Aaron's a Rocket man

1st round, 26th pick overall.
That's how Aaron Brooks was born into the professional league.

After colorful days as a Duck, donning green and gold or rather yellow jersey, he'll chart his destiny as a professional with the Rockets, playing in Houston alongside Tracy McGrady and the more celebrated Yao Ming.

The 6-foot, 160-pound Brooks was the Pac-10's leading scorer last season and finished his career as the Ducks' ninth all-time scorer (1,511 points). He ranks fourth all-time in school history in assists (471), sixth in steals (127) and shot 83 percent from the free-throw line in his career.

As my earlier posting, I'll be rooting for any team that drafted Brooks and whatever team he's playing for..

For now, Go Rockets!!

The greens and the blues

While the Blues are feeling the blues, especially in the afternoon, the Greens look as fresh as ever. No wonder why people always say, "the grass is greener elsewhere" and never once I heard people say, "the sky is blue-er elsewhere".

... taken from Kickdefella

Still, there are lights at the end of the tunnel. But, wait...

Ever heard people say, "a picture tells a million words"? If you still can't believe what you're seeing and need to know who's seat is 1,2 and 3, read on.

5.6 on Richter scale

It's not my CGPA when I graduated.

It's also not the reading on Richter scale..

It's also not the quantum of bonus my company pays this year...

Seeing a doctor has never been such a pleasant like today. I was really in a happy mood walking out from the clinic. The blood test taken on Monday shows my cholesterol level at 5.6. Yes, I agree it's still in borderline (ideal level should be below 5.2) who cares if you don't agree, it's my body.

A month ago, my cholesterol level is 7.9 believe it or not which is way above the 6.2 high risk level scary gile, rasa tak lama je lagi akan menikmati nikmat dunia :-). My HDL (the good cholesterol) was ok at 1.21 (normal is above 1.03) while the LDL or the bad one was at 5.33 (below 2.58 is optimal). And triglycerides were 2.99 (below 1.70 is normal).

A month later, after avoiding seafoods makan le sikit2, like 5 biji kerang, seekor udang and no sotong in a month, santan-based gulai, internal organs like paru, hati, perut, jantung, buah pinggang jantung pisang excluded, no recycled oil for frying and substituting with lots of veges, beans, tofus and fruits, soy bean oil, zero exercise except for climbing up two-floor stairs and prescription from the doctor, these are the readings:

• HDL cholesterol 1.43 (up by 18%)
• LDL cholesterol 3.67 (down by 31%)
• Triglycerides 1.09 (down by 63%)
• TOTAL Cholesterol 5.6 (down by 14%)

Yihaaa! At least, it gives me some light...

AZAIG 6th liversary

As Zewt As It Gets (AZAIG), one of the blogs I visit almost everyday which have new entry almost everyday, too, is celebrating its 6th month anniversary.

So on the 6th month anniversary, Zewt (the author) is asking its readers to tell him how bad his writing/blog is. And, because it is so bad (and that I visit his blog almost everyday), I'm paying a special tribute special ke? to AZAIG by linking it here.

What makes it so special? You ought to read my favorite entry in AZAIG. Here's some preview...

How much it makes a difference removing bra with:
a) Both hands
b) One hand
c) Your teeth

read on...

Happy anniversary Zewt. Keep on blogging!

Aci apa lagi?

The word 'aci' means auntie in Tamil betul ke? But, when we were young we always use the word in games we play like, "aci ke tak aci?" (legal or not) or as prefix to the name of the game we played, like 'aci nyorok' ( 'aci' in this sense equals 'le' in french).

Besides after 5pm daily being the best time to 'play', the other best times are recess time during school hours. We used to play all out during recess time and would come back to classroom all sweated out, like just coming out from sauna with shirts on.

Did we eat? Yes.. but just for 5 minutes and the other 15 minutes were for fun! And unfinished games would be continued the next day.

The most rigorous games we played during recess time would be football, or soccer for Mr Sam. Luckily rugby wasn't introduced in most schools those days, otherwise we would play rugby during the 20-minute period. The less rigorous would be 'batu seremban' but it wasn't played in boys schools ada jugak ke budak lelaki main game ni?. The boys would play 'tepuk card' alternatively <-- this could be Gambling 101, without we realizing it.

In between, there were 'aci jengket', 'police sentry', 'galah panjang', 'aci nyorok', and for girls there was 'zero point', the game played with a chain of rubber bands.

Kids these days.. I wonder what are they doing during recess time? And I know my friend who only allow her kids to go out playing at 5pm only on weekends... poor kids these days.

No wonder why the Minister of Education is calling for this...

So, who's to be blamed? Teachers? Parents? Kids???

==

I always remember when playing 'aci nyorok' or hide-and-seek, we always make (in whatever ways we could, by cheating most of the times) a friend of us become the seeker one round after another. And after five to six straight rounds being a seeker, he would cry and went home. Romzy, where are you now?!

Do you know?

My pick for the song of the month, nice video clip too...

Do you know...
Do you know...

If birds flying south is a sign of changes

At least you can predict this every year

Love, you never know the minute it ends suddenly

I can't get it to speak

Do you know what it feels like loving someone that's in a rush to throw you away?

