Remarkable week of football...

...Barça relentless, and so were Irene and Mina!
====================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


Yes, it's been a week of good harvest for Barça. And why not? Now that the new Spanish La Liga season and the Group stage of the UEFA Champions League are kicking off, it might just be the best time to re-establish dominance. Whether or not that was what Pep Guardiola and his men had in mind last week of big days, they brought excitement to the Barça fans and many other followers of the beautiful game. However, work had been brutal for me, there was no time to capture the moment here. Even the extremely rainy Saturday demanded a full day's work... and more! Aaargh! But, hey, some people have to work for a living, and hobby always takes the backseat during brutal times. Reality, baby... and it bites, too! :( The good news is... it's looooong weekend! Yaay! :) And while I got away from work (very) late into the weekend... I'm back in my "happy place"! There will always be (plenty of) time to worry about work - as always. Yaaahoo! =)

***
European Super Cup

So, the 2011 UEFA Champions League winners, FC Barcelona, and the Europa League winners, FC Porto, clashed in Stade Louis II
FC Barcelona and FC Porto vie for the 2011 UEFA
Super Cup at the Stade Louis II in Monaco.in Monaco last Friday. No, I didn't see it live... only managed to see the highlights after the match while uncoiling from a (very) long day at work so not possible to comment. I read that it was not the "typical" Barça game of exceptional brilliance. It was slow and peppered with mistakes - from both sides... the highlights confirmed that as well. I was on a "what-the..." mode after seeing Pedro Rodriguez waste a great opportunity, losing control of the ball, kicking too soon when the ball was still hanging too high in midair for what could've been a nice finish of an Andres Iniesta assist. But it was easy to forgive him, remembering how efficient he usually is in patrolling his side of the Barça wing. Most of the time, he seemed to be at the right place, at the right time, especially when a goal is crucial. He just needs more confidence in finishing big attacks.

Speaking of confidence, or the lack of it, David Villa was a quarter of a second too late to finish a Lionel Messi pass through five men. It's no secret that Villa has been having a painful "on-again-off-again affair" with his confidence in front of the goal. And the reason, I think, is these days, he usually takes a split second to position himself before firing when the ball arrives at his feet... and that gives defenders and goalkeepers plenty of time to position for a save. He should revive his risk-taking quick moves that baffled many defenders and goalkeepers in World Cup 2010. He shouldn't view himself as the next best thing to Lionel Messi in front
Guardiola's La Masia boys - Iniesta,
Fabregas and Messi: deadly trio. of the goal. He has an important role in the Barça line-up, and he should trust himself to be the best in that role... simply because, he is the best in that role!

But, yeah, there wasn't much in the match to launch a tired woman to her feet from her seat in the match. But even the most drab of matches will not supress the brilliance of Lionel Messi, that's for sure. Barça's phenomenal "resident genius" shot the first goal on the 39th minute. Picking up a pass from Pedro, who wisely put Andrés Iniesta's steal to safety by entrusting it to their #10, Messi avoided Porto's goalkeeper, Da Silva Helton, and then fired the first goal with no serious challenge. And then, as the match was nearing its close, set up by the stand-in Captain, Iniesta, the enclosed-in-a-circle-of-enemies Messi sent a brilliant pass to Cesc Fabregas, who came on from the bench with only 10 minutes left to play. Barça's new "precious one" caught the spinning ball with his chest for a quick control before volleying to a beautiful finish on the 87th - remarkable! That sealed the hold of the Catalans on the 2011 UEFA Super Cup title with a 2-0 victory over the Portuguese side.

Barça now earned their twelfth title under Pep Guardiola, making
FC Barcelona: 2011 UEFA Champions League
winners + 2011 UEFA Super Cup winners.the former Barça captain the most successful coach in the Club's history, in terms of titles won, surpassing the coaching achievement of the legendary advocate of total football, Johan Cruyff - Pep's mentor. The victory also made Barça's midfield "High Priest", Xavi Hernandez, the winningest player in Barça's history, with 18 trophies... and earned Fabregas his second trophy in just eleven days since his unveiling in Camp Nou. Awesomeness? Definitely... and the truly big days are yet to come... I hope! :)

In the meatime, congratulations to Barça!!!

***
Little (in stature) yes... and, yet, the biggest (talent) in Europe

Speaking of historical achievements, Lionel Messi - Barça's phenomenal #10 - received the inaugural "UEFA Best Player in Europe Award" in a ceremony held in Monaco last Thursday. He finished way ahead of
Lionel Messi: 2011 UEFA Champions League
winner w/ Barça + 2011 UEFA Best Player in Europe.runners-up, his teammate, Xavi, and Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid CF - the Spanish La Liga's 2010-2011 Pichichi awardee. Messi garnered 39 votes from the 53 sports journalists in Europe who chose the winner, while Xavi earned 11 votes. The three remaining votes went to Ronaldo. In his usual soft-spoken and thoroughly shy speech after receiving the unique trophy, Messi shared the award with his teammates (which, I suppose, included Guardiola?) and thanked them for their help in making his latest win possible. And, in response to host, CNN's Pedro Pinto's query, La Pulga assured everyone that while his personal trophies are quickly filling out his trophy shelves at home, there surely is enough room for more. Of course, I can imagine how that could be dismaying to many who aspire for the award in the future... at least, within the next six years or so.

The current winner of both FIFA Ballon d'Or Best Player in the World + UEFA Best Player in Europe... Lionel Messi is a "real genius" of football! Congratulations, Leo!

