Just watched the trailers for Matrix: Revolutions. Gosh, gosh, gosh!
Can't wait for it to start showing in a simultaneous worldwide premier next week. Lots of spoilers are already out there on the Net, and its rumoured that the DVD screener (the one they show to journalists and test audiences) has even found its way to Kazaa.
So... how real is the Matrix? We're about to find out.
I know a secret, i know a secret! * rubs chin with glee *
2 weeks from now and you shall know it too!!!
Heheheheheh....
A good friend of mine, Oon Yeoh has written a most readable book: Transition - Making Sense of the Digital Age.
Drawing on his knowledge and experience as a tech journalist and industry commentator, Oon Yeoh examines the digital age in the context of Technology, Issues, New Media and Concepts. Whether you're seeking to equip yourself for the practical realities of life in the digital age, improve your career or business prospects in a knowledge economy, or simply to increase your understanding of information and communication technologies, this easy-to-read book will be a valuable guide for you to make sense of it all.
Get a copy if you can, its worth the effort. Also, if you wanna get a signed copy, drop by to MPH Mid Valley this weekend for a meet-the-author session:
Meet Oon Yeoh, author of Transition
November 2, 3-4.00 pm
MPH Mid Valley Mega Mall.
This year is the first year i'll be celebrating the month of ramadhan alone. And i mean, reaaaaallllyyy alone.
Staying in campus during the uni days, although being away from the family, i was never really alone. People would drop by during iftar, and i would sahur with my room mates.
But now, things are different. My family is thousands of kilometers away, i'm not too close to my extended family and even if i was, they live too far away to really make a difference. My house mate rarely comes home for dinner and almost never wakes up for sahur. And my loved one, she's got a family of her own to be with during this holy month, and since i know how important it is to be with family during this time, i'm not the sort to ask her to spend it with me just so i won't be lonely.
So where does that leave me, during this holy month? Simply put, on my own. That's ok, its always good to experience something like this once in a while. Part of the trials of ramadhan, so to speak.
Received this very cute Ramadhan cartoon in the mail today. Just wanted to share with everyone.
The Devil has left the building!
When a beautiful woman makes you the most outrageously delicious pengat durian you've ever tasted in your life, you know things are looking up.
Thanks, darling.
Its good to get away once in a while - after more than 200 days since the last time i took leave from work, i Thursday off to take full advantage of the long Deepavali weekend holidays and chugged up to Cameron Highlands.
Ahh, the delight of it all. It was excellent time well spent. Stayed in a wonderful boutique hotel, The Lakehouse. had some amazing meals, read a good book, smoked a few premium cigars, played (and lost) a great game of Scrabble with someone i met on my travels, and basked in the cool mountain air, unpolluted still by the rigours of a city.
No technology, no handphone reception, no computers or gadgets. Its good to be away from it all once in a while - back to the grind tomorrow, refreshed and ready.
Full pics of my vacation can be found in Visuals.
Ramadhan Mubarak to all.
With the long Deepavali weekend coming up, i'm beating the traffic by starting my holidays a day early. Gonna take off early tomorrow morning, without my gadgets or notebook. Armed with just a book, Beckham's "My Side", and a pack of Cuban cigars, i'll be back late Saturday afternoon.
Goodbye civilization, hello jungle.
"To err is human; to forgive, divine" - Alexander Pope.
I am human, and she is divine.
Another cool bit of Mahathir-ism on the front pages of The Sun this morning:
"We (developing nations) are ready to be exploited (by developed nations), but we must be exploited fairly."
He was referring to the merits of fair trade versus unfettered free trade. Where will we get our sources of such scandalously witty -isms whence he's gone?
A lot has been said about Dr Mahathir's opening speech during the recently concluded OIC Summit. And i suspect, a lot more about will be said before the issue is laid to rest - even towards the end of his reign, the Old Man never ceases to entertain.
He's been called a rascist, his words have been labeled an incitement for violence, and, in the eyes of the global media, Dr M is an anti-Semite. Let's look beyond the fact that most reporters wouldn't be able to tell you what or who a Semite really is - does it really matter whether or not Dr M is anti-Jew?
