Sungha Jung

The kid's so small his nose touches the guitar when he looks at his right hand. Can you say ... cute?

A DSLR That Shoots Video

The Nikon D90. Only DSLR that does this at the moment, with all the exposure and depth-of-field control of an SLR camera. About $1300 and I'd say Nikon has the early score against Canon's EOS 50D.

Nice, much?

You've Been Cute'd

You know the bimbo post I did a few months ago? I've just found the ultimate QUEEN of bimbowhoring, and the thing is ... I don't think she's even Asian.

It's a mixture of annoying-ness and cuteness, and, trust me, the guys won't be able to take their eyes off her.

She's hot. And cute. And has very bad Japanese. One Youtube comment:

I think she just said:

「食堂、食べたい。」

"I want to eat a cafeteria."

I can't stop laughing. Go to her Youtube profile for more videos.

Chinese Dramas

ARE SICK.

(my sister pointed me to this. I will never look at her the same way again)

Frank Herbert's Dune

This book was my first adult science fiction I laid my hands on. I was eleven at that time- and the only reason I bought it was because it bore resemblance to a computer game I had played years before.

The first time I read it, it was a nightmare. Dune was a confusing, bewildering goulash of high-class words and concepts that were beyond my mind. Remember- I was only eleven, and had only finished reading the entire series of Hardy Boys and Enid Blyton. I read it three times through before everything clicked- and damned be it was superb. Heck it won the first scifi award.

Nobody can size down Dune in a single blog post. I’ve tried.

A small excerp as a teaser.

A predatory look filled the old woman's features. She lifted her hand away from the box and poised her hand close to the side of Paul's neck. He saw a glint of metal there and started to turn to it.

"Stop!" she snapped. He swung his attention back to her face.

"I hold at your neck the gom jabbar," she said. "Its a needle with a poison at its tip. Ah ah! Dont pull away or you'll feel that poison."

Paul tried to swallow in a dry throat. He could not take his attention away from the seamed old face, the glistening eyes, the pale gums around silvery metal teeth that flashed as she spoke.

"A dukes son must know about poisons, eh?" she said. "Its the way of our times. Musky, to be poisoned in your drink. Aumas, to be poisoned in your food. The quick ones and the slow ones, and the ones in between. Here is a new one for you: The gom jabbar. It kills only animals!"

Pride overcame Paul's fear. "You dare suggest a duke's son is an animal?" he demanded.

"Lets say, I suggest you may be human."

The main main main plot (for there are many main plots) revolves around the Spice, melange, a greatest substance in the history of humankind. It is a geriatric substance that changes the whole DNA make up of a persons body. It amplifies every higher senses, heightens the body’s immunogenic system, extend the human life span by hundreds of years, gives access to racial memories and enables space travel.

It enables interstellar travel by allowing Navigators to ‘see’ into the space-time continuum, and predict possible outcomes. The ship will not wallop into a star or asskick into a nebula.

Aha! But Spice can only be found on the Dessert planet Arrakis.

So he who controls Arrakis, controls the Spice, controls the future, controls humanity, controls the universe. And that’s what the whole plot is mainly about. Spice. And remember, this book was published circa 1965, so this concept was regarded as very new, and very amazing at that time. It astounded people, and it astounded me.

It wipes out most science fiction books out there on a stellar scale. Go get it in your local bookstores today! This is VERY WELL an advertisement.

Ps- I have read it fifteen times now since eleven. Not including the rest in the chronicles. Yes. Im a fanatic. And im reading it again, after SPM. Let the Spice flow!

Sensory Disarray

Pardon this rather... content-less post but I honestly don't know what else to write.

Watch the video and you'll understand why.

Meow?

If you have cats/dogs, you probably wonder every now and then what your pets are saying to each other. A little twitch here, a flick of the tail there..

Watch these two:

Someone decided to edit this video and added a proper conversation. Here's his hilarious take on it:

This one definitely takes the cake. 0:12 to 0:14 is so adorable!

My Early Muir Owl

My Early Muir Owl is an anagram of Will You Marry Me.

