ANWAR IBRAHIM IS BACK, IN A BIG, BIG WAY!

Our country Malaysia is definitely growing and maturing at a rapid phase now, post March 8 general elections. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim gave The Sun a spectacular interview on Thursday and by all means this man looks ready to lead the country again (if he isn't already doing it -- it is his swift and expert handling of the alternative front that handed this front the stunning victories it won and he is mentoring the newbies even as we speak).

By the looks of things, Anwar has matured beyond many people's wildest expectations as a politician and he has grown larger-than-life in his aspirations for Malaysians of all races. The Sun's interview spoke frankly about many things -- and Malaysians obviously have evolved into a more sophisticated society and are better able to deal with supposedly touchy topics in an admirably open and frank way.

I am looking forward to seeing the rise of Anwar.

CNN GOES TASTELESS

Oh dear, CNN's "Tour of Prison reveals last days of Saddam Hussein" has to be the most tasteless thing that CNN has ever aired. The tone of the segment shown on TV is a mocking one -- mocking Saddam Hussein.

In Asia, we do not mock the dead. We do talk about the wrongs that people have done but that is about it. The gravity of the insurmountable evil that resided within Saddam Hussein, unfortunately, does not carry the same weight around the world as it does in the self-delusional Bush administration. Bush's invasion of Iraq (READ: HALLIBURTON's EXPANSION) is seen by the rest of the world as a violation of a sovereign nation. And now the Iraqi debacle has caused many innocen Iraqis to be killed and murdered as they get caught up in the swirl of viciousness from the lethal cocktail of patriotism and religion. Let's face it, the Iraqi's in the insurgency are neither intellectually sound or superior and their world view is a different one from that of most western-skewed intellectuals around the world.

CNN has badly misread how people are going to react to the CNN segment, which is in very bad taste.

DAP IS IMPROVING...

As a Penangite, I must say that Lim Guan Eng is shaping out to be a good politician indeed. Yes, please focus on the well being of the people of Penang and do all you can to connect with the Penangites and you will be fine Lim Guan Eng.

I must take this opportunity to point out again that Koh Tsu Koon sold out Penangites with the hideous project called PGCC and everyone is happy to have kicked Koh Tsu Koon out of office in Penang.

Penang must always remain an affordable city for Penangites, with good basic amenities, cleanliness and public services. Anyone who tries to push Penang into the pit of materialism and potentially makes life in Penang unaffordable must not be tolerated.

CHINA MISFIRES ON TIBET

Oh dear, it looks like China is creating negative publicity for itself by handling the Tibetan uprising badly. Violence against the Tibetans is unacceptable to anyone in their right mind. The Tibet in people's minds, thanks to the Dalai Lama's caring and loving demeanour, is a land with peace-loving people and to treat them harshly is unimaginable.

And, come on -- accusing the Dalai Lama of masterminding the uprising is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! In the world's collective mind, the Dalai Lama is a peace loving man and to malign him in that way is a PR disaster for China. For goodness sake -- China's leaders need to be more savvy in dealing with the Tibetans than maligning the beloved Dalai Lama. I find it so shockingly simple minded -- the way China has gone for a PR spin that tries to tarnish the image of Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is a man with an untarnishable image.

DUFFY'S MERCY

The biggest singer this year is going to be Duffy, thanks to her song Mercy. It has a cool video and the woman positively sizzles on camera. She sure knows how to work it for the camera.
She proudly takes after Amy Winehouse's throwback motown sound -- AND RUNS AWAY WITH IT!

MALAYSIA TODAY...

Things have taken a turn for the interesting in Malaysia following the recent general elections. The following are things that need to be said about the state of this wonderful country of ours.

1. Lim Guan Eng needs to calm himself down before he says anything stupid or does something baselessly drastic.

Yes, Guan Eng rightfully has taken over the pretty much useless Koh Tsu Koon as chief minister of Penang. Tsu Koon has pretty much NOT endeared himself to Penangites. How many times has he made trips to residential areas to talk to the rakyat to find out what their living conditions are like? And by endorsing the PGCC, life is going to be unbearably expensive for the Penangites who are struggling in life as it is. Who cares about the rich -- they can well take care of themselves. But the poor and marginalised MALAYSIANS must be looked after. ALL PENANGITES must be able to earn a decent living, eat safe and healthy food, have affordable housing (NOT SARDINE CANS DISGUISED AS LOW-COST HOUSING!) and have access to good health care and education. These things must be guaranteed. Koh Tsu Koon has not been impressive on these fronts.

As for Guan Eng -- all we can say is: get a grip! Becoming a chief minister is a big job. So, be big enough to accommodate the job. Whatever desire for revenge Guan Eng might harbour due to the unfair and unjust ISA treatment he'd received has to be put behind him. Guan Eng needs a larger perspective to be a good leader. And, Guan Eng not being a Penangite, he has to try extra hard to be successful at his job. We Penangites are very easy going -- but we are not very forgiving of follies.

2. Should the Deputy Prime Minister be priming himself to be the next leader.
This is a valid question as the recent election has shown that UMNO might be ready for a new leader. Of course, in accordance with the Malay culture, everything in its time. But, meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister should be positioning/priming himself for the top position. UMNO party elders are already looking into this, I am sure. And should one candidate fall short for any foreseen or unforeseen reason(s), then there must be others who could be moved up to assume leadership positions via the age-old and trusted process of "political osmosis".

3. Previous Prime Minister must also accept the fault for the Barisan's recent losses
Things in the country came to a head after somethings happened over the past two decades (or more!) through some faulty policies being implemented in the government (like the systematic 'ethnic cleansing' of the civil service etc), the utter neglect of particular communities that were driven to desperation all happened during the previous leadership of this country (which came surging to the surface late last year!). The weakening of the education system also took place at that time.

I see the present prime minister as a steward of the nation as it goes through a stunning transformation. And, to play it safe, stewards too need to be watched so that they fulfil their duties admirably. That is the beauty of the system of checks and balances.

4. The entire DOSH personnel need to be replaced for their neglect of workplace safety in a certain scenario.
Can a printing plant be converted into an office space? The answer to this question will affirm the status of the above statement (4).

HILLARY MAKES A COMEBACK!

It is so good to see Hillary Clinton get back on track in the the American Presidential race. She won the Ohio and Texas primaries. It is a relief indeed that Hillary has gotten off the bitchy mode and is more focussed on issues (rather than slandering Obama). Let Obama play the dirty game of name calling and bury himself in the resulting avalanche.

Hillary should keep herself clean of this tactic and she will easily glide into the White House as I said she most definitely would earlier.

THE TRUE MEANING OF RELIGION? -- ACCORDING TO THE ONION.COM

Rock-Bottom Loser Entertaining Offers From Several Religions
MARCH 1, 2008 | ISSUE 44•09

FINDLAY, OH—Local resident Owen Pritchard's recent downward spiral into drug addiction, unemployment, and complete and utter hopelessness has sparked the intense interest of several top world religions, each of which is vying for his services as a devotee, the 39-year-old uncommitted prospective convert reported Monday.