Comparing your girlfriend with other women is a very dangerous proposition. I'm not saying that i do it, but i would imagine that its very unhealthy when you compare what you have with what you think you might want more, or what you see is available elsewhere.
And worse yet, if your girlfriend knows that you're doing it, it can be very damaging psychologically. She begins to wonder whether she's your second choice: the reason why you're with her is because you can't be with another. She begins to think: i'm not good enough, i don't deserve him. And worse of all: i wish i could be her. Because she loves you, these thoughts will begin to creep into her mind each time you openly compare her with another.
The basis of the comparison is not important. You may be comparing her beauty with that of another. The other girl has longer legs than you. The other girl has more pretty eyes. Ooh... doesn't she have a shapely figure (sorry, yours cannot match it)? You may be comparing her intellect: why can't you be as smart as her? Or you may be comparing her ability to "be there for you": she's always there for me when i need her, why aren't you?
What's important, and very important to note, is that comparisons are always, always, without any exception whatsoever, BAD. By comparing, you're telling her she's not good enough; someone else is better. That's just plain wrong.
The fact is, there will always be someone taller, prettier, bustier, smarter, richer, more kind hearted, more understanding - that's a given. No matter how good we think we are, there is always someone who will be able to do it better. The point is that, once you've made a commitment, a commitment is about believing that there is no one better, no one above her.
* The above is a note to myself, a reminder. Once upon a time, a long time ago, i didn't believe. Now that i'm in love, fortunate to be so with a wonderful woman, i want to always believe.
The Malaysian blogosphere has lost one of its most outspoken and talented proponents: Johan Ismail, of Joe-Blogs fame. His blog has been taken off-line as a sign of respect. My prayers go to his soul, my condolences to his family.
Project Petaling Street is full of "pings" of respect for our fellow blogger. May he rest in peace.
First recorded on PPS on Weekends.
The final details of the cigar taste test can be found on below, click on "MORE".
-8 confirmed participants, 7 more slots available.-
-9 confirmed participants, 6 more slots available.-
14 confirmed participants, 1 slot left available.
Received an interesting couple of comments lately on my efforts to organize a cigar tasting session.
bq. Bro , smoking is bad for health . Why promote smoking , I think you are a doctor's son should know better . Up to you anyway , just voicing out :) my concern that's all . Cheers...
bq. You ARE promoting a bad lifestyle choice. Admit to it. No distinction - smoking cigars and smoking cigarettes are both bad for your health.
Of course, smoking cigars is not good for your health. But so is eating McDonalds, or drinking Diet Coke, or indulging in your favourite chocolate, or driving fast cars, or taking part in an extreme sport such as bungee jumping or sky diving or even working and living in the heart of KL while breathing in the smog.
But just like everything else, risks are mitigated through moderation and fair consideration. Furthermore, its a legal lifestlye choice - if someone wants to do it, do any of us have the right to forbid it?
And as far as my writing about cigars and its activities, i'm very sure it falls within my rights of freedom of speech and expression. I've made a lifestyle choice, and i'm writing about it and sharing it with others who have made a similar choice. Why do i do it? Because i can and, more importantly, because i want to.
This is an open invitation to all visitors of this blog (Malaysian) who would like to participate in a FREE cigar taste test. Prior experience with cigars will be useful and you should be over 18 years in age.
I've been recently contacted by an overseas cigar manufacturer who wants to test their product with the Malaysian market. Therefore, i will be receiving a shipment of cigars for distribution among the testers, who will, after smoking these cigars, be asked to fill in a short survey about the cigar.
This will be blind test - meaning that the testers will not know the brand or the blend of the cigar beforehand.
Anyone interested to participate please contact me. The test will be held before the month of ramadhan so that the testers can also enjoy a meal together prior to the test. I will inform everyone when and where the test will be held soon. Spaces are limited and will be allocated based on a first come first served basis.
Sometimes, good things just happen. 782,000 good things happened last night.
The thing about rich people is that they've got a lot of money to spend (obviously). The not-so-good thing is that often, they don't know what to spend it on, or worse yet, they spend it on the wrong thing.
But last night, RM782,000 of good Malaysian money, from good, rich Malaysians went into a trust fund for the education of underprivileged children in Malaysia. Good money spent wisely. Dad always told me that the best thing you can give someone is an education. I agree.