Love At First Sight Does Exist

Not so long ago one dude in New York had a James Blunt moment: he saw the girl of his dreams on a subway train. The funny thing about all of this, is, of course, that most people don't believe in Love At First Sight. I'm wondering if this guy did, because what he did next was surprising.

He created a website. It consisted of a single illustration, and he asked people if they had seen this girl. The website spread through word of mouth.


One day a girl saw his description, matched it with that of her friend, and hooked the two of them up.

I wonder what's become of two of them. Here's to wishing them the best. Because, just sometimes, happy endings do happen.

Review of SPM

As the first batch (ie guinea pig batch) taking Science and Maths in English, I have decided that it is almost obligatory that I write a sort of review on this years Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia. Lets backtrack in time- 2003 was the year where our former Dictatorial Figurehead Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad introduced a new policy whereby English became the mainstream language in science stream studies.

Claps and standing ovations resounded among those who
1. Use English as their medium of speech
2. Think in English
3. Were fairly proficient in the language.

I cant find any statistics for English proficiency in Malaysia, but Id venture a good extimate- less than half are below average. Hard core Chinese population, half the bumis and basically every Malay in Semenanjung. (Anyway, If we could score in Malay back then, I dont see why they cant score in English now)

So, have the standards increased, so that results drop to an all new low and our ever powerful Hishamuddin will have yet another excuse to return the syllabus back to the previous Bahasa Kebangsaan? The language of our country. The language of our heritage.

Or have the standards decreased, in hope for the coming elections hope that results would double up the score ladder.

Standard:Decreased like falling down a 69 storey building

Things were fairly normal for the core subjects: you have the normal not-being-able-to-finish-in-bloody-time for Moral Education, writing-like-the-speed-of-light-t- get-that-4pages-limit Malay Essay, dozing during English Paper, and not even caring for Maths.

Its the Science subjects that were incredibly stupid.

Objective papers were incredible no brainers. Half the class was dozing by the 10th minute, the other half checking through again. For my biology paper I went through the darn thing five or six times.

For Chemistry, Biology, Physics... there are actually questions where you UNDERLINE the correct answer. IN SUBJECTIVE!

NaOH / KCL + HCL - NaCL + H2O

A leaf floats in water because of surface tension of water / higher density.

A skin is part of the integumentary system / reproductive system.

What are we. Kindergarten students?

Anyone who has taken Biology in SPM will attest to the fact that it is one of the hardest to score. The amount of information, its Sejarah all over again in English- only with hormones. Well guys- the format changed, without any prior notice.

Paper 2 Biology
Section A- 6 Questions
Section B- 4 Questions (choose ANY two)

They actually scrapped off a whole section! (Section C)

Plus, they made the questions so general there was even time to do extras. In my mock exams you did the paper, chun, finish on time cant even check again. For SPM science subjects you do a couple of extras and you even have time to check through the paper... twice.

SPM was a sucker. Looks like Government lowered the standard tremendously.

PS- I dont get why they lowered the standard. Just make it as tough as it can get, and then lower down the differentiation gradient for a pass or an A1 score. Either way, English wins. =D

Democracy

People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.

Really ahh? That one Mr V in V for Vendetta say one ... is just a movie right? No real in the real world? How can! Garmen so scary and big wan. Got sodomy trail if you try anything. Shouldnt they be strong strong so can keep order wan?

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd President of the United States, wrote the above words in a letter to William S. Smith in 1787. It became the basis of the 2nd amendment: that all Americans would have the right to arms; the right to guns.
The founding fathers apparently believed in a strong control to the government. The first control is that of what Thomas Carlyle calls the Fourth Estate. Jeffrey Archer makes the following observation in his novel of the same name:

"In May 1789, Louis XVI summoned to Versailles a full meeting of the 'Estate General'. The First Estate consisted of three hundred clergy. The Second Estate, three hundred nobles. The Third Estate, six hundred commoners. Some years later, after the French Revolution, Edmund Burke, looking up at the Press Gallery of the House of Commons, said, 'Yonder sits the Fourth Estate, and they are more important than them all.'"

But what Jefferson believed was this: a well armed populace which is not afraid to turn on its government is the ultimate check and balance.

