another tornado

and the third major tornado to hit during my 3 months here.

supposedly 84 tornados were sighted in 8 states or something. quite a wide range, all the way from texas to missouri, kentucky, kansas, wisconsin, indiana, tennessee, west virginia and even parts of georgia.

the damage in Marengo, Indiana



that's it, im done living in the midwest. its too prone to tornados. but even the south doesnt seem that safe.

Time for FIFA to make badge-kissing a bookable sin

From Reuters

--------------

LONDON (Reuters) - On the day Sol Campbell moved from Tottenham Hotspur to Arsenal on a free transfer in July 2001, Spurs fans hung the effigy of their former club captain from a lamp post outside White Hart Lane.

When Luis Figo, an idol at Barcelona, returned to the Nou Camp for the first time wearing Real Madrid colours a few months after his world record transfer in 2000, disgusted Barca' fans hurled a pig's head at him as he stepped up to take a corner.

And when Mo Johnston moved from Celtic to Rangers -- via the French club Nantes -- in 1988, effigies of the Scotland striker were strung up outside both Ibrox and Parkhead.

Hardcore Rangers fans even burnt their replica shirts and season-ticket books in protest -- but soon returned as the club embarked on a run of nine straight championship titles.

Now Leeds United fans -- who in the past have seen Gordon McQueen, Joe Jordan, Eric Cantona and Rio Ferdinand all move to Old Trafford -- have something else to feel let down about, as if relegation and debt was not bad enough.

Alan Smith, their hero, their one last golden boy, has committed the ultimate sin. He is joining the hated Manchester United and is the latest recruit to what the fans term The Judas Iscariot Club -- the ultimate betrayers.

All over the world fans love and hate the heroes who play for their chosen teams, sometimes at the same time. But none of them can forgive what they perceive to be betrayal by those few special players who come to embody the very spirit of their clubs for them.

The reason Campbell's move from Spurs to Arsenal was so painful was because he had been at Spurs since he was 14 years old and was the club captain.

Moreover, his departure to their bitterest rivals just down the road merely confirmed to Spurs fans what they already knew in their hearts -- that Arsenal was a far bigger and more successful club.

Nothing in the meantime has changed that perception and Campbell now has a pocket full of medals he would not have won if he had stayed at Spurs.

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

Campbell always protested his loyalty and saw his move from a totally different perspective than from the fans who once worshipped him.

As far as Campbell was concerned, he was at the end of his contract and free to leave. The fact he went to Arsenal left the fans seething. But as far as he was concerned, he was merely starting a new job with better prospects than his last.

Which is exactly how Alan Smith of United feels. That is, Alan Smith of Manchester United, who, until this week was Alan Smith of Leeds United.

Smith's move from the United of Leeds to the United of Manchester will unite the fans of Leeds in a way nothing else has done since the club's brief period of dominance in England under Don Revie in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Their miserable season ended with the inevitable relegation to the first division this month and with the club still tens of millions of pounds in debt, a sale of their best players was inevitable.

But while all around them was crumbling, Leeds fans could at least hold on to the dream symbolised by Smith. Yorkshire-born, a Leeds fan since he was a boy, Smith was the epitome of the badge-kissing, 'I-love-this-club-more-than-I-love-my-mum' faux loyalty which so many players display today.

In reality the only thing players love more than their mums is the size of their paychecks and when Manchester United come calling offering a King's ransom for their services, players don't wait to be asked twice.

JUST A JOB

Last September Smith told Leeds fans the one club he could never play for was Manchester United. What else could he say? But he'll be kissing their badge next season after moving across the Pennines from Yorkshire to Lancashire for 7.05 million pounds on Wednesday.

Like Campbell, Figo, Johnston and countless others before him, Smith the footballer is not Smith the fan.

In the end it's just a job. It might have been a dead-end job at Leeds, but Manchester United offers Smith the chance of more money, more trophies and enhanced international prospects.

It also offers him the chance of a lifetime of loathing from Leeds fans and he might well need an armed guard next time he is back in Yorkshire, but he can live with that.

Fans, in reality, cannot change their clubs, but players do it all the time, and the only thing that both are guilty of is thinking that anyone believes that loyalty matters in soccer.

In fact it doesn't, but perhaps FIFA should now make kissing the badge a yellow card offence -- purely for insulting everyone's intelligence.

As for Sol Campbell. He never supported Spurs as a boy and he doesn't support Arsenal either.

Once asked where he would like his ashes scattered if he was ever cremated he replied: "At Upton Park. West Ham -- that's where it all started for me."

Logically then, knowing who West Ham fans hate most, he could well finish his career at Millwall -- kissing the badge as he walks through the door.

Ranieri, OUT!

another high profile sacking. chelsea manager claudio ranieri is sacked after 4 years. not because he was inefficient, like gerard houllier, but because his chairman simply didnt like him.

its sad, these russian ogliarchs think money can buy instant success. what ranieri achieved this season was more than chelsea fans could have asked for. runners up in both the premiership and the champions league. it was the highest they ever finished in the premiership in 49 years. sheesh, isnt winning the championship a little too much to ask?

jose mourinho is expected to take over. but would he bring instant success? we'll see next season, when more squad shuffling will take place since deco and continha, from porto, have expressed interest in joining their former manager at chelsea, should he be appointed.

they should reorganize the ownership policy of clubs like they do in the states, then everyone has a shot at the title in 10 or 20 year cycle. it brings more excitment and fair play to the game.

NCAA Baseball Championship

and the draw for the college national baseball championship was announced just now.

i was surprised to see that georgia tech made it to the country's top 8 teams, which means we get better bracket draw. the top 8 arwe designated so that the country's top 8 should not meet eachother til the national quarter finals, which is called the college world series.

i guess the 20 consecutive matches won in the late surge to the season made us jump in the rankings. oh in case i forgot to mention, we lost the ACC championship. lost it badly, to 3rd seed florida state. i was shocked that tech was given another chance when they lost the first match. the play offs have a funny thing, where if the no.1 seed makes it to the final unbeaten and then are beaten in the finals, they get a re match. basically a second chance. its the first time im following national baseball, so im not sure how it works in the NCAA, but i guess i'll find out.

so tech meets jacksonville state for their first match and its either texas tech or mississippi state after that. and what's juicy? the match before college world series could be a potential local derby header against univ. of georgia. that's real tasty. so its either tech or UGA that should go into the CWS. well, if tech manages to win all the way that is. for the first two rounds, we have home advantage, so it should be ok.

its looking pretty gd. match starts this fri.

will they emulate the men's basketball into making it all the way to the national champioship?

material wealth

my uncle took all of us to this outlet store where there's huge collection of branded stores. i couldnt believe the concentration of good that this place had. mind you, this isnt one of those places where they keep everything. each company had a store of their own, so you see a nike store here, an armani one there, a sony one over the other side, etc etc. the place was huge, bigger than anything ive ever seen. well, not quite, the place i went in malaysia was the biggest ive ever been in, but this was almost as big.

but then as i watched all these people (the place was packed, car parks werent sufficient to accomodate all the cars) spending their hard earned cash like they werent theirs, i couldnt help but think about a lot of things.

first and most important, does having designer goods and high end electronics a sign of good living?

i say no. coz u look at it, an varsace trench coat was on sale for 800 bucks, down from usual price of 1200 if they were to sell it outside of this outlet store. and varsace is still making money out of this 'discounted price.' even audio giants, bose, were offering their latest system 300 bucks less at this place. and i could go on n on. i think it was at marco polo where i saw a tag that said 50% discount, but i bet they're making considerable amount of money even at such low price.

ive kinda grown not to be surprised at these things since my last visit to the united states which opened my eyes to the corporate world of misguiding consumers. so much so, that i dont raise my eyebrows when i go to these stores anymore. in fact, im not at all impressed by designer goods or high end products as much as i used to. now i dont bother how much they cost, coz i know whatever the cost, these companies are making money. so why should i contribute to their profits when they're already sucking money out of hard working citizens?

trust me, now i really dont care. if anything at all, i hate myself so much for buying the adidas megastar shoes for SG$100 bucks, spending SG$120 bucks on my adidas newcastle jersey, SG$60 bucks on my levi's shirt and SG$270 bucks for my 'world's slimmest (at that time)' sony discman. i could have owned a comfortable pair of sneakers for less than 40 bucks, go away with the usual white tee and cargo for combined worth of 20 bucks and go around listening to a discman worth 80 bucks. as simple as that.

i mean, hell, i should be getting paid to wear a shirt that boldly proclaims levi's since im advertising for the company. why should i pay money for that kinda thing, right? i bet the shirt itself cost only about 10 dollars at the very best, and the 50 bucks i paid was for just the rights to carry that name. oh i feel so terrible.

but then ive already paid the money for it, it'll b foolish to just toss it and not use em, so i'll use it for long as it lasts, but dont count on me getting that kinda products anytime soon. and why did i ever bother to get the discman when it didnt even matter if it was twice or three times the thickness? it still would have played the same old songs and i wouldnt use it for 125 hours in a row, would i?

maybe the only exception i could let is the newcastle shirt. im not sure how much money goes back to newcastle, and 100 bucks is peanuts if i consider the amount of money that is involved in newcastle dealings, but if it helps the club in any manner, maybe im willing to contribute to the club's success.

so when i see people conned into thinking that when they own armani material they are on a different level from others, i frown. these people mind paying big money for short term material, but not save for long term benefits. everyone's brainwashed into thinking that the better goods you own, the better you are. its a total bullshit if u ask me.

i remember my friend telling me about a certain indian scholar in NJC who was such an anti globalizationist, that he avoided at all costs from owning shoes from nike, adidas, puma, and others, not to own any watches from seiko, citizen, casio and such, not to buy any sunglasses at all from oakley, varsace and bla bla bla. the list goes on. i used to think he was being a little too serious. not anymore. now i understand what this person had in mind.