***
"Whoa!" and "uh-oh..." moments at the EPL

Yep, 8-2... that's how awesome, or bad, depending on which team one is supporting, Manchester United and Arsenal's match was at Old
Whoa! Wayne Rooney
hat-trick.Trafford yesterday! :) One side was "trigger happy", firing at will on the pitch, while the other was completely trashed - obviously! And it was Arsene Wenger who felt "humiliated" after the final whistle sounded, and Wayne Rooney was the one celebrating his latest hat-trick that helped catalpult the Red Devils to the top of the EPL Table! So, yeah, the Gunners went out of the pitch with their man-bag of pride totally drained... they weren't just beaten by Manchested United, they were toyed with on the pitch like they were a bunch of disconcerted golf players who stepped on the wrong field of greens! :) But the truth is, I wasn't sure if Man U was really being absolutely brilliant out there, although there were strong evidences that they were... or if Arsenal was simply just in a "chaotic phase" after losing experienced midfielders in Fabregas and Samir Nasri, and Jack Wilshere and many others being sidelined due to injuries. Hmmm... I guess we'll find out when the Red Devils
Uh-oh... Arsene Wenger and his beautiful boys
faced thorough defeat in Old Trafford.face the current second place, the
reinforced Roberto Mancini squad, at some point, huh? In the meantine, let's leave Wenger alone with his thoughts - and pray that he could endure it - for now, shall we?

Speaking of Mancini, Machester City, in their own version of "weekend mission enemy demolition", routed Tottenham Hotspur, 5-1, in the latter's very own backyard at White Hart Lane! City's big guns, led by Edin Dzeko, unleashed big ones that choked Harry Redknapp's side, they could only manage to respond once.

And, over at Stamford Bridge, a surprisingly tight and dramatic contest against Norwich City sent Blues striker, Didier Drogba, airborne
Juan Mata, whoa!on a challege against John Ruddy, was knocked unconscious in midair, and then hit the ground flat in a horrifying thud. Oh, gosh! He was carried out of the pitch on a stretcher, still unconscious, with a breathing instrument strapped on his face. Meanwhile, on a happy note, the new Spanish conquistador on English pitch, former Valencia main man, Juan Mata, debuted in Blues jerseys with a third goal for his side - allowing the Blues to keep home supremacy with a 3-1 win. Ah, here we go, Andre Villas-Boas's response to Mancini's Sergio Aguero, who debuted with a brace of goals? Whatever it is, Mata looked perfectly fitted in the Blues line-up... and his good looks, which make him looked like AVB himself's brother or something, and enthusiasm on the pitch belie the lethal talent that will surely spark more excitement at EPL. I can't wait to see how the EPL Table will go this season.

***
UEFA Champions League... on Group Stage

Hmmm... looks like most Clubs did some overhauling of their sides last summer (Ahem, sorry, Monsieur Wenger, didn't mean to sound insensitive. Please go back to your conversation with yourself now....). Perhaps, to stop FC Barcelona from winning the UEFA Champions League title again this season? I can imagine the sigh of relief from fans after finding out that their teams were not in the same group as Barça after the draw in Monaco. But, it looks like Silvio Berlusconi will have an opportunity to test his hypothesis. The AC Milan "godfather" acknowledges Barça to be the best squad in Europe today. However, in a subtle imitation of José Mourinho's complete lack of subtlety, he thinks that only 50% of Barça's success is due to class, skills and tactics.. and the rest is luck. Uh-hmm.... Well, awesome news for Mr. Berlusconi: AC Milan and Barça are in the same group! :) Please let us know your findings, Mr. Berlusconi (if you survived, that is)! BTW, how's Italy's economy these days? Cheers! :)

Oh, and Group A is a "nightmare" of a group! It has Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Villareal and Napoli! I'm sure these sides are hoping to wake up from the nightmare... and into the Round of Sixteen. Let's see who's better in surviving sleep apnea. Can't wait!

***
Angry females

While New York prepared for the dangerous onslaught of hurricane Irenethis weekend, in Manila, people watched tropical storm, Mina, dampen a torrent of rain during the country's long weekend. Uhm, good thing, it's vacation time for me. The northern provinces of Luzon were badly hit by Mina, leaving many homeless and devastated. The government's initial estimates of agricultural damage alone were at a whopping PhP 880M! Tsk, tsk... y'see, that's why you shouldn't mess with a woman, 'cause she'd blow you away to devastation!

***
Photo credits: All photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website.

Saturday photo

Bitten...

For a few days now, one of the biggest news stories on the face of the earth and, perhaps, in the whole Universe, is the resignation of Steve Jobs as Apple's CEO. The ailing 56-year old Jobs is no longer the Captain of the "Mothership". He has relinquished the helm to the Chief Operating Officer, Tim Cook. While Jobs has been elected as Chairman of the Board, he will no longer be walking the hallowed grounds of the Apple Campus at One Infinite Loop like a thunderous force that sweeps everyone in its way off his or her feet to the stratosphere of innovation - if he/she was worthy (translation: an authentic geek who can decipher the "Jobs code of visionary creativity") - or to the pits of destruction - if he/she was only a "common intellectual"! Acknowledged by many as brutal but inspirational (a combination of adjectives that could only be used when "Steve Jobs" is in the same sentence... and the owner of the name doesn't mind either), Jobs revolutionized personal computing to a whole new world of digital technology. And then he lured us all to this new world with his incredible charisma, fiery passion for innovation and admirably brilliant mind. Weaker mortals as most of us are, we, of course, succumbed to the skillfull seduction! And we got transformed... and irreversibly, too! Such is the power and influence of Jobs in this century. And why not, when he is such a visionary leader... at least, in this techie world of ours.

Of course, this news troubled me... for the past four years of re-inventing a lab course in my University to a platform for Innovation (oh, please! Of course, not in the Apple scale! I'm not even worthy to tie Jobs's shoe laces!), I have used the "Jobs model" as the definition of innovation. While I'm sure Apple will continue to be the seat of innovation in the technology world, I don't feel prepared to use it as a model for innovation without the Steve Jobs by-line in its technology preachings. Then again, his legacy is too potent and permanent to not stay influential for as long as we enjoy hanging out in this "digital world"... and maybe even beyond it.

***
I took the photo during my most recent visit to the "Mothership" on July 2010... to check out the cool sleekness of the iPad, of course, and hear members of the Mothership's Corps of Engineers themselves explain its geekiness merits... like I needed any of that to decide to get the toy! =) iPad was not available in Manila yet that time, and I heard that it won't be until several more months. For an innovation follower, "several months" was too long, and it's but natural that I followed "the apple" that leads to the Mothership... and dressed carefully for the occasion, too! ;) The result? Techieness overdose - ahem, I totally, shamelessly flipped! =)

Wednesday nostalgia...

