KoSong

Selective kNohw Omar...

2012-02-14T20:16:00.003+08:00

I came across these two headlines in The Malaysian Insider:

Noh Omar says has proof of Selangor sand graft

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/noh-omar-says-has-proof-of-selangor-sand-graft/

I don’t know, Noh Omar says of NFC breach of trust

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/i-dont-know-noh-omar-says-of-nfc-breach-of-trust/

You can bet MA Sissy will know which to dig into and which to leave alone.

I can still remember at the height of the sand graft controversies, someone pointed out that the biggest holes were due to years of sand-mining during BN's rule.

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KTMB Batu Gajah station: a possible question in Parliament?

2012-02-14T13:31:00.002+08:00

More than 2 years ago, I had petitioned to KTMB for a scheduled stop at the old station on Jalan Pusing, because the new station is 2 km away from the main road (Jalan Tualang).

Since the new station was opened for use, train travellers had no choice but to accept it grudgingly. I believe it is possible, if only KTMB is willing, to have a scheduled stop at the old station. The old station needs minimum renovation for this purpose. In fact, for the convenience, if put to vote, I am sure the people are willing to accept the present condition! I have used a train stop in Differdange, Luxembourg, which has a concrete bench without even shelter! KTMB should admit its mistake and bear the responsibility of having chosen the inconvenient location, to be near the Railway complex instead of serving the public's convenience. Is it too much to ask to provide an alternative stop, if the people are all for it?

Our local MP, YB Fong Po Kuan has taken notice of a reminder of my earlier petition in Facebook and will be including it as one of her questions in Parliament. But to my disappointment, she has assumed KTMB will never ever consider another scheduled stop, and thus will be asking for feeder bus service instead. Honestly, I do not agree with her opinion because to me, it seems defeatist. KTMB has robbed the residents of Batu Gajah the convenience of its old railway station for a number of years already. Why can't they consider a scheduled stop instead of the hassle of providing feeder bus service? I had experienced the inconvenience of being in the train upon arrival in BG while waiting for another train to be shunted. By providing for another scheduled stop, the train driver just need to stop again a few kilometres away, wasting probably a few minutes for a good cause. In fact, train staff can find out from passengers if anyone wishes to stop at the old station. Service should be the priority of KTMB and this is what the resident train travellers wish for. They shall be eternally grateful if only KTMB consider this point.

In the recent incident near Tg. Malim where someone used a bomb hoax which delayed a train service to KL, KTMB was reported to have lost Rm500,000. Just imagine the vulnerability of train service to such pranks and electricity outage (another incident which affected ETS). We have yet to come across any travellers claiming for compensation as a result of the delay due to the bomb hoax. As a comparison, Virgin Trains recently compensated a Malaysian traveller GBP875 for her inconvenience when travelling in UK. The former example is to illustrate how a company can lose money for something beyond its control, while the latter is to illustrate how a similar train company valued its customer service. Isn't it time for KTMB to think along this line?
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Happy Valentine's Day...

2012-02-14T08:40:00.003+08:00

to whoever who celebrate and wherever they are. This is my choice since it was of my era and I can just about manage to strum and sing along...

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Can Tweety the bird be safe with Slyvester the cat?

2012-02-13T22:06:00.003+08:00

The pair formed their relationship after five-year-old Maria Fedorov brought the hungry stray kitten home to her parents house in Moscow Russia. Maria's father, Alexander, from, Moscow, Russia, said: 'Despite our fears, they moved everywhere as twins, played, slept and even ate together.'

BH forwarded the above with the following note...

They may be cute now but wait until they grow up:
Chick and kitten are a real-life version of Tweety and Sylvester.

Please note the difference between a chick and a birdie. A chick grows to become a chicken and the size depends on its species. A kampung (or village) chicken is likely to be slim and agile, and can even fly up to perch on a tree. Its size is definitely bigger than a normal bird of Tweety's kind. In the case of castrated chicken, the size can grow to more than 5 kg.! By then, even Sylvester will have to give some respect to it.

By the way, for the information of those uninitiated, a castrated chicken (aka as 'yim kai' in Cantonese) is being sold at Rm50 a kg.! This works out to Rm250 for one bird. You can complain to the government but people are willing to pay for the pleasure of eating a steamed one. As my wife would remind any of her lucky friends, she would not give unless the recipient agrees that no skin will be thrown away!
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Politically incorrect jokes: UK vs Malaysia

2012-02-13T17:26:00.002+08:00

Samples from UK:

1. During last night's high winds an African family were killed by a falling tree.
A spokesman for the Birmingham City council said, "We didn't even know they were living up there."

2. Jamaican minorities in the UK have complained that there are not enough television shows with minorities in mind, so Crimewatch is being shown 5 times a week now.

An improvised one to suit our Malaysian politics...

A young man married a beautiful woman who had previously divorced 10 husbands.

On their wedding night, she told her new husband to "Please be gentle; I'm still a Virgin"

"What?" said the puzzled groom. "How can that be if you've been married ten times?"

"Well, husband #1 was a Sales Representative; he kept telling me how great it was going to be.

"Husband # 2 was in Software Services; he was never really sure how it was supposed to function; but he said he'd look into it and get back with me.

"Husband # 3 was from Field Services; he said that everything checked out diagnostically
but he just couldn't get the system up.

"Husband #4 was in Telemarketing; even though he knew he had the order, he didn't know when he would be able to deliver.

"Husband # 5 was an Engineer, he understood the basic process but he wanted three years to research, implement, and design a new state of the-art method.

"Husband #6 was from Administration; he thought he knew how but he wasn't sure whether it was his job or not.

"Husband # 7 was in Marketing; although he had a product, he was never sure how to position it.

"Husband # 8 was a Psychiatrist; all he did was talk about it.

"Husband # 9 was a Gynaecologist; all he did was look at it.

"Husband # 10 was a Stamp Collector; all he ever did was lick it ... God I miss him.

"But now that I've married you, I'm so excited".

"Wonderful", said the husband, "but why?"

"Because you're working for the BARISAN NASIONAL Government,
This time I KNOW I'M gonna get screwed."

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Statistics: when logic does not make sense

2012-02-13T08:46:00.003+08:00

Doctors

(A) The number of physicians in the U.S. is 700,000.

(B) Accidental deaths caused by Physicians per year are 120,000.

(C) Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171

Statistics courtesy of U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services.

Now think about this:

Guns

(A) The number of gun owners in the U.S. is 80,000,000. (Yes, that's 80 million)

(B) The number of accidental gun deaths per year, all age groups, is 1,500.

(C) The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is .0000188

Statistics courtesy of FBI.

So, statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners

Remember, 'Guns don't kill people, doctors do.'