i dont know what makes people think owning expensive goods necessarily mean that you lead a better life. being able to afford is the question, not owning it.

see, for example, my uncle showed me an add on the paper few weeks back. a 2003 BMW i forgot what model for sale. US$65k. and then, the same series, but of 2001 model, US$32k. then i calculated the drop in price during that 2 year window and the loss of the value of the car per month. came up to US$1500 per month. you could buy a nice cosy house and pay that amount for mortgage every month. at the end of 20 years, you would own the house, whereas you probably wont be using that car for even 10 years, well, at the very best, 15 years.

and you think about the extra amount of money you spend on fuel. if you didnt get the house, and instead bought a toyota corolla, then with the amount of money saved, you can get tons of designer goods. it doesnt take a genius to figure that one out, does it?

so at the end of the day, im frustrated, because even though i know what my beliefs are, if i dont own these prodcuts, the rest of the society will consider me unable to afford these products and hence, not classy or worse, low class citizen, which is so not true. but then why would i care what they think about me not owning designer goods.

i would be happy in my own little world.

so if u guys ever wondered why i dont splash my cash on trendy items and such, now you know why. the same goes for the handphones. how often do you use the camera function and internet and polyphonics. is is so much to ask to own a digicam? is it too much to ask to go somewhere where you can surf the internet on the laptop or the PC? i mean hell, the resolution of the camera isnt that great compared to a digicam is it? sure, its convenient, but with the size of a digicam these days, its almost the same as carrying a handphone around.

simon cowell spends between 300 to 1500 bucks a piece for his plane black shirts. n the surprising thing is, he owns hundreds of the same things. i question, what for? are they really so much more comfortable than normal blakc shirts, or is it his mind that makes you think that because he spend 300 bucks, its comfortable.

i saw a VH1 special on celebrities and when celebs like britney and christina go 'oh my god, this is so comfortable!' for varsace goods, i feel like shooting them. first and foremost, i bet they wouldnt be able to tell the different in comfort if i were to get something that is not branded. so the whole comfort issue is a fucking lie. i have an idea for a reality show, invite celebrities and see if they're able to tell how comfortable their gucci is, how much better their Merc is, how much better their Nikes are from the unconventional 'made in china' goods.

i came up with a line recently.

"The mind is a very powerful tool that can make you believe in things that aren't true."

there's so many ways to interpret that line. for now, im only talking about material wealth. if i want to, i can really be controversial into topics such as self imposed fear, conservative tradition, hell, even religion. well, that's the main reason why i dont wanna blog about it, coz it'll make me really unattractive, as in friendship wise, social wise, and personality wise. so im not gonna go into that.

but ive made my point for today.

downtown chicago

okay, it felt so good to see tall buildings high concentration of buildings and congested traffic after 3 months of living in an suburb. i guess i was suffering from suburbia afterall. this weird excitement filled me as i saw the tallest US building, the Sears Tower. and as we were driving past it, i took one of the best shots ive ever taken.



but my my. seeing the traffic, trains across the city, people walking, shops, made me feel real gd.

fine, i want to live in a nice secluded suburb, but i guess i need to go to the city from time to time afterall.

there was a wedding right in the middle of the city, someone rented a tram to transport the people and they offloaded everyone in the middle of the street, so obviously the traffic was held up, and it didnt help that there was a memorial day performance by various high school marching bands.

but all n all, it was a fantastic day. pity it wasnt a clear day, so we basically went around navy pier and didnt really walk through the major buildings and such. but i shall do that the next time i get to do those things.

division 1 playoffs

dang... crystal palace wins by a solitary goal against west ham united to book themselves a ticket to next season's premiership action. its estimated that the path is worth like 20 million pounds, so its a big deal, but oh well, west ham was at the losing end.

whatever it is, its only a better reason to consolidate for next year's season, so that next year, it can be guaranteed that west ham'll get to the premiership.

and i hope fiorentina follows suit too.

chi-town

ooh yes.

im going to downtown chicago tomorrow. finally.

and all these while, i thought i was gonna return to singapore after staying in illinois for 3 months having never gone to downtown chicago, not eating a single slice of pizza, not watching a baseball match and not coming across a guy from the mafia. ok the last one is a little far fetched.

but thanks to my aunt, who's meeting her cousin there, we get to tag along to visit chi-town.

yes, so sorry to my friends, i intended to reply to the emails tonight, but since we're gonna leave early in the morning, so i need plenty of rest, had a long day today.

its so sudden, im not sure what i wanna see or visit.

you an engineer?

te recognition ive received for being a future tech student is funny at times, but most of all, i feel like its a priviledge.

almost everyone whom ive come across praises me or say that ive gone past the hard part simply im going to tech. jeez, ive not even graduated yet, and im not sure if i'll get to graduate from tech in the end, or transfer to some other university coz its so tough.

i went to an indian store today, where my mom gets halal chicken every thursday. as we waiting for the man in charge to come up with the total cost and such, my mom was saying something about college, i cant remember exactly what. then the guy asked me,

"you going to college? where?"

'georgia tech'

"oh, no wonder you're wearing that shirt. must be an engineer eh?"

'*smile* yeah'

"what are you studying?"

'it was computer engineering but i had a change of heart, i decided to go with undeclared engineering'

"very good choice, that's the best, watch for how the industry changes in the next 4 years and make the decision. dont worry, you'll be fine at georgia tech, its a good engineering school"

that's like the typical conversation when im asked where im going for college. i dont wanna really reveal and make a big fuss about it, but when they ask, i cant ignore the question can i?

sometimes its embarassing, or at times, i feel bad. there was this incident, where i was at an antique store, my uncle was getting a dining table cloth, and he was talking with the counter lady when a girl came into a store. the counter lady knows her, it seems, friends' daughter or a member in the family, im not sure. so it was now about her, that it was her spring break, she studies in university of ohio, she studying child education or something like that, i wasnt really listening, then my uncle reveals, 'my nephew here is going to georgia tech'

after that, it was all on me. the counter lady goes 'oh, we have the smart one in the family, dont we?' and suddenly the topic of the other girl was tossed away like it didnt matter. i felt a little glare from that girl, but it was obviously unintended. i didnt expect that to happen. that incident really made me feel bad. but univ of ohio is also a pretty good school and i dont know how the comparison came about, i mean, each university is different in their own way and such. there's no clear justification as to how we compare universities.

another incident, at our condo association meeting, we were talking to the new neighbours since it was our first time meeting them officially. and as they asked the inevitable question, i was bombarded with 'oh, that's excellent!' 'you're in for the big time' 'oh you're gonna be getting an excellent job' etc etc. there was one guy who was from univ. of maryland, an ACC univ, that told me of georgia tech's campus and that it is indeed a good school and such. that was probably the only helpful tip i received.

and of cus, when we went to register hasib for his high school, it wasnt any better.

i guess the only funny thing that happened is when i met my next door neighbour, dan, he snapped his fingers and said 'you're gonna get jobs like that'

its embarassing really, to think that im in a situation such as this, when i was way below average academically during my time in SAJC. i was failing most exams, and i wont be surprised if anyone thinks that i was involved in so many activities to make up for my lack of academic accomplishment.

but its pretty clear by now, bottomline, if ure a tech student, you're a good engineer.

that's all i need to be known as, actually.

yellow jackets baseball

oooh ooouii! (snoop dogg style)

tech baseball is rocking alrite. ive been following their result for couple of weeks now and its super impressive. they finished their regular season on a 17 consecutive run, which is the longest right now in the whole country, and only on their last victory, pipped over virginia to end up on top of the ACC league to claim no. 1 pick for the post season.

they've been playing the post season since wednesday and here r the results.
1st Round (wed) - 4-3 vs Maryland (9th seed)
2nd Round (thurs) - 11-7 in 13 innings vs Clemson (4th seed)
Quarter Finals (today) - 13-4 vs Florida State (3rd seed)

so we just won the quarter finals, as funny as it may sound, georgia tech wouldnt have to play the semi finals, since they're no. 1 seed and have won all their matches so far, they get to go to the final straight away after this victory that extends our consecutive winning run to 20 matches!!!

im afraid and cautious, coz they're on a long winning streak, it could snap anytime. i just hope it wont be anytime soon. they're just one win away from capturing the ACC championship and after that, it'll be the NCAA championship. it doesnt work like the MLB where they play a series and whoever wins 3 or 5 matches first goes on to the next stage, its decided by one match, and its really unpredictable.

but i hope they do it. its on the 30th. the opponent unknown yet, clemson and north carolina have to play later on and the winner of that will play florida state for a berth in the finals.

last time tech won the ACC was in 2000. tech was in college world series last year, so i guess we can go in confidence for NCAA.

How many members of the Bush Administration are needed to replace a lightbulb?

a joke from Bands Against Bush.

---------------
How many members of the Bush Administration are needed to replace a lightbulb?