"I've finally reached a point in my life where all the big religions want me," said Pritchard, whose two failed marriages and mounting gambling debts have left him penniless and in a state of blind despair. "Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism—you name it, they've come to me. I have no job, no family, no direction whatsoever. So right now, I'm totally in the driver's seat."......



......... click to the link to read the complete hilarious text. In case you have problems telling fact from fiction -- THEONION.COM is a social satire page and it is all a joke! (One can't be too careful with so many nutjobs out there nowadays!)

INDIANA JONES 4 IS HERE

Woohoo! Indiana Jones is back and Harrison Ford is looking OK for a really old dude (he is a 66-year old Jew!) and director Steven Spielberg looks to be in top form as the trailer shows! Go on, have a look at the trailer and see for yourself!

Indiana Jones 4's full title is IJ4: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and it opens in cinemas on May 22 this year.

HILLARY, OH, HILLARY!!!!!!!

Oh dear, after all the optimism I had for Hillary, even proclaiming that she would take over the White House, she has turned out to be a disappointing presidential candidate indeed.

All that sarcasm and mean-spirited remarks directed at Obama are very unbecoming and she is becoming a testament why women are not up to running the United States of America. Being a president is a man's job, by the looks of things.

So, thank God indeed that my all time favourite Ron Paul is still in the race, nevermind that he is somewhere at the far back. Ron Paul is a good man and deserves everyone's love and respect for his admirable aspirations for the U.S.

OSCARS

Aaah, the Oscars have come and gone. And it is a testament to the further Americanisation of the world at how at ease the audiences around the globe has been towards Jon Stewart being the host. The first time he appeared, as the host of the Oscars in 2006, the whole experience was a tad jarring and his humour seemed too localised -- it all appeared to be jokes that only American audiences would have related to.

This time around, at the 80th Oscars, Stewart was a better host. Perhaps not as excellent as Ellen Degeneres (strangely, Degeneres' very own tv talkshow is one of the crappiest talkshow on air), but Stewart is growing to be a good host for the Oscars.

The movies in contention for the Oscars this year, however, left plenty to be desired, except probably George Clooney's film, Michael Clayton.

... talk more about the Oscars a bit later...

THE WEATHER'S A-CHANGING!

The weather in China an now Afghanistan are totally screwed. Global warming is changing the face of the Earth. People should start being more conscious of the environment. AND THAT MEANS GOVERNMENTS HAVE TO LOOK AFTER THE INTEREST OF THEIR PEOPLE -- SAFER FOOD, CLEANER AIR, CLEANER WATER (which ties up with less toxic matter like pesticides and other chemicals in the environment - ESPECIALLY IN OUR FOOD!). The preservation of mother nature also has to go into high gear with more people planting trees and engaging in the very therapeutic activity of gardening or even spending time in parks and public gardens.

There has been many occasions recently also when the frequency of volcanic activities has been alarming -- from the U.S. to Indonesia to New Zealand. Something is brewing underneath our feet and we had better do something quickly about making peace with our beloved planet Earth. WE LUV YA GORGEOUS!!!!!!

GEORGE W. BUSH HAS A NEW NICKNAME--- BURNING BUSH!!!!!!

I've held back as long as possible from not saying anything bad about President George W. Bush. But some things need to be said before he leaves office. The man is an idiot! He is stupid and has no self-generated ideals about what he wants America to be in the eyes of the world (or even what he wants the U.S. to represent to young Americans!!!!!)

He has done plenty of bad things under bad advice (going into Iraq for the oil and nothing else). And George W. Bush has been an inconsequential leader of the world, a de facto role the U.S. enjoys by the strength of its founding fathers' vision for the country (and how much has been achieved of the founding fathers' vision of the U.S.).

I now hereby Christen George W. Bush....... the BURNING BUSH!
(And take that -- POW! -- for not ratifying the Kyoto Protocol!)

LANG LANG - SUPERSTAR CHINESE CLASSICAL PIANIST!

The Grammy Awards show gave the global music audience a glimpse of the mega talented Chinese classical music superstar: Lang Lang. This amazingly talented young man is going to shake up the world of classical music. Watch him grow from strength to strength folks! Lang Lang is pure passion and talent at work.

GRAMMY AWARDS

AMY WINEHOUSE IS QUEEN OF THE UNIVERSE!

It was exhilarating to see Amy Winehouse win so many Grammy awards! She deserves it thoroughly. The Glorious Mizz Amy won Grammy awards for Record of the Year; Song of The Year; Best New Artist; Best Female Pop Vocal Performance; and Best Pop Vocal Album.

It was sad though to see Album of the Year Grammy go to Herbie Hancock -- Amy was robbed of this Grammy for no good reason, if you ask me!

French leader... how long will the marriage last?????

Hey people, wanna place bets on how long the French President' new marriage is gonna last? Not till the end of the year, if you ask me!

SACRE BLEU! ARE THE FRENCH MAD??????????

Everytime I read somethinng about the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, I think that the French must be mad. Understandably, the French did not know that they (at that time!) were being duped into electing what appeared to be a happily married couple -- Sarkozy and his-now-ex-wife -- into office. After winning the French election, the President announces that he and his wife are divorcing. And then soon after, the man is fornicating with a former model Carla Bruni.

The plain and simple of it is that he deceived the French people (duping them into thinking he was happily married) in order to get into office. And now he is fornicating around the world on the ticket of the French Presidency. It is utterly disgraceful and distasteful.

The French should just revolt against the man and boot him out of office so that he could go snogging his girlfriend on his own time and with his own money. Shame on you Sarkozy!

THE U.S. ELECTIONS... MORALITY COUNTS!!!!

Just a short note on the U.S. elections -- the candidates should remember that morality counts a lot in how voters vote. Hillary is viewed as clean. It was Bill Clinton who strayed -- and he has had the good sense to be goood to Hillary. On her part, Hillary has been perceived as a good wife who stood by her man. She is seen as exemplary woman and spouse to Bill Clinton and all the clips of her and her daughter together shows that she has the most excellent relationship with her daughter. Bravo.

Barack Obama is also seen in a moral light. He has a good relationship with his wife and daughters and this comes through to voters and television viewers alike. (One prays that Obama will not do a Tony Blair on the American -- and by extension the world -- public: i.e. have another child while in office. We would like to think that leaders are in office to make the country a better place and NOT SPEND THEIR TIME FORNICATING WITH THEIR OTHER HALVES! Can you imagine a world leader getting up in the middle of the night to feed the baby etc etc. What kind of attention can such a leader give to his country?)

