Imminent sleepless nights

Oh No… my brother just told me that my all time favourite computer game, Romance of the Three Kingdoms version XI is out. All these while, the game has only been in Mandarin but RTK XI is now in English.

I just managed to install the game yesterday. The graphics are pretty incredible. But the tutorial suggests that it will take a while before I get familiar with the game.

Liu Bei… Cao Cao… Sun Quan… it’s all coming back to me. I might just be spending endless hours in front of the screen just like when I was in school. Sleepless nights… here I come!

P/S: A very big thank you to Pattirmina for awarding me Uber Amazing Blog award. Wow, it has been a long while since anyone gave me any award. Many thanks!

Haze?????

There are numerous occasions where I see things or read the news and they continuously remind me the need to migrate. Nothing beats what I read yesterday over the net.

The Malaysian Insider reported that our very own Director General of Department of Environment made a statement regarding the haze... “Since it is the dry season now, the air becomes dry and hazy but it doesn’t mean that haze is coming back”. This is truly the mother of all statement. Why doesn't he just said... "Looks like haze, smells like haze, feels like haze. But it's not haze"? At least we can laugh about it.

Open burning… 99% of buses emitting black smoke… 3 in every 5 motorcycles emitting white smoke… How much improvement do you think we will see if all these are curbed? Alas, no action is taken. Rather, an anti-intelligence statement is shoved down our throat.

But for most, the throat can take it, for it has been numbed by the chilly of the tasty nasi lemak… numbed by the lard of the sumptuous bak-kut-teh… numbed by the prawns of that wonderful char-kuey-teow.

I truly missed the time when I was breathing clean air for 10 days.


I year ago… Romancing the oil

That little bit of humanity

An anonymous person commented in Disparities Insanities Inhumanities saying that scenarios mentioned there-in can only be eliminated if we revive communism. He (assumed he) spoke like a true intellect; filled with knowledge that communism can kill the evil capitalism. However, he lacks wisdom.

An intellect will say “revive communism”, a wise man will say “amplify socialism”. I am not asking all of us to be Robin Hood and rob the rich and give to the poor. Rather, I would prefer to have the rich to voluntarily do something for the poor.

In the movie “Home” which was screened last Friday, it was mentioned that 2% of the world population possess 50% of the world’s wealth. If you ignore human rights and seize all the wealth from these rich 2% and make the 2% to be on par with the rest of the 98% world population, then it’s communism. No, I am not asking for that.

Socialism is asking the 2% to relinquish 20% of their wealth to help the rest of the 98%. Simple maths will tell you that 20% of the 2% who possess 50% of the world’s wealth is equal to 10% of the world’s wealth. Can you imagine what 10% of the world’s wealth can do to the world?

Unfortunately, for someone who has $100m to give away $20m is akin to a crime. Instead, someone with $100m wants his wealth to increase to $120m and this someone doesn’t care the additional $20m is going to come from those who hardly have $20k. That’s capitalism

A very good example of socialism was also mentioned in the movie “Home”. It was a point which fascinated me. It’s truly an epitome of socialism.

The movie mentioned about a man who established a bank in Bangladesh which will ONLY lend to the poor, changing the lives of many people in Bangladesh. I did some research and found out that this institution is known as Grameen Bank.

Based on Wikipedia, this bank does not require a guarantee or collateral. There is no signed contract and repayment is purely based on trust. Have you ever heard of such “bank”? Remember those times you get a call from the bank when you miss your credit card payment deadline by just 1 day?
I find it heart warming to know that in the midst of a cruel capitalist world, there is a bank which is doing things totally against the orthodox. Certainly, there are quarters criticising this bank claiming that it has put the poor into debts. But I think this bank has redefine the meaning of “debts”. And I see it as giving the poor a venue to obtain a source for survival. I see it as a bank fulfilling its true purpose… providing funding to those who are truly in need.

It’s about not about complaining about disparity. It’s not about despising insanity. It’s about giving birth that tad bit of humanity.


2 years ago… Zewt mystery in century entry

His friends her friends

In a relationships environment, would you agree that there is always an underlying debate about how friends are segregated into “his friends” and “her friends”. Somehow, it is difficult to consider “his friends” or “her friends” as “our friends”.

The only time when someone can actually become “our friends” is when a couple meets this new person after being together. If otherwise, friends tend to belong to either him or her. True?

Long ago, I had a debate with a now ex-colleague regarding this. She did not believe in this friends segregation notion. She was very adamant that her boyfriend’s friends were all her friends too. Of course, I didn’t agree with her.