The Answer is TEN:

1. one to deny that a lightbulb needs to be changed,

2. one to attack the patriotism of anyone who says the lightbulb needs to be changed,

3. one to blame Clinton for burning out the lightbulb,

4. one to tell the nations of the world that they are either for changing the lightbulb or for darkness,

5. one to give a billion dollar no-bid contract to Haliburton for the new lightbulb,

6. one to arrange a photograph of Bush, dressed as a janitor, standing on a step ladder under the banner "Lightbulb Change Accomplished",

7. one administration insider to resign and write a book documenting in detail how bush was literally "in the dark",

8. one to viciously smear #7,

9. one surrogate to campaign on TV and at rallies on how george bush has had a strong light-bulb-changing policy all along,

10. and finally one to confuse Americans about the difference between screwing a lightbulb and screwing the country.

dirty south

and so fantasia barrino wins. i guess it was pretty clear, but part of me also wished diana had won, even though i also think that fantasia deserved it better.

the stadium where diana's fans had gathered, its very near tech. i wonder how it would have been if i had enrolled in tech earlier, i would have been there. i hope someone from georgia does well for next season, then i will be able to join in the supporting and the celebrations.

tickets for atlanta idol concert r still abundant. but im not sure if i should go, coz right now im not sure if im going wit somebody or alone, since im not really expecting tech students to follow these things (they're notoriously nerdy) besides, i might wanna spend more time at my new home getting to meet new friends, etc.

but that being beside the point, i think fantasia's gonna rock. if her album's gonna be filled with gospel influenced songs, im pretty sure im gonna get it. but in terms of chart toppers, i think diana will be more pop, so i think she might find better success, im not sure. we've all seen what happened to clay aiken, ruben leaned too much to the R&B side, but clay had more success being pop.

anyway, there's been a lot of talk goin on about the south. as in southern people. lets break it down. kelly clarkson's from texas, which is considered south, but not quite. but still part of south anyway. justin guarani is from pennsylvania, but grew up in georgia or something, which is undoubtedly south. ruben's from alabama, definately south. clay and fantasia from north carolina, supposedly considered south, if not, very near the south borderline. and then there's diana, who's from georgia.

host ryan seacrest's from georgia, and judge randy jackson is from alabama too.

what do we see here? a lot of people from the south! and they're just themselves, nice and sincere. a lot has been said bout diana's cutesy-tootsy-ness as simon cowell said, but she just said its the southern thing.

it does seem the dirty south is indeed a nice place. im liking it better each day. i cant wait to get to atlanta and be part of the south, if most people are as what i expect them to be, im gonna like it very much.

and i just found out quite a lot of asian indians are in atlanta, about 35, 000+?? oh boy. and around 1000 bangladeshis. i guess i wouldnt be too detached from my origins huh.

dirty south, yea, dirty south. if i really like it, i might even consider staying there. the east, mainly boston and new york can be freezing in the winter, the west, mainly california, is earth quake prone. midwest area, chicago and detroit, cold, plus very prone to winds, floods and such. natural hazards all around. so far, ive not read much about the natural hazards in the dirty south, probably just hot and dry. like texas.

south might be a good place to consider settling down. be it in the country home of nashville in tennessee or something. but lets see how atlanta turns out to be.

idol down to the wire

dont worry, im not gonna reveal the winner til about 12 hours later, but its reported that the number of votes, which includes phones as well as text votes totalled up to 65 million.

65 million! and the result is split by only 1%. which means the winner won by roughly 650, 000 votes.

n i wonder how many of the votes were real votes. i mean, there's like 25 to 27 million viewers? how can it go more than double? it really puts a light on the legitimacy of the votes.

you want spoilers? here's one for u guys. the winner's first name ends with an 'a' and the last name ends with an 'o.'

okay, that's quite lame.

with this, the season practically ends for television shows, so at the end of it, CBS topped the charts, followed by NBC and FOX at third. CBS was strong with its Survivor and CSI viewership, and NBC topped it off with Friends and Frasier and of course, The Apprentice. FOX, needless to say, solely on American Idol.

NBC are seriously screwed. now that Friends and Frasier is gone, they have to get back on track with fresh shows.

FOX wont need to worry and CBS will continue being on top, primarily because they have an advantage over the fact that viewers prefer to catch CSI on their own, whereas Idol is viewed in a group, but that seems to count as only one. but then, Idol is the top of the charts in terms of most watched shows so it doesnt matter as much.

not that it makes any difference, there isnt a price for being at the top. but Friends, Survivor, Idol and such took a heavy toll on WB, which dropped 11% as compared to last year. Smallville clashes with big timers, and it clearly isnt working out too well for WB.

uefa champions league final

it was one of the most slow paced, boring final ever.

monaco of france didnt even try to win it. why be in the final in the first place then? porto won comfortably with the 3-0 scoreline.

but then the big thing was how anticlimax the manager Jose Mourinho was. he didnt even smile! can u believe that? and after the team lifted the trophy, he straight away left the crowd to go towards the changing room.

talk about party spoilers. he has won everything in his two and a half years at porto. and for a portuguese team to be the european champions is a big deal and he had to make such a stiff face like that.

later, he revealed he was leaving the club. even if that's the reason for his inability to show emotions, come on, at least rejoice at the accomplishment? UEFA cup winners last yr and within a year, champions league.

sigh, some people can be such a dick at times.

barca exodus

soon after barcelona secured second place in the spanish premera liga, manager frank rijkaard released 4 dutch players - patrick kluivert, phillip cocu, marc overmars and michael reiziger, all of them once the most saught after players in the world.

funny how things can change in just a few years.

now rumour goes about that newcastle is set to sweep at least one of these players, considering sir boddy robson was an ex barca manager as well as having a very successful stint in his days as manger of PSV in Holland.

that will remain to be seen, but just what is rijkaard thinking? they might be gettin old, but they cans still pack a lot of action.

pundits call it the era of brazilian football in barcelona, after god knows how long dutch players have ruled in barcelona. with ronaldinho lighting up nou camp this season, its interesting how the new team will get ready for next season..

rely solely on ronaldinho and javier saviola?

oh, they also got rid of one of the best goalies in the previous world cup, turkish international Rustu Recber.

just what is goig on.

andy griffin leaves

and so another one leaves...

andy griffin, a 25 year old right back for newcastle leaves after 6 years of service that includes 90 appearances for the magpies.

he leaves on a free transfer to join portsmouth, the surprise package this year.

somehow or other i cant help but feel sad, coz he has always endured missing out on chances due to injuries and kept pressing on even though he faced stiff competition from other right backs.

wish him all the best, as i liked this player quite a lot. he's been there since i started supporting newcastle in '98 and one of the original set of the team that i got to know.

let me recollect how many of the original team remains..

shay given, steve harper, aaron hughes, gary speed, alan shearer.....

......

oh my... is that it??

billy corgan was here in naperville!

damn it...

billy corgan, the lead singer of the now split up but once very successful smashing pumpkins was here in my backyard! i mean not literally in my backyard, but he was in my brother's high school auditorium because the high school orchestra won a grammy, one of 41 in the country to do so, and one of the seven among the 41 to win a gold award.

and i only got to know it through the neighbourhood newsletter this morning.

urgh!

24 and idol

oh man, the season finale of 24 was so good, it kept me captivated!

i actually wanted to catch the show while channel 5 was airing the season 1, but never got down to it, it was pretty late for me, but man, its amazing.

and the last bit when they showed jack bauer break down, it make me wanna cry too. knowing how much he went through the 3 seasons, even though i didnt watch season 1 n 2 and the start of season 3, ive went online and found out bits n pieces n i couldnt help but so feel for him. it takes a lot for a character like jack bauer, who's determined and strong and composed to break down like that.

i finally got through the power diallers of idol voters to vote. i havent managed to crack through the jammed system for past 2 weeks, so imagine my surprise when i heard fantasia's voice on the phone. its usually some recorded man's voice thanking us for voting, but this time, it was fantasia thanking us. i wonder if they did that for the finals only for have been doing it since the top 4. in the end, i ended up voting for diana too. im happy with either of them winning, both deserve to win and be successful.

and it'll be a day america will be watching tomorrow when they crown the winner.

all the shows are ending by this week. season ending month. to bring in more reality crap. i'd rather stick to sitcoms and the prototypes of the reality shows, which is essentially only american idol, survivor and punk'd. the rest suck and is waste of air time.

spoilt for choices

i was browsing through the clubs and societies available in georgia tech.. so that i could have a better idea of what to join... in a discussion board, a tech student advised that i be in a leadership society, a major related society and another one for my own interest. while lookin through, i was surprised that there is a bangladeshi students association, a singapore society and surprise surprise - a recreational soccer club.

i am so going to join soccer now. the only downside, georgia tech seems to be the only university in the ACC that doesnt participate in NCAA soccer. so this means its just for social and recreational. but they do play in friendly cups and leagues. its good in a sense, im not that good, so i can at least expect to be in the team to play for fun. if not, i can just play socially. bad in a sense, i cant look forward to events like the ACC or NCAA like how the tech baseball, basketball and the football guys enjoy. but then again, NCAA would be pretty tough.

i was browsing through some of the fraternities as well, some, you gotta pay a huge sum, which i am not willing to, but there r some pretty nice ones where i dont pay at all, or pay very little. for me, fraternity will be purely social, nothing too serious.

now, i vowed to myself that i will not fill myself with activities like ive done since secondary school, which can be strenuous and at times, having too many things to do at once that it takes a toll on my academics, but learning how at some days i might only have lectures for an hour for the whole day, im having second thoughts. maybe freshmen council or residence hall council, im not sure.

i can get to know more about how the whole thing works in FASET and RATS week, so i better keep an open mind about it. but im definately joining one of the social fraternities and soccer club.

im not sure which cultural club i should join though. bangladesh, japanese or singapore? i hope bangladesh isnt filled with the typical bengali people, coz i so wont fit in then, and like wise, i hope singapore one isnt filled with high achievers from top 5 JCs, who will inevitably consider themselves better after knowing i screwed up in the A Levels, but ended up in tech anyway.

oh, there's also theatre, so i can keep my interest in stage and theatre performances alive. very interested in this one, i bet its bigger scale than ive ever been involved in. there's also a university radio station, i'd wanna see how that works.

