Tonight's the Night They Make History ! 2 - 1 Victors !

Tonight 8pm UK time, 4 am Singapore time, Wolves will host the champions elect Liverpool at Molineux and I have a feeling that they will finally be THE first team which beats Liverpool this season.

Liverpool has had an exceptional season no doubt and their front 3, Salah, Firminio and Mane are really world class. The game MUST be won at Midfield, and Neves, Moutinho, Doherty and Dendoncker (if he is pushed up front) can make history by controlling the centre of the park. They Must if Wolves have any chance of upsetting the form book.

The defence is also quite sieve like, so Wolves had better get their act together with 5 at back to shore up against Liverpool's so potent attack. 

IF Wolves can hold the fort defensively, not let in 1 or 2 goals in first half, control the game in the midfield, I would say, Wolves will win this game by 2 - 1 or 1 -0.

Tonight's the Night to Make History !

Let us Do it with Pride !  

Footnote (24th Jan 8.00 am) : Alas it was NOT to be ; they fought back from a goal down and at 1  - 1, Firmino stepped in with a sweet finish to make it Wolves 1 Liverpool 2.

It was a GREAT GAME nonetheless !  

Boogie Woogie Stump - Michael Alf Trio

Saints 2 Wolves 3 ; This Team has Fighting Spirit and Grit ; Champions in the Making

If there is any message or lesson to take away from this match is this. I am a fair weathered fan. I am sad to say, when things go bad for my team, I shy away and watch other channels or go to bed. 

If I am a hard core fan, I should continue rooting for the team until the very end of the game and time and again the brilliant Nuno Esperito Santos has shown us with his special team of players that they are indeed champions, in every sense of the word.

1. Never be disheartened

2. Things will be bad but there will be a day for improvement

3. NEVER EVER GIVE UP

4. True grit makes champions.

8 times on the trot, they go behind by 1 to 2 goals (2 goals down against Man City and now Southampton, 1 against Norwich, 1 against Newcastle, 1 against Liverpool and 2 against Watford).  3 of these times they gritted their teeth and fought back with FIERCE TENACITY.

3 times, they drew level. and 2 they lost. 

I need to up my support for this magnificent team. If not, I don't deserve to support them.

Reality Distortion and Addiction - Gambling.

                                       Rex Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City October 2019

I often play the logic numbers game called Sudoku. Every pattern or set of game sheets (if I can call it that) has a predetermined 'win' and it is based on 9 squares, in a grid of 3 rows and 3 columns. The player has to ensure that each square is filled only by the number 1 to 9 ONCE and each row and column also only has the number1 to 9 only once. There is no rule for diagonal numbers and there is no "0" in the game.

The level of difficulty starts from Easy or Gentle, to Medium to Hard to Very Hard and finally Diabolical (really suicidal) based on the numbers left in the grid. Well I have been playing for at least 12 years and have finally been able to finish diabloical levels quite easily but when I play the game I need to employ the following techniques or strategies :

1. Elimination by number similarity (either single, a pair or sometimes treble)
2. Counting from 1 to 9
3. Some logic 
4. Pairs elimination
5. Probability 
6. Gwendolin's string (when lost in the forest, go 1 way but remember where you turned
    so that you can revert back if you make the mistake)
7. Pure guesswork.

Now, that I find doing the sudoku challenges not so much a challenge, I turned to the game Solitaire. Now, I find myself 'hooked'. I question "why ?" 

Why am I subjecting myself to a computer game where the simulation or gaming software controls the outcome of the cards ?? Am I more attracted to risk at the hands of others ?

With that fact, I started reading on the net, why people love to play the game of 'chance' and try their luck at winning 4 D, the lottery (Toto as it is called in Singapore) or the casino with the myriad of games where the 'house' invariably wins 95% of the time ? 

Why ? 

After reading the post beow, I have decided NOT to play more than 3 games of Solitaire per night, perhaps I should take a walk to clear my tired mind, at the end of the day. 

Possessing and Using Chauffer Knowledge is a Liability

I have been reading 1 chapter to 5 chapters  daily of this wonderful book by Rolf Dobelli

" The art of thinking clearly"

and trying to understand fully what these concepts mean and how to apply them in my never ending quest to first seek to understand a core concept or value, to be fully cognizant of the advantages, disadvantages and finally implementing it or discarding it in the scrapheap of my mind.

This idea of Chauffer Knowledge as written so beautifully by the psychologist Dr. Dobelli was first presented by Mr. Charlie Munger, who is Mr. Warren Buffett's (Berthshire Hathaway chairman and founder) partner.

Chauffer Knowledge is superficial knowledge which is picked up vicariously through many hours of chauffering an expert who has studied, researched and conducted experiments to validate theories (scientific for example).  

Mr. Munger told of this beautiful story of Max Planck, the famous German physicist who is credited with quantum mechanics theories and while he was alive, he was a popular and much sought after speaker in many Universities all over Europe and the world.

During those days pre-smart phone and the social media (early 20th century), Dr. Planck had a chauffer who brought him to all his talks and listened intently to Dr. Planck's lectures while understanding superficially the concept of quantum mechanics did not have the full 'domain knowledge' to BE Dr. Planck or even his student.