...this is absolute reality!
=======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


All those news stories from Libya, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan... and on the political turmoil in the US in the middle of yet another threat of recession poised to slap the country - and the world - painfully, made me think of a song from the '80s. "Absolute Reality" by The Alarm... one of what I consider the most "powerful songs" of the '80s because of its potent message. I remember singing this with siblings and friends with all my youthful energy, and at the top of my lungs, too, at the end of those fun "Battle of the Bands" during my college days. It's almost the "anthem" of the Manila youth of the '80s (okay, at least, those who follow "alternative music" then)... and I'm so proud that it is, too. :) Needless to say, I was a fan of The Alarm... so much so that when I started teaching, right after graduation from College, all my examinations were under the file name, "Alarm '89". =)

"You may just be afraid in this power mad age... but there's one thing, we all must find some peace in our time..."

The song came out about a quarter of century ago now... and yet, its powerful message still begs to be heeded today. Here's the complete lyrics...

Ooh, yeah, yeah..
Hey, now, now...
Hey, hey, hey!

You may be rich
You may be poor
You may have nothing in this world at all
You may be black, you maybe white
You may be a prisoner in your own times
You may be lost, you may be found
You may have been beaten up and knocked to the ground
You may have belief, suffer from deceit
Or you just might be blind
Oh, no, no...

You may affect the truth
You may be seen as false
You may be a king or a vagabond
You may be up, you may be down
You may sit in judgement with the rest of the clowns
You may have love
You may have hate
You may be the President of the United States
But even you, you can't sit and hide
While the world's resources die.

This is absolute reality, reality, reality
We are all the cause,
The solution to reality
Ooh, yeah, yeah...
Hey, now, now...
Hey, hey, hey...

You may be in control
You may be controlled
You may sit down 'til you do as you're told
You may work hard
You may never work at all
You may be accused but you don't know what for
You may be innocent or partly to blame
You may just be afraid in this power mad age
But there's one thing we all must find
Some peace in our time.

This is absolute reality, reality, reality
If I may speak of truth this is absolute reality
The absolute time, the absolute place
The absolute now for the absolute solution
It's absolute reality now
Now, now, now

This is absolute reality, reality, reality
This is absolute reality reality reality
This is absolute
Oh, reality!

La la la la la
This is absolute
La la la la la
Reality
La la la la la
This is absolute
Reality


Hmm... I miss those days... those days when there is so much meaning in what people commit themselves to - including music, especially music, just because it's one of the most far-reaching media that most people can appreciate.

I bought CDs two weekends ago to update my music library... okay, who am I kidding, right? Of course, I went to see if Duran Duran's "All you need is now" was already available in the music stores here in Manila! :) Just my luck, didn't find it... so, I bought "other stuff" instead, more specifically, some compilations of the more popular songs these days - yep, "iTunes on CD"! :) Many of the songs made my head bob a bit, and my fingers snapping to some nice rhythm. Some are almost as catchy as "The State of the Nation" by Industry or Men at Work's "Who can it be now". Lots of "full-bodied", crystal-clear and seamless sound mixes that illustrate how advanced technology has become in recording studios these days... but I didn't hear much metaphors... no wisdom, or powerful messages from the stuff I was playing. Okay, ahem, maybe wisdom is too much to ask... afterall, the "artists" of these days are no U2, Style Council, Tears for Fears nor R.E.M. of the "Losing my religion" fame. :) They are a bunch of "happy people" - only a few with real talents, say, Lady Gaga, for instance - who just wanna have "fun".... As to what "fun" means these days is another story altogether! But I guess you can tell by the loads of moaning sound from most of today's music - nothing subtle about them at all... unlike Bryan Ferry's or David Bowie's delectable take on passionate love!

Oh, well... to each his own, I guess? :) I guess! I'm just getting old, that's probably what this is! Wait... I am old! Dang! =)

***
Acknowledgement: Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.

Hot moves from Barça...

...and they kept the Joan Gamper Trophy, too.
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


With no sleep - at all - from the previous night, blame it on 'dedication to work' (yeah, right! ugh!) and killer stomach ache I staggered home on Monday afternoon, checked via BBC World News if the looking-like-he's-stoned strongman Gaddafi had already woken up to reality over there in Libya (hmm, still stubbornly holding on to power), and then I prepared to hit the bed - at 5 pm. I passed out before my back hit the linens! *sigh* I was barely aware of the pounding rain late in the night... and at about 2:00 AM, an image of Lionel Messi shooting a beautiful goal past Iker Casillas, with the on-his-knees Cristiano Ronaldo at his heel - from the Supercopa final - pulled me back to consciousness. Dang, live telecast of the Joan Gamper Trophy final at Camp Nou! Naturally, that hit me like a caffeine punch! And so, morning prayers, and then... game on!

After Cesc Fabregas hit his first "grown-up goal" for FC Barcelona - the first of five by Pep Guardiola's side's rout of Italy's SSC Napoli - to help Barça claim their 35th Joan Gamper Trophy, I got the feeling that it was going to be a fun night - well, early morning here in Manila. And it was! :)

***
Five "smash hits"... and they're up, up, and away!

Barça marched on the pitch with "the other little genius", Andrés Iniesta,
Captain Iniesta, flying high!wearing the captain's arm band. Of course, the "pale assassin" looked every inch "it", too - nice touch there, Pep! :) Cesc was in the first XI, with Manuel Pinto manning the Barça goal, and the brilliant young fellow, Thiago Alcantara, roaming the midfield. While the Barça first XI mainstays from last season - David Villa spearheading the attack crew, Gerard Piqué, leading the defense crew with Adriano sharing the responsibility - were in the first XI, there was no Messi or a Xavi to send the "usual" anxiety to the men from Italy. If the fans had any doubt on Pep Guardiola's Joan Gamper campaign first XI, it wasn't at all obvious. I was excited to see them "dance" on the Camp Nou pitch, "just a friendly" match notwithstanding. And they did, too - dance on the pitch!

