Under construction......

Things done at/ for/ during work this year i think i can cancel off my bucket list - if i ever had one

2011-09-09T21:59:00.005+08:00

Almost a year with newman magazine, and in 2011, i think ive done things i've never thought i'd get to do with any other jobs prior to this.

1. Meet God. (Robbie Fowler counts!)

2. Attended a Liverpool FC footie game (twice! Masters Football count!)

3. Meet LFC legends. (Fowler, Macca, Berger, Babb, Henchoz, Ian Rush!)

4. Meet other footie legends - Gianfranco Zola, Bryan Robson, Jesper Blomqvist, Gary Pallister, Ronny Johnsen

5. Meet a World Cup winner - Christian Karembeu

6. Go to Club Med - Twice!

7. Shoot a gun. Glock wei!

8. Go to Bali. YAY!

9. Go to a Comic Con. well. did that last year. And again this year!

10. Backpacking in Singapore.

11. Win something on radio - today! whoahahahah. ok. riak gila.

List will surely grow. Stay tuned! =)

Overthinking it post #1 - The invisible Juice in BERSIH2.0

2011-07-19T22:02:00.003+08:00

OK. Im sure most of you can still recall how suddenly all of you turn into an overnight Coldplay fam just a few days before 0709 just because they sang the song 'Yellow'.

In fact, i dare say that most of you heard that song the first time a few days prior to the rally, by YouTubing it. Not sure what song im talking about? well, here's the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MwjX4dG72s

Trivia! The whole vid was a single, continuous take of Chris Martin walking on the beach. Shot at 50 frames per second, twice the regular speed, Chris to sing the song at double speed so that the audio and visual content would be in sync. The final edit slowed to 25 frames per second, to create a slow motion effect of the video.

Originally, the video was supposed have the whole band to appear in the video, in a sunny setting. However, drummer, Will Champion's mother's funeral was held on the day of the shooting, so it was decided that only Martin would appear in the video.

OK. Enough about that.

Now, post Bersih, everyone in the government are producing their own conspiracy theories that the whole rally was part of a Christian, Communist, even a Jew plan to overthrow the Malaysian government. Why? I dunno. Last time i checked, Ambiga, the head honcho of Bersih was Indian. Probably her nose is huge, which led to some quarters thinking she's Jewish. But she's a lawyer la. Not a businesswoman. Hence, she's Indian. (i kid! i kid!)

Anyway.

Come to think of it (or more like OVERTHINKING IT), there is (or might be) a connection between the band Coldplay, with everything mentioned above! From their song title, (e.g 'Yellow'), lyrics, or even what Chris Martin once had written on his palm during his concerts!

So this whole Bersih2.0 - Yellow - Christian - Jew - Communism theory might actually hold water after all, and that Ibrahim Ali is actually a swell guy to enjoy Bak Kut Teh with.

So lets analyze.

- The name 'Coldplay'. COLD! refers to the Cold War between the US and Russia - Communists!

Agenda komunis ni!

So ngam la them Parti Sosialis Malaysia kena cekup!

The song Yellow BY Coldplay. How potent is that? Bersih. yellow. Coldplay. Communism. hint hint.

- Chris Martin is married to Gwyneth Paltrow who is of a Russian Jewish descent. Her grandad is a Rabbi somemore. Hambik kau Wisma Putra!

Fast forward to their more recent work, lets pick one of the more popular ones where people will still recall. The song Viva La Vida.

The song is well known for their Bible references, (Alamak. Ni Kristian meracuni minda anak Melayu ni! (somehow, anak-anak Cina dan India immune pulak to this kind of hasutan. Probably antibodies develop cuz they makan babi) ), revolution and a failed institution e.g king or government,

"I used to rule the world / seas would rise when i gave the word/ now in the morning i sleep alone/ sweep the streets i used to own"

That line is a very direct warning to the government. Also, like taking a piss at a certain Pak Loh who spent most of his time in office sleeping.....

Coldplay ni main subliminal messaging ye. Kansel sama itu permit concert!

"And i discovered that my castle stand, upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand"

"pillars of sand" is a clear reference to the Biblical parable given by Jesus about the fool who built his house on sand, and the wise man who built it on solid rock, while "pillars of salt" is a reference to Lot's wife, who was turned into a pillar of salt."

Ni referring to Putrajaya ka???

"I know Saint Peter won't call my name" - HAH! 'Saint'! Santo santo ni. Klaus ka. New Orleans Saints ka. Saint Bernard ka. Tak kira. Syirik!

By the way, St Peter is the dude who takes care of the gates of heaven.

HUH! macam sambungan first lines from Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven je! "There's a lady who's sure, all that glitters is gold, and she's buying a stairway to heaven!" - Macam perli Bik_Mama je ni!

"I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing/ Roman Cavalry choirs are singing"

HAH! Jerusalem! Baitulmaqdis! Yahudi! Roman Cavalry! Perang Salib! Ni sah memang ada ejen Yahudi mainkan peranan dalam BERSIH ni!

"Revolutionaries wait / For my head on a silver plate!"

Jibby: GULP.

So there you have it. Overthinkingit post #1. The silent connection on how the invisible hand of the JUICE and X-tians (pronounced 'ex-tian', not Christian, ok?) are present in the Bersih2.0 rally. And Anwar and his vid? Itu HVD buat tu. Tak lepas FINAS. Extras playing around with handicam.

So maybe im just overthinking it. Or maybe im so bored that I happen to (stupidly) patch all these theories together while stuck in the LDP jam earlier today. Maybe all the above actually made sense!

This ain't racism. It's an observation!

2011-07-15T18:51:00.000+08:00

This is a repost. I took it off last time. Got it back on.

I got this idea when i saw these hashtags on twitter today:

#PickUpLineCainis

#PickUpLineIndian

#pickuplinemuslimin

While entries are put in with a tongue in cheek and a hint (maybe more) of sarcasm in it, i think it doesnt really reflect the 'taste' of Malaysian men in general.

You know what? I think Malaysian men have this secret urge to hook up with someone OUT of their 'race'. Seriously. So without any hint of racism in it, i will attempt to summarize how i see this 'race-relation' thing works out in Malaysia.

Say all you want, Malay friends. Looking for 'Perempuan Melayu Terakhir' la, sopan-santun la, berbudi-bahasa, is all crap. Who are you kidding? Fact is, the main criteria Malay guys look for in their dream girls is fair skin. Sawo matang? Eff that. They want putih gebu bak salju.

Otherwise how Fair and Lovely can laris here?

They want Oriental look. The Chinese / Japanese /Korean look. But sadly, most Chinese / Japanese / Korean got single eyelid. Then again, they want kulit putih gebu with rambut hitam ikal mayang. Priority tu! Based on these combinations also explains why Melayu bros in semenanjung like Sabahan and Sarawakian girls who tend to be fairer with 'larger' eyes. (dont know why, but im guessing is from generations and generations of mixed marriages over there).

So if you're a Malay girl, who is cerah kulit, nescaya anda berada di tangga teratas Minah Pilihan among your Malay guy friends.

Indian guys? Well. They also like their Malay bros, they like fair skin. But not just any fair skin- they want fair-fair like Beyonce and Rihanna one.

Too white, not Indian enough. Amma dont like.

They also tend to go for Malay girls whom they find tend to be very opinionated. This applies strictly to Indian bros through and through la, not a product of gabungan dua parents yang tick kotak lain in the Bangsa category.

Chinese friends, tend to stick to their own 'kind' sort. How many times you see an Ah Beng dating a lady SIX tones darker than themselves? Almost NONE. But i do notice Chinese friends liking girls who are products of gabungan dua parents yang tick kotak lain in the Bangsa category. ChinLayu? Chindian? Tak percaya? tengok sendiri.

The Kenn reviews Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon

2011-07-06T11:16:00.003+08:00

I watched TF3 last week at TGV KLCC. Too much drama. Double booked hall, moved to a smaller hall, movie started late. Terrible movie.

I did a quick review of the movie, hours after leaving it on Twitter: here they are, which pretty much sum up what i think of the movie.

(spoilers alert)

#myproblemwithTF3 storyline macam Ibrahim Ali. Too many jumps innit.

#myproblemwithTF3 the characters jump into scenes out of nowhere. Suddenly appear. Suddenly there. No explanation on how they go there.

#myproblemwithTF3 characters wasted. IronHide mati just liddat. Starscream die just liddat. Megatron died. Just liddat.

#myproblemwithTF3 Decepticons somehow have more honor in facing their enemies. Round up prisoners etc. Autobots gang on enemy and kill!

#myproblemwithTF3 is sebangang Green Lantern, it was money better spent compared to TF3

#myproblemwithTF3 Rose Huntington Whiteley was wasted. Her full potential was only exploited in her first appearance In the movie. Butt shot

#myproblemwithTF3 they said no more annoying stereotypical bots like them nigga bots. Replaced by poncey Brit bots instead.

#myproblemwithTF3 why d hell need to aim for d main key when other failing keys will disrupt the whole shit?

#myproblemwithTF3 Sentinel Prime looks like Gundam RX-78-2

#myproblemwithTF3 NO Sixshot! No Rodimus!

#myproblemwithTF3 Three freaking movie and Megatron dies just like that! Predator-ized by Prime. He's a mean one, that Prime.

In short, lots, LOTS of plot holes. Robots popping up everywhere, suddenly lotsa Decepticons lying dormant on the moon, bad guys having more honor in battle, lame, unimportant subplots. I could have spent that RM13 on a KFC snackplate. Lagi bagus.

Tulis lebih2 wont make TF3 a better movie. So lemme end this post with...."I cant wait for TF4!". LOL

The Kenn reviews The Green Lantern

2011-06-24T12:57:00.003+08:00

So The Kenn finally earned back some of his geek-cred when he 'successfully' dragged @emrung to watch Green lantern last night. Honestly, i was there to watch X-men First Class but i forgot my free pass which admits two in the car, so we went for Green Lantern instead.

My thoughts on the movie?

5 1/2 stars out of ten.

Mediocre acting, but can stomach it. Not many cringe-worthy lines like the ones found in The Attack of The Clones.

Blake Liveley is definitely eye-candy for the movie. Not enough screen time, could have been more. They did not explore her relationship past with Hal Jordan.

That Hector Hammond dude is wasted throughout. All i saw was him screaming like a faggot (which, in fact, his character is) and complaining about how sucky his life is. He should go to Twitter. Know lotsa people in Twitter Jaya who would make him feel like he fits in.

Hal Jordan by the dude who used to marry Scarlett Johannson, Ryan 'Deadpool' Reynolds is ok as the GL. Funny enough when need to be. But i cant seem to take him seriously - maybe because i kept referring him as the dude from that 'Two Guys, a girl, and a pizza place' show.

SINESTRO! Come on. He was totally underused. Didnt even get to show his prowess with the ring! Apart from bullying Hal Jordan who's a noob with the ring bit, Sinestro was totally under utilized throughout. Good post-credit bit though when he put on that yellow ring. Perhaps a sequel with The Sinestro Corps i hope!

Kilowog and that Fish Man who i dont even give a damn to wiki are also totally underutilized. The film felt rushed. Like someone just gave us a skim through a newly bought comic book. U get the gist of it. Just that.

Parallax. One - shitty name. Two. Looks like shit. Three. Shitty lines.

And lastly- The C.G.I throughout the movie. THEY LOOKED CHEAP. This aint a KRU Productions movie yet the flying scenes looked B-class at best. Anyone noticed the 'jerk' between flying / floating and landing bits?

AND! Yang i paling cannot tahan - Oversell by LG in the movie. I know la 'Green Lantern' and 'LG' share same initials. But dont la make it sooooooooooooo obvious you wanna promo the phone.

Did i mentioned the movie had a very comic-y feel to it? Yes it does. And it, IMHO, is a good thing! Takes away all that sense of realism one might expect after watching The Dark Knight.

Next crappy review - X-Men First Class! (when i finally get to use that free pass, that is)

Anwar said this;

2011-05-19T13:29:00.005+08:00

So Malaysian Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim made an open chat session with the public today via Yahoo Instant Messenger.

I shot a question, and it got answered. (in case you're still wondering which question, it's 'lordleandre')

I think it's a safe answer there. Not surprising- he is a politician anyway.

What do you think? you be the judge.

This is not a proper post.

2011-05-18T18:53:00.002+08:00

I opened up this page at 10 a.m today - wanting to write SOMETHING.

Now, it's 6.46 p.m. ---I ended up with this. Just this.

What? Just cuz im a writer, it doesnt mean words and sentences just come out pouring, you know.

Spent the whole day collecting Marvel Comics characters pictures, for a mini project which i think, when it does takes off, will look super cool.

And with that, i'm done for today's blogpost.

I end it with this picture taken last night.

Jay-Z looking thin. Brachypelma smithi (also called Mexican Red-kneed Tarantula)

Crusade? W.T.F?

2011-05-15T15:34:00.005+08:00

So i woke up today to the news of a self proclaimed defender of his 'race' who 'warned' Christians that he "isnt afraid to go on a crusade against them" if they "continue plans to displace Islam as the 'official religion' of Malaysia". Not just that. Apparently this tub of lard is so freaked out that some quarters are planning to put a Christian chap as Malaysia's Prime Minister.

Dear Mr Ibrahim Ali. Seriously, we dont give a fuck what religion our Prime Minister is practicing. Another thing. I'm happy as it is, you know, with Islam being the 'official' religion in Malaysia (the way you like to put it).

And in all honesty, i dont want a Christian Prime Minister. Shit. You know how annoying it is to have your church priest's face popping up everywhere you go to in church grounds? I assume multiplying it by the hundreds if I get a Prime Minister who is overly religious, and shares my own faith. CHOI.

Also. If Islam ISN'T the official' religion in Malaysia (the way you like to put it), "that's mean", no more TWO days of public hols for Raya! Ini tidak adil! Christian Holidays? Only Christmas and Good Friday! That's in no way better than cuti for Raya (two days dah!), Raya Haji, Nuzul Quran, etc.

So here's one coming from a not-every-Sunday Catholic. I dont want a Christian PM.

Seriously. Us Christians really dont care what religion the PM is.

Nor we care whether he buttfucked a dude; or was caught with his pants down with an emotionless 'Chinese' prostitute.

What i care is that he isn't corrupt. (Shit. Im being stupidly optimistic here eh?)

What i care is that he is not another Muammar Gaddafi (Khadafi? Gadafee? Qadafee? Who cares.)

What i care is that he doesnt sleep on the job.

What i care is that it's NOT his wife who's calling the shots.

What i care is that he doesnt tolerate extremism.

Fin.

Picking some bones. And a certain club Med.

2011-05-15T00:53:00.005+08:00

In life, there are three people you should never, EVER piss off;

1. Your car mechanic

2. Your dentist

3. Your doctor. Or whoever does your physicals. They stick up their fingers everywhere wei!

And for me, i have a No.4 in that list - My comic book dealer.

Kinda bummed to know that Earth 638 - in Atria - would have to relocate, since the mall will be demolished and turned into some lifestyle mall with boutiques and poshy stores that no one bothers to visit.

Where to? I dont know but i surely hope they open somewhere nearer to Sunway / Puchong area. =p

Just got back from my second Club Med trip. This time was Cherating. Havent been to Cherating for almost ten years, the last time being during Christmas time (forgot what year) in which dad drove up all the way to Kuala Terengganu that got mum freaked out.

Club Med was awesome. And that's an understatement. Was the third person /public/ Club Med Guest / GM to ever try their newest addition to the activities within the resort, the Treetop walk.

Was supposed to be second, but a friggin botak joe from Men's Health Singapore potong queue when they saw a fellow Malaysian opened account.

"The Malaysians are doing it! quick! quick get in line!"

They got hold of the helmet that was supposed to be mine, hence me ending up being the third dude to try it. How was it? Imagine Skytrex, but less intense. It's something parents can do safely with their kids.

I'd bring my kid there. (p.s @emilyrung can? can?)

In short, Club Med is fun ONLY when you have good company. It can only get much, much better by enjoying it with a loved one. (yes. you know who you are)

Bali? Cherating? I'd pick Cherating? Why? Well.....

For a list of reasons i picked Cherating over Bali, and more stuff regarding Club Med, get them in future newman issue. Gosh. Come on. You dont think im gonna waste a good publishable piece by pouring all out into this blog eh? =p

shit. i just did a shameless promotion of the mag in my blog. Somebody shoot me =p

Collected tweets - Smart phone wars

2011-04-27T22:08:00.003+08:00

Cuz i dont know what to write about, but i still wanna post crap.

If you're an iPhone user, and want to shut a Symbian3 user in a 'whose phone is better debate', no need.Just laugh cuz they're using a Nokia.;p

If you're an iPhone user, and want to shut a BlackBerry user in a 'whose phone is better debate', ask them - "Can play angry birds or not??" or "Eh. Whats the size of the app store?"

If you're an iPhone user, and want to shut an Android user in a 'whose phone is better debate', ask them "What's the key combo to print screen?"

If you're a BlackBerry user, and want to shut an Android user in a 'whose phone is better debate', ...well. You cant!

If you're a BlackBerry user, and want to shut an iPhone user in a 'whose phone is better debate', challenge them to a battery endurance test.

If you're a BlackBerry user, and want to shut an Symbian user in a 'whose phone is better debate', ...say anything. Just dont challenge them in the camera quality section.

If you're a Symbian3 user, and want to shut a BlackBerry user in a 'whose phone is better debate', just point at their camera, smile & say HA!

If you're a Symbian3 user, and want to shut an Android user in a 'whose phone is better debate', just say "i concede." Better off losing early wei!

If you're a Symbian3 user, and want to shut a iPhone user in a 'whose phone is better debate', say "baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Hello, Sheep!".

If you're an Android user, and want to shut a iPhone user in a 'whose phone is better debate', ask 'Facetime on the go can??"

If you're an Android user, and want to shut a BlackBerry user in a 'whose phone is better debate', ask them NOT to BBM you next time, just use WhatsApp! ;p

If you're an Android user, and want to shut a Symbian3 user in a 'whose phone is better debate', say nothing. Spare them the grief. They wont dare say much anyway.

Return to Blogspot

2011-04-21T10:55:00.005+08:00

I confess. I dabbled with Tumblr.

I thought it's a good platform to rant online, other than Blogspot (ok. ok. Wordpress too).

A place where i can post short quips that are too long for Twitter but too 'short' to qualify as a proper blog post.

Then it hit me - Tumblr is a place for lazy people, and those who cant write go to.

Disclaimer: To those who actually write and post original stuff on Tumblr, i salute you. Keep up the good work, and may your writing career take off like Rebecca Black's "Friday" meme on YouTube.

OK. Back to dissing lazy / crap wannabe writers.

No idea what to write? Easy! Post a bloody GIF image and padumm padummm! A friggin blog post! I bet they're the same species as those who tags people in random pics on Facebook, or post lame videos on their friends' walls.

Yes. This is a short entry by my standards. But i just want to get the point across.

I have more respect for those 'sellout' bloggers who post advertorials in their blog, and call it a 'blog' rather than those who post crap on Tumblr and call it a proper post.

Sekadar taruk GIF image, beruk pun boleh.

Random rant #1

2010-10-12T13:34:00.002+08:00

Now. Dont tell me this movie promo poster doesn't get you excited. I'm not much of a Captain America fan. But this still looks awesome!

Regardless the suit resembles the Ultimate Captain America suit; it adds realism to the story, ok!

This leads to a question; How would Captain Malaysia look like? =P

Ada apa dengan handphone?

2010-10-12T10:13:00.005+08:00

Have been browsing through new phones models since yesterday; comparing specs, platforms, etc (and i havent even got to the iPhone & BlackBerry list) for a piece im currently working on, and geez. SERIOUSLY???!

Comparing my beat up Xperia X1 to these newer phones is akin to parking your Suzuki V100 scooter next to a Harley-Davidson motorbike.

Windows (R) 7! Android 2.1 Eclair! Android 2.2 Froyo! The list is endless. And i thought Windows 6.1 IS (ok. it WAS!) THE SHIZZNIT!

I used to think that i owned the coolest phone when i got my Sony Ericsson K800i a few years back.(prior to the Xperia upgrade).

My first "major" buy from my salary (3rd month into my first job post-graduation).

Boy how time flew. Man. I was clueless wasnt i?

Anyway. It's just me nitpicking, or just being overly practical. But as i see it, when it comes to electronic gadgets or cars, you buy stuff with a sense of purpose being the main point. Smartphones. How does a smartphone contribute to kids who think the ultimate success in life is getting into clubs without being asked to show identification????

How does owning a certain type of phone reflect your social status?

Biar papa, asalkan bergaya?

I just dont understand how some people owning a BlackBerry and then running on prepaid.

I witnessed it myself, a kid (couldnt be any older than 21) at a convenience store, asking for a "top up Digi 10 ringgits).

Then he flips out his BlackBerry Bold 2 (9700) to reload. I just dont get it.

OK fine. He uses the phone for style purposes. Apparently from "owning a mobile phone" means being up to date, the paradigm shifted to kids nowadays owning BlackBerries.

I suspect Gossip Girl is the culprit.

I bet 9 out of 10 users of the BlackBerries doesnt even use the main function of the gadget in the first place. Synchronizing your e-mail accounts to the device. Heck! i bet these kids dont even link the device to their personal e-mail account!

BB messenger? geez. Sign up to unlimited internet, use Skype / MSN/ Google Talk Goddammit.

You know what bugs me the most? when KIDS! KIDS i tell you, who owns these BlackBerries and iPhones talk as if they know every single shit out there when it comes to owning handphones, telling how this model suck, and how they "look down" on other models.

Reality check. YOU DIDN'T BUY that BlackBerry in your hand with your hard earned money, ok!

Fuck it.

Funny how Malaysian kids (kids, i mean sub-25) try the hardest to blend in with the "In crowd", while kids in the US (example) try their best to create an identity. Or is it the other way round?

Age have caught up on me.

Press. Reset. Hold tight for a wild ride!

2010-10-04T15:04:00.006+08:00

Some Say....

If life give you lemons, you make lemonade. (serious ka?!)

So what if life gives you shit? make a shit-shake???

Life has been freakishly roller-coaster-ish for the past couple months.

Had my share of lows (i think the lowest after a very long time) for a stretch.

I thank YOU (yes. U know who you are. ) for sticking by me during my worst. =)

Finally got me legs back on the ground.
Reminder; get new shoes. Them new Nike Air Force Ones are nice.

Dropped back to Earth. With a HUGE thump.

Running my butt off with something totally alien to me but damn it feels good to be back on the groove.

Yes. I pressed the reset button again. Long story. Dont ask.

Reset button means a new breath of life to this Godforsaken spot i call a blog. Admit the updates frequency have been shitty. Me bad. 2010 have been a bad year for writing so far. Hope everything changes as we head closer to 2011. Bare with me.

Yes. I still blame Twitter for my lack of material to be written here. Anything that pops up goes into my updates. Well. Not an avid Twit but close to 3k posts.

Yes. You might call me being OTT (thats Over The Top) with ''3,000 tweets?". But seriously. I've seen users who touched 20k in lesser time than i have been using Twitter.

Back to posts topic.

I'm still rusty but do visit www.rambling-e.blogspot.com if you happen to drop here for new posts (if any) , and found nothing new. Heheh. Promote see??! Promote!

OK. im gone. Next update soon!

Promise. *cough* *cough*

It pays to be good with your comic book dealer! =)

2010-06-16T20:40:00.003+08:00

Got hold of Nemesis #1 & #2!

Short series tagline: 'What if Bruce Wayne was The Joker" ?

Thus you get 'Nemesis'.

Super-rich maniac who dresses as a supervillain killing cops and openly declaring war to authority (hijacked Air Force One at that, then gassing the Pentagon!).

Now. Who would pass on reading this? NO WAY!

Comic book shop guy sold me a copy of #1 he was suppose to 'save' for another customer. =)
*dont worry. He called another supplier to hand him a brand new copy later in the day. But i got the one he had in hand!

*do not tell anyone!

Anyway. The guy who wrote the script wrote Marvel's Civil War.

And also, that comic which inspired the movie Kick-Ass! was written by him too.

Waiting for #3!

World Cup predictions! Stage by stage according to The Kenn!

2010-06-08T16:13:00.002+08:00

Group A: France & Uruguay qualify.
Group B: Argentina & Greece
Group C: England & USA
Group D: Germany & Australia
Group E: Holland & Cameroon
Group F: Italy & Paraguay
Group G: Brazil & Portugal
Group H: Spain & Chile.