300+ student run organizations in tech. now how can i not be excited?

i never knew...

okay, by accident, i came across 'smells like teen spirit' by tori amos, while randomly watching videos on Launch.

tori amos! singing that smash hit by nirvana. i thought there was an error in the database system. but as i continued listening, it wasnt a lie.

n from what it seems, its nothing new, as a matter of fact, its from an album that's 12 years old, back in '92!

and i never knew.

but she did such a wonderful job with just her voice and piano. imagine that rock song played on piano. and with her voice and piano, the song is almost haunting. it sticks in your mind like a curse. its played so dark, mysteriously, just the way tori amos sings most of her songs.

and i actually wanted to say this long ago, but there's another side to the meaning behind goo goo doll's 'here is gone.' lyric-wise, it seems like its about a relationship issue, where the guy and the girl cant seem to click, but i watched the interview for the video, and it takes a twist at an alternate reality. its also about youths not caring about what goes on in the world, but just immersed in their own little world of freedom. i should so have taken the hint in the video where a girl walks into her house from the pool, to see her mom in some awkward motion. that implied that while the girl was in sync with her own pace in her world, she views the rest of the world in a fast paced place she cant be bothered to catch up.

god, and i didnt see that coming. but somehow, its an interesting aspect. while everything around you moves on, you stay behind in the world that you want to live in. and its a system of thought so appealing. and to see the video again after finding out what the meaning behind the video was, i so want to be one of the guys in the group of people. and watch the world go on in their own pace, while we enjoy whatever that's left behind for ourselves.

wow, its one of the brightest idea for a video ive ever encountered.

also, ive said previously, but the real meaning behind another one of their song, 'black balloon,' a personal favourite of mines, is actually about someone's drug addiction and how the world around that person leaves it all behind, while that person gets deeper and deeper into addiction, and eventually, death.

and i never knew...

a critique, not a pessimist

last night, while trying to fall asleep (if u dont know by now, lets say that i have a HUGE problem trying to fall asleep, i juz take so long) i was thinkin of a lot of things, and was intending to spend the morning typing all about it.

but when i think about it, i better not, coz i'll b poking my fingers into every possible thing and as a result, i'll sound like a big pessimist, which i am not. i am juz being critical of the way we are, hoping to make u readers think twice about the things we take for granted and blah blah blah.

im a critique, i like to take the ordinary, or what we've come to accept as normal, and question why we do certain things the way we do. coz most of us dont know why we do it, we juz do it for no apparant reason.

so im at an dilemma, whether i should blog about it or at some other time in the future.

i guess not this time. it'll really b controversial, in my eyes. well, maybe not quite. but will certainly spark some disagreement or disapproval of my point of view among majority of my readers.

EURO 2004 Predictions

as we gear up for the European Championships in Portugal, I thought I make some predictions for it.

Okay, I would very much like Portugal to win, in fact, its the team I'm backing this time round, not because they're the host nation, but this is one of the strongest side Portugal can field in the recent times. The graduates of the 1991 FIFA World Youth Champioships Winning Team nears retirement and this could be the last chance people like Figo, Jorge Costa, Joao Pinto and Rui Costa have to clinch a major international trophy. Coz honestly, I don't think they'll be able to play at their best for the next World Cup in 2006. This is the year.

Here it goes.
(the ones in italic indicates that they qualify or they win)

Group A
Portugal (home support will pip em over the Spaniards)
Spain
Greece
Russia

Group B
France
England
Croatia
Switzerland

Group C
Italy
Sweden
Denmark
Bulgaria

Group D
Netherlands
Germany
Czech Republic
Lativa

Quarter Finals
Portugal vs England (im sorry, but i really think Portugal can do it)
France vs Spain
Italy vs Germany
Netherlands vs Sweden

Semi Finals
Italy vs Portugal (nah, who am i kidding, they probably wont get past Italy)
France vs Netherlands

Final
France vs Italy

so here it is, France will retain the title in the re-match of EURO 2000.

houllier, OUT!

hahahahahahaha....

the manager of liverpool, gerard houllier is finally sacked, something that's long overdue, if u ask me, after 6 years at the club. too bad liverpool didnt get rid of him sooner, liverpool actually can play with a very young and talented squad, but that old bastard wouldnt have it.

oh boy, that was a neat surprise in the morning for me, since i read the article where houllier claimed he wont be leaving the club.

now its gonna b interesting who will take over, coz under the right hands, they could b a serious force in the league. if ranieri is replaced, then he might get it, or would it be someone else?

i remember liverpool being managed by two managers, houllier and roy evans. could he be back? nah...

oh my, carlos queiroz is sacked too! (real madrid) woooo... it'll b a real slap in the face if he were to be appointed liverpool manager and do better than man utd...

but its gonna be an interesting development for the weeks to come.

somehow i cant shake the feeling that liverpool will continue to trail the shadow of its glory days of the 70s and the 80s. i dont think they can get back to that play. and i have a feeling man utd has started that process too, the declining process.

another surprise, as i anticipated, barcelona took over the second spot from real madrid. i saw it coming, and its a real shame.

its funny to see that man utd and real madrid, arguably the most widely supported clubs in the world, are third and fourth in their respective domestic leagues.

hailstorm

i havent been blogging. i keep wanting to blog, but i have absolutely nothing to blog about. it happens time to time. not that i'm lazy, but when there's nothing worth blogging, i juz dont. u readers would hav noticed when i blog a lot, i really blog a lot. so this is like the opposite.

anyway, got a shock today. as i was watching king of queens, ogling at leah remini, the show was interrupted for emergency warning alert, something which was surprising when i first came here, but eventually got used to. it was a warning for thuderstorm and potential tornado.

a tornado hit iowa recently, which isnt too far. n if im not wrong, another huge one in nebraska. iowa was hit quite badly. its the midwest thing, a lot of winds, its been raining continuously for the past few days. and a pretty heavy one at that.

so i looked outside, mainly at the back porch of the house. it was weird, its one of those evening, but still pretty bright rain. a little too bright to be raining. ive always wanted to use a manual camera and capture the odd colour of the sky on these occasions. as i was looking around, i noticed bits and pieces of white solid bouncing on the wood of the back porch.

hails.

they were popping like someone who was sitting on the roof was throwing tons of mentos down. it was like rain, the bits bouncing and making noise. real scary, especially when i saw some size of 10 cent coins just dropping on the ground. the rain got heavier and the hails soon subsided, but the numerous hails were left like it was for birds to play on.

and i just imagined how it would be like if i were walkin outside with an umbrella and those things hit you. it must be oh so painful. you could get a bad bruise easily.

another experience of the mid west. first, i thought the strong winds were bad. then came the thunderstorms, then this.

what's next. an actual tornado? i really hope not, because that's scary.

it was only the second time that i recall where shows were interrupted to update viewers of potential tornadoes by the local news channels.

maybe a shot at skipping calculus II

i received my FASET booklet, finally.

as i was reading through it, i found out that i might actually get a chance to skip calculus II too. i am entitled to skip calculus I, but im thinking of taking it anyway, since its been 6 months since i studied maths, i surely would have forgotten things, and it'll b a good way to brush it up. afterall, GPA is a serious thing, its not like what im used to in singapore where only the final exam result matters. now every test counts towards my grade, so im not gonna mess with it.

but then its written, once i'm exempted from calculus I, i might sit for another test that will make me skip calculus II. if i get that, that means i wont have to touch maths for the first year at all. gosh i wish i really had taken further maths now.

i'm already skipping physics for a year, im not sure if i should try this out. that means i'll have to start studying again. but is it really worth skipping all these courses? coz if i do, i'll really have nothing to do for a long time.. at least until the second semester of second year.

oh, i need to know how to solve linear algebra. forgot what that means, those who took Maths Syllabus C for 'A' Levels, did we cover that guys? i took a look at some sample questions, it includes that freaking compliment sign we saw while we were learning functions. and i have no idea how to solve matrix. maybe i shouldnt, maybe i should.

urgh.

i know for a fact, if you're really good in maths in the high school my brother goes to, you can study university maths as early at grade 11.and if u manage to get the credit that i have during grade 11, you get to study the second year maths, which is called Calculus III. my bro's high school has a program with univ. of illinois at urbana champaign. in fact, my brother is targeting to take Calculus III by senior year. he's already half way the battle, since he'll be taking Calculus AB next year.

now im really questioning why i didnt go ahead and change my JC so that i can take the 4 subjects that i want. had i gone to PJC, i would have sat for Further Maths, Maths C, Physics and Computing. but then if i start thinking like that, there are endless alternate realities i can come up with so i am just going to stop.

but it makes me excited for the time ahead, seriously. its already so fun now.

i finally got my tech shirt and bag that i bought online. im supposed to have another shirt, but that will arrive next week.

im such a tech already.

mood fluctuation

All that I want is
Stillness of heart
So I can start
To find my way
Out of the dark

its funny how ure so excited and happy at one moment and it can suddenly change to frustration or disappointment. you can never have anything for granted. well, it speaks very well for myself, been through it so many times. i thought something good took place after a long time, perhaps a little earlier than expected, but nevertheless it was indeed a pleasant surprise. but as with all good things that happen to me, it lasts only for a short while, which sucks. but then again, i can only ask myself; what the hell was i thinking? did i actually think it would happen so quickly?

it would have been perfect, but as i said, it wont last. well, its for sure that it wont.

and so i would usually resort to my beloved goo goo dolls to cheer myself up. but i went to lenny kravitz instead, since ive been listening and seeing a lot of him on the net as well as on TV.

and i never thought the song 'let love rule' was that good, but i realized it mixes so many genres into one. now i understand why that song was the breakthrough for lenny.