FACT: NOT EVERYONE HAS A GUN,

BUT

Almost everyone has at least one doctor.
This means you are over 9,000 times more likely to be killed by a doctor as by a gun owner!!!

Please alert your friends to this alarming threat.

We must ban doctors before this gets completely out of hand!!!!!

Out of concern for the public at large, we withheld the statistics on
lawyers, for fear the shock would cause people to panic and seek medical attention!

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Business: Jewish vs Chinese in US

2012-02-11T23:57:00.006+08:00

BLACK BRAS, SIZE 38

A Chinese guy goes to a Jew to buy black bras, size 38.

The Jew, known for his skills as a businessman, says that black bras are rare and that he is finding it very difficult to buy them from his suppliers. Therefore he has to charge $50.00 for them.

The Chinese guy buys 25.

He returns a few days later and this time orders fifty.
The Jew tells him that they have become even harder to get and charges him $60.00 each.

The Chinese guy returns a month later and buys the Jews remaining stock of 50, and this time for $75.00 each.

The Jew is somewhat puzzled by the large demand for black size 38 bras and asks the Chinese guy, "...please tell me - What do you do with all these black bras?"

The Chinese guy answers: "I cut them in half and sell them as skull caps to you Jews for $200.00 each."

...and this is why the Chinese will own US!

"Business is business!"

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In business, a typical Jew always has the last laugh

2012-02-11T16:20:00.004+08:00

A typical Jew in traditional garb

A well known Anti-Semite, walks into a bar and is about to order a drink when he sees a guy close by wearing a jewish cap/kippa, a prayer shawl/tzitzis, and traditional locks of hair/payos.

He doesn't have to be Tiger Ah Kooi to know that this guy is Jewish. So he shouts over to the bartender so loudly, that everyone can hear, "Drinks for everyone in here, bartender, but not for that Jew over there.”;

Soon after the drinks have been handed out, he notices that the Jewish guy is smiling and waving to him and says, 'Thank You ' in an equally loud voice, so that everyone can hear.

This infuriates the Anti-Semite and in a loud voice, he once again orders drinks for everyone except the Jew.

But as before, this does not seem to worry the Jewish guy who continues to smile, and again says, "Thank you."

So the guy asks the barman, "What's the hell is the matter with that Jew? I've ordered two rounds of drinks for everyone in the bar except for him, and all that the silly bugger does is to smile and thank me in such a loud voice. Is he nuts?

"Nope," replies the bartender.

"He owns this place."
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KFC saga: management still undecided on the correct reply?

2012-02-11T08:44:00.003+08:00

Is it because of the change in control of the company? There appears to be a lack of direction even in terms of a quick response to an ugly, indefensible situation where its employee attacked a disgruntled customer. Let me offer what should have been expected by the general public...

Manager of the outlet should have intervened when hearing of loud complaints. From what we have gathered, the manager lacked control over its staff and his non-intervention led to the assault. Some people are just not right for service industry, regardless of training. This can be traced to lack of discipline at home and at school which is common these days. So the old rule 'customer is king' or 'customer is always right' is treated with disdain and contempt.

After the video clips went viral in the internet, there was no response from higher management... even while I am typing this post! The least higher management should have done to alleviate any further bad publicity and to sooth the anger of the customers and general public is to offer an immediate apology for the unforeseen circumstances (shortage of chicken!) which led to the unfortunate incident. Apologise on behalf of their employees - is that too much to ask for? Western management would have offered a free meal to the aggrieved family immediately at the nearest KFC outlet. Announcing that the employees concerned have been suspended pending further investigation would help too.

(Sorry, there are several official statements as well as a video clip of KFC's Deputy President who made an announcement in Facebook.)

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It's so easy for some to get a doctorate

2012-02-11T02:00:00.003+08:00

First, you get married to a man...

MARRIAGE: It's an agreement wherein a man loses his bachelor degree and a woman gains her master.

Then, if your husband is PM...
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/188774
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EPF is another convenient source of funds

2012-02-11T00:48:00.002+08:00

for our political leaders to use, much like Petronas.

Petronas reports only to the PM and billions could not be explained nor accounted for over the years. It contributes half of Malaysia's annual revenues and its depleting oil wells is a cause for concern because we are so used to its contributions to finance public expenditure. GST is supposed to be introduced to provide for the expected shortfall in future. Meanwhile, EPF has provided loans to Felda (which used to be another cash cow, which is why it is worrying), and now asked to provide finance for housing loans to low-income earners.

Our government's track record has left a trail of failures which is why people should be worried of its so-called good intentions. Instead of focusing and maintaining order in implementation of policies, schemes devised are likely to be indirect with the aim of confusing the public. Initial costs of large projects looked reasonable to gain public support, but always ended up costing a few times more (eg. PKFZ, Palace, etc.). Proton was started and maintained at the expense of higher car prices borne by all purchasers of imported and locally assembled vehicles. PM's and DPM's official residences in Putrajaya are owned by Putrajaya Holdings, yet renovations by successive PMs costed tens of millions each time, which does not make sense.

Objections to the current proposal to finance housing loans to low-wage earners are treated as being harsh and looking down on them. But the government should have used its own resources to finance such schemes instead of touching on employees' savings. Politicians come and go, who will be responsible when the government cannot honour its obligations as guarantor for its increasing mega projects? Incidentally, EPF's large fund at Rm407 billion is only almost the same as Malaysia's public debt at end of 2010! Can we be blamed if we think by using EPF, it was to avoid showing it as part of national debt?

"The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) is a cash cow with billions in its coffer. To be more accurate, it has about RM407 billion, which easily makes it one of the largest funds in the world. All this billion represents the collective sweat and toil of the 13 million members. They contributed to the huge pile through compulsory deduction of their monthly salary. The money does not come from business ventures. This is a social security organisation and not a profit-making company.

But over the years, this growing gold mine began to attract the eyes of rapacious politicians in power. They saw in EPF a useful medium to bail out ailing companies. They began to put their hands in the pot and draw out huge stacks to invest in the stock market. Some RM5 billion was reportedly dumped to “shore up Bursa Malaysia” to mitigate the “effect of a global economic meltdown” a few years ago. In reality, the money was used to save a badly-hit company..."

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2012/02/07/filthy-paws-in-epf-pool/

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1Care on health is scary by its stealth to create wealth...

2012-02-10T09:05:00.004+08:00

for some politicians and well connected cronies.

How many of us are aware that if 1Care is considered a done deal, all employees will be burdened with a new deduction from their paychecks whether they are healthy or ill? Can you imagine being forced to pay for medical bill each month even if you are perfectly healthy? I think this is the worst form of encroachment on a person's freedom of choice. There are many people who would not see a doctor if they can help it. It is not up to us to decide for them, definitely not up to the government. What we will be getting for 1Care is likely to be something similar to NHS in UK where the main complaints are compulsory deductions, no choice of doctor and so on. We can say goodbye to what we are enjoying now: go private if you can afford it and for fast service (this is not always true), or if you have the time, go to the GH to save money.

