An insight into Tunku's life and times

A timely read this Merdeka...

By ESTHER CHANDRAN
Photos by CHUA KOK HWA
The Star

A LOT has been written about Malaysia's first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj. Most Malaysians know of the Father of Independence from history books, newspaper articles and television documentaries. But, a visit to his home and office at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Memorial in Jalan Dato Onn allows one to know him better. The more perceptive ones will even know his thoughts, taste and personality.


Visitors reading old articles written about Tunku


Tunku had good taste and it extended even to his walking sticks

Read article: An insight into Tunku's life and times

Malaysia National Anthem

It's Malaysia's National Day tomorrow, August 31. Malaysia's 48th year. Besides partaking in celebrating a public holiday, what else do we do to mark the occasion? Some of us may fly the National flag either at home or on our vehicle. What about singing or humming the Negaraku tune? Come to think of it, how many of us truly know the lyrics of our national anthem? Here are the lyrics in case you've been looking for it.

Negaraku, tanah tumpahnya darahku,
Rakyat hidup, bersatu dan maju,
Rahmat bah'gia, Tuhan kurniakan,
Raja kita, selamat bertakhta,
Rahmat bah'gia, Tuhan kurniakan,
Raja kita, selamat bertakhta.

The above is from national-anthem.net which also has national anthems from around the world. Check it out.

Greetings from around the world.

Astronaut Runs begin Saturday

Malaysia's own astronauts. Yay!


BY TEOH TEIK HOONG & AUDREY EDWARDS
The Star

PETALING JAYA: Lee Chow Ho could not contain his joy after being short-listed as one of Malaysia's astronaut hopefuls.

“I am seizing the chance. And I am in it for the whole experience. It does not matter whether I get to go into space,” said the 23-year old quality engineer yesterday.

He is among the 894 people vying to be the first Malaysian sent into space, in 2007. Over the coming two Saturdays, they will have to run 3.5km in under 20 minutes to qualify for the next hurdle in the selection process.

Those who pass the test will then be put through stringent medical and aero-physiological tests, and psychological profiling by Serdang Hospital and the Institute of Aviation Medicine here, to pick the final five to 10 people for more tests in Russia.

Read The Star: Astronaut Runs begin Saturday

'Chicken Soup for the Soul' Man

If you know 'Chicken Soup for the Soul', you know Jack Canfield.
Well, the Man himself will be coming to Malaysia in October.
Meet the Creator of the New York Times #1 best-selling book
series 'Chicken Soup for the Soul'.

For details contact Rayma Sdn Bhd at 603-7804 4666/777/888.

What a deal! A prize to win just by doing something you're
supposed to be doing anyway.

My, my – a Myvi MyKad carrot
BY MERGAWATI ZULFAKAR
The Star

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysians who have already received their MyKad or who apply for it by Nov 30 will have a shot at winning a Perodua Myvi worth RM50,000 by the end of the year.

The car is the grand prize in a series of lucky draws by the National Registration Department (NRD) aimed at encouraging two million Malaysians who have yet to renew their identity cards to do so.

Bikini Beach - afraid not

Seokyong Lee for The New York Times
At the Miss Byeonsan Bikini Contests contestants prefer one-piece suits.

A Tourism Plan's Itsy-Bitsy, Teeny-Weeny Miscalculation
By NORIMITSU ONISHI
Published: August 23, 2005
NY Times

BYEONSAN BIKINI BEACH, South Korea - It seemed like a good idea, a surefire way to catapult this beach into the ranks of Bali and Waikiki: a 10 percent discount for anyone in a bikini.

It all started back in 2003 when local officials here, racking their brains over how to lure visitors to this stretch on South Korea's rural west coast, decided that a name change was due. Byeonsan Beach was reborn, with "Bikini" in its name.

