Typical.

"The Socceroos are out because of a woeful refereeing decision, but they are not the only team to claim that. Spanish official Jose Medina Cantalejo, the same man who adjudicated the play-off against Uruguay in Sydney last November, was sucked in by a piece of amateur theatrics from Italian full-back Fabio Grosso in the 93rd minute.

Lucas Neill, again one of Australia's best, got in a tangle at the byline, but there was only minimal contact. Cantalejo saw what no one else did, and pointed to the spot. Substitute Totti took the burden, and delivered the penalty to decide the match. There wasn't even time for a kick-off."

Read the rest of the article here. I have to admit, however, that the play was neither Italy's best, nor a glamourous way to win or exit the match. However much I was rooting for a Socceroo loss, it's gotta be tough losing like that... granted they did whine and wail about it as was to be expected, but you gotta give it up to them for not only bursting into the international football scene, but also having the mettle to come this far...

***

Whatever happened to the young man's heart
Swallowed by pain as he slowly fell apart

"45" - Shinedown

More football ranting.

"I think if we take them from behind and go in hard, the Italians wont know what hit them and we will catch them off guard.

We definitely have the momentum to make it to the semi-finals in the World Cup. If we triumph over Italy, we face either Switzerland or Ukraine. The outcome of the next game would most likely be to the benefit of the Socceroos. Although a mostly defencive team, Italy has show it's weakness against the US. With Guus's brilliant game tactics, I think a goal in the second half will win a game of 1-0 for Australia."

Poor grammar/spelling aside, that is precisely why an Australian win over Italy is not only a. fucking annoying, and b. next to impossible. It's all fun and games to get your expectations up (and bag the opponent while you're at it -- see here), but let's get real here. Hello? It's Italy we're talking about. Who have won the Cup... oh, 3 times (albeit the last more than 24 years ago, but still), and have no difficulty even qualifying, while the Socceroos are taking one game at a time and harbours hopes to not only beat Italy, but also Switzerland or Ukraine (possibly, but I think not), and Germany or Argentina and so on and so forth to - gasp - win the Cup.

That having been said, Australia is the worst sore loser I've ever seen in a sporting arena. Blaming their loss against Brazil as a result of poor refereeing decisions and persecution (even the coach proclaims to have "been unhappy with the refereeing of Merk, whom he believed had favoured Brazil with some contentious decisions"), rather than their own lack of experience and aggressive AFL style tackles? Whatever happened to fair play and friendly rivalry and all the mumbo-jumbo keywords it likes to spout? Grow up, Socceroos!

My fellow TAB kaki is currently back in flogging land so we have to settle for Pools from now on, and I have to learn the system from scratch. :P

***

"Un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de Dios." (A little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.)

- Diego Maradona on his controversial punching of the ball into the net versus in 1986. The referee completely missed it and awarded a goal -- it was caught on camera and only exposed after!

Some devil.

It's quite telling when you read the papers one morning and the headline:

'Multi-govt effort to fight piracy takes off: 11 nations sign pact, more expected to follow; information centre to be based here'

makes your heart skip a beat. Even the opening paragraph did little to clue me in, watery metaphors nonwithstanding:

"After years of talk, a multi-government plan to combat piracy in Asian waters will finally take off, with Singapore holding fort."

It took a couple of paras and several "vessel" mentions after, but I finally got it: Piracy as in "ARR!". Eh, it could be figurative, what... There I was thinking I'd have to forgo torrenting and have to (gasp) buy ANTM (and House and Monk and AR) off the shelves if it came down to that... or rely on shitty programming and entire-season delays down under for my fixes.

It's tough living like a fugitive in your own home...

***

You said always and forever
Is such a long and lonely time

"Some Devil" - Dave Matthews Band (love it!)

Satin doll.

7 days (and just 5 betting days o_O!) after my very first World Cup match between Japan and Australia, I am officially that much closer to breaking even after today's ESP-TUN match. To cut a long story short,

Total losses: $162.50 (une telle déception, la France)
Total winnings: $98
Current deficit: AU$64.50

Tonight's match has been the ultimate heartstopping one (for me) thus far: Spain made the biggest comeback ever -- from being one down in the first half, to scoring THREE goals after the 75th minute! To think I'd just about given up hope (and already begun calculating my losses) after the first half... Torres is now my current favourite (just ahead of Ljungberg!) for cup hero. :>

Special mention also goes to Brazil for showing Australia its rightful place (and for making me money ;>)... try again next 32 years Socceroos! On that note, this space is probably going to be chockful with similar manic fan posts way up til the Cup final on the 9th, so fair warning for those completely uninterested in the game... there be football frenzy in the airrrr.