Jackson Ng's article in Malaysia Chronicle:

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=27789:1care-cant-choose-doctor-when-to-see-him-no-refunds-and-cheapest-medicine&Itemid=2

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Costa Concordia - the real story?

2012-02-09T20:39:00.004+08:00

How two lovely ladies sank the cruise ship...

Another instance when we cannot believe everything in the internet!
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Fox Fm's Mate Match radio show...

2012-02-09T17:39:00.003+08:00

got the whole of Sydney laughing....

Just imagine sitting in traffic on your way to work and hearing this. Many Sydney folks heard this on the FOX FM morning show in Sydney .

The DJs play a game called 'Mate Match'. The DJ calls someone at work and ask if they are married or seriously involved with someone. If the contestant answers 'yes', he or she is then asked 3 random yet highly personal questions.

The person is also asked to divulge the name of their partner with (phone number) for verification. If their partner answers those same three questions correctly, they both win the prize.

The Harbour City dropped to its knees with laughter and is possibly the funniest thing you've heard yet .

Anyway, here's how it all went down:

DJ: 'Hey! This is Ed on FOX-FM. Have you ever heard of 'Mate Match'?'

Contestant: (laughing) 'Yes, I have.'

DJ: 'Great! Then you know we're giving away a trip to the Gold Coast if you win. What is your name? First only please.'

Contestant: 'Brian.'

DJ: 'Brian, are you married or what?'

Brian: (laughing nervously) 'Yes, I am married.'

DJ: 'Thank you. Now, what is your wife's name? First only please.'

Brian: 'Sara.'

DJ: 'Is Sara at work, Brian?'

Brian: 'She is gonna kill me.'

DJ: 'Stay with me here, Brian! Is she at work?'

Brian: (laughing) 'Yes, she's at work.'

DJ: 'Okay, first question - when was the last time you had s*x?'

Brian: 'About 8 o'clock this morning.

DJ: 'Atta boy, Brian.'

Brian: (laughing sheepishly) 'Well...'

DJ: 'Question #2 - How long did it last?'

Brian: 'About 10 minutes.'

DJ: 'Wow! You really want that trip, huh? No one would ever have said that if a trip wasn't at stake.'

Brian: 'Yeah, that trip sure would be nice.'

DJ: 'Okay. Final question. Where did you have s*x at 8 o'clock this morning?

Brian: (laughing hard) 'I, ummm, I, well...'

DJ: 'This sounds good, Brian. Where was it at?'

Brian: 'Not that it was all that great, but her mum is staying with us for couple of weeks...'

DJ: 'Uh huh...'

Brian: '...and the Mother-In-Law was in the shower at the time.'

DJ: 'Atta boy, Brian.'

Brian: 'On the kitchen table.'

DJ: 'Not that great?? That is more adventure than the previous hundred times I've done it. Okay folks, I will put Brian on hold, get his wife's work number and call her up.

You listen to this.' [ 3 minutes of commercials follow. ]

DJ: 'Okay audience; let's call Sarah, shall we?' (Touch tones......ringing...)

Clerk: 'Kinkos.'

DJ: 'Hey, is Sarah around there somewhere?'

Clerk: 'This is she.'

DJ: 'Sarah, this is Ed with FOX-FM. We are live on the air right now and I've been talking with Brian for a couple of hours now.'

Sarah: (laughing) 'A couple of hours?'

DJ: 'Well, a while now. He is on the line with us. Brian knows not to give any..answers away or you'll lose. Sooooooo... Do you know the rules of 'Mate Match'?'

Sarah: 'No.'

DJ: 'Good!'

Brian: (laughing)

Sarah: (laughing) 'Brian, what the hell are you up to?'

Brian: (laughing) 'Just answer his questions honestly, okay? Be completely honest..'

DJ: 'Yeah yeah yeah. Sure. Now, I will ask you 3 questions, Sarah. If your answers match Brian's answers, then the both of you will be off to the Gold Coast for 5 days on us.

Sarah: (laughing) 'Yes.'

DJ: 'All right. When did you last have s*x, Sarah?'

Sarah: 'Oh God, Brian....uh, this morning before Brian went to work.'

DJ: 'What time?'

Sarah: 'Around 8 this morning.'

DJ: 'Very good. Next question. How long did it last?'

Sarah: '12, 15 minutes maybe.'

DJ: 'Hmmmm. That's close enough. I am sure she is trying to protect his manhood. We've got one last question, Sarah. You are one question away from a trip to the Gold Coast. Are you ready?'

Sarah: (laughing) 'Yes.'

DJ: 'Where did you have it?'

Sarah: 'OH MY GOD, BRIAN!! You didn't tell them that did you?'

Brian: 'Just tell him, honey.'

DJ: 'What is bothering you so much, Sarah?'

Sarah: 'Well...'

DJ: Come on Sarah.....where did you have it?

Sarah: 'Up the arse.....'

They had to call an ambulance for the DJ he thought he was going to have a heart attack , he could not stop laughing. Apparently there was an unusually high call out of the Sydney Police just after this conversation, for minor traffic collisions.

(Now we know why police take statements from suspects and witnesses separately!)
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Friends on Facebook

2012-02-09T14:25:00.002+08:00

Mary Schneider posted this image on Facebook. It so happens I was about to write on how I feel about so-called friends on Facebook.

In the context of the above funeral scene, it shows the number of friends one had on FB is no indication of the actual turnout at one's funeral, which is understandable.

In case some people did not realize, close friends are likely to be in touch, by phone if not in person. FB is great where friends or relations are separated by distance. It is also good for looking up long lost friends. But where the names are common, it can be frustrating going through a long list, with some faceless ones, when trying to look for a long lost friend or relative. Most require that you are already their friend before you could check for more details to confirm if you have got the right person. I had my fair share of friends who promised to 'accept' but for some reasons, did not! There are also people who are afraid of others knowing about their being in touch with old flames. In other words, we should not be too bothered by description nor whether one is already someone's friend on FB. Really close friends are likely not to be friends on FB!

I have recently added an ex-classmate in college. Somehow, for the first time, I was asked to tick whether she is 'close' friend. I did and she becomes my first and till now, my only close friend! The reason was because I did run through my list of friends on FB and most of them are relatives who cannot be considered friends because we are related. Then there are politicians who I used to be associated with or I admire from a distance. There is another ex-classmate in Kelantan who I had not met since I last visited him in University of Singapore 40 years ago! So how close is close? I knew him at the same time as my so-called 'close friend' on FB, when in college, but never in touch until I found him in FB. Besides, there are new friends I have yet to meet in person! In the case of those I don't really know, sometimes, it is difficult not to accept someone's good intention to be friend.