The 2:00 AM priceless fun began with a Fabregas goal on the 25th minute. Set up by Iniesta and fed by Adriano (who was playing like a Dani Alves + Javier Mascherano out there) with a solid assist via a graceful cross, Cesc got away from his marker and fired the first goal! Aw, gosh... what can I say, all of us
Cesc Fabregas, making his first goal in Blaugrana
shirt... as a grown-up.know he will be brilliant in whatever shirt he'd choose to wear, right? It's just that he's best suited with a Blaugrana shirt. :) Barça did great doing all they could to get this brilliant culé back in Camp Nou, that's for sure. While I think it was worth the long wait, I will always feel a little bit sad for Arsene Wenger and Arsenal, of course, as I'm sure Cesc is, especially after that Gunners loss in the hands of the visiting Liverpool squad at The Emirates Stadium last weekend. Oh, dear... but, I guess... a culé will always be a culé and it's heart will always be restless until it's settled at home: Camp Nou.

Picking up where Cesc left off, Seydou Keita went for help from Captain Iniesta, sending a long pass to the "pale assassin" behind him before speeding towards the goal, through a crack in the Napoli defense. With the most perfect timing possible, he then jumped for a beautiful header to send a well-calculated Iniesta overhead return that completely eluded Napoli's goalkeeper, Morgan De Sanctis.
Seydou Keita, heading a big one home - lovely. Just fantastic! The men went to half-time break with the score at 2-0, for Barça.

In the second-half, several Blaugrana attempts merely collided with the Napoli goal's frame, including two big ones from Pedro Rodríguez... and it sent Guardiola's mouth open in disbelief! While errors mounted, it didn't look like Napoli were about to give Barça a chase... although I'm sure they were trying. Nevertheless, Guardiola loaded the deadly Barça gun with his "big bullets". Lionel Messi came on for Cesc Fabregas - to the loud cheers from fans, appreciation for Cesc, excitement for La Pulga's entry. Later, the "High Priest of Midfield", Xavi, came on for Thiago, and the fans went ecstatic! :)

Messi made his presence felt right away with a curved free-kick shot over a five-man wall that was intercepted by De Sanctis... but not to
Messi & Pedro: deadly bullets, thriller when together.safety. The quick-as-a-bullet Pedro caught the rebound and gave it a powerful header to find the back of the goal, redeeming himself beautifully from his previous uncharacteristic misses, 3-0. That was followed quickly by a beautiful Messi-to-Xavi on-the-run pass through heavy traffic going into the Napoli thoroughfare. Xavi, with his usual "20/20 vision" and precision passing, zeroed in and fired to the speeding Pedro on the left wing. Pedro caught the ball beautifully, ran with it fast and pretty before issuing a delectable cross that Messi brought home to an incredible finish, 4-0! Too awesome! Camp Nou went crazy... and so did I!

Not contented with a 4-0 lead, Barça kept going. The last goal was scored by the Camp Nou's "resident genius", Lionel Messi, in keeping with Barça's relentless overachieving attitude - almost to the "embarrasment" of Club President, Sandro Rosell, in deference to the visitors. :) Messi drove home a nice through-ball from Eric Abidal with his fave left kick on a nimble "mini jump" from the left side of the goal through two defenders - too cute, it was a delight to watch! :)

***
What the (exciting) future holds... at least, from one fan's point of view

Hmmm... looks like Barça is "coming together" now for the season. They were totally "in the zone" out there... unlike in both legs of their Supercopa tie with Real Madrid CF in the previous week where they were merely being their natural brilliant selves, but lacking in their usual fantastic rhythm as an extraordinary team on the pitch. But, apparently, that was enough to beat Los Blancos though, even when the Mourinho men brought
Guardiola's vision: "Something new, something old."
This season's Barça is all about "variety" - in attack.their for-desperate-measure "destroyers" game with them! :) I guess I'm just one "very spoiled" Barça fan who has gotten so used to entertaining football to come with brilliant winning everytime the Blaugranas step on the pitch.

What is exciting about Barça's showing today is that the latest line-up (which includes the all-of-a-sudden looking like "all grown-up" Sergi Roberto and Andreu Fontàs from Barça B!), with their solid talents and the flexibility of most to perform well in various roles, will give Pep Guardiola lots of attacking options - hopefully, better than last season, when Pep struggled to fill in injury-induced gaps in his First XI in crucial matches. But Pep's strength as a coach is his being such a visionary playmaker - a natural gift Barça sharpened during Pep's own time as the squad's playmaker and captain. Pep could "tweak" and take advantage of his men's talents by making traditional positions in conventional formation on the pitch as flexible avenues for his men to be creative - and effective, too. Rather than weakening in the face of injury-induced deprivation of his line-up's stalwarts, that approach gave his team the element of surprise that proved hard enough to figure out for most clubs they faced - yes, including Real Madrid! Now, with that strategy and with more capable men in his stable, he could, yet again, revolutionize football - Barça style. So, yeah, lots of reasons to fix my work sked to tolerate "reasonable busyness" only so there'd be "enough time" to enjoy fave hobby - appreciating Barça football! :)

All the best, Pep! All the best, Barça!

Alright, that's all the fun I could have today. Back to work....

***
Photo credits: Photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks!

Saturday photo

Meowww... :)

This is one of the reasons why I'm starting to like the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, and one of Taiwan's major airlines, Eva Air. Aside from EA's reasonably priced airfare, the airport - EA's hub - offers comfort through modern amenities, ample space, good food, Taiwanese art exhibits and mini galleries... and Sanrio Gift Gate's Hello Kitty! :) It's a nicely "kittified" airport! :) The luggage carts are decorated with colorful pictures of the world's most lovable Kitty, there are lounging and children's play areas decorated with colorful images of the versatile Kitty, a huge Gift Gate store that is a real heaven for the kitty-cat at heart. There is a set of old-fashioned phone booths with the Kitty's marks and colors all over them, and a wall of kitty clocks, showing the time in different major cities in the world. It's almost a "magical place"... too irresistible for an overworked '80s girl on vacation looking to momentarily escape the "real world" and the nauseating "grown-up childishness" that infests it!

***

It's a man's world!