Read story: A Tourism Plan's Itsy-Bitsy, Teeny-Weeny Miscalculation

Mystery Piano Man

The unidentified man appeared in Kent in April
The mystery man produced a pencil drawing of a piano

Stumbled on this story from BoingBoing.
A month ago, police in Sheerness, Kent, England, picked up this man wandering the streets soaking wet and wearing a suit. He hasn't said a word since the police found him but apparently he plays piano beautifully.

This story was in May and todate, the young man has left for home,
Germany. Read story: 'Piano Man' flies back to Germany - from the BBC News.

100 blogs in 100 days

Once in a while, we get a chance to be listed in someone's
blog in their top XXX list. Here's one more - from Jennifer
Garrett. She'd be going through one a day for 100 days.
If you'd like to be counted in that 100, you may want to
sign up.

Book-vending machines

AP Photo. A passer-by runs past a book vending machine in a street of Paris, Friday, Aug. 19, 2005.
Yahoo! News

In Paris, one will be able to satisfy that craving to read at
any time of the day or night. The newly-installed book vending
machines in Paris carry classics, dictionaries and cookbooks.
All books are at the price of just $2.45 each.

Link: Can't Wait for a Book? Paris Can Help

Teens Say 'Nak' : One in four aged 13-17 puffing away

By Annie Freeda Cruez
KUALA LUMPUR, Wed
NST

Lung-cancer victims are getting younger. With more smoking at a younger age,
even 18-year-olds are seeking treatment.

More sobering statistics:

• Nearly 25 per cent of Malaysian youth smoke, most of them between 13 and 17.
• A third of all smokers nationwide are young women.
• In rural areas, children as young as six smoke.

A recent study of 200 cancer patients revealed that about two-thirds started
smoking early in life.

Read story...

The FlavorsCard

Diners enjoy a maximum of 70% discount from their total bill when dining using the Flavors card. Source: The Star

Just found out about the FlavorsCard (officially called
"Flavors - SmartDining card") though it's been around since
May I was told. At the cost of RM48.00 for 18 months, I think
it's a steal if you're one who delights in dining out.

There's a long list of participating food outlets that extend
huge discounts. The only drawback I see as of now is that only
food outlets in KL and surrounding areas are covered. You can
check out the list on their website for the outlets which are listed by area.

They even run contests on their website.

Ways to better your blog

Darren Rowse of Problogger.com dedicated August as a month
to building a better blog and requested for tips from readers. This list of Ten Top Tips are among the tips received on Day 3.

Of all the tips from Day 2, I find The Top 10 Things You Should Know Before You Blog submitted by Marlene useful.

I'll be sure to continue covering these tips for the duration of this campaign.

Article: How to add a blog banner

Sperm, anyone?

Sperm Web sites face curbs in UK legal review

LONDON (Reuters) - Internet Web sites supplying sperm to single women and lesbian couples face regulation under proposals to be unveiled by the government on Tuesday.

Public Health Minister Caroline Flint will launch a three-month consultation aimed at bringing up to date the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act.

The review of the 15-year-old legislation will ask whether the sperm Web sites should be banned altogether or just more tightly regulated.

The companies running the sperm sites do not come under the existing regulation because they run donor databases rather than clinics.

This also means the companies are not required to screen donors for genetic problems or sexually transmitted infections, raising safety concerns for women using the Web site services.

Credit: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/050815/80/fppjt.html

Ice cream a snack, too

I say.....This is a great idea.


ICE CREAM is known to be a dessert. Now, it is also a snack. Thanks to Wall's.

Wall's launched its Wall's Mini ice cream, which comprises Mini Magnum, Mini Hazelnut and Mini Cornetto at Menara TM in Pantai on Thursday.

The ice creams come Vanilla flavour, Vanilla and Chocolate mix flavour.

Compared to the regular size Cornetto, the Mini Cornetto is one-third and Mini Magnum two-third the regular size, while Mini Hazelnut can be eaten in a mouthful.

The 10 pieces of Mini Hazelnut is prized at RM4.99 while the 12 pieces of Cornetto is prized at RM6.99 and the six pieces of Mini Magnum is priced at RM7.99.