I am sure there are those who check on someone's friends to find out more about certain persons. Well, for those who are worried about being spied on, then they should not be on FB!
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Classic Medicare Fraud

2012-02-08T23:59:00.003+08:00

A Florida couple, both well into their 80's, go to a sex therapist's office.

The doctor asks, 'What can I do for you?' The man says, 'Will you watch us have sexual intercourse?' The doctor raises both eyebrows, but he is so amazed that such an elderly couple is asking for sexual advice that he agrees.

When the couple finishes, the doctor says, 'There's absolutely nothing wrong with the way you have intercourse.' He thanks them for coming, he wishes them good luck, he charges them $50 and he says goodbye.

The next week, however, the couple returns and asks the sex therapist to watch again. The sex therapist is a bit puzzled, but agrees. This happens several weeks in a row.

The couple makes an appointment, has intercourse with no problems, pays the doctor, then leave.

Finally, after 5 or 6 weeks of this routine, the doctor says, 'I'm sorry, but I have to ask. Just what are you trying to find out?'

The old man says, 'We're not trying to find out anything. She's married and we can't go to her house. I'm married and we can't go to my house. The Holiday Inn charges $98. The Hilton charges $139. We do it here for $50, and I get $43 back from Medicare...!

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When our mind plays tricks on us

2012-02-08T07:59:00.003+08:00

As a result of my recent complaints to TMnet about its internet connection, we received calls from their telemarketers asking us if we wish to upgrade our existing contract with them. Yesterday, my wife received two calls in succession. Immediately after, my sister-in-law called from KL, and my wife thought it was another such call answered, 'Apalah ini...' My sister-in-law thought she was speaking to our maid (actually we don't have any), asked if she could speak to her boss!

Anyway, I realized being old, I could be thinking of one thing while saying something else. It usually causes argument over what had been said. Recently, an older friend had been complaining about food that he had ordered for breakfast. Once, when the bowl of noodles was served, he looked at it and said he didn't order that. Since, I had yet to order, I took it instead, to the relief of the waiter. When the next bowl came, again he said it wasn't what he ordered, but after the waiter had left us. He grumbled, 'How could he make a mistake when I pointed to a picture shown at the stall?'

I had a similar problem too. But this time, it was me who pointed to No.30 (kwayteow fried with venison), a dish I had been ordering in the same restaurant for the past few times I was there. But being new, the waitress must have wrote something else without actually referring to the description in the menu. To me, 'How could they make a mistake when I gave the right number?'

Anyway, the following joke is more about fear and what it does to the mind...

A Skinny little white Irishman goes into an elevator, he looks up and sees this HUGE black guy standing next to him.

The big guy sees the little Irishman staring at him, he looks down and says: '7ft tall, 350pds, 20in penis, 3pds of testicles, Turner Brown.'

The little white Irishman faints and falls to the floor.

The big guy kneels down and brings him to, shaking him.. The big guy says, 'What's wrong with you?'

In a weak voice the little guy says, 'What EXACTLY did you say to me?'

The big dude says, 'I saw your curious look and figured I'd just give you the answers to the questions everyone always asks me...... I'm 7ft tall, I weigh 350pds, I have a 20in penis, my testicles weigh 3pds each and my name is Turner Brown.'

The little white Irishman says: 'Turner Brown?!....Sweet Jesus, I thought you said, 'Turn around!

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How would you translate 'Tua Pek Kong temple'?

2012-02-07T09:07:00.002+08:00

I had a good laugh when I read the translation by Bing in Facebook. A friend posted some pictures taken at the temple in Pasir Panjang, near Sitiawan. I could not recognize it, partly because I was distracted by the red herring 'near Batu Gajah' mentioned in FB (don't really know how it got that description, just like the translation I am going to disclose). I was trying to relate to those temples I know in BG which could have been renovated. Anyway, next to the Chinese characters in FB was a link for translation and it was, 'brother-in-law temple'!

I tried and tried to figure out but could not get how it was translated as such. But then again, 'Tua pek' in Hokien means 'father's older brother'. Sometimes, a wife might follow her children in addressing such a brother-in-law as 'tua pek' (which is relevant if brother-in-law had any relevance to this!). Therefore, 'tua pek kong' could have originated from someone (now a demi-god) who had been addressed as such before. This is highly unlikely as the term suggests relationship within a family. I still think it is more likely that it could be 'pek' as in a respectful term for an elderly man, 'tua' as in big could have been added to give it added respect, and 'kong' as in Chinese for 'god'.

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The overzealous bodyguard...

2012-02-06T20:46:00.001+08:00

beyond the call of his duties!

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Being older, I can be rude...

2012-02-06T01:27:00.003+08:00

I was a bit hesitant to post this joke, but Shahrizat has given me the encouragement since I am older than both Najib and her...

Shahrizat called Najib one day and said, "Jibby, I have a plan to win back our kampung folk for GE13!"

"Great Shari, but how?" asked Najib.

"We'll get some plain baju and slippers, like most kampung people wear, then stop at the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) in Gemas and pick up a nice-looking cow.

Then, we'll go to a nice old country kedai kopi and show them how much admiration and respect we have for the hard working people living there." So they did, and found just the place they were looking for in Gemas.

With the cow in tow, they walked inside and stepped up to the counter. The kedai kopi owner took a step back and said, "Hey! Aren't you Najib and Shahrizat?"

"Yes we are!" said Shahrizat, "And what a lovely town you have here. We were visiting the NFC and Jibby here suggested we stop and take in some local colour."

They ordered a round of teh tarik for the whole shop and started chatting up a storm with anyone who would listen.

A few minutes later, a grizzled old farmer came in, walked up to the cow, lifted up its tail, looked underneath, shrugged his shoulders and walked out.

A few moments later, in came another old farmer. He walked up to the cow, lifted up its tail, looked underneath, scratched his head and left the shop.

For the next hour, a dozen farmers came in, lifted the cow's tail, and left shaking their heads.

Finally, Shahrizat asked, "Why did all those old farmers come in and look under the cow's tail? Is it some sort of custom?"

"No, no," said the kedai kopi owner. "Someone's out there running around town, claiming there's a cow in here with two assholes!"

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Facebook facing four main challenges

2012-02-06T01:02:00.002+08:00

According to Bearemy Glaser of Morningstar...

Four Things Not to 'Like' About the Facebook IPO
"Facebook has a solid business right now, but keep these weaknesses in mind before getting too excited."

Excerpt:

Display Advertising
"Facebook is a display advertising business. Mark Zuckerberg may write about his goal of bringing everyone together and making government more responsive to its citizens, but for investors, Facebook's purpose is to drive traffic to look at ads on the site. Advertising is essentially the only thing that makes any money for Facebook. This isn't exactly a new business model. For 15 years now, Yahoo (YHOO) has been trying to drive users to its universe of sites to show them ads.