As for the other candidates, there are a couple of old men with young wives and Rudy Giuliani is a standout for all the wrong reasons. He was involved in a nasty divorce and, morally, is obviously unfit for the White House. Whatever the lives of the American electorate might be like - be they happy, sad, miserable, in a depression, socially dysfunctional, have addictions, be in an unhappy relationship, have secret lives etc etc -- when it comes to their leaders, they want a role model of sorts! Like the rest of the people in the world.

HAHAHA... V.K. LINGAM'S SO FUNNY

The investigations being carried out by the "Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Tape" in Malaysia is becoming more intriguing by the day. (Google the royal commission's tag for details/background.)

The latest chapter is that lawyer V.K. Lingam claims he must have been drunk when he was supposedly recorded on video by Loh Gwo Burne (on Loh's superduper high tech mobile phone).

But what is more priceless is Lingam's firm assertion to the commission that the man in the video clip "looks like me, it sounds like me. You can ask me a hundred times, my answer will still be the same."

He is obviously a rather excellent lawyer. One thing about me is that I have respect for people who are good at what they do.

(On a completely separate note, anyone who has seen the Chua Soi Lek video knows that it is hats off to the virile 60 year old Chua -- and even a respectful bow of respect for having the dignity and courage to admit that it was him in the sex video. Chua Soi Lek has my vote if he reenters politics. Chua has also raised the bar for ministers in Malaysia -- anyone caught red handed in wrongdoings now onwards WILL lose their position! That is excellent news for accountability.)

Back to the Lingam case, from what we have all read about this case, Loh's assertion that he accidentally recorded Lingam's telephone conversation on his mobile phone's video recorder sounds absolutely dubious. Only Loh and his father know the honest truth behind the intent of recording Lingam in action. Hope they remember that that mystical thing called Karma is watching every dishonest move that human beings make.

As for the titled people in Malaysia, this all goes back to my earlier blog entry -- that titles should not be dispensed to doctors, educationists, bureaucrats, AND NOW MOST OBVIOUSLY, to lawyers as well. Businessmen also are up there in the "creep" factor and should not be given titles.

Malaysians who truly give of themselves and their material wealth for the well being and good of fellow Malaysians are the only kind of people who should be respected, celebrated and, as a last resort, be given titles.

ARE MALAYSIAN TOWN PLANNERS RETARDED?

What's with the perennial lack of car parking space in apartments and business areas in the city? And the poor environmental practices? Are the town planners just so full of hate towards trees that planting trees and greening places is an inconceivable thing for them? What is your opinion on this?

AMERICAN IDOL is BACK!!!

That most popular of TV shows is back and it looks like the producer have polished their craft even further - as if anyone thought that is possible at all!

The three judges are back, in character, and the zany, talented and plain nutty contestants are back. American Idol gives viewers around the world a glimpse of what Americana is all about.

The show's slick production values make it the biggest entertainment juggernaut on TV today.

FDA'S BIGGEST MISTAKE

What an utter letdown it was to read that the U.S. FDA will allow the sale of meat from cloned animals. Have people not learned that leting meat that is unnaturally created/cultivated into the human food chain is going to cause untold misery and diseases!?

That is how mad cow disease started - when greedy fools were allowed to feed cows (which are herbivores) parts of slaughtered cows mixed into their feed. That is the most unnatural thing against the order of nature and now a mistake is being made with cloned meat!

It is shameful that a widely respected body like FDA is letting down humanity!

IMPORTANCE OF THE U.S. ELECTION

The whole world is closely watching the U.S. elections because in the eyes of the world, it is a live-demonstration of how everyone's desire of a democracy should unfold. The U.S. elections serves as an aspirational window for the rest of the world.

... Nevermind that the political analysts in the U.S. media are a pack of idiots and morons, determined to constantly read ridiculous things into the voters' actions and over-reading the political candidates.

... look out for my rude (and hopefully funny) take on the Presidential candidates... coming soon!

IT IS HILLARY CLINTON'S WHITE HOUSE

It is kind of shocking and shameful to read the American media trying to rationalise why Hillary won the New Hampshire round. Everyone is saying that it is because there was that moment when her voice broke and her eyes welled up and thus all women voters in a frenzy of sympathy went into th epolling stations with a vengeance and save their sister, as Oprah Winfrey would have said.

But Oprah-fying the situation is the most idiotic thing that the American media could be doing (which it IS doing!). It shows the media writers/commentators' utter lack of undertanding of their fellow Americans.

To a keen observer of world politics like me, the reason is plain and simple: it is the words that she uttered (her vision of what the U.S. should be and can be) during the so-called teary-eyed-moment that convinced voters that she should be sitting in the white house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As for the American media's foolish obsession with exit polls and also a propensity for conjecturing things out of thin air (like women like to see Hillary's softer side etc) -- this is all utter rubbish.

Like one of Larry King's guest put it SO accurately -- American's will choose a candidate who they think can best do the job in the White House and not choose a candidate because she is a woman or he is black. (Sorry Obama - you are inexperienced - so you're out! Along with the rest of the men. It is going to be Hillary's White House!)

DATUK SERI DR CHUA SOI LEK

Finally, there is a Malaysian politician whom I can respect: Dr Chua Soi Lek. Here is a man caught on video having sex and he did the honourable thing by admitting it was him. That is a very gentlemanly thing to do. Although he did not offer an immediate resignation from his post (which was being too hopeful and silly, actually), he has left his Ministerial post in the days after the sex DVD's release.

For being such a brave and credible man, Dr Chua Soi Lek gets my vote the next time he needs support in politics. What he does in his private time is his business and the invasion of privacy in utterly unacceptable.

It is now of great interest to all Malaysians to find out how deep the intrigue goes as for identities of the people behind the video recording. Which higher ranking politician was behind the toppling of Dr Chua Soi Lek? Wouldn't you like to know?!?!?!

US ELECTIONS

Interesting things are unfolding at the race for the U.S. White House.

Barack Obama has youth on his side. And he seems to be able to speak to the younger people in the U.S.

Hillary Clinton is showing that she is a blueblood politician and increasingly augurs hope for those who hope to see a spectacular America on the global arena

The Republicans are a reflection of the Republican-fatigue plaguing United States at the moment, because of all that George W. Bush stands for and has done (undone???). None of the Republican candidates are interesting at all.

John McCain is just too old and should go back home, put his feet up with a nice warm cup of cocoa and take it easy playing with the grandkids.

My favourite person in the U.S. elections is Ron Paul and it looks like he has disappeared off the radar at the over hyped Iowa and New Hampshire caucussess. I am sure the youth of America will revive his presence at the bigger cities as the U.S. elect
ions rolls along.

WHAT NEXT? A WAVE OF THE KERIS AT PARENTS?

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein is upset with parents on the issue of extra charges borne by parents of school-going children. And his comments in the papers has been very unbecoming. It is about time Ministers in Malaysia realise that they are holding their positions at the pleasure of the people and their positions are not privileges.

