Friday, June 26, 2009

Goodbye Michael.....R.I.P.



Michael Joseph Jackson (29 August 1958 – 25 June 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "King of Pop" in subsequent years, five of his solo studio albums are among the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous(1991) and HIStory (1995).

In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as Beat It, Billie Jean andThriller — credited for transforming the music video into an art form and a promotional tool — helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as Black or White and Scream made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV in the 1990s. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced many hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists.

One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records — including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" — 13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career — more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era — and the sales of over 750 million albums worldwide. Cited as one of the world's most famous men, Jackson's highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, made him a part of popular culture for almost four decades.

Jackson died on June 25, 2009 at the age of 50. [Source:Wikipedia]
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By Admin:

Michael J. Jackson, entertainer extraordinaire, gave millions around the world joy and happiness with his kind of music, IS definitely the King of Pop none can ever compare with. He IS the Numero Uno in the hearts of his millions of fans and will forever remain so. Like all living beings, he left us, but.......oh so sudden, with nary a word of goodbye, but left behind a legacy, a void that can never be filled again, ever, come rain or shine!

Goodbye Michael.....R.I.P.
Long live the Moonwalk!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Bahasa Malaysia Vs English

Tuesday June 23, 2009 (The Star, Page 38)

Yesteryear’s switch to BM put paid to good English today


THE standard of English in the country has deteriorated since the switch to Bahasa Malaysia as the teaching medium in the 1970s, Nanyang Siang Pau said in its editorial.

The daily said most youngsters in the country could not converse fluently in English even after they had graduated from university.

“Most of them cannot express themselves well in the language, not to mention their proficiency when required to introduce a product or service, negotiate or write any proposal or report in English,” it said.

It said the private sector had also admitted that it was difficult to hire the right candidates for vacancies due to the language barrier.

It said many students realised the importance of English only when they graduated from university.

“Even those who work in the public sector cannot escape the fact that English is important for their career advancement,” it said.

It said what the Government needed to do now was to improve the teaching of the language, which included the increase in the use of English as a teaching medium.


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The Government changed the teaching medium in national schools totally to Bahasa Malaysia in 1970 starting with those in Standards One. I was one of the thousands of school children 'affected' by the change back then. The following year, it was my wife's turn. Our son who is now in college, attended a Chinese vernacular school from Standard One right up to Form Five.

Now, to blame the Government totally for the deterioration of the standard of English in the country is to say the least, totally uncalled for. Are those from learning in the Bahasa Malaysia medium good in both written and spoken Bahasa Malaysia? I doubt it!

Reasons for the deterioration of the English language in our country must be posed back to those who could hardly speak the language. Why were they poor in the language? Is it because they were taught in Bahasa Malaysia in school? If it is, then why even the Malay students are weak in Bahasa Malaysia? I obtained an A2 in Bahasa Malaysia in the SPM whereas most of my Malay classmates averaged only a C5. For the record, I obtained an A1 in English 121 and an A2 in English 122, way back in 1980.

Therefore, the deterioration of the English language in our country falls squarely on the shoulders of the students and parents. They place no emphasis on languages taught in school, and only realised their follies when they are out in the real world. If this apathy is left unchecked, I doubt even by reverting the teaching medium, the standard of English would improve by much.

As the clamour for emphasis on English is going on, please do not forget about our national language, Bahasa Malaysia. To the powers that be, please place equal importance to our national language as not to sidetrack it.

Let me tell of an incidence sometime back in 1995. I was attending a Japanese language class at the YMCA, Penang. Our teacher was a Japanese lady, and all her explanations and translations were done in Bahasa Malaysia. A few fellow students requested the teacher to do her explanations and translations in English. Well, she was both surprised and astonished that they can't understand Bahasa Malaysia. She had only been in Malaysia the past three months and already mastered our language. Oh what shame! Then she told those students to master their own language before trying others, and promptly shooed them out of her class. I cringed whenever I think back of that shameful incidence.

Oh! For the record, both my wife and son could hold their own when it comes to both written or spoken Bahasa Malaysia and English, come rain or shine! CIAO!