God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. ... And what country can preserve its liberties, if it's rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

It is its natural manure.

It is a scary thought, especially for us Malaysians, who practice a watered down form of democracy.

Lest we forget: democracy does not mean just elections. It means a government of the people, by the people, for the people, with a multitude of checks and balances in place to ensure the fair use of power, and justice, and peace.



We have a long way to go.

Note: I do not support the 2nd amendment, and I disagree with many elements of the American democracy. However, the purpose of this post is to show that there is more to the concept of democracy than elections, and the entire idea of "We are a democratic country, we are not like Myanmar or Pakistan because we hold erections once every 4 years" is ridiculous.

Cuppy Cake Song

This song was uploaded to the Internet in 1996 and became an Internet phenomenon. From youtube:

No lip-syncing here folks, This is the REAL DEAL!: The original 1994 video of "The Cuppycake Song" (words and music by Judianna Castle) being recorded by the original artist (our daughter, Amy at age 3) in our home studio.

Although there were many takes of the song during the session, this was the one that made it onto our BALLOONS children's CD(www.cdbaby.com/buddycastle)and the one which has generated so much interest on the internet.

Since uploading "The Cuppycake Song" to the web in 1996, it has truly taken on a life of it's own. On You Tube alone, there are currently at least 1,000 videos using this song! In the last ten years we have received thousands of unsolicited comments from people of all ages across the US and many countries around the world who have been touched by this simple song and the tiny voice that sings it.

Now at last, you can see the face that goes with the voice. This should finally put to rest the false rumor that the song was sung by Strawberry Shortcake.
To read some of the many listener comments and to see additional photos of Amy, please visit us at www.cuppycake.com

Cute.

I'm Never Going To Complain About Kenny's Driving Again

This is a woman driver. She is driving at a very slow speed. She makes Kenny look like Michael Schumacher.



Classic.

Random Things To Cheer Me Up

iPod beater, you think?

*

Conversations real vs imagined

(from collegehumour):
Imagined
HOT MUSCULAR ISRAELI LOCKSMITH INSTALLING MY DEADBOLT: So you live here alone?
ME: No.
HMILIMD: You live with roommate?
ME: No, boyfriend.
HMILIMD: Oh, that’s too bad. You are hot.
ME: Oh, thank you. ( I cast my eyes down as if he’s embarrassing me)
HMILIMD: I want to stop screwing in this bolt and screw you right here on your sofa.
ME: I’m sorry I’m can’t. I’m spoken for.
HMILIMD: But I must have you NOW.
ME: No, you have to control yourself! Please, put your shirt back on!
HMILIMD: I beg you, if you won’t let me screw you on your sofa right now, then at least let me install this lock for you without wearing a shirt.
ME: Okay, I guess that’s fair.

Actual
HMILIMD: So you live here alone?
ME: No.
HMILIMD: You live with roommate?
ME: No, boyfriend.
HMILIMD: Me too.

*

They don't make grandmothers like that in Malaysia.

Meow

PMR is over, F3's will be back in full swing around UGS I expect. (I hope) I demand The other day, I went to my mums school with my camera in hand. Unexpectedly, the cat that lives there wasn't out socializing around the neighborhood with her kittens. She was sitting there. Alone.


So I decided to take pictures of her. She was gorgeous. What can I say? The camera loves her!!! The parallels between her and Puss from Shrek are undeniable. They both do the Cute stare thing with their huge eyes.



After a few pictures, I realized...this is one photogenic cat. *Reviews photos* she's POSING FOR ME! She was staring straight into the lens in most of the pictures!

Okay, so maybe it was because she was fascinated by me my camera. Or maybe it was warning signals that she sent through her eyes saying *Go away*.

She was yawning kay!

I squatted there for at least 5 minutes and she just sat there. Staring in my general direction. She changed her position once. And then continued to stare.


Cat Trivia!!! Cats' hearing is much more sensitive than humans and dogs.
Ailurophilia is the "love of cats." Cats have three eyelids
Almost 10 percent of a cats bones are in its tail Cats have thirty teeth. Kittens have baby teeth which are replaced by permanent fangs at around seven months of age. If your cat is near you, and her tail is quivering, this is the greatest expression of love your cat can give you. If her tail starts thrashing, her mood has changed --- Time to distance yourself from her.