Everything done by every Minister in Malaysia must be done for the greater good of Malaysians in general.

I personally feel that education and healthcare in the country must be made absolutely free. For this, we must liberally use money from Petronas. It is a state-owned company -- which to me means it must benefit every single Malaysian. School and medical facilities in Malaysia must exceed needs through the use of the petro-ringgit.

At the moment, looking at the employment practice of Petronas, it looks like this national company is targeted to benefit only certain segments of the population. C'mon -- Malaysians of every creed and colour must benefit from such a company. That is the only correct thing to do.

In terms of the Minister matter above and Petronas -- it needs to be drummed into the minds of all Malaysians that the era of the demi-godness of political privilege and position as implied by Tun Dr Mahathir's leadership are over. In the era of the beloved current Prime Minister of Malaysia, it is all about equitable distribution of wealth and the creation of a truly just society where every single Malaysian should be able to look forward to decent food, education and health in life.

STRIP TITLES FROM DOCTORS, ACADEMICS AND MIDDLING POLITICIANS/BUREAUCRATS

NO MORE TAN SRI AND DATUKS IN ACADEMIA, PLEASE

I seriously hope that the Malaysian government would seriously consider not giving titles to academics and doctors in the country. Somehow, conferment of titles to academics, especially, seems to also give the recipients a God-complex and a level of arrogance that seems to impede their intellectual progress. I suspect this is part of the reasons academics are unimpressive in this country. Doctors, depending on the strength of their character, vary a bit on this matter. Some really let the title thing get to their heads, while others mercifully still remember their Hippocratic oaths at medicine schools.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

2008 is here!

Happy New Year 2008 everyone!

The New Year has started off in a deliciously scandalous manner in Malaysia with a sex video of Health Minister Dr Chua Soi Lek, 60, with a young lady.

The Minister has admitted to is starring appearance in the tape. And has requested that the media leave him and his family alone for the time being. But that is not going to stop the schadenfreude fiends from moralising on the issue. What I am interested in is finding out who made the sex DVDs. I suppose the Minister should reveal to Bukit Aman which hotel the tryst took place in so that the coppers can check the names of people who have checked into that particular hotel room and analyse the hotel's CCTV to ID the guest(s) and anyone carting in workmen's tools into the premises (surely the cameras used to film the Minister were concealed and would need a bit of work done over a period of time to hide them well in the room etc).

It would also be interesting to see what the PM says on the issue. Co-incidentally, there was a year end report in The Star that had feng shui experts and an Indian fortune teller predicting what's in store for 2008 -- I AM MOST ASTONISHED THAT THE INDIAN FORTUNE TELLER PREDICTED THAT THE ELECTION WOULD BE POSTPONED BY AT LEAST A MONTH, INTO APRIL. Amazing! For surely Chua Soi Lek's current situation will merit a reconsideration of Barisan Nasional's election strategies/tiiming.

And speaking of elections, it looks like the Pakistani elections will result in Benazir Bhutto's PPP winning because of sympathy votes. Not providing enough security for Benazir is going to prove Pervez Musharraf's downfall -- even if Musharraf wins, I suspect, it will be because of massive election-rigging (i.e. there is no way in hell Musharraf can win after Benazir's assasination!!!!!!) -- as the assasination of Benazir has made her a martyr of sorts in the eyes of Pakistanis and Pakistanis are going to hand over their country on a silver platter to PPP (from what I have studied of the situation in Pakistan based on, what else, CNN's coverage!).

Nevermind that I think Benazir's son will be equally useless at running Pakistan as his late mother was... some politicians see a political position as an opportunity to amass great wealth. Which is the truth in the context of Asian countries, especially! Sigh.

CLOVERFIELD

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Movie trailer...

It is amazing in this day and age that Cloverfield has surprisingly managed to remain a -- well -- surprise! No one knows what the monster is. It is just touted as a monster film. And the trailers are determined not to give anything away. Damn!

I just hope Cloverfield does not turn out to be like that superdud of a movie, Godzilla (1998). That Roland Emmerich directed Godzilla had, arguably, the best trailer of all time. The Godzilla trailer built up anticipation like no other -- but when I saw the final product of a film on the big screen, I almost vomited blood at how lame the film's script was.

Anyway, Cloverfield is being produced by J.J.Abrams, who has a reliable reputation for creating on-screen magic (nevermind that 2006's Mission: Impossible 3, which he directed has no shelf life with audiences outside of the cinema) and we can all only hope that the film will grab audiences' imagination when it opens!

TOP WORLD LEADERS

POLITICIANS WHO ARE IMPRESSIVE... AND OTHERS WHO ARE NOT

BEST POLITICIANS...
1. IMPRESSIVE: Germany's Angela Merkel is turning out to be a remarkable politician indeed. She is the first female chancellor of Germany and, by jove, she has got the idea of statesmanship down pat. She demonstrates elegantly that a country's leader does not have to make a lot of noise and preen in front of the media to get the job done. Sometimes, a leader just has to be there -- that is all that is needed done!

2. FANTASTIC: China's leaders Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao are also exemplary leaders - able to manoeuvre such a complicated country as China with suuch dexterity and speed. If they can refine the health aspect of the country -- in terms of food safety and putting a lid on environmental pollution, this will truly be the Chinese century.

3. WORTH WATCHING: Australia's Kevin Rudd is a breath of fresh air and a valid replacement of the decrepid John Howard.

4. HERO-WORSHIP POTENTIAL: Whatever you say about Bill Clinton, he is making himself out to be quite the humanitarian and beautifully positioning himself to be a respected elder statessman of global politics. Clinton deserves praise for all the good that he is doing.
(The only complaint I have against Clinton would be having had a duffer of a dullwit like Al Gore as his vice-president. I still find it hard to forgive Gore and that despicable bulldog-looking Madeleine Korbel Albright for coming to Malaysia and throwing this country's politics into slight disarray with uncalled for criticism many years ago during the previous Prime Minister's regime -- these two fools Gore and Albright unwittingly empowered the Islamic fundamentalist party PAS at that time through their stupidity and utter ignorance! The American ambassador at that time also deserves a thorough beating for doing a lousy job of being an amabassador at that time, feeding Washington biased reports after listening to the disgruntled arty crowd that didn't know the reality of life in Malaysia.)

MOST MISSED POLITICIAN...
1. ELEGANT AND CREDIBLE: Junichiro Koizumi is the former Japanese prime minister who made people sit up and watch when he took the stage, either in Japan or the world stage. An impressive man, he brought Japanese political bullies swiftly to their knees and it was the height of the good that politicians can do too the political machinery in their country. Now, if only he had done something about the distressing Japanese whale-hunts...



LAUGHABLE LOT...