Read story: Ice cream a snack, too
By STUART MICHAEL
The Star

British Airways Strike Strands Thousands

This is not going to be good especially when London has just won the bid to host the Olympics in 2012.


Kristy Wigglesworth/Associated Press

A strike at British Airways that stranded tens of thousands
of travelers at Heathrow Airport in London ended Friday, but
fliers might be stuck a few more days as the airlines struggle
to recover.


By MICHELINE MAYNARD and GRAHAM BOWLEY
Published: August 13, 2005
The NY Times

A strike at British Airways that stranded tens of thousands
of travelers at Heathrow Airport in London ended yesterday,
but it may be several days before the airline can get all of
its angry and frustrated passengers to their destinations.

"We are just waiting to see what's coming next, and no one
seems to really know anything," Chuck Weinstein, 77, from
Boston told the BBC. He was trying to return to the United
States with his partner, Janet Gorham, after a trip to Prague.

Full story: British Airways strike strands thousands

Hip-Hop Argot Meets Corporate Cant, All to Sell Chryslers

Lee Iacocca, the former Chrysler chief, and Snoop Dogg appear in an ad promoting Chrysler's employee discount offer on many 2005 models.

By DANNY HAKIM
Published: August 5, 2005
NY Times

The former chairman of Chrysler, Lee A. Iacocca, has been called a lot of things in his time, but Mocha Cocca and I-ka-zizzle are new.

The nicknames come from Snoop Dogg - Mr. Iacocca's new sidekick in a Chrysler commercial that starts Saturday. Mr. Iacocca, 80, is Chrysler's most famous retiree and has been reprising his role as company pitchman.

Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, is arguably Chrysler's most famous enthusiast. Last year, the rapper, actor, car buff and sometime pornographer left a voice mail at Chrysler's West Coast office demanding the new Chrysler 300 sedan. The 300C he later received is black with tinted windows.

Now Chrysler is pairing the two in a commercial by the BBDO division of Omnicom Group aimed in part at overcoming Mr. Iacocca's demographic limitations. The commercial features the two men riding in a blue golf cart with spinning wheel rims and is the latest promotion touting Chrysler's employee discount offer on many 2005 models.

"It's a great way to continue to break through the clutter," said Suraya DaSante, a spokeswoman for the Chrysler Group, a division of DaimlerChrysler, of the commercial. "Snoop is a hip-hop icon, a lot of people know him and recognize him, so it's a fun complement to Lee."

The new commercial was previously reported by Bloomberg News.

A survey conducted by the trade publication Advertising Age last month found that 8 in 10 people who had seen commercials featuring Mr. Iacocca found him to be "believable" and "relevant." But the survey also found that he was far less recognizable among young adults.

In the commercial, Snoop pulls up in a Dodge truck and, as he emerges, Mr. Iacocca says "nice ride." Snoop begins to let forth in his inimitable linguistics, a trademark of Mr. Broadus, as the two men go for a ride in the golf cart: Snoop: "Thank you Mocha Cocca. Chrysler and Jeep came up on beaucoup awards and Dodge trucks last as long as the D-O-double gizzle. Plus, I got the hook up nephew, for sure."

Iacocca, looking puzzled: "You know, I'm not too sure what you just said. Now everybody gets a great deal."

Snoop: "Fo shizzle, I-ka-zizzle."

A narrator then explains the offers. Both men wear pink shirts, but their fashion sense mostly diverges from there. The rapper, whose taste in golf apparel was seen in the movie "Starsky and Hutch," also sports an argyle sweater embossed with his S-D logo, a white hat, sunglasses and pants checkered white, pink and blue. Mr. Iacocca wears more traditional golf attire.

At the end of the commercial, Snoop Dogg translates Mr. Iacocca's famous tagline - if you can find a better car, buy it.

"If the ride is more fly," he says, "then you must buy."