Sackur as anchor, hurrah for Guardiola, etc., etc.!
=====================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


While I believe, with unshakable conviction, in the awesomeness of the "fairer gender" (yaay, sisters!), I have no qualms about admitting that there really is such thing as "awesome men", too. :)

***
An intellectual man, and a man of vision

Earlier this evening, BBC News surprised me once again. The network gave me another one of those "whoa!" moments. Stephen Sackur is achoring "GMT" on BBC... again! Really? Really! :) I caught him last week doing the same thing as I collapsed on my bed to decompress from a long day at work. Of course, right away, I got absorbed in the fantastic way he was manning the GMT helm, with most of their interviewees being subjected to tough questioning - in HARDtalk fashion - uncharacteristic of a "regular" news segment. :) The shaky stock market everywhere in the world was the center of discussion that time, and he tackled the issue with his usual "in command" intellectual stance. He then went on to lead a "short-selling for the dummies" dicussion/micro-lecture with the indomitable Aaron Heslehurst, using an apple. Happily, this dummy got it! =)

Here's an old clip... one of those instances when Sackur showed why he could be worthy of admiration:

"My job is to absolutely, rigorously challenge and test assumptions on all sides... to try to dig deep and get to, if there is such a thing, the truth of all these contentious issues."

If half of the journalists in the world (and especially here in the Philippines) were as intellectually endowed and as responsible as Sackur rather than as news sensationalism-driven and rating-conscious as most these days, then people in the world would be more well-informed and in a less-confused and confusing chaos. Yes, I certainly believe that Stephen Sackur is worthy of admiration! And I am definitely a big fan... and a very proud one, too. :)

Speaking of BBC, they will air their feature on the great Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, in Manila this weekend. Mr. Gorbachev's face was the inspiring image in my head everytime I sang along Sting's brilliant and valiant "Russians" - one of my favorite songs - on the radio in my teenage days in the '80s:

"We share the same biology regardless of ideology... there's no such thing as a winnable war, it's a lie we don't believe anymore."

The BBC's "Mikhail Gorbachev: The great dissident" promises to be an interesting feature... and quite nostalgic, too, for young people from the '80s who had witnessed the end of the "Cold War" and the fall of the Berlin Wall, thanks to Gorbachev's vision, wisdom and goodwill - embodied in "Perestroika". I can't wait!

***
Sportsmen

Tennis. I know I have been posting more on football lately... but, no, I haven't forgotten tennis - that's not possible! First of all, I have been having a very limited "hobby time"... my schedule in my "day job" these days is a complete monstrosity, and it eats tennis blogging time like a, uhm, terrible monster. :( But, while I'm still smarting from the
Roger Federer getting back to (winning) form.QF exit of Roger Federer in the 2011 Wimbledon, I have been paying attention to the goings on here and there. Actually, I was finding things a bit weird last week, with World #2, Rafael Nadal, getting ousted from the Rogers Cup in Montreal in the second round of the tournament! And then, the following day, Roger Federer crashed in the third round - a repeat of his 2011 Wimbledon QF exit in the hands of Frenchman, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, after cruising into the third round. And the Wimbledon hurt was renewed - for me! ;)

Tsonga went on to beat the Spaniard, Nicolas Almagro, to reach the semi-final against Novak Djokovic, only to retire in the
Novak Djokovic, with his 5th ATP title for the season.second set. That set up a final between the World #1, Djokovic, and the American, Mardy Fish, who put aside the "other Swiss", Stanislas Wawrinka, in their three-set semi-final match. Of course, The Djoker went on to win the title... okay, I concede, nothing "weird" about that one! :) Seriously, the guy is simply unstoppable! As for Andy Murray... uhm, sorry, he vanished in the draw before I could pay him any attention. Nah, nothing weird about that either! ;)

The men are currently competing again over at Cincinnati for the last tournament before the last Grand Slam of the Season - the US Open - next week. Although work is threatening to crush me flat in the coming weeks (so, what's new, right? *sigh*), I'll try to make time to post some on US Open. Good luck to me! :)

Football. In the football front, Chelsea's hotshot new boss, Andre Villas-Boas, flopped in his debut as The Blues helmsman. The always surprising Stoke City sneaked a goal through Chelsea's defense, which The Blues didn't have an answer for in their season opening match... not that they had time to answer anyway. The pretty-boy Portuguese tactician
Sergio Agüero, Manchester City's new lethal weapon.will have a chance to right his slip-up as The Blues face West Brom tomorrow at Stamford Bridge.

Over in Manchester, many are awed by the newly acquired Machester City striker, the Argentine, Sergio "Kun" Agüero - formerly from Atletico Madrid - fresh from a fine showing at the Copa America last summer. Needless to say, after seeing his spectacular two-goal showing, debuting as a substitute in the second-half of Machester City's clash with the EPL "new boys", Swansea City, I share most pundits' opinion: Roberto Mancini is in serious business this season! However, I'm not sure if I could say the same thing about the embattled Arsenal FC boss, Arsene Wenger, these days. Oh, dear....

Speaking of Wenger and his sorrows, stories about how former Gunner captain and now Barça's new "precious one", Cesc Fàbregas (yes, he who launched Barça's bench to
Cesc Fàbregas (second from left),
a silverware in just three days.touchline "war" with Real Madrid), won his first silverware in six years - only three days after his unveiling at Barça - still proliferate in the internet. He played a part in the crucial Lionel Messi goal that secured the win for the Catalans in the Spanish Supercopa, too. The "brutal welcome" of Cesc to Spanish Liga of Real Madrid's Marcelo via a horrifically dangerous tackle, which sparked the latest El Clásico brawl, is still one of the most talked about incidents in the football world as well. The wonderful thing about Cesc is that he is not making a mountain out of it, regardless of it not being a molehill either... with José Mourinho and his destroyers' latest despicable antics going from ugly to really, really cheap!

Speaking of "wonderful conduct", Barça's boss, Pep Guardiola is doing a good job avoiding a "word war" with the deranged Madrid boss,
Guardiola and Mourinho, a contrast
in personality and winning style.Mourinho. He sticks to the issue of football on the pitch, and Barça's goal of retaining their hard-won glory in the previous season through commitment to honest playing of the beautiful game. He is not washing Barça's hands in the unfortunate brawl towards the end of the Supercopa final last Wednesday, however, and issued a warning that if both teams did not make real efforts to stick to football on and off the pitch, the bitterness and hot tempers on the pitch might boil over off the pitch, too... and not among the players either. That is actually a worth-heeding warning as Barça's and Madrid's most passionate fans exchange bitter words following the brawls that have become a usual spectacle in El Clásico.

