Happy Eid Mubarak

Happy Eid Mubarak to all Muslims in fact it can be celebrated by Malaysian and also the whole world. I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize if there is something bad I've said and done all this while.

One world. One love. Peace.

Read & Recieve

Today I’m going to write about what I read and get recently.


I bought a book from QuaChee one of the blogger. The book is about places, food and people in Malaysia. This book is very good for tourist and also for Malaysian. Most of us Malaysians think we know so many things in our lovely land but yet we are wrong. There are so many places to go, foods to eat and peoples to know that we haven’t explored. So this book is a very good guidance for us too. I bought this book online through Maybank2u and it’s very cheap with so much information that you can get from this cute little book. The price is only for RM19.90. If you are interested to get a copy for yourself, kindly click here.


What I got recently are 2 Eid Mubarak cards. I got them from two bloggers -- Ej and Miza. They really gave me a big smile as I didn’t expect to get any for Eid Mubarak this year. Yes, we tend to send those virtual cards via email or others such as facebook or friendster. Big thanks to both of you. Yes I replied to them too. Fair enough?


I also got virtual card from a blogger. I called her Yumi. Thanks Yumi for this lovely virtual card. The thought counts


I got another virtual card on Sunday from CM. This is his own creativity. Cute isn't it? Thanks CM for this cute card.



Till later.

Tsunami Again?

I got an email today:

Sent: Friday, September 19, 2008 12:47 PM

Subject: PLS stay away from the BEACH area ( Oct-Dec 2008 )

Dear All

Pls pass on this msg to your love one's / friends. A tibetan Master divination and predicts that there will be a TSUNAMI again this year in OCT - DEC 2008. ( 3 mths period )

Pls STAY FAR away frm the BEACH area for your own personal safety. I don't know how true it is but TSUNAMI is gonna come again. Pls trigger and alert. Much thanks

Regards

Anyone can confirm about this?

Teresa Kok: Similarly or Slightly Better?

I’ve watched the news tonight and Teresa’s statement becomes a circus joke now. The video above showed her statement before and tonight she said that Utusan Malaysia manipulated her statement by writing about she said the food in ISA was similar to dog food. She told reporters today that she said it was slightly better. Eh, then who said similar as the video above? Sigh.

What is new?

I have nothing much to say today just a little bit of politic and technology.

I would agree with Mukhriz about UMNO should stay focus on rebuilding UMNO rather than focusing on DSAI. UMNO has been paralyzed since the greatest tsunami in March. Therefore, they should step back on the track and focus on what is important and ignore the craps.

About ISA, 2 out and 1 remain. Now Teresa has been released and she is fighting for justice about no solid reason for her detention. Let see what is next.

Penang will be the first WiFi state. This is really good news as Penang is not that big and this can attract foreigner from other countries. Penang is a well known beautiful state which is famous for its historical places, beautiful beaches and good foods.


Till later.

Be careful when you lost your cell phone

Be careful how you list names on your cell phone! Be Safe!

This lady has changed her habit of how she lists her names on her mobile phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag which contained her mobile phone, Credit card, purse...etc..was stolen.

20 minutes later when she called her Hubby, from a pay phone telling him what had happened. Hubby says 'I've just received your sms text asking about our Pin number. I replied a little while ago.'

They rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The pickpocket had actually used the stolen hand phone to text 'hubby' in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from the bank account.

The lesson: Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list.
Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, sweetheart, Sayang...... Dad, Mum etc.......

And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back.

Also, when you're being texted by friends or family to meet them somewhere,be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet 'family and friends' who text you.

Fresh Lemon Grass Drink Causes Apoptosis to Cancer Cells

This is an article by Allison Kaplan Sommer 02, April 2006

(apoptosis) noun: a type of cell death in which the cell uses specialized cellular machinery to kill itself; a cell suicide mechanism that enables metazoans to control cell number and eliminate cells that threaten the animal's survival.

Fresh lemon grass fields in Israel become Mecca for cancer patients

A drink with as little as one gram of lemon grass contains enough citral to prompt cancer cells to commit suicide in the test tube. Israeli researchers find way to make cancer cells self-destruct - Ben Gurion University . At first, Benny Zabidov, an Israeli agriculturalist who grows greenhouses full of lush spices on a pastoral farm in Kfar Yedidya in the Sharon region, couldn't understand why so many cancer patients from around the country were showing up on his doorstep asking for fresh lemon grass. It turned out that their doctors had sent them. 'They had been told to drink eight glasses of hot water with fresh lemon grass steeped in it on the days that they went for their radiation and chemotherapy treatments,' Zabidov told ISRAEL21c. 'And this is the place you go to in Israel for fresh lemon grass.'
 
