Tonight, Liverpool play against CSKA Moscow for the Super Cup. I hope we win. Again, Captain Stevie is still out with an ankle injury. Or calf; something like that. We're all now having our training session in Monte Carlo, Monaco where we'll be playing at the Stade Louis II.

Here are the Champions League draw results I got from an email sent by one of the soccer groups I signed up for. You can also check it out at ESPNSoccer.com for more details, including the fixtures. Official match day would probably be on Tuesday, 13th September; that's when the first leg starts. Don't know if Channel 5 would be broadcasting it live like they did last season.

Group A
Bayern Munchen (GER)
Juventus (ITA)
Club Brugge KV (BEL)
SK Rapid Vienna (AUT)

Group B
Arsenal (ENG)
AFC Ajax (NED)
AC Sparta Prague (CZE)
FC Thun (SWI)

Group C
Barcelona (ESP)
Panathinaikos (GRE)
Werder Bremen (GER)
Udinese Calcio (ITA)

Group D
Manchester United (ENG)
Villarreal (ESP)
Lille Metropole(FRA)
SL Benfica (POR)

Group E
AC Milan (ITA)
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
FC Schalke 04 (GER)
Fenerbahce SK (TUR)

Group F
Real Madrid (ESP)
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
Olympiakos (GRE)
Rosenborg BK (NOR)

Group G
Liverpool (ENG)
Chelsea (ENG)
RSC Anderlecht (BEL)
Real Betis Balompie (ESP)

Group H
Internazionale Milano (ITA)
FC Porto (POR)
Glasgow Rangers (SCO)
Artmedia Bratislava (SVK)

My predictions for the emerging champs from each group??

Group A - Bayern Munich & Juventus...that's almost like a no-brainer since these 2 are the power-houses.

Group B - Ajax Amsterdam -well, pardon me for my Dutch lineage- & maybe Arsenal (just to give face) but I'm thinking maybe Sparta Prague would do well, too.

Group C - Most definitely Barcelona...now THAT'S called a total no-brainer. And maybe Panathinaikos because the other two are blasphemic...

Group D - Wooooot!! MANCHESTER UNITED!! Come on, you Reds!! If they don't make it, I really got nothing to say. And either Villareal or Benfica.

Group E - I'm going Dutch on this one. PSV Eindhoven will triumph this time round as they face their last season's enemy, AC Milan. It'll definitely be a showdown. But, Fenerbahce shouldn't be written off too early...

Group F - Hoping for Lyon to clinch it, but thinking maybe Real Madrid just might get through as well.

Group G - You'll Never Walk Alone, baby!! Who CARES about silly Chelsea?? Real Betis to go through as well.

Group H - Hmmm...tough call. The Rangers are good & so are Inter Milan, while FC Porto won the title before. I think. Anyone heard of the last team?? Now, where did THAT one come from??

Going out with Jan & Such tonight, after work that is. To buy Art's presents. Yeah, it's more than one gift. Hope my minnow contributions are enough for them.

Went to Chippy's myspace last night & after browsing through it, it made mine feel like chicken poop. I swear, Chippy is like a design genius. I don't know where or how he got those designs & his format is different from other myspaces that I've seen. Sooooo jealous!! Damn cool, dude. His space is also an info kinda site, with articles from the web; a little bit like mine, only that mine features & focuses more on The Beautiful Game.

Luis & I have planned to go on our well-deserved holiday after I finish my attachment come early October & we wanted to invite Pepe (Sharon) along with us as well. We'll see how it goes, though. Our best bet would be flying off to Bangkok for a few days, then returning before my semester starts. By then, Luis & Pepe would already have graduated from NYP. Both of us were thinking since we were going to travel, why not start with something cheap & work upwards from there, so Bangkok is probably the best choice to go first, since Pepe wants to go to Hong Kong next year, around January or so.

Personally, I don't mind. Wherever the location, I'll go. Probably because I inherited my lust for travelling from my parents, which contributes to the fact that I've probably been around the whole of Malaysia & didn't realize it myself. Hmmm...

Both Mom & Dad were former Scout Leaders; that's how they met. And both have had their share of world-wide adventures, globe-trotting & gallivanting around certain parts of the world. Especially Dad, since he used to climb mountains back in the day. Well, he & his team nearly achieved Mount Everest until a certain accident occured that would probably have been fatal if not for intensive treatment. And I think Mom too, has had her share of mountains herself. So for myself, parental permission isn't exactly much of a barrier.

Dad had said so himself on more than one occasion that I should go out & 'explore' on my own like what he & Mom used to do. You sponsor, okay??