International students

i went for my brother's high school's end of the year biffet or potluck or some sort for his ESL class yesterday. must say, it was pretty interesting to see people of so many countries come together and mix like a good ol family. its cool to think that the seniors, juniors, sophomore and the freshman kinda knew eachother, though not very well, but pretty much like a tight knit community. kinda reminded me of my own school days. so obviously it felt funny to see their graduating students come together and take a photo, since i was in that situation like 6 months ago.

so it was interesting to see ethiopians, argentinians, colombians, koreans and all. i think i didnt expect to see a lithuanian or somethin, but didnt really get to find out who that was. but the interesting thing was tt each student brought a food item from their native land, which was basically the whole point of this function.

i managed to play soccer after so long, with some of the people who played soccer, while the others played baseball. so it felt pretty gd.

i guess im happy for my mom coz we met a pakistani family who's living very nearby, now my mom would have more friends to talk to and spend time with here. the girls were pretty nice and all, so i guess we got along well.

would u guys believe this is pretty much the only socializing event ive had since i left singapore? amazing huh? but it was pretty nice event.

okay, i noticed ive been getting more US visits to this blog recently. im not sure how im linked or what, but i wish i knew who was viewing this page. probably random visits, as usual.

and finally, the transition

yeap, so this is it, the new template.

i like the simplistic and a somewhat minimalist feel of it. this is what blog should be about. more about the content and the feel of it can be seen from this.

and the lenny pic lower down looks so nice in this template.

anyway, welcome to the new blog.

that hot violinist

did u guys notice the hot violinist in twista's 'overnight celebrity' video?

she's juz hot, her eyes are razor sharp, and tt curly hair! wooo... i saw her first when kanye west came to perform on the sharon osbourne show and i was like who has a bod like tt n play the violin in a hip hop song?

then i saw her again in the video. if my sources are right, her name's Miri Ben-Ari, she studied beethoven and bach, but her passion always lay in the gangsta rap of B.I.G. and 2Pac Shakur, so she took her skills to hiphop.

seems she's jewish by the name, but she did grow up in tel-aviv.

oh n i never noticed til today, but leah remini from king of queens is quite attractive too. i found out her mom's jewish.

so is lenny kravitz's dad. wats wit jewish ancestry to super attractive celebrities?

A morning full of things to do

wow.. after such a long time, i was actually doing a lot of stuff.

well, i had couple of things i really needed to do. first off was calling up my university and asking why i had not received their orientation mail, only to be told that has nothing to do with the registration. so i went to register, then i realized i need to confer with my dad about accomodation arrangements. then i was talking to him about all the stuff for an hour. georgia tech has its own hotel to accomodate visiting professors and whatnot. isnt that so cool? we decided we can get discount there since i will be a student, so that we wont have to stay in one of the student rooms for orientation. so that's that. then i had to call us georgia tech again for details about accomodation.

then came another arduous work. cancelling my account for AOL and MSN. i dont need them since i have DSL, so whats a dial up account worth? the problem whenever you call these companies is that they tell you all sorts of promotions and other so calle benefits to make you change your mind. the whole process of cancellation takes less than 5 mins, but you gotta listen to them talk and keep insisting that you wanna cancel your account for like 15 mins. so that was tiring in a sense that i had to wait and hold on while they blabbered on. its a smart tactic, you cant cancel your membership online, but you gotta call customer services. and knowning how easy most people here are convinced into their words, i wonder how many of people who had the intention of cancelling actually managed to cancel their account.

rushed to the nearby post office to get envelopes to mail the income tax returns for my dad. i need that to apply for aid in georgia tech, which i am probably too late for, but its worth a shot, i might still get something. its too bad that it had to be this way since we lived overseas. cant blame anything. writing down the different addresses and then doing that again to send it as certified with return receipt mail is another task. as if writing long addresses once was enough. having have to write that two times for each of the three addresses and writing your own address six times was torture. but it was nothing compared to when i submitted my transcripts to eleven universities at the end of january. that was the worst mailing experience ever.

and now that that's done, i have just completed my registration for my university orientation, named FASET. if everything goes well, then i should be in atlanta by 10th august for the orientation that will take place on the 11th and 12th, after which i will have to leave my family for good, i will spend three days at my new home, hopefully with new friends. people will be moving in and out of the place during those three days so its gonna be a hectice time. but i cant wait. its too exiciting, evne if it means im gonna turn into a geek and a nerd, well, for most tech students. i think i'll manage to squeeze in some excitement and fun into everything that i do.

and i still have to fill in the FAFSA aid form. but that can only be done when my uncle brings back the copy of the income tax forms. filling in that form is another pain in the ass, but it has to be done.

so much work in 4 hours. but ive done it and the odd sense of accomplishment and the relief sets in.

i still havent got my georgia tech merchandise that i ordered online. when will it be?

Lenny Lenny Lenny

okay, as of now, i think ive managed to catch all the lenny kravitz music videos. i think. i must have seen like 13 or 14 of em. n after finally having watched all that, i am still rootin him as the single best artist there is. the best band obviously goes to the goo goo dolls for me, but as an artiste, there is no equal to lenny. my all time faves has been 'are you gonna go my way' vid and 'again' vid. but i was fortunate enough to stumble upon a personal one, titled 'believe' and was surprised that it had a pretty gd video, well, i didnt even think there was a video for that one. however i still do not understand why he even sang 'black velveteen' and even allowed such a rubbish video for 'where are we running.' that video is just awful.



he's talented with the guitar (he does superb electric guitar solos, there's a reason why he was in the same school as slash from guns and roses), he writes his own songs, he has a distinctive voice and oh so such cool looks to go with it. he's the man.

he's one of those artists who i would like to own all of their records if i could. when i start making money on my own for my own personal use, i would get hold of all goo goo dolls' and lenny's albums and also complete the whole DVD collection of friends episodes.

the joy of spring

im too tired to type for a long entry, im super sleepy, but all i can say is this,

i cant recall the last time i enjoyed spring like this, goin to downtown naperville in the night, lookin at ppl enjoyin themselves in the bar, young couples huggin by the riverside, ducks sleepin peacefully by the grass, warm wind, old buildings, etc, etc. words can describe.

i feel the sudden urge to break free into a carefree world. i yearn for the day. it shall come soon enough. thinking about it, its only 3 months from now that i'll b on my own in atlanta.

cant wait. i juz love it.

all i need now is a peace of mind to help me go to sleep easily.

Newcastle United Season Review 03/04

Newcastle United Season Review 03/04

Barclayscard English Premier League

Games Played: 38
Games Won: 13
Games Drawn: 17
Games Lost: 8
Goals Scored: 52
Goals Conceded: 40
Goal Difference: +12
Points Earned: 56

Final Position: 5th (UEFA Cup Qualification)

Top Goalscorer: Alan Shearer (22 Goals) (2nd in League)
Average Attendance: 51,439
Fair Play Table: 5th (46 Yellow Cards; 3 Red Cards; 52 Points)

Competition Record
Europe
UEFA Champions League: Knocked out in 3rd Round Qualifiers to Partizan Belgrade (Serbia and Montenegro) (1st Leg 1-0; 2nd Leg 0-1; Lost 3-4 on Penalties)
UEFA Cup: Knocked out in Semi-Finals to Olympique Marseille (France) (1st Leg 0-0; 2nd Leg 0-2)
Domestic
English FA Cup: Knocked out in 4th Round to Liverpool (1-2)
English League Cup: Knocked out in 3rd Round to West Bromwich Albion (1-2 after Extra Time)

HOWAY THE LADS!

Final Score from Anfield

Final Score from Anfield;
Liverpool 1
Michael Owen (67th)

Newcastle United 1
Shola Ameobi (25th)

okay, at least some european quest can be seen next season with us finishing at 5th place which guarantees us an entry into the UEFA Cup.

last call

i need u dear reader's final opinion on the blog template, coz im intending to change it completely over the weekend.

will tell u wat im thinkin right now. im leaning more to the 2nd design. the ga tech design was meant to b unveiled after i actually enroll in ga tech, but there's a space constraint for links, side bar, tag board and other things, whereas i dont really hav to worry bt space in the simpler layout.

lets see wat u all got to say about this.

outrage

so i guess its safe for me to post about the shock exit of idol contestant, latoya london.

if u ask me, she deserves to win than anyone else, because she is the most talented, very much mature, compared to the rest of the teenage contestants, and above all, she can sing in any genre. a pure marketable sample.

but alas, as fate has it, when u let america vote, as much as they want to, things happen. things that shouldnt be happening.

------------
From CNN.com

'American Idol' shocker: La Toya London out

NEW YORK (AP) -- Another diva bit the dust on "American Idol" with the shocking ejection of La Toya London on Wednesday night.

The two singers who received the lowest viewer-vote totals -- London and Fantasia Barrino -- were considered the favorites to go head-to-head in the finals. They, along with the recently booted Jennifer Hudson, had become known as "The Three Divas."

London kept smiling even as the crowd booed in reaction to her removal from the Fox TV singing competition.

"I just want to thank you so much, thank you for believing in me," the 25-year-old said before belting out one of her best songs from the series, "Don't Rain on My Parade" from "Funny Girl."

The show's judges were more candid in their reactions.

"I think America got this one wrong this week," Paula Abdul said.

"I think it's a travesty," echoed Randy Jackson.

The judges play an advisory role after helping winnow the field of 70,000 applicants to 32 semifinalists and then, with viewers, to 12 finalists. The audience takes charge from there until the winner is picked.

London's departure leaves three women in the competition: Besides Barrino, there's Diana DeGarmo and Jasmine Trias.

It looked as if Trias was a goner, and she seemed to suspect as much during Tuesday's episode. Tears replaced the Hawaiian songstress' perpetually sunny smile after judge Simon Cowell made some brutally honest remarks about her singing during the show's disco week.

"I think, Jasmine, you have a lot of thank-you letters to write to Hawaii," Cowell said Wednesday.

It was just as shocking that Barrino -- considered one of the top singers all along -- had the second-lowest vote total. The judges had criticized one of the songs she chose: Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero" from the "Footloose" soundtrack -- which, technically, isn't a disco song because it came out in 1984.