Do you know what it feels like to be the last one to know the lock on the door has changed?

This is how we see it

I always admire Indonesians faith on Islam. Being the largest Islamic country, they don't need to introduce another mazhab of Islam whereas we're busy promoting and keeping the people to believe in the new mazhab, the Hadhari.

And even with the Pak Lah-introduced mazhab, we still need to get ulama to tell the Muslim (and published in newspapers) that it's safe to use cutleries in non-Muslim houses. My friend who's married to a German told us that once her 8-year old daughter was so depressed going to school here. She was told by her friends that she's a Christian just because she looks like a 'bule' (orang putih) and once she came home wanting to dye her hair black so that her friends won't call her Christian just because her hair is blonde.

That's how Islamic teaching here in Malaysia. Just wonder what would be people's perception if your kid acts as a Jesus in a play. Read this experience in RantingsbyMM

And I'm glad this article was published in The Star today. Read on...

Malaysia and the rest of the Muslim world have much to learn from Indonesia's progressive approach in Islamic education, said political scientist Dr Farish Ahmad-Noor. Indonesia had a big number of moderate scholars that even if a few radical groups emerged, the mainstream groups would quickly silence them, said Farish, an Institute of Strategic and International Studies consultant.

During the Suharto era, the Muslims expanded on cultural Islam rather than dogmatic politics-based Islam, he said. After that, it was taught in a scientific way. In comparison, Islam in Malaysia is politicised and there is no independent space for it to be in the public domain, he said when interviewed at the ISIS International Affairs forum on “Jihad revisited? Shifting dynamics of radical movements in Indonesia” yesterday.

While banning militant groups worked, he said he was concerned that if there was no deep understanding of religion at the public level, the state would continue to be the “big brother.” “What if one day the state is replaced by a fanatic prime minister? There will be no mode of civil defence underneath. This is where Indonesia is different from us. “The rejection of terrorism in Indonesia did not come from the state but from the people. They didn't want to see mosques or churches or Bali or Jakarta bombed,” he said.

Farish said Malaysia, in the 1920s, was more open, with people discussing the applicability of syariah law in the modern world and the role of Islam in politics. Syed Sheikh Al-hadi, for instance, wrote Hikayat Faridah Hanum, the first modern Malay literature about women's rights. Farish, a visiting professor at the Sunan Kalijaga Islamic University in Jogjakarta, said he is often asked: “Why is the interpretation of Islam so narrow in Malaysia when historically and culturally we (Malaysia and Indonesia) are similar?”

==

My sister in law once refused to shop in Tesco because it's funded by the Jews. I told her, that's not our problem, we're an Islamic country, our leaders are Muslims and it's their call to prohibit such companies to operate here or not. Why deprived ourselves, even when in Islam we're taught to be wise in spending. And if prices in Tesco are cheaper than anywhere else, why are we so stupid preventing ourselves to shop there where the prices are cheaper?!

Where have all the Ss gone?

Well, it's back to Bahasa Malaysia again after going back and forth with Bahasa Melayu. It's just make people confused and all the costs on 'menu' change, where you have to reprint text books, workbooks, etc etc.

Anyway, came across this article on Cheer 2007 competition and having looked at the list of participants, I just wonder where have all the letter Ss gone? Or have we officially declared that letter Z now represents plural?

Those who find it's cool to replace S with Z, I think you're really backdated, 'kampong' and I just don't think it's 'gaul'. And don't ever think it's a new invention. People have been using it way before... remember "I wuz here?" And what's wrong with S? Using S doesn't make you sounds old or 'kuno' or what?!

I feel jelek with all the exploitation of language these days. Anyway, good luck to all the participantz, go girlz, go boyz, let'z kick some azz!!!

==
Reminds me on Terengganuian who steal letter G from Perakian. That's why the former happily eat 'ikang' while the Perakians feed ikan to their 'kucin'

How smart is SMART?

Is SMART really smart?

(from SMART website) Studies had indicated that the critical stretch of Sg Klang between Sg Klang/Sg Ampang confluence and Sg Gombak/Sg Klang confluence to be flood prone areas and the fact that the river is further constrained by the Jln Tun Perak bridge (near Masjid Jamek) which is low, has resulted in the surrounding areas to experience flash floods.

The motorway tunnel will provide an alternative route for motorists from the Southern Gateway, i.e. KL-Seremban Highway, Federal Highway, Besraya and East-West Link entering and exiting the city center. This will reduce traffic congestion at the Souther Gateway leading to the city center. The travel time will be reduced significantly.

Great! Good investment, good planning to ease motorists' headache going into the city.

But is the project really well-planned, taking into considerations of natural, external, existing surrounding factors...

(from Harian Metro today) After two hour of rain yesterday.

Now, is SMART really smart? Or is the people planning it really smart?

My judgment: I never believed that Malaysia's town planners are smart.

==
Analogy: How smart a Prime Minister is, he is still dumb if his advisor or people around him are dumb. He'll be even dumber is his son-in-law is a big-time dumb. Like last time we always say, stupid dumb-dumb.