Monday, April 28, 2008

Who would you vote for next term?

Guan Eng: It’s a new form of colonialism

By CAROLYN OOI

PENANG: Re-routing the Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Ministry funds via a different body such as Mara is a new form of colonialism, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said.

Lim hoped Minister Datuk Noh Omar would reconsider the decision as such a move would give a wrong impression to the public.

For years, it has been the practice by the Ministry to channel funds worth RM100 mil a year to the respective State Economic Development Corporations.

The money was used for purposes such as upgrading facilities and financing programmes for the benefit of the people.

However, on Saturday Noh announced that the funds would be channelled via Mara, to prevent the rakyat from being "victimised". He did not explain what he meant by the word "victimised".

Such a move was tantamount to forming a parallel government, Lim told reporters during the Mount Miriam Hospital "Ho Chiak" Charity Food and Fun Fair on Sunday.

Lim said that even now there was a separate tourism action council in the state, and the council did not have representatives from the state.

“If this goes on and they (federal government) set up a parallel system and parallel frameworks or other councils, it would be seen as a form of colonialism.

He said the state government would not object to the setting up of similar type of action councils but there should be state representation.

The Star
28 April 2008

Saturday, April 26, 2008

The Guru

Goodness Gracious Me is a British sketch programme that takes the mickey out of Indians living in Britain, and their culture. They are all true by the way. I would know, innit?

The sketches are a complete hoot and the best, absolutely positively, is the Guru Maharishi Yogi parodies.

God, I lurve this.
Opps. Sorry God.


Sunday, April 20, 2008

Its the hormones, I swear

If sexy is a state of mind, then I am losing it.
(Not that I have ceased being hot, that is still the case, I assure you.)

I concede that our tastes evolve as we age.

Going back, I am happy to report that I was the first adolescent in my block to find Kurt Cobain so dangerously sexy. He was against everything pure and wholesome that my parents attempted to impart to us. My brother went a step further with Marilyn Manson.
My family: dysfunctional - yes. regrets - no.

Anyhoo, back to Cobain. So when I got that Nirvana calendar from Sharon, every photo from all 12 months including the bleeding jacket covered the north side of my bedroom wall. In any case it was that schoolgirl crush that launching my obsession with the proverbial Bad Boy. And got me into hell a lot of trouble to say the least but lets keep this entry clean and blackmail free

Lo and behold, today as I was watching Foo Fighter's The Pretender video clip, a though crossed my mind.. boy he is hot.

Wait a minute. That's Dave Grohl. THE Dave Grohl. As the truth sank in, I was a little disturbed. This is like the first man with facial hair that I have ever ever ever named and used the phrase "oh so fuckable" in the same sentence. Without a negative.

Sure he is amazingly talented. But its like suddenly realizing that hey, your sis/brother is quite a looker. It jolts the senses to say the least. With a cattle prod no less.

Ok ok maybe should qualify that he is majorly hot ONLY when he has his hair shorter, sans the blow out. But then look at the picture above and I dare you say that he is not goddamn delicious.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Ala cutenya

Congratulations Perineum Speaks. Who knew you could have done such a good job.

She is gorgeous.

And will be quite a handful if she is to be anything like a true Arien and rest assured you will have your job cut out for you. Welcome to a new universe where your life is no longer your own.
Good luck with the diapers and say bye to sleep.
....
I was surfing for baby stuff online and lo and behold, I found this. This is what the website says about this CD.


Lullaby Renditions of Bob Marley

Baby Rock Tunes! Transforms timeless rock songs into beautiful instrumental lullabies. The tranquil sounds of the glockenspiel, vibraphone, melontron, and other instruments will soothe your baby into sweet slumber. No baby no cry. Bob Marley’s lilting melodies will gently sway your loved one to sleep. The perfect antidote to restless nights these comforting renditions will transform bed time into a peaceful wonderland. Could you be lulled?

Songs:

1. One Love

2. Jammin

3. No Women, No Cry

4. Get up, Stand Up

5. Stir it up

6. Could you be Loved

7. I Shot the Sheriff

8. Buffalo Soldier

9. Lively Up Yourself

10. Redemption Song


I am curious as hell as to experience sleep to the soothing strains of Buffalo Soldier played on a xylophone. Don't worry, Perineum Speaks, I will not send you the CD. Therapy for kids is expensive. But if you are interested for yourself, there's Beatles Rockabye Baby, U2 Rockabye Baby and even Coldplay Rockabye Baby. If you don't believe go ahead, Google it.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Thankful for laugh lines

I have been most fortunate and blessed. Here's to many more days of cake and pretty dresses. (Sorry, can't do anything about the pout. It is still here. )
And of course, just drop me a comment if you wanna take me out for food. Yes, I have no shame either.