Group A winner France face Group B runner-up Greece in the second round. : France wins

Group B winner Argentina will face Group A runner-up Uruguay. : Argentina wins

Group C winner England will face group D runner-up Australia. : England wins

Group D winner German will face Group C runner-up USA. : Germany

Group E winner Holland will face Group F runner-up Paraguay. : Holland

Group F winners Italy will play Group E runner-up Cameroon. : Italy

Group G winner Brazil will face Group H runner-up Chile. : Brazil

Group H winner Spain face Group G runner-up Portugal. : Spain

Quarters (now, it gets hard):

Arg - Ger; Somehow, Germany will win this one. Full time, 2-0.

Ita - Spa; Spain by a goal. 2-1 most prob.

Fra - Eng; England if full time. Fra if Pens. Bottomline: France

Hol - Brazil; Brazil in full time.

Semis

Germany - Spain ; Close to call. But Spain will win.

Brazil - France - Brazil to avenge their loss in 2006.

Final:

Brazil - Spain - Brazil to win. Spain will win if they meet any other teams (other than Brazil)

Scenarios:

Holland

Holland has a better chance of reaching the semis if they go runners up in their group, and end up meeting Italy in the last 16. (Second round). They will defeat Italy, setting up a meet with Spain. Then again, can Oranje beat Spain?????

England

It is hard to picture England going runners up in their group, which is detrimental, really. Going second will pit them against Germany. Which in turn probably lines up Argentina and then Spain in the quarters and Semis. Question : Can England beat these teams??? Meeting France is their best bet, and hope for the best facing Brazil in the semis.

Argentina

Argentina is in the same case as England. Going second in group will pit them against France (most prob). Thus putting them on course to meet Brazil en route to finals.

Hence, my predictions whereby, Team to watch: Argentina, Team i support: Italy
Team to win the World Cup: Brazil.

*dont forget. when Maicon (Brazil's left back) said "we want to win first. style can come later". That's Chelsea / Inter like efficiency there!

Accumulated thoughts. - what cant be said on Twitter!

2010-06-05T16:48:00.004+08:00

Ok. First post of 2010!

Why hardly any posts you ask????

I blame it on Twitter for hardly posting in this blog.

Why? Simple.

In normal blogs, us small time bloggers would have to dedicate a special time, in a week.

Where we air out our rant. Usually accumulated over a few days.

The voila! A freaking new blog post!

Then along came Twitter. (YES! Follow me @kennleandre ; https://twitter.com/kennleandre)

The chance of being able to immediately air my rant is oh so inviting. As a result : no more accumulated material worthy of a blog post! (my apologies, @emilyrung) - then again, heyy this is a restart. This blog aint dead!

Disclaimer: i'm not promoting Twitter. I found some of the most irritating people i know there.

OK.

So what got me back writing here?

Well. Simply put, a single opinion which is impossible to be put in under 140 characters.

My opinion regarding Rafa Benitez's sacking.

While the Pro-Man United media had a field day condemning the Spaniard (oh yes .you are enjoying this, aren't ya? you assholes), and some Liverpool fans went 'He should go!', and pundits going 'He single handedly put Liverpool down in his tenure' (pundits: idiots who mention the obvious e.g; "If the defenders were standing here, here and here, it wouldn't have been a goal), i think at the end of the day, Rafa Benitez did a good job, and as circumstances put it, he was at the wrong position at the wrong time.

Fact: He (Benitez) took Liverpool to win the European Cup in his first season in charge.

Alex Ferguson? 13 years in charge before he land the European Cup.

Arsene wenger? Nada.

Mourinho? He did it with Inter. But not with Chelsea, bankrolled by a Russian mob.

okok. If i go on and on with facts and figures, it will never end. I will win some, and lose some (or many, depending on the fights i pick)

Truth to be said, he took us nearest to win the league, two seasons ago. Highest points for a runner up in Premier League history. Kudos to Manchester United for winning then.

But in all honesty, we lost it when we lost the Arsenal game - Arshavin be damned!

I'm sure United, Arsenal and Chelsea fans would;

1. Feel weird of this loyalty some of us have towards senor Rafa.
2. Feel happy that this Rafa is gone. - Chelsea, i know you are happy. And United, your record facing Rafa's Reds....impressive? Think again eh! We got N'gog to score against ya!

Whatever it is, next season, YO!

And that flotilla issue that's still hot til now.

My opinion? Good intentions, bad execution.

These idiots know very well that Israel wont let them through, and yet they tried to barge thru the blockade.

Humanitarian aid. Ah. Risk your life for Gaza they say. Then again, what about other places, that wont require them to risk their lives to send aid? like say...Sudan? Haiti?

That's why, in my opinion, this whole flotilla, while the intention is good, these people have political intentions behind it. Be it politicians, E-grade celebrities, business conglomerates.

Wanna do charity? build a foster home!

So..are the people in Gaza more desperate than the ones in Haiti?

Bloody hypocrites.

And i got into a war-of-opinions-on-Facebook-stat message with an idiot when i suggested that the Malaysian government should have put our own Malaysians first instead of giving out foreign aid.

I mentioned the Senois, Sakais, Negritos, orang aslis should be look after first, before heading out to feed other people.

(You left your own kid starving while you head out to feed the monkey in the jungle; then if you got mauled up by the tiger, who;s the idiot there, then???)

His response ; 'They dont get shot at everyday, like the Palestinians".

Hoi. Bodoh! Do we see our Orang aslis go strapping C4s to themselves blowing up busses?

anyway. The idiot got grilled nicely. Still. Idiots cant be changed. He failed to see my point. Cant blame him, Its in the genes.

As for now, it does make me feel err...fulfilled i write these down on the blog rather than Twitting about it. =)

Next entry! World Cup predictions!
(and thanks to Em ..Em.. Em...some 1/6 scale figure named Bob may appear!)

Things that make you go HMMMMMMMM.....!??? #1

2009-11-29T20:33:00.002+08:00

Like always you'll see shit flying across the room, and more frequent, that, if you tune in to TV3 daily between say....20:01 till roughly about 20.59...!
(that pre-news blurb, and credits role doesnt count)

What else to do if nothing's good on satellite TV? (yes. even with 40+ channels, there will be times when all that's shown are either repeated, or crap)

So what better way, than to watch the biggest crap of them all?

Ok. Lets see... where do i start...

The recent furor about BTN. Biro Tatanegara.

The Selangor state government issued a ban prohibiting state civil servants, employees of state subsidiaries, and students at state-owned institutions from attending BTN courses.

Right. Reason being that programmes are controversial, and many accuse them of promoting ketuanan Melayu and the governing Barisan Nasional.

While some quarters (read: Government arse kissers) are defending it., more and more people came out echoing the issue that the program is in fact, a brainwashing exercise.

State-Owned Institutions of higher learning. Hmm....
Fret not, Mr Chief Minister of Selangor, sir. Cuz i assure you, that 99% of students there could careless about BTN.

Politics? heh. Leave politics to students from them local (most) Unis. Private unis students rather think about GPAs and making the fees paid for education worth it, than indulge in politics.

Monsoon Cup.

I read today in the papers that the tourney just jacked up its prize money, making it among (if not already is) the race offering the highest prize money. In the world!

HHmmmmm.

Yachting. Malaysia. Terengganu. Am I missing anything here?

How many Malaysians YOU know actually know what a yacht race looks like, anyway?

No. Seriously. How many? How many 'anak Terengganu' actually participated, or get the direct benefit from seeing these posh boats making circles around Pulau Duyong?

Malaysian F1 team.

Aha. Ahahaa. The only good thing i heard about it, (also the most logical thing) was from the F1 Team 1Malaysia (ok. seriously. This '1Malaysia' thing gotta stop. ) team principal, Tony Fernandes, was that he said the team does NOT necessarily have a Malaysian driver.

Now. Where are they gonna get these cash to fund the F1 team, eh?

Some idiot went "we wanna win our first race within the next three seasons!"

Stupid fucker. Instead of wasting money on that, better pump more money into Proton so they make power windows that still works after a year!

Toyota and Honda also forced to pull out of F1 cuz its not profitable. Both giants in the motoring industry, and never won a GP race throughout their entire F1 stint.

Seeing these stupid, irrelevant, money wasting projects being lined up to profit only certain quarters of snobs and posh-heads make me think twice about paying my taxes.

HHmmmmmm......

Yes. quality of qriting may be sub-par. pardon me. Haven't written for so long. Getting back to the groove ;D

The three dot entry ... #001

2009-09-29T23:52:00.001+08:00

I wrote a three dot entry on draft ...then it got posted accidentally. Only noticed it today ... (dot dot dot - that's how you say it)

- I just found out that the Optimus Prime iPod Docking Thinggymajig doesnt cater to Ipod
Touch...

- Accidentally tuned on to crap tv. Yes. the show that is daily shown at 8 p.m, on TV3. Surprised i couldn't stomach the shit. I managed ten minutes watching it...

- BN still chose a CORRUPTED (certified) bugger to contest in a by-election. Then proceed to say "this will allow the voters to choose the right people to represent them," on their campaign speech ...

- Whip her butt cuz she drank alcohol. Right. Excuse me, but if they dont know where to zoom in on where to catch MUSLIMS drinking alcohol in KL quickly, some "Derriere petting Executive / Ass Whooping Exec" a.k.a. the whipper (is that what you call the guy? ) guy will run out work to do. In hard times, we should really help him in locating where the *Datuks* *anak Datuks* *ow-rhang khay-yaa* as source of income ...

- F1 still a legitimate sport? At this rate of controversies, i'll rename it as soap opera...

- Why the hell is ASTRO showing College Football instead of the NFL? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. (this one, gets three "stupid"-s instead of dots.)

- They still ask "Why aren't anyone watching the local football leagues?" . Here's an answer : The games are played at night, Saturdays. TV is showing Live English Premier League Matches that time! Get a clue! ...

- The Farmville application should be more interesting if you can plant marijuana and poppy plants ...

- You noticed that them Apple Store sales people discriminate against "Jailbreak" units ? Dude, its still an Apple product! Then you spot them using a Sony Walkman MP3 ...

- Kids going to the Black Eyed Peas concert dressed in goth ... (seriously. i'm the last person you should ask about dress up tips. But even i know it doesnt suit the artist. Its BLACK EYED PEAS! Funk. Hip Hop. Not My Chemical Romance!) ...

- people complaining about flight delays / "conditions" at the LCCT . Dude, if you can afford it, go to KLIA ---> buy a MAS ticket, and stop whining , ok ...? - that is, if you can afford it. by all means, please...

- People posting hate messages on Youtube whenever they see foreign car shows bash Malaysian cars. (apparently, support Malaysian goods! regardless how shitty they are. Do i hear, POWER WINDOW" ? ) ...

Yes yes. Its Top Gear (Savvy, MyVi , the Kelisa, Satria Neo and the Kenari) - notice three out of five are Peroduas? Heh. If there are Hondas , Toyotas or Fords costing close to these cars values, you'd nick the Honda / Toyota / Ford, wouldn't you? You slimy patriotic bastard ...

- i found this "Hate Malaysia" group on Facebook, by Indonesians (due to some stupid dance which in the end, belongs to the Hindu faith, and not much of a cultural thinggy ). What do you say now, that WE are the main ones sending help to your people when that earthquake struck you, ASSHOLES...

oh my. i should start thinking of "The three dot entry ...#2" !

DOT. DOT> DOT>

Microblogging? This is too long for Twitter!

2009-09-17T00:52:00.005+08:00

Ah. The latest trending topic about Kanye West storming up the stage during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the VMA's.

You know what i think? I think it's staged. Seriously.

What else does MTV gotta do to get people talking about them?
You seriously think, that Kanye West, who's done loads of stunts to promote himself, will do that sort of 'PR Suicide' ??? Come on.

Point to ponder. A Black man crashing a white girl's party. Black man branded "a-hole", "arse", "jackass" (did Obama really said that??) , tactless.

Reverse the whole thing- White man dissing a black girl : you get ; RACIST! Everyone including that auntie selling Dodol will call him a racist. wanna bet?

Ok. Raya is this weekend. (projected to be). So to all Muslim friends (and readers, if any. And if you are one, man, you've got good taste!) - Selamat Hari Raya. =)

I think the new Malaysian F1 team is a waste of funds. Better use it to make cheaper / better Malaysian made cars la oi!!!!
Seriously. Do those people think team 1Malaysia F1 can pull a Brawn GP and win the maiden race?

Speaking of stupid (yes. i used the word!) sponsorships,

Did you know that Air Asia decided to sponsor an NFL team? A team languishing among the bottom 10 in the 32-team league?

Air Asia decided to sponsor the Oakland Raiders. Unless you're a follower of the NFL or anything remotely US-sports (where the winner of that sport are automatically called 'World Champions' - although only US teams participate) , Oakland Raiders sounded more like a brand of Oatmeal with badass packaging.

I dont know what prompted them to do so. But if i'm gonna decorate one of my planes with team colours, i'll go against picking the ones with losing streak all over its team stats.

What the hell is with this obsession of using '1' in everything Malaysian nowadays? Ever since the PM coined his "1 Malaysia!!!!!" motto when he stepped into office.

1Malaysia - of course there's only ONE Malaysia, you dimwitted ponce!
"Satu Malaysia, Satu Negara, EMPAT KOTAK BANGSA!" - answer that!

Now Siti Nurhaliza's concert is named - aptly, yes - Konsert 1 Siti! - well, Cik Siti, you better hope there's only 1 Bini for Datuk K!

Ever noticed, whenever its close to Raya, stupid movies that will kill several billion brain cells when you watch it will be released? Last time was anything related to Senario. Then it moved on to illegal racing. (wasnt it?).

Anyway,

There's this HUGE billboard along the LDP with a HUGE botak head, Mawi on it with some stylized writing that upon close observation (and sadly, yes, i googled for something related to Mawi) is entitled "Jin Notti". Fuck whatever that means. But isnt it un-Raya like? AH . Let JAKIM make a fuss on it. Instead of ogling at Black Eyed Peas' Fergie's humps.

OK. Im done. (yes. muse just came in)

Lastly.

Updates. Updates!

- I'm currently hooked onto anything related to World War 2.

- I just got hold of Halo : Uprising hardcover graphic novel - WOOT!

- trackable package to Australia takes less than a week! - WOOT!

- lost a package sent earlier. DARN.

- That 'multi grain chips - LUURVE' - aint tasty. YUK. better served as hamster food. or a hedgehog. whichever you rather poison.

- contemplating getting a third hamster to accompany soon to be acquired 'Buddha' and 'Mohsin' , and naming it Robot. Dont ask.

Profiling a Malaysian.

2009-09-11T00:59:00.003+08:00

Malaysians.

Yes.

I'm gonna talk about life forms that's been around me all my life.

How to spot one. How WE stand out. How WE react. What WE are actually like.

Malaysian(s)..........

- are the ones that gawk at road accidents. Usually the ones of the Chinese ethnicity will be jotting down car numbers. The ones of Indian ethnicity will prefer to sit on/in their bikes/ cars gawking. The Malays will call and update to their family / friends / pet cat.

- will most probably be the one who stock up RICE on their plate at a buffet.
I dont care what exotic / high priced mumbo jumbo Italiano cooking / grill / seafood specials you have on the menu. Malaysians will stock up RICE.

- will most probably include the serving of FRIED MEEHOON on their buffet line.
The ones who are 'westernized' will serve macaroni and cheese.

- will probably be sensitive when you talk about Singapore being better. In any aspect.
Will simplify the whole topic as 'its that little piece of crap land off Johor'

- (Malaysian) of Indian ethnicity tend to think that they are from Jamaica.
Without understanding that Rastafari is a religion. "I'm a Hindu AND a Rasta!"

- (Malaysian) of Chinese ethnicity tend to think that they are from Shinjuku.
Will stock up on sushi sold at cut price just before the store closes.

- (annoyingly, half ) likes to purposely mis-spell their names by adding an extra 'Z' or 'sssZ' to their names. And also add "guyz" or "gurlz" at the back of their names.

- businessmen (predominantly Malays) tend to have "De" in front of their business entity names. "De Makan" , "De Floral", "De Kampung". - Trying to sound French?

- (almost all) ill turn on the Air-cond no matter how cold it is outside. Spot an air-cond remote. Point. Click.

- (some) will tap the remote control, instead of properly pointing at the TV if the channel doesnt change.

- knows at least one person who's went to Bali.

- LOVES Streamyx - Yeah right. Bitch . and bitch. and bitch about Streamyx. But still using it. Switch already, instead of bitching, will ya??!

- will haggle on anything bought on the roadside. Or try their luck at departmental stores.

- will talk politics like they live it. Only to reveal : "i don't vote. It's rigged anyway"

- are the ones who will defend the brand that they use no matter how bad the review is.

- will probably be the one who is trying to tailgate a car which has at least 200BHP more than the car that they are driving.

- can speak a minimum of two languages.....and curse in at least four.

The case of multiple fuckups. I love this country. WOOT!

2009-09-03T00:25:00.000+08:00

I have a lot to say.write. rant. bitch about. whichever you like to call it.

But not much time to write it all down. Ah well.

I have a lot of beef lately. The haze. The traffic. H1N1. Ignorance. Idiots. Idiots on the road. Petrol prices. Big hair. (Crystal, i know how much you hate hearing me referring to people who are not on the same wavelength as me as 'idiots'. Still. Bare with me. Go buy yourself an ice cream. =P. The new Cornetto Lava Choc is gooooooooooooood).

Yesterday, the petrol price increased 20 cents. Well. the usual petrol i'm used to fill up my car tank with, at least.

The "Paper that Reports what the Government Want you to Hear" - a.k.a The Star wrote :

The RON97 petrol will be sold at RM2 per liter effective Sept 1, which is 20 sen more than its current selling price once RON95 is available nationwide.

While i havent have much feel on it for now - the financial angle of it (since that certain Petrol Card is still available...but wait...since when WPU 7675 is a Honda?!!!!!) ...but lets give it a month to see how much the increase affect my wallet, ehhh???

How apt.

1 Malaysia. Merdeka! Happy Birthday Malaysia *choke*. Happy Independence Day! (really> i thought the Brits just wanted to wash off their unwanted crap...hence, they let this Godforsaken land free....) Selamat Hurry Kew-Bung-Shaa-Haannn!

1 Malaysia? But...but there are FOUR boxes (tick one) by the BANGSA category in forms!

Next day, we get that shit about petrol price increase. Thank you very much Najibby! (do ask where that nickname came from. i can be contacted at likeimgonnatellyou@gmail.com

Jay-Z (the rapper, not the tarantula) sang - I've got 99 problems but a Bitch ain't one...!

Well here's from a Malaysian : I've Got 99 Problems and Najib's the main one!

Its Raya in two weeks. With that stupid yearly - seasonal sugar shortage (WHO THE FUCK HOARD THESE STUFF???? MAMAK SHOP OPERATORS?????!) causing unneeded panic buying, and also food price increase, what perfect timing to increase petrol price yah????

Then! To assure us that "ALL is OK!", we get these adverts advocating "use RON 95 instead! It's much cheaper, and safe for the environment too!". - Look at the Petronas Adverts. English teacher speak like that meh? No wonder these kids coming out of secondary school end up sounding like Singaporeans who ate too much scones. (Quoting Phua Chu Kang : What is... a...SCONE!!???")

Anyway, its a hardwired rule #1 in us "peminat kepada pembenci dacing", that anything the Government media tries to shove down your throat, the real thing is the opposite what is said.

Well. I grew up with the basic knowledge : the more expensive....it usually tend to be much better . Otherwise, people wouldnt be bitching about Kancil leather, Proton power windows and also reliability of Sirim approved toasters.

Shove the Octane talk up your Hoo Haah. I've been feeding my car with a Standard RON 97 for two years. Do you think a down grade to RON 95 will do good for the engine???!

Do you think them people who has been pumping in V-Power into their cars will accept a downgrade to say RON 97????!

Will you, who used to use an iPhone 3GS revert to a Motorola Clamshell Startech!????!!!! No-abso-fucking-lutely -way-yippie-kay-yay-monkey-banger!

Instead of addressing the issue and explaining the main reason (yeah right, as if it helps - refer to rule #1 above) , they go : "Down grade your consumption la. Go for the new cheaper shit. Shut up. Dont make noise. Lemme buy two more Scorpion submarines to patrol tasik Putrajaya,".
Well. Lets hope GE comes much sooner. This IS a good angle to bang the Gov.

OK.

Thats one shit. One more poop.

the H1N1. While i applaud Mid Valley Megamall for installing the dispenser, tell me, please. How is it suppose to help? Sure takes that doggie sausage snack smell off my hands. But how far can that protect you? mentally, yes. But in reality? THAT's why this outbreak shit continues to spread in this country!

So far i have two friends who got infected. I think i got a mild case myself. But im ok. still alive and well to crap here. Perhaps eat more pork, the effects of swine flu is somehow neutralized????

Another talk show on TV focused on the H1N1 control measure. Mask : wear or not to wear?
WEAR! Its cheap! 80 cents only! change daily, its much cheaper than a cigarette!
Weird dumbass question, but nonetheless does make you wonder ....can it travel through cigarette smoke???????

And lastly. Picture this : a tortoise. or turtle. whichever you prefer calling them duds....sprinting....ala Usain Bolt.

Looks ridiculous aint they?

Now picture a Perodua MyVi speeding over 100. See the similarity?
Now add the MyVi tailgating a Merc. Aha. There you go. A retarded tortoise trying to tailgate a cheetah. Sweet.

When pigs "Flew".

2009-08-18T23:31:00.004+08:00

Influenza virus Type A H1N1.

Stupid shit that's been going around and used as a deflector to OTHER relevant issues going around us....or a real shit waiting to hit the fan?

What EVER happened to....

OIL prices?
Political uncertainty?
Global economy?
Are the aliens coming?
Is Horatio Dead? (Darn , he isn't. But i wish he'd stay dead)
Will House Do Cuddy? (awwww poor Wilson!)
Is MJ really dead?
Who Paris Hilton screwing around with?
What's eating Gilbert Grape?

Anyway. back to main issue.

Im appalled by the way the Health Ministry in Malaysia is handling this issue.
Heck. If i'm Health Minister, i'd vacant my seat after 10 deaths. Whatever happened to "ACCOUNTABILITY"?

Earlier on, i saw this talk show grilling these two reps from the ministry (docs still paying their student loans, i guess), regarding the steps taken to "handle" this issue.

They said face masks, go for screening if they have a fever, and self quarantine shit.

But wait. How do you know whether its real genuine H1N1 (or some love to call it "SEL-ES-E-MuH BHA-BEE") or normal flu?

Honestly. Do you bother to hop into your car, drive all the way to the nearest medical centre for a viral scan everytime you feel flu-ey?

HECk NO! unless you have OCD. But that's irrelevant. And these anti-bacteria companies booming out their adverts of "proper hygiene".
Dettol Hand Sanitizer! Woot!

Normal people have the need and want to force ourselves feel healthy to WORK. (unless you work in a sewerage plant).It's also a way of trying not get our salaries deducted for "forced leave" come payday.

Yes the doc (in the talk show) went "workers should tell their bosses about their suspected condition, and ask for a weeks off to recuperate and determine whether they are infected. That way, salaries cut will not be an issue."

Shit.I doubt any rational boss would do that. What would Chuck Norris do.....
I know. Give you a chop kick so that you now have a proper reason to have the weeks off, that's what you'll get.

"Avoid crowded places" he said.- But District 9 comes out this week! And G.I Joe....and EPL is back! I need my mamak-football-screening-games fix! So either you do a Mexico, where you totally bar people going out ala curfew , or shut the fuck up about stopping people from coming out.

What would i do if i'm the Health Minister.....

Why not provide mobile clinics to every TAMAN and these clinics give FREE health scan? Temperature checks and also give on the spot treatment and prevention measures?

Asking "people who suspect themselves to be infected should go to the nearest hospital" is stupid. In doing so, they would at least infect several others....see....
The Security Guard where they live. The toll lady. The people taking your temperature when you enter hospitals (yes, they do have these people. I wonder what their job title reads - "Temperature Reader"? ) . Etc.

Why cant every public place of interest (in Malaysia, we call it "Shopping Complexes") do a temperature scan for everyone? Why wont the ministry make it compulsory?

Kills two birds with one stone.

Creates job opportunities for school leavers, GRAPE FARMERS (Penganggur terhormat bersarjana muda), and also Rempits who have no future as a karaoke star. 5 bucks per hour plus 2 for "work hazard" compensation. Starbucks wont be the highest paying part time job anymore. =P

I wonder if we'll get creative names for Fasting Month Bazaar food....
Ayam percik H1N1?
Cendol Influenza Type C?

Anyway. My company is now distributing masks to everyone.

Wonder if i can integrate it with my paintball mask....

When People Wash Their Hands Clean.

2009-08-14T00:09:00.003+08:00

I lost a friend a few weeks ago.

A brother to a dear friend. A superb footballer. In short, a good guy who left too soon.

