher is still detested for her stout opposition to the unions and policies in areas including employment, privatisation, gay rights and the Poll Tax during her 11 years in office.

One Labour MP last night claimed the proposal proved Blair and his advisers in Downing Street had "finally lost contact with reality".

The blueprint being drawn up within the Cabinet Office lays out a route for the funeral cortege through central London. It is believed it would take in Trafalgar Square, the scene of wild victory celebrations at the end of the Falklands War in 1982, and a riot against the Poll Tax seven years later. It would pass down Whitehall past Downing Street, her home from 1979 to 1990, on its way to the Houses of Parliament.

Past state funerals have involved a lying-in-state for several days in Westminster Hall, but it is believed that the plans for Thatcher favour a ceremonial route leading directly to a service at Westminster Abbey. St Paul's Cathedral is another option under consideration.

The state ceremony is a highly unusual move for any "commoner". Churchill was accorded the honour in 1965 in recognition of his leadership during the Second World War.

Planning for Churchill's funeral carried on for over a decade after he suffered a heart attack in 1953 and the Queen made it known she would like his contribution recognised in this in the proper fashion when he died. Over 300,000 people filed past his body as it lay in state in Westminster Hall and more than 100 foreign leaders attended his funeral service.

In recent years, former prime ministers, including Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan and Edward Heath, have had lower-key funerals followed by memorial services at Westminster.

A couple Fridays ago while out to dinner with fellow bloggers (Jr, Suw & Kevin), I made the prediction that America would soon get its own version of the Eurovision Song Contest and sure enough NBC recently licensed the rights to the show format.

Basic format is that one musical act from 40 mostly European countries, battle it in preliminary rounds with a view to making the finals which has potential to be watched by a billion+ people. Interesting bit is that song has to be original and no more than 3 minutes long. Plus while the winner is determined by public vote, they are not allowed to vote for the musical act from their own country. Thus, what has happened in recent years is that geo-political relations come in to play and most vote for acts from their neighbouring countries. In addition, size doesn't really matter. Regardless of the population of the countries, each gets 12 points which they cast as a percentage of the public phone & text vote.

Thus, should NBC move forward, it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the United States. I must admit that despite the poor quality of some of the musical acts, I was glued to the TV when they broadcast the 2006 finals over here this past April, as it was my first time watching -- and the biting commentary from Terry Wogan made the show just downright comical and good all around family entertainment.

In that event that England wins the World Cup, I'm trying to ready myself my learning the chorus of one of the most popular English football songs: Three Lions.

I think it's bad news for the English game We're not creative enough, and we're not positive enough It's coming home It's coming home It's coming Football's coming home... (We'll go on getting bad results, getting bad results..) It's coming home It's coming home It's coming Football's coming home It's coming home It's coming home It's coming Football's coming home It's coming home It's coming home It's coming Football's coming home

Everyone seems to know the score
They've seen it all before
They just know
They're so sure
That England's Gonna throw it away
Gonna blow it away
But I know they can play
'Cause I remember...

Three Lions on a shirt
Jules Rimet still gleaming
Thirty years of hurt
Never stopped me dreaming

So many jokes, so many sneers
But all those oh-so-nears
Wear you down
Through the years
But I still see that tackle by Moore
And when Lineker scored
Bobby belting the ball
And Nobby Dancing

Three Lions on a shirt
Jules Rimet still gleaming
Thirty years of hurt
Never stopped me dreaming

(England have done it, in the last minute of extra time)
(What a save, good old England, England who couldn't play football, England have got it in the bag )
I know that was then
But it could be again

It's coming home
It's coming
Football's coming home
It's coming home
It's coming home
It's coming
Football's coming home
(England have done it)

It's coming home
It's coming home
It's coming
Football's coming home
It's coming home
It's coming home
It's coming
Football's coming home
It's coming home
It's coming home
It's coming
Football's coming home
Three Lions on a shirt
Jules Rimet still gleaming
Thirty years of hurt
Never stopped me dreaming

The Oreo cookies that were to be a reward at the end of June for sticking to my new healthy eating/work out routine are gone. I ate them today. I needed to self medicate and as we all know that food is my drug of choice, I couldn't resist. They were rather tasty, but after they were gone, I felt guilty and also upset with myself because long after the temporary high leaves, I'll still be obsessing about the calories that I need to burn to get back to where I was yesterday. Plus now that the taste of junk is in my mouth, I'm already dreaming about other tasty things that are bad for me.

In unrelated matters, I got dressed up and went with friends to the Vodafone Derby, on Saturday. The weather was perfect and I won 23 pounds on the first race I bet on. Things went downhill after that, but I still end up 3 pounds ahead. So for a none gambler like myself, it was a good day at the races.

Digressing even more, wondering if anyone else out there is getting excited about the World Cup? I'm trying no to, since soccer can be really boring, but there is something to be said for nations from all across the globe coming together for a proper "world" tournament. I mean, can you really call the annual baseball championships the World Series if only teams from American and Canadian cities are involved?

Finally, after reading an article in the Sunday Times regarding the pecking order of last names in the UK, I tried to check the social standing of my own surname, but unfortunately it was not in the database. This slight kind of summed up what I've been feeling these past few weeks -- insignificant -- unworthy of a mention. I know that this is a bit dramatic, unwarranted and I'm being too hard on myself, but sometimes, things from the recent past, flood my memory and make the unreal and mostly negative feelings real. Plus I want so much for myself (no I’m not talking about materialistic things), and I’m having a difficult time envisioning it all happening. So feeling frustrated. Maybe I'll talk about this feeling later. Then again, maybe not!