Bye 2006, Bye Saddam

Lots of things happened in 2006.

Personally, I started my blog site. What a way to end the year, too. It's Aidil Adha tomorrow, when my parents wont be around as they're performing the haj.

Another sad story to close the year - Saddam Hussein was hang today.

It was reported that he was clutching a Quran and refusing a hood before being executed by vengeful countrymen. It was quoted, before the rope was put around his neck, Saddam shouted: "God is great. The nation will be victorious and Palestine is Arab."

In a farewell message to Iraqis posted Wednesday on the Internet, Saddam said he was giving his life for his country as part of the struggle against the U.S. "Here, I offer my soul to God as a sacrifice, and if he wants, he will send it to heaven with the martyrs," he said.

"The president, the leader Saddam Hussein is a martyr and God will put him along with other martyrs. Do not be sad nor complain because he has died the death of a holy warrior," said Sheik Yahya al-Attawi, a cleric at the Saddam Big Mosque.

Reason for Not Blogging

Often, its hard to find reasons for not blogging. And most of the time, the reasons are not strong enough, like not much time but we spend hours playing solitaire or nothing to write about but we could spend hours talking with friends in 'mamak'.

Anyway, bloggers couldn't find reason as strong, as valid and as solid as this one for now being able to update their blogs...

The 7.1-magnitude earthquake that strucked southern Taiwan on the night of 26th December (2 years after the tsunami disaster) damaged submarine cables that form part of the region-wide Asia Pacific Cable Network 2 (APCN 2), disrupting voice and Internet communications over much of Asia. APCN 2 is a 19,000km-long fibre-optic cable network linking Japan, South Korea, China, Malaysia, Singapore, US, Europe and Australia.

Silent Hours - It's So Unproductive

For those who has spent some time of your life in boarding school, you must be familiar with 'silent hours'. It's not just applied in library, but also in classroom during afternoon or night prep hours, and worst still it's also applied in dormitories.

What an unproductive mean to discipline students - by making them to zip their mouths?! I remember it was so boring that I could not talk to my friends, even scratching my 'balls' would have produced the loudest sound. I ended up sleeping - what an unproductive way to spend your time growing up. I still couldn't find any logic to have 'silent hours' in schools or in hostels.

No wonder why Malaysian students always keep mum in classroom, no questions asked, no debating on issues. We're all well trained and disciplined by the 'silent hours'!!

Eragon - Keep Holding On

I went to watch Eragon on the weekend and I can say it's one of the best movies (from just the handful movies - of course I'm being very selective about going to cinema to watch movies) I've watched this year. The story line was good, no boring part anywhere in the movie, just that the fight scene at the end between Eragon and Durza was a bit 'easy' for Eragon. From the review I read from Yellow Post, I think there'll be prequels to the movie, just like Star Wars.

So, enjoy the clip and Avril Lavigne's Keep Holding On.

You're not alone : together we stand : I'll be by your side : you know I'll take your hands : When it gets cold : and it feels like the end : there's no place to go you know I won't give in : Keep holding on : 'cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through : Just stay strong : cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you : There's nothing you can say, nothing you can do : there's no other way when it comes to the truth : So keep holding on : cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through : So far away I wish you were here : before it's too late this could all disappear : before the doors close : and it comes to an end : but with you by my side I will fight and defend : I'll fight and defend, yeah yeah : Hear me when I say, when I say : I believe nothing's gonna change : nothing's gonna change destiny : what ever is meant to be : will work out perfectly yeah yeah yeah yeah...

==

To parents, dont worry to bring your kids to watch the movie as there's no kissing scene at all. After all, I think Princess Arya is too old for Eragon. And dont be surprised if your kids would like to have a dragon for Christmas or their birthdays!! I would like to have one for me, too!

A 'Perfect' New Year Gift.. and A Perfect Lie

New toll rates for 5 highways around Klang Valley. This could be the most-posted topic for Malaysian bloggers today.

Well, what can we say? The Government or rather the Minister/Ministry has every reason to hike up the rate. Just swallow it and dig deeper into our pockets to look for the extra cents to pay the toll. Or probably, open the car door and look below (or maybe step out from the car and look underneath the car), in case people in front of us dropped few cents while paying their tolls. :-)

Just what make me sad is the statement made by the Minister. He said (quoted from NST) despite the hike, local toll rates were among the lowest in the world. The average toll rate for Malaysia is 13.6 sen per km compared with 14.8 sen per km in Indonesia, Thailand (22.76 sen per km), China (27.62 sen per km) and the Philippines (35.57 sen per km). He's not even comparing the world, just the Region. I'm not so dumb Geographically to figure this out!

Read this from Jeff Ooi's http://www.jeffooi.com, "a Thailand-based reader wrote me this: I've been staying in Thailand for 9 years and there are NO tolls on Thai HIGHWAYS. The tolls are only in Bangkok metropolitan areas and there-abouts. You can drive from Bukit Kayu Hitam to Bangkok without paying one Baht, so Samy Vellu making a comparison with Thailand is telling only half of the story."

That's not all... the Minister also said "concessionaires would have to improve their services such as traffic flow." F*#k you, Minister! What has KESAS done to improve traffic near the Cheras/Bkt Jalil area even after the rate was revised from RM1.20 to RM1.50 two years ago? What about the limited toll gate for Smart Tag lane in KESAS which makes paying using cash relatively faster than using Smart Tag? What with the jam in Federal Highway caused by the improper plan of the Motorola Exit of the LDP and the narrow 2-lane highways, which practically impossible to overtake a slow motorcycle on the highway?

A great gift and yet, great lies by the trusted-men of the Imam Hadhari.