1. PUPPET THEATRE: Afghanistan and Iraq now are ruled by U.S. puppets and the outcome of such political manipulation is not going to be good. Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai and Iraq's Jalal Talabani appear ineffectual and obviously actinng as U.S. puppets. As former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan said, the oil interest in Iraq is the main reason the Republicans' leadership is maintaining a military presence in Iraq and the whole world can see this. May the democrats win the U.S. election and George W Bush be booted into oblivion in history books for the evil that he has unwittingly done in destabilising the middle east (and thus endangering the liberal and progressive non-Muslim populations that live in Asian countries, especially in south east Asia).


MOST HATED...

1. VILE VILLAIN: Tony Blair should be collectively cursed by the population of this planet for being the despicable politician that he is.

DISGRACEFUL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS

MALAYSIANS OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED!

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” -- Mahatma Gandhi

The Malay Mail carried a heartbreaking report on Dec 3, 2007 of monkeys trapped in a container-contraption and left to starve in the Kiara area.

I think it is shameful that Malaysians have come to be this callous about life to this extent! What kind of people can bear to see even baby animals harmed in such a manner? It is especially shocking that there is so much hate for animals that are being depleted off their natural environment in supposedly posh areas like Kiara and that other area in Gasing where the residents are always whining about monkeys being a nuisance.

One would be right in suspecting that these very types of people, when they travel to first world countries on holidays would marvel at the way animals roam freely into residential neighbourhoods (like in the U.S. and Canada) and sing praises of how man and animals should live like that.

But back home, they see animals differently. It is a fact that animals would roam into human habitat to search and forage for food as their natural surroundings are increasingly decimated. In this respect, the local authorities should be smacked on their heads hard for not coming up with solutions that would strike a balance for the various species to live together -- i.e. create buffer zones that are planted with fruit trees suitable for the animals to feed on or have qualified officers advice the residents on the kind of activities that would provide sustenance for the animals (i.e. food suitable for animals left in designated areas at regular times by members from the residents association, where these people can take turns to do so). There is a whole world of creative solutions that can be worked out to handle and care for the animals in a more humane way. The Federal Government too has been a disgrace in this respect of forcing or making people live with animals. For a society that once took pride in living at one with nature, Malaysians have now become so detached from nature and have let hubris take over in their God-like behavior over lesser life forms.

Decision makers and residents of places mentioned above, in general, are pathetic. And they sometimes wonder why they are looked down upon when they travel or try to migrate to developed countries! With heartless mindsets like the ones showcased towards the Kiara monkeys, these Malaysians should be trapped in containers themselves!

PERVEZ MUSHARRAF

A STUDY OF CHARACTER...

The telecast of President General Pervez Musharraf passing the baton of Chief of the Army Staff to General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani over CNN and other stations which braodcast the event on Nov 27th was a priceless study in character. Musharraf exhibited a resoluteness and confidence throughout this whole handover process that was interesting to watch. He didn't appear as f he was putting on a show for the media - which is a clever strategy in itself in the first place (the man studied media management in India at one point, according to Wikipedia).

Whatever people say, General Pervez appeared to be sure footed. This particular broadcast was also very notable in that the women who witnessed the event all played secondary roles to the men in attendance. The wives of all the senior Pakistani politicians and army men stood by the side of their respective men (husbands, one would assume) as General Pervez walked about. All the women women smiled and nodded from behind their men but never ventured forward to congratulate General Pervez or General Ashfaq.

All said, Pakistan is still very much a patriarchal society and it is hard to imagine Benazir Bhutto wanting to assume political leadership of such a country. Anyway, Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif already had a go at running Pakistan and nothing much good ever came out of their leadership there.

MALAYSIAN JUDICIARY BACK ON TRACK!

JUSTICE IN JUDICIARY...

It is a proud day under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to see that the Malaysian judiciary system is realigning itself into the noble path it was intended for. The stellar illustration of this was on Nov 27th 2007 in newspapers which reported that the "three Hindu RIghts Action Force (Hindraf) members charged with sedition at the Sessions Court in Klang last Friday were given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal by the same court" (The Star).

In the report, one can see that the judge made a sound legal judgement call that Malaysians in general agree with. One can only imagine that during the previous leadership's regime, especially proceeding the dark events of 1997 when the public perception was that the judiciary was tragically compromised, this would not have been the case.

For the important correctional process that Pak Lah has instituted in separating the judiciary from the executive powers (and in many other things, as well) since he became a leader for ALL MALAYSIANS, we Malaysians are proud of this development.

DEVELOPMENT OF BUFFER ZONE IN AMPANG JAYA

FOOT-IN-THE-MOUTH DISEASE AND POLITICIANS...

I was proud to read in The Sun newspaper's page 4 the article headlined "It's illegal, says planning expert"

It is good that The Sun has taken such a vigilant stance on matters that affect public interest. In the report, it is said that "The development of a buffer zone in Ampang Jaya into a light industrial estate is illegal and a classic example of unsustainable development. The very purpose of a buffer (zone) is to promote sustainable development by separating conflicting land uses," says planning expert Derek Fernandez.

I am assuming that Derek is a town planning expert. He was responding to a politician's rather arbitrary sounding announcement of an intended change of land use.

There are procedures and systems to follow in this country. And politicians should respect these above everyone else!

(Which is why, on a completely different matter departing from The Sun's newsreport, PAS must NEVER be allowed to govern this country. Can you imagine a bunch of buffoons running Malaysia? They'd have no concept of town planning, drainage, traffic management or anything else and the whole country will go the Mujahideen way!)

Oh, having said that, it must also be pointed out that DAP must never be allowed to forget that its past alliance with PAS is not forgotten nor forgiven!

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE MALAYSIAN

SOCIAL COMMENTARY...


I have been waiting and waiting for many years to see when Malaysian politicians will have the intelligence to talk about the different races in this country with some semblance of enlightenment. That will day will never arise, probably. So, here I am positing an idea: it is time we started out with the basics, like how to describe one another, without pussyfooting around non-existent "sensibilities".

Seeing how the country is a multiracial one, we need to identify people as an Indian Malaysian; Chinese Malaysian or a Malay for the main racial groups.

Once we have come to terms that Malaysia is made up of these people, and the many others, then we can move on to more serious matters in a mature and educated manner.

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

MOVIE REVIEW...