One day, the chauffer was feeling naughty and asked Dr. Planck, "sir, I have been driving you to all your lectures and talks and I know enough, much more than anyone else I know, so here is a little challenge for you. "

"Tomorrow you have this lecture at XYZ University, why not I take your place and present the talk, you can take a rest. And if I succeed in fooling everybody, you can buy me a nice dinner !" Dr. Planck laughed and agreed, as he wanted to see how this would end 

The next day, true to his word, at XYZ University, "Dr Planck" stepped up the podium and made a 1 hour lecture to his starry eyed attendees. Nobody could guess that this was his chauffer !  However, one Professor of physics was not too impressed and stood up to challenge "Dr Planck's" quantum mechanics hypothesis. So his years of study and research he put "Dr Planck" to the test or under the microscope !

"Dr Planck" stood transfixed as the Prof asked his question, and obviously he was at a loss for words... however he recovered his composure and confidently said :

"Now, my theories are so well researched and understood and I am surprised that you would ask such a question, even my "chauffer" who is sitting in the front row understands it.
I will give him the opportunity to answer you !!! "

My point is this, Chauffer Knowledge is indeed knowledge picked up superficially and vicariously. If you think your chauffer knowledge is able to get you through life's test or tribulations you are indeed wrong !

Make every effort to understand what you are intending to achieve, then go and painstakingly make representative models and discuss theories with all who are knowledgeable in it. 

Then you will attain some domain knowledge and with that some expertise.

There are lots of 'armchair' skiers, swimmers and marathon runners doling advice.

They will be the first to fail when their advice is put to the test in the actual swimming meet, ski run and marathon.

Do the time and you will be fine. 

 

  

Restaurant Mar do Inferno Cascais

Restaurant "Mar do Inferno"

Boca do Inferno

Situated just a stone's throw from Eurostars Cascais is the Boca do Inferno, which is a marvel to behold. Literally Hell's Mouth, the sight of it and the sounds of it are really unforgettable. See my earlier posts about that.

Meanwhile, when we first arrived at Cascais on 9th Dec 2019, we had to wait for our room to be ready and the concierge suggested we eat lunch at the Mar do Inferno. This seafood restaurant ("Restaurant de frutos do mar" ) is the second best seafood restaurant we have eaten in Portugal, the best being at the Mar a Vista at Ericeira. 

We made reservations with the concierge and it was a short walk (10 minutes) to the water wonder  where we were treated to a tremendous sight and a fabulous restaurant with great seafood next to it. 

Along the scenic and weather perfect route, we chanced by a "hot dog" stand, complete with chairs and tables to eat fast food and enjoy the scenery and to "live in the moment. " 

Piece de Resistance the "Seafood Platter"

Portugal is a country famous for its seafood, and their shellfish cuisine is second to none. I will not give a review here in this post, but it can be seen from the pictures that the seafood is freshly caught, and very very tasty.  

The portions are huge per person, so always ask the Maitre 'D if the food ordered is too much for the smaller Asian appetites. Most times, they will tell you exactly what you need to order and that is enough.

The wines, from the Port to the Sauvignion Blanc are first rate and inexpensive. So. remember the following for Portugal :

Food 

Seafood is tops. Wine Port is tops. Their desserts are superb, egg tart is world famous.

Scenery

So many nice beaches to visit. If I was 20 years younger I would learn to surf !

People

Generally very friendly ; English speakers serving in most restaurants 

Climate

Less cold than Northern Europe. Perhaps little snow only in the late winter months

Cost of living  

cheaper than Spain, France, Germany and UK. 

Its all about the Quality of our Relationships.

With Kim Soon Fang in Hong Kong in 2008 

There was a Harvard study whose findings were released in early 2000s which did extensive interviews for over 70,000 men. Men in general as a means to discover their paths, their lifestyles and their partners,children and loved ones.

The objective was to find out why some men lived longer than others and vice versa. Was it something in the water, the food they ate, the people they associated themselves with, the jobs, careers, friends, family, their pets and everything relating to their lives.

The interviews were carried out over 70 years and it started from when they were strapping and healthy young men in their early '70s till the time they lost contact with them, and / or when the men passed away.

With Hans Brys at his shop in 2016

One common  facet which was present with the men who reached their '80s. They may have been sickly by the time, some may have been fine and then many others had passed away. The common facet amongst men who lived the longest was that they were the HAPPIEST.

The attainment of happiness had nothing to do with their social standing, how much they earned in their productive economic years, nor the race nor the places where they lived be it in the cities or in the rural areas.

With family at Christmas 2015 

The fact that men were happy, and thus lived longer was that they had a good social network of friends and family within and without the community. People they could call upon to share their troubles, their fears, their frustrations and their hopes.

Men, have this big problem about opening up on their failings. This is one of the biggest stumbling blocks which ultimately affect men's health and their longevity of their lives as a consequence.

The quality of my relationship with my family and friends needs to be strong. To count on them and to be counted upon. In good times, and in bad. In sickness, in good health, in debt and in the heights of success and monetary blessings.  

That in a nutshell is how men, in particular can stay and remain happy throughout their lives. 

Carpe Diem