So in order for Facebook to grow its top line, it needs to either realize higher ad-sales rates or increase the reach of its site. Both are tricky propositions..."

How Much Can You Sell Your Users?
"People with Facebook pages are not just the firm's users; they are also the product being sold to advertisers. The firm's core pitch to the advertisers that are filling up its coffers is that it knows an incredible amount of information about individual users, and that Facebook can serve up targeted ads that are likely to make an impact on buying habits..."

Google
"Google appears to be the largest competitive threat to Facebook. The two firms are similar in many respects. They may get their user data in different ways (search versus social networking), but they both are trying to use that data to serve up targeted ads.

And now Google is making a big push into social networking, too..."

Corporate Governance
"Corporate governance is not the sexiest part of most offerings, but it really does matter. It might not be apparent anytime soon, but handing over total voting control of Facebook to Mark Zuckerberg, even though he only has a 28% economic interest, is not shareholder-friendly..."

"Facebook is Zuckerberg's baby, and he is unlikely to seriously consider any takeover offers years down the line, even if they would be the best thing for common shareholders. Look at what happened at Yahoo. Founder Jerry Yang's insistence on remaining a stand-alone company meant that the firm spurned a lucrative Microsoft (MSFT) deal that would have created tremendous value for Yahoo shareholders. And Yang only owns a very small slice of the firm!..."

More:
http://news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=535846

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New housing development near radioactive dump site?

2012-02-05T17:37:00.004+08:00

(Location map courtesy of The Star)

Road works are being carried out by a housing developer, at a site which is roughly after Papan, on the left side of Ipoh-Lumut Highway, before the 'Existing access road' shown on the map. I think it is too close to the 'Disposal site' as mentioned in the map, for comfort.

Each time I drive past the completed housing project on the right, I wonder why it is still mainly unoccupied. I like the apparent cozy location which is next to a hill, suitable for living away from the busy town centres of Lahat, Pusing or Batu Gajah. Is it because of its proximity to the radioactive dumpsite?

SPNB (Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd) is the developer of the above completed project known as Lahat Indah, which is located away from the 'Disposal site', across the Ipoh-Lumut Highway, on the right, after the 'Existing access road' shown on the map. The project has been issued with CFO, and according to SPNB website, the project has 128 unsold units which range from Rm100,000 (24 Single-storey terrace houses (20'x65'); 45 units from Rm110,000 (20'x70'); 48 units from 120,000 (22'x70'); 4 units from Rm145,000 (Single-storey semi-detached (35'x80'); 6 units from Rm165,000 (40'x80'); and a solitary unit of single-storey bungalow (no land area mentioned) going for R322,816!

Source:

http://www.spnb.com.my/bm/projects/08-002/08-002-MedLowA.htm

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A bit on English Etymology

2012-02-05T01:02:00.004+08:00

"Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time..."

Where did "Piss Poor" come from? Interesting History...

They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot. And then once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery... if you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor".

But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot...
They "didn't have a pot to piss in" and were the lowest of the low.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt poor." (Just a thought: as compared with more recent ' filthy rich'?) The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing.

As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence: a thresh hold.

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.
Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme: “Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old”.

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon." (Just a thought: as compared with 'breadwinner'?) They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat...

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E&O: Exception & Omission?

2012-02-05T00:41:00.002+08:00

Another case of Husband and Wife connection which is causing embarrassment. How would the Wife in charge of the Securities Commission deal with the company headed by her Husband? Where there is conflict of interest, by not doing anything is already damaging to public confidence, what if action contrary to the Commission's rules?

"It has emerged that there was a decision within the Securities Commission's Management team that investigated the E&O acquisition by Sime Darby to request Sime to make a mandatory general offer on the remaining shares of E&O. It is said that there was a recommendation to form a concerted party by Sime and Datuk Terry Tham to do so in view that the collective shares held by both parties had exceeded the 33% threshold that is set by law.

This was revealed in an affidavit raised with a judicial review application raised by a minority shareholder.

In the same application, it was also revealed that the takeover and mergers committee of the SC had overruled the recommendation of the management committee..."

Source:
E&O Fallout; SC mulls ruling publication

http://www.tnt.net.my/

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Apology by different nationalities...

2012-02-04T14:31:00.002+08:00

各國女人裙子破了的反應~~~
日本東京 Tokyo, Japan

在川流不息的銀座廣場，一日本男子不小心刮開了一日本單身女人的超短裙。
日本男人還沒有開口，那日本單身女人一個90度的大鞠躬︰不好意思，給您添麻煩了！
都怪裙子的品質不好......說完，取出一個別針別好，又匆匆走掉。

A man accidentally tore a girl’s short miniskirt in Tokyo. Before the guy had a chance to apologize, the single lady took a 90 degree bow, then said: “I am sorry to give you trouble! The quality of the skirt is not all that good.” Then she took out a pin, put the skirt back together and left.

美國紐約 New York, USA

在人來人往的時代廣場，一美國男子不小心刮開了一美國單身女人的超短裙。
美國男人還沒開口，那美國單身女人立刻從身上摸出一張名片來︰這是我律師的電話，他會找你細談關于你性騷擾我的事情，你可以做好準備，我們法庭上見. .. .
說完記下美國男子的姓名電話，揚頭走掉。

Time Square, New York, a man accidentally tore a girl's short miniskirt. Before the guy had a chance to react, the single lady pulled out a name card, gave it to him and said: “This is my lawyer’s business card. He will contact you about this sexual harassment. It is better that you prepare yourself, then we will see you in court.”

法國巴黎 Paris, France

A French man accidently tore a girl's miniskirt. Before the man opened his mouth, the young single lady said with a smile: “If you do not mind, a red rose can represent your apology.” The French man bought her a rose, then they went to a bar, and lastly, they went to a small hotel discussing what was in the miniskirt.

在聞名于世的凱旋門廣場上，一法國男子不小心刮開了一法國單身女人的超短裙。
法國男人還沒開口，那法國單身女人咯咯一笑，然後細手搭肩的說道︰如果你不介意的話，送我一枝玫瑰來向我道歉.......
說完。法國男人從花店買了一枝玫瑰，還請她去酒吧喝上一杯，然後兩人一起去一家小旅館再研究一下超短裙以內的事情了......

英國倫敦 Thymes, England

In the Church Square by Thymes, an Englishman accidentally tore the mini skirt of a young single lady. Before the English man opened his mouth, the young lady covered her tore spot, then said with a blush on her face: “Do you mind taking me home, sir? I live near here.” The English man took his jacket off, put on her shoulders, call a cab, then took her home safely.

