KoSong

E-Mail Tracker Programs

2012-01-30T00:22:00.002+08:00

The man who sent this information is a computer tech. He wrote:

By now, I suspect everyone is familiar with snopes.com and/or truthorfiction.com for determining whether information received via email is just that: true/false or fact/fiction. Both are excellent sites.

Advice from snopes.com VERY IMPORTANT!!

1) Any time you see an email that says "forward this on to '10' (or however many) of your friends", "sign this petition", or "you'll get bad luck" or "you'll get good luck" or "you'll see something funny on your screen after you send it" or whatever --- it almost always has an email tracker program attached that tracks the cookies and emails of those folks you forward to.

The host sender is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded and then is able to get lists of 'active' email addresses to use in SPAM emails or sell to other Spammers. Even when you get emails that demand you send the email on if you're not ashamed of God/Jesus --- that is email tracking, and they are playing on our conscience. These people don't care how they get your email addresses - just as long as they get them. Also, emails that talk about a missing child or a child with an incurable disease "how would you feel if that was your child" --- email tracking. Ignore them and don't participate!

2) Almost all emails that ask you to add your name and forward on to others are similar to that mass letter years ago that asked people to send business cards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to break the Guinness Book of Records for the most cards. All it was, and all any of this type of email is, is a way to get names and 'cookie' tracking information for telemarketers and Spammers -- to validate active email accounts for their own profitable purposes.

You can do your Friends and Family members a GREAT favor by sending this information to them. You will be providing a service to your friends. And you will be rewarded by not getting thousands of spam emails in the future!

Do yourself a favor and STOP adding your name(s) to those types of listing regardless how inviting they might sound! Or make you feel guilty if you don't! It's all about getting email addresses and nothing more.

You may think you are supporting a GREAT cause, but you are NOT!

Instead, you will be getting tons of junk mail later and very possibly a virus attached! Plus, we are helping the Spammers get rich! Let's not make it easy for them!

ALSO: Email petitions are NOT acceptable to Congress or any other organization - I.e. Social security, etc. To be acceptable, petitions must have a "signed signature" and full address of the person signing the petition, so this is a waste of time and you are just helping the email trackers.
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Another world record for Malaysia?

2012-01-28T16:09:00.003+08:00

No, not this one, which happens to be world's most confusing roundabout...

The Magic Roundabout in Swindon , England , was constructed in 1972 and consists of five mini-roundabouts arranged in a circle. Its name comes from a popular children's television series The Magic Roundabout. It has been voted the fourth scariest junction in Britain .

But this one, the size of Tun Dr. Mahathir's ego...

Not many people realize this when they are driving around Putrajaya, especially near the Prime Minister's office. Try to clear your mind and observe while you are driving, and you will soon realize that you are indeed driving along the potentially largest roundabout in the world. Malaysia Boleh!

The main reason people don't take note is because they tend to think it is just a hill. The circumferential length of this roundabout is approximately 3.4km, and the road that circumvents it is Persiaran Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah.
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Don't Laugh Out Loud

2012-01-28T09:12:00.002+08:00

In the U.S. they invented a machine that catches thieves; they took it out to different countries for a test.

In U.S.A itself , in 30 minutes, the machine caught 20 thieves;

In UK , in 30 minutes it caught more than 50 thieves;

Spain , in 30 minutes it caught 65 thieves;

Ghana , in 30 minutes it caught 600 thieves;

Malaysia , THEY CAUGHT NOBODY... because in 15 minutes the machine was stolen!

I told you not to laugh!!!

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Mr. Bean, you've got a lovely daughter...

2012-01-27T23:52:00.001+08:00

This could almost destroy your belief in hereditary theory...

Who'd have guessed who her father is?
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The flying car is here...

2012-01-27T23:47:00.000+08:00

For more info and maybe place your order:
http://www.terrafugia.com/
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USA's President vs Malaysia's PM : Malaysia wins...

2012-01-27T23:36:00.004+08:00

in terms of employing more people and therefore spending more, in relation to its population...

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Poor translations as a source of entertainment?

2012-01-27T17:27:00.003+08:00

It is a given that we will come across badly translated English text now and again. The good thing is it will make the visiting reader chuckle... like this one...

http://ipohecho.com.my/v2/2011/10/16/an-inappropriate-misnomer/

A chuckle is quite close to a smile, and I think it is better than a frown because of displeasure.

I find Malaysians are segmented in terms of language. There are those of all races who speak English at home but not their own mother tongues. Then there are those who speak Malay, Mandarin or dialects, Tamil, and so on, but uncomfortable with English. But most can understand English or Malay, even though not fluent in speaking the language. So it is common to speak, say English to someone, who would reply in Malay. This reminds me of Empat Sekawan which started years ago, as a radio or Redifusion comedy and went on to television shows, starring Hai Yang, Hon Ying, Lai Meng and Wong Ho. Each will speak his or her dialect and the others will reply in his or her own.

Many people are able to spot mistakes in translated subtitles, eg. from English to Bahasa Malaysia. Off hand, I can remember classic ones: 'Fire!' (as in using guns) which was translated to 'Api!' (which means fire, as in the burning kind). Then, 'Have you lost your marbles?' (as in 'are you crazy?' which was translated literally to, 'Kau dah hilang guli ke?' Some incorrect translations involve numbers. For example, in Cantonese, 'yat marn' means '10,000'; 'sarp marn' means '100,000'; 'yat park marn' means '1,000,000'. Often, 'yat marn' was translated to mean '1 million'.

For those who know a bit more English, they are able to spot mistakes in pronunciation. For example, some retired teachers still pronounce 'facade' as it is spelled and not 'fersard'. Another difficult word of French origin, bour·geoi·sie. noun \ˌbu̇(r)zh-ˌwä-ˈzē\ is often pronounced as 'bugis'! Some made deliberate mistakes for fun, like 'barbress' for lady barbers or better known as hair stylists. Perhaps, it adds colour to our cosmopolitan society to make it more interesting. Why not?

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CNY: Sellers' market in coffee shops

2012-01-26T16:55:00.002+08:00

With influx of relations from out of town, restaurants and coffee shops are packed with customers. Even newspapers ran out earlier than usual.

For those with unpleasant experience of having to wait for seats, longer wait for food, and generally poor service, they avoided such places during the first 3 days, for example. Today is the fourth day of the new Lunar year, and many had returned to KL or other places of work on the second day. Yet the crowds remained.

During normal days, at familiar places, we were given special treatment like ordering a pot of hot water for our own Chinese tea leaves, after our round of tea or coffee. We are charged between Rm1 and Rm2 for a few topping up. Today, at Yong Fong in Pusing, we were politely told by Yong that he could not entertain us because he had turned down other such requests, even those who did not bring their own tea leaves. Reason was simple: to prevent customers from sitting too long at the table after their meals! Most food stalls added extra Rm1 or so to their normal charges. Basically, because of the greater demand, it was 'take it or leave it'. What a difference! ...especially when we know under normal circumstances, some shops or stalls were crying out for business because there are actually too many shops serving limited number of customers, going from one shop to another daily.

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The intrusive Stranger?

2012-01-26T12:02:00.002+08:00

Or, Stranger who overstayed his welcome?

A few years after I was born, my Dad met a 'stranger' who was new to our small town.

From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family.

The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on.

As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family.

In my young mind, he had a special niche.

My parents were complementary instructors:

Mom taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey.

But the stranger... He was our storyteller.

He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies.

If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future!

He took my family to the first major league ball game.

He made me laugh, and he made me cry.

The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind.

Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to the kitchen for peace and quiet.
(I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.)

Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them.

Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home - not from us, our friends or any visitors.

After our long time visitor stayed longer he became more daring however, and even got away with four-letter words that burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush.

My Dad didn't permit the liberal use of alcohol but the stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular basis.

He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished.

He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex.

His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing..

I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger.

Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked...

And NEVER asked to leave.

More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family.

He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first.

Still, if you could walk into my parents' den today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.

His name?... We just call him "TV".
He has a wife now....we call her "Computer".
Their first child is "Cell Phone".
Second child "I Pod".

I suppose, now we can't even live without him and his family around!
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Tua Pek Kong temple at Pasir Panjang, near Sitiawan

2012-01-26T00:42:00.003+08:00

I first heard about this tourist attraction when in a Pusing coffeeshop. I was told there are organized tours from Pusing which include lunch. Fellow retirees decided to make a trip by car which I did not join in. But I had a look at the brochure and have a rough idea how to get there.

Today, wife said, 'Why not make a trip to the temple and see what it's like?' At the KFC junction in Sitiawan, we turned left towards Kg. Koh, a place which we used to go to for seafood meals. Past Kg. Koh, I looked for Jalan Pasir Panjang on the right, which was well sign-posted. We also saw a sign to Kuan Yin temple which reassured us that we were on the right track.

We could see many cars going in as well as coming out, presumably from the temple. Though there was a kenduri nearby, most cars were indeed heading there. We decided to park near a field next to a building under construction, well away from it to avoid getting caught in the traffic jam. It was a long walk and there were hundreds of cars parked all the way there! There were more cars in the car park within the compound next to the sea. I was actually bothered by the idea that the locals, especially the Malay residents, might complain about frequent traffic jams, especially during public holidays. I found it amazing that a temple with some granite statues and basic landscaping could attract such a large crowd. But among the visitors, most are devotees who actually prayed, which explained it.

There was a section which is named 'Taman Monyet' or Monkey Garden, but the Chinese translation was actually Fruits Garden! It is a man-made concrete pathway crudely constructed without any consideration for conservation of the mangrove trees, as evidenced from the dead trees on both sides. Rubbish thrown by inconsiderate visitors could be seen floating in the water. No monkeys nor fruit trees could be found, which wasn't surprising.

I searched the internet and found the following report which helps me in explaining...

NST: The gods must be happy at Tua Pek Kong

http://www.nst.com.my/streets/northern/the-gods-must-be-happy-at-tua-pek-kong-1.9931

Even with my limited knowledge, I think I can explain or find fault (in italics) in the following excerpt from that article:

"Taking centre stage is the gigantic Da Bo Gong (Tua Pek Kong) statue, along with statues of Jiu Tian Xuan Nu, Yu Nu, Guan Yin Niang Niang, Jin Tong, Wu Guan, Wen Guan, Qian Li Yan, Ma Zu, Shun Feng Er and Hu Ye.

Below these statues, on the cement courtyard, are 24 smaller statues of various Chinese demigods who are said to have mystical powers. (These are actually known in Cantonese as 'yee sup sei hau' or 24 examples of filial piety; as a kid, I used to see them in calendars sponsored by a paint company, and the most memorable example was that of a mother allowing her aged and poorly father-in-law to suckle her milk, at the expense of her baby!)

Outside the courtyard are statues of a monkey, pig, horseman, and a man with a staff of demigods.

At the right side of the main temple are nine statues lining the sides of the garden path leading to three man-made caves containing three small deities." (There are actually 18 statues, representing the 18 Immortals (btw, not the gang by that name!).

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CNY Greetings from our neighbour

2012-01-25T11:35:00.004+08:00

Each time we leave our house unguarded, something like this could happen. Note the freshly cut trunk of this bougainvilla. This poor tree has a history of abuse by this uncouth person.

A few years ago, we found the plant missing! Later it was found near the junction, in front of the Indian temple multi-purpose hall. I took it back and planted at the same spot. With recent happenings, I am now suspecting he was the culprit when it went missing! So far, the plant had been subjected to weedkillers twice on separate occasions, which showed after a few days with dried leaves...

Now, he went a step further with cutting down the plant. Our patience and refrain from acting tit-for-tat has been taken as being weak I suppose. But I am taking the following advice...

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Redefining Action Hero: Bill Gates is Better Than Batman (Infographic)

2012-01-25T09:37:00.002+08:00

Source: frugaldad.com

Correction : Update Much thanks to Matthew Herper at Forbes for pointing out that the vaccine Bill Gates spent $200 million to rescue was in fact for malaria, and not for polio as the infographic previously stated.
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A priest who never lies

2012-01-25T09:20:00.002+08:00

A young woman on a flight to Ireland asked the priest who sat in the seat beside her, 'Father, may I ask a favour?'

'Of course child. What can I do for you?'

'Well, I bought an expensive woman's electric hair dryer for my Mother's birthday That is unopened and well over the Customs limits, and I'm afraid they'll confiscate it. Is there any way you could carry it through Customs for me? Under your robes perhaps?'

'I would love to help you, dear, but I must warn you: I will not lie.'

'With your honest face, Father, no one will question you.'

When they got to Customs, she let the priest go ahead of her.

The official asked, 'Father, do you have anything to declare?'

'From the top of my head down to my waist, I have nothing to declare.'

The official thought this answer strange, so he asked, 'And what do you have to declare from your waist to the floor?'

'I have a marvellous instrument designed to be used on a woman, but which is, to date, unused.'

Roaring with laughter, the official said, 'Go ahead, Father. Next...

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Ah Cheap Kor's BR1M

2012-01-25T09:03:00.002+08:00

shows opportunistic use of public money being distributed through BN political party service centres and party functionaries...

Anil Netto: It's raining money III: How it is channelled

http://anilnetto.com/malaysian-politics/malaysian-elections/its-raining-money-iii-how-its-distributed/

Let's hope the recipients know it is public money which they are entitled, and not be obligated to the politicians distributing it.

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Sodomy II: Judgment and Appeal

2012-01-24T09:45:00.004+08:00

Either it was good judgment and therefore, bad to appeal; or bad judgment and therefore, good to appeal. Similarly, either there was political interference or no interference, not both; it is ludicrous to claim credit for a good judgment (as if there was political intervention), and then claim the appeal by prosecution after a good judgment as no intervention and declare that it was independent of political interference...

Excerpt from Kim Quek's Appeal against Anwar's acquittal a fatal error:

U-turn has damaged Najib

With these words still ringing in the ears, it therefore came as a shock that the Attorney-General had filed a notice of appeal against the Anwar acquittal on Jan 20.

Even more shocking was Najib’s complete dissociation with this appeal the next day. The New Straits Times quoted him as saying that the appeal was something strictly between the complainant and the Attorney-General, and has nothing to do with his government and Barisan Nasional (BN).