It all began when researchers at Ben Gurion University of the Negev discovered last year that the lemon aroma in herbs like lemon grass kills cancer cells in vitro, while leaving healthy cells unharmed. The research team was led by Dr. Rivka Ofir and Prof. Yakov Weinstein, incumbent of the Albert Katz Chair in Cell-Differentiation and Malignant Diseases, from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at BGU.

Citral is the key component that gives the lemony aroma and taste in several herbal plants such as lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), melissa (Melissa officinalis) and verbena (Verbena officinalis.)

According to Ofir, the study found that citral causes cancer cells to 'commit suicide: using apoptosis, a mechanism called programmed cell death.' A drink with as little as one gram of lemon grass contains enough citral to prompt the cancer cells to commit suicide in the test tube.

The BGU investigators checked the influence of the citral on cancerous cells by adding them to both cancerous cells and normal cells that were grown in a petri dish. The quantity added in the concentrate was equivalent to the amount contained in a cup of regular tea using one gram of lemon herbs in hot water. While the citral killed the cancerous cells, the normal cells remained unharmed.

The findings were published in the scientific journal Planta Medica, which highlights research on alternative and herbal remedies. Shortly afterwards, the discovery was featured in the popular Israeli press.

Why does it work? Nobody knows for certain, but the BGU scientists have a theory. 'In each cell in our body, there is a genetic program which causes programmed cell death. When something goes wrong, the cells divide with no control and become cancer cells. In normal cells, when the cell discovers that the control system is not operating correctly - for example, when it recognizes that a cell contains faulty genetic material following cell division - it triggers cell death,' explains Weinstein. 'This research may explain the medical benefit of these herbs.'

The success of their research led them to the conclusion that herbs containing citral may be consumed as a preventative measure against certain cancerous cells. As they learned of the BGU findings in the press, many physicians in Israel began to believe that while the research certainly needed to be explored further, in the meantime it would be advisable for their patients, who were looking for any possible tool to fight their condition, to try to harness the cancer-destroying properties of citral.

That's why Zabidov's farm - the only major grower of fresh lemon grass in Israel - has become a pilgrimage destination for these patients. Luckily, they found themselves in sympathetic hands. Zabidov greets visitors with a large kettle of aromatic lemon grass tea, a plate of cookies, and a supportive attitude. 'My father died of cancer, and my wife's sister died young because of cancer,' said Zabidov. 'So I understand what they are dealing with. And I may not know anything about medicine, but I'm a good listener. And so they tell me about their expensive painful treatments and what they've been through. I would never tell them to stop being treated, but it's great that they are exploring alternatives and drinking the lemon grass tea as well.'Zabidov knew from a young age that agriculture was his calling. At age 14, he enrolled in the Kfar Hayarok Agricultural high school. After his army service, he joined an idealistic group which headed south, in the Arava desert region, to found a new moshav (agricultural settlement) called Tsofar. 'We were very successful; we raised fruits and vegetables, and,' he notes with a smile, 'We raised some very nice children.'

On a trip to Europe in the mid-80s, he began to become interested in herbs. Israel , at the time, was nothing like the trend-conscious cuisine-oriented country it is today, and the only spices being grown commercially were basics like parsley, dill, and coriander. Wandering in the Paris market, looking at the variety of herbs and spices, Zabidov realized that there was a great export potential in this niche. He brought samples back home with him, 'which was technically illegal,' he says with a guilty smile, to see how they would grow in his desert greenhouses. Soon, he was growing basil, oregano, tarragon, chives, sage, marjoram and melissa, and mint just to name a few.

His business began to outgrow his desert facilities, and so he decided to move north, settling in the moshav of Kfar Yedidya, an hour and a half north of Tel Aviv. He is now selling 'several hundred kilos' of lemon grass per week, and has signed with a distributor to package and put it in health food stores. Zabidov has taken it upon himself to learn more about the properties of citral, and help his customers learn more, and has invited medical experts to his farm to give lectures about how the citral works and why.

