are we even safe?

How safe are we? Crime seem to be rampant nowadays and in all forms. Most violent as well. What is happening to our country?! Gone are the days where its pretty safe to take a jog or walk around your neighbourhood or just do some gardening outside your house. Now you have to worry that someone isn't lurking around looking for some quick cash.

Something scary just happened earlier right in front of my house. We were having tea in the living room and I was on the phone with a close family friend. Suddenly comes a red Proton Saga and this tall indian dude walks out smoking. He rings the doorbell. My dad then gets up and goes outside to see whats up. He shows a piece of paper to my dad and ask if he knows where a particular address is. As my dad got closer (thankfully with the gate closed) to look at the paper, he grabs a gold chain around my dad's neck and takes off into the car screaching away. In the car were 2 other indian fellas. As it happened, my dad shouted but what else could he really do?? Luckily when the chain came off, the pendants around it (which were more important) dropped and my dad managed to save them. The chain itself was around 24 grams which I think at todays market rate would be RM1k plus! Arrghh. Thankfully they didn't jump into the house or cause any harm. What a traumatising event. Now I'm worried that they would have targetted our house and might do something even more daring later although my dad thinks otherwise. Why why why? They somehow just decided to stop in front of our house when there are tonnes of others and we were the only ones where the front sliding door was closed. Only thing that you could have seen from outside would be the living room light. No one would have thought we were in or even awake. Sigh.

If anyone comes to your gate nowadays, please take caution. If you do not recognise the person, it would be better to just ignore. You never know what he/she is up to. Arseholes would do anything these days for a quick buck. Bastards!

revenge of the sith...

Aahhhh finally I got to watch Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith last night. Been waiting for a long time for the episode that ties everything together. I must say it was a pretty decent effort this time around, compared to Episode 1 and Episode 2. It was sad to see all the Jedis being killed especially by one of their own. George Lucas is an amzing director. To weave such a story with tonnes of characters and action. Throughout the series my favourite is of course Master Yoda but there was another character that I thought was cool in Episode 3 and that is none other than General Grievous. I love how they managed to make him move, cough and fight. The fluidity (if its even a word) of the movements were simply amazing.

Went to Amcorp Mall today and saw some of the toys, figurines and gadgets they had for sale. from Star Wars. They had the lightsaber (which cost RM600 plus!), figurines from the movies and even Darth Vader's mask with a built in voice changer. The mask cost RM180 and 2 of my mates are gonna get it. Can't wait cos I'm curious of how it will sound and if anyone can even put it on. If only I could afford the figurines because the detail on each of them are astounding and they have all the characters. You could replay the whole movie in your bedroom if needed.

Attached below are the top 3 characters of Episode 3. Interesting images I found online via google.

playstation portable...

After awhile of drooling over the net, I finally got my hands on a Playstation Portable or more commonly known as PSP. My bro managed to buy the US version and loaned it to me. Its been 2 weeks now and boy what a ride!

The clarity of the screen is simply AMAZING. Saw Spiderman 2 movie on it and was practically drooling on the screen. Never expected it to be soo beautiful. Its like owning a pocket plasma screen I tell ya. That itself is a good enuff reason to get the PSP. The games on it is also pretty intensive. Sadly the unit can only last about 3 hours max. All depends on the game your playing, but it only takes about 2 hours or so to get a full charge. All and all not that bad I guess. Only drawback owning this in Malaysia is the games are too freaking expensive! Expect to pay around RM180 to RM250 per game. Can you imagine forking out that much?! The PSP itself cost around RM1400. Sigh. Guess I'll never really own one. Thankfully my bro does so I can loan it from time to time to satisfy my urges.

Seems like the console war is really heating up. Just saw the soft release of XBOX 360. The graphics are simply amazing. Its like being in a movie. The specs of the machine is something else. Soon PS3 will also hit the market and it'll be an all out war. Just like every console battle, the games will really decide the winner. I'm gunning for Sony. Bill Gates has more than enuff money.

thought of the day...

This is something I received via email quite some time ago. Supposed to post it then but had issues with Hello. Anyways I think its sooo true especially where I work.

wtf is up with MU?!