But Cowell also had some kind words this week. Having previously said he thought the 16-year-old DeGarmo was too young for the competition, he made a rare reversal: "I'm gonna take that back," he said.

"This was your week," Abdul told DeGarmo.

As for the always-polished London, Abdul had gushed Tuesday: "I'm looking at an American idol."

Among the filler to prolong the tension during Wednesday night's hour-and-six minute broadcast: observations from "psychic channeler" Kimberly Berg, who reassured the four finalists, "You're being supported not only by the fans but by the universe."

The women also sang a medley of Donna Summer tunes, including "Hot Stuff" and "Bad Girls." The disco diva, who served as a celebrity judge this week, took the stage to sing "Last Dance" and "MacArthur Park."

Wednesday night's episode also marked the triumphant return of Clay Aiken, the runner-up in last season's "Idol" competition who has enjoyed as much fame and success as the winner, Ruben Studdard. Aiken, famous for his geek-to-chic transformation, sang "Fantasy" by Earth, Wind & Fire.

3000 visits

since i started netstat basic on 13th march, this blog has received 3000+ visits in juz two months.

im happy tt i get that much readership, but at the same time, i wonder how many of those r real visits.

coz when i refresh, or blog hop to someone elses and click the back button, or when im trying to publish a new template, or whatever, the counter counts each of those actions as a new visit. n god knows how many false visits they hav counted.

but its a statistical achievement anyway.

Final Score from Friends Provident St. Mary's Stadium

Final Score from Friends Provident St. Mary's Stadium;
Southampton 3
James Beattie (19th)
Titus Bramble (39th, O.G.)
Leandre Griffit (88th)

Newcastle United 3
Shola Ameobi (7th)
Lee Bowyer (35th)
Darren Ambrose (90th)

and that was the final nail in the coffin. that's it. the hopes of champions league next season is gone. hell, with a bad match on sunday, we might not even be in european competition next season. fuck fuck fuck.

another season of inter-toto? probably.

ah well, good season guys.... at least bowyer and ambrose is starting to show promises....

now that newcastle's season is over, i better turn my attention on whether west ham and fiorentina can get themselves back into the top flight.

quid pro quo

i dont see how the americans should feel outraged about the video that showed the beheading of american hostage, nicholas berg. i mean its uncalled for, but the surfacing of those torture pictures of the iraqi prisoners would only encourage more of these to take place.

there's nothing unfair about it. an eye or an eye. quid pro quo.

i might sound brutal and cold, inhumane, but that's how it is. it was only a matter of time.

and yes, i know the two situations are totally unrelated. they beheaded him because there were no exchange of prisoners from the Abu Ghraib prison, but im sure u get my point.

believe!

this is it. second last match of the season. but we hav to win to keep our slim hopes of gettin that coveted 4th position alive.

newcastle play southampton at st. mary's today. n u know wats scary?

newcastle hasnt won at southampton in the league since 1972.

oh fuck.

things doesnt look good. but it has to be won at all costs.

if sir boyy, a 71 year old, is optimistic and urging all of us to believe that we can do it, then i guess we better. he has seen so much of football than any of us ever will, and if he says so, i believe that there is a possibility.

so yea, we hav to believe. all is not lost.

lost for words

wat did i wanna say? damn i forgot.

i drove by myself. unaccompanied on sunday. it felt weird, but at the same time, pretty cool. juz u, the wheel n the music.

n last night, i drove from my uncle's colleague's place to my place. surprisingly i knew the way, but it was the first time i drove at night, so it felt a lil tricky, coz it was hard to see details on the mirror.

nevertheless it felt awesome. cant wait to get my own car n juz cruise around.

juz me n my music.

oh one thing i realized. i probably would b an hazard to the road. last night, my mind was somewhere else while driving, and if i do more of that, likely chances r, i'll get into an accident. luckily traffic was pretty clear. well, it was past 11 pm, so...

mayb it was coz we were listenin to tracy chapman. there's somethin abt her music tt totally drowns u in ur own little world, for a while, it felt like paradise...

then i snap back, coz the light changed to red.

i better b careful.

new templates

here r two test sites.
wneaz-preview.blogspot.com

and

wneaz-preview-2.blogspot.com

both isnt complete, but do tell me what you guys think and which u would prefer. there's a third option, needless to say, which would b to stick wit the current template.

okay ive set up yahoo groups for both the 25th student council as well as the clique, so everyone please email me and indicate which email address is active or which you would check most often.

this would help us get in touch with eachother a hell lot quicker and efficient.

the addresses are sajc25thsc@yahoogroups.com and sacoolclique0203@yahoogroups.com

please do as fast as possible. thanx.

n i wanted to reply to a couple of people through email, but i'll postpone that til tomorrow, sorry, guys, but im quite tired from that long entry. cant make myself type anymore. its darn too painful.

im thikin of changin my blog template to one of those v neat n simple ones they offer in blogger, since they redesigned the webpage. i frankly dont understand y i went through so much trouble to come up wit a new template. neat n simple is all i need.

will get to it tomorrow. or should i?

and the previous entry was probably the longest entry i've ever written?

warning. this is a super long post. involves my view on a lot of things rangin from politics, scandals, entertainment and such. if ure ready for some thought provocative reading, please do continue reading by all means.
-------------------
im going mad.

over this whole nonsense that's going on, especially in the last week.

first n foremost, i guess i wont need to explain the furore that's been caused by a certain individuals among the american troops in iraq who took insulting images of the iraqi prisoners. it's sheer madness, just what the fuck is goin on? did they actually think that it was fun doing all that crap? it goes against the modern human rights code of conduct, never mind that, even if that did not exist, what were these people thinking?

and the leadership. its funny to see the bush administration point fingers at each other, when they're all part of a team. only after bush blamed rumsfeld, then there was a formal apology and acceptance of responsibility. is this the kind of leadership that the world is interested in? bush, cheney, powell, rice, rumsfeld and ashcroft are a team that runs a country, and yet it seems everyone is working independently when they should be working with eachother. i dont think an apology by the man himself was too much to ask for? was it? i mean, if someone from the top post had apologized as soon as it came out, it would have been an excellent damage control before all the talk and investigation took place, which also angered people across the world, not to mention especially iraqis who r totally embarassed. why cant bush apologize on behalf of everything? u claim you were not told, well, how many things are you not informed of, do u think that you will be told everything? i believe you ignored the 9/11 warning among so many other things, and now this. it is the end of the road for you. as his term ends, he has sacrificed, or in survivor term, backstabbed rice and rumsfeld in order to cover him up, simply coz if he were to testify, i think it'll turn out a lot worse.

and that's just the tip of the iceberg everyone. this is really crazy country, with a lot of crap going on.

lemme just highlight several cases highlighted in last week's NBC dateline.

one. american citizens are gettin paid to marry illegal immigrants so that they can secure an american green card which will allow them to stay in the country. clearly its illegal, but money drives everyone insane. and you'll be shocked at the amount that they agree on. for just US$10k or 15k, they're willing to commit and illegal activity, to save these illegal immigrants. isnt that just crazy? i mean, i thought a sum of 100k or greater was involved, but for just 10k, or according to some sources, it could go as much as 45k, which is slightly above the average annual income for americans, they're willing to sacrifice their marriage. for just that much amount of money. obviously people who get involved are usually those in dire need of money, but i dont think that amount is worth it. if i were to do it, i'd ask for a fee to supplement me for a good 20 years at least. its sheer stupidity. and there was one guy who was willing to do it for just 5000 bucks.

two. become a member, invest in our products, and recommend this program to your friends and you will get paid for referrals! it is a scam, obviously, but you wont believe the amount of people who fell for this thing. literally tens of thousands. its simple, they show u a promotional video, sayin if u participate in this program, u will get to live the kind of life u only imagined, big house, drivin in sports car, get ur very own yacht, cruise in miami, yada yada ya. just become a member, and you're on ur way to richdom! so what this company, quixtar did, is to ask these ordinary citizens to apply for a membership, which was in excess of 200 bucks, to get their starter kit, which includes some food products, books, audio tapes, etc etc. if u like it, order additional products. and of cuz tell ur family, ur friends, ur neighbours and they'll b rewarded the more they refer. so many people fell for it that it become a cult. people attend sanctioned seminars, gatherings, etc etc. n they encourage to eat their own products, read only their books, listen to their spiritual tapes repeatedly over n over n over again. i call it mental imprisonment. these people are getttin duped into the kind of mindset where they'll listen to anything that quixtar says. n the distance they go for this is amazing. thousands of people across the country signed up, and bought so many of their tapes, books and attend meetings, etc etc. and all were hoping to make the big bucks. the board of governers, who often gave the talks in conferences were revered like a priest, so much so that footage of their national conference seemed like a religious congregation. it seriously looked every everyone were such deep believers. but the truth, 99.5% of the members never made any money. but they kept pouring money in. most of the money was made by the distributers of the tapes and the books, and guess who they r? none other than the board of governers themselves, who earned quarter of a million dollars annually, so easily.

its so easy to fool the minds of many with promises like these. and even shocking is that so many people fall for this thing. it was shocking when one of the people being interviewed was a UC Berkeley Medical graduate. even those academically qualified falls for this kinda thing, which sheds a light on the question, are they really that smart? guess not.

there's so much more to everything, insurance companies charging medical practitioners so much interest premium that they go out of business, like i mentioned few weeks back and all. i can really go on n on.

knowing that this is whats happenin, it makes me sick. and people get away with these things.