He also felt a responsibility to know what to tell his customers about its use. 'When I realized what was happening, I picked up the phone and called Dr. Weinstein at Ben-Gurion University , because these people were asking me exactly the best way to consume the citral. He said to put the loose grass in hot water, and drink about eight glasses each day.'

Zabidov is pleased by the findings, not simply because it means business for his farm, but because it might influence his own health. Even before the news of its benefits were demonstrated, he and his family had been drinking lemon grass in hot water for years, 'just because it tastes good.'

Internal Security Act (ISA)

Don’t use ISA, says Zaid

KOTA BARU: De facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim (pic) stuck his neck out against the Government by condemning the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) against civilians.

He urged the Government to revert to the original purpose of the law, which was to curb communism.

“It is time for the Government to go back to the original spirit of the ISA and it should only be used on armed terrorists or those out to topple the Government by force.

“I am not calling for a repeal of the ISA but for it to be used only when there is a real threat to national security and not on civilians,” he told a press conference at his home in Pasir Hor here yesterday.

According to Zaid, he was prepared to accept any consequences from his apparent breaking of ranks from the Cabinet over the issue of the ISA.

He said he was also willing to step down as a minister if his actions were deemed to have undermined the Government and Cabinet.

“I do not want to cause any trouble for Pak Lah (Abdullah). I respect what he is trying to change but on the matter of the ISA, I am against imposing it on civilians. I joined his administration to make changes and everybody knows, I am also for a more open-form of press reporting.”

Zaid was commenting on the arrests of Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, Selangor senior executive councillor Teresa Kok and Malaysia Today news portal editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin on Friday under the Act. Tan was released on Saturday.

By using the ISA randomly, Zaid said, the Government was sending a message that it did not trust the capabilities of its own enforcement agencies such as the police in maintaining peace.

“There were ample punitive law to act against lawbreakers without having to invoke the ISA,” Zaid said.

Zaid, who is a Minister in the Prime Minister’s department, said the use of the ISA also creates an impression of selective prosecution as the Government cannot seemingly incarcerate everybody but only a handful.

“In this latest episode of ISA, we (the Government) have generated an impression of selective prosecution since no action was taken against the person who allegedly uttered seditious remarks. We are saying that we are only acting against those who are disloyal to us.”

He said he was glad that Tan was released but was concerned over the continued detention of the other two.

(source: TheStar)

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BN members lash out at the arrests

PETALING JAYA: Ministers and party leaders within Barisan Nasional have lashed out at Friday’s ISA arrests.

Some have gone as far as to call for the Act to be comprehensively reviewed, while others maintained that the draconian law is still relevant but should never be abused or used against civilians.

MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said MCA felt that if the ISA was really necessary, it must only be invoked in the most extreme cases.

Otherwise, he said, the Act would be a threat to the rule of law and the fundamental liberties as enshrined in the Constitution.

“In fact, even the drafter of the ISA, the late Prof R.H. Hickling, had said the Act was only intended against communist insurgents and those bent on armed struggle.

“If at all national security is threatened, there must be strong evidence to show that. Otherwise, such detainees should be charged in an ordinary court of law and there are sufficient laws for this purpose,” he said.

MCA vice-president Datuk Ong Tee Keat said he felt that the Act should be “comprehensively reviewed”.

“We need to review this Act comprehensively to see its relevance today,” he said.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad said it was necessary to retain the Act but it should be used wisely.

He said he had never asked for it to be abolished or reviewed as it was still needed here.

“It is still necessary but it should be used with care.”

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said the arrests of reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin had put the Government in a bad light.

“For any arrest there must be a reason and it must be clearly explained to the public,” he said.

MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn criticised Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar’s explanation on the detention of Tan, who has since been released.

He said Syed Hamid’s explanation — that her arrest under the ISA was because her life was under threat — was “totally unacceptable.”

“It was a feeble attempt to justify the use of the ISA on Tan. By detaining her under the ISA, police have turned her into a victim of circumstances,” Dr Fong wrote in his blog www.fongchanonn.com.my yesterday.

Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai called for the ISA to be reviewed so that it would not be abused by any quarters to undermine national unity, security and stability.

Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said Gerakan had called for the amendment of the ISA but not its abolition.