He was an athlete at peak of his physical prime, passed away due to "exhaustion" after participating in a marathon. Adidas King of The Road 2009 to be exact. Fishy.

He finished the marathon. Video of him collapsing at the finish line was on Youtube. We can see him getting carried off in it.

And that's the last time he was seen alive.

His body was found a day later in a secluded part of the stadium. How did he end up there?

The responsible bodies (Organizers and Shah Alam City Council) went on saying "we gave the best treatment possible" and the police classified it as "sudden death".

Here's a link to the website : JUSTICE FOR GARY LEON

You deduce it yourself. I'm sure more questions rather than answers popped up.

For starters :

- what REALLY happened to him?
- how did he ended up where his body was found?
- was ther any foul play involved?
- are the cops trying to cut themselves some slack and ignore the case? Why isn't any in depth forensics studies were conducted?

What irks me is that the organizers wash their hands clean.

This should NEVER be the case.
Browse through the website. And spread the word.

R.I.P Gary Leon.

About Deletions and suspensions of accounts on FB. - And i thought it only happen on TV!

2009-08-10T05:20:00.000+08:00

YES. Some of you might received another "Friend Request" from Kenn Leandre last week. That was me. Yup.

And some of you might noticed that this profile was "missing" for a few days.

Reason : I had my Facebook account temporarily disabled (roughly 4 days last week). - And i thought that's only possible on TV!
So. Spazzing, i sent an e-mail to the FB team. (No kidding!).
e-mail was sent to - disabled@facebook.com - using my gmail account.

By the way, i noticed the same happened to Anwar Ibrahim's profile. It was missing for a good One month, and it came back!

Anyway, back to my shit.

below is the exact e-mail that i sent to Facebook.

**************************

***************************
Account : Kenn Leandre

i found out that my account has been disabled for misuse or reaching certain
limits of application.

The messaging application is used for personal purposes. Double up as
e-mail, correspondence with my lfriend in Australia.

No notifier was given prior to the disabling of my present account.

Please reconsider.

Thank you.

******************************************************************

First i got a generic reply (OH WOW!) on the same day i sent it out.

Hi,

The Facebook Team has received your inquiry. We should get back to you soon. In the meantime, we encourage you to review our Terms of Use (http://www.facebook.com/terms.php) for more information.

Thanks for contacting Facebook,

The Facebook Team

******************************************************************
Then THREE days later (better late than never, yo!)

Hi Kenn,

Facebook has limits in place to prevent behavior that other users may find annoying or abusive. These limits restrict the rate at which you can use certain features on the site, including the message feature. Unfortunately, we cannot provide you with the specific rates that have been deemed abusive.

Your account was disabled because you exceeded Facebook's limits on multiple occasions, despite having been warned to slow down. However, after reviewing your situation, we have reconfirmed your account and you should now be able to access it again.

Please be aware that if your account is disabled again, we will not be able to reactivate it. While using the message feature, keep in mind that it's possible to run into a block based on how many messages you send and how fast you send them. It's also possible to be blocked when either starting a new message thread or replying to a message. Lastly, deleting old messages will not allow you to send more messages. When you are allowed to resume using the message feature, please proceed with caution to avoid hitting the limit again. Let me know if you have further questions.

Thank you for your cooperation,

Lo
User Operations
Facebook

********************************************************

Ta-Da! That's the whole story. Woot!

While i'll take note of what they told me, i still have beef about it. I mean, come on. I think they should focus people who over- use applications such as MAFIA Wars and the like, while adding the same people over and over again for the same bloody application!

Message is here for...Messaging!

Gah. This note might get my account disabled again. Haiya. =P

Still. Its fun, yeah!?

I got my Facebook account deleted. PAH!

2009-08-06T02:53:00.002+08:00

Serious shit.

Facebook deleted my account.

Apparently they DISABLED it.

Reason : Abuse of application. Wait a minute.

I dont use Mafia Wars and add random strangers.
I dont update my stat message every 5 minutes and treat it like a Tweeter slot....
I dont spam people's wall...
nor i dont spam people's inbox....

So what gives? OK. i message a lot on it. I use it instead of Writing on E-mail.
Is that a legit reason to disable my account?

I'm accused of "misusing the application". PAH.

I only use the messags / inbox application!

Anyway. Its already up - the new one. =P

apparently, if Facebook deleted you, they wont accept your old e-mail that you used for the "suspended" account.

So gotta make a new e-mail address. CHAIT.

But its not an isolated case. There have been loads of stories Facebook disabling accounts for no apparent reason.

Woot! Now i'm a statistic!

Kids should stay in school. Not rallies, Einstein. (Unless they like Paris-Dakar)

2009-08-05T03:54:00.003+08:00

I was caught in a discussion the other day. It relates to the recent rally in Kuala Lumpur, between supporters of the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the people who are against it.

While it is clear that i am against it (the act), i do not agree with the stand that some participants bring in their kids into it.

Note : UNDER-AGED.

Naturally we know its an unsanctioned rally. And when it's unsanctioned, police presence is unavoidable. And with 20 000 people or so at the heard of the city, you just need one IDIOT to start a riot. And tear gasses, batons, chemical laced waters and arrests follow suit. Swiftly.

No matter how "peaceful" the organizers planned it to be. Dude, come on. Is this your first time witnessing a "peaceful rally" outcome in Malaysia, in the past few months? Get a grip on reality, will you?

OK. Back to main issue.

So there were arrests, and among the arrested, several "juveniles" were included.

So now, the people on the opposition side (Anti ISA Act) goes : "Look at them! Even Arresting kids!"

My take is this : blame the cops, or blame the parents of the kids who allow their kids to be involved in such rallies?

I'm of the idea that, Kids SHOULD NOT GET INVOLVED IN POLITICS- THEY SHOULD CONCENTRATE IN STAYING IN SCHOOL.

Why put your kids into a precarious situation then jump the gun towards the cops when your kid is arrested? You irresponsible piece of trash.

Dear Pro-Opposition Friends. I beg of you. Please stop to these stupid cheap shot tricks.

You can pull it off when you didn't have 5 states under your control. But its not as effective now. Its akin to shooting your own foot. Do i sense a power trip?

Funnily, the big shots are ok. Its these Kuchi-kuchi politician wannabes are the ones who are doing stupid stuff.

Over critical of the Government. Well. Yes. Criticize as you want, But have some class, yeah?

Name calling? personal attacks? why resort to BN's tactics?

Ah back to DRAGGING THEIR OWN KIDS TO RALLIES.

What the fuck are you trying to prove? That your kid is politically aware? Get that kid a proper college education! DO that first, idiot!

I notice that some pro-opposition bloggers also tend to try and go overboard with their comments, blogs, and now, TWEETS. Using "freedom of speech". But freedom has its limit. You know what i mean.

Sometimes i think that these buggers as deliberately wanting themselves to be arrested under the act to be a "folk hero" and in that, have their blog visits increased ten-fold.

Losers.

A totally pointless entry # 1

2009-07-15T16:22:00.003+08:00

This is my first entry in like.....one month or so.

Pardon the sudden drop in entry frequency. New change in work schedule contributed to that. (not like i have a high readership here anyway! =P)

Ok. Back to business.

Lets talk about : PPSMI. The "teaching Science and Math in English" issue.

During our parents' time, these two subjects were taught in English. Then during my time, both subjects were taught in Malay. So i grew accustomed with the terms "penunu bunsen" , "kamiran" , "sesaran" , "tungku kaki tiga" , and "persenyawaan", among others.

So we get teachers over-pronouncing words. Much to our amusement.

- Persenyawaan berlaku apabila SSSSpppperrrrr-MAH (sperma) bertemu Oh-VAW-Re (Ovari)
[fertilisation happens when the sperm meets the ovary].

- Campuran dari tabung uji diperolehi dari BURIT (buret).
[mixture from the test tube is obtained from the burette].

So a few years back, during my sister's time, they reverted it back to teaching them subjects in English! WHOAAA! Step forward, i say!

THEN! now this, reverting back to teaching it in Malay cuz "kids in rural areas are losing out" when the subjects are taught in English.

Excuse me..but the top scorer in last year's SPM who got a gazillion A's (20?22?) was from a fisherman village in the East Coast yeah!?

Revert back to teaching the subjects in Malay, but make English as a "MUST PASS" subject in the SPM. WTFF? (what the flying fuck?)

Dei. A pass in SPM is what? 45% during my time (which explains i somehow passed Add Math in SPM - different story , OK).

So putting it in perspective, its a no brainer that going back to teaching Math and Science in MALAY is a tep backwards!

Well. since most of our elected MPs are no-brainers, its an understandable decision.

Another by-election, another Opposition side win (albeit a severely reduced majority).
With the internal bickering in PAS, DAP and PKR, i question the IQ level of our politicians.

Old codger running off his mouth to the reporters, knowing very well his words will be snipped and twisted.
Talking about a "unity Government". Shit head. Dont drag the party if YOU are the one who wants to jump ship.

*************************************************************************************

SIDESWIPE (well. take this opportunity to take a swipe at idiots!)

Have you ever noticed tourists who
- BOUGHT flight TICKETS to MALAYSIA.
- Decide to SPEND loads of their "superior currency" [PAH! its only superior if its in EUROs or POUND Sterling or US Dollars!]
- LEARN "Asian" culture so they can brag "I'm a student of the world" to their chums back home.

only to hear them complaining about the country a being "smelly, dirty, sticky and noisy" ?
My friend, i have this to say to you : THIS AINT Europe! (ITS WORSE there!)

*************************************************************************************

Weight conscious people often say "ah the joys of you thin people who doesnt have to think about weighty issues when eating stuff," - whenever us "thin" people eat chocolates and cookies / chocs and anything in the same bracket.

A 250g choc wouldnt add 1 kilo , my dear. Instead of complaining about food intake, why dont you take the stairs instead for the day????

Getting creative. Or the lack of it.

2009-06-09T02:03:00.003+08:00

I came across this site and it got me thinking....what else would these historical / fictional people would be Tweeting about....? (If Twitter existed when they were alive)

Jesus Christ Oh darn. here comes the Roman army.

Jesus Christ who the hell decided i'm gonna fall 3 times!?!

Judas - shit shit shit. 30 pieces of silver only? shouldnt have given in with the first offer.

Maradona who says you need height to "head" the ball?

Tunku Abdul Rahman How many Merdekas am i suppose to say again?

Tunku Abdul Rahman @ Queen E indipendence talk over coffee?i'm buying.

Parameswara Note to self. Get purebreds. SPCA mutts are useless.

Vito Corleone Is Santino really my kid? he's awfully BIG.

Scarface i shall name this gun BOB. Scrape that. I'll call it "My Little Friend".

Madonna - Cones are in, Baby!

Christopher Columbus - why arent these Indians making curry?

Doraemon note to self. buy hand spareparts with fingers!

Abdullah Badawi staying awake is harder when you're PM

Rocky Balboa @ Apollo Creed nice hat!

Mr T @ Michael Knight wanna trade rides? your car for my van!

Spock_Romulan @ William T Kirk i look better in these uniforms than you!

King_Kong hatez those pesky planes. shoot something else!

King_Kong luvs white sacrificial lady.

E.T sms home....

John_McLane Yippie Kay yay motherfucker! Singlets are in!

John_Rambo @ Rocky Balboa i have better hair!

Edward Cullen got tricked into buying 2 crates of Fair and Lovely.

David_Beckham is that a boot flying at me?

*more to come!

A Terminator movie without Arnold Schwarzenegger is NOT a proper Terminator movie .

2009-05-15T12:55:00.002+08:00

There. I said it. (well. In writing).

Still. It's like....

Ghostbusters without Slimer....

Mr Bean without that car of his (or teddy)

Batman without the Batmobile....

Britney Spears without the stupidity.....

Cristiano Ronaldo without the diving....

Wayne Rooney without the corner flag boxing.....

McLaren without the *cough* cheating.....

And Malaysian football team without the LOSING...

in short. although i'm anticipating the release of the movie... not having "Arnold Strong" innit is somewhat....BLAND.

Still. the trailers are KA-POW! Makes you hum back to the into theme.

good times. a friend used to humming the drum part of the Terminator theme in school. (da-dum-da-da-dum!)

To Tweet, or NOT to Tweet.

2009-05-11T10:25:00.007+08:00

Yes. I am guilty of hopping into the Twitter bandwagon.
Well not entirely sold on it, anyway. Still cant find the fun in knowing what Obama is thinking, what the White House is up to , and thinking on certain areas/ issues, or what Jessica Alba might be doing or thinking now. Cuz its boring!

That said, i still cant fathom the use of Twitter. Telling everyone, constantly updating on your whereabouts....umm....who wants to know the normal stuff? Where are the juicy bits!!!!????

I've had enough of reading lame status messages on Facebook about people telling "XXXX is wondering" or "XXXXX wants to eat fish tonight". Then again, Twitter is created solely for these types of messages i guess.But , please, people... make it interesting!

I am disappointed. I expected to read Obama's thoughts on his policies when i decided to "Follow" him. Not only Obama, but any other "celebrities" see. Direct, no holds barred , personal thoughts we dont normally get in normal media.

Example of stuff i hoped i'd hear : (not in the particular order, but sounding pretty much like what are listed below)

Obama - thinks that Iran president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a____________________ ; or
Obama - top bowling score is _________ ;or
Jessica Alba - regretted i ever acted in that ______________ movie ; or
Paris Hilton - i taped that sex tape using __________________ handicam! ; or
Lance Armstrong - I only have one testicle left. Its on the _____ side....! ; or
Simon Cowell - Susan Boyle is a better singer than __________.

And all we get are boring stuff. Good thing Ben Stiller's updates are kinda interesting. Yes. me thinks.

Gah. back to Facebook then. Twitter aint fun. (much)

UGLY MALAYSIAN Scene # 2

2009-05-08T16:36:00.002+08:00

This goes to all idiots who eat too much during lunch, then decided to hop into the elevator....and they happen to get off at the top floor, and somewhere during the elevator ride, they decided to BURP.

That is one thing. If there is anything worse than having an elevator ride with an idiot who ;

1. releases a fart with surround sound audio but thankfully (usually) no aroma
2. releases a silent fart but with aroma
3. sweaty - stinky with almost dried up sweat smell ,

It would be an idiot who ate too many petais for lunch, and decided to release the burp the second the elevator door closes. and yes. First stop : 9th floor.

UGLY MALAYSIAN Scene # 1

2009-04-29T16:32:00.004+08:00

From now onwards, this running post will be about IDIOTS who apparently share a similar looking Identity card as mine. (minus the pic, surely. and them details printed on it).

Scenario.

Cross junction. Green light for my lane! (Assume i'm coming from the South in this 4 way junction).

Front car jammed on the brakes. Apparently, from the East junction (thats from the right, you sleepers in Geography classes! =P), an ambulance was making its way, going against the red light in order to make a right turn (head North). Understandably, cars will give way.

UGLY MALAYSIAN cameo appearance! 10 - 12 bikes were outriders to this ambulance....!
Wait. Could be a relative of theirs in the ambulance. Wait. The hospital is the other way! This ambulance is heading out!

Wait! Why is that uncle with Puttu Mayam joining in ? He knows the guy "in" the ambulance, who also knows the dude wearing that GiVi windbreaker, and the guy riding the Tau Foo Fah tri-bike????!

You guessed it. Malaysians who took "following the Ambulance" stunt to a whole new level. Go against the red light even when you are tailing an ambulance.

Suggestion to hospitals : use bigger vans as ambulances. You might need to accomodate additional injured idiots along your rides.

Gloss over the ugly parts

2009-04-28T15:40:00.004+08:00

Right.

Havent written for so long. Excuse me. Downtime in April. =P

Swine Flu. Yes. That's what keeps the news interesting for the past few days, and i am sure, for the next two weeks to come.

Surprised really that the Prime Time news on TV3 (Malay - Buletin Utama) went on using the word "babi" instead of "Khinzir", instead of like they always do the acts of glossing up words.

See.... example - "corruption" no longer. It's now known as "money politics". So...in short, you wont have "corrupted" politicians. Only those involved in "money politics". No more "rasuah" for Malay news.Now it's "politik wang".

It's akin to call the dude who services your engine at the workshop a "mechanical engineer" instead of "mechanic", or the lady attending to the sick person as "medical attendant" instead of a "nurse". Both are vaguely portraying what they actually do. But is it accurately descriptive? NOOOOO.

Last time, "khinzir" was preferred. So i was surprised how many times the word "babi" went on air last night.

So. Another by election is coming up. now, in Penanti, Penang.

One side goes "waste of money". One side responded with "its democracy!" .

My take : by election : Maggi mee projects : newly paved roads : street lamps : contracts : sudden developments : school kids getting free bicycles : abandoned housing projects revived : new schools .

How is that a waste of money? That's the rakyat's money anyway, yes?

I saw the new proton car. While i think the build is ok. Close competitor to a Toyota Avanza - Nissan Grand Levina etc classes. However, i have complains about the name.

The Exora. Yikes. Whats with these people naming these cars as "wannabe" futuristic names????! or in that case, some Euro-centric sounding names? Proton is a Malaysian car! Exora??? You tell me. How Malaysian is that?

The closest thing Malaysian to "Exora" was some stupid tv malay drama entitled "Ixora" (pardon the spelling. but that's the name of the lead lady ) . Then again. the character was a budak kampung ulu! MANA ADA BUDAK KAMPUNG NAMA IXORA???! if it's Bedah , Rogayah , Jenab, Kalsom, Murni or even Montel, then it would be logical!

Anyway. back to the name. Not that i'm suggesting a "Proton Rogayah" . But at least for the creative team to come up close to us Malaysians. Proton Tangechi, Proton AweK (pronounced as "Awe-K" (OK!) or Proton LengLui . Haa. Now that's "memartabatkan Bahasa MALAYSIA" .

Ok. I'm crapping.

Dissecting the top 4 EPL Club fans, according to me.

2009-04-17T08:54:00.000+08:00

*wrote this earlier on facebook , under notes.

By the way, i'm a Liverpool fan.

But i'll try to stay neutral as i can. And all are based on my honest observation.

Liverpool fans, tend to dwell in recent, or past history. Overly optimistic to a point of disgust. But heyyy....its out motto. Even in the YNWA song which goes "at the end of the storm, there's a golden sky....and a sweeeeeet silver song of a laaaaarrrrrrkkkkk!"
Every game when they trail, they tend to think (i hate saying this, but its true) "Remember Istanbul.....!!!!!!!!" EPL takes a second priority.ECL first (its a bigger trophy anyway. CHEH!) Rafa knows best (heyy. he did win the ECl with Traore in defense). And Gerrard is King.Bitter that Michael Owen left, and deep inside, hopes Newcastle gets relegated with him as captain. Favorite motto if we dont win the league in any particular year : NEXT SEASON...! YOU SEE! WAIT....! =P (while also pray Benitez buys another Torres, not Abel Xavier) . Orders Carlsberg at any opportunity - show support konon. New fans idolizes Gerrard / Torress. Old ones : Dalglish, Keegan, Fowler, Rush. Old school mentality as fans.

Manchester United fans , tend to act assholes and talks the loudest. Well, they are the strongest in the league . Bragging rights.fair enough. (you can talk when u are winning. True). But never ready to accept defeat, even when they were trounced 4-1 at their backyard (see? Liverpool fan dwelling in the past here). Worst losers of the lot.(come on guys, accept it) Expect to get stupid comebacks from this lot too. Alwaysin denial when club not doing well.
Worse, they tend to pick on other teams, even when the teams aren't playing them. Would rather dwell on a one game result or the whole stretch of the season, whichever favors them. Most of the fans (not all!) are sort of that you cannot have a neutral football conversation, cuz to them Rooney is the smartest guy on the field. Even when he is stomping on crotches, playing punching bags with the corner flag, or filled unleaded petrol into a diesel engined car. Also , hates to admit that their jerseys tend to be the ugliest of the 4. Hardly any have insurance by AIG. New fans idolizes Ronaldo, older fans : King Cantona. Fanatical. but pure fans.

Arsenal fans , tend to be saying "we are rebuilding" every season. Wenger knows best! And hope, the next kid that Arsene buys is the next Henry / Walcott / Vieira. No harm in that, but they tend to forget those Senderos-es, Diarra-s and other flops. Same goes to Man Utd fans. Who hopes every new youngster to be a Giggs, Scholes or Beckham, but forgot that Ferguson did bought those Bellions and Djemba Djembas.OK. Back to Arsenal. Trying to emulate Ferguson's squad who "won the league with Kids" (Scholes, Giggs, keane and Beckham). Have a conflict in themselves, whether to prefer see the team walk the ball into goal (style, baby! style!), or actually winning the game (we played magnificently, but we lost, unfortunately....but we played pretty..dont forget that..we lost the beautiful way". Kinda bummed cuz the club doesnt have a catchy song. And the name is the least glamorous. Reminiscing the old song that goes "Aaa-- Aaa--Aaa-- Aaa--Ars-anal...(champions

!) ". (when bergkamp used to be there). Can say, 1% who flew on Air Emirates. Still dwelling with any player in the Invincible team. Bergkamp. Parlour. Vieira. henry. or older ones like Overmars and Petit. Non in current squad. Confused of the lot. Lalang-est of the 4 too. But the core ones are art lovers, more like it. Tend to read a manga by the artwork, rather than the storyline. =P

Chelsea fans end up acting like the current manager in charge. If it's Mourinho, they talk big. and aim bigger as to whom they should add to the squad next season. If its Avram Grant, they be reserved, and contented with second place, as long as they get to ECL. If Scolari, they talk big, but still, reserved compared to Mourinho's tenure, while secretely, hope to land a better job (or manager) and with Hiddink, they hope for the best, and think, if he took South Korea to the World Cup semis....say..this is good! (what else to expect? you have the most expensive squad!) . Motto if they dont win the league : We saving for Quadruple next season! Hates Liverpool fans. But bummed cuz the passion of the Chelsea-Liverpool game is not on par with the Liverpool - Man Utd game. So they pick on Tottenham. Would secretely love it if Roman Abramovich breaks the bank to buy Gerrard, Ronaldo, Kaka and Fabregas to their team. Also secretly ashamed of Drogba. But what to do? He's the one making them grind 1-0 wins. Tend to be rich, and will have a Samsung phone, even if they are fugly models. Thinks Lampard should play 1st eleven for England. Just cuz Chelsea is winning. Can only relate to Zola as a legendary player. And half of them dont know who Gianluca Vialli was. The least bragging of the lot. cuz they know, other supporters will go "money can buy wins, but not glory!". heheh. so they keep quiet....

And, to complete this review, these are the clubs, that the supporters of the above mentioned teams tend (not surely)support in other leagues around Europe.

Liverpool - Valencia (Rafa's old club) , AC Milan (ironically)
Man Utd - Real Madrid, Juventus
Arsenal - Barcelona , AS Roma.
Chelsea - Barcelona , Inter Milan.

Have your say about this note???OH PLEASE DO GIVE! =P

anything, all of us love football.....

p.s . Chelsea - Barca? come on. Barca la. They are too strong this season. Chelsea defense is fragile.

Man Utd - Arsenal? too close to call. As for LIverpool? NEXT SEASON...! YOU SEE! WAIT....!

barca for ECL. they are just too good.

Perhentian Island Getaway Guide - Tips and FAQs! - Part 2

2009-04-02T14:59:00.013+08:00

Part 2!

Food - What To Do.

Cast :

1. Kenn "rooot?" Leandre
2. Emily "ROUT!" R
Alright.

Continuation from the previous entry. Perhentian Island! (Small) .

I forgot to mention, that the beach facing the open ocean - Long Beach generally has bigger waves, compared to the ones in Coral bay. The water is calmer here. Only down side for Coral Bay is that, high volume of people , as this is one of the main entry points of visitors into the island (the other one being on Long Beach). Also, you have the tendency to end up stepping on sharp rocks / barnacles / corals here. Hence the name.

Coral bay beach stretch also is much shorter compared to Long Beach (duh). So you may feel a tad over crowded at times.

As for Long Beach, the down side would be that if you prefer going in for a good dip, this would not be the one for you. Go to Coral Bay instead. Also, the walk from the water edge to the shed (unless you rent an umbrella - RM 10 for a day's use, i heard) which is where the trees are.

Compared to Coral Bay, if you're lucky enough, the water is right in front of your chalet porch.

Ah yes. Sunrise is from Long Beach, Sunset is at Coral Bay.

Coral bay - Sunset

Activity! Yes. Like mentioned earlier, you can do trekking from either side of the beach to the next. be prepared to bump into water monitor lizards, tho. We saw this guy trying to get his way into a chalet in front of the one we were staying.

when we spotted it

trying to get in

stayed in.