Whether Pep's call for calm would be heeded by the two sides remains to be seen. In the mean time, many football fans are excited by how Real Madrid seemed to be getting closer to matching Barça's prowess on the pitch, as shown by the 5-4 score in the Supercopa. That was a BIG improvement from the 5-0 brutal thrashing they endured in the hands of Barça last November 2010. Whether Los Blancos would be able to sustain their momentum, despite their mentally and emotionallly out-of-control Portuguese boss, will be known when the new season opens. However, the Spanish La Liga's opening is postponed due to the players strike and the negotiation deadlock between the Professional Football League, LFP, and the players union. So, we wait.

Yep, it's been a "man's world" the past few days. Nope, not complaining! ;)

***
Photos: Photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks.
Videos: Thanks, YouTube for the videos.

2011 Spanish Super Cup: brilliance + brawl = a disappointment

And the winner is... FC Barcelona! And the loser is... very sore!
====================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo

And so... they did it again! The Spanish La Liga season
Xavi, Barça's vice-captain,
lifting their season opener
silverware acquisition.opener victory goes to... Barça! The mighty reigning European Champions, FC Barcelona, crushed the visitors, Real Madrid CF, in the second leg of their Spanish Super Cup tie via a 3-2 victory at Camp Nou, 5-4 on aggregate. The Spanish football Titans' first-leg clash in Estadio de Santiago Bernabéu finished with a 2-2 draw last Sunday. Barça's game was looking a bit "off" their usual no-hole, hunt-in-a-pack on-the-pitch script while Los Blancos looked "in the zone". Nevertheless, the 2011 La Liga Champs had enough fire power to draw their away match. While the intensity was almost tangible, with a prayer, the "brawl" in Bernabéu remained all about football - and not much else. The El Clásico intensity continued, and the heat went fever-pitch, with the mightier than ever Catalans hosting the second leg, and this time, while brilliance shone from both sides, the intensity was such that many "saw red" - on the pitch! *sigh*

***
An exchange of brilliant fire powers... one deadlier than the other

Football fans were treated to many pieces of delightful El Clásico brilliance... well, at least, as far as football was concerned.

The talented man who slotted the 2010 World Cup-winning goal for Spain,
Too good. Iniesta chipped the Blanco Numero Uno's ego. Andres Iniesta, was the first to come through with a sure-fire and, oh, so elegant touch - a great finish for a hard-fought through-ball from Barça's little genius, Lionel Messi. Iniesta sent the ball to the Madrid goal with a flick over Iker Casillas's head, burning some thread in the Blanco Numero Uno's net... and ego, 1-0. Refusing to be outshone, the visitors responded with gusto via a confused/confusing (literally) shot from Cristiano Ronaldo (or Sergio Ramos?) through a very nice Karim Benzema low cross from a Mesut Özil corner, sending the threads of Victor Valdes's gloves a-smokin' some, 1-1.

A few breaths before half-time, Messi caught Gerard Piqué's eyes... and Piqué's awesome back-heel pass, too. La Pulga took it
Two against one... and it was a Messi affair.through to the Los Blancos defense - full-throttle - with the desperately-trying-to-catch-up Ronaldo at his heel, followed by Sami Khedira and Sergio Ramos. A swerve, and he lost Ronaldo and everyone else... and then he kicked the ball over the sprawled Casillas with a fire-pointed shot that sent a burning sensation, I imagine, on Real's #1, 2-1! It was a fiery message. The Catalans are not surrendering Camp Nou - never! And Los Blancos didn't miss the heat radiated by the Messi kick in the air either. Muscles flexed, jaws tighthened... but they all went for half-time break.

The Spanish Titans returned on the pitch for the second-half action...
Benzema, RM's worthy Knight.eyes to victory. Real's Benzema broke the noisy silence with an exciting equalizer via deaf-focus in the midst of 20 men, all a-frenzy for the ball in the penalty area, following a corner kick from Kaká and a fiery header assist from Pepe. The effort resulted in a Benzema short-range shot that beat Valdes's reflexes - 2-2! Mercury went rising... the heat surged on!

The nervy score, and with only a few minutes left, would've been enough to send a weak man's knees wobbling. But those of the "debut boy"
Messi con Fàbregas, La Masia days all over again.Cesc Fàbregas's, who came on from the bench in the second half with about eight minutes remaining, and those of the hardened Brazilian defender Adriano's were as steady as rock. They set up the on-fire Messi for a beautiful, beautiful goal, where the little genius stretched to slip Adriano's cross through the outstretched Pepe, and then through the completely-beaten-by-a-quarter-second Casillas to find the back of the Los Blancos goal - BRILLIANT! 3-2... Camp Nou erupted - in frenzied appreciation... and so did Mourinho's ego - suffocating in the thick air of defeat!

***
Somebody overdid it - and it was ugly!

I understand - intensity, intensity... and the Real Madrid and FC Barcelona players are such high achievers, none of them would like to hear about defeat. But, that doesn't warrant giving in to the "dirty
Bad boy Pepe, doing his thing.tackle demon", which Pepe (of course!), and more so Marcelo, once again did. *sigh* Marcelo was exceptionally terrible this time. First, he sneaked a kick at Lionel Messi's side while pretending to reach the ball with a high jump. It sent Messi to the ground, feeling the pain... and Messi is one player who keeps going even when hurt and bleeding. But the terrible Marcelo got away with it, and so did Mourinho with his unsportsmanlike gesture at Lionel Messi, so unbecoming of the manager of one of the best sides on the planet, after Messi exchanged heated words with Marcelo. *sigh* Second, at 3-2 with Barcelona in the lead, smelling the strong scent of defeat, with just a couple more minutes to full-time, the Brazilian defender brought down Cesc Fàbregas with an unnecessarily forceful leg hack. I gotta admit, I darted to my feet - from shock - when I saw it! It was too reckless, irresponsible, terrible!! *fuming mad here* Marcelo was immediately shown a
Marcelo, in one of his rare moments
when he's kicking the ball instead of
Barça players. straight red card while Cesc went down writhing in pain. Like very good friends (and I gathered, they really are, too), the whole Barça squad came to Cesc... and a brawl erupted - of course! *sigh*