OMG! How can they lose 3-1 to Chelsea?? In Old Trafford as well, the freaking Theater of Dreams!! Jeeeeeez. I saw the first goal from Ruud around the 9th minute and thought MU is gonna have a good run. Thank god I did not stick around for the full game. Would have ended up too pissed to sleep! Sigh. Seems to be a very bad year indeed. Hope their game picks up for the FA Cup which is coming up soon. Don't want them to be walking home empty handed this year. At least hold back something. Damn Chelsea!!

ouch...

Sigh. Today while playing futsal I twisted my knee. Luckily it was towards the end so I got about 45 minutes of game time. Now I'm limping around like a wounded dog. Hurts like hell when I climb stairs or turn. Just gotta rough it out for a bit I guess. Hope it heals in time for next weeks game. Plus now we are planning to play on Saturdays and Sundays. Once a week isn't cutting it. I need more exercise to lose my excess baggage. Eating less isn't helping much. Maybe I should stop drinking often. ;)

you like bananas?

Something interesting my friend emailed me. Didn't even know all these except for the energy part.

After Reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at a banana in the same way again!

Bananas: Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey, undertaken by MIND, amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work?: Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over- acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high- potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine," eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

priceless...

A Story about Jack........

Jack wakes up at home with a huge hangover he can't believe.
He forces himself to open his eyes, and the first thing he sees is a couple of aspirins next to a glass of water on the side table. And, next to them, a single red rose!
Jack sits down and sees his clothing in front of him, all clean and pressed.
Jack looks around the room and sees that it is in perfect order, spotlessly clean.
So is the rest of the house. He takes the aspirins, cringes when he sees a huge black eye staring back at him in the bathroom mirror, and notices a note on the table:
"Honey, breakfast is on the stove, I left early to go shopping--Love you!"
He stumbles to the kitchen and sure enough, there is hot breakfast and the morning newspaper.
His son is also at the table, eating. Jack asks, "son...what happened last night?" "Well, you came
home after 3 A.M., drunk and out of your mind. You broke some furniture, puked in the hallway, and got that black eye when you ran into the door." "So, why is everything in such perfect order, so clean, I have a rose, and breakfast is on the table waiting for me?"
His son replies, "Oh THAT!... Mom dragged you to the bedroom, and when she tried to take your pants off, you screamed, "Leave me alone, lady, I'm married!"

Broken furniture - $85.26
Hot Breakfast - $4.20
Red Rose bud -$3.00
Two Aspirins -$.38

Saying the right thing, at the right time.........Priceless!

grilled chicken foldover...

I finally managed to get my hands on McD's latest which is the Grilled Chicken Foldover. Saw my mate eating it about a week back and have been craving for it ever since. Its good to see McD adding some new items on their menu. My all time favourite is of course the Prosperity Burger (which comes around during Chinese New Year). If only they could have that on the menu all year round.

Back to the grilled chicken foldover. Basically its a piece of flatbread with 2 grilled chicken patties, some tomatoes and greens and topped with some garlicky mayo sauce. It seems to be the healthiest item they have. It taste pretty good too except I would have liked more sauce on it, but thats just me. Its a great change from the usual greasy burgers with fries. Reminds me of the Greek gyros which was my all time favourite meal in the US.

I wouldn't mind heading to McD's again just to get the foldover but I'm a bit disappointed with the price (RM6.50 just for the foldover). Then again I'm disappointed with all of their pricings. None of em' really justified. Fast food in other countries are meant to be cheap and fast but somehow its the opposite in Malaysia. Its cheaper and at times much faster to get a plate of fried kway teow or chicken rice than heading over to Burger King or KFC. Much more satisfying as well. Sadly at times you just have the craving for a Big Mac and there isn't anywhere else that sells it except McD's!

good one liners...

Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.

You're getting old when you enjoy remembering things more than doing them.

Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others.

Saving is the best thing. Especially when your parents have done it for you.

They call our language the mother tongue because the father seldom gets to speak.

damn thunderstorms...

Arrgghhh. The damn heavy rain and thunderstorms these past few days have been a BITCH. First when I head out for dinner its either too wet outside or jammed up so we end up eating somewhere nearby to office. Sadly all the shops nearby SUCK! Then 2 days back my freaking adsl modem and router got fried. Arrgghhh. Just when I had some savings to splurge I gotta spend it all on this. Sigh. Why? Why? *sob*

blogging ain't easy...