Then we saw the panic faces of the occupants coming out of the unit....

Then spotted trying to get out..... we left soon after this pic was taken

when we got back around 7 hours later.

Oh yeh. I forgot the name of this restaurant ...i think it was Mama's restaurant, where you have to walk towards the back if you need to go to the bathroom, and walk over a make shift "bridge"over a small" lake.

So i went. Looked down into the water. 3 freaking oversized monitor lizards! THREE! At least 5 feet each! Lazing. Didnt bring camera, sorry. Who brings the camera to the toilet????!

For tourists, sunbathing is a must once they are here. I dont need it, i'm dark enough already, thank you. Nonetheless, bumming around at them beach chairs is pretty cool to. Considering this is a getaway. Go early so you can get nice seats. Some chairs are already taken as early as after breakfast!

P.S! Spotted one tourist trying to go topless! Well..the temperature wasn't HOT HOT during our stay, so i guess this particularly adventurous tourist decided against it. We noticed she went as far as to untie her back strap.

bumming around at Coral Bay. Yes. My toes.

I'll talk about activities later. As for food, i would suggest against going with the package if it offers meals , as it would be a shame if you fail to try the various restaurants along both beaches. The menu's pretty much the same, and the prices are kind of standard. But another cook's fried eggs are different than another cook's right? (that just sounded really awkward, even in typing).

Prices vary, but a standard fried rice would cost you RM 8.00 here, a can of coke nearly RM 2.50 per can. Get this! Almost all restaurants offer BBQ dinner sets. Prices range between RM 15.00 to RM 18.00 per plate. Worth trying. Really cheap , based on what is actually offered! i kid you not. P.S. Black tip shark barbecue is available. Not bad. Kinda chewy.

Beer / Alcohol are pretty expensive. RM 8.00 per can of Tiger beer. Yikes.

BUT! You can get "Only available in Thailand - Chang Beer" (as seen on Everton FC) here! . But you have to ask. As alcohol are not sold openly. Look out for this Reggae themed beach bar on Long Beach at night! Go to the bonfire! They have these mini wooden tables, set out facing the ocean. Sit on sand. Really nice! Except for that blaring UB40 Reggae, and some mish mash reggae music , really recommended for a sit and do nothing sort of thing. =P

OK. activity. Diving rates, i dont know. Didnt check. But for snorkeling, it's dirt cheap.
Package :

- 5 snorkeling spots + trip to Perhentian Village for lunch (formerly "Fishing Village", but since all fishermen are now working in the tourism industry.....ummmm)
- boat ride
- masks, snorkel , fins and jacket provided

All in 6 hours or so.

RM 40.00 per head!

- Turtle Bay - Shark Point ( i saw shark, and later that night, ate one) - this place got loads of fish that will come at you (forgot name!) - Lighthouse (out in the middle. You can jump into the water from on top of the lighthouse. Yes) - Romantic beach (HUH??!!! but thats what it was called)

On the way back to Coral bay, from one of the spots (guess!). We found this huge bamboo pole, so the rest of the snorkelers who joined decided to ride on it, as the boat tows it back. Like a banana boat ride.

You can ask the water taxis to take you to the specific spots around the area, but it's not advisable, as it's pretty expensive this way.

My Summary for Pulau perhentian Kecil :

1. Go during off-peak season. Peak season, you'll have to book really early.

2. Bring minimal baggage. back pack is ok. or carry luggage. I saw idiots bringing wheely bags, dragging them on sand!

3. Sunscreen!

4. Flip flops / thongs / sandals works best. Not crocs. they are fugly.

5. Bring your own alcohol, if you plan to go drink crazy here.

6. I think there's only ONE accomodation that provides 24hr electricity + cable TV here. No other provide TV in the rooms. So if you're into TV, stay in KL.

7. Bad mobile reception. Either use a Celcom line here (all locals do), or practically POINT your mobile to the telecommunications tower when making calls.

8.Insect repellant is advisable, if you attract them mosquitoes.

9.Some chalets provide clean towels. So can use these as beach towels. - save luggage space!

10. If you dont have water proof bags, do take precautions to to make them water proof. or at least keep your stuff in plastic bags. It might get wet on the boat ride.

11. Yes. We would definitely come again!

Perhentian Island Getaway Guide - Tips and FAQs! - Part 1

2009-03-31T15:13:00.001+08:00

Perhentian Island Trip : March 3rd - 7th !

Getting There : Where to Stay

Cast :

1. Kenn "i cant float on my back" Leandre
2. Emily "yes you can!" R

p.s : I'm writing on basis that we took the "backpacker" - ish trip. No travel agent business. We read up on info on the internet , and planned along!

Getting There!

Method of transport : BUS!

Bus tickets! From Hentian Putra, KL to Kuala Terengganu OR Kuala Besut. If you are lucky, you'll be able to get a direct bus to Kuala Besut, which is the main jetty to the islands. (Lucky, because seats are limited: only 2 or 3 companies makes this route) .AND. Last bus leaves at 9.30 p.m if i'm not mistaken. This one is slightly expensive. Around RM 35.00-ish.

So, if you miss it, you can still take other buses (like in our case) . We got Transnasional. Lost my ticket stub, so i forgot the exact price. I think it's RM 29.80. Ah . Lets round it up. Last bus leaves at 11.00 as in our case. 6 to 7 hour drive till Kuala Terengganu. One rest stop. After 3 hours. It's after Kuantan if i'm correct.

Reached Kuala Terengganu bus station circa 6 a.m. Or slightly before that. From here, you have the option of several other methods of transport to get to the Kuala Besut Jetty.

1. Cab. Local cab offers +/ - RM 100.00 to reach the place. NO METER! So if you have several friends, you can split the bill.

2. Rent a van - or van prepared by travel agent. PAH. Where's the adventure.

3. Hop onto a local bus, which takes you directly to Kuala Besut. SP SETIA. Look out for Kuala Besut. Rate : RM 10.90 for a direct trip to Kuala Besut. Earliest bus arrives at 7.00 a.m. So be alert. Duration : 1 hr 45 Mins. (surprisingly, we were on the dot!) If you miss this one,

4. Take the bus to Jerteh. SP SETIA also. (Not sure of duration and rates). From Jerteh, take the connecting bus to Kuala Besut. Approx : 20 mins.

Them cabbies will approach you offering services, but you can decline politely (they wont bite), and while at it , ask for directions! They are helpful.

Once you reach Kuala Besut , head up to the Jetty to get those boat tickets to the island.

RM 70.00 per head / return tickets! Anything more, you're being screwed! So nowyou can tell the operator which island and / or name of chalet you wanna head to. They will drop you there.

Boat trip : 30 mins, depending on weather condition. We experienced huge waves heading out to sea. Speedboat : really fast. Fun factor : YAY! or otherwise you can be a spoilsport, and bring a ponco to avoid being wet. (The irony, or riding a speedboat).

By the way, it was raining when we got to Kuala Besut. But still safe for boats to head out to sea. Which explain a rather wet / bumpy / YAY! ride. I got wet mainly because of sea water splash, rather than rainwater. WOOT!

Where to Stay

Right. First of all, to the uninitiated, two islands make up the Perhentian Islands. The large one (Besar : BIG), and the small one (Kecil : Small) .

What differentiates the two? Apart from the obviousness, the size, what sort of getaway you are looking for, is the glaring difference here.

See, most of the chalets on Perhentian Besar are of the high end sort. High end, as in having heated water, and air conditioned bathrooms. Not to forget, 24 hour electricity. And, the island is tailored more for families, and older folks. Or if you prefer to sleep, wake up, eat, walk on beach, get back, sleep, repeat ; go to Perhentian Besar.

Based on my own observation (i looked up a lot of sites prior to the trip, alright) , rates starts from around RM 120.00 ish per night, per person (breakfast included). So if you need air conditioning, room service, satellite TV, 24 hr electricity and all the related stuff you can get from a hotel in the city, i would suggest staying in Kuala Lumpur. Save on gas, and also toll money. Or since you've driven all the way to this island, the big island is for you.

Otherwise, go to Perhentian Kecil, the "smaller - hip - backpacker - noisier " island. So to speak.

When i mentioned backpacker, it means basic amneties, but not down to the level of homelessness.

By the way, we went to Perhentian Kecil . =D. So if you are still interested in the big island, go look around for other blogs instead. eheheheheheee....

Anyway, due to choppy water conditions, the initial plan for the boat pilot to dock at Long Beach had to be aborted. Too risky. so we took another turn round the island, and docked at Coral Bay.

Condition : Still raining. But not "RAIN" rain. it's the kind sort of rain.

You can get a good chalet with an ocean view here, still, with attached bathrooms, and if you are lucky, you will be grateful to score on one of the best accommodations here, a 24 hour electricity access, but dirt cheap! But kinda limited rooms.

So...if you dont mind losing a few basic amneties, TV-less, air-cond-less, back to beach bum life, the smaller (Kecil) island would be perfect.

Then again, who wants to stay indoors on the island during the day, when it's not raining????
I can safely say that you can score a RM 60.00 per night (if not cheaper!) , per room , in almost every chalet here. Amount given as to give a little wriggle room. Yes. yes.

Well yes. You may want me to narrow down, to which one to zoom in once you're on the island. For starters, to help you zoom in to a selected few, i'd suggest looking up at any chalets which are lined up along Coral Bay, or Long Beach. (as we did)

ANYWAY. We docked at Coral Bay.

YOU CAN TREK FROM CORAL BAY (where we docked), to LONG BEACH (where we supposed to dock in the first place) by WALKING ACROSS THE ISLAND, along a dirt path , which only takes 10 minutes! So either way, you'll get access to two beaches already, as compared to other locations, which are kind of limited to the beach the chalet is located.

Anyway, we stayed in Mohsin Chalet, along Long Beach.

View of the Chalet.

(Guess which room we took!)

Rate : RM 55.00 per night. Not bad! Really nice rooms,with fan and attached bathroom too! It's situated along a hill, so if you happen to land at Long Beach, at the main jetty there, look towards the hills, search for blue roofed huts. That's them.

If you are trekking from Coral Bay, take right at the "round about" once you spot the ocean. Matahari is to your left, Mohsin is to your right.

Really clean , compared to other huts we came by that time, e.g. Matahari etc, considering they all just reopened after closing up during the monsoon season (more about that later)

Although on the internet you'd get all these "package deals" offered - breakfast included, i would suggest AGAINST it. Cuz....there are loads of restaurants along the beach area, and i dont think you would want to stick to only ONE particular restaurant once you committed to the package.

Try asking for room only quotes, or better, walk in.

Electricity wasnt 24hr, by the way. As for food, The Rumours restaurant , also owned by the same people who operate the chalet has a really nice view of the ocean. Yes yes. =D

view from the restaurant

View from the Balcony

Gaah. the post is getting too long. I'll talk about FOOD, WHAT TO DO and EXTRAS in PART 2.
As for now, enjoy some pics..... =D . All taken around the chalet / Long Beach area and / or the trail towards Coral Bay.

Trail walk, facing Long Beach

Here's a tip : Never walk directly underneath one.

reluctantly photographed

unknowingly photographed! =P

*ignore the signboard. They were working on a new one on the second day we were there. Nonetheless, the new one should still spell MOHSIN. =P

Look out for Part 2 soon!

The Kenn needs to write more

2009-03-25T14:16:00.002+08:00

Yes. I have not been writing as much as i should for the past week. Thus, explain this mindless entry today.

Firstly, let me say something about my previous post the TEKUN one, and my experience in dealing with website developers. In a nutshell, they (the developers) create the template, and all we have to do is give them the stuff to be put in. From the pictures, to the articles, to the color scheme to be used!

Oh well. Since the response i get was "It's up to you whether to believe it or not" , so i'll leave it up to the readers to "believe it or not". Nyeheheheheheeee.....

OK.

UMNO elections. Shows what sort of mentality (or is it their tactic? i dont know...) most of these people possess, by allowing an alleged corrupt (money politics? come on! get real! its BRIBERY!) to remain in contest, and they still vote for him to win! Aiiyah. I wonder if he'd win if he married a different girl instead. Ahhh....

I saw Slumdog Millionaire (finally!) last night. And i have to agree with my sister: Its not "OOOOHhhhh - AAAAaahhhhh - worthy" like most people say about it. I stand my ground in saying, that their win was a token Asian win. Nuff said.

Earth Hour is tomorrow. Yes. The part where every people who loves jumping into bandwagons hop into the hype, and switch off "non essential lights" for an hour or so, and in that, lets the earth live for another year.

My point :

1. The Earth is almost 4.5 to 4.6 BILLION years old. What is an extra year, gonna do about it?

2. While we are at that, do you actually think, for something that has stood for that long, can be "severely" affected by human activity generated for the past 100 years or so?

3. Global warming? What global warming???!!!!! That's hogwash. Of course Earth's temperature fluctuates yearly. And with the increase of the number of people on this planet, you dont expect the temperature to stay as it is compared to 50 years ago, right??? I think it's stupid when people went on saying "carbon emissions has increased and the ozone layer is severly compromised as a result of these progress". OF COURSE! How many cars were there 50 years ago??? !

4. Earth Hour! turn off electricity appliances! next thing you know, heaters, air conditioners and water heaters are turned off. Do you know, that it takes up double the power required to reheat these kind of stuff that requires constant operation? Another thing i noticed : Starbucks are participating! Claimed that they are turning off the lights in support of Earth hour..20% on purchases!....Then again..who needs lights , when the whole store is illuminated by laptop screens??

Oh lookie. I'm done writing. Whoahahahaaa! Next week, promise. More entries. ;)

Word of the day : Obsequious!

2009-03-16T09:37:00.005+08:00

Superd Engerrish from a Lah-Tuk.

Taken from http://www.tekun.gov.my/web/guest/home/kata2aluan

INTRODUCTION BY DATAUK ABDUL RAHIM HASSAN DMSM,PJK,PJM,MMIM,MIM-CPT AS MANAGING DIRECTOR & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERINTRODUCTION BY DATAUK ABDUL RAHIM HASSAN DMSM,PJK,PJM,MMIM,MIM-CPT AS MANAGING DIRECTOR & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

(obsequiously smug!)

Assalamulaikum Wh. Wb. dan Selamat Sejahtera

Respectably and obsequious, first I want welcomed your visit and you to Website, TEKUN NASIONAL. I also recorded top appreciation and thank you your willingness and you to know TEKUN NASIONAL with closer and get information about service provided by this institution.

To your information and you, Yayasan TEKUN Nasional was established in year 1998 as a institution under Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development Ministry. Yayasan TEKUN Nasional's objective of establishment at that moment was to provide capital financing easily and quick to Bumiputra group want involving self in areas of business and be entrepreneur.

Since create until to this day TEKUN NASIONAL had successfully discharge of duties and responsibility trust to him like expect. Up To 31 December 2007 , PERSISTENT Nasional has provided financing as much as RM 772.0 million to 139,000 entrepreneurs diseluruh country. To year 2008 this, TEKUN NASIONAL have appropriated as much as RM 182 million as to financing as many as 19,000 entrepreneur.

Like know Tahun 2008, is is 10th Yayasan TEKUN Nasional's anniversary of the establishment, then already arrived his time we should revalue achievement and this Yayasan's performance either it its has achieved its desire and objective of establishment. Walauapapun we in Yayasan TEKUN Nasional should always strive to stabilize more this institution ' operation and making changes and reform from time kesemasa according to need and current needs. Then in year 2008 this Yayasan TEKUN Nasional had modified halatujunya and hold branding all ( rebranding ) This Foundation.

With are direction new this is hoped Yayasan TEKUN Nasional can play his role by more effective to achieve his objective of establishment. Beside the also TEKUN NASIONAL will to stabilize further his delivery system so that can give best service to target group which became his customers.

Pengurusan TEKUN Nasional's party pay attention realistic on Integriti's aspect and corporate governance which good beside create Performance Management System ( Performance Management System ) And Quality Management System ( Quality Management System ) in this institution ' operation. In fact TEKUN NASIONAL on in process to seek ISO RECOGNITION 9001:2000 towards the end of this year. Insya Allah.

Beside the also TEKUN NASIONAL's party would create a strategic network among TEKUN entrepreneur's shelf through Komuniti Ushawan TEKUN's formation ( PERSISTENT e-Community ). Through this platform TEKUN entrepreneur's shelf sediada which amounted over 100,000 people would be able form one cooperative bonding could give benefit direction develop business design. In this relationship also TEKUN NASIONAL will develop Portal Usahawan TEKUN which would be information, business deal and network port among TEKUN's entrepreneur and the public.

In this opportunity on behalf of TEKUN NASIONAL, I wish to record to honour all sides that had give aid, they support and cooperation to TEKUN NASIONAL all the while. Hopefully this favourably, help and cooperation we in TEKUN NASIONAL would be able discharge of duties and responsibility that has been entrusted to we with as good as possible to fulfil desire and this institution ' establishment objective. Insya Allah.

Sekian, Terima kasih. Wasalam

How the hell did they passed this off to be posted onto the greetings page of the official government linked website, i have no idea!

Battle Without Honor or Humanity

2009-03-10T10:53:00.002+08:00

This is by Tomoyasu Hotei. Entitled Battle Without Honor or Humanity.
Replace "Battle" with "Politics" ....sums up our local political scene, yeh????

I'm suggesting this one to be the intro song of every live parliamentary proceeding telecast. Or in that fact, every political news on television!

(it is, anyway, a cool song!)

Back in Business

2009-03-09T21:25:00.003+08:00

Been away for a week. Been to Perhentian Island for a much needed getaway.(will write about that in another entry)

AHA. Seem like quite a number of shit has been brewing back in KL while i was away.

But lets track back to one shit, a few weeks back. Some so called "pelindung bangsa" idiots harassing a wheel chaired man.

Idiots Issue # 1

Karpal Singh vs Idiots.

*macho sangat ke, cabar Orang Kurang Upaya? BUAT MALU KAUM.

And the dumber part was, if you noticed, one idiot yelled "You asked who i am??? You asked who i am!!??? " towards the back part of the clip.

The went on introducing themselves to the reporters! NO ONE had any idea of who they were! The stupidity.

Idiots Issue # 2

Against teaching of Science and Maths in English?

Fucking retards. My political inclinations aside (cuz the march had political figures included in it), i think Science and Math SHOULD be taught in English.

Worse, they mixed a language issue with racial and religious sentiments. How screwed up can you get???

I rest my case.

Oui! Me Likey ! 003

2009-03-01T21:06:00.004+08:00

New Addition to the Family.

Now. Wouldn't this be a great addition to any work desk?

Beatrix Kiddo to guard your stapler?????

Now. Where can i get O-Ren Ishii's resin figure....?

Diorama for this scene!

If the guitar riff dont get you, the clapping will!

2009-02-28T22:45:00.005+08:00

Just click Play.

Familiar? It's the same song playing in the background in Kill Bill, the scene where the Bride VS O-Ren Ishii.

Dont Let Me be Misunderstood - Santa Esmeralda.

Your welcome ...=P

Oui! Me Likey ! 002

2009-02-25T21:39:00.003+08:00

Nitro RC!

Want to start, but a basic kit costs RM 1600.00 minimum. So....it will have to wait. But still in line!

say NO to Ni-Cad !

Body shell probables ;

Skyline R-34 , Nissan GT-R or a Ford GT!

Oui! Me Likey ! 001

2009-02-24T17:09:00.004+08:00

A new addition to "White" Master Chief and Repulsor Red Ironman on my work table!

Revoltech Patlabor - Ingram 01 "Alphonse"

Standing at 5 inch, super articulated....whhoooooooooooooo!

Climbing up Mount Kinabalu - 120209 - 1302009, and the Sabah trip! - Part 3 - Summit Trail

2009-02-22T17:01:00.012+08:00

You wont be able to get much sleep anyway for several reasons :

1. You're darn tired to get a proper sleep
2. Your body is still adjusting to the altitude, so you're not in any comfort of getting any proper shut eye.
3. Like me, you just cant wait to get the climb over with. And this tingly concern that you might oversleep past 2 a.m.

Or maybe cuz the other climbers who couldnt get a proper shut eye were noisy moving about.

Forgot to tell. We got the 4 per room one. Two double decker beds. Ahuh. There's also the 6 per room variety. Ask for room allocation once you reach Laban Rata. (Tried to do it at the Kinabalu Park office, but they said i can only ask for special allocations up there).

The base camp restaurant operates between 2 a.m til 3.30 a.m to accommodate this (summit climb). Yes. Like i said before, most climbers will converge here for a quick meal / hot drink before starting their summit trail. So it sucks to be you if you happen to stay in other lodges apart from Laban Rata.

Dress appropriately. Yes. The digital thermometer near the base camp entrance was not turned on / functioning. But from our guide, we were told that it's below 10 degrees Celcius out there.

My preparation for the summit trail : 6 (six!) layers of clothing. - T-shirt;t-shirt; another t-shirt; long sleeve; sweater; outer jacket. Starting the climb, i thought i was over doing it. Shit.

The issue is not the initial cold surroundings. Its the wind. No matter how you put on your clothes one hour into the hike, anyone will sweat. And with that, any sort of wind will be hell. My suggestion : wear stuff that can be taken off or put on easily. To suit the situation.

I got myself a headlamp specially for this segment of the climb. Keeps my hands free! Gloved hands, in that matter.

You'll bump into the first of many rope climbs an hour into it. Steep, but with "seasoned" guides, they can go up it wearing Pallas Jazz sneakers, with both hands in their pockets.

So...imagine : steep climb, one hand holding your walking stick, one hand on torch light....umm...not really helpful every time you come across rope climb sections, eh?

p.s : follow where the rope lead, but be aware of the steps around it. They may be easier. But golden rule - ONLY do this when it is safe.

Plus, i think there is a very good reason they suggest that rope climbs are done in the dark. Its freaking steep! i counted at least 4 times, during the descend later where i questioned myself "Did i actually climbed up this shit in the dark!?". Nothing below, except a deep ravine!

Climbed this in the dark. (But taken while descending)

Note to future climbers: Headlamp, hold to rope, dont look down. Keep GOING. No intention to scare you. Just an honest advise.

Only one camp (rest point) before you get to the top. Or is it 2? ANyway. We got past one where a dude will record your name / tag number. I believe that the guides will report back to him, on who got to the top, and who didnt. Especially if you want your certificates to prove it later.

Safe to say also, that 90% of the climb after you leave the base camp would be on rocks. Mountain rocks. So proper soles are a must.

Apart from the wind and the cold, the main issue that will bug us Asians would be the low pressure up there. You cant breathe properly! I in fact, had that problem. Legs, A-OK. Feet, GOOD! Calves : Full throttle. Lungs: Kaput! i counted to 30 steps till i lose my breath. No tiredness at all! But you cant breathe. Bring water! You may need it more than you ever expected!

Admire the scenery during descend. As for now, just concentrate on reaching the top as soon as possible. But i ended up enjoying the scenery cuz i was kaput lots of times, so ...why dont i make the most of it, yeah? =P

We got to the summit (Low's Peak) at 6 a.m-ish.

Note, that you'll firstly notice the Donkey Ears peak and the South Peak prior reaching St John's and Low's Peak.

A picture of St John's Peak, taken from Low's Peak. Notice that face on it? Facing your right side.
I can see a bearded guy wearing a hood.

Taken while lining up to take pics by the sign board.

And! Did You Know!????

That picture on the back of the 1 Ringgit note is not the summit of Mt Kinabalu!!!????
It shows the South Peak! South! The only logical reason i can think of on why they didnt use the main summit (Low's Peak) , is because it's not "pretty enough".

Shit. The people printing money also wanna be vain ka???? Ok la. Low's peak ait exactly a beauty. It's more like a lump of rocks topping the others.

Yes. We got to the top. No certificates needed. Pics says a whole lot more. =D

Had 15-20 minutes to take pics. Admire the scenery. And it hit me 5 minutes after "touching the signboard" (Significance of getting to the top : If you had not touched it (the sign), then you haven't been to the top!) ; "That's it?" But i guess this is one of those things where the journey counts more than the destination. (I cant believe i just said that!)

Sign! sign pic as proof!

*the guy at the back, in bright green jacket was yelling "Lets get back to the base camp for breakfast! I want my Nar-seek-Leer-Muck!"

If you want to get a nice pic of the sunrise, i'd suggest wait till descending, cuz from the peak, (Low's Peak), it's totally covered by the Donkey's Ear's peak. (The irony of being on the tallest summit, and yet still be blocked by a "shorter" peak).

Your guide will ask you whether you want a certificate to go with it. So it's up to you to ask for one or not. (I honestly think a pic at the top is much more worthy).

Get this! i heard, if you reach past the 8.5 km point (4008m), you are considered as already conquered the mountain! And APPARENTLY your cert will show all 8.9 km (4095m) done!