**********

So I am 31.
All grown up and no excuses.

Syeah. Like that is gonna work.

In any case, I have never been so happy. There is an amazing contentment that comes with being comfortable in one's own skin. (Although I cannot understand why it takes forever to lose 5 freaking kilos, but that is another blog entry.)

I have had good people pick me up, dust me off and changed my direction to perhaps a better one. There is a scene in Kung Pow that is quite similar except that involved rolling a baby off a cliff.

I am deeply indebted to good friends, unknown Samaritans and kind strangers. I would like to make a special mention of an old retired Chinese apek who seeing that I was short of 2o cents for the bus, kindly gave me his.

Of course thank you to those people who have taken me out for food when I was a poor chambering student. And a bigger thank you to all those who are taking me out for food now, with dessert to add to the bill.

For the text messages, phone calls, feasts, cakes, flowers, gifts (real and virtual), I humbly say THANK YOU.

Same time next year!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Writing on the Wall

Today's front page of the News Straits Times is certainly worth a read. Brave words for a national newspaper once controlled by BN. Is it a marketing ploy or are the editors pushing the envelope here. Have a read:

NST
says: Get on with the Job

IT’S been five weeks since the general election. The Barisan Nasional was returned to power, albeit with a smaller majority and the loss of five states.

Despite the shock of the result, it was still a mandate that no one could argue with, not even Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his wildest allegations of electoral fraud. But what has Umno, the leading partner of the coalition and largest party in parliament, been doing since March 8? Bickering, pointing fingers, baying for vengeance and doing everything imaginable except rolling up its sleeves and getting down to the work of governing.

Enough is enough.

People are getting fed up with Umno’s moaning and groaning, the political wayang and sandiwara its cast of characters is playing up and down the country.

The truth is that the people have long been disgusted with the kind of boorish, loutish behaviour that Umno leaders had exemplified because of their grip on power since independence in 1957.

Brandishing the kris was hurtful to the non-Malays but the party leadership did nothing to take the Umno Youth chief to task for the menacing and insulting gesture. Which was why he was emboldened to repeat it and provide extra impetus for the Chinese and Indians to abandon the BN at the polls.

It also did not go unnoticed that the leadership put up with the racist and inflammatory rhetoric of the delegates at the televised 2006 Umno general assembly.

Then there was the desecration of the temple under the watch of the then Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo which did so much to outrage the Hindus throughout the country and turn them against the ruling coalition. And Dr Khir had the cheek to award a broom to a local council president, when neither he nor the party president could control the warlords who held the party to ransom over the choice of candidates, and stabbed the party in the back when they did not approve of the candidates.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is now paying for these and other acts of omission, including the undeliverable promises of change that he made when he first became prime minister in 2003.

Every other day, he has had to deflect attacks by party members and ex-leaders who conveniently have absolved themselves of any fault. But every day that he is sidetracked by party bickering is another day affairs of state are neglected — the nation and the people are the losers.

Abdullah has said that he has got the message; he has accepted responsibility for the unkept pledges; and this time, he vows he will deliver on his promises and set the country in order before he retires.

That is, in fact, the verdict of his mandate, and he should be allowed to get on with it. But all the worms crawling out of the Umno woodwork — especially the retired and those with shelf lives past due who have found new breath in their calls for a party coup — won’t let him.

They don’t get it. Abdullah is not solely to be blamed and everything will not suddenly be all well again if he goes. Umno from the roots to the high branches all have to share the blame for their silence, their greed, arrogance and shenanigans that have turned off voters. So stop the navel-gazing and infighting.

If they have to fight among themselves, at least have the decency to keep it civilised and behind closed doors. They don’t have to drag the whole country through their infernal politicking.

There are more important things than private peeves and settling of scores.

Neither the brewing crisis over soaring food prices nor other major issues are going to wait for Umno to put its own house in order. Now is the time for the grand old party to move on, do the things its leaders have promised and show that it still has what it takes to lead the nation.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/Frontpage/20080416075640/Article/index_html

Sunday, April 13, 2008

From no where


I want a red tartan skirt.

Okay this thought is sooooo random. I amazed myself.

I tried Googling for tartan skirts and got a whole bunch of porno pics.
You sick sick bastards.

Gave me a whole lot of new ideas. Heh.

New addition to the family

To placate my poor back that has been hankering for sensible shoes for the past few weeks, tadaa .. my Mary Janes! They are Crocs. Confusingly called Alice. Alice Suede. Go figure. But they fit like a.. um, shoe. Its just what the podiatrist ordered.

