The inconsiderate #$%^&*@s are back

There are those who remembered my rant "It can only happened in Lahad Datu" from December 2005 about inconsiderate drivers who jumped queues near my housing area.

Guess what? They are back after 2 years hibernation.

It is now December 2007, it is the school holidays. Yet this stretch of road still suffers from a massive jam every day starting from 7am until 8 or 9am. It now takes 40 minutes to travel 500 meters, and my 10 minute drive to the office now becomes a 50 minute crawl.

As usual these inconsiderate jerks took the side road on the left to escape queuing on the main road. When they reach the junction shown in the photo they expect cars jammed on the main road (which hardly moved at all due to these jerks' inconsiderate behavior) to actually give way to them so that they can rejoin the main road. The most remarkable thing is the cars on the main road actually let them get away with it, and suffer in silence!

Too bad if one has a sick passenger needing urgent medical attention at the hospital located only 5 minutes drive away. Must be nice and give way to these jerks first. Your passenger died? Tough luck.

After my initial rant in 2005, the Road Transport Department (JPJ) did station their officers at that junction to stop this farce. It worked, and for two years all is well, and everyone get to work and school on time.

I shudder to think what will happen on 3rd January 2008 when school starts, and the traffic flow doubles.

Hey JPJ people! Get to work!

Season's Greetings

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.


All the Christmas shopping's finished. The gift wrapping's done. The Christmas Eve dinner at a local hotel booked. The missus bought enough food for Christmas Day lunch to give my cardiologist hypertension.

The Wombats wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2008. May there be more peace on Earth and goodwill to all mankind. During the festivities, give a thought and a prayer for those who are less fortunate and may their lives be a better one in the coming year.


Yes microWombie, there is a Santa Claus. He exists in our hearts always, and he will be there as long as you want him.

Liverpool 0 - Manchester United 1

I waited 2 weeks for this match. I was so sure that this time Liverpool will beat Manchester United at Anfield. The time is now--- not!


We lost again, to a sucker-punch ball just before half time. Why oh why oh why do Liverpool always has to lose to Man Utd either just before half time or just before the end of the match? Are we jinxed?

Well, at least this time I can live with the lost--- almost. Both teams played their hearts out, though I felt that Man Utd came to Anfield just to get a 1-0 win, or worse, a draw. So they packed the midfield and the defense. For the final 20 minutes, they parked the bus.

The referee did a good job, and was fair with his decisions, unlike the one in that Reading match.

There was no diving or blatant attempt to cheat, well, almost. That little twit in the number 7 MU shirt did try to dive in the fifteenth minute but the referee did not buy it.

Liverpool fielded the exact same team that demolished Marseile last week, and the understanding between the players grew as a result. No more of those frustrating missed opportunities just because players cannot read each other thoughts. If Rafa field this team again in that League Cup match tomorrow night, we may just have Chelsea for supper. (Hey, I lost my dinner, so no more dessert!)

As for Man Utd, we will meet again, in the League Cup, FA Cup, Champions League and EPL return match at Old Trafford. Plenty of opportunity for revenge. That is, if you don't get knocked out by other teams first!

We need a new tree next year

Sunday night....

Wombat : *Drag Christmas tree out from the store room*

Little Wombat : *Assembles tree*

Wombat : *Untangles chasing lights and coil them around tree*

microWombie : *Hang ornaments all over tree*

Mrs Wombat : *Clean up white teddy bear*

Wombat : *Places star ornament on top of tree*

Wombat : "Ready?"

MrsW/LW/mW : "Yes!"

Wombat : "And now, let there be lights!" *click* :


That was the annual setting up of the Wombats family Christmas tree. It won't rival any of the trees in the shopping malls or hotels. It's our family tradition to set it up at least twelve days before Christmas and taken down only after the twelfth day of Christmas.

We have been using this tree for the past thirteen years. The tree does look a bit aged and tired, but we had a lot of great times around it during Christmas. Little Wombat and microWombie grew up with it. Those pine cones are real, picked from the area around Perkasa Hotel in Kundasang.

I may want to get a new tree next year, but am in two minds about disposing this one for it has so much memories. Oh well, let me think it over during the next twelve months.

But if we do replace it, this is what we will probably get next year :

Be afraid, Man Utd, be very afraid...

UEFA Champions League.

For some strange reason Liverpool dug themselves a very deep hole in the group stage this season, thus requiring them to win the remaining three group matches to have any hope of progressing to the Final-16 knock-out stage, where the big money is.

"Difficult/Impossible/Nightmare/No-chance/Hopeless etc", said the pundits.

"A man can dream, can't he?" I said.

Match Day #Four : Liverpool 8 - Besiktas 0. (Gawd, that felt good!)

Match Day #Five : Liverpool 4 - FC Porto 1. (Two down, one to go.)

Early this morning...

Match Day #Six : Liverpool 4 - Marseille 0. (And who said it cannot be done?)


Liverpool is through to the last sixteen a.k.a. knock-out stage, for the fourth year in a row.

I mean, one look at the starting XI is enough to tell me Reds will be in for a goal fest, despite playing on Marseille's homeground. With a starting XI consisting of Torres, Kuyt, Kewell, Gerrard, Mascherano, Benayoun, Riise, Carragher, Hyypia, Arbeloa, Reina, everything is possible. Best of all, there's no sign of Momo Sisoko, Voronin or Crouch.


This Sunday Liverpool will face Manchester United at Anfield in the English Premier League and then Chelsea in the League Cup a few days later. If manager Rafa maintains this team and stop playing his rotation Russian roulette, victory against M*n U*d is not only possible but assured. And we will not have to dive to get goals, unlike a certain number 7 on a certain team.

Then we will have Chelsea for dessert later.