So...my take is...if you were up there, certs wont count much. Pics do.

Start descending before 7 a.m, as to avoid stronger winds, and hot sun. Keep gloves on. And a tip ; to avoid hurting curled toes syndrome - where your toes are curled in when descending, move sideways. It gives you more grip (cuz you're using the sides of your feet : more area covered), and it avoids having your feet scrunched up. Dont forget to take pics of the "sacrificial pool" near the peak! Just for fun, try asking the guide "Where do they put the sacrificed chickens after that...?" - We did, and he pointed to a bush nearby. =P

So much for sunrise.

Yes. You'll be going back to that.

The walk back to the Laban Rata base camp would take half the time. So you'll be there by 9 a.m at the latest. Just nice for breakfast. The earlier you get down, the better, as you'll get more time to rest before the next part of the descend ; head back to the Timpohon gate - where you started 24 hours earlier.

Main issue : how well your knees can cope. I've had an issue with my right knee for some time (football related). So it was quite a task for me descending from the Laban Rata stage. Summit to Laban Rata : Steep walks down. I dont mind. Laban Rata to Kinabalu Park : Stairs!

Descending from here takes 2-3 hours. depending on how your legs cope with it.

Once you've reached the Timpohon gate, ask your driver to send you to Poring Hot Springs. =D complete relaxation before heading back to town! =D

Summary of everything :

1. YES. You can get to the top, and back down within 2 days.
2. YES. It's worth the cash.
3. YES, i'm gonna do it again soon.
4. YES, there are NO leeches. (Em wins the bet)
5. Do not bring a towel. The provide it. (This way, you can save space!)
6. YES. The Laban Rata lodge still use Unisex toilets / bath. It's like in Ally McBeal....
7. YES. The ladies' toilet / bath is STILL under construction
8. YES. Book early. 4-6 months earlier at that. I got lucky in being able to score a room in such short notice.
9. No. You dont need climbing experience to do it.
10. YES. Get walking sticks.
11. YES. There is a Digi signal up there. Depending on the direction of the wind blowing. but it's good once you're up at the base camp.
12.No. I didnt do any specific preperations prior to the climb. I just play a lot of football as it is.
13.No. Only two out of the four got to the top. (See pic). Two technically (on paper) got to the top, and only one of them had proof. Ngehehehehe......(guess!)
14.No. Do not believe the internet brochure, that says "Everyone of all ages can do this". I'd reword it as "Only people with strong resolve can do this, regardless of age".
15. YES. The sacrificial pool is still there.
16. YES. Only Laban Rata (i believe) has heated rooms.
17. YES. Bring deep heat rubs. I brought Tiger Balm, that helps.
18. As not to get lost? Just head along the clear path, and FOLLOW THE ROPE! (second part of the climb)
19. Hell YEAH it's fun.
20. Yes i'm done.

p.s - We paid approximately RM 450 per person for the climb (inclusive of meals, stay, climb fee, park fee, guide, and other costs)

Van fare - KK - Kinabalu park (overnight) -KK : 300 (negotiable) - can split this with the number of people in the group.

You can score 40 per night in most lodges in KK. Poring hot springs is free.

Total cash taken out of wallet (all other fees above paid) for misc item : less than RM30. (gloves, stick, water bottle, candy / choc bar)

Weirdest shit happend to me during the 2 day climb - there's this pic in my camera, that neither i, or Emily took. it just came in there! its from my camera phone, and NO ONE ELSE held it, apart from us two.

So. If you're planning to climb, i suggest, go for it! Better to burn RM 700++ (plus flight ticket) here, than burning them in Genting!

Go! Go!

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen Official HD Movie Trailer #2 NEW! (17th Feb 09!)

2009-02-19T16:39:00.001+08:00

WATCH! WATCH!

Wanna see! wanna see! I think i spotted Hot Rod innit! and maybe Soundwave! WOOOT!
and Constructobots! WOOOOOOT!

Mat rempit ; Wikipedia-ed!

2009-02-19T15:56:00.002+08:00

I'm diverting from Part 3 of the Kinabalu climb for a quick entry here....

They bloody have a Wikipedia entry for Mat Rempit! Click here!

I'm speechless. I really am. Was about to give my take on the latest Bukit Lanjan Assemblyman, three by elections coming soon and the Perak fiasco ; dont know why i typed "Mat Rempit wiki" on my Google search box.....

And i ended up with a writer's block. Like right now.

if you ask me on my definition of a Mat rempit (taken from a P ramlee movie, but forgot which one) :

"Kecik-kecik nak mampus, bila besar menyusahkan orang!"

Saw on TV last night , where they focused on these shufflers along Jalan Bukit Bintang. Them kids whose dances look like they cant move any further, cuz they are like rooted to a certain spot , then out of misery starts side-kicking thin air.

Host of the show went on asking "is this a new form of social illness...?"

I think it's just one of the stages of being a rempit.

It's like a "status evolution" .

In school : join gangs, who have the biggest number of members in school . No individuality, and in fights, they usually be in groups of 4 or more, and gets advantage by outnumbering their opponent. These people never go on a 1:1 fight. The term in my school for these jokers were ; "Geng Semut". Akin to ants who group together "attacking" food. One guy will buy a can of coke. 10 friends will "share". And by the time the owner gets back his can, he's left with the bottom of the can - coke + saliva. Another scenario is sharing cigarettes. Yes. They LOVE sharing.

Upgrade sikit : Mat kapak, or anak kambing. Scab their elder brother's guitar and belt out rock kapak songs at the t-junctions near their housing estate, or near the lift of the flats where they stay. Those who have bikes will participate with them chopper or BMX bike convoys during new year's eve or merdeka night. Usually really racist towards people of other ethnicity background. Ultimate goal in life is to be able to own a 4 wheeler : Kancil. (after marriage....cuz cant carry all 4 kids on the bike at a time)

The faster they manage to get enough money to buy a bike, the faster the evolution. So these shufflers ? They are the ones who cant afford bikes, period. End up with using older model Nokias, blaring euro-trash techno music in pursue of mindless attention along one of the busiest streets in KL.

Why not KLCC? Easy. Dont want to be "associated" with Indonesians, Nepalese, and other foreign workers who happen to use the KLCC area as a meeting point during the weekend.

Heyy..at least these people earn legitimate money. And are not scum of society!

Climbing up Mount Kinabalu - 120209 - 1302009, and the Sabah trip! - Part 2 - The climb

2009-02-17T15:09:00.016+08:00

As mentioned in the earlier post, we started our climb circa 11.20 a.m, day 1.

We included the meals into our package, so we took our packed lunch from a restaurant (i believe is also managed by Sutera Sanctuary Lodges (SSL) ) .

Inclusion : Popiah , an apple, Sandwiches, Fried Chicken (Woot!) , bottled water and a can of Sprite. We agreed to start munching on them once we were half way through.

It's going to be a 6km hike to Laban Rata. There are 7 "pit stops" along the way. Shortest separation is 750m i think, and the longest is almost 1.5 km apart. (have to recheck). Here we go!

Cast :

- Ginik "Power Ranger" Lunsang *power ranger given by me (guide)

- Kenn "i hope i packed enough shirts" Leandre

- Emily "chewy lollies?" Rungdaentham

- Helen "OH MY GOD ! MORE STAIRS [OMGMS]" Huang

- Annie "my coat is thick enough" Huynh.

*****************************************************************************

Ask any local about "tips" before the climb, or anyone in that matter, before you head into a forest, they'd say "respect the mountain / jungle" , "dont talk big" , and "if you ever see anything perculiar, ignore it".

First faux pas from OMGMS (upon spotting the peak during our drive to the Kinabalu Park) -

"That doesnt look so tall!"

Second faux pas from OMGMS (first 15 steps on the nice wooden stairs entering from Timpohon gate) -

"If the stairs are like this all the way, i can do it!"

*******************************************************************************

We took the Timpohon gate trail. My advise : first timers take Timpohon. It's the more "direct" route, but less scenic (as some claim). Timpohon trail is a constant ascend to the base camp , compared to Mesilau trail which is a mixture of ascending, descending and level terrain. Both trails meet up not far from the base camp.

The first two kilometers was good. We kept with a slow pace, as we were "bogged down" by "slower traffic".

But after the guide gave me a brief about the rest of the hike - "You can walk up front if you want, cuz you are being held back by them. I'll take care of them. Dont worry. If you see a fork up front, take left. The right one is from the Mesilau trail. If you get there early, you can straight check in, and have extra rest".

True enough, me and Emily stepped up gear, and we lost sight of Helen and Annie (with Power Ranger) in two minutes.

7 pit stops. All with toilets. Depending on your luck, it could be a sit or squat toilet. And every pit stop have their own water points, in metal tanks. These are untreated water, by the way.

Jackets may be required once you got past the 3.5km mark, as it gets substantially cold beyond this. You'll be able to feel stronger winds (cuz lesser trees buffering) , and the peak should be sporadically visible. At points, you'll find yourself within the clouds. Literally.

Look! can see the peak! shouldnt be much longer (oh..i was soooooowrong!)

No more proper stairs, instead, make-shift leveled walkways. Uneven stairs made from rocks and natural elevation. No ropes required.YET. Sticks. yes. walking sticks turn out to be the item of the hour.

We bumped into a Caucasian dude who was complaining to his guide ; "I read *pant* the brochure on the internet *pant*pant* says *pant* that this hike *cough* is suitable for *pant* all ages!"

Note: It gets the hardest as you reach 1km to the Base camp as the low pressure causes the air to be "thin". Not exactly a preferred condition for a typical Malaysian. EHEMM.

Stairway to hell....

If you hear people going "the climb ; stairs , and MORE stairs!"

Heed the warning. Thats shitty true!

We reached the peak well before 5pm. Buffet dinner is served for people who have bought the meal deals. This is suggested, as food tend to get really expensive if bought ala carte up here. RM25.00 for a plate of spaghetti bolognaisse!!!???

The Laban Rata base camp @ 3300ms. Pic taken from the flat area in front of it. The helipad, i believe. True story : a climb member, who was too "tired" to go on asked the guide (jokingly of course) ; Can we get airlifted to the base camp instead?

Guide's reply : Can...but it's RM 100.00 per minute! (i dont know whether he was joking here) .

Our mistake was to chuck our empty water bottles into the bin right away during the hike. Reason being that we could have re-used the bottles to get clean, warm water from the restaurant up there. (a huge water dispenser is located at the restaurant).

Note, that although they (SSL) do sell mineral water (bottled, duh!) and other tit bits up there, all are grossly overpriced!

A bottle of 500ml mineral water sells for RM 5.00/ bottle! But in dire situation where water is essential for the hike, you cant do much if u didnt have an empty bottle to use and fill up with clean warm water. (i'll get cold in no time!)

A Kit Kat Chunky was selling for RM 8.00 per bar. No shit. (Didnt buy that, cuz we packed our own chocs from the bottom).

Oh yeh. Feel free to snap some really nice scenery of the sunset from the balcony of the restaurant. Wear your jackets/ sweaters. Air's shitty cold!

Oh yeh. We got the heated room. And the bathroom was shared. Unisex bathrooms at 3300m! Reason : ladies' bathroom (still) under construction.

Taken with a 3.2 megapixel cam. And you get this. Try using a Die-asS-eL-aR cameras. Yeah right. Wanna lug that piece of junk all the way up here? think again!

Fatigue + cold + feeling accomplished she got to this far! (or maybe she's distracted by the view. =P)

Worth the hike. So far...

No night life (as if anyone would want to have one before the climb) after 8.00p.m cuz almost everyone will be in their rooms for a quick rest. The place will remain open, to receive remaining climbers who are yet to reach the Base Camp.

We (me and Em) decided to sit and look at arriving hikers, at the restaurant; and some reached the base camp as late as 9.45 p.m. (if i remember it correctly). We went to bed at 10.00 to get some rest, well ready for the next part of the climb, at 2.00 a.m.

If you happen to reach late to the base camp, (from what we saw) they will prepare hot food for you. Respectable amount. Which is really needed if you are to continue your next leg of the hike.

Sucky thing , really, if you didnt manage to score a room at Laban rata, and instead stationed at any of the "nearby" chalets. Dont be fooled if they say it's "only 50m" or worse, "150m or a ten minute walk' from laban rata. They were referring to porter-time! Not normal climbers (or worse, first timers!) . Temperature drops to below 10 degrees celcius at night. With the state of your body is in, you DO NOT want to trudge 50-150ms to your lodge from Laban Rata.

So. If you are reading this, and you didnt manage to score a place in Laban Rata, tell the booking lady to upgrade your room to Laban Rata the second you are able to. Bring a hat. that helps. Tiger balm or any deep heat rubs help too. Gloves are sold in Laban Rata for RM 5.00 per pair.
Keep a close eye on your walking stick. Some cheap skates who only discovered the importance of a walking stick may scab away yours! (They are selling these for RM 15.00 up here, as compared to Rm 5.00 at the Timpohon gate start point).

Surprisingly, you can get Digi signals up here! Mostly during the hike, and also depending on wind direction.

Right. Look out for Part 3! Summit climb, and also the way back down!!!!

Climbing up Mount Kinabalu - 120209 - 1302009, and the Sabah trip! - Part 1 - Preparation, TIPS and FAQs

2009-02-15T21:52:00.007+08:00

So. This is definitely NOT the first blog entry about hiking up all the way to the 4095m summit(not 4101m as written in older books), the 8.9km "walk" (yeah RIGHT!) needed to get to the top. But this is my take on my so called "adventure" up to the summit of Mt Kinabalu. Once you've done this (meaning, you actually touched the sign at the summit), you'll scoff at them Gunung Nuang / Tahan "conquerors".

First thing's first,the hike takes two days. Yes.

1. Climb up to the base camp (Day 1)

2. Climb up to the summit. (Day 2)

* you can descend the mountain the same day as you conquered the summit, if you are wondering.

Duration : IN YOUR OWN TIME.

Travel

I touched down in Kota Kinabalu (KK) Terminal 2 airport on the midnight of the 11th (going into the 12th) , and bunked at my aunt's place, which is 15 minutes drive from KK.

We already got ourselves a chartered van to take us all the way to the Kinabalu Park. The van is also scheduled to take us around the Kinabalu Park area , once the climb is over (that is, once we got back to to the start point). Also to take us back to KK. Yes. Unless you can get a dedicated friend / family member to pick you up at the Kinabalu Park area, this is the ONLY logical method. DO NOT. I repeat, DO NOT try picking up local busses or cabs from the city and ask them to drop you off at the Kinabalu Park, if you plan to get back to KK on the same day.

Trip from the heart of Kota Kinabalu town to the Kinabalu Park normally takes roughly 2 hours. But since we chartered Mika Hakkinen's long lost brother (a.k.a Titin the Pilot) as our driver , we reached the Kinabalu national Park in less than 2 hours. And in that, even managed to squeeze in a stop for breakfast at a Mee-Chap (Mi Kicap) restaurant not far from Tamparuli Bridge.

Try to reach early. I was told by a park ranger, that they will only open up for climbers to enter up till 12.00 p.m , as to avoid risks of having climbers being stuck in the jungle come nightfall.

You will start at the Kinabalu Park office, where you do your registration stuff, and climbing permits etc. (i'll explain the charges later)

We were there at 10.45a.m. Stuff were sorted out by 11.00, and we were on our trail by 11.25 a.m.

The once all is done, you'll meet your assigned Guide. Ours was Ginik Lunsang! (he might be Dusun) Each guide can take a maximum of four climbers. I see it more as a precaution thinggy, rather than scabbing off our money here. So don't think of "bargaining" - "can la....seven of us, use only one guide ...we are heading the same destination anyway".

You will then go on a minibus ride to the Timpohon Gate to start your climb. (If you decide to take the Timpohon route, which i suggest for ALL first time Mt Kinabalu climbers)

Oh yeh. Keep your tags on you all the time, throughout the journey.

WEAR

I started the climb wearing a T-shirt, three quarter pants, and my Futsal shoes.(soles are in good condition) . An optional zip jacket was hung from my bag. In case of windchill.

BRING

Since you will be hiking up all 8.9 kilometeres to the top, WHAT YOU PACKED affects your experience during the whole duration of the journey.

Stuff packed in my backpack :

- three T-shirts (two cotton, one jersey material) + The tee i'm wearing.

- two sweaters

- toothbrush

- Jeans (standard jeans, NOT Skinny jeans)

- clean undies! (woot!)

- towel. NOTE : DO NOT BRING YOUR TOWEL, as the hotel provides fresh towels, shower and shampoo upon check in. My towel just took up space. aiiya.

- Headlamp. (I got this one for RM 35.00 at The Curve flea market) - Keeps your hands free for the second part of the climb. (In case you are still wondering, the second part of the climb starts at 2 a.m the next day, assuming you reach the Base Camp) - rope climbs are required in the second part of the climb.

- socks.(up to three layers will never be perceived as too much)

- candy / chocolates

I didnt pack a hiking pole and gloves. However, both can be purchased at the entrance (Timpohon) or at the Base camp. Raincoats/ Poncos can also be purchased here. Regardless the weather at the time, GET ONE raincoat. You dont want to be caught soaked up there. (I'll tell later)

Hiking sticks. yes. Hiking sticks. They do sell them. At Rm 5.00 a pop, you'd feel you were being squeezed here. But an hour into the climb, this would look like the best buy you'll ever made during your time in Sabah. Buy them here, cuz they are selling at RM 15.00 up there!

Water . I used up a total of 3 bottles of 500ml mineral water, and two cans of 100 Plus.

The baggage weighing thinggy at the airport indicates that all these totals up to 5 kilos.

My tip : the lesser the stuff you attempt to bring, the bigger the chance of you NOT reaching the top. (Real story later)

STAY / EAT

OK. All accomodation is taken care by Sutera Sanctuary Lodges (SSL). Yes. Apparently, they are THE ONLY company monopolizing the accomodations up there, at 3300m. (+/- 6km hike); the so called "Base - Camp" - Laban Rata resthouse / lodge.

There are other several "lodges" scattered around the main Laban Rata lodge. Namely ;

1. Waras Hut - +/- 50m from Laban Rata (before reaching)
2. Gunting Lagadan - +/- 50-100m from Laban Rata (after reaching)
3. Panar Laban - +/- 50-100m from Laban Rata (after reaching)

My take : If you cant get a room in Laban Rata, i'd suggest you change your dates to the time when you CAN score a room here. Reason being that ;

1. The three lodges DO NOT have heated rooms.
2. The difference in price per bed is not much (only RM 40.00 upgrade from Waras Hut. I know this, cuz i upgraded mine - Waras Hut to Laban Rata for this rate)
3. Trekking back to the lodges after your first stage of the climb,after dinner in the dark (7 p.m -sh + wind chill : Not exactly a good preparation for the second part of the climb).
4. The only restaurant serving (HOT) food is in Laban Rata. (hence, you have your dinner here once you reach this base camp). And you'd wanna grab some hot coffee before the second part of the climb too, at 2 a.m, right?

Restaurant! Upon reaching the Base Camp , after a 4 to 6 hour hike, (usually in time for dinner!), you'll most probably check in , and head straight to the buffet line.

My Tips :

1. Get. NAY. ASK for the package which includes meals. A bit pricey, but definitely the best option. Ala carte food will kill you.

2. Dont throw your used water bottles (from the first part of the climb). The restaurant offers warm water (drinkable, obviously). Fill up here. Otherwise you'll be forced to buy 500ml mineral water bottles at RM 5.00 per bottle.

3. Pack as many chocolate bars you can get. Try packing the "hard to melt ones". A Kit Kat Chunky sells for RM 8.00 here.

4. They do sell chocolates and stuff here, biscuits too.

5. You can get your pair of gloves from here too, for RM 5.00. They look like gardener gloves, but thick enough , yes. Get one, if you haven't have a thick pair.

* i think i saw this group of kiasu climbers (i think most probably are from Singapore), testing out their gloves brought from home, at the restaurant : Lab latex gloves! Serious shit, i am not kidding. I almost choked seeing them trying on their gloves. Talk about trying to save cost!

Oh yeh. I heard about people getting "curled toes" when descending, because of their feet alignment while descending. Scrunched up toes and all. My tip :

Bring Open toes sandals, or, descend stairs "sideways". I used the sideways technique. Yes. It helps.

OK. Guess this lot for the Preparation of the climb. next entry would be on WHAT Happened. all the way up.

Pictures will only be added in the next entry. WOOT!

Kenn goes to the KLCC Skybridge! - A KL-ite guide..ahaha

2009-02-10T17:15:00.007+08:00

I had an eventful weekend. Yes. Yes.

All my time in KL, and i never thought of going up to that Skybridge at the Petronas Twin Towers.

However, since E (you know who you are! =D) was around , we decided we'd check it out. After much digging around the internet, on how to get the passes (and also thanks to a Policeman, working on his shift around the KLCC area a few nights earlier who played tourist guide), we got to the counter giving out passes for the Skybridge walk on a Saturday morning.

Arrived at the counter area at 7.30-sh (a.m), but there were already a considerable amount of people in line already!

Visitors were told to make an S shaped queue , as to maximize space. We got our spot just before the first turn. (In a word, we got into the first line of queue(s) )

They said there were limited passes per day. Good news (best news for Malaysians, really) - Its FREE! Bad news : It's Limited to 1300 passes per day.

Additional info : It's not fixed to "one ticket per person" , as you can send an errand boy / kuli / tormented soul / a.k.a GOOD HEARTED SAMARITAN to line up and pick up them tickets.

Upon receiving the tickets, you are to tell that ticket lady, how many people, and what time do you wish to be up there. They give the times in 15-minute intervals. So it's like 4 sessions per hour.

Each session has a quota in number of people, and my observation indicate that per trip, a maximum of 20 people were allowed, (Our session, the 10.30 a.m one, only had 19 people. - I count 20, as to include the tour guide lady). or maybe cuz it's the maximum or safe capacity of the escalator to get you up there.

Impeccable timing, the tourguide lady was, cuz she starts when the door closes, and the moment she ends her "into speech for the tower" with "and here we are" *DING!* . 41 seconds, 41 floors!
once up there, you have 10. TEN minutes to snap pics! TEN! Anyway. It's all good. worth the wait, i guess.

We arrived a bit late (thanks to my "superb understanding") of the KLCC Suria parking lot. 5 minutes late actually. But all visitors were first led into a dark room to watch a video , 10 minutes span, telling the Petronas story and also the towers' build. (In 3D la konon) .Only then we were led to the lift to take us up to the 41st Floor.

Pics from the Skybridge below.

I left this one in drafts for a few days....next post is about everything (i believe) you need to know about climbing up Mt Kinabalu...! =D

Spear in the leg....

2009-02-06T12:21:00.003+08:00

OK. Lots of shit going on in the local political scene. So i'm posting this up as a timely distraction from everything. My favourite Jim Carrey movie (well..its the only one).... Ace Ventura - When Nature Calls. (this is one of the funniest part in the movie)

Transformers 2, GI Joe, and Star Trek : The Movie trailers!

2009-02-03T12:42:00.003+08:00

Now..where did i left off with my transformer action figures......

GI Joe!

And for Star Trek, click here (cuz embedding for this one was disabled)

Shit. Now im getting goosebumps just by watching all three!

* thanks, Fadzlie! Woot!

The BEST Monday of 2009 (after a very long, LOOOOOOONG time) . And my half baked prep for the climb. And yeh . Saber Rider....!

2009-02-03T09:03:00.006+08:00

Yep. Who would have thought?

This encompasses several factors too!

One : Liverpool FC blew the stuffing of Chelsea. Woot! With Fernando Torres getting back his scoring touch. Ahuh. effectively re-kick-starting Liverpool's title hopes. (Relax , Man.URE, ...we took our foot off the paddle, just so that there would be some spice leading up to the season finale ~ whoaaah! talk about being positive!)

Two : The Pittsburgh Steelers won the Superbowl 43! Defeating the Arizona Cardinals 27 - 23 , by scoring the winning touchdown with 35 seconds left on the clock. Watch the game highlights here

And Three (which is also, incidentally the best of the three) : A 7 month wait came to an end yesterday, and it was excellent . =D . Nuff said about it.

Cant stop grinning =D

************************************************************************************

I'm preparing for my climb up Mt Kinabalu. ahuh.

Have been doing some readings, particularly about the climbing preparation , and let me summarize them here (in my own conclusion) . (I'll stick close to these)

- Pack lightly . Only what is needed. Change of clothes, and only essentials. Yup yup. (that means leaving your laptop, Twilight book, and PSP behind)

- Pack more energy food. Chocolates, nuts, Power Bars etc. Chocs will do for me, thank you. And bottled water too. Although i read somewhere that says there are water points along the hike, i wouldn't want to risk getting the runs by the time i reach the rest point.