If you are a film and music junkie, then Across the Universe is the perfect little movie for you. This musical drama is artfully directed by the supertalented Julie Taymor and stars a likeable bunch of youngsters who take the audience along on their journey as they grow up in life and love during the tumultuos 60s when freedom of expression (and free love!) was burgeoning in the U.S.
Taymor expertly tracks the empowerment of American youth as they gain a voice against the establishment at that time.
Taymor is the woman who helmed the visually rich spectacles Frida (2002) and Titus (1999), starring Salma Hayek and Anthony Hopkins, respectively. She also designed and directed the breathtaking stage musical The Lion King, which was staged successfully in the U.S. and in England.
At its core, Across the Universe is a whimsical film that is an ode to The Beatles. As such, the film features about 30 songs from The Beatles, which the young leads sing and dance to throughout the film.
Between the musical numbers, there is a story, though. The narrative that threads the songs is a sweet love story between English boy Jude (Jim Sturgess) and his American girlfriend Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood).
Fed up of working at the docks in England, Jude decides to leave his mother (played by Angela Mounsey) in England and go in search of his father (played by Robert Clohessy) in the U.S.
Jude does not have lofty reasons for doing so other than to let his old man know that he exists. His father, having gone stateside in his youth did not know that he’d left a pregnant woman behind. The old man had decided to live in the U.S. and start a new family there.
Father and son are very adult in their dealings with one another and the story proceeds in an agreeable manner without any unnecessary emotional theatrics.
Taymor is firm in keeping the pace of her movie brisk and progressive. Which does not mean that serious issues are not dealth with, like the civil rights movement and the anti Vietnam War movement. She does this in the film with a measure of panache, zest and maturity that hindsight affords liberals, which I am sure she is.
What is engaging about the movie is the sharp eye with which Taymor captures life in England and America: the former is dull, bleak and dreary while the latter is sunny and full of hope and possibilities. At the start of the film, Taymor shows a band at Lucy’s prom night performing The Beatles’ “Hold Me Tight” while at the same time another band in England is performing the same song in a pub where Jude and his girlfriend are dancing. The two completely different feel of the songs and the way each captures the spirit of the mopey English and the scrubbed-clean Americans is impressive.
It is no coincidence that in Taymor’s universe, Jude’s father works in the university where Max (Jon Anderson), Lucy’s brother, studies. Soon enough, Max and Jude become fast friends after Jude rescues the other boy from angry students after Max’s spot of frat-boy hooliganism at the university.
Jude is invited to Max’s house for the holidays by the grateful lad, and that’s when Jude and Lucy first meet. The two young leads then part ways (each having a love waiting for them) when Max and Jude leave for New York.
(Lucy’s boyfriend is at war in Vietnam and Jude’s girlfriend is waiting for him in England.)
Before long, Lucy’s and Jude’s paths cross again and the sparks fly and combust the young lovers.
Sure, there is a weirdly Bollywood element to the story on the surface and, in fact, at one point, the films veers dangerously towards Bollywood overdrive during a song and dance routine at a bowling alley. Thankfully, the movie pulls itself out of that over-the-top groove and goes back to its pop sensibilities.
If you really want to get a sense of Across the Universe, let’s just say that it does not have the dramatic heft or dread of Baz Luhrmann’s tragic Moulin Rouge (2001).
Taymor’s work is more breezy, lightweight and highly stylised, all the way from the whimsical renderings of the war recruitment scenes to the battle actions in Vietnam and the heady flower-power protests in the U.S.
Adding punch to Across the Universe are the singer Sadie (Dana Fuchs) and guitarist JoJo (Martin Luther), two bohemian New Yorkers, who are always engaging when they appear on screen. Think of them as the sensational Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, if you will.
Across the Universe is pure escapist fare and a top notch one in that respect.

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
Directed by Julie Taymor
Starring Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther, T.V. Carpio, Angela Mounsey, Robert Clohessy

MERCEDES C-CLASS GETS AN A

The Mercedes C-Class is a stunner

I don't drive despite having a driver's license and I am notg going to let that stop me from saying that, from a design perspective, the new Mercedes C-Class is quite a stunner. Till now, I have only had my eyes on the BMW 3-series in terms of style and perfection of proportions. But having seen the new C-Class in action, I must admit that Mercedes is regaining its foothold amongst lovers of fine design after its visually hideous previous generation C-Class cars (I have always found the previous C-Class generation's headlights giving the car a bleary-eyed look!)

The television advertisements and print ads for the new generation of C-Class iks also very inspired!

GMAIL

GMAIL sucks...

Has anoyone told the folks at Google that their Gmail format is lame? I find the the "tagging" or, rather, "layering" of new emails to corressponding senders a bit annoying. In terms of visual cues, it is hard to instantly check if there is a new e-mail from specific senders. Can't Google keep it simple like Yahoo does with a chronological listing of e-mails?

THE GOLDEN COMPASS

TRAILER PARK...

Wow, I just saw the trailer for The Golden Commpass and it is so excellent it gave me goosebumps! The script looks like it is going to be an excellent movie and the special effects look promising too. I have a strong feeling that it is going to be better than the unimpressive and lame The Chronicles of Narnia.
The cast of The Golden Compass also look promisinng - with the dreamy Eva Green, and the trustworthy Daniel Craig and a deliciously wicked Nicole Kidman. The lines have been drawn and everyone is crossing them! Yay.

EVA GREEN

EVA GREEN, SCREEN GODDESS...


This is long overdue... but it needs saying: Eva Green is going to be the biggest screen goddess of this new millenium! There's something about this pedigreed actress that screams screen goddess.

YOOHOO YAHOO!

YAHOO... e-mail...

I wish Yahoo would revert back too its old style of logging in to its e-mail services (you know, that simple second button on the top left!). The new design, where one has to play hide-and-seek with the e-mail button on the right side is annoying.

Having said that, let me exclaim my undivided love for Yahoo's e-mail service, which is the best in the world! It never lets you down and the format is the best that there is online! Bravo Yahoo!

MYANMAR

THE U.N. IN MYANMAR/BURMA...

Is it me or is the U.N. completely ineffectual with all its posing and preening in Myanmar? If ever a world body has looked utterly pointless and of no significance, it has to be the U.N. trying to play its role in Myanmar. Looks like the U.N. personnel are making Myanmar a photo opportunity more than anything else. Sad.

PERVEZ MUSHARRAF

PAKISTANI PRESIDENT...

I was watching CNN all of last Sunday and saw Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf addressing the world's media. I must say that the man handled himself well in front of the media, nevermind what one really thinks of the state of emergency he has declared in his country.

Hunched over a table buried under microphones, he took questions and gave answers of as to the whys and wherefores of the Pakistani politics.

Musharraf is a better bet for Pakistan than the completely worthless and useless Benazir Bhutto who will tailspin her country straight to hell if she was ever given even half a chance to run for office.

Musharraf is a wily military fox and the fact that he has survived for so long in Pakistani politics is a testament to his survival instinct and global wheeling-and-dealing skills (yes, I am actually specifically refering to the U.S., of course).

BEOWULF

MOVIE REVIEW...

