Nothing kicks ass like cool sip of Kilkenny draught

I've had kickass Kilkenny Irish beer draught I had with the French cellist and a good friend Mr K. Funny thing was I was all the usual bitching about this ang moh conductor who gave us a nightmare rehearsal of Rachmaninov 2nd symphony. Mr French cellist hit a nail on my head when he said, "Its easy to bitch and whine about other people, but why not we improve ourselves first?". In a sense this guy is much of a contrast that the other dude Mr K regarding the orchestra.

Dude, its fine you have standards but why the fuck you need to butt in and tell me to find another flute teacher? Seriously? Just because I flunked my conservatory audition? Or just because you changed you cello teacher and you feel that I should "have a change of scenary" too? Fuck me sideways man, with your old teacher you weren't even contemplating life without him. Seriously improve yourself and get your ass somewhere before you have the right to try to dictate my playing and who is teaching me.

Hitting dead end.

I slept like what, 12 fucking hours. Relationships are screwing me all over. Why can't I practice my flute in piece and not worry whether the opposite sex will call me or vice-versa?

Same fucking shit, my relationship sinks even before going stepping off step 1.

Sick of trying to chant hours, people telling me about faith and believing that winter will turn into spring. It looks like winter never ends here.

I miss my brother so much. Now living doesn't really matter no more. Sick of trying to "live a good life". I'll fucking go on orgy spree before I die. No more passion for the orchestra, sick of putting up with load of bollocks. Bollocks and all.

Walking tickling time bomb.

Tried to do my best as a human being, but gaining attention and affection is like rocket science to me. Never cheated a girl in my life, but none ever gave me a chance.

Isn't it nice if we can switch off these self-destructing emotive chemicals in our brain at will?

I'm falling victim to what I loathe as emo-ing douchebag. Emoing are for pussies. Yet I'm trying hard to be something that I am not.

Almost few times in a week I'd wish I'd taken place my brother who died in an accident. It should've been me, even though he is a temperamental kid, he had much to live for. I am past my prime in my age, and I think I must've accumulated quite a number of bad karma for me to be still in a fucked up state.

I've been a walking time bomb for so many years its a wonder I'm still alive. Until when?

Good friends

The Tchaikovsky 6 that I watched change my life again. I've been so fortunate to witness not so rarely concerts where routine, facade and facelessness gave way to abandonment of expression and spirit. And I've always admired Claus Peter Flor whom despite polarizing opinions about him, I'd expect something quite opposite of the sterile dullness of Mathias Bamert's reign.

I've come to accept that I will never be somewhat a decent class performer of sorts. It has always been my mission to be a teacher or some sort of mentor. Mentor in a sense to mould people who would become 10 times better than me at least and achieve things that I would never dream or thought of. And life has a musician has always been very difficult and most people in my shoes would have given up this path, but I know since music nourished me and sustained me long whom without I would've been extinct for some time.

I'm very grateful for the oboist friend, despite the fact he is a highly experienced and accomplished musician, our friendship never diminished in all years we knew each other. He probably accorded me with same respect with his peers of same level and accomplishment despite the fact I am just an ordinary talentless musician. And I was quite honoured to play in his house recital and have a MPO musician to compliment my playing.

I am quite fortunate to have known a number of good potential juniors in my orchestra who took my advice and guidance seriously and I know with these kids the orchestra will blossom in a good direction. Good riddance to people who prioritizes their trifle affairs over the long term potential that this orchestra could be if they put sacrifices into it.

The need to be ruthless

I am in a position where I realise I am wasting my life for not having the balls to deal with things. I can see the obvious, whether I am playing music, conducting, or dealing with insecurities and shit.

There are people I know whom they are popular with practically everyone. I know I'm not a dickhead but I am not a "popular" person. Of course I am not envious with those kind (being envious with playas who can score a pussy is different shit altogether). I am not adept in engaging with idle chat and there are "dialect barrier" BS even though my Mandarin is more awesome compared with five years ago.

So, life is short being nice. I'll do things my way or die trying.

Wagner and Bieber

Loads of empty seats for Wagner programme at MPO today. Which is kinda odd considering full houses for Mahler symphonic works performed every time there. Then again it is odd that the management did not ask MPYO members to fill in the seats to avoid embarrassment as they previously used to.

Then again I thought it would be good to promote these kind of concerts to wind band enthusiasts. How many times can you hear 9 fucking horns in an MPO concert? And listen to rare instruments such as Wagner Tuba, bass trumpets etc. I don't get kids who plays brasses that aspire to play in a concert that has among others, a Justin Bieber medley. I fucking avoid wind band concerts like plague now. Sorry call me a fucking snob since their programmes are predictable and I've been fed on diet of 2nd Viennese School, Varese and Ligeti. Don't programme a concert with easy listening medleys and call that "art" btw pretty please.