- bring (or try to look out for) a walking stick. Some bloggers went on suggesting on bringing them hiking poles (retractable sort) to help you throughout the climb. HOWEVER! i think they will end up as excess baggage and unwanted weight, as one of those weights quite a bit (which i think the weight is better used up for water instead)

- bring a torchlight. Yep yep. That's for the second part of the climb. I'm going one better off (after seeing additional suggestions) - bring a head lamp! Although i doubt I'm gonna strap it onto my head. Clipping it to my backpack strap, more likely.

- no need to tell the obvious here (but i am still telling!) , which is to bring extra clothes for the cold, especially for the second leg of the climb . 7 degrees C. Nuff said.

- Open toed sandals. This one.Yes. This one, was told by a fellow friend who was up there a few months back. Reason being : that for the descent, (depending on how you walk, more like it) your toes might get curled up by the end of your shoe : hurts like hell! (apparently this one hurts more than the sore muscles from the climb....) So open toed sandals sort of help avoid this thing.
Although a logical (or more non-logical) solution, when descending wearing normal shoes , to avoid curled toes, is to walk down backwards! Okok. That was a stupid suggestion.

- Tiger BALM! To sapu on your otot-otot yang sengal! Some said Vicks Vapor Rub, but i think i prefer the bau from the Tiger Balm. To clear blocked nose too. Put under the nose ;)

*************************************************************************************

Some idiots were still banging up firecrackers , at on the 7th night after CNY! 7th!!! It's not even Chap Goh Meh yet! The HELL!???!

Did surprised me to see Pop-Pops firecrackers being sold openly in them shopping malls. Then again, kids nowadays are not as creative as us before. They'll just end up tossing them aimlessly around their house compound. Not that you can get any more creative with Pop-Pops , anyway. Best case scenario : get them powder, lump all into one "BIG DADDY Pop Pop", then toss it to a cat.

Kids today are waaaaaaayyyyy less creative compared to older kids. Explains why you hear less (or less reported?) on stuff about kids getting their fingers blown to bits by a botched bamboo cannon (meriam buluh woooo!) . Or maybe it's simply because it's easier to scab off better material, and use a proper cannon tube material. Motorcycle exhaust!

************************************************************************************

Finally, i knew what the flying hell is Ben10. Kiddie show! And all this while i thought it was a local production! (well, the name is pretty lame, if you ask me). Totally not in the "cool named superhero" class.....inductions include GABAN / Gavan / Gyaban ,and the cartoon with the best ever opening song ; Saber Rider (chuu chu chiuu!)

watch the video here!

(yes, i can feel the thunder inside!)

* i liked the blue one. yeh. the cowboy. =D

Used to draw robots with a cowboy hat as a kid! If you notice the opening of the cartoon, the pics and the sounds fall in sync perfectly! You dont see much of that nowadays! Old anime rules, still! And the cartoon comes with its very own giant robot wearing a cowboy hat. Top that, BLEACH!

Ok. thats all for now. Will update on the preparations for the climb as it gets closer.

Woot woot.

Political related shit was avoided on purpose this time, btw.

NFL Best Shots of 2008 caught on film - From NFL.com

2009-01-23T09:41:00.003+08:00

NFL Films Presents : Best Shots of 2008.

watch the video HERE

I dont play it, but i love the game ....=D

Clearing my Junk........

2009-01-22T14:05:00.010+08:00

TO GET EVEN MORE NEW JUNK!

Yes! I'm selling off some of my junk (ehemmm. COLLECTIBLES!) in order to supplement my quest to fill up my toy cabinet, so that i wont need to buy new toys for my kid. - talk about being a tight arse!

Anyway,

All are MISB , (Mint in Sealed Box) unless stated otherwise.

I'm listing out several today. As a start. No bidding, actually. If you want it, drop a message, and we will get the details sorted out. If no one's interested, then i guess...it's your loss, yeh? (talk about being a bitter sales person! - sales was never my thing, anyway)

Item 1

Iron man Mark 3 (from the movie) - Repulsor Red version . a.k.a Silver Centurion (in the comics) - HASBRO

Stands at 6 inches tall (that's 15 centimeters - that short ruler) , fully articulated, that i managed to make it perform the Yoga "Tree" pose. No shit!

Price - RM 70.00

or you can just settle for the one that's already taken out, played with , and spent a considerable time on my work desk for RM 45.00. ;)

Item 2

Deluxe Class Bumble Bee (Camaro 09) - HASBRO

Stands at around 5 inches tall (in robot mode), and transforms into a Chevrolet Camaro 09 concept car in vehicle mode. This is not from the re-released batches you find in the malls. This one was obtained waaaaaaay long ago, among the earlier batches to be released.

RM 120.00 .

Both are genuine products, people. I dont go on buying knock-offs...unless for DVD....(Malaysian, I AM)

These two so far for now. I'll update the list. if i feel like it...or just open another blog dedicated to selling JUNK to MAKE MOOOORRRREEEEE JUNK!

And if you happen to somehow believe that you may posses action figures that you think i will be interested in getting my beady hands on, do tell...;)

i accept trade offs too, you know.

Comics : Me likey!

2009-01-21T16:23:00.005+08:00

I've been collecting comics ...since 7? i think. Started with the Doraemon series. Read all 42! (43??) volumes , the ones by Tora Aman, at least .

Then i ventured to Dragon Ball : Owned all from # 1 to # 42 (Comics House) , which i've channeled my measly weekly allowance to get a copy of that come every first week of the month, without fail.

Manga craze!

Caught up with Naruto and Deathnote while i was in uni (this is before the movie even came to production!) , also Fullmetal Alchemist and Eyeshield 21 too. A fan of Manga, yes. But on selected titles, to which i've being keeping track on. Thrice a month "Kreko" is a good source. The local version of Shonen Jump. I think this Kreko is pretty updated, that it's decided to limit Full Metal Alchemist to just once a month, since they're practically on par with the ones released in Japan!

I didnt like Bleach. Cuz , whatever happens, Ichigo will surely end up with some shitty reason of having a "hidden power" to defeat the enemy (half Hollow? What the fuck!?) or suddenly an ally turns up and beats the crap out of the bad guys, just as he's about to kill Ichigo (the main hero, of course) e.g Kenpachi. At least in Dragon ball, Goku really died. although he was resurrected several times, there was a part when we know it's gonna be up to Gohan to be a hero.

Alright. I'm blabbering. American comics. Lets see.....

List of Trade Paperbacks in my collection

The Dark Knight Returns (Frank Miller / Klauss Janson / Lynn Varley )

The Dark Knight Strikes Again (Frank Miller / Lynn Varley )

Kingdom Come (Mark Waid / Alex Ross)

Superman VS Aliens ( Dan Jurgens / Kevin Nowlan)

Batman VS Predator ( Dave Gibbons / Andy Kubert)

Predator -Race War (Andrew Vachs / Randy Stradley )

Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth ( Grant Morrison / David McKean)

Ronin (Frank Miller / Lynn Varley)

Y : The Last man - series books 1 - 10 (Brian K Vaughan / Pia Guerra)

All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder (Frank Miller / Jim Lee)

Batman : The Killing Joke (Alan Moore / Brian Bolland)

Ultimate Spider-Man - incomplete set, ongoing (Brian Michael Bendis / Mark Bagley)

52 - incomplete set, 1 of 4 ( Geoff Johns Grant Morrison , Greg Rucka , Keith Giffen)

Civil War , Civil War Companion , Civil War : Iron Man (Mark Millar / Steve McNiven)

Civil War Chronicles : Spider-man , Civil War Chronicles : Captain America (various)

Secret Invasion - incomplete set, 3 of 7 ( Brian Michael Bendis / Leinil Francis Yu)

Star Wars : The Clone Wars - incomplete , 1 of 9 (various)

Halo Graphic Novel - Omnibus (various)

The Death of Superman (various)

Anyone wanna trade? Yeah right ..;)

List to be updated according to future additions. Yep yep.

It's not much ..yep yep.. but slowly adding to it, yeh yeh...!

My take on the new POTUS.... my 2 cents.

2009-01-21T11:47:00.005+08:00

I remember , circa 1998. Although i was 14, that time, i started to get politically aware. on things. Well, in several ways. Read papers, ok.

The APEC Summit in KL that time. The Vice President of the US back then Al Gore was in town, and he gave a speech supporting Anwar and the Reformation movement in front of the Prime Minister of Malaysia and other Asia-Pacific premiers....this was during one of those fancy functions....

He said (sourced from HERE)

"Democracy confers a stamp of legitimacy that reforms must have in order to be effective." He went on: "And so, among nations suffering economic crises, we continue to hear calls for democracy, calls for reform, in many languages - People Power, doi moi, reformasi. We hear them today - right here, right now - among the brave people of Malaysia."

Boy. Did that honked off a lot of people in the PM's office. Back then , Tun Dr Mahathir was in power. Kicked out the then Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim (DSAI) on several accounts of corruption and other charges (not talking about that here).

As a political commentator, former Deputy Prime Minister Musa Hitam remarked that "If the reformasi movement and demonstrations could be given any significance in terms of Malaysian politics — if there is anything that I could unhesitatingly come to [consider] a positive conclusion — it never turns racial. It's amazing. ... It is more issue-based than racial. I'm fascinated." Musa commented that prior to reformasi, "any demonstration of any nature in Kuala Lumpur or Penang would always turn racial. Even if they were against the government, they would burn the Chinese shops."

DSAI was accused of being "Pro-US" and Al Gore's statement (which i believe was to talk about vox populi - the people's voice , and not to show support towards Anwar) was spun to make it look like the US was trying to meddle with Malaysia's internal affairs.

OK. so it's easy to say that when Al Gore came up about contesting for the presidency against George W Bush that year, a majority of orang UMNO , or the BN in particular was rooting that Al Gore will lose, as to avoid the having the "Most Powerful Man in the Most Powerful Nation" in the world be an "accomplice" of their new found political foe, DSAI.

"EHhhh! He Kamcing with Anwar...if he win, hard woooh! Then the US will be biting hard on our derriere! Better hope that George W Bush wins. "

So....few years down the road, Al Gore turned out to be an environmentalist, and Bush turned out to be (or look like, given the circumstances throughout his presidency) a Warmonger .

Malaysian critics would suggest that Bush was against Islam, as his "ehemm" track record include attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan. And in that, the US was against Islam. Which is a childish, and a stupid sentence, really.

Speaking of being bias towards other religions, i dont see any difference here in Malaysia. Yes. the conflict affecting the people in Gaza cannot be overlooked. But what about Sudan? Sri Lanka? malnourished kids all around India? them people struggling to meet a living even here in Malaysia, while the price of basic amenities continue to increase. Economic crisis. Yes. Petrol price affects the price of goods. yes. But instead of doing a charity drive for the people closer to home, they sent it outside! To to send millions worth of effort and cash outside, when some areas in Malaysia still dont have proper tap water and 24 hour electricity is preposterous. I never see any "fund for the homeless Malaysian" being put up before any AJL , or the hosts talking about the unfortunate Malaysians before their show.

Back to Obama. Yes. Change we can HOPE for. The irony on TV when the newscaster said upon reporting on his inauguration (in Malay, but i translate it into English) : The blacks, once slaves in the US can now proudly see one of them ascend to be the most powerful man in the nation.

Hmm...wonder when a NON MALAY (or should it be NON MUSLIM?) can ever be the Prime Minister of Malaysia. The land of so called" majmuk dan aman makmur , saksama sesama kaum".

Think we have a better chance of seeing our (already is, and forever will be) miserable national football team reach the world cup. In football. Not lawn bowling(which i reckon is suitable for arthritis patients only) .

I want to see the expressions on the people who thought an immediate change on the US economic and foreign policy against terrorism will happen , when Obama went on saying (referring to the security threats to the US) : We Will Defeat YOU! . Regardless on what spectrum Obama was referring to (psy - war? military style war? economic war? etc) , its irrelevant. Cuz he left his sentences (and almost every other of his sentences throughout his campaign) an open ended one. Without a definitive statement.

I personally hope he'll do much better than George W Bush. And in occurances of a flying shoe, he would not only be able to duck, but due to his sheer athleticism, to be able to catch the shoe and throw it back to the thrower. OK. that's a bit farfetched.

The US made a change that they wanted, and that thay can believe in. Malaysia...when la ????

Ironies here and there....

2009-01-20T13:59:00.003+08:00

I saw the so called "Malaysian Music Awards" a.k.a. "Best (Malay) song in Malaysia (where else) finals" last weekend on TV3. Cuz Sunday night TV sucks. And i was brain dead. So what else to do, right?

Although the title (albeit really retro sounding) "Anugerah Juara Lagu Muzik Muzik ke-23" (now tell me that's not so 80's!) suggests local music as a whole, i think they should really think or renaming it as "Pertandingan Lagu Melayu" or "Pertandingan Syok Sendiri sesama sekumpulan Komposer" .Cuz if i'm not mistaken, its the same batch of composers year in year out.

I've never ever read (READ! cuz i would never think of even tuning into that show even if i have to choose between it and Barney ) any news about English, Chinese, Tamil or Kadazan songs being in the charts of this show. Ok. There may be several Arab songs entering charts under the "Creative Ethnic" category, but dude, are you serious? These singers end up being more Arabic than Arabians!

Speaking of Arabs, i saw one contestant singing with an Arab themed performance....and this bugs me...Why is it, whenever MALAYSIANS try to dress up as Arabs, they tend to look like faggots? With those kohl and stupid moustache.

I dont see them Arabs looking a wee bit like that.

Anyway, there were several times throughout the show i went "OH ! That's the singer!!!????" , upon hearing several songs being belted out.

I'm not an artsy observer, but i guess the live performances was alright. A good "development" to the local music industry, whereby an Indie band won the main prize. "Meet Uncle Hussein" with their "Lagu Untukmu". Although i personally think the vocalist's voice is really, really annoying. And he looks like a certain old school comic actor.

Alright. Video of that Indie band with that winning song, that went mainstream by playing for a mainstream screening movie promoting independent music. The irony.

Alright. I cant resist pointing this out.....

The vocalist looks Malay. I think he's malay. BUT WHY THE HELL does his Malay sounds like its coming from an OURUNG POUTHEH!?????

Try using that accent in your oral test for SPM, kids!

OKOK! Another one. Pardon me.But i cant help it. =P

See....They call themselves an "Indie Band". I have no idea what's an Indie band or an Independent Label is (due to my cluelessness, an image of AR Rahman playing the Sitar came to mind : INDIE! NOT INDIAN!) . So i Googled.....

According to Wikipedia (whom we all trust) :

Independent Music :

"In popular music, independent music, often abbreviated as indie, is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels and an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording and publishing..... Artists represented by Indie labels have been known to be focused more on producing music than becoming wealthy and/or well known." More info, click HERE

Maybe i'm wrong here. Then again..think about it.

Right. President Obama. Woot. That's a good start for the year. Yes Sir.

Cease fire in the Gaza Strip....that's a good progress. Then these Hamas fighters continue firing rockets to the other side. Talk about mindless provocation!
The they aired this Hamas leader going "the withdrawal is a sign of our win!!!!" . The hell?

Talk about instigating.

I'm not advocating war, but his stand is just asking for the Israelis to give him a surety for his remark.

Last night's news reported that almost 160 000 workers to lose jobs around the Chinese new year period, whereby some factories will cease operations within that period to cut loss.

I have listed the three "alternative jobs" that we (not only the retrenched) will gladly work for free....

1. Food tester (no vegetarian restaurants for me, thank you)
2. Game tester (woot! gimme bread, gimme coffee...i'll play all day)
3. and to the perverted mind ; Porn actor.

So...BN lost the Buy-election in KT. Although both (ok, all three, counting in the independent candidate) called for an "equality among all races" in Malaysia, but the whole darn thing i kept hearing throughout the campaigning period was "getting Chinese votes". THE FUCK?

"i will fight for the equality for all races! But first, lets make sure them Chinese vote for us too!"

Awh come on. I think, a proper stunt would be sending PAS or UMNO to campaign in Kampung Cina, and DAP or MCA to campaign in the predominantly Malay areas. That's how you can tell these people apart.

Sheesh. Same beer, different crate.

Chinese New year songs are in the playlist of EVERY radio station!

Sam Hui's "Choi San Dou" song is THE BOMB!

choi san dou choi san dou
hou sam dak hou bou!

Whatever that means, its freakishly annoying, yet sticks to your subconscious really quick.

I'll add it to my "most annoying festive season songs" list, to join "All I want For Christmas is my two front tooth", the song with "FIIIIIIVE GOLDEN RIIIINGS!" , and " Hai Selaamat Hari Raya" .

Boycott ? Again? Cant these people think of anything else better to do???

2009-01-07T13:02:00.006+08:00

Ok.

Now. In Malaysia, anti-war / cruelty against humanism people(more like anti - Gaza war , cuz they forgot about what's happening in Zimbabwe, Sudan, Sri Lanka etc) are now on their own warpath.

"Boycott American products!" they said. A lady came into tv, saying "The American economy is in recession, so the best way we can hit them now is by boycotting made in America products!" .

And along with that, the Malaysian domestic trade and consumer affairs minister kick started the "Buy local goods" campaign. Coincidence? I don't think so.

So. Anyway.Lets talk about boycotting. Last year, people were told to boycott Dutch Lady products , because of some Dutch politician made a short film that is deemed offensive to Muslims.

Dutch Lady people were quick to go out and say "Heyy look, we have nothing to do with that, ok!"

Rightly so! Cuz if you start boycotting the product, do you know how many people, LOCAL people who work for the said companies will be affected?

The article stated there were 660 Malaysians employed by the company here, and it is 50% locally owned. So how does boycotting a particular product (or made in that particular country) will in a way "get back at them" ? . It's actually counter productive, cuz when they're not getting any profit , as result from the biycott, they will cease operation here...then in turn, who will get the short end of the stick?

I thought religions preach the idea of forgiveness. H.Y.P.O.C.R.I.T.E.S. Nuff said.

A friend , Mr F is studying in the Malaysian International Islamic University (UIAM orIIUM) and according to him , there is a huge possibility of having UIAM students march to the US embassy tomorrow to hand in a memorandum "condemning" the war.

I foresee a banner which goes something along the lines of "Israel Jahannam" (Israel Be damned) , "END THE VIOLENCE IN GAZA!" , people carrying portraits of the late Yasser Arafat, "AMERIKA SEKUTU ISRAEL!" (America in cohorts with Israel!) and the mandatory "PIECE NOT WAR" (see...the spelling mistake is deliberate, cuz i know that will pop out that way).

I wont be surprised if they end up burning the American flag as they approach the embassy gate. Or burning a mock effigy of George W Bush. Some may even try to play punk and start tossing shoes outside the gate. We will see.

Except, if it starts to rain. The we wont see this happening tomorrow, but soon, as long as the conflict in Gaza continues.

Errmm...guys....study loans..and getting your grades up is more important, ya. Well, we all know none of you will get arrested by the cops . That's for sure . But...Friday....that's the day to go for Friday Prayers. Why la want to jam the streets....?

The worse thing, about boycotting is the hypocrisy in the action. Boycott American made! So they boycott Coke, McDonalds, Nike, and Guess.

Next thing you know, you see them eating at Carl's Junior, Drinking Pepsi, and wearing Converse shoes.

Sourced from Mr F's own experience :
last year or 2 years ago.. a guy.. Kelantanese.. was in an anti US campaign.. and he's wearing Converse.. i told him that the shoe is a US brand.. he replied "This one is not original..bought in mid-night market...it's ok..." (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

as the La-Las and Ah Bengs will go : Haiiyo. *Sweat* ! (-_-') ! (notice the peluh?)

So boycott-crazed people.....if you really want to walk the walk,

Ditch those Blackberries, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Nikes,or stop using that Mastercard your dad gave ya, stop watching Desperate Housewives, House, (some may say "Grey's Anatomy is ok to watch right? cuz it's in Seattle, Washington, and it's almost near Alaska / Canada!") , E! on Astro, Oprah, Heroes, stop reading your Twilight book series and revert back to Chinese Vampire story books (the hopping ones) , stop going to the cinemas, cuz they fuel money into Hollywood for movies you will call American propaganda films (i overheard a guy criticizing the Ironman movie for shedding bad light to Arabic terrorists) , dont drive that Ford Focus. That's mine!... or even dream of owning that Mazda RX8 or that Volvo, or Chevrolet. Cuz when the Camaro 08 version comes over, you cannot buy it! All are owned, or produced by companies with American stake in them.

I think the idea of boycotting, and protesting on the street, setting up marches to give a memorandum is stupid. This is not the 1970's, people.

Also, i think the war is just another way politicians use to bring back the oil prices up. Driving to work today, i heard on the radio that Russia have cut , or attempted to cut supplies of oil to Europe. Something like that.

Next thing, Iran will play its trump card: control oil stocks. Arabian countries will follow suit, (out of guilt? obligation? whatever reason!) in order to decrease supply out, and to hike it up. (price) Controlled production didnt work to stabilize the price from plummeting. So what's next? make a war in the Gaza strip. Cause panic, and cut oil supplies. Aiih. By the time oil prices reach back to 70 dollars per barrel or above, a cease fire wil be agreed, and Obama will be in office.

I'm no political or economical observer. I may be very wrong here. But i did learn the basic concepts of demand and supply.

Who wants to buy Malaysian goods, if not the US? huh? huh??? Last night, they showed the token "help the poor" show on tv, Bersamamu TV3. Wouldnt it be nice if the government channel those funds directly to the remaining hardcore poor in Malaysia????

Think about it.

First Salvo of 2009

2009-01-02T10:01:00.002+08:00

Right.

First post of 2009, and im not gonna pull back my punches.

Lets begin.

Oh yeah. Happy New Year!

The prime time news is back at its best....reporting redundant , bias and cringe worthy stories, night in, night out.

The Palestinian - Israeli / Hamas - Zionist conflict. Lets put it clear here...which one? cuz i dont think its the Palestinians against the Israelis....its the other one. So please, please la, why do they want to make a militant body conflict into a racial based one? heck. now who is the instigator of hatred here?

Its like....Republican - Democrat, or DAP - UMNO.

Is it a black vs White scenario when Obama takes on McCain, or Chinese VS Malay if Lim Kit Siang talks against Pak Lah?

So although i agree, that the media, anywhere in the world have their own "interest" and bias in conveying their reports, a little level headedness takes them a long way in winning back their creditability among us viewers.

One side fire rockets to the other side, then the other side retaliates with air strikes.....now....who should we blame? try taking on the big bully in school with nothing but your bare fists, then complain when he beats you to a pulp? BASIC PLAYGROUND RULES.

As a wrestler, The Rock used to say it.....

Know your role. And Shut your mouth!

OK.

The Pakatan Rakyat. I dont know la. Power trip, maybe? Surprised on their sudden found power?

And why is this Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam suddenly want to letak jawatan. I dont know. Said some shit about PR (or PKR) not taking care the welfare of Indians.

From Malaysia Today

"....blamed the Pakatan Rakyat government in Selangor led by Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim for failing to fulfil the promises made to the Indian community during the March general election"

"We feel cheated, we are disappointed, nothing has been done," he said at a packed press conference at the Crystal Crown hotel in Petaling Jaya.

Manikavasagam remains an ordinary PKR member.

OK.

Fucktard. Since when the PR caters for one race? Stop playing the champions of your people card, idiot.

Were your votes 100% from Indians only? Did you signed a clause that you are only for the service of the Indians? Yes, we agree with the Hindraf plight. But all i see, that they've been imploding for the past few months with totally wrong moves in gatecrashing open houses and also stupid decisions, like what you are doing!

Its not even a year yet since their brilliant performance in the recent GE, and PR is facing problems from the inside, by people who tend to shoot themselves in the foot whenever they have a glimpse of so called support or power.

And get this, he remains a member! what the hell is that? leave the party for good, and put your action where your mouth is. He should remember, that it is a coalition. And at its infancy, there are lots of stuff to get sorted out. Distractions should be kept at a minimum, and if he wants an overnight success, well...i suggest he switch his priorities, and try joining some sms-voting-reality - tv- singing- competition. That's overnight success.

Speaking of sms-voting-reality - tv- singing- competition, i saw this on tv, a previous winner of such competition, the boy from FELDA Taib Andak recently got married. Fine. Once, he was the "most wanted Malay dude" (among sections of the society....paaah! whatever happened to their Anuar Zain???!) , now , acting as if he's the most important celebrity locally. Ah. You know what they say about celebrity weddings. The bigger it is, the shorter it gets. Touch wood, dude. Loads of wood.

The Kuala Terengganu Parliamentary seat by-elections is next!