So maybe after Thailand then we go Hong Kong?? For the Disneyland?? And then we go Australia?? Okay, count me in!! And then where else?? Greedy, siaaa!! Well, I gotta say though, I have to reserve myself for a trip to Egypt, a promise I made to my Egyptian cousins just before they left. Since they've been wanting & insisting on me to go, I couldn't very well object could I?? I mean, since they were going to provide me with accommodation, why not??

Should be cool to go back there after 15 years since the very first time I stepped foot. And then, there's that trip to Tioman with the GB Family after graduation as well as the ambitious & high-profiled-due-to-loads-of-research trip to New Zealand where Chippy is dying to get to because he wants to see Middle Earth & rent a caravan that we could drive. No, my mistake. A caravan that ART AND I could drive because the rest of them hasn't even taken their Basic Thoery. So, I should be licensed by then. I hope.

And speaking of travel, I found an article on MSNBC.com while surfing around that speaks of the 7 deadly sins of travelling!! Read on!!

The seven deadly sins of travel
Tips to help make your travels more enjoyable

You don’t have to read Dante to know about deadly sins. The travel experience is filled with enough good — and evil — that it would probably inspire the medieval Italian poet Dante Alighieri to write a new volume of his divine comedy.

Here’s my list of the seven deadly sins of travel:

Pride. Every travel season I hear travel magazines and travel journalists talk about the “hottest destinations” or “must-go to places.” These are the places to avoid. Not only will you run into crowds, but you’ll also find peak prices. So put your pride aside, let your neighbors pay the high prices and follow my contrarian strategy, which means hitting undervalued destinations offering great luxury at a discount. Destinations like ski resorts or New England coastal towns like Providence, Rhode Island, offer great bargains during the summer. Providence’s extensive art and cultural history is reminiscent of Europe, so it’s more affordable for vacationers looking for an exceptional experience.

Envy. Whenever and wherever you travel, you won’t have any trouble finding someone with a nicer hotel room, better airline seat, a grander cruise cabin, bigger rental car, higher elite status, and, most disconcerting, a lower price. This is something you just need to accept. Instead of envying your friends, neighbors, co-workers, or the person in the suite next to your tiny room, just follow my strategy of “Know Thyself.” Get to know what is most important to you. This might be a cheap seat on a discount airline but a luxury hotel with great service and a view. The key is to know what works for you, what you can afford, and where you’re willing to make compromises. When it comes to elite status with travel providers, be practical in the type of travel you do and where you stand in the pecking order. Don’t go up to a gate agent and tell her that you want an upgrade because you are the airline’s most loyal customer when you only fly once a year. Instead, try saying that you don’t fly often, however when you do, you make (the airline) your first choice.

Anger. A fit of anger with a travel provider will get you nowhere fast. (Throwing a phone at a hotel clerk might end you up in jail.) Getting angry at poor service or a delayed flight will not correct the problem. For me, I often find myself tempted to get angry at inept service people but by turning the other cheek. I don’t look like the bad person, and besides, you attract more bees with honey than vinegar.

Avarice. Quality travel providers will go out of their way to assure that their customers are happy. This can make some travelers become greedy and try to get away with too much. In a previous column, I wrote about an experience where I received poor room service and how the manager of the hotel took extraordinary steps to remedy the situation. In that case, the manager asked what he could do for me, if I would have told him that I wanted a free week in the hotel’s presidential suite I would have come across as disingenuous and greedy. Other forms of greed include cheating your frequent flier program to earn a few extra miles, or complaining about a hotel’s service, hoping that they’ll offer you a few freebies. As I have said many times, you need to build mutually beneficial relationships with quality travel partners by not getting greedy or taking advantage of them.

Sloth. When things are not as expected, don’t wallow in sadness; instead take proactive steps to solve your problem. One affirmative step to avoid sadness during your trips is to double-check your reservations. Recently, I booked a trip from Orange County, Calif., to Philadelphia with a telephone reservation agent. The agent forgot to put me in the upgrade-clearing queue that would have automatically upgraded my flight five days prior to departure. Double-checking the reservation saved me from flying coach instead of enjoying first-class. Booking travel can be complicated with many codes that have to be just right. It’s common for reservations and requests to end up somewhere in cyberspace, so do your advance planning to assure that your travel day goes well.

Gluttony. Too much of anything can led to trouble — even a luxury vacation. I like to take my trips in small doses, giving me enough time to enjoy what I set out to do, without overdoing it. Shorter trips provide a getaway while saving money for another wonderful destination. It might be hard to believe, but I have been at the most wonderful resorts in the world where after a few days I became bored and am ready to move on. Why spend excessively for a week when three or four days will do? Save your time and money for another day.

By Joel Widzer
Travel Columnist

Having said my 5 cents worth, have a nice afternoon!!

Laterz...
Lenny JC