Scream indeed

Disaster is Chris Cornell working together with Timbaland. As a true blue fan of Audioslave and Soundgarden, I am trying very much to be appreciative of this new and different sound of his.

Nope. Can't do it. The song sucks. It not Chris Cornell anymore. Its all Timbaland.
Nuf said.

Guess What I Got In My Freezer

Its not just simply Ben & Jerry's. Its Chubby Hubby (no, it’s not your first thot, it’s a flavour) that had me hitting every 7-11 in the entire PJ in vain yonks ago.  Chubby Hubby is happiness in a 1 pint tub.

Forget the sophistication of liquid gold, this is warm your cockles-snuggle in bed - childhood exuberance - forget about sharing - comfortable pajama wearing - favourite sitcom accompanying - good old fashion fun. 

Chubby Hubby has its own Wikipedia listing by the way. 

Quoting Wiki: The ice cream flavor consists of pretzel nuggets, which are covered in fudge and filled with peanut butter, in a vanilla malt ice cream base, which is itself swirled with fudge and peanut butter throughout.

Chubby Hubby was amongst the first few flavours introduced in Malaysia some, oh 8 years ago. It shared freezer space with Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Oh, and Vanilla (like why bother?). Naturally Chubby Hubby was the most elusive and for a time, it completely disappeared. As Ben & Jerry's became more accessible at Cold Storage and Jusco stores, Chubby Hubby never made a comeback. 

Until Now.

And it brought friends! 

Available at Bangsar Village Grocer’s! 

So Jo, when you free? The one my freezer is um, spoken for. In drool. Sorry. 

All your base are belong to us

For all you young one who have heard of this phrase but no clue where it came from, here it is. Geek kitsch at its most glorious. 

Back in the days when video games were hot but translations were not, there was this one game called Zero Wing. 

As I was on the bus

I had a very interesting conversation yesterday. 

Helped into her seat, Marge sat next to me and when the engine roared awake, she broke the ice by whispering to me, "I am only 93 years old.'     

Turns out that Marge is celebrating Christmas here. Been in the country for 7 months now and living in Kl with her children. 

She busted her legs when she was involved in a tragic car accident. So she gets around in a walker and yet STILL takes the bus from The Curve to the LRT station. Of course her daughter helps her about but I have a sense that she is more anxious than her mom. The grand dame seems to be enjoying herself. 

We talked about fake snow. And real snow. (She grew up in Missouri). And how in her youth she was involved in all kinda of sports. And her last foray was bowling at Times Square last week. She was a certified bowling instructor and a 23 time gold winner of the Senior Olympics.  

We talked about lessons her daddy taught her on how to save and how her savings have taken her from Houston to England to Japan.  

And she is 93 and she talks about using her  Internet phone to speak to folks back home. She says how her friends refuse to join her gallivanting across the globe because they are tired. To which she replies," Yeah, so am I. So lets go."  

She is like sunshine, with short sleeves and a foldable walker.  

1319

Yesterday is History,
'Tis so far away
Yesterday is Poetry
'Tis Philosophy

Yesterday is mystery
Where it is Today
While we shrewdly speculate
Flutter both away

Elizabeth Dickinson

Last Friday was just spectacular!  

The folks at work had a cookout at my mate's pad at The Maple. 

6 girls and a gay man,  great view of KL,  trashy TV, bestest pasta ever (thank you Faye) and delirious non-stop chatter. How can anything go wrong? The only thing that did go wrong was that we forgot to fry the hash browns. 

After an evening of insightful conversations on good looking men, which celeb has the best lips and how fat kimora lee simmons has become, we adjourned to share our fabulousness with the rest of KL. 

Pulse at Menara Millennium is currently THE place, or so I am told. Was pretty shocked to see half of hospital there.  It was to my abject horror that we met members of my upper management there as well. But then, we all got in free courtesy of them and one of our managers even sponsored a bottle for me. Which was so sweet! A generous gesture going by how the clubs are robbing patrons by the way they are charging for liquor. 

