I don’t know what to say, really. We got three minutes left till the biggest battle of our professional lives.. It all comes down to today. We either heal as a team, or we crumble, inch by inch, play by play – until we’re finished.

We’re in hell right now, gentlemen, believe me.

We can sit here and get the shit kicked out of us, or we can fight our way back into the light; we can climb out of this anger and this doubt and this uncertainty – we can climb out of hell – one inch at a time, or.. I wish I could do it for you, but I can’t. I’m too old.

I look around at your faces and I see young men and I think I made every wrong choice a middle-aged old man can make – my life is a long list of rookie mistakes. I pissed away all my money, chased off everyone that loved me… lately I can’t even stand the face I see in the mirror. As we get older, some things are taken away. Well, that’s part of life, but you only learn that when you lose something. You find out that life is the game of inches!

So’s football.

Because the margin for error in either game, football of life, is so small… so small, guys. One half-step too late or too early and you don’t quite make it. One half-second too slow or too fast and you don’t quite catch it ‘cause it’s half a fingertip away. The inches we need are everywhere around us, they’re in every break of the game, every minute, every second.

Mandrake forgot that. He was grabbing for miles when he only needed inches. And on this team there are no shortcuts. There are no more Doctor Mandrakes. On this team we fight for that inch! We tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch! We claw with out fingernails for that inch ‘cause when you add up all those inches, that is what makes the fucking difference between winning and losing – between living and dying…

In any fight I can tell you this,k It’s the guy who’s willing to die who’s going to win that inch. And I know that if I’m gonna have any kind of life anymore, it’s because I’m still willing to fight and die for that inch…

That’s what living is.

The six inches in front of your face. I can’t make you do it. You have to look around – look at the guy next to you – look into his eyes – and I think you’ll see a guy you know will go that inch with you. You’ll see a guy who’ll sacrifice himself for his team because when it comes down to it, he knows you would do the same for him! That’s a team, gentlemen!... And either we will heal now as a team – or we will die as individuals.

That’s football, guys; that’s all it is.

Now what are you going to do?

Taken from the movie Any Given Sunday starring Al Pacino. With stunning speeches and priceless expressions such as this one, he is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors who ever graced the silver screens. Hope you enjoyed it.

Assembly on Saturday

In line with my new desire for change and to 'live it up', I am telling myself that I deserve something interesting in life to do. Therefore my current resolution (yes, i believe in dynamic rather than static I-want-to-lose-10-kilos resolutions) is to do something new, interesting and different every week. On the other hand, this brings Kenny Sia to mind as I recall his motto being "making everyday things interesting" or some sort.

Anyhow, in that line, Len Jin planned to head for a trip to the Zoo / Bird park / etc. but didn't really turn out cuz of a many people flying aeroplanes as well as a rainy Saturday morning. Instead, we went out and grabbed lunch followed by a movie. Hold up, I can't remember what I ate. *thinks* Knowing it's Len Jin, i know it must've been something good. Hmm...

*still thinking*

Anyhow, we watched Assembly soonafter. Here's my take on the movie.
Assembly refers to the call of the bugle to retreat and regroup, and this is the call that Captain Gu Zidi (Zhang Hanyu) and his 47 men of the 9th Company, 3rd Batallion, 139th Regiment, are keenly listening out for, as they go about their mission in ill-equipped fashion. There is significance in knowing all those numbers as it indirectly depicted the passion and emotion Captain Gu had for his men.

Halfway through, the movie slows down abruptly like the current condition of my Proton Saga(due to engine probs). It then brought the viewers to a softer - and yet deeper - side of post-war syndrome. It almost entirely detaches you from the first half of the show, not to mention bringing up family matters as well as a view of the larger picture in war, only to bring you back to the first point of the assembly that never was.

The movie gives sufficient food for thought for us naive humans to learn about. Such as..

1. Brotherhood

Band of Chinese brothers

The appreciation and sanctity of brotherhood nowadays falls far from what it could be. To know that there are ones who would be willing to take a bullet for you is something. Many a time nowadays we see 'friends' using other friends, and many who take friendships for granted.

2. War
If you watch movies such as these and still vote for pro-war policies, then you can go fuggyerself, period.

3. Appreciation
If you're one to be feeling unappreciated or think that you've a shitty life, think again. Like I've been repeating to myself alot these days, there are almost no problems that we face day in and day out which are matters of life and death. So get a grip and move on.

Personally, there were scenes that really built them tears at the edge of the eyes and also times when I was left panting at the edge of my seat. (Ok, maybe it was just me..) But overall, highly reccomended!

Rating: 9/10

Oh, also, I was driving back today and I saw these 2 large posters in my vicinity. Apparently a heated topic now. (btw, these jokers have no sense of logic, putting these posters halfway uphill where you can't stop to look. I had to make a U-turn and go into another road)

Translated jist of it (courtesy of Qian Hui): "guarding the post carefully, serving with humble manner...pls vote for BN"

This is what it really boiled down to, huh? Personal attacks. Happens in the US too, but imo, this is quite immature. I mean, you all are leaders for heaven's sake. I can't imagine how anyone who'd do this try to fight for us in parliament.

"all this while, from starting to the end, never will leave and abandon, pls vote for BN" (Thanks Qian Hui! :)

What do they mean by be 2nd choice? Asked my dad and apparently all 'government' MPs get a budget of RM2 million per year for development purposes. "DAP MPs?", i ask. "None..", he solemnly replies. WTF? What, so you're all BETTER than DAP delegates or something? This part I don't get. Can anyone help me out on this one? Or are we kept in the dark - as always.

Coming up next, Ducks of Nottingham!