Friday, June 19, 2009

Killer Fish Of Kenyir?

Orang asli believe 'ikan naga' caused death of duo
The Star, Thursday 18 June 2009, Pg 33

HULU TERENGGANU: The deaths of Kenyir Lake's bird park supervisor and a rescue worker on Tuesday may have been caused by a monster fish that has lived in South-East Asia's largest man-made lake for the last three decades.
That's what elders from the orang asli (indigenous tribe) community in Sungai Berua, a village that borders Kenyir Lake, believe.
The victim, Helmi Sukhri Hisham, 28, drowned after he mysteriously fell off from his boat while a diver from State Fire and Rescue Department, Aladi Hassan, 41, also died when he attempted to retrieve the victim's body.
The orang asli folk claim to have sighted the fish on numerous occasions, and the creature has sharp finlets, is colourful and has scales similar to a shark. The orang asli call the fish 'Ikan Naga' (dragon fish).
Kuala Berang state assemblyman Mohd Zawawi Ismail said that in recent sightings, villagers claimed the giant fish measured over 4 metres in girth.
"As a young boy, I heard tales of this dragon fish in Kenyir and after 30 years, orang asli villagers claim the creature has grown to a gigantic size," he said when contacted here yesterday. He said foreigners who were involved in the Kenyir dam construction in 1978 also reported to have spotted the creature that once dominated the Kenyir river before the waterway was diverted into the man-made lake in 1985. He said the villagers believe that both victims were attacked by the creature.
Based on the account from villagers, Mohd Zawawi said the victim could have lost his balance when the large fish hit the bow of the boat. Helmi, from Yan in Kedah, had ferried his colleague to an island when the incident happened. The colleague, Bakri Mohd Noor, 30, said he heard a crashing sound when he was on the island's jetty.
"I ran towards the boat and found the boat spinning but Helmi was missing. I shouted out his name but there was no response so I decided to alert my superior," said Bakri.
State Fire and Rescue Department diving unit chief, Yusmizan Yusof, said 10 divers were involved in the search and rescue operation. The two bodies were retrieved from the lake at 7am and 8am yesterday.

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By Admin:

I couldn't help laughing when I read this article from The Star yesterday. Not on the lost of lives, which were rather unfortunate, but rather on the belief that there is a monster killer fish of
gigantic proportion inhabiting Kenyir Lake.
Since when did sharks have scales? Or is it maybe the orang asli probably haven't seen
sharks before? And why was this fact not pointed out to them?
The claim that this monster fish has a girth of over 4 metres is pure exaggeration of the
highest level imaginable! If indeed it is, then the fish would have easily measured 8 metres
lengthwise. Then it indeed would be a monster fish! But all this are highly doubtful.
And finally, if there is indeed such a monstrous fish in Kenyir Lake, I doubt both the
victims' bodies could have been retrieved, which were in this case.

Therefore, the only reasonable and believable conclusion to all this monster fish claims,
is that it is most probably a fish of the 'Arapaima Giga' genus, released into the lake when it got
too big for comfort for its owner/s. The Arapaima Giga is native to South America's Amazon river
and have been known to attain 4.5 metres in length and weighing a hefty 200kgs.
As for the unfortunate victims, they most probably got themselves entangled in submerged
tree branches and drowned.
Personally, I have seen two of these fishes in the Mengkuang Dam, Seberang Perai,
about three years back. I haven't seen them since, but I've heard of sightings of a gigantic fish in
the dam by frequent visitors and illegal anglers alike.
Here, I have attached two pics of the fish to give some ideas of what the Arapaima Giga
looks like and the sheer size of it. So the next time, if anyone should visit the Mengkuang Dam,
be on the look-out for them, come rain or shine! CIAO!

Friday, June 5, 2009

Pun-ny Tale


 Now here's a story about an old and sick Lion and a  cunning Fox, with puns cleverly inserted, by Oh Teik Theam (MOE, The Star). Read on :

An old and sick Lion who could no longer hunt for food said to himself one day, "Now I know why I don't like fast food.....  I can't catch it!" He finally decided to get his meals by artifice. Thinking that his plan was better than letting nature takes its curse, he asked a Jackal to let it be known that he was sick and that it will be in the best interest of every animal to visit him and enquire after his health.