在泰晤士河邊的教堂廣場上，一英國男子不小心刮開了一英國單身女人的超短裙。
英國男人還沒開口，那英國單身女人忙用手裡的報紙遮住裙子開了的部分，紅著臉說︰先生，可以先送我回家嗎？我家就在前面不遠. .. . . ..
說完。英國男人把自己的上衣脫下來，披在她身上。叫了一輛Taxi，安全的把她送到家，又換了一件裙子。

中國重慶 Chong Qing, CHINA

A man accidentally cut open the miniskirt of a young lady. Before the man said anything, the young lady slapped the guy, then said, “You, the sex maniac. Dare to take advantage of me, I will send you to the labour camp…”

在人頭簇動的解放碑前，一重慶男子不小心刮開了一重慶單身女人的超短裙。
重慶男人還沒開口，那重慶單身女人揚手一記響亮的耳光，還抓住重慶男人的脖領子不放︰你這個不要臉的傢伙！敢吃老娘豆腐，送你去勞改...

台灣西門町 Shimending, Taiwan

A man accidentally tore a girl’s short miniskirt. Before the guy started to speak, the girl smiled and said: “We have not come up with a price yet, and you want to inspect the merchandise?”

在台灣的西門町裡，一台客不小心刮開了一女學生的超短學生裙。
台客還沒開口，那個女學生咯咯一笑，對著你說：價錢還沒談攏就要先看貨了啊！

香港銅鑼灣 Times Square, Hong Kong

A man accidentally tore a girl’s miniskirt. She was only 18 years old. Before the man opened his mouth, the girl screamed: “XXX your XXX, you think I am the cheap whore on the street? Watch out, I will find someone to peel your skin!”

在人山人海的時代廣場，一中年男子不小心刮開了一年約! 18女生的超短裙。
中年男人還沒有開口，那女生就大聲:我操你老母！
你當我是站路邊的便宜貨啊. .小心我去找人來收你的皮. ..

韓國斧山 Korea
On the street of Yinchong, a man accidently tore a girl’s miniskirt. Before the man speaks, the girl gave him a round kick, then said: “Don’t you know that I am a second degree black belt in Tai Kwan Dao.”

在斧山的街上，一中年男子不小心刮開了一年約18女生的超短裙。
中年男人還沒有開口，那女生二話不說便踢出一個彈跳迴旋踢，然後冷冷地說:你不知道我是跆拳道黑帶二段嗎?

泰國曼谷 Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand, a man accidentally tore the miniskirt of an 18 year’s old girl. Before the man start to apologize, the girl said with a Buddha hand gesture: “No worries honey, ……we are all men.”

In Malaysia? Man would accuse the girl for dressing provocatively which caused it. If both are Muslims in Selangor, JAIS will arrest and charge them for khalwat. If JAIS officials not around, others will gather round and hope to watch some drama.
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Even a frog doesn't like to be fooled...

2012-02-04T14:28:00.001+08:00

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Parking with cell phone... a boon to some drivers

2012-02-04T14:24:00.001+08:00

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A doctor with excellent English and sense of humour

2012-02-04T09:00:00.002+08:00

Let me tell you about my doctor. He's very good! If you tell him you want a second opinion, He'll go out and come in again n give you another opinion..
~~~~~
He treated one woman for yellow jaundice for three years Before he realized she was Chinese.
~~~~~
Another time, he gave a patient six months to live. At the end of the six months, the patient hadn't paid his bill, So, the doctor gave him another six months.
~~~~~
While he was talking to me, his nurse came in and said, "Doctor, there is a man here who thinks he's invisible." The doctor said, "Tell him I can't see him."
~~~~~
Another time, a man came running in the office and yelled, "Doctor, doctor! - my son just swallowed a roll of film!" The doctor calmly replied, "Let's just wait and see what develops."
~~~~~
One patient came in and said, "Doctor, I have a serious memory problem." The doctor asked, "When did it start?" The man replied, "When did what start?"
~~~~~
I remember one time I told my doctor I had a ringing in my ears. His advice: "Don't answer it."
~~~~~
My doctor sure has his share of nut cases. One said to him, "Doctor, I think I'm a bell." The doctor gave him some pills and said, "Here, take these - If they don't work, give me a ring."
~~~~~
Another guy told the doctor that he thought he was a deck of cards.
The doctor simply said, "Go sit over there. I'll deal with you later."
~~~~~
When I told my doctor I broke my leg in two places, He told me to stop going to those places.
~~~~~
You know, doctors can be so frustrating. You wait a month and a half for an appointment, Then he says, "I wish you had come to me sooner."

(I'm afraid most of today's students would not be able to discern the jokes.)
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The Ant and the Contact Lens

2012-02-03T22:18:00.003+08:00

'Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for You.'

The true story...

Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff. She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb.. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out her contact lens. 'Great', she thought. 'Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry.' She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the ledge. But it just wasn't there.

She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying.. She prayed for calm, and she prayed that she may find her contact lens.

When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of mountains. She thought of the bible verse 'The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.'

She thought, 'Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me.'

Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff they met another party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, 'Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?'

Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock, carrying it!
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Majlis, Majlis (MDBG), wherefore art thou?

2012-02-03T17:01:00.003+08:00

Just came back from the BG District Council, to seek clarification from a letter from them concerning my earlier complaint about my neighbour's vegetable patch and oil drum in front of our house.

A lady enforcement officer reconfirmed that because it did not cause any obstruction, they cannot do anything about it. When asked why my neighbour could plant in front of our house and not theirs, she said they have cemented the place (for parking their precious cars as can be seen in the picture)! Where does that leave us? As decent folks, we would never park our cars in front of their house, let alone plant anything in front of their house. As I have posted earlier http://kosongcafe.blogspot.com/2012/01/cny-greetings-from-our-neighbour.html , in our absence, our bougainvilla was cut down and of course, we have no evidence except the dried plant as can be seen in the above picture. Students of SM Sultan Yussuf who parked their cars in front of their house were given 'summons'!

Asked about the oil drum which is collecting water which might breed Aedes mosquitoes and infect people with Dengue, I was told to complain at the local Health Department. I went straight from MDBG to the Health Department to complain and was told that unless they found larvae, again they cannot do anything about it! In other words, does it mean the Health Ministry cannot be proactive but will only act when there is a case reported, to fog the area?

The lessons I have learned from this is that people who are shameless can do what they like to public places right in your face and the local government cannot do anything about it. If we follow rules of the law and refrain from doing anything tit-for-tat, such thick-skinned people can get away from it. Why do I get the feeling I am in the same position as the opposition when dealing with BN government?

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Facts stranger than fiction

2012-02-03T01:29:00.005+08:00

A man went to the hospital in Cooktown, Queensland to have his wedding ring cut off from his penis.