He said the Act should be used only when dealing with national security and not against journalists carrying out their duties.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said the Government should be sensitive to the feelings of the people and not be blind to the fact that a significant proportion of the rakyat abhor the ISA and would prefer it not to be used.

“Every time somebody is arrested under the ISA, it gives rise to a perception that the Government is doing it because it is not able to charge and convict the person under existing laws,” he said.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said some aspects of the ISA ought to be subjected to intermittent review but its function to prevent occurrences that divide the community should be respected.

(source: TheStar)

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These few days, people were talking about Internal Security Act known as ISA. Some agreed and some disagreed. It gives me headache when everyday people talk about this thing again and again. Worse when they talk without using a brain.

Actually I agree with Datuk Zaid and I bet many other ministers agree with him too. Just that others love their position so much which make them stay silent and just agree at the current situation. Ministers have been given responsibility and our trust to help Prime Minister to manage the country. But it seems it’s just a one way agreement, leader makes some points and the rest just agree without even dare to make other points which are against the leader (exactly the same at any company, don’t you think? We blame Hitler for the unfair leadership yet we work at a Hitler company and live in the Hitler land. Weird isn’t it?). I don’t agree ISA can be used easily. ISA should be the last resort and it is only for certain cases. I won’t elaborate about the cases that should be listed for ISA but government should think properly about how ISA works if it won’t be vanished from Malaysia.

I’m with you Datuk Zaid! Bravo!

Cancer

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will b destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by no feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

WHAT CANCER CELLS FEED ON?
a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg's amino or sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk, cancer cells are being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs, etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Daily exercising and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

The Funeral Party

And we’re not talking about the kind that has loud music, good food, great company. On the contrary, it’s about a funeral wake – the centrepiece of a noir comedy shot in a historical building in Penang.

SINGAPOREAN filmmaker Glen Goei is back with his second movie – a decade after his debut – in a “politically-correct” Singapore-Malaysia co-production entitled The Funeral Party.

The Funeral Party is producer-director Glen Goei’s second film project.

Brushing aside my cynicism, the youthful 45-year-old quickly explains: “No, no ... it’s true. This is truly a joint effort between our countries. I could not have made this movie without the Malaysian actors and crew. Everyone is nice and I am just so comfortable here that I don’t even miss home.”

The director has just wrapped up a six-week shoot of the movie held entirely in the 19th-century Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, one of Penang’s historical landmarks. It is located in George Town, a newly proclaimed Unesco World Heritage Site.

“Half my leads are Malaysians and the whole production crew is from Penang,” Goei tells The Star during a break in shooting at the mansion recently. “I am very fortunate to have actors like Louisa Chong, Huzir Sulaiman, Patrick Teoh and Claire Wong with me. They all come from theatre backgrounds like me, so working together is easy. More importantly, they are really intelligent actors.

“Malaysian model Steve Yap is also in it – and, yes, he can act!”

On how the prominent blue-hued edifice in Leith Street, now a museum-cum-boutique hotel, came to be the location for his sophomore effort, Goei says: “I had been staying at the mansion since mid-June as a tourist. I was in Malaysia to check out the various heritage buildings in Penang, Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and Malacca, looking for a place to shoot the movie. I ended up falling in love with the Blue Mansion.”

The building bears the name of the wealthy and influential merchant who constructed the stately home for his family in the 1880s. A typical rags-to-riches story of his time, Cheong came to Malaya as a penniless 16-year-old from China. The 38-room mansion boasts five granite-paved Chinese courtyards and 220 windows. It was restored to its former glory in the 1990s, and accorded a Unesco Award for Culture Heritage Conservation in 2000.

Goei, who virtually disappeared from the film industry after Forever Fever (1998), a dance flick loosely based on John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever, says a good script eluded him. He had kept himself busy with other things until he got a scriptwriter to work on an idea of his.

Goei (left) with the stars, Patrick Teoh and Louisa Chong, on the set of The Funeral Party in the glorious Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion in Penang. The director has a lot of respect for his cast. – K.T. GOH / The Star

“About 10 years ago, I attended a funeral wake and it was just so hilarious. All the relatives were busy gossiping and bitching about each other that they forgot the main purpose of being at the wake – to mourn the death of someone. There was just so much going on that it was funny.

“That’s how The Funeral Party came about,” says Goei who doubles as the movie’s executive producer.