Sigh. Its been awhile since I had something to blog. I actually still don't. Well it depends. I did but somehow half way I thought it wasn't good enuff and dumped the whole post. Did that about 4 times now since I started this blog. At times I wonder if ppl even read this thing. I know a few of my friends whom are close to me do from time to time, but I'm more interested of the strangers. Ppl who I don't know and might never even know.

Does anyone really read this blog? Do you think I should even continue blogging? What should I blog about?

I actually do know the answers to the questions above. Simply put its to blog about anything. As long as I feel comfortable about it. But somehow it still isn't easy. Sigh.

go red devils...

Finally Manchester United managed a win. After some dismal display of football (losing to lowly Norwich and then Everton), its good to see them back. Hope its to stay as well. Not just a one off thingy. Need them to perform in the upcoming FA Cup finals against Arsenal. Can't be walking off this year empty handed right. Rooney's goal was a beauty I must add but we can't expect him to do everything. If only Ruud will wake his ass up and actually do something!

suck at bowlin'...

Sigh, I really suck at bowling. Played 3 games earlier and only managed to average 78. Did not even touch 100! Aargghh. Damn thumb hurts as well. I still do not know what ball I should use. I was told to use around 16 but I could only manage 13 the most. Anything above and its too freaking heavy to bowl. Thankfully I managed to hit some strikes in all 3 games. So it wasn't all that bad. I also didn't end up bottom in the ranks as there were worse off players than myself. Maybe if I play more often I'll get the hang of it. I remember I could score around 100s some time back, which is like 6 years ago. Ahh screw it. Doubt I'll go bowling again unless as a social event with some mates. All of us can't really play as well so it ain't all that bad.

futsal update...

Woo Hoo! It was a great game. Firstly the new Futsal shoes were great. Nice and light and much better than using trainers. The best news of all is that we beat that college team. The score was 12 to10. It was a good game although they were rather rough. Guess they couldn't change their mindset of playing football on the field. We were up for it anyways and no injuries were reported. Next week we are gonna play another college team. Hopefully we keep the game up. Damn I can't wait already.

Gotta hit the showers now. Going to BSC for some bowling with my office mates. Last time I bowled was like 2 years plus. Hopefully I'll hit some strikes and score above 50. Cheerio.

canadian 2 for 1...

Can you imagine getting 2 pizzas for the price of 1?! Well I stumbled upon a new joint in TTDI which offers exactly that but only for delivery or take out. No worries there since I rather enjoy pizza at home in front of the telly. Got myself 2 regular (10") pizzas (2nd one being free of course). They were the Tandoori and the Canadian Special. Some pretty good shit I must add. The dough was just nice and the toppings fresh. Much better than Dominos and on par if not better than Pizza Hut. And it only cost me RM23.90! Can't beat that anywhere.

The place is called Canadian 2 for 1 Pizza and I just found out they even have a website. Seems like it has nothing to do with Canada at all. All their joints are in either Singapore (HQ) or Indonesia. I guess soon enuff there will be stores all over Malaysia. The offer is pretty hard to beat and I'm sure Malaysians would jump at it. They just gotta market it better. If any of you are around that area, why not give it a try. I doubt you will regret it.

I think I'll go take a nap now. Can't really do much with such a full tummy if you know what I mean. G'day folks.

happy new year...

I would like to take this oppurtunity to wish all indians a Happy New Year and hope that you have a good year ahead. I know its not an official public holiday in Malaysia but I think most would have taken the day off. I myself am on leave, not specifically for the new year, but more of just to relax.

Woke up pretty late and headed to KL this morning. Got myself a new Futsal shoe so that I won't screw up my trainers which is already starting to tear at the seems. Can't wait to try it out this weekend. Just got the news that my mate arranged a match with a college team. Hope we can keep up considering we've only started playing and 50% of us are out of shape. We have been improving though. The first few rounds were more about trying to breathe after 10 minutes. At least now we can last the whole hour without collapsing (with an occasional substitution of course). I'll update on whether we won or how bad we lose.