According to the nurse attending the operation, the patient's girlfriend found the ring in his pants pocket. She didn't know he was married and she was so mad she used petroleum jelly to slip the ring on his penis while he was asleep.

I don't know what's worse:
- Having your girl friend find out you're married.
- Explaining to your wife how your wedding ring got on your penis.
OR
- Finding out your penis fits through your wedding ring.

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Difference in logic between man and woman

2012-02-02T16:17:00.001+08:00

Milk and eggs

This is a story which is perfectly logical to all males:

A wife asks her husband,

"Could you please go shopping for me and buy one carton of milk, and if they have eggs, get 6."

A short time later the husband comes back with 6 cartons of milk.

The wife asks him, "Why did you buy 6 cartons of milk?"

He replied, "They had eggs."

(If you're female, I'm sure you're going back to read it again! Males will get it the first time.)
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Some selected jokes on Malaysian politicians

2012-02-02T13:40:00.003+08:00

1. Midnight, Najib went for supper and bumped into a robber.

Robber: "Give me all your money!!"

Najib was very angry: "I am the honourable Prime Minister!"

Robber: "Well, then ... return all my money."

2. One fine day, PM, DPM and some parliament members were on the way to a meeting where they all crashed in an accident and was rushed to the hospital.

The reporters were at the hospital, the doctor shook his head "We have done our best to rescue the PM but ..."

Reporters:"How about the DPM?"

Doctor:"We were unable to rescue him either ..."

Reporters:"Who have you saved?"

The doctor was excited: "Malaysia is now saved!"

3. Samy Vellu visited the psychiatric hospital. All the patients cheered "Hurray" for him but there is one patient who ignored Samy.

Samy: "Why doesn't he welcome me?"

Doctor: "He is now normal and waiting to be discharged today."

Meanwhile at a bar in Bangsar...

Having already downed a few power drinks, she turns around, faces him, looks him straight in the eye and says,

"Listen here good looking, I screw anybody, anytime; anywhere, your place, my place, in the car; front or back; standing up or sitting down; naked or with clothes on; it doesn't matter to me. I just love it!"

Eyes now wide with interest, he responds, "Really? No kidding, I'm from the BN too! Which state are you from?"
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A bit on hotel management

2012-02-01T21:10:00.004+08:00

Students of hotel management are taught about the number of room-nights of a hotel. For example, a 100-room hotel has a maximum of 36,500 (365 days x 100) room-nights in a year. The objective of hotel management is to maximise occupancy rate ( up to 100%) as much as possible. There is a physical limit to the amount of revenue which could be earned. If the average room rate is Rm100 per night, then the maximum revenue for a year is Rm3,650,000 (Rm100 x 36,500).

What the students are not taught is the practice of small hotels which cater to day-use guests. This would throw out the earlier statement of a maximum of 100% occupancy, as well as the maximum revenue based on that assumption.

We know why some budget hotels indulge in catering for day-use guests, though there are some genuine cases of people who needed a room for a couple of hours to catch up on sleep and to freshen up before they proceed on a long journey. It is obvious that such hotels with hourly rates cater mainly for prostitution, with the management or staff secretly providing it or 'closing one eye and shut the other' where arrangements are made elsewhere. There are also cases of married men or women indulging in adultery using such facilities.

It is therefore understandable that there is a certain stigma attached to hotel management, especially in small budget hotels. The set-up is such that it is so convenient to indulge in illicit sex in the privacy of a room. In terms of maximising revenues, the limitations based on strict conventional rules are lifted when management indulges in illegal practices. Just imagine the hypothetical case of maximum hours of use in a year! Using the above example, 24 hours x 365 days x 100 rooms, is equal to 876,000 hours! Even at Rm10 an hour, theoretically, the maximum revenue can reach Rm8,760,000! This is more than double that based on room nights. Or, using a more practical 2-hour example, even at Rm10 per two-hour, the maximum revenue is Rm4,380,000, which is also more than that based on room nights. Of course, we must also bear in mind and provide for the increase in variable costs like room maids' wages and laundry charges.

From a practical point, whether a hotel is suitable for a conventional hotel, a day-use hotel or a mix of both, would depend on the location and the people's preference. This could be gauged on a trial basis. If morality is not a problem, and management is involved in prostitution as well, the revenues could skyrocket!

Is it any wonder why some small hotel operators are laughing all the way to the bank, with most of their incomes unreported and therefore untaxed, while 5-star and above hotels report losses mainly because of extremely huge initial capital outlays and very high overheads and operating expenditures? I always believe big international hotels are owned by wealthy people who wish for status and high profile visibility, and not profitability, at least not according to what is shown in the accounts.

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Confessions of a hotel front office manager

2012-02-01T12:37:00.002+08:00

'Once she had to attend to an angry guest who complained that the "microwave oven" in her room failed to work.

"I was puzzled when I was told of the complaint by my receptionist. I went to the guest's room and I tried so hard to contain my laughter when she pointed to the safe box and complained that 'the microwave' didn't work," recalls Janice.

"I looked into the box and saw a bowl of curry, waiting to be heated up."...'

More:
http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=27299:this-womans-job-is-to-chase-prostitutes-out&Itemid=4
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A man without enemies...

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

Towards the end of the Sunday mass, Fr O'Donell asked, "How many of you have forgiven your enemies?"

80% held up their hands.

Fr O'Donell then repeated his question. All responded this time, except one man, an avid golfer named Walter Barnes, who attended church only when the weather was bad.

"Mr. Barnes, it's obviously not a good morning for golf. It's good to see you here today. Are you not willing to forgive your enemies?"

"I don't have any," he replied gruffly.

"Mr. Barnes, that is very unusual. How old are you?"

"Ninety-eight," he replied. The congregation stood up and clapped their hands.

"Oh, Mr. Barnes, would you please come down in front & tell us all how a person can live ninety-eight years and not have an enemy in the world?"

The old golfer tottered down the aisle, stopped in front of the pulpit, turned around, faced the congregation, and said simply,

"I outlived all the sons of bitches."

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Just being friendly...

2012-02-01T11:53:00.000+08:00

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Loh Gwo Burne is more than a one-term politician

2012-01-31T12:51:00.002+08:00

"The article below is by Loh Gwo Burne of the Lingam tape fame. I didn’t know he can write so well."

Press Release issued by Kelana Jaya MP on 9 January 2012 at Petaling Jaya

The Remarkable Anwar Ibrahim

This is not an article about Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial. But in case anyone is interested to hear my two-cents worth on the trial, I have two questions. How many people do we know who have actually been charged with sodomy? And do you think if Dato Seri Anwar will be charged if he were not an opposition leader?

My answers are 1 and NO.