Extending this rationale by Najib, it must follow that high court judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah’s decision to acquit and discharge Anwar should have even less to do with him, the BN and the government. Then on what basis was Najib claiming that judge Zabidin’s decision was proof of the extensive political reforms that he purportedly had carried out for the country?

Isn’t it obvious that when Najib claimed the verdict as proof of his reforms, he was in fact telling the world that (a) he had undue control over the investigative and judicial process, (b) he realized it was wrong in exerting such control for illegitimate political purposes, and (c) he had agreed to cease such interference as a step toward restoration of democracy and rule of law?

In fact the whole world knew as much that it was political persecution right from the very beginning of Anwar’s ordeal three and a half years ago. He was savagely arrested and subsequently charged without an iota of evidence, save for the complainant’s obviously dishonest claim. Otherwise, why shouldn’t the world have expected rather than be shocked by the verdict?

It is high time that Najib and his colleagues move out from their self-induced delusion that the people do not know. It is for their own good that they do not misjudge the extent of the people’s awareness of the truth in this Internet age of instant information.

If there is any message that we can read from this latest move to appeal against Anwar’s acquittal, it is that this appeal is proving for the umpteenth time that Najib’s words are not to be trusted; and it also shows up once again that his so-called political reform is more an illusion than reality."

More:
http://english.cpiasia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2296:appeal-against-anwars-acquittal-a-fatal-error&catid=178:yong-thye-chong&Itemid=193
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World's longest cross-sea bridge

2012-01-24T09:20:00.003+08:00

China has opened the world's longest cross-sea bridge - which stretches five miles further than the distance between Dover and Calais.

The Jiaozhou Bay bridge is 26.4 miles long and links China's eastern port city of Qingdao to the offshore island Huangdao.

The road bridge, which is 110ft wide and is the longest of its kind, cost nearly £1billion to build.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2009748/That-bridge-far-Worlds-longest-sea-bridge-opens-traffic-China--hold-title-years.html#ixzz1kKnvS0ic

GBP 1 billion seems cheap when compared with our shorter ones, like Penang Bridge and Penang's second link. Even if built much cheaper, political patronage (Federal, not State) would ensure we always pay more for the contracts and the people suffer more in their daily use.
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Bill Cosby: I'm 83 and I'm tired...

2012-01-24T06:35:00.002+08:00

I'm 83. Except for brief period in the 50's when I was doing my National Service, I've worked hard since I was 17. Except for some some serious health challenges, I put in 50-hour weeks, and didn't call in sick in nearly 40 years. I made a reasonable salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, it looks as though retirement was a bad idea, and I'm tired. Very tired.

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.

I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries use our oil money to fund mosques And madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in Australia , New Zealand , UK, America and Canada , while no one from these countries are allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia or any other Arab country to teach love and tolerance.

I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate.

I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses or stick a needle in their arm while they tried to fight it off?

I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of all parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.

I'm really tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems. I'm also tired and fed up with seeing young men and women in their teens and early 20's be-deck themselves in tattoos and face studs, thereby making themselves un-employable and claiming money from the Government.

Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 83.. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter and her children. Thank God I'm on the way out and not on the way in.
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Is lizard cold-blooded?

2012-01-24T06:12:00.002+08:00

Or have we been using the word 'cold-blooded' wrongly to describe people who do things 'without feeling or emotion'? The following story could be true... but I personally find it hard to believe the 10 years...

"This is a true story that happened in Japan.

In order to renovate the house, someone in Japan breaks open the wall.

Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between the wooden walls..

When tearing down the walls, he found that there was a lizard stuck there because a nail from outside hammered into one of its feet. He sees this, feels pity, and at the same time curious, as when he checked the nail, it was nailed 10 years ago when the house was first built.

What happened? The lizard has survived in such position for 10 years!!!!!!!!!!

In a dark wall partition for 10 years without moving, it is impossible and mind-boggling. Then he wondered how this lizard survived for 10 years!!! Without moving a single step - since its foot was nailed!

So he stopped his work and observed the lizard, what it has been doing, and what and how it has been eating.

Later, not knowing from where it came appears another lizard, with food in its mouth. Ah! He was stunned and touched deeply. For the lizard, that was stuck by nail, another lizard has been feeding it for the past 10 years... Imagine... it has been doing that untiringly for 10 long years, without giving up hope on its partner.

Think, will you do that to your partner?..."

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Gong Xi Fa Cai

2012-01-23T09:39:00.004+08:00

Greetings from grandniece, Jun, in London:

Can you spot her mum, in this pic with the cast in HSBC advertisement in UK?

Link to the advertisement video clip:

http://kosongcafe.blogspot.com/2012/01/hsbc-cny-advert-in-uk.html

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More Malays joining DAP?

2012-01-22T11:47:00.002+08:00

Recent examples of high profile Malay personalities joining DAP: Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz ( blogs politically as Sakmongkol47, former Pulau Manis assemblyman), another political blogger, Aspen Alias (a Negri Sembilan Umno veteran), and now Hata Wahari (former president of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and former editorial staff of Umno-owned newspaper Utusan Malaysia)... seems the start of a trend towards multi-racial politics...

Malays Joining DAP: The Sign of Racial Politics’ Demise

http://www.malaysiandigest.com/opinion/39024-malays-joining-dap-the-sign-of-racial-politics-demise.html

What Say You - Mengapa Saya Masuk DAP ? - Hata Wahari

http://www.mobtv.my/talkshow-729.html

I think it would be nice to have more Malays joining DAP and more non-Malays joining PKR to make the respective parties more multi-racial.

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Do you notice more expectant mums around?

2012-01-22T10:55:00.002+08:00

The other day, I noticed two expectant mothers working in a coffee shop in BG Perdana. 'Productive' place I thought, but soon I realized that one of the reasons was due to the wish for Dragon babies among Chinese in particular. With the Chinese, the impact of 'kiasuism' in anything always creates magnified effects, resulting in greater demand for certain products or services. Businessmen are likely to provide the supply and make good profits. Very predictable indeed. The other point is that when it comes to mainland Chinese, the sheer number would overwhelm even the best of planned services.

Excerpt from a news report:

"Lee says she tried to book a maternity bed at her gynaecologist's hospital soon after she found out she was pregnant, but it was already too late.

"I couldn't get my preferred private hospital to deliver even though I'm willing to pay and both me and my husband are Hong Kong residents," she says.

"Some friends told me I should start registering my Dragon baby girl for kindergarten - it's like a fight for hospitals, a fight for schools. I have to remind myself to take it easy."

Mainland mothers accounted for 38,043 out of 80,131 births in Hong Kong last year.

In the last Year of the Dragon in 2000, the number of births jumped 5.6 per cent from the previous year, according to official data.

In anticipation of a baby boom the government has tightened entry rules, stepped up border controls and capped hospital places for mainland mothers.

Mainland women have reportedly taken to smuggling their precious cargoes into the territory under baggy clothes, or renting Hong Kong apartments in the early stages of pregnancy to avoid detection.

Some desperate women have even resorted to waiting until the last minute to force their way into Hong Kong emergency wards. Hospital authorities say emergency births tripled last year.

"The issue is far more complicated than we imagine," says Cheung Tak Hong, head of the obstetrics department at Hong Kong's Prince of Wales Hospital, a government hospital near the Chinese border.

"The system just cannot cope. The increase in the manpower and facilities just cannot catch up with the demand from China. There are far too many pregnant women from China coming to give birth in Hong Kong."

The doctor, who is a spokesman for the Hong Kong Obstetrics Concern Group, says mainland women are putting the lives of themselves and their babies at risk.

"They have no bookings, we don't have their records, we don't know them beforehand and all of a sudden they come here in advanced labour. That puts a lot of pressure on our staff," he says."

Source:
'Dragon babies' stretch resources

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/lifestyle/a/-/lifestyle/12666623/dragon-babies-stretch-resources/

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BR1Mming with mixed feelings

2012-01-21T19:15:00.002+08:00

As the results of the applications for BR1M (Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia) were known by batches, there were expressions of joy from those who were successful, as well as discontent from those who were rejected. Instead of making people happy, it is creating resentment among friends. One even commented that he would take pictures of those who own big detached houses and luxury cars, yet successful, while his was turned down, even though both husband and wife are pensioners. The most common complaint was not knowing whether pension is treated as income, because some combined pensions exceed Rm3,000 per month. For those rejected, some were wondering if it had anything to do with past incomes which exceeded the threshold. What about ownership of properties and shares of public listed companies which earn rental incomes and dividends? Again, we cannot prevent some who complained whether it had anything to do with political affiliation!

I cannot help comparing the unfairness of some who do not deserve, yet getting the Rm500, with those who were eligible before, when government paid Rm625 each to car owners who owned expensive Mercedes, BMW or Audi, just because the engine capacities were below 2,000 cc!

Someone has commented that such distributions of cash periodically are like 'giving out fish instead of teaching them how to fish'. Rm500 could mean a month's wage to some, or a few days of food expenses to others. A pensioner joked that he actually saw a group who got their money at the local 4-D shop, punting for more windfalls!

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Clannish

2012-01-21T18:13:00.005+08:00

According to the freedictionary.com, 'clannish' is an adjective,
"1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a clan. 2. Inclined to cling together as a group and exclude outsiders."

A niece of mine started a closed group in Facebook for our extended families, starting from my parents. Soon after, a well meaning friend in my FB list posted the following...
While most people would think being clannish is unsuitable in our modern society (refer to the above definition), I can safely say that our efforts are more towards establishing contacts among our extended families so that the young ones know each other as well as know who their elders are.

Some relatives, even siblings, are not in good terms with each other, so any notion of a clan with selfish intentions to keep business and other opportunities within the group could not be further from the truth. It is more a desperate attempt to know who our relatives are, to avoid an embarrassing situation when meeting one, to be told by another, an outsider, that we are actually related!

Sometimes, it is laughable when I read about complaints about nepotism within a political party, when given another situation, a job applicant could actually jeopardize his chance when he mentioned to the prospective boss that he knows his brother or sister! ... Simply because they were arch enemies. By extension, this could happen within a dialect or race, when some people could actually prevent another from being selected on a fair basis without prejudice. In other words, instead of bias towards the applicant, he or she would be prejudiced against. This is often referred to as 'crab mentality' where others within a race would prevent another from achieving greater success.

Anyway, by posting some old pictures, I was encouraged by comments from nephews and nieces who expressed surprise that they had never seen them before! So, their children are likely not to know their grand uncles and grand aunts, not to mention great-great ones! A niece actually photocopied a picture of her parents' wedding and displayed it in her shop!

I was only 4 years old when this pic of my eldest brother's wedding was taken, too young to know.
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It makes sense... at night

2012-01-21T17:47:00.002+08:00

I mean, those black spots on the wall...

Kaunas, Lithuania.
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Things worth knowing by coffee lovers

2012-01-20T12:45:00.002+08:00

Dancing goats
Legend has it... Ethiopian shepherds first noticed the effects of caffeine when they saw their goats appearing to become frisky and 'dance' after eating coffee berries.

Originally, coffee was eaten. African tribes mixed coffee berries with fat which formed edible energy balls!

The rise of Islam contributed greatly to the popularity of coffee. The religion prohibited drinking alcohol, but coffee was considered an acceptable drink.

All coffee in the world grows in the coffee belt (The 'bean belt' is the area between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn). Hawaii is the only state in US that grows coffee...

Still interested in knowing more? ...

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/coffee
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Why there is a need for Sex Discrimination Act...

2012-01-19T23:58:00.003+08:00

Often, matchmaking agencies advertise openly 'free registration for ladies'. This makes commercial sense because they need more ladies to introduce to men who have to pay to register!

Anyway, UK is pretty strict on sex or racial discrimination, with relevant laws like Sex Discrimination Act, 1975 and Race Relations Act, 1976.

As for sex discrimination, soon after it became law in 1975, a cheeky advertisement stated something to the effect: 'Wanted: bricklayers with chest measurement of at least 36 in. and able to work topless in summer'! It was clearly worded to prevent flouting the law, yet able to prefer men only.

Years ago, there was a coloured student who saw a 'Room to let' sign outside a house. When he enquired, he was told by white house owner that it was taken up. He could not believe it and asked a white friend to enquire, and sure enough, he was given details! Under the Race Relations Act, the house owner was guilty of racial discrimination.

Recently, there was a suggestion for a Race Relations Act in Malaysia, and supposedly to be based on the one in UK! How could this be possible, knowing full well how serious the British take race equality, even if it was on paper? Unless and until we are ready to treat every citizen equally, this is virtually impossible. ... Another example of form over substance which our leaders like to conjure to fool foreigners.
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Our own First Lady and First Bloke?

2012-01-19T23:22:00.001+08:00

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It's so easy to fix UK's economy

2012-01-19T09:19:00.002+08:00

Dear Mr. Cameron,

Please find below our suggestion for fixing the UK 's economy.

Instead of giving billions of pounds to banks that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan.

You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:

There are about 10 million people over 50 in the work force.

Pay them £1 million each severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire.
Ten million job openings - unemployment fixed

2) They MUST buy a new British car.
Ten million cars ordered - Car Industry fixed

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage -
Housing Crisis fixed

4) They MUST send their kids to school/college/university -
Crime rate fixed

5) They MUST buy £100 WORTH of alcohol/tobacco a week .....
And there's your money back in duty/tax etc.

It can't get any easier than that!

P.S. If more money is needed, have all members of parliament pay back their falsely claimed expenses and second home allowances.

If you think this would work, please forward to everyone you know.

Also...

Let's put the pensioners in jail and the criminals in a nursing home..

This way the pensioners would have access to showers, hobbies and walks.

They'd receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical treatment, wheel chairs etc and they'd receive money instead of paying it out.

They would have constant video monitoring, so they could be helped instantly, if they fell, or needed assistance.

Bedding would be washed twice a week, and all clothing would be ironed and returned to them.

A guard would check on them every 20 minutes and bring their meals and snacks to their cell.

They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose.

They would have access to a library, weight room, spiritual counselling, pool and education.

Simple clothing, shoes, slippers, PJ's and legal aid would be free, on request.

Private, secure rooms for all, with an exercise outdoor yard, with gardens.

Each senior could have a PC a TV radio and daily phone calls.

There would be a board of directors to hear complaints, and the guards would have a code of conduct that would be strictly adhered to.