moving on, even the television is evil. well, most shows. as friends ended and frasier comes to a conclusion, its the beginning of an era where reality TV takes full control of television. there still r so many sitcoms, but none can match the viewership and the popularity these two shows generated. and it is really the end. look at the number of reality shows that spin offed after survivor and american idol. to me, those are probably the only two things i watch. coz there were the prototypes and they were the pacesetters. the TV's filled wit reality shows that range from the diary of hopeful parents of child stars to a series about a women who's giving up her baby for adoption. take for example the new FOX series 'the swan' they take 16 'ugly ducklings' as they name the 16 women whose self confidence is at an all time low because they believe they r not physically attractive. so FOX gives them a complete overhaul of their physical self, though complete plastic surgery. its a sickening sight to watch the graphics when they air it right in the middle of dinner time. and every week, they change 2 women, and the twist? they kick one of the two person off the show. the other one gets to join a staged beauty pagent which will be conducted when 8 women's tranformations are aired. n then? they actually will conduct the beauty pagent itself to crown 'the swan' who's the best transformed women in the show. 'its the most radical show ever devised on television' (that's in their own words, seriously) and it sure is.

where has creativity gone? even TV is poisoned with brainless shows like these. and its everywhere, even to home improvement channels and such.

it is truly a sad thing. and this weekend capped it off. survivor finalist, rob, proposed to eventual winner amber on national tv. their romance hit it off durin the show n im still not convinced its true. i still think tt he used her to get into the final, as she did use him and the excuse is to share the million bucks coz he realized he wont win it, after being such a fucker during the whole series.

if i were to complete abstain from all form of stupidity, i'd hav to abstain from all form of entertainment, but im not that much of an hard ass. i was seriously bothered, but while talkin a friend about it, i was suggested i should juz not concern myself in all these. i mean where do i stand in all these? that's true. for once, i feel like its good to b ignorant of everythin that's goin on. but not ignorant because u cant b bothered to know. i wanna b ignorant because i hav a reason to b ignorant about.

i sound somethin like a serious anti globalizationist or some editorial commetator, but im juz expressin an opinion. hell, if i were, i wont wear adidas shoes, sport levi's shirt, carry sony handphones and listen to sony discman. i wont eat at macdonalds, i wont watch tv, i wont see a cinema, worse, i wont listen to records. i shant go on to explain each n every one of those things, mayb next time, but a simple example. as i was sittin i took a look at my levi's shirt. one tt my dad got me, coz i i thought its design was interestin. some of u might know, its the one wit rubber engravings that shape the word levis on a white tee. now lets break it down. i bet the white tee itself costs like a dollar or two. mayb less. n the rubber, less than a dollar for sure. i remember my dad paid SG$60 for that shirt. so that means we paid 55 extra dollars for the brand, levi's, when it would feel as comfortable without the engraving.

know wat im tryin to say? when i see celebrity shows where britney and co are goin on n on about how varsace or gucci feels so good on their skin, i almost want to run a reality show where we being several products that are of low cost and branded, but r almost identical and see if they can really identify correctly, juz to prove my point that its the brand tt feels comfortable, not the product. i really wanna contact some network over this idea, i think it would really work.

if i was extreme, i wouldnt listen to music, coz the record industry totally rips us off. artists get a chance to sing if the companies think their music will b profitable, not because they can sing well. that's the reason why im behind american idol, coz it identifies a true singer, even though its commercialised. i know i know, those who make it to hollywood are selected so that they're also considered that they will b popular to mass audience and im totally contradicting myself in that sense, but seriously, look at clay aiken. he was a geek when he auditioned and look what he has become. yes, he has been made over and his songs made to sell records, but he can sing. its sad to think that authors, script writers, actors and singers dont get a shot at major deals because they wont b profitable for the company, even if they're way more talented than the big timers. imagine, some one might hav the greatest idea for a novel, but he doesnt get it coz publishers dont think its profitable, even though its brilliant. some movies might contain the greatest story we'll ever witness, but no budget given (that's y i resort to low budget films coz most of the time they're excellent shows which are enriching and just too realistic) and the most talented singer wont get to share his/her voice to the world. these r juz mere examples.

but that's extreme. im not that extreme. but i like to know that i hav an informed opinion about these things.

and even if a lot of sitcoms r also filled wit no brainers, i will still watch reruns of friends (i realized tt were equal number of people who hated was as much as the number who loved it) and other comedies, coz the rest makes me fed up, angry and disillusioned. simply coz laugher it the best medicine. it makes u feel easy, and frankly, that's true entertainment.

i want to b away from it all. probably as i grow older, i'd only watch sports, sitcoms and occasional news, hey i cant b totally ignorant of wats goin on in this world. i really wanna liv like the life they portrayed in the french movie amelie. that's ideal. but nothin is ideal.

and i think i'll b content wit juz that.

people need to b educated about assessing everythin logically. so that they wont b forced into believing whatever they are made to believe. pros n cons, benefits and disadvantages, etc etc. and these singers and sportman who do nothin but practice their own trade r not encouragin kids to b educated, i juz realized. coz they unintentionally imply the message that so long as u're gd in whatever, u can make it, even if ure dumb. if u can deliver pin point crosses and free kicks, its okay even if u cant graduate from school. u guys should know who im talkin about.

too much madness goin on. juz too much for me to take. i shall end here for now, but u can b sure i'll b back wit more insights sooner or later.

i need to take a breathe for now.

okay.. woke up to a very weird dream...

but one that made me feel good and at the same time sad...

in this dream, all i could remember that i was being v intimate wit someone. during the dream, it seemed like i knew her so well, but when i woke up, i had no clue how she looked like and all. but all i can remember is that she was very depressed or sad or seriously bothered by something. really bothered.

so i told her to come over and although she was reluctant at first, she eventually agreed, and then i took her in my arms and held her tight. then we were sittin down on a stool or a sofa or on the bed, juz huggin, she telling me what was wrong, while i consoled her that everythin was gonna b alright, that i was there for her. all the while i did that, i was holding her hands firmly and givin occasional kisses on her shoulder, neck and cheeks.

its like one of those moments that really convince u that ure in a true relationship, real serious one. where u can depend on eachother mentally and spiritually. and i felt so happy and comforted during the dream that i had met someone like that and being able to be like that.

but then when you wake up, the reality sinks in. it was all a dream and our most desired dreams most often dont materialize. and that depressed me so much. coz i probably will never experience somethin like that. unless its a relationship that cannot take place, because of difficulties, or probably a mainly sexual affair or some sort. one that cannot be prolonged, one that cannot last.

in a sense, i feel very cheated out of my feelings, one moment, you hav somethin that you wanted, and then to realize that there's very little chance that can happen.

but it felt so real and intimate. i was free in that world.

back to reality....

Final Score from St. James' Park;
Newcastle United 1
Lee Bowyer (38th)

Wolverhampton 1
Ioan Viorel Ganea (70th)

fuck.... that's it, we lost the 4th place. we needed to win this match, we could hav, but unimaginably, shearer had his penalty saved.

urgghh.... its over.. that's it, no champs league next season... its possible, but that will mean we must win against southampton and liverpool, both away matches.

its over. another season of UEFA Cup... even that is not guaranteed if villa ends up above us.

fuck....!

sittin here at 1 AM n thinking bt things.. as marc said, this country is filled wit evil things. that i can most definately agree. friday's NBC Dateline only strengthened my belief that this is an ugly country..

but that aside....

somethin isnt right. my heart's pounding real hard, like somethin's gonna happen.

a weird feelin rushes through my body n mind. an uncomfortable one.

wonder what it could be.

okay.. i juz checked my id status in ga tech and am comforted to know that my course has indeed been changed to *undecided engineering. couldnt find out what that * stood for, i guess it would mean it was changed.

so now i join the most popular course in ga tech. its funny coz its supposed to b for those who dont know what they wanna do, but its the most popular. that does mean that most go into the school not bein convinced about a specific course, but they wanna giv it a try anyway. that sounds real gd.

also read like for 79% of the applicants, it was their first choice? wow. so it is gonna b tough coz almost everyone did wanna come here. and 58% r also studyin engineerin, followed by 17% of computer science.

so yea, tt should convince u all, ga tech is for hard core engineers. its one of the best in the field, so its like, why not?

so im glad, my course changed for the better, i got my driving licence, all i need to wait is for is the orientation mail and apply. that in turn will decide when i'll hav to leave singapore come july.

okay, so the path is set.

oh, by the way, ive more or less come up wit a new template design, juz the itty bitty details left. but im thinkin of a suitable title. right now, its left at 'the chronicles of an ga tech N.E.R.D.' which i think is pretty suitable. i gotta add this part 'join walid as he explores and discovers the different aspects of engineering for the next two years, together with his ever evolving perspectives, thoughts, opinions and influences'

sounds gd, any suggestions for suitable titles and such, please lemme know, im open to any ideas from all u creative ppl.

okay forgot to mention earlier on, but somethin real ironic happened today.

as i started the car to drive to the driver's facility place, guess wat song started playin on the radio.

tracy chapman's 'fast car.'

i couldnt imagine the odds and started to frown throughout the journey, coz its such a personal song, not to mention how wonderful that track is. and it juz made me calm my nerves so well, n be in that state of mind where ure down to juz bein who u really are.

so surreal.