The filmmakers of ‘Beowulf’ sure have paid a lot of attention to the CGI detailing of the fur coats that some of the characters wear in this animated film. If such attention to detail had been paid to the story line, this film would have been a far better watch than the weakly written, badly scripted and unimpressive film that we have here.
The story is adapted from an ancient English epic poem that tells a European (read Nordic/Scandavian) tale of Beowulf, a seafaring viking warrior, who battles demons and monsters on the continent.
The story is centred on a monster called Grendel who terrorises a small kingdom. To cut a long story short (but not as short as the dismemberment that the monster inflicts on his victims) Grendel is swiftly dispatched to the netherworld by Beowulf. Then, in steps Grendel’s mama who has a big bone to pick with the hero and devices a long term revenge that, if you really think about it, is so sublime that it would make you nod in agreement at the deviousness of it.
Unfortunately, think of it for too long you won’t, because your mind will be too busy thinking of other things. Like the poor choice of voice casting.
Beowulf is voiced by Ray Winstone (yes, I too said, ‘Who???’). Alongside him is John Malkovich who, true to Malkovich’s real life persona, even when he emerges in CGI form, somehow manages to bring really clammy and hammy bad acting to (re?) animated life much to everyone’s horror. Adding to the audience’s pain and misery in having to sit through this film is Robin Wright Penn.
If you must know, Malkovich plays Unferth; Wright Penn is Wealthow; and a portly Anthony Hopkins voices Hrothgar -- all lame and forgettable characters.
Unsurprisingly, Angelina Jolie is finely cast as Grendel’s old lady and she is the only good thing about this movie, although I am sure that she is going to get plenty of brickbats (ala her 2004 performance in Oliver Stone’s ‘Alexander’) for her strange accent.
(Oh crikey, come to think of it, Hopkins was in ‘Alexander’ as well, playing Ptolemy, gloriously badly too, I might add!)
The always reliably off-center Crispin Glover voices Grendel and rest assured that you won’t understand a thing he says. Although Glover gets an ‘A’ for dramatising Grendel, he will fail to impress many. You could say that Jolie and Glover suffer from a birds-of-a-feather syndrome when it comes to strange accents.
As for the quality of the animation, it is best described as cartoon-realism. It all looks passe, like those cheesy animation found in computer games of a few years ago (Hexen comes to my mind). Although there are moments when the animation does look photo-realistic (OK, photo realistic AFTER much tweaking on photographic software like Adobe Photoshop), these are quickly forgotten by really fake looking environments or objects or people -- just take your pick.
And if you really want to have fun as a viewer, look at Unferth’s eyes as he talks to Beowulf: Unferth comes across as if a he is visually handicapped at some points, seemingly looking into a void (in scenes when these two first meet).
The only good thing about a computer animated film is, of course, the possibilities of adventurous camera work. Since ‘Beowulf’ is directed by the amazing Robert Zemeckis who brought us delightful and fantastic films like the ‘Back to the Future’ trilogy (starring Matthew Fox, 1985-1990); ‘Death Becomes Her’ (1992); ‘Forrest Gump’ (1994); ‘What Lies Beneath’
(2000); and ‘Cast Away’ (2000) - the camera work can be exhilarating at times. Zemeckis seems strangely uninspired in helming this film.
However, the real surprise for me is the fact that the special effects, which should be stupendous considering that this is a computer-generated animated film, don’t look too great.
It is more a conceptual problem, I suppose than one that has to do with digital rendering. For example, Grendel looks lame compared to CGI characters like Gollum in Peter Jackson’s ‘Lord of The Rings’ (2001-2003) trilogy.
The biggest flaw of the film is the script. Mixing too much drama and the baser instincts of man into an animated fantasy film is never a good idea and all the sexual shenanigans and puns are actually a bit revolting to watch. I suppose audiences will always want to bite into a real piece of meat if they want to watch onscreen passion! That’s why, although technically getting animated characters to be horny and amorous might be a sweet challenge for computer programmers, IF you look at things from the other end of the screen in the cinema, it all seems like voyeuristic fodder for desperate, dysfunctional people who can’t get a date in real life.
Ultra liberal as I am, I also don't get why the director has Beowulf prancing around naked with furniture and his men standing around like so many props to hide Beowulf's manhood from the audience. Having him strip is a silly move - in an animated film?! The filmmakers should have left the man with his loin cloth on, at the very least, and get on with the action proper when he fights Grendel.
(Anyway, Austin Powers did it best when he stripped down in the gloriously choreographed sequence where Austin Powers' lady love cleverly hid his family jewels from public view with a tea cup here and the tea pot there!)
Add to this the high level of screen violence and you have a film that is quite unsuitable for young kids and really not up to the mark of adult cinemagoers.

BEOWULF
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring the voice talents of Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman, Angelina Jolie

LIONS FOR LAMBS

MOVIE REVIEW...

Saying that “Lions for Lambs” is Hollywood liberals’ attempt at a measure of moral restitution for the wrong that America has done in using its military highhandedness (under the pretext of fighting an illusionary war on terror) in Iraq and Afghanistan, would not be too far off the mark.
And so, with conviction (and a rather good script!), “Lions for Lambs” gives viewers the liberal American perspective on the war on terror as seen through the eyes of an academic and a veteran journalist.
Professor Stephen Malley (Robert Redford) is a teacher who takes a keen interest in his students’ intellectual progress while Janine Roth (Meryl Streep) plays a journalist whose views on the war has changed to the negative with the passage of time and the unearthing of the ugly truth behind the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The movie begins with Stephen (Redford) calling in a student to talk about the dangers of the young man squandering his youth and intelligence by not taking his studies seriously.
Through this hearty and engaging debate between academic and his soon-to-be-protege, various war-related issues are fleshed out.
Janine, meanwhile has a meeting with Republican Senator Jasper Irving (Tom Cruise). Jasper is a man who has risen through the ranks in part thanks to the flattering articles written by Janine. Now, just as he reveals the U.S.’s new plans to neutralise terrorists in Afghanistan, Janine has taken a dim view of the war on terror and their interview session turns into a conversation about the rights and wrongs of the war on terror.
As Janine mouths the liberal apprehension that is growing towards the politicians and their false motive for engaging in such warfare in the middle east, Jasper counterjectures on how the gung-ho media’s support at the early stage had also contributed towards the war.
Now both politicians and the media have to make the best of a terrible situation, wily politician Jasper contends, adding that steps are being taken to rectify the mistakes and more effective means are being deviced to defeat the terrorists, specifically in Afghanistan.
In a nutshell, the dialogue in the film, basically, gives voice to all the concerns the public has over the war in Iraq -- not just American voices but the voices of the world’s intellectuals.
As Stephen, Janine and Jasper engage in their ideological warfare in a civilised manner, there is a parallel story that shows the new military manoeuvre which Jasper speaks of unfolding in Afghanistan.
Planning tactics with maps and data while on safe homeground and executing them in treacherous enemy ground are two different things, the film shows, as the mission goes kaput, with dire consequences.
The backgrounds of some of the military grunts are revealed through flashbacks and the soldiers’ patriotic willingness to put down their lives for their (misguided?) commander-in-chief has a dignified and somewhat sad poetic lilt to it.
The seriousness of the subject of war against terrorism is wonderfully captured on film by Redford, who also directed this thought-provoking film.
The chances of “Lions for Lambs” hitting the boxoffice jackpot is minute but all the players in the film take their roles seriously and relish in being able to give voice to their concerns about the war on terror. The performances from all the lead actors are impeccable here.
If you have a yen for some serious viewing, then Lions for Lambs is just the film of the times for you.