The criminals would get cold food, be left all alone and unsupervised. Lights off at 8pm, and showers once a week. Live in a tiny room and pay £600.00 per week and have no hope of ever getting out.

Think about this (more points of contention):

COWS

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Appleby almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the county of Cumbria?

And, they even tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 125,000 illegal immigrants wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also,

Think about this ... If you don't want to forward this for fear of offending someone -- YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM! It is time for us grumpy old folk of Britain to speak up!

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Landed property is still the best investment

2012-01-18T21:40:00.004+08:00

I wish to refer to an article in The Star http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/13/business/10251555&sec=business on the late Tan Sri Lee Yan Lian's lands being put up for sale.

The reserve prices of the 5 pieces of land mentioned totalled a whopping Rm415 million! The fact that Tan Sri died as early as 1983, I presume his estate was maintained for 28 years! In most cases, distributions were done soon after death, and the difference in value would have been substantial indeed!

According to the report, a 7,239-sq-ft land in the prime location of Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur has a reserve price of RM50mil. (Rm6,907 psf!) The land is currently occupied by The Malaysia Hotel; 276,832 sq ft in 4th mile Old Klang Road (near the Pearl International Hotel)has a reserve price of RM90mil. (Rm325 psf); The other three parcels are located in Petaling Jaya: A 265,245-sq-ft plot in Jalan SS23/15 in Taman SEA has a reserve price of RM150mil(Rm565 psf); 82,715 sq ft in Jalan SS2/64, which is currently used as a car park, is going for RM100mil. (Rm1,200 psf); a vacant 84,315-sq-ft land made up of seven plots with old bungalows on two plots in Taman Tan Sri Lee Yan Lian in Section 16 has a reserve price of RM25mil. (Rm296 psf). I have included the price psf in brackets, based on the reserve prices.

I can still remember having attended an interview by Kingsley Yuen (LYL's son-in-law), at Lee Yan Lian Building, on Jalan Tun Perak (Mountbatten Road before) in 1971!

One of LYL's companies, Ban Lee Sdn Bhd, developed Taman Kepong Baru, Dr. Tan Chee Koon's constituency then. A number of my relatives bought shophouses and houses there.

United Garden, off Jalan Kelang Lama, is another of LYL's project. I am sure there are others elsewhere not mentioned.

If I am not mistaken, a part of Section 14, Petaling Jaya, was also developed by LYL. The two-roomed single-storey terrace houses were sold at below Rm10,000! Now, a similar house in its original condition is asking for Rm400,000! I thought Wisma LYL next to Section 14 belongs to them, but was told otherwise.

Anyway, to put in perspective, the properties now available for sale can be described as remnants of LYL's vast property holdings held for housing developments. In terms of value, I think his personal worth (in Ringgit) at the time of his death in 1983 was less than the total value of these remnant pieces offered for sale now! Just to show how much property values had appreciated over 28 years, partly because of inflation. Holding power makes a lot of difference. A generation of holding on to properties could make the rich become super rich!
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A dad's wish... comes true...

2012-01-18T12:41:00.002+08:00

Pinched from Zorro unmasked, who pinched from Ai Luan, who pinched from Pepsico... Louis Koo acted too.

It might make those who are going to miss their reunion dinners because of work or travel... a bit guilty.

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You know you are too old when...

2012-01-18T11:40:00.001+08:00

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Reunion dinner

2012-01-18T09:08:00.002+08:00

Chinese celebrating Chinese New Year will try their best to make it for family reunion dinner on the eve of the Lunar New Year. This year there is no 30th but 29th which falls on Sunday January 22. Many employees try to take leave (if necessary and if possible) to make the whole of the following week off work. Even employers feel it is better to close for additional days knowing full well their business associates and customers or clients are likely to be off.

Anyway, Chinese restaurants are cashing in on reunion dinners. According to a friend who read it in the Star, East Ocean is having 5 sessions of dinners! Just imagine: starting from 5 pm, every hour until 9 pm. This is crazy and for those who had experienced low quality and poor service during such rush hours, they are opting for home dinners instead. It is so much easier to order items like roast pork, roast duck or other special items to supplement dishes which can be cooked at home. The latest commercialism arising out of this is that there are caterers specializing in popular dishes like shark's fins soup or just about any item you wish to be delivered or collected. This is getting popular because most people are put off by the waiting at restaurants, and having to rush through meals because people are waiting for your seats! Not the best way to enjoy reunion dinners. Anyway, home should be the right place for reunion anyway.

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A Christian analogy

2012-01-18T00:43:00.002+08:00

There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town.
One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit.. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak....

"I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright.

I stopped the lad and asked, "What do you have there, son?"

"Just some old birds, "came the reply”.

"What are you going to do with them?" I asked.

"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time."

"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?"

"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."

The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"

"Huh ?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister.

They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!"

"How much?" the pastor asked again.

The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"

The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free. Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story:

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught a world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"

"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.

Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"

"And what will you do when you are done with them?" Jesus asked.
"Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly.

"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those people!!"

"How much? He asked again.

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and your life."

Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price.

The pastor picked up the cage and walked from the pulpit.

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Making sense of our lives

2012-01-18T00:34:00.004+08:00

Wise men say... only fools rush in...

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How an idiot got into Heaven

2012-01-17T16:30:00.001+08:00

Three men: a philosopher, a mathematician and an idiot, were out riding in the car when it crashed into a tree. Before anyone knows it, the three men found themselves standing before the Gates of Heaven, where the Devil was standing nearby.

"Gentlemen," the Devil started, "Due to the fact that Heaven is now overcrowded, it was agreed to limit the number of people entering Heaven. If anyone of you can ask me a question which I don't know or cannot answer, then you're worthy enough to go to Heaven; if not, then you'll come with me to Hell."

The philosopher then stepped up, "OK, give me the most comprehensive report on Socrates' teachings," With a snap of his finger, a stack of paper appeared next to the Devil. The philosopher read it and had to conclude that everything was there. "Then, go to Hell!" With another snap of his finger, the philosopher disappeared.

The mathematician then asked, "Give me the most complicated formula you can ever think of!" With a snap of his finger, another stack of paper appeared. The mathematician read it and reluctantly agreed it was correct. "Then, go to Hell!" With another snap of his finger, the mathematician disappeared too.

The idiot then stepped forward and said, "Bring me a chair!"

The Devil brought forward a chair.

"Drill 7 holes on the seat."

The Devil did just that.

The idiot then sat on the chair and let out a very loud fart. Standing up, he asked, "Which hole did my fart come out from?"

The Devil inspected the seat and said, "The third hole from the right."

"Wrong," said the idiot, "it's from my asshole."

The idiot went to Heaven.

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Another take on NFC

2012-01-16T20:23:00.008+08:00

If not for arrogance and penchant for luxury, NFC could have escaped the radar of the critics.

Instead of buying luxury condominiums in Bangsar and Singapore, the directors should have bought large tracts of land which would serve their primary purpose of breeding cattle. Had they bought land instead, they would have benefited from substantial appreciation in value.

Even with my simple mind, I can think of tracts of land divided into individual farms which could be rented out to individual farmers, on condition that they rear only cattle. Just imagine the image to any outsider who does not bother to check out the real deal. Or...

Instead of the reduced number of cattle from 8,000 to below 6,000 heads, they could have bought more cattle which could have given a favourable impression that they were doing the right thing. For say, Rm30 million, they could have bought 30,000 heads of cattle at Rm1,000 each, or 10,000 at Rm3,000 each, depending on the current price. I bet substantial increase in number would have silenced some critics, after all we are dealing with public perception.

Hypothetically, having a soft loan at 2% pa interest, the directors could have just borrowed from the government and put in FD at a conservative 3% pa, and enjoy a yearly Rm2.5 million in net income without doing anything. If a claim that the loan repayment does not set in until the full Rm250 million has been disbursed was true, then borrowing Rm249 million (just short of 1 million), they could have almost Rm7.5 million yearly! Enough for decent company cars and directors' remuneration. Just to show how ludicrous government aid could be easily abused if not properly monitored. (It has been reported that the loan at 2% pa is repayable over 17 years starting from 2013, after a grace period of 3 years, instead of the above notion 'that the loan repayment does not set in...' It is still a damn good deal by any standard.)

Recent statements by PM and other ministers did not make sense. What people expect from 'assets are frozen' is when bank accounts are frozen and directors effectively suspended from their positions and duties while the company is being run by someone appointed by the government and investigations are being carried out. But according to NFC official, it is 'business as usual' and the only thing frozen is probably the beef!

The NFC case has caught the attention of many people because of its ease at getting a large amount of soft loan at incredibly favourable terms, which was misused to pay overgenerous directors' remuneration, buy luxury car and condominiums. NFC has caused envy among fellow Malaysians. No doubt it is likely to be a liability to BN and a good point to use by PR in the coming general election. If the directors' rationale for buying condominiums is good investments, then everyone of us would like the government to lend us the money to do so.

By the way, the following could be a true story which shows financial returns from investment in property could be so rewarding. Maybe the directors of NFC were wise in this sense, but not when it involved public funds meant for a specific venture...

A Singapore millionaire, LKA, who secretly maintained a mistress in Hong Kong, bought a posh sea view apartment (in his own name) for her to live in, plus gave her a monthly allowance of US$5,000. The house cost him about US$700,000 in 2005. The affair lasted for 5 years.

He sold the house this year for $3.8 million, after they broke up. A quick calculation shows that after 5 years of a fling with the woman, he still had a net gain of $2.8 million plus 5 years of FREE SEX.

When his wife found out about this, he offers the $2.8 million to her. But she was still not happy ..., and she was very mad at him and gave him a big mouthful... She yelled at him at the top of her voice and said... "BLOODY IDIOT, STUPID FOOL" !!! ... Why the hell didn't you keep TWO MISTRESSES !!!!

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'Never the twain shall meet'

2012-01-16T14:12:00.003+08:00

According to Wikipedia:

'The Ballad of East and West' is a poem by Rudyard Kipling. It was first published in 1889, and has been much collected and anthologised since. Its first line is often quoted, sometimes as an example of Kipling's attitudes to race and to the Empire; but those who quote it thus often completely miss the third and fourth lines. It is worth quoting the refrain which opens, and closes, the poem in full:

Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat;
But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,
When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth!

This may be read as saying that 'it is indisputable that geographic points of the compass will never meet in this life, but that when two strong men [or equals] meet, the accidents of birth, whether of nationality, race, or family, do not matter at all - the Asian and the European are equals'.

According to dictionary.reference.com:

'The culture of the West ( Europe and the Americas) will always be very different from that of the East ( Asia). ( Twain means “two.”) This saying is part of the refrain of “The Ballad of East and West,” a poem by Rudyard Kipling.'

As an English literature dropout, I was reminded of the quote when I first saw these two pictures showing meetings of contrasts:

Skagden, Denmark, where Baltic Sea and North Sea meet...

Favelas of Brazil: contrast poverty with wealth...

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How long does it take for certain items to decompose?

2012-01-16T12:18:00.002+08:00

I wish we can involve everyone in efforts to recycle things. I am particularly surprised and disappointed that we do not have people interested in recycling glass, which takes over a million years to decompose!

Think before we leave things to decompose...

Paper Towel - 2-4 weeks

Banana Peel - 3-4 weeks

Paper Bag - 1 month

Newspaper - 1.5 months

Apple Core - 2 months

Cardboard - 2 months

Cotton Glove - 3 months

Orange peels - 6 months

Plywood - 1-3 years

Wool Sock - 1-5 years

Milk Cartons - 5 years

Cigarette Butts - 10-12 years

Leather shoes - 25-40 years

Tinned Steel Can - 50 years

Foamed Plastic Cups - 50 years

Rubber-Boot Sole - 50-80 years

Plastic containers - 50-80 years

Aluminum Can - 200-500 years

Plastic Bottles - 450 years

Disposable Diapers - 550 years

Monofilament Fishing Line - 600 years

Plastic Bags - 200-1000 years

Glass - 1-2 million years
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Obama-Najib tete-a-tete

2012-01-16T09:26:00.002+08:00

author unknown (we have a number of good 'made-up' artists, maybe someone could enlighten me); treat it with a pinch of salt while you have a good laugh; as for its authenticity, only if you believe the President and our PM are on first-name terms...

Obama: Mr PM, I’m still curious … Did you actually plan to call for a snap election on 11-11-11?
Prime Minister: Of course, but I missed it due to unforeseen reason (*sigh*)

Obama: Gee, it must be very important for you to miss it since the date was your lucky number. I wonder what could be so serious.
Prime Minister: It was my fault really ─ I’ve forgotten that 11-11-11 was also another auspicious date for love couples. So Auntie Rosy somehow insisted we must romantically spend some times together. One thing leads to another and you know … by the time I realized it, it was too late to announce it (*grin*).

Obama: So, since you missed the date, does that mean it will be next year?
Prime Minister: Don’t be silly, it’s just some numbers. Besides, there is still 11-12-11, 11-1-12 or even 11-11-12. I can still make a surprise after the UMNO general assembly later, you know. So it could be this year after all. It’s so funny to see how the opposition and my enemies within UMNO keep guessing when I’ll call the snap election.

Obama: Talk about UMNO general assembly, wouldn’t it be too dangerous to let your, you know, your enemies attack you?
Prime Minister: Oh! You meant the 3M team? Worry not, Auntie Rosy already despatched a messenger to the old man that if he wish to see his son becomes future Prime Minister, he better STFU (shut-the-fuck-up) or else Auntie Rosy would personally give some Birkin handbags to Anwar’s wife. So the old fox got the message crystal clear.

Obama: That’s brilliant. But did it goes well with the other team member? You know … your deputy?
Prime Minister: Aha, that fella … Well, what’s the hottest talk-about issue now?

Obama: Well, of course the ”Lam-Boo” (Lembu) … I mean, the CowGate … I mean, the NFC (National Feedlot Corporation) scandal, of course.
Prime Minister: Precisely, you don’t think I delayed the release of the audit report for no apparent reason, do you?

Obama: Jesus Christ, it was you who started the fire, didn’t you? But I don’t get it because I thought that woman would not think twice about licking your yellow pair of boots to get Senatorship.
Prime Minister: Yes, she definitely would do that but she would lick it twice as fast my enemy’s boots too. So I need to send a message, just in case she was thinking about stabbing me at the back. That “Cowboy” would definitely think twice about revolting against me. Hey, I’m very skilful in this area, you know, after the 1987’s Team-A and Team-B fight.