==
From Sadao/Bukit Kayu Hitam to Bangkok = 1,299 km and you pay 0 Baht. From Johor Bahru to Bukit Kayu Hitam = 734km and you pay RM107.60 (class 1 rate) - that's equivalent to around 1,000 Baht!! I'm not too dumb financially, either, unlike some people (Oxbridge graduates, perhaps) who sold MV Agusta for 1 Euro.

You Scratch My Back, I Corat-Coret Your Back

Coming towards the end of the year words like personal competency assessment, performance evaluation, bla bla bla pop-up again in our life. Like it or not, they could be the most important things in our life, to determine how much bonus or increment and promotion we deserved.

In my company there is this thing called 360-degree feedback. Its a "HR tool that gives the individual a clear view of their performance at work. Opinions are gathered from the person being assessed, people that report to them, their peers and their supervisors and also their internal customers". Or in other words, your superior, selected peers and subordinates will provide feedback on your competencies. And I've 15 colleagues whom I've to provide feedback on their competencies.

I don't know how effective the tool is to "help the organization in planning the career development, succession planning, reinforce the current assessment practice and the assessment of future talents?"

Are you familiar with the terms.. "You scratch my back and I'll scratch your back..." They should put this sign in office or at least in bosses' rooms. :-)


==
Lucky in corporate world, 'corat-coret' people's back not happen all the time, usually towards end of the year only. Unlike in politics, it happens all year long even ones could 'corat-coret' someone's back while he/she is sleeping.. ooppsss hopely just 'corat-coret' the top part of the body!

TGIF

Thank God It's Friday!!!

But sometimes, especially towards the end of the year, people become more worried on Friday, as the bosses might appear right in front of us just before the clock strikes 5pm and ask us to come back to office on Saturday...

There goes all the plan for picnic, shopping, dating, partying all night and wake up just right before the next party, hindustan movie, watering plants, gardening, exercising (duhhhh), bla bla bla... Its just like the end of the world and there'll be no other weekends that we could do all the above!!!

Here's what to say to your boss...

==
To my friends in TM Net Brands, Events and A&P, please don't do this. You just have to work on weekends. What is TM Net without you. Hehehehe...

Piece From YK: Roti Bakar Bandung

You'll never want to miss roti bakar or some people call it roti bandung, if you visit Jakarta or Yogya or Bandung or Surabaya or Malang. It's the most famous supper dish around.

There are few flavors, I could only remember cheese, chocolate and vanilla. And it has peanuts inside, just like our 'apam balik' but with flavor.

Excerpt from one article...
"Di Yogyakarta roti bakar biasanya disajikan dengan wedang jahe, susu jahe, atau kopi jahe. Bagi yang menyukai minuman hangat, masih bisa menyantap roti bakar sambil minum teh manis hangat, jeruk panas, atau susu cokelat hangat. Bagi yang gemar minum dingin, roti bakar juga enak dimakan sambil minum es teh lemon, es kapucino, dan aneka jus, maupun teh dingin dalam kemasan" *note = jahe is ginger, I dont know what is wedang.. :-(

"Roti bakar memang paling cocok dimakan malam hari. Biasanya roti bakar dicari orang yang masih merasa lapar pada malam hari, namun tidak ingin terlalu menjadi kenyang."

It's just delicious, and most importantly not too heavy for a supper, unlike Malaysian's favorite roti canai...

==
Memang paling cocok dimakan malam hari sebelum mencocok. Because it's not too heavy, you can just continue whatever activity you want to do at night. ;-)

3 Decades On Earth

Yesterday marked the 30th year I'm on earth. One friend said, some people face mid-life crisis even as early as they turn 30.

At first, I just couldn't believe that because it's just another day, nothing to worry. And, probably you'll get to live for another 30 years and still lots of time to get to do things you've not done or accomplished.

Somehow, the feeling of being 30s crept inside me and instead of having a jolly mood, I was a bit down on my birthday. I walked differenty - a bit slower pace than the normal fast pace and long stride, I just smile without reasons to people - you know like pakcik-pakcik and makcik-makcik.. but luckily, I'm back to myself today, it's just the same me, like a year before.

Thanks to all who send birthday wish to me - mostly with welcome to the 30s group message. Duhhh....

Piece From YK: C'mon Be Gen X?

This is a pair of one of the most fancy shoes I've ever own. In fact, probably, this could be the only pair! :-) Although the shoes might not be so fancy to some people, it's just fancy enough for me... I bought it before my trip to YK, no specific reason why I bought it. Maybe it was my first leisure trip abroad that I need to be more casual or maybe I just want to feel younger especially when I turn 30 tomorrow... :-( Or I just want to be part of the Generation X!!!

However, in Jogyakarta, how fancy your clothes are or your hair style is, or how many nose rings you have, you still can't declare yourself as Gen X until you visit the famous bakery store in Plaza Ambarrukmo. Cant remember the name but surely you can notice it by looking at the long queue at the cashier or when you can find signs like this...

Gue gaul, dong!!!

==

Gaul means (if I'm not mistaken) trendy, up-to-date in terms of fashion and lifestyle

Piece From YK: Siapa Punya Selera?

It was a really great trip to Jogya despite the hot hot weather. It was raining heavily the day I arrived and my friends there said I brought 'rahmat' from KL. :-)

YK (YK is the official code for Jogyakarta) is a nice city, so peaceful, no stress, cheap food, cheap clothes, cheap everything and the people there love to hang out, not just on weekends but also on week nights.

So, if you ask me if I would visit YK again.. the answer is a definite Yes! YK, the town, the life, the people, the food, the purchasing power, the traffic (a little bit)... they're just my taste. Like the cigarette ad says.. Pria Punya Selera!!


==
Thanks Om for inviting me to YK and for the accommodation, foods, transport. Never did I spend just RM210 during my oversea trip. :-)

I'm Off...

Yes, for a week...