Yes. While BN lined up a "seasoned" candidate, PR lined up an unknown person, even to watchdogs to contest. Overconfidence, or a political ploy? all i know, these listed below will come by to any constituency whenever there's a by-election :

1. Newly paved roads!
2. A huge mock-check presentation promising "development" and "business opportunities" !
3. Some crane operating / heavy machinery company getting the contract to guide and provide a quick crane operating procedure for a minister; to operate the crane, for a ground breaking ceremony (new school, new surau, or in this case, new keropok lekor processing building)
4. New street lights!
5. Some minister attending some chap's wedding...complete with the must show clip of him "menepung tawar " (whatever that is) and mingling with the "rakyat".

KT ; brace yourselves. And since its the monsoon season, dont bother in getting new umbrellas. Ask, and you shall receive.

Ok. Now. Herald, the weekly Catholic weekly, usually found at the entrance of my church, where its stacked on a foldable table, with no one guarding it, except for a Milo tin, with "HERALD WEEKLY : RM 1.00" printed on the side of it, has received the approval for its yearly printing permit. With certain conditions!

from here

The ministry's Publications and Quranic Text Control unit deputy secretary Abdul Razak Abdul Latif said the approval letter sent to the publisher outlined three rules that they must abide. They are:

- to cease the publication of Herald in Bahasa Malaysia until the court decides on its move to seek a declaratory relief that it is entitled to use the word "Allah";
next what? cannot use the word "Tuhan", "Maha Esa" , "Nabi" , "Kitab" and "Kudus" ???

- that the publication can only be sold in churches; and
huh? where else can you find it? Mamak shops?

- that it prints clearly on the cover that the paper is only meant for Christians.
err....so as to avoid a Muslim from
1. Going to Church
2. Picking up a copy of the book from the foldable table (and in that, putting RM 1.00 into the milo tin)
3. Convert to Christianity???!

Hmmm....with the KT by-election just around the corner...do i sense a move to show their "power of protecting their own religion" card here?

Haiiya BN. Try harder, sir.

Also, its making all my Muslim friends look bad. And you know....that's not good. Cuz they are not idiots like most people in that club of yours, and they sure as hell have their faiths intact, regardless of how "unislamic" their way of life, you may refer it to be.

At least, they dont cheat, steal, lie, and worse, are corrupted.

Next.

I noticed this trend....that street parties or "countdown celebrations" by idiots. As i understand, you countdown to two things , here in Malaysia. Merdeka Day, and the New Year.

Now , they even do it for Christmas!? I think Christmas is being disrespected, without people realizing it.
As i read in newspapers. Yes, Christmas is not limited to Christians, as its a time to be "merry and happy" (cant believe i typed that), and regardless you're a Christian or not, buying gifts for your loved ones is encouraged.

But doing a countdown thing, in an open street, and topping it up with streamers and confetti. Is a tad disrespectful for Christians, i think. Its a significant religious celebration. Not PARTAY time.

How'd you feel if people do countdowns for Eid, Thaipusam or other religious celebrations? Also, topped up with street parties, with idiots prancing around in gaudy glow sticks hanging from their necks? Are people taking the tolerance of Christians for granted? Or have they been riding on "freedom to do whatever" card ....? You tell me.

Here We Go Again!

2008-12-31T13:00:00.002+08:00

Last post for Two-Oh-Oh-Ate.

Yes. Its almost the end of 2008 .

The year of Elections, Videos, Economic turmoil, Endless flip-flopping (and im not talking about Havaianas here) , Unlimited idiocy, Slip of tongue(s) , Petrol price fluctuation , Court trials, Dubious arrests, kidnapped kids, "kidnapped" bloggers , road demos, party crashing, and landslides.

All are staple "must look out" for years to come. No doubt.

But several notable stuff i notice around this time, happens every year. Without fail.

The post-Christmas - Pre - New Year syndrome, whereby people tend to be slug like, and take their time in the world to get anything accomplished. (like yours truly) .

Also.

Its that time of the year where you see people blowing off their bonuses by shopping, then when interviewed by the reporters on TV, they go "Its hard! Have to be very prudent in spending ! We have to buy clothes for our kids who are starting school, then the tuition fees of our kids in colleges, and also the miscellaneous expenditure.....!"

Yeah right. Its precedented, right? So why the fuss?

While their wives are queuing for their new curtain set at the back.

Another thing is,the "outlook for the year ahead!" by so called Feng Shui "masters" who give abstract and vague calls on what to expect in the upcoming year.

I'm not dissing out other people's beliefs or whatever, but i think the least i want to see if these so called masters give a prediction, make it direct! A

t least, make certain sureshot calls, with your name on the line, like which team will win the EPL, or how will the stock market fare, or how will the crude oil price fluctuate.

And please, dont answer :

"A team from South of England!" to which team will win it, cuz we all know Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are from down south of England..., and it will go to either of these teams!

"The bear and the bull will have equal share of the scenario" to the stock market forecast , cuz we that's the basic fundamentals of the stock market ; and

"The crude oil prices will depend on the Mid Eastern conflict...!" cuz CNN said that already!

"The economy will start off strong, and end up weak!" read one statement i saw on the newspaper. WHATtheFLYINGfuckISthat!?

Does placing a frog facing a certain angle will bring in money to you? well, if it does, then how come frogs are not spotted on the doorways of Donald Trump's buildings?

The fact that they are stating the obvious, albeit with cryptic words honks me off.

Its like getting a response of "Any four-digit combination of numbers between 0000 till 9999...!" when you asks someone on what is the 4 digit number gonna be like tomorrow.

So, as not to be like these half baked soothsayers, im putting my reputation (not that i have any) on the line, with my very own predictions for 2009!

EPL : Final top 5 standings -

1. Liverpool 2. Manchester United 3. Chelsea 4. Aston Villa 5. Arsenal
Liverpool winning by a thin margin. Man Utd to lose ground in their games against other teams in the TOP 4. Arsenal lose out to Villa, due to another big name injury. Chelsea slipped due to fresh injury on Drogba. Or Scolari just blew wide open.

EPL : Relegated (not in order) -

Sunderland , West Brom , Middlesbrough
Current table may not look like they will be going down, but, Blackburn is too good to go down, surprise package will be Stoke city that will climb to 14th, Sunderland will implode after Roy Keane, and Cristiano Ronaldo to be sold to BARCELONA. (yeah right!)

NFL

Indianapolis Colts to meet New York Giants in the Superbowl.
Peyton Manning vs Eli Manning.
First time a Superbowl with two brothers as starting quarterbacks.

Kuala Terengganu By- Election

BN to lose it this time. On a relatively larger margin than their previous win.

**********************************************************************************

okok. I'll stop my predictions, cuz mine are as good as yours : USELESS, until proven they somehow come true.

Right. New year's celebration. Christmas sudah. Awal Muharram pun sudah. Now new year, Gregorian calendar style!

Being in the city to watch the fireworks....KL , i mean, used to be a "must do thing". USED TO BE.

I noticed one thing, that, if you still look forward to go to the middle of the city , for the new years celebration, you most probably fall within any of these categories below.

1. You are not a local , as in LIVING within the Klang Valley city limits. (This encompasses Cheras, Puchong, Ampang, Gombak, Kepong, Damansara area, Subang, fringes of Shah Alam, and to a certain extent, Klang. )

Anyone, with a straight mind, who lives within the areas stated above will stay away from mid town KL, especially the hot spots : BB area, KLCC, Dataran , Bangsar , Mutiara Damansara and also Sunway. Killer jams!

2. But, if you are living in KL, and you still go to these areas, you may fall within the classes below :

- College / Uni student - on a student loan.
who's life aim is , not to get your degree or diploma, but to get wasted.

- Attention seeking Yuppie.
whose life aim (currently, when not piling up cash) is to score with as many ladies as possible.

- You just enjoy being in REALLY CLOSE proximity with strangers.
and not minding those with smoker's and minty breath, and also sweaty - burnt - wood smelling people.

Cuz, no one, with a sound mind would consider being in the city , unless they dont mind getting caught in traffic jams in the middle of the city , at 3am in the morn, or fall within any of the categories listed above.

enough about that.

Right.

So. The crapping is canned. for the year, at least.

2008 comes to a close, tonight.

Here's wishing a Happy New Year 2009 to all readers.

A blog revamp / writing style adjustment is scheduled to take place really soon . Maybe. I think.

as for a New Year's resolution ? : Stop Procrastinating.......?

Red and Blue, on replay....with Barry Mannilow.

2008-12-22T13:36:00.003+08:00

Drove my father's car yesterday, and this song popped out from the CD.
And it got me humming to it all the way till today.

Also, me writing about Hellboy 2 in the previous post, and that there was a particular scene in the movie where Hellboy sang the song with Abe Sapien also made the imagery even more vivid.

Note to self : never, ever listen to any CD playing from dad's car.anymore.

So. Being the miserable person that i am (ehem!)(like always) , i present to you, "Cant Smile without you" by Barry Mannilow (in this case, Hellboy and Abe Sapien)

i notice one thing about this song, that, although you have no idea on how the lyric goes, you can surely guess what's the next word that is coming , in almost 90% of the time! (well, except for the "lightyears away")

Dont believe me? try playing it.

2008 Golden Left Slipper Award Winners!

2008-12-22T08:36:00.004+08:00

Loads of stuff came about in 2008. And with 9 days to go, dont be surprised there will be newer additions to the long list

So , i have decided to pick out the more outstanding (and also not so outstanding ones) topics / winners / happenings throughout the year.

I mixed both political and non-political related stuff in together, so that you wont get bored...(see, i'm that tactful!)

I'll start with the obvious and normal sort of awards .....

1. Movie (s) of the year - Entertainment wise

- The Dark Knight , Wall-E , Madagascar 2 (and to certain extents, Hellboy 2 and Iron Man)
I notice all five are either superhero movies, or cartoons. What can i say, these are the noteworthy ones. That i believe you'll get your ticket's worth.

2. Song of the year - according to my ear

- Viva La Vida (Coldplay)
Is it just me, or does this song has a lot of Bible references?

3. Surprise of the year -

- Barisan Nasional losing the 2/3 Majority.
Knew they would lose a bunch of seats, but not this many
- Hillary Clinton tanking in her US Presidential campaign.
when she was leading by a mile, coming into 2008.
- How fast some of the opposition people tend to get their heads big in such a short time.

4. Pleasant surprise (s) of the year -

- Zaid Ibrahim standing his ground
- Tok Mun, the independent candidate for Kuala Terengganu (the lady with the red bike!)
- New independent body to replace BPR.
- BN losing 5 states in the March 8 GE.

5. Game (s) of the year

- Star Wars - Force Unleashed
- Batman Lego
- Call of Duty : World At War
- Madden NFL 2009

6. Sporting moment (s) of the year

- Usain Bolt's double world record breaking feat
- Lewis Hamilton being the youngest F1 Champion in history
- Rafael Nadal dethroning Roger Federer
- Spain winning Euro 2008.

7. Word (s) or Phrases of the year - (by virtue of being said a LOT!) - Last year was "Global warming" and "Hybrid cars".

- CHANGE
- CRUDE OIL PRICES
- CLOSED LOWER ON THE NIMEX , KLSE and the DAX (bad day for stock exchange)
- OBAMAMANIA
- COUP D'etat! (This is for Thaksin)
- Correct Correct Correct!
- "Indrav!" (Hindraf, local pronunciation)
- Point of Order!
- Abolish ISA
- HOW CAN SHE SLAP...?????HOW CAN SHE SLAP????!

8. Pak Lah Gaffe of the Year -

- Najib as the next PM.....
Pak Lah, arent you listening? Regardless whether he is innocent or not, you dont want a suspect to lead..!

9. Political Faux Pas of the year

- The September 16 takeover deadline
did shook his credibility no less. then again, still, he's the lesser of the two evils.
- The 30% hike of Petrol prices...to go along with the rising global crude oil prices
Then comes the plummeting of the same price, leaving the Malaysian Government red faced, and having to lower it to "stick to their word" of "flexible pricing".
- Awarding Shah Rukh Khan the title "Datuk"
i'm still supporting that Jessica Alba deserves one too!
- ISA detentions.

10. Political Personality of the year

- Barrack Obama
- Zaid Ibrahim
- Teresa Kok
- Raja Petra Kamarudin

11. Most agile Politician Award

- George W Bush, for his Shoe Dodging attributes.
Dodge, Dip, Duck , Dive and...Dodge!

12. Over hyped Political Scenario of the Year

- Barrack Obama's US Presidential Election campaign, and subsequent win.
And now, the very same people who thought he'd be a better decision maker than bush regarding the Mid-East conflict is getting jumpy, because of Obama's "American stand on the Palestinian, Afghan and Iraq conflict" Fickle ...aren't we?
- The supposed government takeover by PKR.
- Eurocopter deals
- Hindraf gatecrashing open houses.

13. Overhyped media / non-political related stuff of the year

- The Twilight Series.
Awh come on. Maybe the book's alright. but they only got sold out after the movie came about. Movie tie-in , i sense? Plus. The explanation on "they move around, so that people wont suspect they dont age" is a tad to comical.
- I Dance competition in Penang getting the "thumbs down" by PAS.
Awh come on pak ciks....if they do ronggeng or joget lambak in the competition, instead of shuffling or hip hop dances, then it should be ok, yes?
- Everyone is a blogger.
Yes. Even the makcik selling banana (B-A-ya-na-yan-na-yay!) fritters may have one.

14. "Samy Vellu" cakap pusing (word twist) hypocritical award :

People who are now questioning Obama for his policies, and people he chose in his team.

15. Chua Soil Lek's "darn i look good in that vid" award

Basically anyone who hops around during interviews, and also shows the "V" sign to the TV crew camera.

16. Bung Mokhtar "Foot in Mouth" Award (soon to be renamed "The salakan PasirSalak") award

Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, MP of Pasir Salak. For his totally stupendous remarks, not to mention, making us feel that we are much more capable than some idiots in parliament.

17. Deer caught off-guard, surprised, and totally clueless -caught in the headlights -while masuk kampung Award

Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek , during his "man put to the line of fire" stunt, in his attempt to out debate Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in a live debate.

18. Stupid suggestions of the year nominees

- YOGA is HARAM.
- Marry a divorcee, and get cash back!
- Buy a Russian space capsule
- Making almost all adverts in a musical sort of way.
Worst is the newest Khidmat Negara advert. it looks like Troy and Gabriella from HSM3 was called for National Service.
- some toll operator giving discounts for people who travel within a certain of period of time.
- To privatise IJN.
-That some old men wanna do a nude protest in front of the MB of Selangor office. Talk about indecent exposure.....

OK. that's for now. May have missed a lot at it too. so if you can think of anymore suggestions for awards, please do drop a line. Also, your suggestions on the nominees, or chosen winners.

There's still more than a week to go before 2008 bites the dust. ahuh. ahuh.

Totally random rants

2008-12-16T08:49:00.002+08:00

OK. Due to a request to post this silly, but NOT annoying song, i've decided to put it up.

Right.

Outgoing American President , George W Bush did a Neo and avoided flying shoes. Nice one. Regardless whether you love or loathe the guy, you gotta give credit to his reflexes. Lesser politicians would end up with their face kissing a leather shoe (not pig skin, i'm sure). I think, the funnies part,that in this episode of Bush dodging the first one, that he was looking out for the next one.And avoided it too!

A local, prominent leader came to mind, and if whether he'd got flip flops flying towards him instead of some leather shoe. A tinge of irony, for his flip-flopping policies.

How would his reaction be? Akin to Bush's "dodge'em "? Clearly President Bush have been taking some pointers from the Dodgeball 5 D's Principle, taken from the movie "Dodgeball" :

Dodge, Dip, Duck, Dive, and....Dodge!

Ahh...he'll sleep through it. Or at most, asks "Where's the other side...?" after being hit.

It's Christmas season. It's 8 days to go to Christmas!

And the main thing that bugs me during this time are Christmas songs, sung by pop singers, with their own modernized version to it!

Right.

I have a long list of stuff that can easily annoy me. But at the top of the list must be the ones listed below. This does not include obvious objects of hate, such as rapists or children and animal abusers. It's more of a personal hate.

1. People who speak at normal volume in elevators

2. People who speak at above normal volume to telephones (and you're not on the other end!)

3. Standing beside someone eating breath mints, or anything minty , that you can actually smell his minty breath , in an enclosed area, while an idiot is speaking at top volume, to the phone.

4. During slow traffic, and two lanes merge into one, and cars are doing an alternate entry between lanes. When it's your turn to give way, the car behind the car you allowed in shoves him/herself into the lane which is commonly understood is YOURS.

5. Torn notes.

6. People who only take our their change once they reach the counter. Also to those couples who only decide what to watch , and discuss with the counter lady.

7. Fake accent.

8. Two or three lane changers.

9. Expression terms such as "Haiizzzzzz", "Siennnzzzzz" , "Leeerrrrrr", "dowh!", "cheerrzzzzzz".... basically terms that added several "Z's" to the back of it.

10. People who adjusted their online names to words with a similar sounding word / syllable, to apparently, sound "cool".
e.g : Faiz (pronounced "Fa-eez") , becomes "Far East" , or "Shahrul (pronounced "Shah-rool" ) becomes "Shar-Rulez" . you get the drift.

11. People who try to include curse words into their status messages , to be read openly, but put their own self censorship. e.g : "F**K!" , "B@$tarD!" ,

The listed are just the "first eleven". More to come, as 2009 approaches...or as i bump into more idiots.

A Community Service Massage

2008-12-15T13:27:00.003+08:00

I got this in Spam.

1. I dont have a CIMB bank account

Nuff said.

But i still hear of numerous stories about gullible souls who went on and start clicking onto the links, and in the end, end up on TV stating " i got swindled!"

Effing rule No. 1 : never click on them links, unless you wanna get your cash sucked dry
Effing rule No. 2 : better settle it at the bank. Easy.

While the fact that i dont own a CIMB account is a dead giveaway that this is a scam, still, avoid clicking on fishy links you get through your mail.

Wow. i actually felt better. a bit.

Music Torture.

2008-12-15T09:35:00.004+08:00

So , interrogators have been using reallyfuckingannoying songs as a way to break down prisoners. As reported below.

Sesame Street breaks Iraqi POWs

Heavy metal music and popular American children's songs are being used by US interrogators to break the will of their captives in Iraq.

Uncooperative prisoners are being exposed for prolonged periods to tracks by rock group Metallica and music from children's TV programmes Sesame Street and Barney in the hope of making them talk.

The US's Psychological Operations Company (Psy Ops) said the aim was to break a prisoner's resistance through sleep deprivation and playing music that was culturally offensive to them.

I knew that Barney song is deadly.

Here is the Torture Playlist, as listed in Imeem.

The Torture Playlist

Ok. so, me too, have listed my very own Torture Playlist. Not that i'm in support of torture or anything like that, but i'm merely corresponding to the fact that music is a potent form of torture.

Listed below , are the songs that i believe, if subjected , and used onto people, will surely drive them mad. Instantaneously.

Barney " I Love You" Theme.
Spongebob Squarepants' Theme .
Nena - 99 Red Baloons
KC and The Sunshine Band - Give it Up.
Bee Gees - Staying Alive
Village People - Macho Man (i want to be, a MACHO! (a macho!) A MACHO MAN!)
Drowning Pool - Bodies
The Happy Tree Friends song.
Any song from Simple Plan.
James Blunt - You're Beautiful
Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now.
Spice Girls - Spice Up your Life
Bahamen - Who let the Dogs Out
Les Ketchup - The Ketchup Song
Lou Bega - I Got a Girl & Mambo No. 5
O-Zone - Dragostea Din tei (that numa numa song)
Sisqo - Thong Song (that thong, thong thong thong thong......!)
The Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum) - The Cheeky Girls.
Smile DK - Butterfly (ai ai ai!)
Pretty much, anything from Nickelback.
The Pussycat Dolls, any song after Beep. Me thinks.
Starship (again!) - We Built this city (on rock and roll!)
Hoobastank (yes, they stink!) - The Reason
Rihanna - Umbrella.
Anything by Akon
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give you Up.

i also believe that festive songs are no less annoying, compared to the list above.

The Raya song that goes "Hai Selamat Hari Raya"
Jingle Bell Rock
The Christmas song that goes "FIIIIIIIVEEEEEE GOLDEN RINGS.....!!!!!"

Sound snippets too.....

That part " Since you've been gone!" from Kelly Clarkson's song. Put it on repeat, that exact line, is enough.

David Beckham during an interview.
Ring - Ding-Ding - Crazy frog snippet. Not the whole song. But THIS.

And! The most annoying song of all....!

Goes to....!

Surfin' Bird by The Trashman!

Family Guy - Surfin Bird - 100% REAL VIDEO CLIPS! - (The Bird is the Word) REAL FOOTAGE!!! - Click here for the most popular videos

What's with the post? i dunno. It's a Monday. Help me God.

This must be the biggest load of crap i'm gonna pay for, next year!

2008-12-12T16:57:00.002+08:00

I grew up reading Dragon Ball. In fact, i put a huge chunk of my daily allowance to buying Dragon Ball comics, which comes out monthly. Not only one, but there are also several other books, maybe 4 other. but now, i'm gonna talk about Dragon Ball.

That time, it was Rm 3.50 per book. And considering my weekly money accumulates to RM 10.00, and that i need at least RM 15.00 per month to satisfy my reading (no thanks to my brother who's best role is to read, not give a share of the money) .

The version i read, there was 43 books! some have 42, cuz some publishers fatten up or slimmed down their book. i got the slimmer version, but spread across 40+ books, you'd get one extra. More books to buy! yay!

needless to say, i had a complete set. (back then).

Ok. so ive heard they're making the movie. first word to come out : Fuck. fuck flying fuck fuck.

They've massacred The Punisher. Superman too! Batman was an embarrassment (rubber nipples and all) before Christian bale took over. But mostly, are sort of within the believable side. You know what i mean.

So, now Dragon Ball! the story of a boy, like Superman, from another planet, but he has a tail, and a mean fighting machine, as in Kung Fu!

The cartoon even sucked. I stuck to reading. Now the movie is due out next year. i saw the trailer! THE HORROR! THE HORROR!

have a look , and if you know dragon ball, i think you'd agree.

Them arses in Hollywood destroying my childhood fantasy!

Desecrating Kame-Ha-Me-Haaaaa!

Nooooo!

Now i have second thoughts on the upcoming Halo movie, and also Y: The Last man. Comic adaptations have a knack of tanking in the cinemas.

Daredevil, The Punisher, Fantastic 4 (even jessica Alba couldnt save it), Wanted , Spiderman 3, Ghostrider.....batman forever..aiiyah....

Noteworthy ones, Hellboy 1 & 2, Batman Begins & Dark Knight, Spiderman 1 & 2, Iron Man, V for Vendetta (even that, they've dumbed it down!) , 300.

Gosh.

Still i look forward to these sort of movies. Plus, i'm hooked on the Halo themesong again..=P

here's a sample of that song.

Enjoy.

19 days to the New Year, and i'm grumpy.

2008-12-12T11:47:00.003+08:00

The recent landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa has been getting loadsa coverage, you bet. Now everyone wants to jump into the bandwagon of criticizing hill slope projects. Citing the Highland Towers tragedy 15 years ago.

Tragedies happen. my condolences to the people who lost their loved ones in these tragedies. But i have no pity , whatsoever to certain segments of society , which use the issue as a self promoting platform, and worse, milking money from it.

A friend wrote about these numerous "compensations" given to the ones affected. Yes, i do agree with some sort of relief and aid given. But setting up post offices , and giving them hotel stays while work is being done....?

Hello. Bukit Antarabangsa residents are more than capable of gaining more than what they have lost, ok. Would there be the same in other natural disaster occurrences? Them flood victims in the East Coast ; did they get any swanky hotel stay? NO! all they get are nights spent in the community hall, or school halls.

Heck. Dont tell me, that we have limited available school halls here in KL, now that the school holidays is in full swing?

TV reports go "The difficulties of the people affected going in and out of the area" then show Toyota Harriers (Maybe its a Lexus) , huge 4WD trucks , and Cayennes moving on mud....

hell...show pity to these people? come on. what about those people who had to wade through flood water, and some who had to row, AND balance an umbrella (ela-ela-eh-eh!) , just to get to higher ground?

Double standards, surely. Just because Bukit Antarabangsa, they deserve extra treatment?

Some may argue, that regardless of their social status, people in need should be given help, and the like. agree. But what rubbed me is that their action of wanting compensation. aiiyah. menangguk di air yang (memang patut) keruh.

Accidents happen. Its an act of God thinggy. Have they tried looking at the weather lately? Its been raining non stop for the past 10-15 days, and surely water flow is more than usual. The project is more than 20 years old. it stood still all the while. And when accidents happen, like this one , all hell breaks lose? It is bound to happen. Maybe today. maybe tomorrow.