Sam likes kittens cats.

Art and Engineering

I know this is a BMW ad, but I've been thinking about the parallels between the two lately. Especially since the arts vs science in Malaysian schools debate has reared its ugly head in my mind once again. I love arts - I write and I read and who says music and wine and food isn't enjoyable? But I'm stuck in science, because it's the proper thing to do.

Then I watched this video, and my breath is knocked out of me. Here is good science, compressed and tested and made beautiful. The wind, given form and tangible movement. Theo Jansen is a genius.



*PS: That machine there is called a strandbeest. A contraption that runs on wind. Wonderful.

Destressing in under 5 minutes

Do you believe in fairy tales?



And what do girls really do behind closed doors?



Gotta love those dummies.

Calling 911

(Refer to video in the last post to get the references to this one)



I sometimes wonder ... how will her life be affected by it? Poor girl.

Miss Teen South Carolina

Is very, very smart. Sigh.



You know what's the worst thing? She places third.

Booker Prize Longlist (Malaysia Boleh!)

Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng's The Gift Of Rain recently made it into the Booker Prize longlist, much to my (and to all other Malaysian litbloggers') delight. Sharon Bakar has been making it a point to plough through the entire series of books in the hopes of finishing it before the shortlist comes out, though she thinks she won't be able to make it.


But here's an interesting thing: Tan Twan Eng is based in South Africa. Yes, he does come back to Malaysia, but the fact remains he is overseas for a good part of his time, and his book was published by Myrmidon Books Ltd (certainly not local!).

If you recall, the other great book to be written by a Malaysian in recent times was Tash Aw's The Harmony Silk Factory, which sparked off a bidding war, was nominated for the IMPAC Dublin award, and went on to become an international bestseller.


It's also a very good book (I read it when I was supposed to be studying for the SPM *yikes*).

So no surprise as Silverfish clobbers most of the local authors on the head in his post on Twan Eng's book:

While basking in the glow of vicarious glory, one cannot help but notice something: all these writers live outside the country. Why? Are Malaysians only able to get anything done when they leave the country? One can't help feeling that there are so many more successful Malaysians outside the country than inside.

Ouchies.

And then - even better:

... Is the lack of Malaysian writings the fault of our education system, then? Sure. Who hasn't heard of the many disturbing stories about our schools and the teachers? If it is, then how does one explain the writers mentioned above? Did they not attend the same local schools when they were here? Maybe they went overseas for their tertiary education, one might say. That could be it. But then how does that explain the 'failure' of those who come back from overseas after their education? No stimulus? No peers to push them on? It cannot be that we have no talent. The writers mentioned above were born here too.

Double ouchies.

Sharon, to her credit, goes on to provide reasons for this writing drought back home. The one that interests me the most is this:

Some go because ... and this is the controversial one that will have me clapped in irons ... Malaysia - let's face it - has a wonderful knack of stifling creativity.

In an environment where freedom of expression is seriously curtailed, where books and films are banned and restricted, where politicians take offense at satire, where Malay filmmakers and authors are harangued for letting the race down, where folks of different races do not feel they have an equal stake in the future of the country, where gays and lesbians face discrimination, where Malay women writers who dare write their mind have their websites hacked and receive death threats ... is it any wonder that authors look for a place where they can create without fear of censure? You see, everything is connected. One very prominent Malay writer told me that his most prized possession is his passport, and he's ready to leave if the current political and social environment becomes anymore restrictive.

It sounds depressing, yet there are writers out there who manage to produce work locally. Kam Raslan is one - publishing a cheeky commentary on Malaysian life (and getting away with it), and Sharon recognizes a great pool of young Malaysian talent whom she has met through blogs and writing courses.

Here's a shoutout to all you closet writers (coughincludingmecough). We just might be the answer to our country's creativity drought ... once our work is out there for people to read. So sharpen your pencils and take out your books. Write and write and write ... and get published.

Because, failing that, we'll all need tickets to South Africa.

Who's willing to sponsor mine?