I'm off to Yogyakarta, Indonesia for a-week long vacation, 6 days actually. I planned my trip in between of the two meetings which I've to sit in as Secretariat and a thought that I'll start my new role in HQ on 1st December.

However, it turned out that I've to report to HQ last Friday, so I don't have to sit in the two meetings as I've mentioned earlier. If I knew this would happen, I would've planned for a longer trip. Regret? Yes! But I'm still thankful that my new boss (in a new place) still allow me to go on 'long' leave...

Well in life, you win some and lose some at the same time...

Anyway, Yogya, here I come!!

An Act of Kurang Ajar

I read this article from Berita Harian with anger. A very 'kurang ajar' act from Malaysia's 'kurang ajar' but the most favorite son of the government, Naza. I dont know whether the MoF will give any feedback to Naza's proposal to buy Proton. But if I'm the Minister of Finance or the PM, I would just throw the letter into the dustbin, without having to shred it for confidentiality purposes.

Why bother looking at or evaluate the letter when the government has clearly stated that Proton needs a foreign alliance, due to the reasons that (some of them) Proton could benefit from the technology transfer, Proton would have greater access to international market and Proton could benefit from the ally's worldwide procurement database for cheaper components.

And what does this 'kurang ajar' favorite son of Malaysia have to offer Proton?!

Technology transfer? Bullshit - what technology do you have from just rebadging other makes' cars into Naza logo (and with minor cosmetic changes) and claim it as national car for tax rebates and other incentives.

Access to international market? Kiss your mom's ass - how many cars you already exported and to which country?!

Access to cheaper components? Yeah you're right.. you've helped developed the local automotive industry by growing the vendors which converts into high employment, bla bla bla. Excuse me, didn't you learn history of the industry. That all started way back before 1985 with Proton.

So, I don't think government should waste their time evaluating the proposal especially when the think tanks in EPU busy spending time calculating how much equity does Bumiputra hold in Malaysia's companies.

Or, maybe the government just like to waste their time very much like what Proton Board of Directors did in the last financial year - attending 21 BOD meeting in a year!! (source: Proton Annual Report 2006). That's equivalent to almost 2 meetings a month. And I don't think the management meet that often. Or, maybe the attendance allowance is lucrative.. errr RM1,000/meeting x 21 meetings = RM21,000. Aaaaa.....

==
Macam lelaki mandul but volunteering himself to donate sperm to a couple yang tak dapat anak after so many years of marriage...

Pepatah Melayu Messed Up

I reported duty at a new place on Friday. As usual, you'll send email or sms to your acquaintances on your new contact details...

And I received a reply from one of my friends. He said, "...happy working in new office..."

I replied him back, "...ada pepatah kata tempat jatuh lagi dikenang..." Sure enough the new work place is nowhere close to compare to the places I've worked before, that includes the people and everything...

Few moments later, he replied again, "...ada jugak pepatah kata 'barang lepas jangan dikenang'..."

Oh no! I think the Malays have been messed themselves up even in the very beginning. Look at what happen today, even in the biggest Malay party - they're all messed up. Even the pepatah also are all messed up. Maybe there's a different between 'tempat' and 'barang' in the two pepatah...

==
Just think how Malays are asked to be polite and it turns out that we're in the losing side. When someone asks, "Would you like something to drink?" and you replied "It's ok" to be polite but you ended up burning your throat thirsty

Long Life Secrets

This article was taken from NST 19th November 2006...

Somehow, this sort of articles become not just more and more attractive to me but they're my must-read articles. Just wonder if it is the 'nearing 30s syndrome', if there's any?

So, the 9 secrets, which I don't really think they're secrets anymore... maybe it's a strategy to invite people to read the article. Well... they are:

1) Strong grip... I grip very strongly on certain things and certain parts of body and on certain people :-)

2) A good education... I'm ok here, but cant really relate education to long life

3) A wife... excuse me, I would like to object! It's ok, it's just one of 9 secrets...

4) Not becoming overweight... couldn't agree more...

5) Having low blood pressure... given, I told you it's no more secret.

6) Low level of bad cholesterol... this could be the biggest secrets of all, hehehe...

7) Low blood sugar level... am I too sweet for you? :-)

8) Not drinking alcohol excessively...

9) Not smoking... err.. what about just cleaning the 'ash tray'? Remember 69?

So, keep all these secrets to yourself and have one goal in mind... to marry 20-year old girl when you're 80. Long live!!!

Going Separate Ways

This is a picture of my two turtles... they are err err err.. I still have not given them any name all this while.. probably Labu & Labi... well, that's besides of the story. Looks like something is going wrong with them, like they were having arguments the night before or they just decided to go separate ways...

Going separate ways... that could be the best description for 800++ staff of TM Net. With the recently announced (not so recent actually) rationalization of access services, i.e. streamyx, TM Net will just handle content and digital home thingy, with the needs of manpower of just 200++.

So, the rest of 500++ will have to go separate ways, some will be transfered to TM Retail, some will leave for TM Wholesale, some will join TM Malaysia Business and some will just resign...

And to my shock, a call received on 15th November requested (or directed) me to report to Malaysia Business the next day, which I managed to defer to 17th.

Adios TM Net! For all the fun, the joy, the happiness, not forgetting the headaches... :-) I wont be miles away, though...

#21 Oregon 10, #7 USC 35

Oregon Ducks (7-3, 4-3) lost to USC Trojans. This should put an end to any hope of the Ducks winning the conference title, after unranked Arizona Wildcats defeated #8 California Golden Bears early on.

... and to make the matter worst, the Ducks were eliminated in the AP's top 25 ranking, released on Sunday. It marks the first time the Ducks are unranked this year.