However just one complaint. My world view has indeed changed. In brief, or rather - in short, I remember why I seriously envy tall people. Its not that there are none whom I look up to, but having conversations with navels, after a while, becomes slightly tedious.

It is a no win situation really. Heels to save me from neck ache, or flats to save my back from breaking. Either way I am sick of the words adorable and cute.

Report

What a melancholic weekend! Something is in the air. Had a lovely day at The Curve and yet this dread has been tailing me all day, like a thundercloud that just would not quit. My ruling stars and planets and must have some alignment issues.

How DO you snap out of gloom and doom?

Brought home flowers for the weekend. I know that they die and they cost alot of money and you can't stew them or make soup out of them, YET how could any girl say no to flowers. The offering/bribe of choice since time immemorial. I am such a sucker for flowers. And I have been so very lucky to have received some humongous bouquets in my lifetime. Not to mention sunflowers that I had to arrange in a bucket! Hehe.

Of course the more shrew ones among you would suggest that jewelery should be the preferred vice. And I agree whole heartedly of course. It is a good thing for my sponsors that Georg Jensen does not have an outlet in KL. But seriously, while their contemporary designs are to literally die for, I totally disagree with their pricing.

In any case, I have tracked down the Mary Jane's that I have been eying for the longest time. My back is starting to painfully revolt against my devotion towards my 3 1/2 inch heels. (wimp) But to ensure that I do not looks like a snail when I am 60, I am picking up my very flat Mary Jane's at One Utama tomorrow. Happiness is shoes. That fit. And Look nice. A bonus if they are comfortable.

Good lord, I am turning to be such a girl! I just had a long intense conversation about eye lash curlers the other day with a colleague. (Thank you Jennie for the Shu Uemura. I lurve you.)

A day at Borders


Kelly: Are we readers or book collectors?
Cass: Book collectors.

Tsk, so many books, so little time. 5 more unread tomes to add to the library. Sigh.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Adoi!

I had the terrible experience of discovering that I was being lied to. Quite seriously. Its simply quite disheartening to know that my trust meant so little.
How simply shattering!

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Random

Had a very bizarre dream the other day.

I dreamt that a very grumpy schnauzer came through my open gate, didn't even bother to regard me, and purposefully sauntered in to claim the place as his own.

I thought it was just charming!

Saturday, April 05, 2008

In the Thick of History

What interesting times we live in.
I am referring of course to the unfoldings or rather unravellings of events that make up Act 1 & 2 of the theater piece that is Malaysian Politics - Post Election.

Watching politics (and naturally speculating and mengumpat-ing) is indeed engaging especially if one has equally keen spectators/speculators as comrades and partners in crime.

Yet, I work for an Umno overlord by the way. Dicing with death? Not really. Not when the whole country is talking about the scourge that is afflicting the ruling party. And as much as you wanna claim that the ruling party is Barisan, you know deep down, it is UMNO after all.

What is life without a little drama, no?

What really gets my goat is why the sudden shock? Like nobody has noticed that the blight is come.

I get a little nauseous when politicians keep calling upon and using its name in vain, this so called "grassroots". Notice how this term only surfaces and proliferates during elections, be it party or general. There IS no more grassroots. Lackeys and campaigners who later become elected government vendors are NOT grassroots.

Election time only do leaders become so concerned over grassroots. When petrol and toll go up in price, when floods strike every part of the city, when kids are no longer safe to go to the kedai runcit, when houses of worship are being demolished, how come there is not a peep from the local heroes about acceding the will of the grassroots?

And speaking of goats, Umno is still looking for a sacrificial one. Tun Mahathir has publicly called for the PM's resignation and even more shockingly revoked his support from Najib (jeng, jeng jeng). And party bigwigs have, in not so many words, called Tun Mahathir a tyrant during his years on the throne and now a firestarter bent on burning the party to a crisp.

One thing is for sure - the Pakatan Rakyat coalition must be rubbing their hands in glee.

What is better to watch and put money on is who will head Umno Youth? To be honest, if i had to choose between Mukhriz, Khairy and Khir Toyo (hahahahaha) - I rather move to New Zealand.

And if kris-waving-chinese blood-lusting Hishammudin is going to run for vice-presidency (which is so obviously in-line with his political ambitions, regardless of his press statements now), I will so do my utmost to migrate, even if it means that I have to masquerade as a dairy cow.

I am going to get myself some toast.

Who do Voo Doo

Ladies and gentlemen, please meet Fred.
He is my new constant companion. He is able to take on many many personalities and you may see him with pins sticking out of him at awkward angles.
That would be my wishful thinking in action.