Obama: Of course, I believe I was briefed about that somewhere. So, I supposed this year’s general assembly would be another boring event, huh?
Prime Minister: Nope, it would be the ultimate and final ring to bash the opposition before I call for the general election (*oops*). So, the Chinese will get whacked, the Indian will get whacked, Anwar will get whacked and whatnot. Most importantly I would be able to see my true supporters before I finalise the candidates. Heck, I may even do a cabinet reshuffle right after the general assembly. So I think my pair of yellow boots will get super wet (*proud*).

Obama: No worry Mr PM, I’m sure your boots would get cleaned up every minute. But seriously, are you ready for a snap election? What about the Chinese votes?
Prime Minister: Fuck the Chinese ─ majority of them are already with DAP but fortunately there’re still many stupid Chinese who actually bought the idea of 1Malaysia. I was surprised to see the power of Facebook and Twitter. Believe it or not, a huge number of young Chinese actually like me especially my 1Malaysia scam as if I was serious about it. Gosh, I just like my country ─ there’re fools everywhere, you know. So unlike 2008 general election, I have bigger slice of Chinese votes with me now.

Obama: And the Indians?
Prime Minister: Aha, the Indian, they have been divided for good ever since those HIndraf troublemakers were put into ISA, brainwashed, threatened and released thereafter. Seriously I was wrong when I thought the Iban and Kadazan in Sarawak were the stupidest. At least they exchanged their votes for cold-cash. But the Indian, you just need to promise them peanuts and they would come hugging and crying to you as if you’re Mahatma Gandhi. Their votes are ours, bro.

Obama: How about the Malays then?
Prime Minister: Hahaha, this people are the easiest meat of all. Remember how Mahathir tricked that old senile Nik Aziz into the “Hudud” trap? One thing you’ve to learn is how to play the Malay’s sentiment and emotion. Religion is the short-cut to get their votes, as simple as that.

Obama: Very interesting, Mr PM. But that Anwar keeps on drumming about corruptions everywhere he goes, even to the toilet cleaning lady. Aren’t you worried?
Prime Minister: Of course not, silly. You see, Malays are least disturbed about corruption otherwise they would have kicked that old good-for-nothing Mahathir long time ago already. Most of them consider corruption as “Rezeki”, just like luck or jackpot, you know, like those slot machines people keep on pulling that you see in the casinos.

Obama: Oh yes, I played that before but I hate it because I lost my 100 bucks super fast. So, what’s the best way to swing the Malays votes, besides playing the religion cards since the racial cards doesn’t work anymore now?
Prime Minister: Well, SEX, of course ─ that’s why I won’t be sending Anwar behind bars anytime soon, because I still need to slap him with more sex allegations, if required, to keep the dance going. Hmm, thinking of sex, I consider myself lucky not to be caught with my pants down like that Chua Soi Lek, during my Port Dickson trip some years ago. I would be dead meat if there’re video recordings of me doing that “naughty things”, you know what I mean?

Obama: This is awesome. But how do you address the issue of escalating cost of living? You gotta solve Malays’ bread and butter problem, don’t you?
Prime Minister: That’s easy, my CREAM, I mean KR1M (Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia) works like a charm. Just get that Mydin fella to push some leftover, I mean low-quality products at extremely cheap price and they would be treating me like a God ─ bunch of fools, aren’t they?

Obama: Impressive Mr PM!!! Oh, one more thing (*act like Steve Jobs*). What if the opposition does win the next general election with simple majority?
Prime Minister: That won’t happen, Obama, because we’ve put in place hundreds of thousands of “friendly new voters” after the illegal workers registration, just like the Project-M in Sabah. We’ve police, army, election commission, judges, rulers and whatnot behind us. We can’t possibly lose the general election. Even if we lose by simple majority, we’ll buy them back within hours after the result. There’re still many political prostitutes within opposition camp, you know, like that Hee-Apa-Nama?

Obama: (*laugh*) … Yeah, heard about that frog. But what if there’re not enough frogs to switch to your sides? That would be disastrous, won’t it?
Prime Minister: Hmm, we’ll drag our feat on the official election results and create smokescreens and diversions. We’ll get the King to proclaim us as the winner anyway.

Obama: My goodness, that would make many people furious and they may take to the street. So … (*was interrupted*)
Prime Minister: Aha, that’s where my new (*proud*) “Peaceful Assembly Bill” comes into play. I was so proud of my latest strategy that I couldn’t sleep for two nights. Even Mahathir was so proud of me he kept calling me to congratulate me. I can’t possibly think of how the people can demonstrate when the proposed Act bans street demonstrations while prohibiting public gatherings in petrol stations, hospitals, fire stations, airports, railways, land public transport terminals, ports, canals, docks, bridges, places of worship, kindergartens, schools, dams and reservoirs.
Furthermore, with the 30 days notice required prior to the assembly, the police would have more than enough time to comb every rat’s hole and arrest the organisers, so another Bersih-like protest cannot possibly happen. And … blah blah blah

Obama: (*yawn yawn*) … that’s a genius plan, Mr PM. But what if the people uprising do happen because of such suppression? You know, the one like the Middle East …
Prime Minister: Stop being ridiculous. We’re not like the Middle East and that means the Malaysian people are still very naive about true demonstration. Simply put, Malaysians people are still very naive about true demonstration. Malaysians do not have the stamina for massive and days of protests. They can only stand for a couple of hours. After that they would need to go back for their dinner and watch their Akademi Fantasia. They’re too pampered to miss their TV or Astro shows or mamak’s session to sleep on the streets.

Obama: (*speechless and impressed with the Prime Minister’s intelligence*)

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My choice of household tips...

2012-01-16T08:50:00.007+08:00

from a list forwarded by a friend, based on my personal experience:

Using bread tags as cord labels...

Way to fold fitted bedsheet...

Putting each bed linen inside its own pillow case...

Using a stocking to cover vacuum hose when looking for tiny items like screw or earring...

Using a velcro strip to hang soft toys...

Using hotel shower cap to hold shoes before putting in bag...

Last, but not least, using gutters for planting vegetables (as a subtle hint to my neighbour)...

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Different takes on MCA

2012-01-16T02:17:00.002+08:00

While MCA believes they can oust Guan Eng from Bagan...

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/mca-believes-can-oust-guan-eng-from-bagan/

I happened to joke recently about MCA, that it should get itself listed on Bursa Saham Malaysia, as a last resort. MCA has always been described as a 'Towkay' political party because of some Chinese successes in business as a result of political connections. However, it is increasingly seen as losing its relevance as a race-based party, just like Umno and MIC. But over the years, MCA has become financially strong, despite some setbacks when Multi-Purpose Holdings faced financial problems and needed some big names like Lee Loy Seng and Robert Kuok to provide confidence. Now MCA's assets, like The Star for instance, must be worth billions. Recently, following Najib's example, MCA on its own has been distributing Rm100 to senior members. Some claimed, even new senior members could apply to be members and get the Rm100! In other words, getting paid to be members. Well, just in case the GE 13 spells doom for the party politically, there is always the option to go public on our stock exchange! Alternatively, liquidation and distribution to members could mean a one-time windfall to them. Could this be an investment opportunity for new members?

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Efficient Chinese way

2012-01-15T20:14:00.002+08:00

"I have 3 demands or I'll kill the boy..."

Negotiators assess the situation from next door...

Head Negotiator In Position ...

Negotiations begin...

and Negotiations concluded!

The cost of the bullet £0.25.

As a comparison with UK's humanitarian way:

In the UK they would shut the street down for 48 hours;
Take 48 hours to talk him out of it;
Spend £5 million giving him a fair trial; and
Pay his food and lodging for life AND give him a vote!

At the end of his sentence, if a foreigner, he is likely to be given an air ticket plus allowance as part of deportation procedure! No wonder UK is in dire straits.
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Confession of an elderly Italian man

2012-01-15T18:38:00.003+08:00

An elderly Italian man who lived on the outskirts of Naples, Italy, went to the local church for confession.

When the priest slid open the panel in the confessional, the man said:
"Father, during World War II, a beautiful Jewish woman from our neighborhood knocked urgently on my door and asked me to hide her from the Nazis. So I hid her in my attic."

The priest replied: "That was a wonderful thing you did my son, and you have no need to confess that."

"There is more to tell, Father. She started to repay me with sexual favors. This happened several times a week, and sometimes twice on Sundays."

The priest said, "That was a long time ago, and by doing what you did, you placed the two of you in great danger, but two people under those circumstances can easily succumb to the weakness of the flesh. However, if you are truly sorry for your actions, you are indeed forgiven."

"Thank you, Father. That's a great load off my mind. I do have one more question."

"And what is that?" asked the priest.

"Should I tell her the war is over?''
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Now everyone can invest...

2012-01-14T08:56:00.002+08:00

even if you do not have money, you can borrow to invest, mah. So says magician Najib. Not only crony NFC can do that, everyone can! Malaysia Boleh!

I think students will get more confused with 'borrow' and 'lend'. Very often, I hear people say, 'Can you borrow me some money?' The easy way to remember is 'borrow from' and 'lend to'.

Anyway, I was 'inspired' by Anil Netto's explanation of Najib's scheme http://anilnetto.com/economy/malaysian-financebusiness/najibs-new-investment-scheme-32-return/

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White metallic, ok?

2012-01-14T08:38:00.002+08:00

A blogsite posted this bunting which has pics of PM and MB of Perak, with an untouched pic of the latter as comparison. What seems obvious was the fairer complexion of Zambry, and the questions asked, 'Who dunnit? and Why?'
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This bogeyman is real... and really interested...

2012-01-13T18:22:00.002+08:00

According to Wikipedia: 'A bogeyman (also spelled bogieman, boogeyman or boogieman) is an amorphous imaginary being used by adults to frighten children into compliant behaviour.'

I can still remember my sister-in-law used tell her little children who would not listen, that 'Ahnehneh will come to take him or her away'.

A man was riding a bus, minding his own business, when the gorgeous woman next to him started to breastfeed her baby.

The baby wouldn't take it, so she said, "Come on, eat it all up or ... I'll have to give it to this nice man here."

Five minutes later, the baby was still not feeding, so she said, "Come on, honey. Take it or I'll give it to this nice man here."

A few minutes later, the anxious man blurted out, "Come on, kid. Make up your mind!
I was supposed to get off four stops ago!"

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How a powerful vacuum cleaner can help your photo shoot...

2012-01-13T12:05:00.000+08:00

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What we can learn from Barefoot College ...more substance instead of form...

2012-01-13T09:12:00.002+08:00

In Rajasthan, India, an extraordinary school teaches rural women and men -- many of them illiterate -- to become solar engineers, artisans, dentists and doctors in their own villages. It's called the Barefoot College, and its founder, Bunker Roy, explains how it works. ..

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901: Even Justice Bao was there!

2012-01-13T00:26:00.001+08:00

Divine intervention?
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What I bought from Amcorp Mall flea market

2012-01-12T15:32:00.002+08:00

A well used antique Chinese nest of tables. It was MY decision, against my better half's opinion that they were made of chipboard. In fact they were made of solid wood but having signs of chipped off paint and lacquer.
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Call me Petty if you like...

2012-01-12T14:36:00.003+08:00

but in my humble opinion, the best way to judge a character is to look out for the little gestures which escape most people's attention. It is easy for anyone who wishes to please another to think in terms of gifts or anything which would interest the other, and preferably when others are looking. But sincerity in action is likely to be found when no one is looking. Just like the saying, 'A true friend is someone who says nice things behind your back', sincerity in action takes the form of looking after another's little needs without being asked.

Do not underestimate the effects of small items in a big bill. Once, a successful accountant actually queried the waiter about some small additions to a bill. It turned out those were charges for chili and other sauces! That costed the restaurant his future custom. More recently, a retiree said he would not patronize his so-called friend's restaurant because his wife refused to sell him Rm1 worth of rice to go with what he had bought elsewhere! Other more common instances are unsmiling or even rude workers, and attitude of boss and staff which give the impression we should be grateful to them instead!

In fact, I have always noticed the magnanimity of successful business people who tend to waive little charges, or at least round down to the nearest Ringgit, which is much appreciated by customers for what little they are actually worth. Then there are those who shy away from restaurants which charge +10%+ 5% for service and sales tax, and often these are places where tips are expected too! Don't underestimate those small percentages, they could have discouraged some would be customers given the choice.

I had a bad experience when I had my car overhauled many years ago. I was actually reminded that they would replace all hoses as routine. Yet, soon after, when in KL, my friend in my car noticed a strong petrol smell. On my way back to BG, just after the Kepong roundabout near Taman Wahyu, I noticed the fuel guage dropping visibly! I stopped the car and asked my brother for help in buying me a petrol hose (costed less than Rm5) to replace a leaking one. My impression was that the workshop people were interested in more costly hoses and neglected the cheap one. Further, the morning after I took back the car from overhaul, the engine was running worse than before! As it turned out, it was due to the cold start valve which the person in charge got the nerve to replace with a second hand one which he happened to have, and which I was sure it was mine in the first place! My earlier bill for overhaul was more than Rm4,000, so the once reputed workshop's integrity nosedived as far as I was concerned.

More recently, my neighbour who lives in a so-called Villa and has a so-called Wisma, encroached on public land in front of our house for vegetable plot. Whatever pride he has for what he owns, in my book, he is shameless in this small action.

Politically, when I read about KJ's accumulated traffic fines exceeding Rm5,000, I had a bad impression of him when he was the famous Son-in-law. Didn't that smack of arrogance and the 'above the law' attitude typical of those in power?
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HSBC CNY advert in UK

2012-01-11T23:54:00.003+08:00

The cast...

The actual advertisement...

Wouldn't you be disappointed if your part filmed earlier wasn't shown? But that was expected in any film making.

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What I have learned in a couple of days

2012-01-11T23:00:00.002+08:00

That I had a problem when looking at Q-signs and going to the right counter. Thinking back, I got it wrong once at Hong Leong Bank, confusing a Q number with the counter number. More recently, I saw counter 3 and assumed counter 4 to be the one on the right, but both the Post office and BSN named their counters from the right!