Next up: Oregon vs Arizona

My Two Henrys

Recently I came across a picture of an old friend. The picture was taken when we went for fishing somewhere in the sea near Pekan, or Kuantan I cant remember. He is whom I call My Henry... tribute to my favorite soccer star, Thierry Henry.

Why? Look at the pic below...

Same... just a little modification on the nose! :-)

Bad Parenting Or Poor Teaching

I think several times before I decided to comment on this article. Why? First of all, I've never been a parent or a teacher. But, I've experienced good parenting cum good tuition teaching...


Ok, let's pity the kid for once... and let's just move on, it won't get the kid anywhere if we keep on pitying her.

Questions: 1) Why she did not do her homework? 2) Why, at 7-year old, she failed to write some simple Chinese words?

Arguments:
1) The parents failed to monitor the kid whether she has done her homework before going to the tuition class.
2) The parents failed to keep track on the progress of the kid's learning. Remember.. it's just simple Chinese words and it doesn't take a genius to teach a kid to write the words. And shouldn't the parents feel mad to the kid that she has wasted their money to pay for the tuition fees for nothing learned?
3) What's the role of the kid's school teacher (not tuition teacher) in this scenario? Shouldn't school teacher covers simple/basic stuffs and tuition teacher is the one to enrich/recap what was learned in school?

My conclusion: The guilty ones - 1) Tuition teacher, for canning the kid. He/She should just teach moderately and get tuition fees by end of the month. Most guilty ones are the parents for arguments 1 and 2 above, and the school teacher for the argument 3.

==
Thanks, Mak for being parent cum tuition teacher. And you should be proud of me too for saving some money by not taking up any tuition class :-)

#24 Oregon 34, Washington 14

Jonathan Stewart ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns as No. 24 Oregon rolled up 316 yards on the ground and beat Washington 34-14. Patrick Chung opened the scoring with a 59-yard punt return for a touchdown and had an interception for Oregon (7-2, 4-2). Dennis Dixon completed 14 of 25 passes for 109 yards for the Ducks, but the Huskies (4-6, 2-5) capitalized on his two interceptions for their only scores. Jeremiah Johnson also ran for a score for Oregon, which has beaten Washington at home three consecutive years. The Huskies have lost five straight after starting the season 4-1, with their hopes of postseason play dimming.

==
Last weekend, the Ducks defeated non-conference team, Portland State 55-12

#16 Oregon 23, Washington St 34

Jed Collins caught a touchdown pass and rushed for another score as Washington State upset No. 16 Oregon 34-23 Saturday, dealing a blow to the Ducks' hopes for a BCS bowl appearance. Collins, a little-used tight end, helped end a scoring drought for the Cougars (5-3, 3-2 Pac-10), and Washington State's defense held the league's top offensive team without an offensive touchdown until midway through the fourth quarter.

Oregon (5-2, 3-2) got off to a shaky start and Dixon was replaced by Brady Leaf after throwing a second interception. Dixon entered the game averaging nearly 240 yards passing, but was held to 105 yards and no touchdowns. Leaf threw scoring passes of 4 and 36 yards in the fourth quarter. He completed 16 of 27 passes for 262 yards and two TDs.

Ducks starting tailback Jonathan Stewart, who was averaging 100.5 yards, was held to just 28 on 11 carries. He was spelled by Jeremiah Johnson, who finished with 63 yards on 12 carries as the Ducks, the top rushing team in the conference, were held to 104 net rushing yards.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

As usual, I would like to wish everyone of you Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maafkan Lahir dan Batin. Drive carefully, think of the loved ones. Eat moderately, think of the loved ones too (you dont want to be fat by end of Syawal). Also, spend wisely too, think of the loved ones' pockets.

Cheers everyone, have a good break!

Even The Minister is Promoting Road Fatalities

The Prime Minister is sad and angry over high road fatalities. He should not just be sad and angry, but ashame of his minister's act as pictured in the photo below.

Well, it's a good gesture to present hamper to the first user of the Majlis Link. But, how do you expect this guy to carry the hamper on his bike? Unless he has crash-proof hair like Mr Samy, in addition to his helmet... and they all look so happy realizing their act might add up the 'numbers' for Ops Sikap.

He's Angry, I'm Not Scared

I think he's angry.
Is it for real?
I think so..
Are you scared?
Oooo.... verrrrryyyyyyyy.... hehehehe

First, he said we have the right to be angry on the Klang Assemblyman's house issue. Only now that we've the right to be angry with corrupt assemblyman? And why we need someone to tell us that we've the right to be angry? Isn't it a country that practised freedom of speech and freedom of expression (albeit a controlled one)?! Similarly, as a parent, why you need to tell you kids that they have the right to eat when they're hungry?! :-)

Secondly, he's angry (and sad) of the road fatalities. You should be even sad when people have to queue and spent long hours in traffic jams, unlike you who has police escorts. You should be even sad when people think twice or more than that whether or not to 'balik kampung' because of the high price of tolls and fuel, when you can ease through highways without forking out a single sen from your pocket.

Or are these angry and sad episodes are part of the election plot... to win the heart of the people?! Bullshit!!!

Bad Salam Raya Dari Perantauan

I dont mean to hurt anyone's feeling but just want to stress the bad choice of pictures, especially on a special occassion like Hari Raya.

So, what's wrong with the picture above? Well, it's meant for Hari Raya greeting (from someone abroad) to friends and relatives in Malaysia. However, it's a Hari Raya greeting, Hari Raya should be a holy celebration and you don't want to associate the day with devil, in this case the red devil of Man Utd. <--- Too bad of a choice.

Worst still, she's not even studying in Manchester. The greeting is from Leeds!!

==
Why do we always say "friends and relatives" but not the other way round? Shouldn't relatives come first in term of priority?