2005 Porsche Boxster and Carrera S Cabriolet: Standing Ovations in the Porsche Belt

By TED WEST
Published: August 7, 2005
LARCHMONT, N.Y.
NY Times

BEING a matinee idol has become easier. You just slick back your hair and drive slowly by the local sidewalk cafe in your "speed yellow" Porsche Carrera S convertible. People drop their ham sandwiches, point loudly and behave like fox terriers getting the Heimlich maneuver.


The Boxster

Of course, here in the belly of Westchester County's Porsche Belt, they're eating prosciutto on olive oil ciabatta with mesclun - but a ham sandwich is a ham sandwich. They gawk, plotz and wonder aloud what you're doing for Sunday brunch. You'll gain friends. You'll eat free. And you'll lose nothing more important than your privacy - but with Internet spam proffering Cialis by the case, don't talk to me about privacy.

Driving a loud-yellow Porsche with the top down on a summer day can take the place of a personality. This convertible ("Cabriolet," to those who know it personally) is better at making friends than your Aunt Latifah on a cruise. You may have set out for nothing more glamorous than a spool of dental floss, but when you park your yellow Porsche, every man, woman and real estate agent croons, "Cool car!"

Read story: 2005 Porsche Boxster and Carrera S Cabriolet: Standing Ovations in the Porsche Belt

Where the Clothes Talk a Lot

The much-visited boutique in Los Angeles, prides itself on its hipness. Suzanne Mapes for The New York TimesKitson

By ALEX KUCZYNSKI
NY Times
Published: August 11, 2005

IF you read People, Star or Us Weekly, you know about Kitson, the West Hollywood boutique made famous by celebrities like Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton. These are young ladies who live dreamlike crystal-covered lives and own dreamy things like crystal-covered hairbrushes (Paris's cost $295 at Kitson) and crystal-covered cellphones (Lindsay's was $395 at Kitson). The actresses Mischa Barton, Tori Spelling and Debra Messing have been photographed with groaning Kitson bags on their arms, their faces slack with the satiety that follows a successful shopping binge.

Kitson, if you believe the publicity, is Hollywood's hottest shopping spot. I approached with tingly anticipation. But strip away the phony tinsel of Hollywood, as Oscar Levant said, and you'll find the real tinsel underneath. Such is the case with Kitson, which is less a chic boutique than a tourist trap, its popularity generated by warring weekly tabloids and not by the exquisite, or even interesting, clothing it offers for sale.



Suzanne Mapes for The New York Times

I think the Giordano and Padini outlets in KL are comparable and prices are much lower too. Anyway, here's the full story: Where the Clothes Talk a Lot

Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival

This years's Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival a.k.a. Mooncake Festival falls on Sunday, September 18.

This festival (Chung Chiu) is the third major festival of the Chinese calendar and is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month. This festival is akin to the harvest festivals observed by Western cultures. However, in Hong Kong, it is held in conjunction with the annual Lantern Festival.

The reason for it being known as the Moon Cake Festival is because of a special kind of sweet cake (yueh ping) prepared in the shape of the moon and filled with sesame seeds, ground lotus seeds and duck eggs is served as a traditional Chung Chiu delicacy

Read more about Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival

Discovery shuttle back to Earth

Glad that the Discovery space shuttle is back. I wonder if
there was a haze like what we're experiencing now,
would they have allowed landing? These pictures
of the launch are as close as I'll ever get to see a launch.
Awesome!

iPods

I don't even own an iPod, let alone 40. That's exactly what
Karl Lagerfeld has and he's even designed a Fendi iPod bag that
can carry up to 12 iPods. According to the article, Lagerfeld
converted his 60,000 CD collection onto the 40 iPods, which are
scattered around the globe in his various residences.

Read article: Fendi iPod Bag and why does Karl Lagerfeld own 40 iPods?

Homemakers are recognised at last

...and about time too.

EPF boost for wives

BY K. PARKARAN AND M. KRISHNAMOORTHY
The Star

PETALING JAYA: In recognition of the role of housewives as
homemakers, the Employees Provident Fund will now allow
husbands to make contributions to accounts under their
wives' names.