It was dizzying and confusing minutes, swimming through a flood of Blaugrana and Blancos shirts as stretched tempers snapped and exploding in a mass brawl! Soon Mesut Özil and David Villa, who have both been substituted and were sitting on their team's respective benches, were being pulled away from a puddle of Blaugrana and Blanco shirts - red cards being shown to both of them. Huh?? Aren't they two of the nicest guys in the football universe? What happened? *sigh*

Tsk, tsk... but both sides were playing good football out there! Ugh, Marcelo! Why do you have to ruin it all?? Why can't you abandon the Mourinho dirty football tactic?! What a disappointment.... and very, very frustrating, too! *sigh*

***
And he did "it" again... he who is "special"

In the middle of all that frustrating and disappointing pushing and
Mourinho, sore loser.pulling and yelling at the touchline, the camera caught a (seemingly deranged) man in black, sneaking to pull the ears/poke the eye of an unsuspecting Barça staff, who happened to be Barça's assistant coach, Tito Vilanova! And then the man walked away swiftly like a thief, and with an evil grin on his face, too (imagine???), when Vilanova turned to push him. The man in black was José Mourinho... yes, Real Madrid's "special coach" no less! sigh* The Real Madrid bench saw the pushing, and naturally, they thought Mourinho was being attacked without provocation... and a whole new trouble began! sigh* The Real Madrid Portuguese boss is crawling very low on cheap dirt now... extremely cheap - to the lowest pit of out-of-control insanity! *sigh, sigh, sigh*

And what did Mourinho have to say in his presscon after the match? Well,
Guardiola, cool victor.some deranged sour graping comments - complete rubbish not worthy of printing, of course! Good thing Pep Guardiola kept his cool - as most of the time - and had nothing but good things to say about his Blaugrana men, "They made an enormous effort. They showed what they are like: eternal, legendary, unrepeatable and honest, people who like to train and play football... Honestly, looking at how they responded, it is a privilege and an honour to be their manager." When asked about how things turned ugly towards the end of the tie, he said, "We came to a situation at the end that we have taken badly. The pictures speak for themselves. They think we are always diving, and we think the opposite. I have model players, both on the pitch and in press conferences. We shall just carry on playing football and we shall be as quiet as we can. We are a team that wants to play football as well as possible."

Congratulations, Pep! CONGRATULATIONS, Barça!

As for Real Madrid, well, I hope that the Real Madrid leadership would
So, uhm... hey, Mou, does this hurt? :)see what a disgrace Mourinho is to their Club. The Blancos have shown that they can have tremendous quality on the pitch, too - worthy opponents to the incredible Barça. The way most of them play, when they are playing honest football (say, in the Spanish National Team, for instance), make them great ambassadors of Spanish football as well... and of the beautiful game that is football, as a whole. Therefore, they deserve a better and more honorable manager - seriously!

***
Photo and video credits: Photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks! And thanks, YouTube, for the video links.

Wednesday nostalgia...

Here's to you, raise a glass for everyone. Here's to them underneath that burning sun... Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

It's Christmas time! Well, everyday is supposed to be Christmas day, isn't it? And Band Aid's music marked Christmas with a song that makes people aware of their ability to free millions of less fortunate people from the enslaving bondage of hunger... and actually challenges people to do so: "Feed the World".

Watching this video is like watching my teenage days... frame after frame is filled with memories. I consider myself very lucky to have spent my teenage days in the '80s - during those awesome days of the second "British Invasion". And this video is a testament of those wonderful days... showcasing those brilliant British and Irish acts - from Duran Duran to U2, from Culture Club to Wham, from Status Quo to Ultravox, from Spandau Ballet to Bananarama, from Sting to Paul Young, from Paul Weller to Jim Kerr, from Phil Collins to Bob Geldof. Ah, they who filled my teenage days with unforgettable music.

Assembled by Boomtown Rats's Bob Geldof of the "I don't like Mondays" fame and Ultravox's Midge Ure of the original version of "Dancing with tears in my eyes" fame, Band Aid was a gathering of among the most famed British and Irish (and American) recording artists in the '80s. The "supergroup" recorded "Do they know it's Christmas?" to raise funds to aid the famine victims of Ethiopia. It was a successful single, shooting to #1 in the British Chart upon its release in November 1984, and remained in the #1 spot for five weeks. With one million copies sold on its first week of release, the record remains to be the fastest-selling record of all time in the UK, and one of the biggest-selling records in the UK (and the world) to date. It raised more than £10 million for the Ethiopian famine relief fund.

In the following year, the record became a concert dubbed as "Live Aid", featuring the contributors in the original single plus a few more, and their American counterparts, USA for Africa - the brainchild of the late Michael Jackson, and Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones. I remember being awed by how Phil Collins flew on the Concorde to be in two continents (North America and Europe) to perform in the two venues for the intercontinental concert and via-satellite global airing of "Live Aid": the Wembley Stadium in London, England and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Close to 2 billion people from about 150 countries watched the live broadcast of "Live Aid"... and it was a truly joyous occasion for music fans all around the globe. As a teenager, it was a "magic moment" for me. I saw how talent, will and commitment to wonderful things can create a miracle - bringing people together for a common cause, and producing remarkable results, too. All of that while letting happiness envelope the globe... through music. Absolutely brilliant!

***
Acknowledgement: Thanks for the video, YouTube.

Cesc Fàbregas dribbles the ball on familiar pitch...

...via tiki-taka, after a long journey.
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo

Cesc Fàbregas... home, at last!