Dog's Love

Am I a dog? Emm... not quite.
I fulfilled two of the three criteria above... enjoys a quiet life and loves to go on long walks. So, to avoid being a dog... I shall not remain loyal to one woman, maybe loyal to two or three or four.. :-)

==
A girl friend asked me this morning, "If you are married for 15 years, what would you want for your anniversary?" I spontaneously replied, "A new wife!" She was really upset because she got the same answer when she asked someone else earlier...

#18 Oregon 30, UCLA 20

Dennis Dixon threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns and No. 18 Oregon rebounded from a humbling loss with a solid 30-20 victory over UCLA on Saturday. Brian Paysinger had four catches for 105 yards and the Ducks (5-1, 3-1 Pac-10) while Jonathan Stewart ran for 121 yards. Going into the game, UCLA (4-2, 2-2) led the Pac-10 and was ranked second nationally in run defense, allowing an average of just 50 yards a game. But Ducks ran for 256 yards.

Oregon was fast and efficient on its first drive, scoring on an 11-yard pass from Dixon to Dante Rosario. The point-after was blocked by UCLA's Justin Hickman, making it 6-0. Jeremiah Johnson added a 7-yard touchdown run for the Ducks, before the Bruins made it 13-3 with Justin Medlock's 35-yard field goal. Before the end of the first quarter, Paysinger outsprinted Bruins free safety Dennis Keyes and caught Dixon's 26-yard pass in the end zone to make it 20-3. Medlock had a 48-yard field goal before the half to narrow it to 20-6.

James Finley caught a 4-yard TD toss from Oregon backup Brady Leaf in the second half after Dixon was hit hard earlier in the series. It was Leaf's only completion of the game. Bell's 1-yard scoring run to open the final quarter narrowed it to 27-13. Matt Evenson attempted a 45-yard field goal for the Ducks which fell way short, but he later made a 21-yarder that put the Ducks ahead 30-13. Bell scored on another 1-yard dash with 1:59 left in the game.

==
Something to cheer up the weekend...

Worst Day of My Life

Some people said 14th is a unlucky number. Coincidence or what, I think it's really suwey!!! Today, 14th October is a worst day of my life... at least for the year, I think. Usually I could handle things that don't go the right way but I just couldn't today.

It's supposed to be a relatively ok day, with some plans and it started in the right mode. I woke up earlier today, got my hair cut and my car washed but things just didn't go as planned after that.

Someone was acting like we've not planned for buka puasa together today, someone else just didn't answer calls or reply sms, and someone else wanted to scape-goated me for something, and someone else was broken hearted because earlier on I said I couldn't buka puasa together because I've another plan but now the plan is cancelled and I was accused as a liar. CRAAAAPPP!!!

Now, I'm going to have sushi for my buka puasa, bought from Giant. Don't feel like eating if not for my empty stomach...

Here goes Aerosmith's Crying....



==
Somehow, I've found love with Giant's sushi. Tried to look for sushi in Tesco but doesn't look as good as those in Giant..

Really Really Bad Quote Of The Day

On the recent AP scam issue...

"He (his son) is not clever at doing it... to be a fraudster you need skills. Fraudsters should be always be a notch above their victims. If one were smart, one wouldn't clone all the APs in a week. There should at least be a three-month interval. He didn't learn from me or I could have given him some tips."

- The AP Scam Senator, Muhammad Abdul Ghani

Even Customs director of prevention could not believe his ears.

==
What lah a Senator can say like that, memang tak guna, very arrogant! Patut kena campak kat dalam zoo Steve Irwin in Australia and let the crocs eat him alive. Bodoh! Nak ajar anak sendiri buat jahat, how to become example to the rakyat.

Marhaban di Astro

I think today is the most 'sempoy' bukak puasa, at least for this year. Got invitation from Astro to bukak puasa with Astro artistes who participated in its Marhaban di Astro. So, I was sitting besides Faizal AF4 during bukak puasa. Lots of stuff we managed to talk about, including his dietary, his fatigueness and a bit about his activities and also his raya plan. Too bad he only get 2-day break for hari raya.

I was never really really like Faizal but he's ok, cool, smile and laugh all the time, very polite, humble, natural... unlike Mawi who looks more serious most of the time. Zarina AF2 was supposed to sit at our table did an escape act and sit in other table later on. Kurreeennggg.... Mawi was sitting in VIP table 1 (mine was 2... or 3) but he wasn't there most of the time.

Others at the function include Hazama, Haziq, Edlin, Salima, Zahid and Zainal Alam together with Fitri as the hosts. Bukak puasa was continued with performance - including the one where Zahid was singing M. Nasir's hari raya song... satu hari di hari raya, bla bla bla... he continue singing it "dua hari di hari raya, tiga hari di hari raya, empat hari..." until if I'm not mistaken dua puluh hari di hari raya. Crazy lah that chap!



My favorite performance was the one when Hazama and Haziq sang Ramli Sarip and Jay Jay's Senandung Hidup Berbudi. Hazama's voice is always classy, too bad he didn't make it to AF4 top 12.

And one for the album...


==
I think I'll support Faizal more than Mawi lah from today. He deserved the support and also I believe he treasure them.

#11 Oregon 24, #16 California 45

California passed like a Duck, tackled like a Duck and even dressed like a Duck - and the Golden Bears did it all much better than the Oregon. The Bears took control almost from the moment they ran out of the Memorial Stadium tunnel wearing new, garishly gold jerseys. The surprising shirts looked just like something the fashion-forward Ducks would wear - but the Bears backed up that bold color with another series of big plays in their fifth straight blowout victory.

Pac-10 rushing leader Jonathan Stewart managed just 25 yards on 18 carries for the Ducks, whose spread offense never managed to find consistent holes in Cal's defense. Oregon quaterback Dennis Dixon had an awful game, he finished 20-of-35 for 263 yards and three interceptions after throwing just two picks in th Ducks' first four games.