***

In a box high up on the shelf
Left for you, no one else
There's a piece of a puzzle known as life
Wrapped in guilt, sealed up tight

"45" - Shinedown

On Saturday afternoons in 1963.

France... oh France... how you have failed me... :(

In the sun.

3 goals in 8 bloody minutes! I'm not sure which annoys me more... that Japan lost (byebye $30), or that the local papers will be absolutely chock full of a bragging win tomorrow!

***

Cameron: Gee, I wonder what this is going to be about.

Wilson: I just want to make sure no one gets hurt.

Cameron: I'll be fine. Everybody’s acting like I’m going out with Jack the Ripper.

Wilson: Oh, it’s not you I’m worried about. It’s been a long time since he opened up to someone, and I… you better be absolutely sure you want this, because if he opens up again and gets hurt, I don’t think there’s going to be a next time.

Cameron: You’re worried that I’m going to break his heart?

In loving memory of...



The vid is every Cabot fangirl's dream!

@ Boutique.

1 Vodka Cranberry
1 Tequila shot
1 Barcardi Breezer
1 Slippery Nipple
1 Midori Lemonade
1 Southern Comfort
1 massive night of fun

I don't believe I've ever drunk quite as much as I did last night, but boy did we have hella lot of fun. Thanks for the wonderful time guys, we're so doing Tantra next time (like, 2 months down the road; my brain needs time to recuperate!)...

In other news, I'm all done with the official assignments (finally!), but I have to meet the sup next Tuesday for a check-in before the hols, so I forsee a couple of pretty sleepless nights in the days ahead what with late-night soccer and all. I absolutely cannot wait for Japan to win tomorrow (and they will!)...

***

You can't be angry at God and not believe in him at the same time.

Georgiana.

It's actually quite a relief that my final assignment of the semester so happens to be the least brainboggling of the lot. A fairly straightforward academia-based one, assessing the concept and explanatory usefulness of primary definers in the news. It's 2.40am, and I'm about a third done. T minus 13 hours to the dateline, and here I am blogging like I haven't anything better to do. I don't, actually, since homework hardly qualifies as "better", but I do have 10 episodes of House waiting for me when I'm done, so that does make for some pretty sweet incentive.

E and I are doing homework together, and it's kinda cute, in a way...

***

"You think that the only truth that matters is the truth that can be measured. Good intentions don't count, what's in your heart doesn't count, caring doesn't count. A man's life can be measured by how many tears are shed when he dies. Just because you can't measure them, because you don't wanna measure them, doesn't mean it's not real."

"No Reason", House S2 E24

I've got a feeling.

It's 7.22am on the 6th, and I am one conclusion away from being done with my second paper due later this afternoon. It feels indescribably good (I'm not even as zonked as I should be) to have it over and done with, but as soon as I get back from turning it in later, I have... another whopping 2.5k to work on tonight, by tomorrow! I'll probably manage somehow, in all likelihood, but on the bright side, I'll have the next 2 days to sleep it off before cheonging thesis stuff in time for next Tuesday...

***

Sometimes you love, and you learn... and you move on, and that's okay.

The masquerade is over.

We tell ourselves what we want to hear when things don't go our way. "It wasn't meant to be", "I lucked out", and "they had it out for me from the beginning" is so much easier than "I suck, I failed, I wasn't good enough".

***

Winter is cold
Oh, but you're colder still

"You Made Me The Thief Of Your Heart" - Sinead O'Connor

Thief.

It's right about the time where I sell my soul to the devil in order to get all my essays done in time. I have, for the record, two essays due in the next three days, both of them 2.5k media reports, neither of which I have really started due to a last-minute cramming on the previous essay. I can't believe the semester's whizzed by so fast -- not that I didn't have a good time and all that, it's just that there was absolutely no time to take a real breather or do anything outside of school stuff. I sortov anticipated a fairly full-on preliminary semester in my first postgrad year, but this takes intense to a whole new level altogether. If I survive these 3 days unscathed, I swear I'll start on my final essays next semester at least a fortnight earlier!

Ha-ha. -_-

***

"There's no such thing as the perfect soulmate. If you meet someone and you think they're perfect, you better run as fast as you can in the other direction. 'Cos your soulmate is the person that pushes all your buttons, pisses you off on a regular basis, and makes you face your shit."

"I'm Going To Tell You A Secret" - Madonna