And another species.

Politicians who jump in , denouncing hill-side projects, citing danger and erosion. Stuff like that. Worse, going as far as to suggest of canceling out all remaining hillside projects. Knee jerk reactions, politicians are well known for.

Have they ever tried putting themselves into the shoes of the developers, and also the prospective buyers of these units, if the construction is halted?

Gosh dude. Look into your own constituencies first, yeh? instead of jostling to have your say on prime time news taking cheap jabs to hill side projects.

If it aint safe, how did the developers attain the CF, and also approval for these sort of projects?

Who gives out the permits in the first place?

OK.

Next.

Christmas. the over commercialization of Christmas, more like it. I dont like it. mostly because of the crowd. and also my dislike for this particular time of the year. I just want the year to end fast, so that i can start the new year as soon as possible.

Also, when radios going " We'll help you do your Christmas shopping! Stuff your turkey....!"

Fucktard. Turkey???! Turkey you say? How many , right thinking Malaysian actually buy turkey? Apart from eating turkey ham in swanky food spots, its almost non existent in Malaysia to bake turkey. What is this, with assimilating culture, which is totally impractical to us?

Few months back, was Halloween. Listen, idiot. Even in England, its only catching up, and really really small in Australia. so i have read.

Assimilating American culture into Malaysia. I just dont get it. Ghetto dressing. i get it if i see a 6 feet 2 homie in a huge hooded jacket walking down the streets of the Bronx. But a China Beng in one, in broad daylight, central KL, with the sun directly above his head, is pretty stupid.

Malaysians celebrating Thanksgiving. That takes the cake. What do you want to thank for? Just cuz Americans are doing it?

Might as well celebrate the 4th of July, right? Wait. these people may not even know what's on the 4th of July.

I notice the trend of wearing Santa hats has started off again. Wear it during Christmas parties in Church, or in the office....but as a fashion accessory in the malls. That's just ridiculous. Ah well. you cant stop other people from making a fool out of themselves. Like Rempits. In a way, you feel sorry for them, but in a way, you'd feel empty. bored, if they are not around for you to laugh at. yes?

Random stuff found on the internet...and Youtube..

2008-12-10T15:01:00.005+08:00

Why people should be briefed before gameshows....

This is a gameshow from India. As recent as Sept 2008, if i'm not mistaken.

First, have a look.... (and then some beating...and more beating)

What's the gameshow all about? Click here

So when the part where they have to endure abuse, then this chick went in and got physical, she got back what she gave (literally!)

The dude was not supposed to retaliate to any abuse. Be it vocal or physical (i think no one told him this, cuz he went "How Could She Slap...?!!!" later on)

And now, he's suing the pants off her!

Right.

American football. As much as i'm intrigued with the game concept (strategy / speed / brute strength / precision ) , one thing that really hooked me up in following NFL : The hits.

I saw this on Youtube. KA-POW! Merry Christmas!

The problem with December, every year is that, it's kinda gloomy. Like you just want to get the month over with, and start over with the new year. The worse is after Christmas, where the final 6 days suddenly becomes the longest week of the year. no kidding.

How many of you ever went through this? the feeling of "cant wait for the year to be over!

I never had a new year's resolution. Cuz by having one, it's like putting a huge neon sign on it which reads "BREAK ME FIRST!"

I had this theme song on replay , the other day. The Sesame Street theme song. And Sesame Street intro , as i remembered, went something like this.....

Although the video shows really vintage pics, like from the 70's , thats what was showing around my time. Guess they got the episodes pretty late last time. =P

Anyway, those were the times, when you can go "I saw BIG BIRD!" without giving anyone else second thoughts what that Big Bird you saw looked like.

Oh yeh. What bugged me when the song was on replay was that i never knew the lyrics!

So , here are the lyrics! (apparently it's entitled "Sunny Day" )

Sunny Day - Sesame Street theme

Sunny day - Sweepin’ the clouds away,
On my way to where the air is sweet.
Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street.

Come and play, everything’s A-OK
Friendly neighbors there that’s where we meet
Can you tell me how to get
How to get to Sesame Street

It’s a magic carpet ride. Every door will open wide.
Happy people like you. Happy people who.

Like a beautiful sunny day sweepin’ the clouds away
On my way to where the air is sweet
Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to Sesame street, how to get to Sesame Street, How to get to . . .
(Sesame streeeeetttt!)

REMPIT

I hate rempits. But i think it's more of a love-hate feeling towards them, cuz i love good comedies, but i HATE rempits.

Click on the vid, and just watch. How could you not break a smile?
MAT REMPIT, BENDANG Drift

And ROAD : 1, Mat Rempit : 0

Shows i would like to watch again . And again.

2008-11-28T09:18:00.004+08:00

Before Grey's Anatomy, there was ER. And between that, there was Scrubs.

I loved watching Scrubs.The double ended jokes. Jokes that you can choose to understand it from two , or maybe even three different views. Until they took it off air. Must be because low numbers of people watching it around here in Malaysia...? I dont know.

*Crystal, you reading this? Full Season of Scrubs for...a Scrabble Set! =P

Anyway. Here's one of the most memorable moments in Scrubs. I only remembered about it now, cuz i had this "Red baloons" neon sign beeping in my head on the way to work.One thing led to another, and with the magic of Google and Wikipedia, i got to know, there is this song entitled, "99 luft balooons", and what do you know, it's used in an episode!

Dont dance, but loved JD's dance. Anyway. Here's the original song by the Dutch band, "Nena".

See, i saved you valuable time in Googling for it. (Kenn pats himself on the back. i learned this from The Em. =P)

Nene - 99 Luftbaloons (99 Lovebaloons)

Yes. I'm off beat. It's a Friday for God's sake.

So i'm toning down on the seriousness bit.

I saw WWE Smackdown (no longer comes with the exclamation mark) show on telly last night. A show that i used to keep track on betwwen the ages of 15-16 , now i haven't watched it for almost a year. Hardly know most of the wrestlers, except for The Undertaker and Triple H. Then again , as a kid, i used to have a personal favorite (Stone Cold Steve Austin) , and got really excited with the matches, and ahem "ongoing" of the "storyline".

Anyway watching these sort of shows nowadays will only have one thing in mind : how well they act out any particular scene, especially them high flying ones. Usually by the "daredevil" sort of wrestlers, like The Hardy Boyz .

Local fare ! (not serious, tho)

So. Now that yoga ban,the PM came about "clarifying" that "yoga, minus the chanting is OK!". Wait.Never have i read any reports before this, condemning the yoga included this "clause - no chanting is a-OK!".

Aiih. It's fun watching them flipping over as a result of their "foot in mouth disease " eh?

Also this white-haired puppet, Shahrir Samad, who now said (somewhere along the lines) "now it should be the people who should subsidize the government, since the petrol price is now waaaaaaay below the government's expectations,".

I think them people in the Gov should hire an image consultant la. also a dedicated bullshit spotter. Reason being? well...their titles itself is already a darn obvious clue.

AHA!

This new movie by Disney : Bolt .

I noticed a scary resemblance of the main character, a white dog. He looks eerily like my dog, Reino!

Look.

This is Reino :

And this is Bolt, from the movie.

Noww....Reino didnt get even a cent of the royalty for using his image and likeness!

It's hard not to notice good music...

2008-11-27T16:29:00.004+08:00

Not a fan of local music, except for really old songs .....Zainal Abidin's "Jauh" comes to mind. The newer one by Innuendo was ok. But they overdid it, it got annoying.

Several notable Malay songs that stick would be Man Bai's "Kau Ilhamku" which is also a standout.

Anyway, I heard this song by a local band playing on radio recently, and getting heavy airplay at it too.

Pretty good stuff, considering i mistook it as being from an international artist. Searched for "Estrella -Stay" directed me to several local music forums.

I'm impressed. anyway. Girls lugging around a guitar, and good at playing it is always a turn on. In a good way, i mean. (Sheryl Crow - "All I Wanna Do" came to mind)

Anyway enjoy the vid.

Estrella -Stay.

p.s : video taken at Putrajaya! LOL.

still. i thought the vid could be much better. Then again, its the music that counts. beats other trash MTV is feeding us with.

They are not comics...Graphic Novel! Graphic Novel..!

2008-11-27T14:23:00.008+08:00

I went here and i took the quiz.

Which Superhero are you?

My results:

You are
Spider-Man

You are intelligent, witty,
a bit geeky and have great
power and responsibility.

Spider-Man - 80 %
Superman - 75 %
Supergirl - 72 %
Green lantern - 70 %
Wonder Woman - 67 %
Robin - 67 %
Batman - 65 %
Hulk - 65 %
The Flash - 60 %
Catwoman - 60 %
Iron Man - 60 %

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Yeah Right.

The only disturbing thing was that i am more " Super girl" and "Wonder Woman" than i am Batman (my fav superhero) .

You tell me, whether i possess those "Spiderman" traits. I think answering "Yes" to the question "Do you like Redheads" had a bearing to it. =P

Heyy, you gotta admit, Mary Jane Parker in the comics is HOT. (Not Kirsten Dunst in the movie. She portrayed MJ as a bimbo-ish thing)

Next comic / video game based movies to keep a lookout :

1. HALO
2. Y : The Last Man
3. Watchmen
4. Ironman 2
5. Wonder Woman

Have you noticed....?

2008-11-25T14:26:00.005+08:00

Or is it just me who notice stuff a little bit more (or less) compared to others....

DSLR-lugging-people!

And no! these are not professional photographers, but merely wannabe photographers, who lug around their necks. Snapping at almost anything, for the purpose of "art".

I'm not much of a photograph taker. At most i have is my measly 3.2 Megapixel Sony Ericsson camera phone (which only works at certain relative-Earth rotation angles) . Most pics i take are pretty peculiar stuff. Bad grammar on signboards or notices, my dog (very peculiar canine , that), idiots after accidents (i hope; example ,mat rempits, but haven't encountered a Mat rempit accident to date), my dog, scenes that i think worth catching. and the occasional unique t-shirts. (dont ask).

So you see all these kiddies, sometimes, old farts lugging around their cool 3K DSLR cameras. Nikos and Canons i notice the most. Snapping away.

Next move : upload into the computer, PHOTOSHOP!
Next move : upload into their online gallery, claim as art.

Dude, zooming up, tidying up images is not art. Then again. some consider themselves to be "artsy" by doing so. Oh well.

I think photo art is all about , back to basics. Where, the amount of pics taken is limited (as opposed to the new batch of DSLR-wannabe-photo-kakis, where the size of the memory card is more important! - Snap a hundred, you're bound to get one or two terrific pictures, no? Worse, the ones who use multiple snap mode. Talk about being Kiasu.) , and the photographer will have to wait, and be patient, for the elements to come into sync. so to speak.

It's like. It's like hitting a target, using a shotgun. Surely at least one of the pallets hit the target. But where is the fun, compared to use a sniper rifle, where you only have one bullet to hit the target correctly, yes???

me and my analogies. Sheesh.

Right!

If you've been working for some time,in Malaysia, surely you would have noticed this "style" some executives tend to wear. Not being stereotypical or what, but i do notice, that this style is mostly adorned by Malay executives. This is because i have never bumped into a Chinese or an Indian executive with this "style" or "fashion".

Work clothes, with White collar, while the rest of the shirt are of a different colour.(usually dark blue) , or stripe patterns if it is in dark brown.

Observe; This is what i'm talking about. White collar. Different colored shirt.

*note, that the identity of the chap is protected, as not to embarrass him. Nono..not because of the shirt. It's because of the "Snapping yourself snapping a picture" shot. If he was using a DSLR, it would be at least respectable. =P. Looks like he took the pic inside a public toilet.

As i noticed, almost all, or mostly "Datuks" or "Boss Characters Just Because My Dad Owns the Company, and Sent Me to Study Social Science Overseas" characters tend to be spotted sporting this style at least ONCE throughout a local Malay drama.
Characters tend to have negotiations in "fancy restaurants" with somebody's mistress, and get drunk REALLY EASY during the "clubbing" scene. Ties (as in the pic) tend to be stunted, and bulky looking.

Funnily enough, i think most of my Malay friends would rather be dead than being caught wearing this.

Why do Malay serials / dramas tend to show orang Melayu like that? I dont get it.

You notice, in book shops, some books tend to be shrink wrapped in clear plastic?
I absolutely HATE some people who tear off the plastic, just to enjoy the pictures in "The Death of Superman".

I notice a lot of fake accent nowadays.

Fake English accent (Brit like) is pretty interesting. Cuz, without fail, these people tend to blurt out 100% Malaysian accent when uttering some words, most notably the words "Cannot" , "afterwards" and "together".

American accent or slang is easier to detect among youngsters, who try their best to look like the Teriyaki Boys , Usher or Jay Chou. I saw once, this dude, wearing a fully hooded, thick sweater, under sweltering heat near Imbi Plaza. Mid day!

Usually ending their sentences with a "Bro", (pronounced as "burrr-oooo") "Man...~!" (pronounced as "mee-yeennnn") and "Ma homies" , their only dead giveaway is when they mention their names. Complete with self chosen English names.

AwL-Phert Tan! (Albert Tan) , or Burn ("Bern") (Bakar), or BOB (if the person happen to be a little overweight). You get the pic.

And fake accent is not limited to the younger section of the society, cuz some people tend to "partially absorb the slang" of a country they just visited (altho, just over a week). but forgot to take lesson in proper pronunciation of other words.

"One Ven-ella-HH Cap-pew-Chin-Ouh, (wow. impressive. sounded like an ABC - American Born Chinese) and WAN AIS - be-lend-det Mou-chah! "

*actual incident, when i was working part time in Coffee Bean.

Seems like its pretty fun over analyzing stuff around me eh....?

Of Alcohol, Pigs, Rifles, Cockups, and Yoga....and making a statement.

2008-11-22T23:31:00.006+08:00

Right.

Tuned in to TV last weekend, evening, and there was this "motivational" show. About people who got into "vices" such as alcohol and drugs. Note, this touched on Muslim alcohol drinkers.

disclaimer : not to demean or whatever, but this is just my honest opinion.

This guy went "Since i moved into the city, there were a lot of "influences" that made me do all these stuff!". Drink, clubbing...too many stuff that influenced me to take up all these vices!"

Hunkaloadofsteamingpoop!

How stupid is that!????? Not only that's the lamest answer and reason to get involved. Show the lack of intellect if the person .

Drinking alcohol : Religion says no, but you tried it. And got hooked. Who to blame? Blame the "influences" !And mind you, this show happens to be of the religious sort. Didnt catch the name of the program. but it was from TV9. Why blame vices on outside factors? Why never blame yourself for your lack of faith, and say..your "waywardness"?

I thought the media should promote inter-religious and inter-racial integration, but, i noticed this on Sunday night news reel, TV3 to be exact, are stories, that if you read properly between the lines, would invoke hatred between the Muslim and non-Muslim community by the extremist and racist sort.

First, they mentioned about this apparent "planned" new pig farm in Kedah.

"Why a pig farm in an Islamic State!????!" they said.
"Total lack of respect by the State Government!" said another. Although this one was more politically , rather than racial, but why la, again and again, touch the racial stuff?

Lets dissect the two sentences.

One.

Obviously, pork eaters know that, whenever the pig farming issue comes to light, it means a tension between eaters and non-eaters is there. Sentiments. Heck, dude. Pigs are cute. So if you dont eat them, why put it into such a very bad light, that portray eaters as being "dirty" ? And also responsible?

At least the pigs are bred in a farm. They dont roam around. Yes. Some unhygienic farms cause pollution to the water for one. But try looking at this perspective : have the non-beef eaters complain about cows shitting along the roads, or worse, on the road? uncontrolled herds roaming around, posing potential accident risks? Surely it wont be brought up. Reason :avoid tension.

Two.

Well sir, name me a non-Islamic State in Malaysia. Cuz from what you said, if you want to open up a new pig farm, do it in a non-Islamic state. but...Is there ever one in Malaysia? Ok. Some idiots may say "Penang!" cuz mainly -Chinese-centric DAP is in power, and last time, Gerakan was handling the state. But...i dont think the Chinese in this country ever thought of themselves "owning" a particular state, right? So if there is no non-Islamic state in Malaysia. Heyy...then it means..no new pig farms! That cant be right. Ahhh. Oh well. Dont forget, sin taxes, vice taxes, from alcohol and "non-halal" activities contribute a huge bulk of cash to the economy. Do you know, that the cost of producing a can of beer is merely 1 ringgit or less, but is sold almost 500% more? i rest my case.

And they also highlighted about the Japanese Encephalitis virus. Originating from dirty pig farms. Then proceed to show the extermination of pigs in a farm. Huge dug hole, and people in containment suits , with Styer Bullpup shooting these pigs. You cant see the pigs being shot, but you can hear them squeal. lack of tact, yes? or maybe it's just me feeling it cuz i just had stewed pork for dinner.....anyway. SPCA! PETA! do your thing...we need your protests! =P

The ban on Yoga among Muslims. Although it is widely known that, in Malaysia, Yoga is only practiced on the physical aspect, without any chanting or Hindu influenced religious activity.

Is faith that weak among Muslims? These muftis think that way apparently. I guess so in those people who feel it may actually affect their faith. Ok. I'm no expert in Fatwas or Muslim edicts. But i'm in opinion that, God has given several standard laws. Regardless the religion. How you twist his words, or the restrictions...well...it depends how humans want it to be twisted , eh?

Also, i think it's just a sideshow to divert us from more pressing issues....Inflation, low economic growth, the UMNO transition thing, the Wanita UMNO infighting, the "Next PM of Malaysia" , purchase of the Eurocopters, Altantuya, RPK, bloggers, Rempits, "Shah Rukh Khan - conferred-a-Datuk-title-But -he-recently-turned-down -the -invite " , and also Tun Mahathir's "UMNO's Big Secret" that he said he's gonna reveal.

Shah Rukh Khan cant come for his Datukship ceremony. Ahh. the guy's got pride. Surely he has got his publicist and agents reading what the Malaysian public has to say about it. Do you think he would actually attend it in person? Geez people. Ever heard of the term "Save Face" ????

I read an interesting piece in Malaysia Today today.(pun unintended).

It speaks about "taking sides". A small part of it. how Malaysia Today stands in the political scene. Main point : Check and Balance. Root for the underdog, so that the ruling party walks a straight line. Support for the cause of social justice. Support the cause, not the personality.

Although it's hard to see it here in Malaysia, that a leader is chosen based on his ideals, and change he sought to bring, cuz people here tend to go superficial first. Looks first, religion too, ideas later!
(If not, then explain to me why "Fair and Lovely" is a good sell here?)

read the article here

I was asked.Numerous times: why sit on the fence? Make up your mind, man. This especially when i bash the Pakatan Rakyat for their at times, UMNO -level-dumbness move, or childish issues that they decide to pursue.

How does "multi-language" signs benefit the tourists?And for Chinese or Tamil lettering on the signboards...if it's for the locals, then i believe they should be deported OUT of this country.

This is Malaysia. And i believe, one of the unspoken rule being a Malaysian is the ability to read and properly converse in Malay. Even them Myanmar or Vietnamese foreign workers at them Chinese stalls can speak Malay after into 2 months working here. So if there are still locals claiming not able speaking the Malay language, i think these are the sort of snobbish people, who 's old "hold on to your mother tongue" mentality should get them deported out. To Singapore maybe. If you want equality here, and claim to say "we are as much Malaysian as anyone!", then be a Malaysian.

it puzzles me , seeing sections of the society saying (surely in English) ;
We are Malaysians too! Our grandparents came all the way from ________ (China, India etc) . We were born here! we deserve the same treatment as them bumiputeras!

But when asked in Malay, they cant speak back. Some hardly know the lyrics in the National Anthem, and some cant even recite the Rukunegara. What is this?

So i never see the logic in Pakatan Rakyat fighting for multi-language road-name / sign boards .
Talk about waste of funds.

Duck Dodgers, in the 24 1/2 th Century!

2008-11-21T16:23:00.004+08:00

This just popped into my mind! Watched this religiously as a kid, everyday, played it on the VCR machine!

(wait for the vid to fully load. I promise it's worth waiting!) =D

Man this was fun. and another one!

Kill the waaabit..! Kill the waaabit ..! Kill the Waaaabiiit!

And another one!

basically, this is also an insight how this demented mind came about...=P

grew up loving these cartoons!

Enjoy! =D

Old men threatens to strip in front of CM building...SHOW (pun intended) of Dissatisfaction (pun intended too!)

2008-11-20T12:05:00.006+08:00

Malaysian activists threaten naked protest over rent hikes

Malaysian activists have threatened to stage a naked protest over a sudden hike in rental rates for government housing, drawing criticism from Muslim leaders and police Tuesday.

Ramlan Abu Bakar of the Malaysian People's Reform Movement said its members were prepared to strip off outside the offices of the chief minister of Selangor state, after it more than doubled the cost of low-income housing.

"Protesting naked is our final act of desperation as the state government is literally stealing the clothes off our backs with this price increase," Ramlan told AFP.

"They are not helping the poor people here who barely make enough to afford the present rental of 124 ringgit (34 dollars per month) so how can we afford to pay 250 ringgit?" he said.

The hardline Islamic party PAS, which is part of the opposition alliance, criticised the plans, with its spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat saying only "uncivilized" people would resort to such an act.

"Even an animal like a cow which is stark naked, God created a tail to hide its genitals (WHAT THE FUCK?)and here we are talking about human beings who have been given a mind," he told state news agency Bernama.

Names..names names.......

2008-11-17T13:06:00.002+08:00

Names. names names names. I'm not gonna poke fun at names of people who got it directly from their parents, cuz my name too sound weird. altho never embarrassing.

Where have all the "Ali", "Abu" , "Bakar" and "Zakaria" went?

You notice that some Malay parents tend to name their kids really "English-y" sort of names nowadays. But they would put a "zing" to it, to make it sound "Arabic" or not truly English origin". Examples, Mikael, Mikail, (Michael, apparently) Danial , Dani , (Daniel, in a crude way),Jibril / Jibrail (Gabriel), Kirana, (modification of "Carry" ?) ...or the kids who have a "Z" would put their name as "Zack" for short. too "Rempit-y" me thinks. You can hardly tell whether these are Malaysians just by hearing their first name nowadays.

Enough about that. Moving along, but still with names....

I believe names are like a three or four tiered thing. Variations in other cultures mostly follow this rule). So doesnt matter if your name origin is not English, just chuck in the "normal-typical names" in that culture. The same classification follows through the same. Same goes as female names too.

First tier, is the "Major Name". This class usually consist of "Common names" such as the names of all the Apostles , (except maybe Judas, and Bartholomew..and Thaddeus) e.g .Michael, John, Peter, Matthew, James, Andrew, Thomas, Simon and Phillip. (there were two James). Usually picked as the first name in English names.Jack comes here too. and i think Jesus also (usually Latino countries). chuck in your suggested first tier names as you like. Maybe we would differ our views, on which tier some names fall into, but i believe 90% of my list is similar to yours. No kidding.

Second tier, usually from names of lesser known chaps in the Bible, or the Church. Or any "Classic" names. In the Bible,smaller roles, la apparently. (although not necessary). Examples : Francis, Joseph,Gabriel, David, Paul, Robert, Alex, Alexander...you get the drift. Classic names? example : any Kings of England, or their kids, or anyone from Harry Potter. Charles, harry, William, Robert, Robin....

Third Tier : Really , a huge variety sort, or the evolution of names. This constitute more modern names, or a mish-mash of names from different cultures. Example : any name from any boyband you can find. examples : Jordan, Ryan, Kurt, Eli, Wayne,Clark,Brady, Kent, Bruce etc... awh heck. name a boyband member, and you'll get yourself rolling.....

SO! Normally names constitute of a combination of the two DIFFERENT tiers. But usually a "same-tier" combination within tier two, or tier three is kind of acceptable.

So you'd get "Bruce Wayne" and "Clark Kent" (T3+T3) , or Michael Jordan (T1 + T3), or David Joseph (T2+T2). hardly will find a combination of T1+T1. Cuz on normal circumstance, i think it would sound all too funny and ridiculous. Imaging meeting a guy called "Michael Peter" or "Mark John". Too unoriginal methinks. Hardly found internationally...

EXCEPT!

IN MALAYSIA.

I'm not gonna name which section of the society would usually go with the T1+T1 combination, but my observation tells me, they usually attend to church on Sundays, and have really active parents in the church committee....*nudge nudge wink wink...!

Go ahead. Toss in your own assumption of a T1 name, with three syllables at most, and combine among them. You WILL SURELY get the pic...=)

Either that, or i have been overanalyzing names.... by the way, i think my combination is T3+T3...not an every Sunday type of person here....=P

What's yours?