That my daughter looked forward to us receiving her at the airport, despite her fairly frequent use of airport taxis at company's expense. She was actually disappointed when her mother did not turn up with me as she expected this time!

That I am finding it wasteful eating at expensive restaurants, especially in the company of family members and close relatives when there was no need to. Perhaps, I am too used to cheap and good food in Perak! I felt this when a sister-in-law treated us to lunch recently at Canton Fare in Solaris; and last night, when my son decided to have dinner at Vietnam Kitchen at Jaya 33 when it was pouring and it was to save us from getting wet! I decided to cancel a lunch date with friends, partly because of that. I wasn't the one paying, in case anyone reading this think I felt the pinch.

That the problem with the occasional auto-gate breakdowns was due to a faulty receiver because water seepage caused a part of the circuit-board to short-circuit. The signs were first noted months ago when button 1 could not be used and only button 2 used for opening and closing. Then the remote control could not operate after a heavy downpour, but the switch in the house could. Then even the switch could just open and close only a couple of feet in distance! The remote controls could operate the next morning, presumably when the circuit board was completely dry! For those interested in knowing, cost of replacing a receiver was Rm280, and cost of replacing a broken plastic cover for the motor was Rm80. I had a bad experience with the original installer. He came and took away our so-called faulty motor and wanted at least Rm700 to repair it. He did not return the motor! I had a new motor installed for Rm900. Can I be blamed for suspecting he made it a 'win-win' situation for himself?

That the LRT uses a plastic chip as a cheap alternative to the card as ticket. I had to ask a fellow traveller how to use the coin to get in, and wondered how when I wanted to get out. Walking towards the exit, I had enough common sense to see a sign for chip to be dropped in to open the turnstile!

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Man-made Tsunami...

2012-01-10T09:17:00.002+08:00

if you can afford it...

"Last week, we brought you the story of Elin Nordegren's curious-at-the-time decision to knock down a $12 million mansion. It seemed, at first glance, a rather conspicuous display of wealth -- I've got so much money I can demolish a mansion and build a new one! A divorce from Tiger Woods, it seemed, was the gift that kept on giving.

Well, turns out that there was a pretty good reason for razing the North Palm Beach, Fla., estate: termites. A report in People magazine indicated that the 1920s-era mansion fell short of current hurricane safety codes, and combined with a termite infestation, that was enough to warrant blasting it down to the sand...."

The full story:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/golf-devil-ball-golf/why-did-tiger-woods-ex-wife-level-12-171330450.html
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Nailing someone...

2012-01-10T09:07:00.001+08:00

harmlessly, literally and figuratively...

Imagine the thousands of nails needed to come up with this picture!
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Enforcement of parking rules felt in Batu Gajah Perdana

2012-01-09T22:47:00.003+08:00

As a frequent visitor for breakfast in this housing estate called Batu Gajah Perdana (along the Ipoh-Lumut highway), I find the parking spaces provided on the side of the road away from the shops rather than in front, unfriendly to motorists. It is obvious as daylight, especially in the morning, that motorists would prefer to park their cars in the shade rather than under the direct sunlight. But the planners did not foresee this, so the recent enforcement of parking rules caught many, who were used to the previous lackadaisical attitude of the enforcers, by surprise. The fines range from Rm100 to Rm300! What an expensive breakfast for the unlucky ones! A couple (both retired teachers), got a ticket from a traffic policeman when the wife got out of the car to buy packet lunch and instead of waiting in the car, the husband got down as well, thinking it would take only a few minutes! I can vouch that he used to park properly when we had our breakfast together. But he was plain unlucky during the few minutes.

I do not condone those who simply park their cars, especially to be as near as possible to the shop they patronize, but I would suggest to the local authority to redraw the parking lots in front of the shops instead of across the road. The present parking lots are not only disliked by motorists because of the hot sun, but when it rains, it is further away from the shops too. With increasing traffic volume, crossing the road can be hazardous too. It is so simple to make this possible and ensure more people happy.

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Anwar's case: Malaysiakini provides live reports since 4.15 am

2012-01-09T08:31:00.005+08:00

Update: And the Verdict? Anwar NOT guilty! This judgment disproved many who expected a guilty verdict despite the prosecution's flimsy arguments. Karpal Singh got it right. This must be the best news for Anwar, his immediate family, PKR, Pakatan Rakyat, his lawyers and the people in general. It is significant because there is still some good sense, good judgment and hope for the future. The next GE will see a direct competition between Najib and Anwar for PM post.

For those interested in following what is happening outside the Duta court complex...

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/186052

This should give us a hint at the crowd expected:

6.35am: Total count of police vehicles inside court areas:

21 police trucks
1 water cannon truck
33 vans
1 mobile command post
3 buses full of police
4 Light Strike Force Landrovers

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1983 BMW 728i vs SAAB 900

2012-01-08T18:04:00.003+08:00

I have an old 1983 728i which was kept for the purpose of applying for classic status reduced road tax, but could not meet the requirement of owning two other cars in my own name. Presumably the condition is to prevent abuse of having a 'luxury' (as in high capacity engined car) at reduced road tax for daily use. But, let's face it, would you use an old Beemer for high mileage use? Never mind the fact that most people have other cars (not necessarily under their names, eg. Company car or son's car) for more dependable use.

Anyway, I asked a workshop operator for his opinion as to whether it is worthwhile for me to do up my car and continue paying Rm1,600 in road tax or to change to a smaller capacity engine to save road tax in the long run. People have to be mindful of the fact that I am 61, so the long run bit has to be reasonable, like 5 years. Well, that was the time frame which he used to convince me to do up my car instead of changing the engine. I am also conscious of the fact that he could be bias, being a spare parts supplier to the workshop. He said that to change the engine would cost Rm11,000. He estimated a worst case scenario of my repair costs plus a year's road tax at Rm5,000, which means repairs costing Rm3,400. For Rm11,000 (cost of change of engine), I could use the car for 5 years at the present road tax (Rm3,400 + Rm8,000).

By shelving the car for a number of years, it was my way of getting back at the government for penalizing owners of high capacity cars regardless of age of car, on the presumption that they are rich enough. Nothing could be further from the truth. Then, it was the irrelevant condition which requires me to own two other cars in my name. My savings over the last few years meant government's loss of revenue, though I know our government could not be bothered about such meagre sums. But cutting loss means peace of mind, which is more important to me.

Anyway, I was offered a same age SAAB 900 for Rm5,000 and the road tax is only Rm312 per year! Honestly, I was and still am tempted by the option. Just imagine having a car ready for use (it needs re-starting because it was unused since April 2010, inspection by Puspakom, and transfer) and not having to fret over high road tax! The widow of the owner said the roadholding is as good as her Jaguar! I believe SAAB is more collectible than the BMW (especially when the manufacturer might even close shop which would make it even more so). As it is, it is relatively more troublesome when it comes to spare parts.

I did a search and was encouraged by this report on Youtube:

Old Top Gear SAAB 900
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JhdHxrKg9g

My main problem is space. It has to be either or. If not for space, I would still keep the BMW (without repairs) and buy the SAAB!

Update: If you think my idea is silly, read this...

"A wife flew into a fury when her husband went to buy a car she had set her heart on — and bought an old MiG fighter jet instead.

Madcap Mustafa Aziz blew the £6,995 the couple had saved up for the used Porsche on a rusting Iraqi aircraft.

The plane-mad hubby, 45 — a collector of aircraft memorabilia — then had to tell his missus Mamu, 32, the Czech-built jet was kaput and will never even fly. He confessed yesterday: "She wasn't a happy bunny and called me a crackpot." But he added: "Thankfully she is an understanding woman." ...

Man goes out to buy car, returns with jet plane

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=26082:man-goes-out-to-buy-car-returns-with-jet-plane&Itemid=4
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901: Expect traffic gridlock in KL...

2012-01-08T08:56:00.002+08:00

but if it is any consolation, this is part of the longest traffic jam in China which spans 260 km!

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Buford, with population of only one person?

2012-01-07T21:35:00.004+08:00

Could this be true? If so, it could only happen in USA.

A modern hermit's paradise... no problems with recalcitrant encroaching neighbours!
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Nathaniel Tan refutes RPK's allegations against PKR

2012-01-07T15:58:00.005+08:00

Excerpt:

From past observation, I think my conclusion is: the people with the most credibility are the ones who never change sides.

In second place are the ones who change sides only once. Anyone who changes more than that is basically a joke. ...

People tend to be unforgiving of flip-flops and people who fail to stay the course. ...

After all, one cannot credibly implicate a man in a brutal murder one day and the next happily offer him advice on how to reform his party.

The simple test is to see whether someone changes their positions based on principle, or based on expediency – the latter of which comes in many forms: money, power, and perhaps most underrated of all, ego. The former demonstrates itself through consistency, objectivity and genuine independence. ...

By my reckoning though, the motivations of his most recent comments seem at best to be fueled by the ego of a man who believes he is always right, a man who likes to be seen as someone who says whatever he damn well pleases, whenever he damn well pleases.

Now, I’m all for weeding out corruption, especially in Pakatan held states. But for corruption to be weeded out, first it has to be true :P

I can’t comment much right now on this Johan Taharin matter, as I have never heard of him. I’m not sure what use being Azmin Ali’s brother in law would be though, since Azmin holds no official posts within the Selangor state government structure. Those familiar with PKR politics would probably also doubt his ability to exert undue influence over the current Menteri Besar. If the following accusations are anything to go by, let’s just say it gives plenty of reason to doubt the credibility of the first one.

Let’s start with Derek – not Derrick – Fernandez, who wrote in an SMS, quoted verbatim:

Sallam, raja petra has written in his web site today that i get legal work from mbpj in article on his blog. The statement is a lie and false. Neither I nor my firm have ever done any legal work for mbpj . This can be verified with the mayor or en mutallib the director of the legal department in mbpj. My firm has never ever been on the panel of mbpj. An examination of the list of laywers on the panel will confirm this . Furthermore the is no such firm as derrick fernandez and co . My name is also wrongly spelt. This guy must have his facts wrong . i dont know whats his grouse .frm Derek fernandez ,Cc datuk bandar, mutalib

As for Suren:

“Raja Petra Kamarudin in making that allegation is an absolute and utter liar,” he told reporters at PKR headquarters. “I have never received any kind of legal work from the PJ City Council or Selangor government, or any government department.

“In fact, since I took up public activism in 1998, I have never received a single sen for any kind of legal work, political work or activist work that I’ve done in 13 years.”

“It’s very indicative of the kind of person Raja Petra is that he’s capable of repeating these kinds of complete lies in a public manner,” Surendran said.

Referring to one of the blogger’s allegations, he said he did not receive an “intercontinental car” after becoming a PKR vice-president, but had bought one with his own money before he entered public activism.

As for Daim & Gamany?

This firm helped me out a bit after my arrest in 2007. If I recall correctly, I went to their office then, which was quite stylish (and not, to my recollection, anywhere near the Masjid India area). I’ve also recently seen where they’ve moved to currently – which RPK rightly pointed out, is not too far from MBPJ, and is very close to my favourite chicken rice shop (Satellite) on Jalan Gasing.

This is what it looks like:
Swanky?

http://jelas.info/2012/01/07/rpks-accusations-of-selangor-corruption-proven-to-be-bunk/

Update: Zaid described Nat as an effete snob, a pompous writer... and started a classy debate...

http://jelas.info/2012/01/08/an-unimportant-reply-by-an-effete-snob/

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Cutest family picture

2012-01-07T12:37:00.000+08:00

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How Woman discovered shopping

2012-01-07T12:27:00.003+08:00

The man discovered COLORS and invented PAINT;

the woman discovered PAINT and invented MAKEUP.

The man discovered the WORD and invented CONVERSATION;

the woman discovered CONVERSATION and invented GOSSIP.

The man discovered AGRICULTURE and invented FOOD;

The woman discovered FOOD and invented DIET.

The man discovered FRIENDSHIP and invented LOVE;

The woman discovered LOVE and invented LOVE TRIANGLES.

The man discovered TRADING and invented MONEY;

the woman discovered MONEY and invented SHOPPING.

Thereafter man has discovered and invented a lot of things...

but the woman are still BUSY in ....... shopping

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Not for those with acrophobia

2012-01-07T02:07:00.005+08:00

Balcony of floor 103 in Chicago...

Viewed from the outside...

View from Burj Kalifa, Dubai...

The view down...

Not for someone like me.
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Last year's award-winning environmental photo

2012-01-07T01:50:00.003+08:00

By CARL STROUD Published: 27 Oct 2011

CLUTCHING each other close, these two brothers cling to the very edge of survival on the fringes of a filthy rubbish dump.

This stark image, taken in Kathmandu, Nepal, has come top in the Environmental Photographer Of The Year competition.

Wearing just a filthy jumper the youngest lad seeks a moment's respite from his dismal surroundings in the arms of his elder sibling.

The pair – unwashed and caked in grime – are forced to scour the stinking site day-in day-out to unearth anything they can resell for money.

It's a dreadful existence barely comprehensible to most in the Western World. And one that touched Hong Kong-based photographer Chan Kwok Hung deeply. He said: ""The photo was taken in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal and is of two children who lived nearby to the junkyard with their grandmother. Every day they searched the junkyard for something useful that they can resell for money so they can buy food. If they don't find anything their grandmother blamed them seriously."

The snapper come top in the competition which received 10,000 entries from 105 nations. And he's hopeful it can make a difference. “I'm so proud that I am the winner of the Environmental Photographer of the Year Competition,” he said. "This award is very important and meaningful to me because I can share my photo to the world."

The judges heaped praise on Chan for the way he depicted the effect on humans environmental damage causes. "This is a very graphic image that captures the human impact of homelessness," said judge and Chairman of the UK Environmental Agency, Lord Smith.
Elsewhere among the winning, runner-up and highly commended entries include further frames that show the stark reality the impact industry has on the environment.
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New Year Joke

2012-01-05T14:09:00.002+08:00

2 local jokers joined Umno! Thanks to Hussein Hamid, the following laugh seems to suit the occasion!

Of the two, Afdlin is the more famous one...

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=25719:after-doing-rosmah-afdlin-joins-umno&Itemid=2

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The Bulgarian connection

2012-01-05T10:04:00.002+08:00

A recent picture of Mariya and Sasho, on our way to Penang by ferry.