Full pics of the event can be found here.
Just before the Rugby World Cup 2003 match between Scotland and Japan, the Scottish national anthem, "Flower of Scotland", was played. Its a fantastic song, brings a deep emotional response, awe inspiring lyrics. Now, that's a national anthem to be proud of.
Its is with great interest i read that this country's first lady, Datin Deri Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, the PM's wife, was conferred the Darjah Utama Neri Melaka (DUNM) which carries the title Datuk Seri Utama. She's done some great things for this country in the last few decades, not just as the wife of our PM, but in her own right as a person. Her award got me thinking: how do the powers-that-be decide who receives awards, Datuk-ship?
We've got one trick ponies such as Azhar Mansor who sailed solo around the world, Abdul Malik Mydin who swam the English channel, M. Magendran and N. Mohandass who conquered Mt. Everest - there is no doubt that they have or will receive awards of state for their achievement. Without being disrepectful to them or their achievements, the question must be asked: does an achievement such as theirs, being one-off, short term, and, realistically speaking, limited in its national impact, deserve such high and official recognition? Do they really deserve their titles, their Datukships?
Let's take them and put them into perspective.
Perhaps i'm the last person to realize this but Yahoo! is offering all its news as RSS feeds for FREE. Excellent. The Volume of Interactions will undergo a slight change tonight.
Also, check this out: Top 100 Most-Subscribed RSS Feeds on the Web
Simple question: will you marry a man you know is dying? You love this man with all your heart, desperately in love for all the right reasons, but for some quirk of fate, this man happens to be suffering from cancer, AIDs or some other terminal illness. The doctors say he has between 6 months and 2 years to live. You know all of this, and one day he asks you to marry him. What do you say?
She said: Darling, what would you do if we were in a foreign land, and i suddenly disappeared while walking behind you?
He said: No problem. I'll just go and wait for you in the hotel.
She: But let's say all the money and passports were with you and i didn't know the way?
He: You've got a mouth. Describe the hotel to someone. Otherwise go to the Malaysian embassy.
She: But, let's say i was kidnapped. What then?
He: Then shoutlah when someone grabs you.
She: But i've got a sore throat. Cannot shout. Crowded place, you won't be able to hear me.
He: Haiya.
I won't deny it: i love a woman in a thong. The visual impact of this sorry excuse for panties is an incredible turn-on for me, and just about all the men i've polled. When i read this story about how thongs are all the rage now for schoolgirls in France, it got me thinking what was it about this slip of cloth that made it such an object of interest.
To a large extent (being a man myself * ahem *) i can understand why men find it sexually appealing. Often times, its not what is shown that attracts men, but what is hidden or suggested that is. For the same reason lacy lingerie has been used for years by women to draw a sexual response from their mate, thongs hold the same appeal. It covers just enough to hide what's necessary, but it shows off enough to keep the visual senses tingling, curious and asking for more.
But for women? What's the appeal of wearing it? It can't be really comfortable to have a piece of string (essentially) slipping in between your rear end, causing friction where you're most sensitive. Its certainly not a cheap piece of clothing - inch for square inch, you aren't really getting much value for money for that RM50 thong. And, if you're a school girl in France, this piece of clothing can even get you in trouble.
I wonder. Anyone care to help me understand?
A colleague, Chua Kuan Yong can be surprisingly funny sometimes, in the most awkwardly geeky ways. The email he sent me below is an example of such humour:
Jikon is a friend, but sometimes friends disagree and thus is the case i have with his latest posting, "Idol worship". Among other things, he wrote:
bq. "All this sycophantic behaviour absolutely has got to stop."
The following is my response:
Oh no. There is no redemption for me or men in general. I've been programmed to be this way and that way.
bq. The male brain secretes less of the powerful primary bonding chemical oxytocin and less of the calming chemical serotonin than the female brain. So while women find emotional conversations a good way to chill out at the end of the day, the tired male brain needs to zone out all that touchy-feely chatter in order to relax -- which is why he wants the remote control to zap through "mindless" sport or action movies. - How a man's mind really works
I love you darling
For what you are
For what you want to be
For what you feel for me
For what you want for me
That is the truest love i can hope to ever describe.