The Lion's first visitor was a Leopard. "Hello, mighty Lion," the Leopard greeted. "How do you feel today?"
"As usual, with my paws," the Lion joked and laughed feebly at his own 'prey-amble'.
"Actually, I'm suffering from jungle flu..... it's making me weaker every day." And he manufactured a coughing fit. When the Lion's feigned coughing continued unabated, the Leopard went nearer and patted him on the back, whereupon the Lion grabbed his unsuspecting victim and killed him with a vicious bite on the spot.
"That was an appetising meal on a fantastic chewsday," the King of the jungle said when his hunger was satiated. "I'm indeed grateful for small fevers..... imagined ones, that is!" And he left the leftovers to his friend the Jackal, saying, "I hope you like it..... medium roar!"

In the evening, a Deer came along, and the Lion invited her into his den. "I hear you are sick," the Deer enquired. "Yes, some vexing problems with the eyes," said the Lion. "And speaking of eyes, I can tell the age of a deer just by looking closely at the eyes."
"Really?" asked the Deer. "That's an interesting eye-deer!" Curious, the cervine creature let the Lion examine her unblinking eyes. A few minutes later, the Lion rubbed his stomach in contentment. "She certainly had no time to run for deer life," he boasted, roaring triumphantly. "Blinking fool."

A few days later, the Lion received another visitor - a Goat. "What ails you?" the caprine animal asked. "It's my lungs," said the Lion, "but I can't pinpoint the illness." 
"Do you have trouble breathing?" asked the Goat. "Of cough," answered the Lion. "TB or no TB, that is the question," conjectured the Goat, hoof on horn. "What did you say?" said the Lion as he cupped his paw against his ear. "This tenacious illness makes me hard of hearing at times."
The Goat went nearer the Lion to repeat his words. His action was a fatal mistake for the Lion killed him quite effortlessly.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                          

The next day a Fox stood outside the Lion's den at a safe distance. He cordially asked the Lion how he was feeling, and the latter replied, "Not too well. I ate some seafood that tasted shrimp-ly awful. But why do you stand out there in the savage heat? Please come inside so that we can talk further. This isn't much of a place but it's still a home to have pride in."
"You must think I was born yesterday if you expect me to go inside," the vulpine quadruped said. "I don't relish the idea of hearing you say 'Pleased to eat you' and dying in your living room."
"What do you mean?" the Lion asked innocently. "I noticed from the footprints that many visitors have entered your den, but I see no trace of them coming out," the Fox replied.
"The only animal who can enter your den and comes out alive is YOU! I shall have to warn the other animals of your deadly cunning!"

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By Admin :

There's a moral in this story to be learned. Do not be easily taken in or be flattered by sweet, innocent talks, come rain or shine! CIAO!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Will He Or Will He Not?

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi pictured next to an image of AC Milan's Brazilian play maker Kaka during the recording of "Porta a Porta", a programme on the Italian channel Rai 1 in Rome. Kaka remains an AC Milan player, despite reports from Spain he is heading for Real Madrid in a 65-million-euro deal, Milan owner Berlusconi has said.

ROME (AFP) - – Brazilian play maker Kaka remains an AC Milan player, despite reports from Spain he is heading for Real Madrid in a 65-million-euro deal, Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi said.

Spanish radio station Cadena Ser reported on Tuesday the deal had been agreed by newly-installed Real president Florentino Perez, AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani and Bosco Leite, Kaka's father and agent.

But Berlusconi insisted that "there is still no decision" on a definitive move and added he would be meeting with the player on Monday after the latter returns from a weekend World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.

"I will meet Kaka on Monday and then I'll tell you," Berlusconi told state broadcaster Rai on Wednesday.

"It is always the players who decide on their future, who have to decide how to pursue their career," he added, noting that despite his own close relationship with Ukrainian striker Sergei Shevchenko the forward had ultimately left in 2005 to join Chelsea.

"I did all I could but in the end he took his decision," said Berlusconi, adding that he was disappointed to see that French star Yoan Gourcuff had elected to sign permanently for Bordeaux, whom he helped to the French league title while on loan from Milan.

Cadena Ser had reported Kaka would sign up for five years and a salary worth nine million euros a year, while Italian news agency Ansa Tuesday had quoted Berlusconi as coming close to admitting the star was on his way.

"I do not know if we can keep Kaka at Milan because they (Real) have offered him so much money," Ansa quoted Berlusconi as saying.

English side Chelsea, who have just landed Kaka's former boss at Milan, Carlo Ancelotti, as coach meanwhile denied reports late Wednesday that they had tabled an 85 million euro bid for the Brazilian coupled with a net annual salary of 10 million euros.

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By Admin:

Now who is to be believed? One moment he is staying, the next he is leaving, then he's not after all. And then maybe he will? The player himself had said he won't be leaving, he wants to remain an AC Milan player. But with the obscene amount of money Real Madrid is willing to part with for his services, will he tempt fate and leave the AC Milan supporters screaming for his blood, come rain or shine? CIAO!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Is It For 'Real'?

Kaka 'signs for Real Madrid'

AC Milan's Kaka (Reuters file photo)

 

(AFP) - BRAZILIAN playmaker Kaka has signed for Real Madrid from AC Milan in a 65-million-euro deal, Spanish radio station Cadena Ser reported on Tuesday. 
Newly-installed Real president Florentino Perez sealed the deal with AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani and Bosco Leite, father and agent of the 2007 world and European player of the year, Cadena Ser said.

Kaka, currently in Brazil with the national team ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay, will sign up for five years and a salary worth nine million euros a year, it added.

AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi had hinted at 27-year-old Kaka's departure moments before Cadena Ser had claimed he was indeed moving.

"I do not know if we can keep Kaka at Milan because they (Real) have offered him so much money," Berlusconi was quoted as saying by Italian press agency Ansa.

It comes on the same day as Kaka - who was courted by English Premiership side Manchester City back in January - was telling La Gazzetto dello Sport he had no intention of quitting Milan.

"I'll tell you this for the last time, the very last. I don't want to leave Milan. To the millions of Milan fans, I tell you that I've made my choice. I've said I want to stay. Leave me in peace, please," Kaka told La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

"I want to continue to win with Milan. And from today, all discussion is over."

Should his transfer be confirmed officially it comes a day after Milan lost their coach Carlo Ancelotti, who agreed to take over as manager of English FA Cup winners Chelsea.

It had been hoped that his connection with Milan would have persuaded Kaka to also move, but those hopes appear to have been dashed.

 

Agence France-Presse


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By Admin:

Whatever these 'superstar' footballers say, you mustn't believe them until everything is signed, sealed and confirmed! They'll deny this and that, swear allegiance to this and that, then all of a sudden you'll find them doing everything exactly the opposite of what they have said. All these had happened once too often, come rain or shine! CIAO!

A Meddling Mother-in-Law?


"To repair the damage, Manohara needs to tell the truth, seeks the husband's forgiveness and Tengku TT will take her back." 

Melissa Goh, Channel News Asia

The Malaysian government has denied any cover-up in the alleged abuse of the teenage Indonesian model wife by her Malaysian prince husband. The Minister in the Prime Minister's department Nazri Aziz will investigate if a formal report is         lodged, as he said no one is above the law. 

Meanwhile, the Kelantan royal family has denied all allegations of wrongdoing by Tengku Mohd Fakhry, also known as Tunku Temenggong. 17-year-old Manohara Odelia Pinot made the front page of Malaysian papers after news of her dramatic escape shocked the nation. The teary teenage model claimed that she was sexually abused and tortured by her husband Tengku Mohd Fakhry, who treated her, she said, like a toy. 

Last August, the then 16-year-old Manohara,whose father is French, married the 31-year-old prince. Now back in Jakarta, she said she has had enough, and is filing for a divorce. Manohara's mother Daisy Fajarina has also vowed to press charges against the prince pending a full medical report. 

Speaking in Kuala Lumpur, government officials say they are in the dark as there has been no formal report lodged so far. 
"He just happens to be the son of the Sultan... no one is above the law. This report is criminal act against the state and we will take action," said Minister Nazri, a Minister in the Prime Minister's department. 

The Kelantan royal family, has also dismissed the allegations as slanderous and defended its youngest prince. "Prove it. Manohara must be prepared to go to an independent doctor in Australia or France, only then it's fair," argued Mohd Sabri Shafiee, a spokesman for Tengku Fakhry. 

Mohd Sabri, who is a close friend of Tengku TT - as the prince is commonly known - also expressed hopes that Manohara will apologise to clear the air. He said: "Impossible as a human being that he can be cruel when we all know that he loves her so much. Tengku will not run away; we'll make sure the truth comes out. "

He later produced footage of the couple's happy moments together. "To repair the damage, Manohara needs to tell the truth, seeks the husband's forgiveness and Tengku TT will take her back," said Mohd Sabri. He blamed Manohara's mother, whom he described as materialistic, for messing up the daughter's marriage which otherwise could have worked. 

"She wants everything - house, cars, you name it. I don't want to go into details," said Mohd Sabri. 

In a statement issued, the Kelantan royal family urged the media to respect their privacy and not to play up on the scandal that is fast becoming a major embarrassment to the royal family.
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By Admin:
So, is it a case of a meddling mother-in-law? Let's just wait, for the truth will definitely be out some day, come rain or shine! CIAO!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Not All Fairy Tales End Happily Ever After

Teen model escapes 'abusive' Malaysian prince

Teen model escapes 'abusive' Malaysian princeAFP – Teenage US-Indonesian model Manohara Odelia Pino, seen here,has returned to her family in Indonesia with …

JAKARTA (AFP) – A teenage US-Indonesian model has returned to her family in Indonesia with tales of abuse, rape and torture at the hands of a Malaysian prince, after her dramatic escape with the help of Singapore police.

Manohara Odelia Pino, 17, told reporters she was treated like a sex slave after her marriage to Tengku Temenggong Mohammad Fakhry, the prince of Malaysia's Kelantan state, last year.

Her mother, Daisy Fajarina, said she would press charges against the prince and blamed the Malaysian and Indonesian governments for trying to cover up the abuse.

"The things I've been afraid of were revealed to be true. Manohara has suffered physical abuse. She's got several razor cuts on her chest," Fajarina told AFP on Monday.

"I will sue him. No parent could be silent if their child was treated in such a barbaric way."

The Malaysian government had ignored her pleas for access to her daughter and had blocked her from entering the country, she said, while the Indonesian embassy had said that Manohara was fine with her new husband.

But the young woman -- a well-known socialite in Jakarta -- said her life at the royal palace involved a "daily routine" of rape, abuse, torture and drug injections which made her vomit blood.

"I am still traumatised by all that happened and it has left an impact on me," she told reporters in Jakarta on Sunday, after escaping the royal family during a trip to Singapore over the weekend.

"Sexual abuse and sexual harassment were like a daily routine for me, and he did that every time I did not want to have sexual intercourse," she was quoted as saying in The Jakarta Globe.

"I could never think a normal man could do such things," she said, adding: "Some parts of my body were cut by a razor."

She said she was forced to pretend she was happy with the prince and to attend social functions with him as his happy young bride.

"Every time I went for events they forced me to smile and would torture me if I did not do what they said," she told the press conference.

She said she secretly called Singaporean police and pleaded for help after the royal family took her to the city state when they accompanied Fakhry's father, Sultan Ismail Petra Shah II, for medical treatment.

A spokesman for the Indonesian foreign ministry said the government would help Manohara if she wanted to file charges against her husband.

She has already filed for divorce.

There has been no comment from the Kelantan royal family or the Malaysian government.

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Advice to all young girls out there looking for the easy life, do think twice and THINK it over and over again, come rain or shine! CIAO!