Furthermore, for those paying attention during the VK Lingam video, would have heard Anwar’s case being mentioned. What does it mean? It means the BN government would go to great length to ascertain that Anwar will be put behind bar until his political carrier expires, if not for his entire life. On that fateful day Lingam revealed to my father and myself that Mahathir and his political cronies had planned an umno led coalition be cemented in power as long as time could be projected, and in the name of Malaysian prosperity and peace, Anwar must be destroyed. In this conspiracy all sectors of government including the civil service, judiciary, and police will be under their direct or indirect control and influence! The reach of this conspiracy even extends its reach into the private sector. The financial system in the country be manned by trusted cronies, Petronas and its agents guarded by friends and family, the private power suppliers, utilities, media, trading companies, precious little was spared. One man stood to threaten the conspiracy, so he must be destroyed.

And what will happen on the 9th of January? I think all the cards are with the conspirators. If recent trends are any indication, then I think Anwar will be found not guilty, to buy some good will. Instead moving the grounds of execution will be moved to the court of Appeal (probably after the elections). But all the cards are with the conspirators, we can but wait.

With that out of the way, I want to talk about my observations about one of the most remarkable person I have had the pleasure to encounter and spend time with. He is my boss, but I will try to be objective. So let’s make it clear that Anwar is by no means perfect, only Umno Barisan Nasioanl is perfect and does no wrong, so Anwar from time to time makes mistakes. The important thing is that he admits it.

The Inspirational

The first time I met Anwar Ibrahim was about 4 years ago together with my father. I was never an Anwar fan, also I am a skeptic by nature making me someone quite difficult to convince. I have lost all hope for Malaysia, and like many Malaysians have decided to move abroad. I was in a very good place in my life. Anwar struck me with his warmth and modesty. He spoke at length on his beliefs and his political vision for Malaysia. He spoke about his views regarding race relations and international relations of Malaysia. He spoke at length about his mistakes and what he learnt during his ordeals. When i left the meeting i left with a change of heart. I left the meeting loving Malaysia more.

For the first time in my life i felt hope for Malaysia. I realised that there is something worth fighting for. Suddenly i started to see everyone as malaysians instead of just Malay, Indian, Chinese, Dayak, etc. I was inspired to see hope for our nation and its people...

Anwar inspires. Anwar inspired with his sincerity and conviction. Anwar inspired with his vision. And directly and indirectly millions were inspired. Just five years ago, who believed that our nation was standing on the verge of change? Who would believe that the mighty Umno would need to start listening to the rakyat?

Of course Anwar was not the only source of inspiration. But at a time where some tremble at the sight of the moon on a green flag, and others who hurl insults at the sight of a rocket. He more than anyone else was the glue to bind us all together. He more than anyone else led us to each other, and today together we stand at the brink of a regime change in Malaysia. Without Anwar, how many would have believed we would have even got this far?

The Resilient

The remarkable thing about the survey which registered 51% liked our prime minister, while 39% likes Anwar. A friend commented that PR should be worried since Najib apparently was more popular than Anwar. But I offered a reversed conclusion that it is BN who should be concerned. Why? Simple. For four years you have all the kings’ horses and men, all the newspapers, radio, cybertroopers attack one man. You went so far as to dig out the old play book and charge him with sodomy. You even have a crony get his own brother to impersonate this man in a porno production. All these while, all the mainstream media treats everyday as "denitrify our prime minster day". Even going as far as to issue official national sermons for friday prayers telling all good muslims to offer undivided loyalty and obedience to our great Prime Minister and friends. After four years of this and you find you are only 10% ahead, wouldn't you be worried?

In other words we need to appreciate one thing. Anwar is extremely resilient. Anyone else subjected to this intensity of abuse would have thrown in the towel long ago, anyone else would have fallen ages ago. Yet, Anwar still stands tall and strong.

In fact through the waves of onslaughts directed at Anwar, I have never seen him visibly affected. Except during Zahrain’s fallout. For the first time I could see Anwar visibly sad, more from the lost of an old friend I sensed. Despite the unrelenting assaults, which would have crippled entire armies, Anwar still stands tall and strong, “this is because of the hard work and support from all of you” he would say. But in truth is we are the ones that should be thankful.

Not only because he continues to give us hope and inspiration, he also provides us shelter and protection. Imagine if there is no Anwar to draw the waves and waves of onslaught by the powers that be. Imagine if all the PR leaders and YBs are subjected to what Anwar has to face every day, how many more of us would have fallen? How many more would have thrown in the towel? He stood there and drew the majority of heat upon himself, so the rest of us can collectively work towards the goal of a better nation.

The Remarkable

Sometimes a nation produces a person who is destined to shine not only within their nation, but on the international stage as well. Someone that will make our nation shine that much more brightly(Some might try, some might imitate, but you can’t pretend to be Princess Diana). We in Malaysia are fortunate to have produced such a remarkable person. But it is also unfortunate that we choose to allow him to be shackled and weighed down. Or should I say that it is unfortunate that so many of us decide to stand by and allow him to be shackled. But remarkably Anwar remains firm on his love of Malaysia and its people, remains determined to spend his life and blood in building the nation into the great nation we know we can become. He believes we can, I believe we need to.

Today our nation remains rooted unable to break free from being decidedly mediocre, but the truth is we are mediocre by choice rather than due to any disability. To a large extend this is where our Government has decided is the best place to be. And for 55 years there have been nothing the people could have done about it. In a way we chose where we wanted to be. When the BN government was bulldozing the so called "peaceful" assembly bill through parliament, in spite of the widespread objections from the people, a BN YB said that the Barisan Nasional is passing this bill with the mandate of the people and if you don't like it then take over the government in the next elections if you can. The Remarkable Mr. Anwar Ibrahim says we can, do you hear him?

Released by Gwo-Burne Loh
Kelana Jaya MP

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Optical Illusion

2012-01-30T21:03:00.004+08:00

The flat floor in a computer games store somewhere in Paris.

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When you're feeling down...

2012-01-30T21:03:00.003+08:00

this Orange might be able to help...

while listening to this song... never mind that this is under Apple Records label...

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Conscience

2012-01-30T15:33:00.002+08:00

It is amazing how conscience could affect people for years. It was not even about hurting another person physically, just an old debt. I was told about this Malay factory worker, Ramli. When he first got his hand on part of his EPF money, he recalled owing a grocer some Rm70 for many years! So off he went, to look up the man to repay his outstanding debt. The man must have already written off the amount and was glad to receive the money. In fact, he was more affected by Ramli's sincerity.

On the other hand, I was told of certain people who made good in later life, but were more concerned about buying up properties and new cars so that they can show others of their rise in social status. But if old debts were conveniently forgotten, people would start to talk behind their backs, especially those creditors. As the saying goes, 'The best way for someone to remember you is to borrow from him'!

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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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