Cheng's recent holiday in Malaysia was hectic: ex-collegemates' wedding; taking her Bulgarian friends round in West Malaysia; then to Mulu caves in Sarawak; then back in KL to usher in the new year with some collegemates. One of the hosts for the event welcomed the Bulgarians to join because his father happens to be Honorary Consul to Bulgaria! What a small world.

Mariya works for International Organization for Migration in Brussels while Sasho works for their Bulgarian Finance Ministry.
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My take on Raja Petra's U-turn

2012-01-03T21:35:00.004+08:00

Bloggers: PR 2 BN 1

Just when DAP roped in Sakmongkol and Aspan Alias http://uppercaise.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/sakmongkol-aspan-to-join-dap/#comments , Raja Petra turned his loose canon on Anwar!

My comment in Uppercaise on 'Sakmongkol and Aspan to join DAP'

“This is definitely excellent news for Pakatan, DAP in particular. I am a fan of Sakmongkol’s objective articles which I came across from time to time, and wondered how Umno could have someone who could write so freely. It is one thing to be objective, willing to write why ‘Malays should not fear the DAP’, but definitely bold to be able to join the party. DAP sure need many more outstanding and credible Malays to project a more multi-racial image. The few Malay leaders in DAP will definitely be coveted and given chance to stand for elections and be given appropriate positions in state or even federal government! “

Personally, I am more disappointed than shocked over Raja Petra's U-turn. Many fans of Raja Petra are wondering what happened? What could have caused such a major reversal of opinion and support for Anwar? While many assumed Najib had transformed Raja Petra with his usual magic aka as price (everyone is assumed to have a price), I am of the opinion that it had more to do with RPK's son who was in police custody and rumoured to be tortured and that he had even attempted suicide. Some people could withstand personal pain and hunger strike which RPK had endured during his time in detention, but having a son who was in police custody and himself outside the country as a fugitive must have been tortuous not only for himself, but also his wife, Marina.

Nobody would deny Raja Petra had contributed much to the opposition's unprecedented victory in the last GE. Dr. Kua Kia Soong's article Looking for the good in Raja Petra in Malaysiakini http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/185536 spoke well of his contribution:

'I lauded his efforts to expose the illegitimate institutions of the Malaysian state: “RPK has gone beyond the sociological theses about the shared interests of the ruling elite - he has literally stripped bare the integuments of the Malaysian state; exposed the machinations of the police and the shameful harassment of whistleblowers.

“He has posed questions surrounding the unsolved murder of Altantuya that all justice-loving Malaysians want answered.” …

While Raja Petra thinks Anwar is no longer relevant, many now question his own relevance. His past exposes of BN's corruption, his 'no holds barred' and sometimes candid way of questioning sensitive issues on certain unfair implementation of Malay rights and privileges; unIslamic practices like corruption which seemed to be acceptable; and so on, matters which many non-Malays wish to but dared not touch on, were well received and many adulated him as the most influential blogger in Malaysia.

Many people think, 'Why now?' Especially, so near the expected general election. I am afraid, his revised opinion on Anwar is not going to have much effect this time round. He was interviewed by the mainstream media (against his own previous advice) just before the Sarawak state election, and that had already damaged his reputation as someone who would stood his ground since he had been right most times in his assessment of the political situation. He had proven to be not as infallible as what others perceive him to be. His meeting with Najib in Melbourne had already raised people's suspicions. His explosive U-turn in turning against Anwar in particular and Pakatan Rakyat in general is therefore not totally unexpected, though still shocking.

As far as Anwar is concerned, many people would still support him because he had been jailed for a number of years for a relatively minor offence (compared with more serious crimes committed by people protected by the powers that be); Sodomy II is perceived as persecution this time round; the relentless harassment against him by the authorities (presumably with instructions from the leaders) had led people to question whether this implies all BN leaders are without sins; and so on. People are now even saying, 'So what if Anwar is gay?' The voters are likely to be sympathetic to Anwar if the judge reached a verdict against him. This time round, Raja Petra has lost his credibility simply because the timing sucks and maybe he had been too convincing before that he could not simply undo his previous strong influence! I believe the voters have already made up their mind how they will vote in the coming GE.

Update on Jan 4: I wish to add with an improvised Margaret Thatcher quote: 'Raja Petra, you turn if you want, the people are not for turning!' The situation now is beyond Raja Petra and Anwar. If PM thinks Raja Petra's statements could change things, he would be disappointed.

Just read the following article in financetwitter.com via Malaysia Today which has more interesting reasons (with pics) on why Raja Petra switched sides...

http://www.financetwitter.com/2012/01/ok-rpk-switch-sides-but-why-are-everyone-surprise.html
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Ugly start to a new year...

2012-01-02T08:54:00.002+08:00

Confrontation between Police and Students at UPSI (Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris) in Tanjong Malim...

UPSI is where new hero Adam Adli (of disrespect to PM Najib's fame) studies and likely to be kicked out.

One of the statements made by a student with a megaphone was something to the effect that 'the police should not treat us as criminals, the real criminals are out there'.

I wonder, had the police been less confrontational and let them demonstrate to their hearts' content, wouldn't that be better for the image of the police and the government?

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Signs of our times...

2012-01-01T20:55:00.004+08:00

For the 1st time in their 3 year marriage, a wife asked her husband if he would mind making the next day's lunches for them both. Obligingly he agrees.
The next morning, the young wife asks her loving husband, 'Did you make our lunches, honey?'
He replied, 'Yeah babe, they're on the second shelf of the fridge. Mine's on the left, yours is on the right.'

I think a successful career woman would have done the same to her poor husband.

Copying during exam...

So who's done it?
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Resolutions for 2012

2012-01-01T19:09:00.004+08:00

Go for it...
Be happy...

Apologize if necessary...

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Free and fair media coverage a prerequisite in electoral reform

2012-01-01T09:32:00.004+08:00

Just to show how an average person has been affected by our biased mainstream media. A few days ago, an MCA life member who is a retired civil servant and unexposed to internet news, challenged a fellow retiree to bet on the coming general elections. He thinks not in terms of who wins overall but in terms of just the existing 4 states ruled by Pakatan. He bet that Pakatan will lose Kedah, Selangor and Kelantan and retain Penang only! All because of the current so-called in-fighting highlighted in the msm on the Karpal-Ramasamy spat in Penang and the Kula-Nga spat in Perak. The reason for his optimism for Barisan seems to be because of what were highlighted by msm: all good news of BN and all bad news of PR. He was unexposed to the infighting within Umno and the mega corruption cases which were highlighted in the internet news portals.

Excerpt from Kim Quek's Electoral reform a farce without free and fair media coverage in CPI:

"The call by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for free and fair media coverage on the imminent polls strikes at the core of what have made Malaysian elections a mockery of democracy.

A shackled and unfair media is one of the fundamental flaws because electoral democracy is a game of perception. And perception is shaped by the media.

Hence, an electoral contest with one contestant monopolizing the media to the exclusion of his adversary is akin to a debating competition where one debater is using a microphone to speak to the audience while the other is without.

And the Malaysian media is notorious for its biased reporting, as Barisan Nasional (BN) has never been shy of exploiting it to the fullest. The ruling coalition’s iron-grip on the entire spectrum of the local mass media (save the Internet) is used to advance its political fortune.

Such complete control is made possible through a combination of repressive legislation and media ownership as the BN government possesses the arbitrary power to grant or terminate any media license (print or electronic) and all such media are owned either by the BN component parties or their allies.

Public TV and radio, which are legally bound to be politically neutral, have long been corrupted by BN to serve its parochial political interests – a practice that has emphatically breached our Constitution..."

http://english.cpiasia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2287:electoral-reform-a-farce-without-free-and-fair-media-coverage&catid=178:yong-thye-chong&Itemid=193

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Year-end Humour from Traffic Cops in the US

2011-12-31T12:23:00.002+08:00

US cops have a way with words! These are actual comments made by South Carolina troopers that were taken off their car videos:

when dealing with those with poor memory:
"You don't know how fast you were going? I guess that means I can write anything I want to on the ticket, huh?"

when dealing with name-droppers:
"I'm glad to hear that the chief (of Police) is a personal friend of yours. So you know someone who can post your bail."

when dealing with those with superior complex:
"Yes, sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I'm the shift supervisor?"

when dealing with those who believe in quotas:
"Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven."

or...

“No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to, but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we can."

AND THE WINNER IS....

when dealing with conceited women:
"You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign here."

(edited from text forwarded by Bayi. Thanks.)
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Careful where you stick them prices...

2011-12-31T01:46:00.004+08:00

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A typical Android user: nerdy but with girlfriends

2011-12-30T09:17:00.003+08:00

Ever wondered what the typical Android user looks like? There’s no doubt we have our stereotypes for followers of specific operating systems, and Android is no exception. The guys from BlueStacks have just compiled information from Nielsen and a Facebook poll they conducted. The result is Mr. Android 2011.

More:
http://androidandme.com/2011/12/news/the-typical-android-user-is-a-nerd-in-t-shirt-and-jeans-but-at-least-we-have-girlfriends/

And I am not one yet.
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'Peace of mind' is a 'piece of cake'...

2011-12-29T22:53:00.002+08:00

Once Buddha was travelling with a few of his followers. While they were passing a lake, Buddha told one of his disciples, "I am thirsty. Do get me some water from the lake."

The disciple walked up to the lake. At that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy and turbid. The disciple thought, "How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink?"

So he came back and told Buddha, "The water in there is very muddy. I don't think it is fit to drink."

After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake.

The disciple went back, and found that the water was still muddy. He returned and informed Buddha about the same.

After sometime, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back.

This time, the disciple found the mud had settled down, and the water was clean and clear. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.

Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said," See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be, and the mud settled down on its own -- and you have clear water.

Your mind is like that too ! When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don't have to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is effortless."

Having 'Peace of Mind' is not a strenuous job; it is an effortless process!

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A miracle story

2011-12-29T18:21:00.004+08:00

From Peter :

Freedom and Jeff

Freedom and I have been together 11 years this summer. She came in as a baby in 1998 with two broken wings. Her left wing doesn't open all the way even after surgery, it was broken in 4 places. She's my baby.

When Freedom came in she could not stand and both wings were broken. She was emaciated and covered in lice. We made the decision to give her a chance at life, so I took her to the vet's office. From then on, I was always around her. We had her in a huge dog carrier with the top off, and it was loaded up with shredded newspaper for her to lay in. I used to sit and talk to her, urging her to live, to fight; and she would lay there looking at me with those big brown eyes. We also had to tube feed her for weeks.

This went on for 4-6 weeks, and by then she still couldn't stand. It got to the point where the decision was made to euthanize her if she couldn't stand in a week. You know you don't want to cross that line between torture and rehab, and it looked like death was winning. She was going to be put down that Friday, and I was supposed to come in on that Thursday afternoon. I didn't want to go to the center that Thursday, because I couldn't bear the thought of her being euthanized; but I went anyway, and when I walked in everyone was grinning from ear to ear. I went immediately back to her cage; and there she was, standing on her own, a big beautiful eagle. She was ready to live. I was just about in tears by then. That was a very good day.

We knew she could never fly, so the director asked me to glove train her. I got her used to the glove, and then to jesses, and we started doing education programs for schools in western Washington . We wound up in the newspapers, radio (believe it or not) and some TV. Miracle Pets even did a show about us.

In the spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. I had stage 3, which is not good (one major organ plus everywhere), so I wound up doing 8 months of chemo. Lost the hair - the whole bit. I missed a lot of work. When I felt good enough, I would go to Sarvey and take Freedom out for walks. Freedom would also come to me in my dreams and help me fight the cancer. This happened time and time again.

Fast forward to November 2000

the day after Thanksgiving, I went in for my last checkup. I was told that if the cancer was not all gone after 8 rounds of chemo, then my last option was a stem cell transplant. Anyway, they did the tests; and I had to come back Monday for the results. I went in Monday, and I was told that all the cancer was gone.

So the first thing I did was get up to Sarvey and take the big girl out for a walk. It was misty and cold. I went to her flight and jessed her up, and we went out front to the top of the hill. I hadn't said a word to Freedom, but somehow she knew. She looked at me and wrapped both her wings around me to where I could feel them pressing in on my back (I was engulfed in eagle wings), and she touched my nose with her beak and stared into my eyes, and we just stood there like that for I don't know how long. That was a magic moment. We have been soul mates ever since she came in. This is a very special bird.

On a side note: I have had people who were sick come up to us when we are out, and Freedom has some kind of hold on them. I once had a guy who was terminal come up to us and I let him hold her. His knees just about buckled and he swore he could feel her power course through his body. I have so many stories like that..

I never forget the honor I have of being so close to such a magnificent spirit as Freedom.

Hope you enjoyed this!

Cancer is a strange cell. You can go along for years in remission and then one day it pops its head up again. If you ever have it you will never be free of it. Pray for the day there will be a permanent cure.

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Lost in translation?

2011-12-29T00:34:00.002+08:00

Sardar, a furniture dealer from Kirti Nagar, decided that he wanted to expand the line of furniture in his store, so he decides to go to Paris to see what he could find.

After arriving in Paris (this being his first trip ever to the French capital), he met with some manufacturers and finally selected a new range of furniture that he thought would sell well back home in west Delhi.

To celebrate the new acquisition, he decides to visit a pub and have a glass of wine.

As he sat down enjoying his wine, soon enough, a very beautiful attractive young lady came to his table, asked him something in French (which he did not understand), and motioned toward the chair.

He invited her to sit down. He tried to speak to her in PUNJABI-HINDI- ENGLISH but she did not speak or know any of these languages. So, after a couple of minutes of trying to communicate with her, he took a napkin and drew a picture of a wine glass and showed it her. She nodded, and he ordered a glass of wine for her.

After sitting together at the table for a while, he took another napkin and drew a picture of a plate with food on it, and she nodded.

They left the pub and found a quiet cafe that featured a small group playing romantic music. They ordered dinner, after which he took another napkin and drew a picture of a couple dancing. She nodded, and they got up to dance.

They danced until the cafe closed and the band was packing up. Then, after they were back at their table, the young lady took a napkin and drew a picture of a bed.

Till this day, the Sardar is trying to figure out how she knew he was in the furniture business.

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Of friends, panties and mourning...

2011-12-29T00:20:00.004+08:00

Anna had lost her husband almost four years ago.

Her daughter was constantly calling her and urging her to get back into the world.

Finally, Anna said she'd go out, but didn't know anyone.

Her daughter immediately replied, "Mum, I have someone for you to meet."

Well, it was an immediate hit. They took to one another and after dating for six weeks, he asked her to join him for a weekend away, to which she agreed.

The first night there, she undressed as he did.

There she stood, nude, except for a pair of black lacy panties... he was in his birthday suit.

Looking her over, he asked, "Why the black panties?"

She replied, "My breasts you can fondle, my body is yours to explore, but down there, I am still mourning."

He knew he was not getting lucky that night.

The following night was the same...she stood there wearing the black panties and he was in his birthday suit...but now he was wearing a black condom.

She looked at him and asked: "What's with the black condom?"

He replied, "I want to offer my deepest condolences..."

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Mathias Gomes's 20 Non-winnable candidates in GE-13

2011-12-28T18:08:00.002+08:00

How different is your list? I did try to find the original article in Malaysia Chronicle to link with, but without success. I searched outside MC too. Anyway, I am listing the names with brief descriptions...

According to Mathias Gomes, Top Twenty Non-Winnable Candidates in GE-13 in descending order:

20 : P Ramasamy (DAP), the current Penang Deputy Chief Minister II, was not in my list when this idea came to me weeks ago...

19 : Nasharudin Mat Isa (PAS). With his unusual link to UMNO and close ties to Hassan Ali, he has put himself far away from voters even from PAS, which loved him like a son...

18 : Who else? It surely has to be Hassan Ali (PAS). This great maestro will come down hard. He will finally have to face the realities on the ground. The people of Selangor will surely tell him what they think of his slimy and despicable ways...

17 : Zulkilfli Noordin (BN-friendly Independent), another troublemaker of the highest order who pretends to be holier than thou...

16 : Zahrain Hashim (BN-friendly Independent). Once regarded as a strong supporter of Anwar Ibrahim's, Zahrain sold his friendship and soul away to UMNO for crumbs and a field trip with the PM overseas...

15 : Nasharuddin Hashim (UMNO). Does anyone remember him now? Well he was the man who caused the Perak coup by crossing over to PKR from UMNO and then jumping ship again...

14 : Osman Jailu (BN-friendly Independent). This Changkat Jering assemblyman is one of the infamous trio who bit the hand that fed them. He is from the trio of 'frogs' that jumped ship, prompting the coup in Perak...

13 : Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (BN-friendly Independent). This guy looks like an Casanova with his mustache and colouring - a true conman guise. He is the second member of the famous trio who sold out to UMNO for money, sparking the coup in Perak that toppled Mentri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin's Pakatan state government. Behrang remembers this ex-postman well. He will lose his deposit if he sits in Behrang again. Another guaranteed loser.

12 : N Gopalakrishnan (BN-friendly Independent). This one-time MIC Youth chief was Samy Vellu's close aide...

11 : M Saravanan (MIC). He is considered as one of Samy Vellu's attack dogs (You Tube)...

10 : Subramaniam Sathasivam (MIC), currently the deputy president of MIC and Minister for Human Resources. He is fighting a battle of sorts with his boss, G Palanivel...

9 : K Devamany (MIC). A vice-president at MIC, Devamany is one of the few MIC candidates who won the last election. But Cameron Highlands does not want him anymore...

8 : Khairy Jamaluddin (UMNO). This hot-shot Oxford graduate is no match for PKR's Chegubard or Badrul Hisham Shaharin in Rembau. As usual, when Khairy won, there was controversy just like in his UMNO Youth Chief victory over Mukhriz Mahathir...

7 : Leo Gwo Burne (PKR). This guy became famous because of the 'correct, correct, correct' Lingam Tapes...

6 : Syed Hamid Syed Jaffar Albar (UMNO). The former Home Minister was responsible for the headache that is now troubling Hishamudin Hussein over the illegal immigrants issue...

5 : Chua Soi Lek (MCA). Will this MCA president be a candidate in upcoming elections? If he has his way, for sure he will contest despite his obvious unpopularity...

4 : P Kamalanathan (MIC). This MIC information chief, who has a dubious degree which has still not been cleared yet, won in Hulu Selangor thanks to the support of the entire BN machinery together with lots of alleged 'voter-bribes', i.e. bribes given to voters...

3 : And now, the grand finale - the Top Three shocking losses. Well, at number 3 is a fellow with a loud voice, an extinct face, King of amphibians, and the No. 2 racist in the country after Mahathir Mohamad, the Don. Ladies and gentleman, in third place is none other than Ibrahim Ali (BN-friendly Independent)...

2 : At Number 2 is a lady who has become a liability to UMNO - with or without her family. She is notorious now for Malaysia's own Cowgate scandal, a RM250mil financial debacle involving a national livestock project...

1 : And now friends, the cliffhanger! The No. 1 most non-winnable candidate in Malaysian History goes to ... the most detested Chinese female in Malaysia - Hee Yit Foong of DAP. She was called all sorts of names for prompting the power grab in Perak...

I am sure each of us has our own list of candidates who we think are non-winnable in the next election for one reason or other.

The above list consists of DAP 1, PAS 2, PKR 1, UMNO 4, MCA 1, MIC 4 and BN-friendly Independents 7 (Hee is ex-DAP). I would expect those under BN-friendly Independents to be left out by BN, for having served their purpose and obviously non-winnable viewed from either side of the political divide. I would disagree on P. Ramasamy being considered as such, and I think the PAS duo are likely to be dropped for being too obviously Umno friendly to serve the bigger Pakatan scheme. Generally, we are unlikely to get the satisfaction of seeing non-winnable candidates lose because they are not going to be fielded. Khairy is likely to be fielded by virtue of his position as head of Umno Youth.
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Cash is still the best?

2011-12-28T08:56:00.003+08:00

We need to be reminded of possible frauds which we are exposed to when using credit or debit cards. Highlights from Yahoo Finance:

Debit Cards Are Different

With credit cards, users who spot fraudulent charges on their bill can simply decline the charges and not pay the bill. On the other hand, debit cards draw money directly from your checking account, rather than from an intermediary such as a credit card company.

Skimming ATMs

"Any transaction you do outdoors at an open ATM is going to be higher risk exposure," McGoey says. "If the public has access to it, then someone has the ability to add skimming devices to it, position cameras on it and position themselves in a way where they could surveil it."

Stealing PINs at Gas Stations

"In a gas station where you do have a whole bunch of pay-at-the-pump kinds of things and minimal supervision, it's pretty easy for a bad guy to put a skimming device on and put a little pinpoint camera there and compromise debit cards that way," McNelley says. Thieves often use small cameras to capture footage of debit card users entering their PINs so they can have free access to their money.

The Web Is a Risky Place

"Online is the No. 1 place where consumers should not use their debit cards," she says. "It's susceptible at so many points. The consumer could have malware on their computer, so it could be at their endpoint that the data get compromised. It could be a man-in-the-middle attack where somebody is eavesdropping on their communications via the wireless network. And then at the other end, that data goes into a database at the merchant. As we've seen with some of the higher-profile breach events over the last year or so, that data is going to be vulnerable if (they're) not properly cared for."

Aside from the potential for hacking at many different points in a transaction, Abagnale says a fundamental problem with using debit cards online is it's impossible to know who is handling your information.

Restaurants Keep Customer Data on File

"Any place where the card is out of hand" can increase the chances of fraud, says McGoey. "The guy comes to your table, takes your card and disappears for a while, so he or she has privacy," giving the person the opportunity to copy your card information.

Even restaurants without sit-down service can present a threat. McNelley says using debit cards to order delivery can be risky because cashiers tend to keep customer payment information on file. That may make future orders more convenient, but small businesses rarely take the steps necessary to safeguard payment information, she says.

Source:
http://financiallyfit.yahoo.com/finance/article-113817-11716-3-4-risky-places-to-swipe-your-debit-card?ywaad=ad0035&nc
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Be careful with your lie detector

2011-12-27T11:41:00.002+08:00

A dad buys a lie detector robot that slaps people when they lie. He decides to test it at dinner.

"Son, where were you today?"

The son says "... at school dad."
Robot slaps the son!

"Ok, I watched a DVD at my friend’s house!" the son says.

"What DVD?" asks the father.

"Toy story." Robot slaps the son again!

"Ok, it was a porno!" cries the son.

"What?!? When I was your age, I didn't know what porn was," says the dad.
Robot slaps the dad!

Mom laughs "Ha! Ha! Ha! He's certainly your son."
Robot slaps the mom!
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BR1Mming with hope and confusion

2011-12-27T08:52:00.002+08:00

What may seem like a simple cash handout by our closet Santa is confusing more and more people. In Malaysia, after years of being fed half-truths and outright lies, nobody seems to be able to accept simple explanation.

Without going into the obvious criteria for eligibility which are shown on the form itself, the usual explanations given by officials, elected representatives and politician wannabees are still unacceptable to some.

The key question, 'Are pensions treated as income for the purpose of calculating the ceiling of Rm3,000 per household?' seems simple enough, yet I could not find anything from the official site http://www.treasury.gov.my/pdf/br1m/Mekanisma_BR1M.pdf
which explains this likely question, not even in its FAQs.

Yesterday a pensioner friend actually came to see me about this. He had been to the Penghulu's office, been discussing with both BN and PR politicians, with friends and fellow pensioners, yet he is still worried about either missing out come the deadline set at January 10 or being penalized in case he applied assuming he and his wife's combined pensions (which exceed Rm3,000) are not counted as income for that purpose but which turned out to be so.

Najib's cash handouts in one form or other are clearly for the coming general elections, regardless of the financial ability of the government. On the one hand, he could win the hearts of the voters without using his own party funds, while on the other, draining the country coffers is also like the poison apple strategy used in corporate battles.

Some people expect the government to pay to those even marginally ineligible because of lack of clear definitions, to avoid people turning round and accuse BN for not honouring their promises. But from a pragmatic point, I think the government would pay to those obviously eligible and tell the others to appeal. Considering the fact that there are many who refused to apply for fear of being tracked by the government for income tax purposes, those who simply applied for the sake of applying and hope for the best are unlikely to appeal.

Meanwhile, I am still unable to tell my friend whether his pensions are considered income for this purpose. He thinks pensions are like EPF which he opted out of, and should be considered his fund being spread over his remaining years.

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Unravelling a puzzle

2011-12-26T21:13:00.003+08:00

Three men went to a hotel to share a room.

The clerk asked for $300.

Each man paid $100, making up the $300.

The hotelkeeper then decided to allow a discount for the day,
charging only $250 for the room.

He told the clerk to return $50 to the three men.

The clerk pocketed $20 for himself.
He gave the remaining $30 back to the three men.

Each man took back $10.
Therefore, each man paid $100 - $10 = $90 for the night.

$90 x 3 = $270 + the clerk's $20 = $290.

Question: Where has the remaining $10 gone?

Many people are still trying to work out an answer.

I was caught in this puzzle too. But to explain it, we need to look at the real situation instead of being led into thinking the amounts do not add up.

The hotel keeper charges $250 and the clerk took $20 from the $270, shared by the three men at $90 each. To the hotel keeper, he gave a discount of $50 from the $300 and receives $250; to the three men, the room costs $270. One does not know the others deal, that's all to it.
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Interpreting a Will...

2011-12-26T18:41:00.003+08:00

His will provided £40,000 for an elaborate funeral.
As the last guests departed the affair, his wife Colleen turned to her oldest and dearest friend.
"Ah well, Paddy would be pleased," she said.
"You're right," replied Mary, who lowered her voice and leaned in close.
"So go on, how much did this really cost?'"
"All of it," said Colleen. "Forty thousand."

"Aw No!" Mary exclaimed, "I mean, it was very grand, but £40,000?!!!"

Colleen answered, "The funeral was £6,500. I donated £500 to church. The whiskey, wine and snacks were another £500. The rest went for the Memorial Stone."
Mary computed quickly."For the love of God Colleen, £32,500 for a Memorial Stone?
How big is it?"
..
.
.

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We, the voters, should be given the choice to select our PM

2011-12-26T14:38:00.004+08:00

Never before has there been such a clear contest for the PM position in Malaysia, unless the verdict on January 9, 2012 put Anwar behind bars again.

By convention, BN (Alliance before), with Umno as the anchor party, had always chosen Umno's President and Deputy President as the nation's Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. We have seen how this system meant our PM was decided by 191 division leaders of Umno. The power in the hands of the decision-makers is obvious, and it follows that whoever is able to influence them gets to be PM. Where does that leave us, the voters?

Pakatan Rakyat has confirmed, and reconfirmed, even to the extent of considering making Anwar PM if he were to be sentenced to jail, if ever PR won the next general election.

Therefore, the choice for the post of PM of Malaysia is between BN's Najib and PR's Anwar.

The Sodomy II case is perceived by many to be cooked up by vested interests who wanted Anwar to be out of the way in the coming general election. The fact that the so-called victim met with the PM (no less) and a police officer in a hotel (of all places) serves to re-enforce this perception. The rest of the evidence are well documented and commented during the trial and now we await the crucial verdict on January 9.

I am sure many voters feel that the competition for the post of PM between Najib and Anwar will be unfairly affected by the deliberate action to disqualify Anwar using Sodomy II. It shows Najib as being unprepared to face a fair competition to let the voters decide in the forthcoming general elections. It also shows how the incumbent has an unfair advantage because of the many institutions under his control. Should Najib wins because of Anwar being put away, his victory will be hollow and dishonourable.

However, there is always the prospect that any judgment against Anwar could rally the people behind his daughter Nurul Izzah, which could possibly tip the balance at the GE in PR's favour. The perception of injustice could work wonders in the minds of the people, cutting across race and religious barriers. She will be the chosen icon without the usual jealousies between more obvious contenders under normal circumstances. Let's hope good sense will prevail and that there will be a fair competition between Najib and Anwar, which gives us a chance to choose our PM.