There was a live band who played the familiar hits. General crowd pleasers although nothing groundbreaking. Honestly I kinda like the band at Zeta better. The crowd was old enough to make me feel young. The company I was with made it awesome with more people from work joining in, be it in celebration of my departure or the conclusion of JCI accreditation or just needing a reason to tell the spouse that it’s an office party. 

My joints have not forgiven my stilettos and now begins the task of removing incriminating photos.  

Thanks for the bunny!

I call her Geena.  Thanks Haz! She rocks. 

Antara rambut, dadah dan muzik

Oddly the only thing so far that I can agree with Utusan.

http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2008&dt=1203&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Hiburan&pg=hi_03.htm

Mukhriz: Scrap vernacular schools, one system for all

Taken from The Star 

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief aspirant Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir has called on the Government to abolish the vernacular school system as a means to enhance unity among people of various races.

He said a single school system was the only way to check the racial polarisation that was getting out of control in the country.

“The government should consider introducing only one school system with Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction, except for Science and Mathematics which are already being taught in English.

“Of course, pupils should then be given the option to study their mother tongues. Under this system, the Malays will also have the option of studying other languages like Mandarin and Tamil and this will further boost unity among them,” he told reporters at Parliament House on Monday.

The Umno Youth exco member said it was time for Malaysia to do away with the dual school system, which was practised by only a handful of countries in the world, as it had contributed to the problem of disunity in the country.

He said over 99% of countries in the world practised a single school system.

He expressed hope that leaders of Barisan Nasional component parties would not take his suggestion in a negative light as it was only meant as a suggestion to resolve, once and for all, the problem of racial polarisation affecting the citizenry.

“If they reject this suggestion, then they should explain why they are against it. How is it possible for them on one hand to talk about unity and question Malay rights, while on the other hand still insist on having a different school system for their race?

“If you want equal rights then you cannot have a different school system. You cannot have your cake and eat it too,” he added.

He also urged all parties to stop harping on issues that could create tension among Barisancomponent parties, including on the issue of  Malay supremacy.

Lately, he said, there were many statements made by leaders of component parties that had the potential to create anger among the Malays and Umno members.

“If they insist on making statements on that issue, then do not be surprised if the Malays start talking about the economic supremacy of the non-Malays.

“Despite all that has been said on the issue of Malay supremacy, the Malays do not feel in any way superior or the master when it comes to the country’s economy,” he said.

Mlle Monster says:  I do see the logic behind Mukhriz's argument on a single education system. 

I am all for such a system provided it has proved itself beyond any doubt that it is a superior one that places education for all as its prime objective.  

Coming from a non-vernacular school myself I am immediately reminded of a time when I was in form five and the school organised a hushed motivation and study seminar for Malay students only. When I was in form 6 and had to study in another sekolah kebangsaan, we were told that within the tenets of religion, women are inherently not as capable to lead as men, and hence the position of head prefect is reserved for males only.  If there is institutionalised discrimination within school itself be it on racial or religious lines, I do not have faith that by doing away with vernacular schools, anything will be solved. 

If we can keep religion and race out of schools, with the necessary checks and balances, with the necessary watchdogs that can actually do something other than being tong kosongs, then yes, lets adopt a single education system. 

However until that happens I am not willing to let go of my right to have options.  

Perhaps the Ministry should study why do people want to send their kids to vernacular schools in the first place. Most times it is more expensive and inconvenient. So is it a higher standard of academic excellence? It is language? Its is discrimination?   And what has happened to the much touted smart schools anyway? Is anyone keeping tabs? 

And if one open education system is what Mukhriz is advocating, is UMNO willing to dismatle the MRSMs, MCKK and other exclusively Malay boarding schools? 

And who exactly are going on and on with the ketuanan melayu issue, but not these mileage hungry politicians themselves. And how come only the UMNO  leaders are capable of being angry at careless statements? BN component party leaders have been sucking it up all this while.  

I do wish he would make the distinction between Malay and UMNO. My Malay brethren in PRK and PAS relax only because they know it for what it is - an UMNO manufactured bogeyman.