"Back home" reads a banner in the FC Barcelona website. "The prodigal son has returned" is how Barça fans in the Total Barça website put it. Yep, the "transfer saga" finally comes to a close via an estimated £35M initial deal. Cesc Fàbregas is back in Camp Nou with FC Barcelona - his boyhood Club - where he belongs. Eight years... that's how long he was away. And in those years, he worked his way from a 16-year-old new recruit to become the team captain of one of English Premier League's top club, Arsenal FC, at the age of 21 years. His fantastic talents and skills as a midfielder, unearthed and honed in the famed La Masia of Barça, rose to world-class quality under The Gunners' French coach, Arsene Wenger. The 24-year-old sprinkled The Emirates Stadium with dust of incredible brilliance throughout his stay, and he was loved and admired by Gooners for that... but home beckoned, and its call the forever cule, Cesc, just cannot ignore - and will not ignore.

Wearing the #4 jersey, Cesc reunites with fellow La Masia alumni and Barça Youth teammates, "the little genius", Lionel Messi, and Gerard Piqué, on the pitch, under the guidance of his boyhood hero and role model, Pep Guardiola. He joins world-class midfielders from his 2010 World Cup-winning Spanish National Team, who are all Barça Youth Team products like himself: the Maestro of midfield, Xavi Hernandez, the "other little genius", Andrés Iniesta, and Barça's defensive midfield specialist, Sergio Busquets in Camp Nou. As such, the former Gunners captain is expected to sit some matches out on the bench... but it is Barça - the best squad in the universe at the moment... and viewed by many as the best ever. Perhaps, any brilliant footballer would be more than happy just to wear its Blaugrana shirt. And, Cesc isn't just "any brilliant footballer" either... he is a Barça fan who loves the Catalan giants' shirt as well! And so, while it is a sad day for the Gooners, Camp Nou rejoices as it welcomes back a gem of a son!

All the best, Cesc!

***
Photo credit: Getty image via Total Barça website - thanks.

Early "explosions" on the pitch

From Spain to England, football "explosions" reverberate throughout the planet.
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


And the long wait is over... The beautiful world of European football is alive again! BRAWL of wills and wits - on the pitch! Bring it on!

***
The clash of Spanish Titans ushers in the new La Liga season

And so, the 2011-2012 season of the Spanish La Liga is ushered in by a Clásico!

The 2010-2011 La Liga - Primera Division winners, FC Barcelona, clash with the Copa del Rey winners, Real Madrid CF, for the first leg of their Spanish Super Cup contest at Estadio de Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid today. Pundits rate the first Clásico as a must-win for Los Blancos, who were outclassed by Barça last season and, therefore, have a lot to prove this season. The Blaugranas, on the other hand, had an almost perfect 2010-2011 season, winning both the La Liga - for the third time in three straight years, and the UEFA Champions League - for the second time in three years, with only the Copa del Rey slipping out of their grasp through a 1-0 loss to Real Madrid on extra time. While many rate this season opener as a meaningless match and just a mere teaser for what is to come this season, hey, a Clásico is a Clásico! It's going to be as "explosive" as ever!

But, will it, really - be "explosive"? While admitting their desire to win the Super Cup, Barça's coach, Pep Guardiola downplays their chances,
Pep Guardiola, Barça's caballero boss.pointing out the late coming together of his squad for preparation with key players, including Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano, Dani Alves and the new acquisition, Alexis Sanchez, not able to participate in the pre-season matches as they were called by their respective National Teams to take part in the Copa America last summer. That resulted in a defeat against Manchester United in their Stateside clash in Washington D.C. Six more men from his squad were called by the Spanish National Team coach, Vicente del Bosque, to play in a friendly with Italy last Wednesday in Bari, which the Spanish Team lost, 1-0. Add to that, Guardiola pointed out, the fact that Xavi Hernandez and Carles Puyol are still not 100% healthy for a 90-minute feature - in a Clasico no less - and you have a real problematic situation. But, Guardiola refuses to make excuses. His side travels to Madrid with an intention of winning, he insisted.

Real Madrid's coach, José Mourinho, on the other hand, didn't disappoint. He is being his "explosive" self again - off
José Mourinho... Real Madrid's oh,
so "special" manager. the pitch. Now, that is surely something to be expected. Mourinho does have something to be arrogant about though - in his twisted belief of "self-entitled" arrogrance. Real Madrid did fantastic in their pre-season friendlies. They were "trigger-happy" on the pitch, trashing all their opponents completely. They are definitely gelling nicely to a cohesive force... threatening to make good of Mourinho's boastful warning last season that his second season with a squad is usually his best year, not that he lasted more than three years in the three sides he managed before Real Madrid anyway.

But yes, after last season, it would be too optimistic to expect "friendly" competition between these giant Spanish sides. And with Mourinho running the show in Bernabéu, we pray that no incident would happen that might mar the reputation of Spanish football (if last season's tongue-clicker of Clasicos hadn't turned off some football fans yet) and football as a whole as that beautiful game. Amen. :)

***
English heavy weights feature at the EPL opening

Over at the English Premier League, three of the "big four" from last season are in action this weekend, and one will see action on Monday.

Arsenal went ahead yesterday, Saturday, with a disappointing scorless match against Newcastle United. The Gunners played without their team captain, Cesc Fàbregas, who is in the process of finalizing his transfer to FC Barcelona - finally! Samir Nasri, who was also missed in the Gunners' opening match is also in the process of finalizing his likely move from the Emirates Stadium to the City of Manchester Stadium.

Today, Manchester United, fresh from their exciting win of the
Manchester United, the EPL 2010-2011 Champs.Community Shield contest against Manchester City last week, will see action against West Bromwich Albion. Chelsea, on the other hand, will be away to meet Stoke City, in what the Portuguese hotshot coach, Andre Villas-Boas's maiden match as The Blues manager. Many are speculating on the outcome of his first outing with The Blues. Well, we will find out soon enough, won't we?

Manchester City will see action against Swansea City tomorrow, Monday, with their new acquisition, Argentine striker, Sergio Aguero taking part in their opening match. Aguero transferred from Atletico Madrid this summer. Roberto Mancini decided to bench his captain, Carlos Tevez, who just returned from vacation this week, following his Copa America stint with the Argentina National Team. The Citizens are the heavy favorites to take their first match to a win, with the exception of José Mourinho, who believes Swansea's manager, Brendan Rodgers - Mourinho's former second man during his tenure as Chelsea manager - can pull an upset against The Citizens. We shall see if the Special One's crystal ball is telling the truth.

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Photo credits: Photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks.