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Friday, April 27, 2007

The last post...

I have been tagged by Michael. This is the 2nd time... :P

In case you're wondering when was the first one, don't worry... It's still in the making. I plan to do it... Still doing some research on the 'subject'.

Anyway, I am supposed to pretend that this is my last post... And tag 5 others. The 5 others are - Lonnie (OneManBandwidth), Pamie (Lady Apatheia), Vicky (Jotting The Lines), 25-kid (Phenom Blog) and anttyk (Anttyk Junk).

And here's my last post...

I never thought this day would really come so soon...

Government has issues an order to move everyone in Klang and Shah Alam to the highlands. The continuous rain for the past few days have not stopped. Weird weather have also been reported worldwide. News report mentioned of a few countries submerged in water now. This really reminds me of the movie The Day After Tomorrow.

This will be my last post as I get ready to leave for higher ground. We have been told to just take some clothings and our identification papers. We have been instructed to leave everything else behind, including my notebook.

No one is sure when the rain will stop... Or if the world will ever become 'normal' again. We have had our chance to fix the problem. Every year, scientists and environmentalist have highlighted the need for us to stop killing our planet. I remember years ago when Al Gore made a documentary about this. But everyone thought it was just a ploy for him to boost his reputation before he ran for presidency again.

If some how this post survives all this, I hope it will serve as a lesson to all... Never burn down the only home you have. We have been very bad tenants. We have never taken care of our home. And now... We're now being 'evicted' from our only home - Earth.

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Sunday, April 22, 2007

Earth day

The Earth Day flag
Today is Earth Day. It is supposed to be a day where we actively promote awareness of environmental issues.


I watched 'An Inconvenient Truth' about 2 weeks ago. The documentary is definitely a good start for those who are still not aware of the problems plaguing our planet. It tells us what is currently happening to the world and what potentially lies for us in the future if we continue to pollute our world.

Global warming. Rising sea levels. Extinction of species. But should we really care?

I mean, unless I'm living in The Netherlands or very close to the sea, otherwise, I'm quite safe should the sea level raise by another 10cm. Heck, if it goes up by even 1 meter, I am still quite safe if I am going to be living in a hilltop condominium.

Global warming? Living in Malaysia, I'm already used to the hot weather. And since I don't have that much hair all over, I can live with the extra heat. Plus, most of the time, I work in the office that is air-conditioned. So why should I care? Shopping complexes are mostly air-conditioned. My car is air-conditioned. So why should I care about rising temperature since it will not affect me?

Extinction of species. This is a laugh. Do you think I really miss NOT having the dinosaurs? I have not seen a real polar bear. And I don't think I actually see one in this lifetime. So should I really care if it goes extinct from this world? Natural Selection tells us that only the fittest will survive. So if polar bears are not fit, they don't deserve a place on OUR planet.

It is no wonder that the environmentalists are laughed at. They worry unnecessarily. They worry about what happens to other people and other creatures. I think that if it does not affect my directly and immediately, I'm not going to even bother about it.

So what if stupid turtle choke on the plastic bags I throw into the sea? So what if there's more carbon dioxide in the world? So what if there's too much sh1t in our water? Singapore doing fine recycling urine into drinking water anyway. I seriously can't think of reasons why I should even care about the world or our environment. And so what if we cut down all the trees in the world? Trees grow back. That's what they do!

I know people who exercise regularly, take lots of vegetables, supplements and fruits and practice a wholesome life just to end up diagnosed with cancer and die 5 years later. I know of chain smokers who have smoked all their life and live till 80 and still not have cancer.

I can see why America and Australia has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol. America is the single biggest contributor of carbon dioxide to date but they could not be bothered about the greenhouse effect. I can see why.

The American president is smart. The Americans and Australians are really smart people. They know that all the disasters that environmentalists claim will happen if we do not reduce carbon dioxide emission will probably only occur in the next 50 years or so. If that is the case, why bother? Most of the people making decision RIGHT NOW won't live another 50 years anyway. Those who will still be around in 50 years time can't do much yet (legally, they can't vote the president away).

I think we should all ask ourselves, "What is in it for me right now?"

Don't give me the crap about our future generations. I will not be around in another 50 years time (if I am, I guess I will just suffer for a short while). Even if I live another 100 years, what can the future generations do to me? Maim me? Hang me? Nothing! And if this is the case, why should I stop making more money at the expense of the environment? Why should I stop my car engine while waiting for my wife? If I can afford my electricity bills, why should I bother to turn off the lights and the air-conditioner? And you seriously think any of the future generations are also going to be bothered about the environment?

You can call me selfish. You can call me greedy. You can label the Americans and the Australians as selfish and greedy as well. But we're the smart ones. We're the one enjoying ourselves right now because we know 50 years from now, we wont' be around. While you go cycling under the hot sun, we'll be driving around in our air-conditioned, petrol guzzling car.

While I'm still around in this planet, I wanna enjoy everything. So what if the planet dies in another 50 years time? Most of us will die by then anyway...

So lets celebrate Earth Day by decorating and beautifying out planet.Turn on ALL our lights for 24 hours. Show what our planet is capable of. Light up the forest and make a huge fire so we can shine as brightly as the sun. Earth is NUMBER 1!!!! Let us all declare it a public holiday and take the day to go driving around town and get caught in the jam. So what? We're in an air-conditioned car!



Note: I hope you are SMART enough to realise the above is written on a sarcastic note. Apologies to my American and Australian friends - I know many of you are just as concerned about our one and only home - Earth.

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Saturday, April 21, 2007

The week in review

It was a hectic week for me. I spent almost the whole week in Singapore with very, very limited access to the internet. But I had access to CNN, BBC, etc instead.

This trip to Singapore, I managed to have 3 meals at The Soup Spoon. Their soup is still just as wonderful! A friend told me that just last month, one of the employee at the outlet in Raffles City was stabbed to death!

News on CNN, BBC, etc was non other than the Virginia Tech shooting incident. I don't know about the rest, but some how, I just feel like these 'news updates' are getting out of hand. Almost every hour or so, you get some new updates along with some old and recycled news. I hear almost the same thing every morning when I wake up.

I strongly believe that the next lunatic planning to do something similar will definitely want to die in glory by topping the 33 deaths. I mean, there's going to be some sicko out there who wants to seek glory this way. And news channel like BBC and CNN is only helping these sicko get their 'spotlight'. The Virginia Tech shooting gave the killer more than 1 week of 'coverage'. I'm sure many lunatics will want that.

But I realised something else from this... These lunatics usually fit a certain kind of profile. Perhaps they were bullied, sexually abused and/ or they hold a strong grudge against society - be it the rich, the powerful, etc... And they will rant and ramble about the so-called 'injustice' and how the 'bad' should be punished.

My question is... If I know someone who fits such profile, do I report to police? I know of someone who still harps on incidents back in school that happened almost 15 years ago. This guy has even imagined horrific deaths to people who had 'brushed him aside'. I still keep some evidence of his ramblings and psychotic imaginations. Do I need to afraid of such person?

This week, the teachers in Malaysia are in the news again. This issue was already raised a few months back but somehow, someone decided to bring this up again. According to a circular, teachers are only allowed to give tuition classes (part time job) up to 4 hours a week. Latest excuse given is this is done for the teacher's health. It is now claimed that a typical teacher works up to 9.5 hours a week.

Really?! And all this time, people always tell me my wife have it easy because she's a school teacher. They always tell me that being a teacher means working for only half a day.

So which is which now?

If you want to know, I will tell you. A teacher works a full day, even though she's only physically in school for half a day. The other half of the day can sometimes be spent attending seminars, marking school books, preparing exam papers, completing daily activity reports, planning for the week ahead, etc...

If you must also know, teachers do not have any official 'leave'. The only holiday they get is during the semester breaks. Even then, some may have to attend seminars purposely held during these semester breaks - this way, the teachers will not miss any school days. During the short semester breaks, some schools actually hold extra classes and outings. Once again, teachers end up with no break.

For most of us, we still have Saturdays and Sundays off. But for my wife who is a school teacher in a primary school, she sometimes have to spend half a Saturday in school.

Before I have met my wife, I have always thought that a teacher working with the government have it easy. Now I realise they're not getting a good deal after all. Just like the policemen in the country, teachers here are severely underpaid.

Why do teachers still want to work in such conditions then? Like my wife, many teachers look forward to seeing their students excel and be successful in life. They get a 'kick' when they know their students have turned out into someone useful. This is what 'powers' the teacher everyday not money - although there are a few bad apples who focus on tuition rather than school duties.

So what can a caring and concerned teacher do when parents of students call the teacher and ask them to give extra classes for their child outside of school hours? Accept the first 4 and turn the rest away because of some ill-thought out policy someone up there made?

Sometimes, I think the people above making such policies don't understand the situation. Maybe it is because they are way on top there, butt glued to the chair, so well-fed with nothing better to do than waive a keris around and so well taken care that they forget about the people below.
(Note: The fella wielding the keris is non other than current Education Minister Hishamuddin Hussein - So much for education in Malaysia.)

If you want to truly help the people, increase the pay of civil servants. Increase the pay of our heroes - the policemen, the soldiers, the customs officers, etc... Reward the people accordingly. The existing pay system is severely outdated! And there is definitely NO need to increase politician's pay like what is done in Singapore. :)

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Friday, April 20, 2007

FOUND: Female puppy near Carrefour, Subang

Posting this on behalf of a friend who found the dog wondering near his house this evening. It was raining, so he decided to take her in. He stays somewhere opposite Carrefour, Subang Jaya.

Not too sure what breed is this...

Cute puppy...


She looks a bit 'garang', no?


There's something good on TV


Poor girl looking for her owner...

If this is your dog (or if you know who this doggie belongs to), please call Sherman at this mobile (digi)6980001. If no owner is found over the next few days, Sherman may put it up for adoption. Currently, he has also put up posters around the are. I have also help him to put up a similar post on www.puppy.com.my.

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Sunday, April 15, 2007

Wild (hogs) nite...

A few of us friends (since secondary school) decided to meet up for a couple of drinks last night... Just to catch up and unwind. I was on 'holiday' since my Mrs. Tai is at inlaw's place for the weekend.

We met up for a few beers at theLaundry Bar in The Curve. I personally found the place to be a bit pricey, but I guess it is the 'normal' price since that area is a bit 'high class'. For us, all we wanted was a cozy place to sit down, relax and chat. Yes, I guess when you hit a certain age, chatting can be 'fun'. :)

It was close to midnight and I suggested to the gang that we head over to Cineleisure to watch a midnight movie. I was game for "Jangan Pandang Belakang" since I've heard lots of positive reviews about it.

The rest were not too keen. So we ended up watching Wild Hogs... Hmmm... What's it with me and biker movies anyway?

Martin Lawrence (Bobby), John Travolta (Woody), Tim Allen (Doug) and William H. Macy (Dudley)
I am not sure if it was the beer we had before the movie, but I think the 6 of us practically laughed all our way through the movie. While this movie is not something really memorable, it provided us with really good laughs. I mean how can you not find it funny with lines like these...

Dudley: Thanks, Woody, I feel really safe with you.
Woody: I noticed that. If you ever lay your head on my back while riding bitch, I'll throw you into the traffic!
Dudley: I was just trying to keep the wind out of my face.
Woody: I felt you smell my neck!
Bobby: Did you smell that man's neck?
Dudley: His cologne is fantastic. It's musky with an oakey finish like a... lawyer cowboy.
Bobby: A lawyer cowboy?!?


Mother-in-Law: In my days, the women stayed home. Not the lazy men.
Bobby: In your days, men were busy building pyramids!

(Dudley just finished his 'big' business and put it in a plastic bag)
Woody: Dudley, you have to get rid of that or else I'm going to vomit on your lap.
Dudley: Fine, I'll hang it from a tree.
Woody: Don't hang it in a tree.
Dudley: Why?
Woody: Cause bears don't eat sh1t!

Jack (bully): You're gonna pay a disobedience fee of $10,000, plus another $40,000 to rebuild the bar. If you don't, we're gonna break your friend's legs here.
Dudley: Don't bring the money! I'm a computer programmer! I don't need my legs!
Jack: Fine, we'll break his hands!
Dudley: Oh dammit. Bring the money!

Doug: You're the sheriff, aren't you going out there?
Charley, the sheriff: Hey, I took my law enforcement course on the internet! For arms training they just told us to play Doom!
(quotes above were taken from IMDB).

The cinema was very packed, even for the midnight screening and we had the first row seats... After the movie, I think I had some backache. I had to seat (more like sleep) on the chair just to be able to take in the big screen.

But I really enjoyed the movie and I guess so did Mun San, Jude, Wei Loong, Eu Jin and Kim Chuan.

There was one part of the movie that I found particularly touching... John Travolta's Woody said that he had lost everything in his life except for his three friends (the Wild Hogs). He then adds that he's not about to lose that and goes off to face the bullies (and potential death). That is really touching...

I've already past the '30' age marker. I don't know how long more I have left in this world. That particular scene made me think if I am willing to die for any of my family or friends.... And if I also have family and friends who are willing to die for me?

When I think about all this, I realise what I've not done right... The people around me whom I have neglected... It makes me want to make up for it and spend more time with my friends and family because in the end, if I lose everything, I know I will still have them. My 'wild hogs'... My family and friends who would go through life's roller coaster ride with me and whom I would definitely and gladly do the same with...

Thanks for an excellent evening...

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Saturday, April 14, 2007

Google can predict the future?

Saw this Google ad today...

Google telling us the future?!

Wah... We got no other candidates ka?!? Scary la...

I know it is not Google's fault. The descriptions on the ads are placed by the advertiser. Still... Scary la... :)

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Thursday, April 12, 2007

Deal or No Deal

I recently found out about this game show called Deal or No Deal (I know this game show has been around for quite sometime, but you know la... This is Malaysia). I had watched it once before on NTV7 but never quite understood it then because it was in Mandarin. So when I heard the name again recently, I decided to search for more information.

It seems like this is the 'easiest' game show yet. No super difficult questions. You don't need to have a strong stomach. And there's hardly any physical exertion. The only question you need to answer is "Deal or No Deal"? But for the Malaysian version, you will be asked a question before you can walk away with the cash prize, which ranges from 1sen to rm100,000. I've not seen the other versions so I am not too sure if there's any question involved besides "Deal or no deal". I did a brief search on the internet but nothing was mentioned about answering a question for the overseas versions.

Anyway, I managed to catch last Tuesday night's episode on NTV7 with the help of the subtitles, of course (because it is in Mandarin). Deal or No Deal is actually quite interesting. The question asked in that episode sounded something like this:
If you are standing in front of a ticket counter. On sale are tickets for Ekspres Rakyat, Senandung Langkawi, Senandung Malam and Ekspres Wau. What station are you standing in?

I found out that you can play the flash version of this game on the NBC website. I am actually hooked to this flash game right now. I have been playing the game for a few days now and on one occasion, I got this:

Would you take the deal?
I had actually accepted an earlier deal, but the flash version, like the real game show, will actually let me 'continue', just to see what I would have gotten. I actually ended up with the choice of accepting the offer of USD355k or taking the risk (for either USD1 or USD1million). If you were given this choice, would you take the deal or go ahead and open the briefcase I had selected earlier - Briefcase 14?

If you have said NO DEAL (meaning open the briefcase I selected) and continued, you would have...

My briefcase actually had USD1million
...become a millionaire. But I'm happy with the deal I closed at USD317k. How I just wish it was for real...

Anyway, if the news about the English version in Malaysia is to be believed, I definitely want to sign up for it. But in the meantime, I guess we to live with the flash version first.

Oh ya... The answer to the question asked in the Mandarin edition is... You're at the TRAIN station.

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Sunday, April 08, 2007

Formula 1 Sunday

It's the Formula 1 weekend. This weekend, it was at Sepang, Malaysia. My brother had 2 passes to yesterday's qualifying but I did not go. Actually, I wanted to go but he had already given the other pass to his friend... :P

Anyway, we watched the action from our living room (we = dad, bro and myself). The starting was superb... With the two McLarens overtaking the two Ferraris within the first corner.

However, it got a bit boring midway, so the three of us pulled over to the pit-stop for a short break...

Mrs. Tai had quietly taken the photo...
I think this year's Formula 1 is going to be one super exciting event. Just too bad one of my favourite team, Renault, isn't doing too well right now. McLaren is my other favourite team.

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Saturday, April 07, 2007

Disney on Ice: Finding Nemo

I got 2 free tickets Finding Nemo courtesy of SP Setia. I had participated in their contest for homeowners.

To be honest, I had not watched this animation, so I was not really sure what to expect. I lost interest in animations released recently because I found them to be very much the same - lots of computer graphic and not-to-memorable storyline. Whatever happened to the likes of Beauty and the Beast and Toy Story?

Anyway, being seated quite far from the ice-rink didn't really help with the enjoyment factor. But since the ticket is free, I shouldn't complaint, right?

Nemo at school


Nemo and his new found friends in the aquarium


One of the dance scene in the aquarium - I wonder how was the animation like?


That's Nemo's dad, Marlin, asking around for Nemo


Happy family once again


The closing scene...


The Disney gang

For me, I didn't really enjoy this Disney on Ice outing. But I was not really disappointed either. I guess maybe this is because I had NO expectation when I arrived at Stadium Putra where it was held.

I mean, I enjoyed a lot when I watched Phantom of the Opera a few year ago while I was in London. I enjoy listening to Starlight Express, which is a skating musical. So it can't be that I don't enjoy (any form of) skating. Maybe it's the songs. I just didn't hear anything I could recognise or sing along.

But Mrs. Tai said she enjoyed Disney on Ice: Finding Nemo.

If there is anything memorable about this, I guess it would have to be these...


Finding Nemo ice mugs... Mrs. Tai warned me not to get it
No ice mug for me. So I got this instead...

Mrs. Tai was not aware when I bought this together with the programme booklet

After the show, we were stuck there for about 30minutes because it was raining heavily. It was truly a water-themed outing... :)

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Friday, April 06, 2007

An excellent Friday

Today is Good Friday.

Today is also Goddess of Mercy's (Guan Yin) birthday. This is usually celebrated on the 19th day of the second lunar month. There are actually two other days dedicated to Guan Yin - 19th day of the sixth lunar month and the 19th of the ninth lunar month.

Today is also an auspicious day for the Hindus as Sankatahara Chaturthi is held today. Quoting http://www16.brinkster.com/puranaanuuru/vinayagar/vkoyil4.htm:
The Sankatahara Chaturthi Viratha occurs during the fourth day of the They Pirai or Krishna Paksha, every month. Every year, we have the Maha Sankatahara Chathurthi.The viratha starts before sun-rise and lasts until moon-rise just before mid-night. This is observed in order to overcome difficulties and problems. People suffering from the bad effects of Moon or Mars can perform this viratha.

Friday is also the day for the Muslim's Friday Prayers.

I think today is an EXCELLENT day. And that's why I'm taking the afternoon off... :)

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Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Questions I ask myself

I like to think a lot. I like to ask myself questions. And the questions can range from the logical to the most absurd. They can be about anything from the morbid to the funny. I guess that partly explains why I'm balding.

But I find this to be a good exercise as it helps train my mind to be ready for different scenarios. I mean, given a scenario where you have only 1 second to make a decision, don't you think it would be great if you already know what you need to do? This exercise also makes me imaginative (actually, many times I have wanted to make movies... I even wrote to a comic writer asking if I could have certain rights to write 'side stories' based on the defunct comic -- but no reply from the writer). Sometimes, by asking myself questions, it makes me think if I would be prepared for the time when something happens.

A good example is when I asked myself recently, "What would happen when the time comes for my Gerger to 'return home'?" The question came about after a casual conversation with a friend about death and how it affects the living. The question that expanded its scope to cover every other aspect besides my pets -- my family and my friends.

We get so used to the people and our pets that every day, we sort of take them for granted. Sometimes when I am tired or just plain lazy, I tell Gerger that I will not be playing fetch with her that evening. Of course she will still pick up the bone-bone and leave in front of me, looking puzzled as to why I've not picked up her bone-bone and tossing it (her bone-bone is also a dumbbell for doggies, so throwing it is a bit 'dangerous'). And what if, that evening, something happens to her...

It is the same with our family and friends. Sometimes because of our hectic work schedules, we spend little time with our aged parents. Other times, it is because we think we still have so much of time with them that we take our family and friends for granted. But what if... What if the next day never came for them? Or for us?

How would it feel to reach my house gate and not have Gerger eagerly waiting for me? I mean, I am so used to her waiting at the gate that sometimes I get worried when I don't see her running to greet me.

Gerger, the pretty girl...
My dad commented recently about how his yearly alumni gatherings is a happy and also a sad affair. Happy because they get to see long lost friends. Sad because they seem to lose a few members with each annual gathering. When I heard that comment he made, it just sort of stuck on me after that... Can you just imagine how it would feel, if one day, we have to return to an empty house instead...

On the other hand, what happens after death? Will we still be conscious or aware of our surroundings? Or will everything just STOP? And what happens during that split second when someone gives out their last breath? How does death feel like? Is it painful? When the heart stops beating... And the brain is slowly dying... Are we aware? Or would it be like a 'dream' sequence?

Hmmm... Maybe the Qingming is getting to me. But you know something? There will come a time when I will make the same remark my dad made about his alumni gathering. This just makes me treasure my time on this planet even more. And more importantly, by asking myself questions, I realise I need to love and appreciate my family and friends even more than ever. It is only during our limited time on this planet that we can show them how much we care.

I love you all... :)

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Sunday, April 01, 2007

Mobile phone tracking

A friend of mine shared this website with me - http://www.sat-gps-locate.com.

The website basically allows anyone to track a mobile phone and is based on (quoting the website):
Based on repeater triangulation, the system tracks mobile phones using GPS and GSM technology

I know in Malaysia, such service is already available and is called Friend Finder. However, the Friend Finder is a mobile phone application that is only available from certain mobile phone service providers.

Sat-GPS-Locate is still in BETA and is currently FREE. So what are you waiting for?!

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