"You've got a fast car
But is it fast enough so we can fly away?
We gotta make a decision
We leave tonight or live and die this way"

yeeaaa... i got my licence...

its funny to think tt i waited 50 mins for juz a 15 mins test and finally got the card itself in juz 5 mins.

it was quite cool when the guy who was processing my papers was an old man who was a korean war veteran who told me about his asian experience when i told him tt i was born in kyoto. he supposedly spent a week there after bein pulled out coz of injury and he said tt he felt fantastic durin tt week.

now tt was a cool start to the whole thing.

the only thing i had to worry was tt the straight line was 25 MPH, but i was drivin at 20 MPH juz for safety's sake and was told i was too slow. if not for tt i would hav scored a perfect score. but hey, i rather get tt than 'ure driving too fast!'

ah well, whatever it is, ive got the licence. woohey...

or do u guys wanna know wat happened?

heh heh heh....

if u do, drop me an email, i'll tell u in private, i guess it wont b nice to tell all here.

but in case u guys dunno, Matt Le Blanc (Joey) will be having his own spin off show, titled "Joey" starting this fall. what we know so far is tt he'll move to LA to further his career in acting and moves in with his nephew, who is a rocket scientist. another cast is already confirmed, the soprano's drea de matteo will b acting as one of his sisters, probably the mother of his niece.

it'll prob be like frasier, a cheers spin off.

ok so i wanted to post the CNN article about last night's finale, but if i do, it contains major spoilers, and i know like majority of my readers hav not watched it, let alone season 10, so i better not post it.

but i can say, it all ends well. quite a subtle finish, but they ended it well. wit a couple of surprises in the end.

sigh. its over. but its good to know tt they ended on a gd note, n we will all know tt they will always be there for us.

muahaha. yess..!

-------------------------------------
CNN Interactive - Friends Trivia



You got 15 out of 15 correct on your first attempt.

Three cappuccinos - Guru is a word best used to describe your knowledge of the "Friends" universe - but be wary. Going to your hairdresser and begging for "The Rachel" is reasonable, striving to give birth to six kids so each character can have a namesake is downright scary.

Final 'Friends' end of era

Show's characters mirrored lives of many

By Joshua Levs
CNN

(CNN) -- I remember the day I found out Ross and Rachel were going to kiss. It was two days before the episode, and I was at lunch with some friends. The word was: Don't miss this week's show.

I know how strange that may sound. It certainly wasn't one of the more significant events of the past 10 years, and it was, you know, fictional. But every decade has its defining pop culture moments, and for millions of us who were 20-somethings in the 1990s, that was one.

From the moment "Friends" first appeared on our screens in 1994, it stood out. The six characters were friends of mine from college, friends from high school, peers from just being a middle-class, white American entering the post-college world.

It was a rare Hollywood product that seemed close to home, with its finger on the pulse of -- at least a slice of -- our culture.

I always felt "Friends" respected me -- and my intelligence. Mostly because the show never seemed to be trying to make the audience laugh. It was more like the characters were laughing with us -- and, better yet, they usually weren't laughing at all.

"Friends" helped restore the "situation" in "situation comedy," because the humor rarely came from jokes -- and almost always came from situations that the characters themselves didn't realize were funny.

To me, that's always been one of the greatest strengths of the show's writing, and has put so many other comedies to shame.

Sitcom drama

And the kiss. Yes, as TV critics have frequently pointed out, "Friends" has its soap opera elements, with intertwining love stories and lengthy character arcs. But that stuff has never -- well, barely ever -- felt forced.

The truth is, "Friends" has given us some of the purest TV drama of the past decade. Ross and Rachel coming together spoke to that part of all of us that roots for "true love" to succeed, and their breakup was the most realistic I'd ever seen. Phoebe's tearing up after saying goodbye to the triplets she carried to term was heart wrenching. The scene in which Joey opened his heart to Rachel, and she carefully rejected him, brought some of the best sitcom acting in recent memory.

Still, "Friends' " serious side was never there to manipulate us into watching. It was there because that stuff is part of growing up. These six characters have grown with me, picking up life lessons along the way.

Through all of it, the show has made us laugh. These writers, who should have even more Emmys than they do, can make anything hilarious.

When Rachel had two birthday parties across the hall from each other, my wife and I nearly fell off the sofa laughing. When Chandler and Phoebe competed to get each other to admit knowing that the other knew that the other knew about a secret relationship (no kidding), a bunch of us talked about it at work all the next day. When they all gave up each other's secrets at Thanksgiving, leading to Phoebe's own admission "I love Jacques Cousteau!" I watched it three times. That night.

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox Arquette, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer make lines jump off the page. If there had been a weak link in the cast, the show would never have been No. 1, and never lasted this long.

There's also no question that their public solidarity -- sticking together in contract negotiations, saying only good things about each other -- deserves much of the credit for the show's longevity.

No regrets

It's always struck me that most successful sitcoms say great things about America. So many top network dramas feel maddeningly contrived, but top sitcoms have generally been smart and savvy. They're joint, national experiences that help create a sense of community in our atomized lives, and bring laughter at the end of the day. The good shows deserve our time.

After 10 years, according to my math, I've spent more than 85 hours of my life watching "Friends." (And that's before you factor in the endlessly syndicated repeats.) And I don't regret a second.

Whenever newspapers and magazines have written about the "Friends" phenomenon, they've inevitably followed up with some perplexing letters to the editor. People write in decrying the "untalented cast" or calling the show a "waste of time." I've never gotten the backlash. If you don't like the show, don't watch it.

Of course, some of the complaints do touch on truths. Yes, "Friends" isn't actual reality, has taken pains to avoid anything remotely controversial -- no real talk about politics or religion -- and has had a notable paucity of racial diversity. It's not a complete picture of anything in the real world, and it's not supposed to be.

But it has successfully captured a slice of life. And if, decades from now, people look back on this show -- among other things, of course -- to get some insight into the pop culture zeitgeist of 1994-2004, that's fine by me.

So now I say goodbye to the program that's achieved so much. It's sad, but not because I'll miss the show. It really is time for it to end. It's sad because the end of "Friends" means, in this one little way, the end of an era. Basically, it's a reminder that my friends and I are growing up. We're not 20-somethings in coffee shops anymore.

I'll give the spinoff, "Joey," a shot, but with few expectations. The ride is over.

As long as it ends well -- which I say had better include Ross and Rachel finally achieving lasting couplehood -- I'll be satisfied. And to everybody who helped put it together -- all those names that scroll by during the tag -- I say thanks. As Chandler would put it, could I be any more grateful?

--------------------------------------------------
and another one....
--------------------------------------------------

The 'Friends' close the door



By Meriah Doty and Stephanie Snipes
CNN

(CNN) -- Central Perk will be perky no more after Thursday night.

And, counter to the "I'll Be There for You" theme song, your "Friends" won't be there for you anymore (except in DVDs and reruns).

Thursday's 8:59 p.m. ET finale episode on NBC (preceded, naturally, by a retrospective at 8 p.m.) is America's last chance to bid farewell to Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Monica (Courteney Cox Arquette), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) and Ross (David Schwimmer).

The show that brought you Phoebe's lovable, yet atrocious, acoustic rendition of "Smelly Cat," Ross' many physical comedy bits (skintight leather pants and a maxed-out artificial tan are two that come to mind) and Joey's oh-so-beckoning "How you doin'?" will fade into the ether after 10 years on the air.

Plot strands may be tied up -- or maybe not. Joey is definitely going to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career -- he has to or there won't be a spin-off, "Joey," which is already on NBC's fall schedule.

Phoebe is married and happy. Monica and Chandler may leave Manhattan. And as for Ross and Rachel ... well, nobody's known what to make of them since the show began September 22, 1994.

He's had a crush on her; she's returned his affection; they've gotten together and broken up and had a child, and they still don't know what to do with each other.

It's possible that on the finale Rachel will move to Paris with the child she had with Ross. On the other hand, "Sex and the City" didn't leave its protagonist in Paris. Will this New York-centric show?

You never know.

A big success

The one thing you can bank on is that the show will get exceedingly high ratings. Maybe not as high as the "M*A*S*H" conclusion in 1983 -- that was done in a very different three-network universe -- and maybe not as high as 1998's "Seinfeld" finale, since "Seinfeld" didn't have to face off against "CSI." But it's sure to be big.

It's also going to make a fortune. NBC has been selling ads at the rumored rate of $2 million for a 30-second spot, which is Super Bowl-type money.

Over its 10-year run, "Friends" has been a popular and critical hit. The show has gained 55 Emmy nominations and has ranked in the top 10 of every season it's been on the air.

To executive producer and creator David Crane, it's all a big surprise.

"There's an emotional component to the show that we can never lose sight of because I think the shows you get tired of the fastest are the ones where you don't really invest on some level," he said in a recent interview with CNN.

However, he told The Associated Press, it's been tough at times. "Friends" is the rare ensemble show with six equal characters. Finding something for each of them to do has been occasionally wearying, Crane told the AP.

"There's a lot of interweaving, a lot of juggling," he said. "One character is the go-to person in another character's story. Then, next time, you have to shift it around."

Coming together

But it's all worked out, especially for the "Friends" themselves.

The six actors actually became friends in real life, something that helped them when contract time rolled around. The most recent negotiations set each cast member's pay at a cool $1 million an episode.

"They realized there was strength in unity," said Ray Richmond, The Hollywood Reporter's television columnist. "That has stood them well."

The show also tapped into the zeitgeist, becoming a favorite of 20-somethings just as "Generation X" was becoming a buzzword. Almost immediately, Aniston's hairstyle became a trend -- the "Rachel," hair stylists called it -- and the show has never lacked for fans.

Whether it's the emotional component, a litany of lowbrow jokes, the attractive cast (Jennifer Aniston made People's 50 Most Beautiful People issue this year, again) or a mixture of all of the above, the "Friends" finale has invited great anticipation. And NBC has kicked it up a notch, calling it "the greatest comedy ever" and counting down each last show as if reporting on a moon landing.

It's not what Crane would have predicted.

"When we put them [Monica and Chandler] in bed together initially, I don't think we realized that this would be the loves of their lives. We went into it going 'Well, we'll see how many weeks this works,' " said Crane.

"I'd like to hope that years from now people can look at the reruns ... and say 'That is still a really funny show' or 'It's still really sweet.' And if that happens ... I'll be thrilled," said Crane.