Costing about US$1mil (RM3.4mil), The Funeral Party is said to be “The Godfather in a Peranakan (Straits Chinese) setting,” a dark comedy where British irony and Asian values collide.

“Everything takes place over the course of three days after the death of the family patriarch (played by Teoh). The rest will be a surprise. Hopefully, we can screen it at international film festivals by April next year,” says the man who once shared a stage with renowned British actor Sir Anthony Hopkins. In fact, Goei started his career on a London stage and was based there for 18 years.

It is hoped that the splendour and charm of Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion will be captured on the silver screen by the international crew who includes Ian Bailie, the production designer who did last year’s period drama Atonement (starring James McAvoy and Keira Knightley). Also on board is the cinematographer Larry Smith, who worked on the late Stanley Kubrick’s 1999 thriller Eyes Wide Shut (starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman).

The Funeral Party, says Goei, revolves around an older generation of Anglophile Asians with very English humour. “Which was why I wanted someone who is English who ‘got it’ and could help me interpret it to audiences.”

How did he manage to recruit the international talent?

“It was serendipity. I just called up their agents and they agreed to come on board based solely on the strength of the script ... very brave of them,” he laughs.

Citing acclaimed directors Zhang Yimou, Ang Lee and Wong Kar Wai as early influences, Goei says his main inspiration is 1970s movies.

Teoh (left) with fellow actor Alvin Wong, Davina Goh and Chermaine Poo (right) putting on a show even during an interval in filming.

“Bruce Lee and John Travolta were a big part of my youth. I am a seventh-generation Peranakan and I want to make movies that are about my culture. My work will always have an Asian context because that is what I know.

“I want to tell Asian stories that have universal appeal. Life, to me, is bittersweet and I like laughing at our imperfections. My work celebrates not only the strength of our spirit but also pokes fun at our shortcomings,” says the history graduate.

His philosophy in filmmaking is straightforward: “When I do something, I never worry about profits or whether the movie will sell. I am an idealist; I believe that if you concentrate on making a good film, everything will fall into place.”

Besides being a moviemaker, Goei’s resume is as colourful as his personality.

He has dabbled in interior design (he was invited to decorate a suite at Singapore’s posh New Majestic Hotel), but says it is not something he would do for money.

“For pleasure, yes! I did that because a friend had asked me to.

“As for being in front of the camera, I have hung up my acting shoes. I am a control freak and much prefer being behind the scenes. However, due to necessity, I will be making a cameo appearance in The Funeral Party,” he laughs.

Actor-model Steve Yap is part of the line-up.

As creative director for the Singapore National Day Parade in 2003, 2004 and 2006, Goei has been credited with bringing about a hipper and younger feel to the celebrations.

“I would love to work on your Merdeka Day celebrations because you guys have so much history, culture and natural beauty. One of my main themes would definitely be ecology since there is so much greenery and beautiful beaches here.

“My dream would be to hold a free ecology concert for 10,000 people in Kuala Lumpur,” he says, adding that Malaysian singer Zainal Abidin’s Hijau is among his favourite tunes.

“Next year, I may be directing a movie in Australia about an aboriginal boy – it’s something close to my heart because it centres on nature and people’s prejudice.

“And between The Funeral Party and that, I hope to work on another project to be shot in Penang and Ipoh,” says the 1990 best newcomer nominee of the Laurence Olivier Awards (for London theatre practitioners) before being whisked away to guide his motley crew of thespians.

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I can't hardly wait to watch this movie. I bet it's a nice touch!

P/s: This remind me of my American friend who died years ago in Thailand. He loved heritage building so much :(

(source: TheStar)

Devil Hair band

Tuesday September 2, 2008

Children made into 'devils' at Merdeka do

SOME children as young as two were made into 'junior devils' by their parents and guardians at the Merdeka celebrations in Shah Alam on Sunday, claimed a Malay daily.

Harian Metro said the parents bought the children 'hair clips' in the shape of the Devil's horns, which cost some RM8 apiece.

The daily said many parents seemed happy watching their children wearing these 'hair clips', which came with light ornaments.

Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) director Datuk Khusrin Munawai urged Muslims to stop buying the hair clips or better yet, to destroy them.

"These hair clips are haram (illegal)," he said.