==
It was the most anticipated game but the most horrible. Not a good weekend as the Ducks lost, so does France who lost to Scotland in Euro qualifier and also Michael Schumacher who did not finish his race in Japan.

Patience

This is another one of my favorite songs - from one of my favorite bands too...

"I sit here on the stairs cause I'd rather be alone
If I can't have you right now, I'll wait, dear...
Sometimes I get so tense but I can't speed up the time
But you know, love... There's one more thing to consider..."

I always sing this part especially when I don't get what I want, e.g. the job I went interview for...

==
In office, usually they sit on the stairs to smoke... hihihihi...

How's It Going To Be

It was officially announced today by my CEO that he has tendered his resignation from the company. It cleared the air as rumors have been flying around over the past two weeks. Questions still remain - who's the replacement, would we still have a CEO in the future or just a GM to run the company.

Earlier (like two months ago) it was announced that the 'bread and butter' for our company will be transfered to our sister company and we'll be doing business on something new with revenue hardly reach RM100 million a year. And worst still, the currently 800++ manpower size will be shrinked to around 250, where more than 550 staffs will be transfered to other sister companies.

So, how's it going to be for the company?!

The question reminds me of one of my favorite bands' song...


Although no relation to the resignation of my CEO, the song is still sooo sedaaaappp to listen to...

#14 Oregon 48, Arizona State 13

The 14th-ranked Oregon Ducks came to the desert aiming to prove their controversial victory over Oklahoma two weeks ago was no fluke. Oregon used a balanced attack and a relentless defense to crush Arizona State 48-13 Saturday. Dennis Dixon threw for 215 yards and three touchdowns, Jonathan Stewart ran for 142 yards and Jaison Williams caught 10 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns. The Ducks registered six sacks and limited Arizona State to 175 yards.

Arizona State suffered its worst home loss in six seasons under coach Dirk Koetter, and its worst defeat in Sun Devil Stadium since a 59-23 loss to UCLA Nov. 12, 1994. Koetter fell to 2-18 against Top 25 opponents. Arizona State, after being ranked 22nd two weeks ago, has been outscored 97-34 over the last two Saturdays.

==

Next up: #11 Oregon Ducks awat at #16 California Golden Bears. The winner of this match will challenge USC for the Pac-10 title.

Unmanageable Peaceful Country

There is no war or coup taking place, no tsunami or typhoon or massive flood or earthquake or any natural disaster you could think of. But the picture looks like the country is under certain crisis, just like the Somalian queueing for food. Yes, it's Malaysia.

I don't know why after so long, the call from even the highest hierarchy of the Government - on sugar supplies - fall on deaf ears. Can't government give an ultimatum to the 'sugar king'? In the end, the Government has to resort to importing sugar. And even our military now have added job scope - to send sugar to remote areas where sugar suppliers refused to send the supply to.

What happen here? Even the sugar suppliers are not listening to the leaders' call. Kalau orang Melayu cakap, macam 'tong kosong'... cakap dan buat bising banyak-banyak tapi takde hasil. Macam tu lah agak nya kerajaan/pemimpin kita.


==
Even the importance of sugar and salt was emphasized in one of Allahyarham Tan Sri P. Ramlee when they were presented as birthday gifts - not sure what movie is that. And still the Government took so long to finally decide what to do. Wonder how would they manage the country if it's under a serious crisis, even no crisis also very porak-peranda! :-(

Official But Not Prefered

Everyone (perhaps everyone in the world) knows that Malaysia's official language is Bahasa Melayu or Bahasa Malaysia. But, the most prefered language for communication, especially in a more formal setup) is English. Even my friend in Indonesia was surprised when I told him that we conduct our meeting (internally, no Mat Salleh or expats) in English.

Even in a not so formal setup, English is still a prefered language for people of all walks of life!

Photo courtesy The Star

==

Wonder what people from Northern states call a sharpener? It's 'gerumit'... derived from 'groom it'... :-)

Irrelevant Topic of Discussion

First of all, please apologize if this post would offend anyone but it's just my thoughts.

This morning between my sahur and Subuh, I managed to catch a repeat of Al-Kuliyyah, a TV3 islamic talk show (rather a discussion program with two penalists). The topic was 'Tukar'. To my surprise, they talked about sex change and in specific gender reassignment surgery (GRS). The program, however, failed to provide any statistic to qualify this topic for discussion in such an Islamic program. And I don't think the program achieve anything - in terms of educating people or helps reducing/stopping GRS cases.

For me it's clear, and as an Islamic country (we always claimed as such), we know it's forbidden - for any reason. And there are still callers asking about... there's one man whose inner-self is very lady-like, he felt he would be better off to do the GRS... bla bla bla... and the panelists kept on saying whatever the situation is, it's still haram. That's it. Why bother to discuss further? Aren't there anymore interesting topic(s) to be discussed like wastage in the month of Ramadhan, the simplest ways to reap the benefits of Ramadhan, Islam-way of celebrating Eid, bla bla bla...

And the panelists kept on referring to those who're interested in GRS to undergo counseling sessions to overcome their problems. I think there's only one effective solution. As an Islamic country, just forbid all hospitals (government or private) to perform the GRS. Full stop!


==
Maybe they're run out of topics. Well, they could generate ideas via sms - make more money! I don't know whether I'll watch the program again if it keeps on discussing/debating on something which clearly forbidden.

1 Ramadhan 1427

Bulan Ramadhan is here again... semoga amalan puasa kita diberkati.

Niat puasa for those who forget...