Update:
Wlliam Leong's latest article on Legitimacy of the Judiciary...
http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/letterssurat/46090-legitimacy-of-the-judiciary-political-foes-bn-businessman-and-you
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Christmas dinner for old folks in Pusing

2011-12-25T22:25:00.003+08:00

For the past few years, we had been attending Christmas dinner for old folks at the Dewan Dato Cheah Fah. This year I went alone. I met one of the committee members (of Pusing Thong Yin Benevolent Association) and asked if any local politicians were invited. He replied none, and emphasized that they tried not to touch on politics. But from past experience, DAP representatives were invited when Pakatan was in power in Perak, then MCA representatives when BN was in power. So I had my doubts.

Anyway, this year, there were no elected representatives present, though there was an Indian representing an elected representative which I did not bother to find out who. But there was an MCA politician, Loh Kwee Peng (?) JP, who seemed to be in the limelight on stage at every photo session. Towards the end, a committee member announced that there was a shortfall of Rm1,527 arising from the total expenses of Rm37,350 exceeding total receipts of Rm35,823, as shown in the accounts made available to all, together with details of donors and other relevant information. Soon after, he made another announcement that the shortfall had been covered by a donation of Rm1,600 pledged by MCA man, Loh. He was greeted with applause. I appreciate such generosity but wished he did not capitalize on it politically. So my doubts about the promised non-political nature of the event was not being too cynical after all.

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Christmas trivia...

2011-12-25T17:07:00.002+08:00

To those who still believe in Santa Claus...

REMEMBER THIS AT CHRISTMAS TIME

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.

Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl.

We should've known...

ONLY women would be able to drag a fat-ass man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost!!

A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!!
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Christmas Sunday morning

2011-12-25T13:34:00.004+08:00

The Tarmac on the left leads to our Semi-Ds; the grass patch on the left is in front of our other house. It is obvious from this view, that the vegetable plot and the barrel are in front of our house. Why not in front of theirs?

Notice the palm leaves left on the right. Why not in front of their house?

A Navara driven out of the porch needs the grass verge on the right to be able to drive off without having to move forward and backward again. Once, a catering truck parked on the grass just before the barrel and I nearly could not manoeuvre out from the porch!
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Breast feeding in public holds up traffic!

2011-12-25T00:46:00.002+08:00

What were you thinking about?

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all.
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Kosong becomes Gero meh?

2011-12-25T00:34:00.002+08:00

One day, two Ah Lians got into a lift from the 20th storey of a building and wanted to get down to the ground floor. As they looked at the dial , they could see the number 20 down to number 2. It was then followed by a G. As they were not English-educated, they were puzzled and really had no idea what does the letter G mean. Suddenly one of them exclaimed excitedly and hit G.

When they finally reached the ground floor, the other Ah Lian was so impressed and asked the first Ah Lian, "Wow, how you know one?"

The first Ah Lian replied smugly, "Easy lah.. G for Gero mah..."
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Everything is big in Texas

2011-12-24T20:19:00.002+08:00

There once was a blind man who decided to visit Texas. When he arrived on the plane, he felt the seats and said, "Wow, these seats are big!" The person next to him answered, "Everything is big in Texas."

When he finally arrived in Texas, he decided to visit a bar. Upon arriving in the bar, he ordered a beer and got a mug placed between his hands. He exclaimed, "Wow these mugs are big!" The bartender replied, "Everything is big in Texas."

After a couple of beers, the blind man asked the bartender where the bathroom was located. The bartender replied, "Second door to the right." The blind man headed for the bathroom, but accidentally tripped over and skipped the second door. Instead, he entered the third door, which lead to the swimming pool and fell into the pool by accident. Scared to death, the blind man started shouting, "Don't flush"...

I just realized this joke isn't very nice. Just don't laugh, ok?
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In memory of my mother

2011-12-24T19:19:00.003+08:00

Yap Liew (1917 - 1993)

Today is actually my mother's 18th death anniversary. She died in Tung Shin Hospital, KL, and the date was easy to remember because of Christmas Eve and when Highland Tower collapsed (1993), killing many residents and people who happened to be there.

Being home alone also brings back memories of when after the funeral service, everybody left the family house except me. The loneliness which I felt was more so when just hours earlier there was a big crowd of relatives and friends who were present. I realized I was all alone when I woke up at dusk from a nap.

I used to travel between KL and BG, between my mother and my own family, almost every week for 12 years, when the North-South Expressway has yet to open.

Being the youngest in the family, when I came back from UK for good, my father was already paralyzed after a stroke. He passed on in 1982, a few months after. Despite having a large family and many grandchildren, my mother lived by herself most of the time and I was with her 5 days in a week. Many would not know that my 'Cheah pah siew eng' was actually her favourite expression of anyone who got involved into a lot of trouble unnecessarily for minding others business.

For the past couple of days, I had been uploading old pictures of our own Clan in Facebook, much to the pleasant surprise of my nephews and nieces who had seen them for the first time. We even have a family tree which covers five generations! Thanks to the internet and Facebook, information sharing has been made so easy and almost instantaneous.

Meanwhile, it will be Lonely this Christmas again.

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Why some smug students failed in exams...

2011-12-24T09:20:00.002+08:00

I am sure we have come across students who thought they have done well, yet failed in the examinations. We have also come across those who expected the worst, yet obtained excellent results.

If I were to be given the task of setting questions, I would love to trap those smug students with the following examples as red herrings in objective answers to choose from (these are presumed to be actual written answers by students):

Answers of a Brilliant student who obtained 0%

Q. In which battle did Tipu Sultan died?
A. His last battle.

Q. Where was the Declaration of Independance Signed?
A. At the Bottom of the Page.

Q. Ganga flows in which state?
A. Liquid.

Q. What's the main reason for Divorce?
A. Marriage.

Q. Whats the main reason for Failure?
A. Examinations.

Did the student give any wrong answer??

Q: What does terminal illness mean? A: When you become ill at the airport.
Q: What is a plasmid? A: a high definition tv.
Q: Explain homeostasis. A: It is when you stay at home all day and don't go out.
Q: Explain genome. A: abbreviation of gender and gnome.
Q: Explain momentum. A: a brief moment.
Q: How can we prove that radiation-treated food is safe? A: by eating some.
Q: What does a transformer do? A: It can go from robot to sports car in three seconds.
Q: Give a reason why people would want to live near a power line. A: You get your electricity faster.
Q: Change 7/8 into a decimal. A: 7.8
Q: To change centimeters to meters you... A: take out the centi.
Q: What is conditional probability? A: maybe, maybe not.
Q: What is the splitting formula? A: boy meets girl; boy meets another girl; girl finds out about other girl = the splitting formula.
Q: What is a random variable? A: Someone with multiple personalities.
Q: What is a discrete random variable? Give an example. A: It is a person that hides at a corner at parties. Similar to the wallpaper but a bit more unpredictable after a few drinks.
Q: Explain the term wholesaler. A: Someone who sells you whole items, eg whole cake.
Q: What guarantees might a mortgage company insist on when you want to buy a house? A: They may check to see whether you are well-endowed before allowing the purchase.
Q: What happens during a census? A: During the census, a man goes from door to door and increases the population.
Q: What is a computer virus? A: an STD. A systematically transmitted disease.
Q: Joanna works in an office. Her computer is a stand-alone system. What is a stand-alone system? A: It doesn't come with a chair.
Q: What is hacking? A: a really bad cough.
Q: What is a network? A: When you chat to people you don't like in order to try and get a job.
Q: What does the phrase case study mean? A: It is the process whereby you sit and stare at your suitcase before you go on a trip but not knowing what to pack.
Q: Who said I think Therefore I Am? A: I did.
Q: What is pastoral farming? A: It's a farm run by reverends.
Q: What does lava mean? A: a pre-pubescent caterpillar.
Q: Which artificial waterway runs between the Mediterranean and Red Seas? A: The Sewage Canal.
Q: What was the main industry of Persia? A: Cats.
Q: The race of people known as Malays come from which country? A: Malaria.
Q: Name the smaller rivers that run into the Nile. A: Juveniles.
Q: What are rift valleys? A: Valleys fallen out after argument.
Q: Why was the Berlin Wall built? A: Germany was competing with China.
Q: Explain autocracy. A: Country with lots of cars.
Q: Upon ascending the throne, the first thing that Queen Elizabeth II did was to... A: Sit down.
Q: What was the biggest threat to world peace in the 1980s? A: Heavy metal rock music...because it was very loud and noisy.
Q: What is having only one spouse called? A: Monotony.
Q: What were Jesus' closest group of followers known as? A: The Decibels.
Q: State two major world religions. A: The Force in Star Wars, and football.
Q: What is a pilgrimage? A: It is when lots of people wander off in the same direction for no apparent reason.
Q: Name the successor of the First Roman Emperor. A: The Second Roman Emperor.
Q: What were the circumstances of Julius Caesar's death? A: Suspicious ones.
Q: Name one of Abraham Lincoln's greatest achievements. A: Having his face carved in rock.

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My choice this Christmas...

2011-12-23T21:39:00.002+08:00

either Lonely this Christmas by Elvis...

or Bhangra version of Jingle Bells...

Wife and Cheng are now with Mariya and Sosha in Mulu Caves, Sarawak; Nee in Dubai and Beng and Dot in PJ. Will be attending a dinner for old folks in Pusing on Christmas day, a sign of the times.
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Things you should have learnt by now

2011-12-23T15:57:00.003+08:00

Things you should have learned by the time you have reached Middle age...

Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
If you're too open-minded, your brains will fall out.
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often.

Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.

Going to church doesn't make you a Christian, any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before.
It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.
A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel so good.

You should not confuse your career with your life.
Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.

A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.
My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.
If you have a lot of tension and you get a headache, do what it says on the aspirin bottle: 'Take two aspirin' and 'Keep away from children'.

A person, who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.
If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead.

Last but not least: Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

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My wife's impression of Dubai

2011-12-22T19:36:00.003+08:00

With a daughter undergoing training in Dubai, provided with a serviced apartment and a company car, SP could not resist asking a sister to accompany her to pay her a visit.

Her sister's husband asked, 'What did you do in Dubai in one whole week? I went there for golf and it took me just half a day to see it all!'

Well, they went to visit (almost mandatory) Burj Khalifa, the world's largest, if not still the tallest, tower in the world. They went on a desert safari and a camel ride, besides shopping in the mega malls.

With huge revenues from oil, their PM when interviewed on television, said 'Arab Spring' would not happen in United Arab Emirates because they looked after the people well. SP could not get over a country being tax-free, duty-free, even free carparks, and almost crime-free because the goldsmith shops are without security guards. The other notable absence was dogs in a predominantly Muslim country. The expressways are super wide, with 6 lanes on each side, and brightly lid at night all the way. Being a rich and duty-free country, all kinds of luxury cars could be found. Even in the car park of the serviced apartments could be found Ferraris and Porches. Taxis using topline BMWs and Mercs are common. So it was small wonder our daughter is provided with a Mazda 6! Petrol costs less than Rm1 per litre and tolls are collected electronically using smart tags presumably.

With more than 40% of the population consisting of Indians, it was unsurprising for her to describe, 'Every other person you see is an Indian!' The local Emaratis comprise less than that! When a security guard was asked, 'I'm Nepalese. All the guards here (in the company) are Nepalese.' With better remuneration packages, maids are better educated and trained and Filipinos and Indonesians are common. Service from grocers include free delivery even for just a packet of milk!
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An analogy

2011-12-20T16:47:00.002+08:00

The Bird Feeder

-Written by a British Citizen after the London Riots...

I bought a bird feeder.. I hung it on my patio and filled it lovingly with seed... It was indeed a beautiful bird feeder. Within a week we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the Continuous flow of free and easily accessible food. But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue.

Then came the bird sh * t. It was everywhere; on the patio tiles, the chairs, the table ...everywhere!

Then some of the birds turned mean. They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of my own pocket.

And other birds were boisterous and loud. They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that I fill it when it got low on food.

After a while, I couldn't even sit on my own back porch anymore. So I took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone. I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio.

Soon, the back yard was like it used to be ... quiet, serene and no one demanding their rights to a free meal...

Now let's see ... our government give out free food, subsidised housing, free medical care, and free education and allows anyone born here to be an automatic citizen.

Then the illegals came by the millions. Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for the free services; small flats are housing 5 or more families; you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by a doctor in an emergency surgery because it is filled with illegal non tax payers; your child's year 12 class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn't speak English.

Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual box; I have to 'press one' to hear my bank talk to me in English, and people waving flags other than 'The Union Jack' are squawking and screaming in the streets, demanding more rights and free liberties.

Its just my opinion but:

maybe, just maybe, it's time for the government to take down the damn bird feeder.

If you agree, pass it on; if not, continue cleaning up the sh*t!
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Young Paul McCartney in town?

2011-12-20T11:58:00.002+08:00

Bulgarians Mariya and Sasho at Kopitiam Kaya, Restoran Jejantas Sg. Buloh, this morning. Friends of Cheng, fresh from KLIA, on our way to Batu Gajah.
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ABU + UBA = Ubah?

2011-12-17T09:07:00.003+08:00

As if responding to Najib's fondness for initials and acronyms, the opposition has come out with initials which might effect change to our Malaysian political scene...

ABU: 'Anything But Umno' or 'Asal Bukan Umno'
http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/43340-abu-anything-but-umno-or-asal-bukan-umno

Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan announces formation of UBA or United Borneo Alliance
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newspolitic.php?id=634771

But an influential political commentator thinks otherwise...

Only Ku Li can put Malaysia on right footing
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/12/17/only-ku-li-can-put-msia-on-right-footing/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed
utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mycenews+%28MyCen+News%29

Why only Ku Li? Many people who were impressed with Ku Li's objective statements recently have questioned why his loyalty remains with Umno. How could he expect people to accept him as PM if ever Pakatan wins when he cannot even decide which side he wants to be on? Ku Li had his quest for power within Umno and later under S46 but lost, and now it is Anwar's turn to try to achieve what Ku Li had failed. I think it would be hard for leaders in Pakatan to accept Ku Li as if there are no leaders worthy to become PM of Malaysia. I can understand the writer's views based on Malaysia's unique circumstances, but surely a popular choice by the people is not necessarily unacceptable to the Malay rulers. The political reality is such that the majority of the voters are Malays and the PM is expected to be a Malay. The only thing I can think of is that a new government with stated objectives of transparency and accountability might mean tighter controls on expenses which are deemed pompous and superfluous, something our Rulers might not be accustomed to.
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