Good news for Malaysian Indians today. We finally got another channel on Astro. Whoopie! Considering how freaking long it took. Its interesting that its owned mostly by an Indian but we had to wait almost 5 years plus just to get an additional channel. All we had before was ONE half assed channel while there are 12 chinese channels and 3 malay channels (not including the 3 local channels which already cater to them). I guess we are just not big enuff consumers to be taken seriously. I really hope that the new cable service kicks in fast and gives Astro a run for their money. Being the only one has made them rather stuck up and some competition would definately make them rethink their current strategy. I'm sure they are already shitting bricks, hence the new Indian channel. Now they gotta wait for the new sattelite to go up before they can expand, which is roughly in July I think. That should give the new service more than enuff time to set up and expand. God bless competition.

Damn its raining like cats and dogs outside. Lotsa lightning as well. Better end here and shut down the PC. Take care folks. Have a good weekend!

another good weekend...

Ahh it must be a good run. Had another great weekend. Started off as usual with a good game of Futsal. At least now I can breathe through the full 1 hour instead of choking every 10 mins. I see that as oen hellave improvement. After that headed to Bandar Utama to check out the so called 'Branded Warehouse Sale'. Sadly its more like a freaking pasar malam! All the clothing were either pasar malam grade or winter crap dumped from US or Europe. Who in the right mind would buy thick hooded sweaters, long sleeve tees or jackets in Malaysia? Its freaking 30 degrees Celcius (on average) outside! Even if we were lucky, the lowest would be around 25 degrees Celcius and that itself is still hot. I guess its more important to look 'cool' than to feel comfortable.

At night we headed out to Souled Out for dinner and drinks. It was a packed nite as the 'great' Phua Chu Kang (PCK) was visiting. Took us about an hour before we got our damn table. PCK came around 10ish and performed for about an hour. It was okie I guess and since it was free, I can't really complain. His humour has become rather stale though. As usual the draft Guiness was smooth and creamy and it made me a happy camper. Around 1am we headed out to Finnegans in Bangsar to continue our session. Saw some rather fine ladies although they were all over some crappy kwai lows. Damn gold diggers. After closing we ended at Lotus to wind down.

Sunday as always was quiet and slooooooooooow. Woke up around noon and read the dailies. After that camped in front of the telly till dinner. For dinner had some shark curry and mushrooms with rice. Then headed out to a nearby mamak to hang with my high skool mates. Just got back and its time to hit the sack. Yaaaawn. Why can't we have an extra day for weekends? There just isn't enuff time.

streamy??x...

TMNet has decided today to officially rename their broadband service from Streamyx to StreamySUX. This is after initiating their new company vision of 'telling it how it is'. After reviewing their crappy service the last couple of years and how bad they were at maintaining a stable network it would only be right to rename their services offered. As a compensation to their loyal customers, TMNet will lower all fees charged and offer rebates for every outage. They are also being more realistic in matters and relisting their ADSL speeds. The 512Kbps package will be 56Kbps while the new faster 1Mbps will be 112Kbps. TMNet hopes that this new direction will improve the shit of a relationship that they have with their customers and also make them grow into a true Internet Service Provider or at least a freaking honest one. Customers nationwide are not really bothered with this new move as at the end of the day they are still stuck with TMNet and as expected as always. ITS ALL BULL!

weekend...

This weekend was pretty good I guess. Had a good game of Futsal in the afternoon and soon after that hit TGIF for some drinks. Had about 6 jugs with my mates before heading home for a nap. Woke up around 9pm, had a quick bite and headed out to Souled Out for more drinks. Retired around 3am at Medan Hartamas with some mixed grill. I must say it was pretty good shieet. Cooked just right and the portions just nice after a long day. Plus the price wasn't all that bad. Sunday was more of a lazing about day. The weather outside (constant drizzle) was perfect for it. The house was cool and breezy instead of the usual freaking heat and sweat. With the free time I managed to finish a book (Skipping Christmas by John Grisham) and a movie (Ladder 49). Had a nice home cooked meal as well. Capped the nite off with some Watermelon Specials in Murni (SS2) with some buddies. *Yaawn* Think I'll hit the sack now. If only tommorrow was a Public Holiday.