"Sahaja aku berpuasa esok hari menunaikan fardhu Ramadhan tahun ini kerana Allah ta'ala"

Sunat-sunat puasa:

1. Menyegerakan berbuka puasa apabila telah yakin waktu berbuka.
2. Makan sahur walaupun sedikit.
3. Melambatkan makan sahur iaitu lepas daripada tengah malam dan sebelum waktu imsak.
4. Memperbanyakkan membaca Al-Quran.
5. Memperbanyakkan sedekah.
6. Beriktiqaf siang hari dalam masjid.
7. Menghadiri majlis-majlis ilmu.
8. Menyediakan makanan untuk berbuka untuk orang-orang berpuasa.
9. Jangan bersugi setelah tergelincir matahari ke arah laut barat sehingga terbenamnya matahari kerana boleh memakruhkan puasa.

Other things (this one for me too...) - do solat terawikh as much as possible, don't just do it in the beginning of puasa but also the last 10 days of puasa... another thing, don't be too lavish buying foods to break fast, buy what you can finish eating and eat moderately so that maghrib, isyak and terawikh could be performed...

Selamat Berpuasa Everyone!!

==
Kalau terasa nak buat jahat di bulan Ramadhan, tanyalah pada iman tentu iman kata tak boleh... jangan ditanyakan pada AIMAN, nanti dia kata AIMAN TAK KISAH...

The One... In A Million

It was a great night, great performaces not just from the three finalists but also the top 12 plus Norayu and another contestant who were eliminated earlier. I personally like Norayu because of her husky voice. Somehow, she didn't make it to top 20 (probably because of her look, which not comparable to Farah, or even Suki).

Faizal escaped the elimination in the beginning of the final when 8TV announced that all three will be up and running for the RM1 million. 'Kezutan' for the fans or just another gimmick to invite more votes (translated into more profit)? Anyway, the night would be a bit boring if Faizal didn't perform. His performance outshone Suki's and Alif's and he got the biggest cheers and also standing ovation from the fans.

Unfortunately, Suki whose fans were relatively quiet that night walked away with the 'biggest' prize in Malaysia's reality talent show. Fans of Faizal, in the hall, were stunned and it was rather quiet in the hall after the result was announced. He came 5% short from Suki 's 39% votes.

Anyway, there you go. People call it instant millionaire. And, she's just 17!!

Weekend With The Family...

My parents were in town last weekend for my brother's convocation. The last time they were at my place was almost a year ago (or more and I haven't washed my cushion covers since then). The preparation started like a week before, with house chores like cleaning the fan blades (now the fan blows stronger), mopping the floor, washing the cushion covers, etc etc etc... I think I burnt more calories the last one week than the rest of the year.

I woke up at 5.30 on Saturday morning, something that I've not done for the past 364 days. What I usually do is go to bed at 5.30am. :-) My mom was ironing all clothes to be worn that day while I was preparing breakfast. My mom brought ketupat, rendang ayam, kari daging... We went to UiTM, parked at the padang kawad, took the transfer bus to Dewan Sri Budiman for the convo session. Only parents are allowed to enter the hall but I saw not just the parents dressed up but everyone, just to watch the session from under the canopy provided. What a spirit!

Mom and dad were out from the hall early (my brother was the 43rd recipient), so we wandered around the stalls (most selling flowers and souvenirs), took some pictures and took a most-deserving nap somewhere in a building nearby. It's quite a while before we decided to make our move to the convo hall while waiting for my brother to come out. Finally, he came out, grinning from ear to ear. My parents couldn't be more proud of him.

After taking some good pictures, we went straight home, had lunch, and sleeeeeeppp before our next activity... trip to Bagan Lalang for seafood dinner...

We went all the way to Bagan Lalang for our dinner. I haven't been there for exactly one year. So, we had ikan siakap masak 3 rasa, ikan pari bakar, udang masak pedas, pepahat masak halia, sotong goreng tepung, kailan ikan masin, tomyam campur, air kelapa and some juices. Syok nya makan and there goes my diet and my cholesterol level! :-) Somehow my brother's Naza Ria moved so slow on the way back home - reflecting the full stomach of its passengers. We reached home around 11pm.

On Sunday, we had mom-made karipap - our family's favorite. And bapak supplement the menu with his specialty kuah bawang for the dip! My niece and nephews were off to the swimming pool in the middle of breakfast and came back empty stomach.

Save the best for last, it's the last stop for this trip... Mydin!!! Usually they visited the one near Sinar Kota but this time it's the largest Mydin in Malaysia (in USJ). Traffic flow was so bad but that didn't affect my parents' spirit. As usual, they spent a worthy 3 hours in Mydin, shopping mostly the essentials for their Haj trip later this year.

While they're busy shopping I was tasked to take care of the niece and nephews. It's just four of them but it's more than handful for me. And believe me, the smallest is the most difficult to handle...

At around 5.30pm, my parents made their way to Pudu Raya with my brother and I made my way home and slept all the way from 6.30pm to 6.00am.

A tiring, yet a good weekend with the family!!

Bad Quote of the Day

"There are many people who don't understand, they say Pak Lah has lost control. That's my way of doing things. Everybody has his way of doing thing."

- people call him 'Pak Lah', 17th September 2006, Havana

==
Yes, you're right, Mr Right... you do it your way - losing control way

#18 Oregon 34, #15 Oklahoma 33

Oregon won for the first time in seven meetings over Oklahoma and avenged their Holiday Bowl 2005 defeat, in front of the record crowd of 59,260 at Autzen Stadium. Dennis Dixon and No. 18 Oregon rallied for two touchdowns in the final 72 seconds and the Ducks blocked a field goal on the final play to seal a wild 34-33 victory over No. 15 Oklahoma on Saturday.