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Marina Mahathir said:

How do our JAIS people know what devils look like in the first place? Where does it say that hair clips ( I would call them hair bands) with horns are haram?

And they say in Islam, all that is haram are very big things, not tiny little boobytraps that are constantly being invented to turn us all into little devils. And yes, yes, I know Harian Metro needs to sell itself and it has the highest circulation of all our newspapers. Which just shows the thirst for nonsense that exists in this country of ours.

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This is what I say:

Usually I would agree with her points if it is against any of the parties or departments. But this time it’s hard for me to agree. I am not against what she thinks but I got my simple opinion too.

To me, it is obvious that this hair band refer to devil’s horn. Is there anyone out there would call it a bull or ox horn instead? I doubt.

They can make and sell bunny hair band or maybe some other cute creatures if they want to but why devil horn? Yes no one ever see the real devil or some called it Satan but we all know how to draw devil’s picture at least by drawing the horn part too?

Sometimes we have to agree with others too even though we are well educated. It’s ok if she doesn’t agree with me :)

P/s: to debate against religious department with reason like this showing our ignorance

(source: RantingsbyMM)

Anwar the 6th Prime Minister?

RAMALAN SUMBER DALAMAN

16 Sept. DSAI Angkat Sumpah Sebagai PM Malaysia - 10 pagi
15 Sept. DSAI mohon restu Agong. 9:20 mlm
15 Sept. DSAI mengadap DYMM AGONG. 6:15 ptg
15 Sept. DSAI mengisytiharkan pembentukan PAKATAN sebagai Kerajaan baru di TV1,TV2,TV3,Bernama TV,Awani Astro secara siaran langsung - 8:00 mlm 12 Sept. Sidang Tergempar mengusulkan DSAI membentuk ‘Caretaker Government”
10 Sept. PM mengumumkan perletakan jawatan.
9 Sept. Sidang Tergempar Parlimen di panggil.
8 Sept. 5 Menteri & Timbalan BN Letak Jawatan
7 Sept. 10 Ahli Parlimen BN umum pindah kerusi Parlimen ke PAKATAN
6 Sept. Semua komponen BN dari Semenanjung keluar BN kecuali MCA & MIC
5 Sept. Semua Parti Komponen BN dari Sabah & Sarawak isytihar keluar BN

(sumber: ted baker)

Flash Flood in Penang

Actually, in fasting month I feel a bit lazy to update blog everyday. The best I could do is to keep the pictures on my wallpaper (desktop… I’m afraid you get confuse this desktop with the real pc) so that it would push me to update the blog because I hate to see so many things on my wallpaper! It works!

I posted something about “I Love You” as you can see below. So I usually give people time to read it and comment instead of keep posting entry by entry. This time I skip that one. It’s about flash flood in Penang. Even though I posted something similar recently but this time it was worse!

I got invitation for breaking fast at my sister’s house. It rained for the whole day yesterday and around 6pm my mom called me to see our backyard! I whispered to myself “Not again!” Yes the army as usual drained out the water from their tank again. I have no idea why they always do so every time it rains heavily. The water flowed in. Sigh.

The backyard

Toilet...

In front...

Joseph told me about flash flood was everywhere. He was on the way to cyber café to play his Ragnarok. He sent me a MMS to show his bike.

Joseph's bike...

Around 7pm when the rain was not so heavy, we went out. We went to my dad’s friend to get the murtabak that we ordered earlier to bring to her house. The village had been sunken by water! I drove slowly as I didn’t want to be stuck in the water and couldn’t even drove back home. We managed to pass few junctions that were flooded badly. Reached at the murtabak stall, there was flood again. So, we changed the plan to use other road instead of Relau. We used Bayan Baru’s road. Sadly, flood was there too… in front of Pantai Mutiara Hospital. We turned to the left to use Sunshine Square’s road but it was flooded. Turned to Seri Malaysia Hotel’s road and I got the same result! Argh! Ok there was just one road left. Sungai Tiram! Which I could use the airport highway on the hill. No flood of course. Again we stuck at Sungai Tiram! Flood in front of the factories! I was pissed off. The traffic jam was bad.

Sungai Tiram...

End up we reached at my sister’s house around 9pm. Break fasting was at 7.30pm but we ate our dinner at 9pm. Luckily she cooked some delicious foods… and my favorite prawn tempura was in the menu! I smiled.