This move is aimed at providing the housewives some
financial security in their old age and also prevent them
from being left in the lurch should their spouses desert them.

Friday! Thank God It's Friday!

Did I ever mention that I love Fridays? Time to unwind
after a lonnnnnng hard week and enjoy a well-deserved
weekend. Boy! am I looking forward to really enjoying
the mega sale. At some places, bargaining is the order of
the day so will have to remember the bargaining tips I
just picked up from here.

The haze over KL is clearing up so it's a good sign of some
better air quality, I hope.

I could stay indoors and do some baking.
Or maybe I'll go for an eating orgy of durians.

I could add some extra features to my blog to make it more
inviting so that you'll come back for more.

Or I could clean up the mess in my living quarters or I could feng shui my garden except that I haven't got one.

Of course, there's this Jazz Festival up at Mont'Kiara
I could go to. Maybe I would - just for the beers if not
the jazz. My friends will be hanging out there too.

The options are endless - I sometimes wish there are more
hours to a day or better yet more days to a week-end.
Ahhhh..... that's a thought!

You have a super-duper, wonderful week-end. I know I will.
Let me leave you with this. They sure don't call it 'spoiler'
for nothing. Cheerio!

Sunrise Jazz & Rhythm Fest 2005

Jazz & Rhythm fans would be happy to note that there's
a Jazz & Rhythm Fest going on at Mont Kiara on Fridays
and Saturdays from Jul 22 thru Aug 13 and from 8pm to 12:30am
at Plaza Mont'Kiara Fountain Courtyard. So head on down there.
Admission is free.

Yahoo! Publishing Network

The long-awaited Yahoo! Publishing Network has finally
happened though it's still in beta.

Read more here...

School holiday adventure camp

August is here and before you know it, it's school holidays
again. Yes, school will be closed for the one-week holiday
from August 20 through 28. Wondering what to do with your
kids? Why not send them to a fun-filled learning adventure
camp? It's called

Children's Camp:
Big Chief Returns to Eagle Ranch
Date: 21-23 August 2005
Venue: Eagle Ranch Resort, Port Dickson, Malaysia

It's for young adults from age 9 to 15.

The camp aims to

1. Empower children with the necessary skills required for
the hectic life that lies ahead.
2. Enhance the wholesome development of young adults in sync
with Mother Nature.
3. Provide learning experiences not found at home or at school.

For more details, check out:
http://www.rayma.com.my/richmark/ChildrensCamp05Aug21-23.pdf

Collect MyKad promptly

I haven't collected mine. Ooops! Better do pronto!
You too if you have not.

By SIMON KHOO
The Star

MEMBERS of the public are urged to collect their MyKad to avoid being slapped with a fine for late collection.

Negri Sembilan National Registration Department director Safiee Hailani said up to May, a total of 12,756 MyKad in the state had yet to be collected.

He said the department had sent out notices to inform the applicants to collect the document personally.

“Of the figure, 607 MyKad had yet to be collected even though it was ready 18 months ago.

“Another 6,200 MyKad were completed between three and six months ago while 5,949 were issued over the last two months.

“We hope these applicants will take the initiative to check with our state offices and collect the document promptly,” he said in an interview.

Safiee said under the law, applicants were given a 90-day period to collect their MyKad, failing which they would be liable to a fine of up to RM90.

“However, we are willing to consider reducing the amount on a case-by-case basis if they can provide a valid reason for the delay,” he said.

He added that applicants should act promptly and not wait until the last minute to collect their MyKad.

On a separate matter, he said those residing in neighbouring states could apply for MyKad in any of the state offices at their convenience.

He said since April, the state offices had recorded almost 40% increase in applications from outsiders.

“Up to last month, we have 66,858 people, both locals and outsiders, applying for MyKad in our state offices,” he said, adding that the department recorded an average of 9,000 applicants monthly for the first three months this year.

Squash Queen

Once again, Nicol David has done Malaysia proud.
Well done, Nicol, our Squash Queen.

Read article...Malaysian is now the prized scalp in women’s squash