Dixon's 16-yard keeper with 1:12 left brought the Ducks within 33-27 and set up the onside kick attempt. The Ducks (3-0) recovered the kick on their own 48, with 1:02 to go. After a pass interference call on Oklahoma again had Sooners coach Bob Stoops shaking his head on the sideline, Dixon threw a 23-yard TD pass to Brian Paysinger with 46 seconds to give Oregon the lead.

Oklahoma wasn't done, though, as Reggie Smith returned a squib kick 55 yards to the Ducks' 27. With no timeouts the Sooners ran one play, run into the line by Adrian Peterson, then spiked the ball with a second left. Garrett Hartley's 44-yard field-goal attempt wasn't high enough to clear the line and the Ducks celebrated.

==
I almost went to sleep when Ducks were trailing by 13 points with only 72 seconds left. I was fortunate enough to stay awake for 4 hours (3.30am to 7.30am) to witness one of the greatest comeback I've ever seen). Go Ducks!!!

Kamu Tak Sayang Dayang...

Remember one of Dayang's famous tune... ooohhh Dayang sayang kamu, Dayang cinta kamu, bilakan dapat bertemu... Will Dayang still love her fans? I dont think so, after her controversial participation in One In A Million (OIAM) ended with her exit at the final four stage. Who said that Dayang will get an easy ride to grab the RM1 million prize money?

I feel it's the right time for Dayang to go (she should be ousted earlier). Despite her being in a different league than the other three finalists, she didn't help much to the show, especially from the sponsors' and 8TV's perspectives. She seldomly appear in OIAM promos or roadshows. So, it's now an open race for the other three finalists, Suki, Alif and Faizal, with Faizal being the favorite to win.

Anyway, I was still touched when Dayang dropped to her tears while singing her last song in the competition, Mencintaimu. Hopefully she still love her fans and loved by her fans.

==
Are we going to see another Faizal winning a talent-search compettition?

Quote of the Day

"You can't try to shut my mouth... because I have a big mouth and I am going to use my big mouth to expose the misdeeds of this present government, including their lies."

- Tun Dr Mahathir, 11th September 2006

==
I remember Roxette's song Lies: "...lies la-la-la-la-lies, it's all lies la-la-la-la-lies, you're alllies; honeybutt, keep your big mouth shut, baby keep that big mouth shut..."

#20 Oregon 31, Fresno St. 24

Oregon's two biggest plays in the second half came after the Ducks lined up for field goals. And get this; neither time did the ball split the uprights. Kicker Paul Martinez scored on a 4-yard run on a fake field goal with 4:55 left and No. 20 Oregon also scored one play after Fresno State botched a blocked field goal, beating the Bulldogs 31-24 Saturday night.

Holder Brady Leaf then took the snap for the field goal and ran to his left, drawing the outside defender. "The way they lined up I thought we had it," Leaf said. "I had one-on-one on the outside guy and knew I had Paul there. I just had to get him to commit to me and get Paul the ball." Leaf did just that, tossing the ball to Martinez on the option play.

Martinez stumbled in from the 4 for his first touchdown in eight years of playing football. "He's a kicker. He doesn't run the ball," running back Jeremiah Johnson said. "But he got into the end zone and got some points. That's all that matters." Martinez didn't know what Leaf had decided to do until after the ball was snapped. "I started going at the ball to kick it," he said. "Once I saw him stand up and pick up the ball, that's when I took off and ran behind him."

Dennis Dixon was 33-for-36 for 240 yards for the Ducks, adding a few key scrambles as well. Jaison Williams had six catches for 106 yards, but also had some key drops. Johnson ran for 74 yards and two touchdowns and set up two scores with long punt returns as he starred in place of injured starter Jonathan Stewart.

==

Next up - repeat of 2005 Holiday Bowl: #18 Oregon vs #15 Oklahoma, 17/9 3.30am, live on ABC

Quote of the Day

"If I speak to UMNO members, they accuse me of splitting the party. If I work with the NGOs, they accuse me of being a traitor"

- Tun Dr Mahathir, 4th September 2006

==

I think Tun better speak on Mawi-Ina or Siti-Datuk K (even these issues are controversial!!) to be safe. Maybe Pak Lah and his son-in-law will feel safer if Tun just restrict his role as 'pengkritik' during Akademi Fantasia.

Don't We Have Anything Better?

No doubt sms or phone, in general, is the most single powerful tool to disseminate information, also hoax, rumors, etc etc. What I mean information is important information (of course, unimportant ones are not called information - they're junks, spams) like something related to the country, to the family or friends, or career - you know laa...

Unfortunately, Steve Irwin died on Monday and unfortunately also, from this extract from local newspapers, you may now know that Malaysians actually don't have anything better to sms about or to talk about over the phone.

....and we don't have anything better to read!

Don't have anything better or we're just to arrogant to talk or discuss about more important things or read more useful and important books, and rather leave them to be taken up by our leaders.

Unfortunately, even the leaders are still arguing about the tv rating! Sad sad sad

You've Got Mail

When TV or Astro channels have nothing interesting to offer on Monday night, I managed to do something and avoid oversleeping. What I did was watching a movie called You've Got Mail.

The movie was first screened in 1998 and I remember watching the movie 3 times in a week when I was back in Oregon. And it is the only one of two movies I've watched 3 times or more in a cinema. The other is Braveheart. I don't know why I like it so much, I just find it so cute especially my favorite Hollywood couple, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. They're so lovely together...

Joe Fox: Have you ever become the worst version of yourself? That a pandora's box of all the hate, spite and condencension has sprung open? Someone upsets you and instead of walking away... you zing them. "Hello it's Mr Nasty"

=

All my incoming emails come with a sound... "Yooouu've Got Mail!"

Siti's Next Hit: Gigitan Asmara

I think our press are as good as the papparazi. They can even notice a very tiny spot... Hehehe.. it's a new phase of life, according to Siti!