LIONS FOR LAMBS
Directed by Robert Redford
Starring Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, Michael Pena, Andrew Garfield, Peter Berg, Kevin Dunn

STARDUST

MOVIE REVIEW...

Going in without any expectations, what an utter delight Stardust turned out to be! This is a well crafted, well written and well acted movie that is throughly enjoyable.

Admittedly targeted at an older generation -- twenty somethings and older, perhaps -- the film did have moments when I was wondering to myself, "Oh dear, is THAT really going to work???!!!"

That question especially arose when the storyline pitted a world of fantasy that's located smack next to an ordinary, unmagical village, separated only a wall. Can this kind of premise really take off in a convincing manner in this day and age, I asked myself.

But take off it most certainly did. It soared even, thanks to the wonderful touches of humour. AND Michelle Pfeiffer still looks a stunning beauty on the big screen and she hammed it up perfectly as a wicked witch. Newcomer Charlie Cox and Claire Danes played the young heroic leads well while Robert DeNiro pranced around to his heart's delight.

Suffice to say, the film is about people crossing the magical wall and getting themselves tangled in fantastical plotlines. The special effects are moderate but the actors make it all seem larger than life.

In Stardust, Claire Danes is a living, breathing star (literally), while Charlie Cox is a young village boy who has a magical background and the two meet and face unexpected danger.

It is quite impressive how the writers have taken a simple storyline (all Charlie wanted to do was bring the shooting star to the girl in the village whom he has a big crush on) and turned it into a rollicking ride of adventure and fun for the audience.

If you are into fantasy flicks, this is a must see film for you.

JAYA SUPERMARKET IN SECTION 14

Farewell to a PJ icon...

By yearend or beginning next year, most of the tenants of the much loved Jaya Supermarket in Section 14 would have moved out and the building torn down. Sources in the property market say a spiffy new building will be built on the site. For many folks in PJ, Jaya Supermarket holds many fond memories in the thirty-odd years it has been around.

As for the tenants, most will be moving elsewhere and have adopted a wait-and-see stance -- to see what kind of a package the landlord might offer once the new building is ready. As it is, mots of the tenants have secondary outlets elsewhere. The wonderful couple who own the shoe shop on the first floor already have an outlet in Atria. The DIY shop too has an alternative venue (either already operational or in the process of opening) somewhere in the Section 17 area of PJ.

As for the perennial favourite Jaya Noodle House, word has it that they have found a wonderful location in Section 13. I am sure I speak for many when I say that we all can't wait for Jaya Noodle House to relocate and open its doors as soon as possible. Jaya Noodle House is a place for good, clean food that's affordable and we are glad it is going to be around with us for a long time to come yet!

RON PAUL RULES!

   
• RON PAUL FOR PRESIDENT OF THE US...

In another segment of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (the one that featured Tom Cruise), I saw the segment with Presidential candidate Ron Paul. Oh, what a breath of fresh air he is. I hope all the young people will rally behind him in support of his presidential aspirations. Apparently, he has really gone up the popularity charts with young people, especially on the Internet. On Jay Leno's show, he came across as a man with a very endearing sense of humour and sense of self.

And to think that I had given up on the U.S. presidential hopefuls before seeing Ron Paul on TV: there were days when I was cringing at the prospect that the useless woman Hillary Rodham Clinton stands a great chance of winning the U.S. presidency. Or, worse, Barack Obama!!!!!!! These two are bad news for world politics and should not be given an inch of a leeway towards the White House.

Now, my hopes have been raised by Ron Paul. He is delightful and has all the makings of a true statesman, nevermind that he is 72 years old already. (And yes, plenty of what he said about taxes and the IRS is un-doable, but the fact that he is willing to say them and not play stupid mind games with the audience/voters as Hillary and Barack Obama do is most welcome in my book. His policy of removing American troops from Iraq is also highly applaudable.)

Where do I sign up to campaign for Ron Paul?

TOM CRUISE

FASHION POLICE ALERT...

Just saw "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" the other day when Tom Cruise appeared. What's with the Cruise-sters' new hairdo? It is a really strange cut -- and he swished his head to the side a few times to keep his hair out of his eyes or something. Very weird. Very unfashionable! Is his sister (who he "sacked" as a publicist after her bad advice led to his strange love-outburst for Katie Holmes on Oprah Winfrey's show) now his stylist?

DUANE "DOG" CHAPMAN IS A WORTHLESS RACIST

   
• DUANE "DOG" CHAPMAN IS A WORTHLESS RACIST...

This is the report from imdb.com...

*American TV star Duane "Dog" Chapman has apologized for repeatedly using a racial epithet in a private phone call to his son. The star of TV series Dog The Bounty Hunter allegedly told his son to break-up with his black girlfriend during a taped conversation which was leaked online. Chapman was forced to issue an apology after bosses at A&E television suspended production on his reality series. He says, "My sincerest, heartfelt apologies go out to every person I have offended for my regrettable use of very inappropriate language. I am deeply disappointed in myself for speaking out of anger to my son and using such a hateful term in a private phone conversation." A spokesman for A&E says, "We take this matter very seriously. Pending an investigation, we have suspended production on the series. When the inquiry is concluded we will take appropriate action."*

titanFD comments: Racists who issue apologies after making racial slurs have no place in any society.

TOP MALAYSIAN BLOGS

Here are my favourite Malaysian blogs...

1.

   
• rockybru

Newspaper veteran and much liked personality Rocky gives a larger and clearer picture of how things work and how things are done in this country, from the media and political perspectives. Important reading for youngsters who want to know how to read between-the-lines in Malaysia.



2.

   
• kinkybluefairy

The kinky blue fairy is a very delightful young woman who has plenty of character. AND she writes some funny stuff about the heady world of partying and being young. Thank God for kinkybluefairy - I am relieved to learn that there is life left yet in our youth! Party on kids!



3.

   
• malaysianfinance

This man obviously has a lot of passion for the world of business and profit-making; and his observations and analysis of the things that transpire in the world of commerce are enjoyable to read. His "Humour 101" entry is hilarious.



4.

   
• k-popped

This young K-popster diligently trawls through the Net and other reading material to bring us the latest on what is bubbling over in plastic surgery-enhanced Korean popular culture. Need to know this, though: Is the OTT melodramatic K-pop culture still big business in this country?



5.

   
• dailymuscle

Part advertorial, part imparting of personal experience, you have to hand it to this blogger for a deep passion for fitness. It is always great to hear of bloggers (or anyoone for that matter) who promises to take the time to answer questions on their personal area of expertise. Cheers.