To justify my stand, I asked her a simple question… “Will you hang out with your boyfriend’s friends without the presence of your boyfriend?”

She didn’t answer my question, well, not exactly. Her reply was something to the effect of “Yeah, I get what you mean”.

I think one of the most important criteria of being “our friends” is when the guy or girl is willing, and comfortable in hanging out with his/her friends without the presence of the partner. Without that, friends will always remain as his or hers.

Agree?


2 years ago… Is your ticket reflective… The reason why… Fire!

Go gold bikini

After the previous thought provoking post, it’s time to take a break since Friday is on the way. Allow me to share this story as this round of Friday Frolics. This is NOT a joke… this is real…

You are a female.
You are below 30 years old.
You stand at above 1.55m.
You weigh at below 55kg.

Apparently, if you happen to fall within the above… and you happen to join this particular company… you are obliged strongly encouraged to don a bikini and perform on stage for the chairman during annual dinner. Of course, all the other people will be able to see you perform as well since it’s an annual dinner.

And… your bikini is no ordinary bikini… it must be a glittering gold coloured bikini. Apparently the winner stands to win a handsome prize. I wonder if it comes with any… ya’ know… night-time obligations.

The source of this info is someone who fits the above criterion and decided not to flash her flesh. She resigned and joined my company. A colleague of mine has verified this info with his contacts who work in this particular company.

I am sure you are curious which “company” is this. Well, I can only say that it is one of the top players in its industry. Perhaps you should ask around…

Girls – will you go gold bikini?


1 year ago… To RM2.70 and beyond

2 years ago… Ways of life from an idiot’s game

Disparities Insanities Inhumanities

Disparity is when one eats at a coffee shop while the other eats at a posh restaurant.
Insanity is when many cannot afford to fine-dine ever in the lives while for a few, they eat nothing else but fine-dine.
Inhumanity is when millions are starving and hoping to get USD5 to feed themselves in a week while there are some who can spend thousands of USD just for a spoonful of caviar.

Disparity is when one drives a Honda while the other drives a BMW.
Insanity is when many can only afford a motorbike while a family of 5 can have up to 10 cars at home.
Inhumanity is when 45% of the world population will die without having to see what a car is while there are people who purchase not one but a few Porsches even before they got their driving licence.

Disparity is when one uses a simple hand-phone while the other uses a Blackberry / iPhone.
Insanity is when many could not afford a hand-phone while some can have absolutely no feeling when they lose their hand-phones.
Inhumanity is when 70% of the world population have not heard how a “dialing tone” sounds like while some changes hand-phone at every other new model release.

Disparity is when one wears a normal cap while the other wears a Nike cap.
Insanity is when many are paid USD5 a week to make Nike caps while a handful of individuals are paid millions just to wear it.
Inhumanity is when those who make the caps and needed USD5 to survive are retrenched in bad times while those few who are paid millions to wear it got their contract renewed.

Disparity is when your diamond ring is 0.25 carat while your friend’s is more than 1 carat.
Insanity is when millions will never have a chance to own a diamond ring while some complain that their diamond is too small.
Inhumanity is when thousands die while mining diamonds in Africa everyday while some insist on getting more diamonds despite knowing that people are dying mining it.

Disparity is when your kid plays marbles while the other kid plays with a Sony PSP.
Insanity is when millions of kids will grow up without knowing what a PSP is while others shower their kids with PSP, Nintendo Wii, iPod, iPhone, control cars, etc., etc.
Inhumanity is when thousands of kids get killed mining “Coltan” so that other kids around the world can kill monsters and aliens by pressing buttons. Coltan is a very essential component in making electrical products such as PSP and handphones.

Disparity is when you have a low pay job while other has a high pay job.
Insanity is when thousands of those with low pay jobs and needed that low pay just to survive are retrenched during bad times while those few with high pay jobs who probably only needed 5% of their pay to survive get a 5% pay cut.
Inhumanity is when tens of thousands of those with low pay jobs who didn’t get retrenched are made to sympathise the minority with high pay jobs who got a 5% pay cut.

Where are we?


1 year ago… From tension to happ’y’ness

I live in one of the riskiest places on earth

KL folks can take pride as we survive living in one of the riskiest offshore places on earth, No. 4 by the way.
Pollution... organised crime... I am sure our beloved administration will think of a reason behind this unfavourable survey. Maybe they will say the risk factors are moderated by the variety choices of wonderful food around. I am sure that will calm us all down and forget about it.

Singapore is in the top 5 safest. Located just a cross of a bridge away, but helluva difference.

1 year ago... Remembering forgotten

2 years ago... Dunwanna blog about it