Around 10pm Joseph text me about the flood had gone. Thank God!

P/s: You might want to read some news about it. You can read at TheStar and NST.

I love you

Jane is a typical college girl who enjoys life to the fullest. She loves her boyfriend so much and texts him every now and then.

Mark is Jane's boyfriend who works in a call center in Los Angeles. He's always busy doing so many things. He only manages to reply to Jane's texts when he got off from work.

One time mark receives a message from Jane: "hi baby! How are you? I miss you! Call my house when u gets home. Take care! I love you!"

Mark ignored the message because he always receives the same message whenever it is time for him to go home from work.

"Baby, I miss you. Have you eaten?! Take care when you get home! I’ll be waiting for your call. I love you!"

"Baby, where are you?! It’s unfair that you don’t reply to my texts... well, I’m just going to wait for your call. I love you!"

Mark reaches home and lay on his bed. The last time he knew is that he's reading Jane's text. He was so tired he fall asleep and wasn't able to return Jane’s call. He can still hear his phone beeps but he's too tired to take a glimpse on the message.

When he woke up the next day, he remembers that he needs to call Jane. He ignored the messages and dialed Jane’s... No one's answering in her house. He called up her cell phone and he was surprised that her father answered the call. In his voice you can feel his tears and hear his heart tearing apart.

"Mark, why haven’t you called? Jane was waiting for your call all night!"

"Dad, I’m sorry. I fell asleep being so tired from work... I was calling your house but no one was answering. Where are you? So I can come over."

"Just meet me at Jane’s house." Mark went to Jane's house and much to his surprised he saw a lot of people inside. The house was so lighted but you can see the gloom on every person you'll meet there. He was greeted by Jane's mom on tears. She hugs him tight and cried on his shoulders.

"Jane was waiting for you. She didn’t come with us because she was waiting for your call. She was killed by robbers that broke in our house. She’s gone, Mark. She's gone."

"That’s impossible. She text me a while ago. How could his happen?"

Mark can't look who's inside the coffin. He can't move and it feels like his whole body is stuck on the chair he’s seating on. He wanted to cry but it seems that something is blocking his tears to fall down. He turned to his phone and read the messages of Jane.

"Baby, I’m not coming with my mom and dad...I’m just going to wait for your call...”

"Baby...I’m so scared... it seems like there’s someone downstairs. Please call me now!"

"Babe...someone’s here. They might kill me. Please call me now, where are you? I need you here..."

"Baby.... I love you!"

He wanted to shout and cry so loud. It's true that Jane is waiting for his call. Up to her last breath she only thinks about him.

He stared at Jane inside the coffin. Suddenly tears starts flowing down his cheeks. He can't say anything. The only words he uttered...

"My baby, I’m so sorry! I could have known, I could have fought for you! I’m really sorry! I love you so much!"

(credit to hunter21 for the picture)

ISPs ordered to cut access to Malaysia Today website

PETALING JAYA: All 21 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country have been ordered by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to block the controversial Malaysia Today website, an industry source revealed.

The notices were sent out on Tuesday in accordance with Section 263 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.

“This means that MCMC is allowed to block any particular website which has committed acts that contravene the local laws of the country, for example, sedition,” the source said.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin lashed out against the blocking of the online portal, saying it was a breach of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) charter.

Under the MSC Malaysia 10-Point Bill of Guarantees, it is stated that as part of its commitment to ensuring the success of MSC Status companies, the Government promised to “ensure no Internet censorship”.

“The Government has clearly broken its own promise,” said Raja Petra yesterday. Asked whether he was notified of the reasons of the blocking, he answered no.

“I will turn this into a big issue, no doubt. When it is known that the Government has violated the charter, MSC will die. I will personally see to it,” he said.

TMnet, the country's biggest ISP, Maxis and Time refused to comment.

However, at 11.30pm, a check by The Star found that Malaysia Today has launched a mirror site which can be easily accessed.

(source: the star)

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Don’t you think it is weird when you can’t do anything to him but playing games here and there? Why don’t sue him or jail him instead of playing game like this? Or you just can’t do it?

If they keep doing this and point at his article as sedition but yet he is smiling proudly and continue writing, what do you think citizens will think? If what he says is not true, why don’t a proper action taken on him? You want citizen to believe you instead of him? I doubt.