Modesty, in tune, blah blah

Its kind of sad when your playing betrays such "prestigious" fucking CV you have. Woooooooooo, you won competitions, you won scholarships to study in a famous American conservatory, you tour with orchestras.

And yet you can't keep a fucking simple note in tune 90% of the time, whatmoreless when you attempt some flashy virtuoso piece which will make Guantanamo bay prisoners be glad to eat dog poop.

Another lesson: When somebody brags that they have perfect pitch, they're not. Full fucking stop.

Back from the dead

Political blog, this no more. Unless one day I choose to rant like Patrick Teoh =P

The defensive agenda of the ultra racists

This comment is posted on Ridhuan Tee Abdullah's blog. God knows if he understands English.

I have noticed the sort of "defensive" agenda these people like Ridhuan Tee, Utusan and ultra-racist side of UMNO used to spread hatred. That the Malay people have been patient for too long, that Muslims are most peace-loving and accomodating of all religions, and the Malay people have been giving more than taking in race relations, bla bla bla.

While they may have a point when the Opposition largely silent regarding the position of vernacular schools, issue of mother tongue and race-based organisations such as Dong jiao Zong, these people with defensive agendas usually conveniently forgets jusfications such as these schools being self-funded (as opposed to BTN). And these people probably has a history of mental or psychiatric problems because they conjure so-called "facts" out of thin air, such as Ridhuan Tee's complaint of non-Muslim worships and graveyards exceeding the number of their own. Why is it I heard a Catholic church in Shah Alam took 20 years to gain approval from state govt while in the last five years the trend of humble suraus being replaced by mega-ornate mosques everywhere yet comes solat barely few Muslimats are seen doing their prayers (except come Friday)? Non-Muslims also have an option of cremating their own (P/S: Encik Ridhuan boleh jelaskan bolehkan seseorang Muslim membakar jenazah keluarga mereka?) so at least we ARE saving some space for our Muslim brothers because they do not have an option to do so. Ain't we a tolerent lot?!

Funny enough Ridhuan Tee also complains that the Christmas holiday celebrations have been eclipsing the scale of hype of Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Boo hoo hoo, perhaps Ridhuan tee should explain why Taoists, Buddhists, Freethinkers, Atheists were busy celebrating a holiday that were supposed to celebrate Jesus or Christianity? Or Ridhuan Tee is envious that Santa didn't didn't give him a present this year or a leggy Santa Rina on his lap?

Sadly Mr Ridhuan (I hope as a university lecturer you can understand my simplified English) this sort of behaviour is also what we called delusional selfishness. Do you think only the Malays suffer when some Chinese light up huge coloks come Hungry Ghost Festival? Did you ever not think of the Christians, Hindus and sensitive allergic Chinese (or Indians/lain-lain race) who could probably die inhaling a whiff of the smoke? Have you ever stop to think also how much non-Malays also put up their effort to accomodate their Malay brethens? For example, having to get accustomed to loud solat broadcasts come 5 a.m. When Muslims dine at our house or parties we take the pain of using Halal silverware, plates and cutlery not tainted by pork. For God sake lah Ridhuan when you send your kid to a SJKC you think those canteen operators want to get sued for serving non-halal food to your kid?! In BTN or other government institutions, do the vegetarians complain when your Malay operators refused to accomodate their needs? No, they rather starve to death or get gastric lest they get accused of being "ultra kiasu", or worst getting busted under Sedition Act for questioning the rights of Malays *gasp*.

Encik Ridhuan, no need to play fire with fire in order to make a point. And don't be so pretentious with the fact just because you use budi bahasa sweet language to spread lies and slender doesn't mean you are holier and better person than the "uncivilised" commentators on your blog (you know who). And nobody is buying your "We're the victim, we're the oppressed" agenda BS - stop it because it makes you look like a fool. Don't go destroying the barrier of goodwill between non-Muslims and your Muslimat because what you are doing now makes you no better than the so-called "ultra kiasus" you're attacking - its opposite.

Time to stop being nice on our "serumpun" neighbours

Lately our neighbours across the Melaka straits seems to be suffering from some form of PMS. I remembered vaguely some time ago there was furore over an abuse on one of their kind working here as a maid. Subsequently their authorities banned its citizens from working here for some time, and understandably due to the horrific circumstances surrounding the scandalous abuse case.

Since then our neightbours have started throwing accusations around, starting from allegations that we "stole" their Pendet dance for a "Malaysia Truly Asia" style promotional ad on Discovery Channel which turns out to be a botched attempt which our government has nothing to do with it. Then on Sept 2, their students pelted eggs at our embassy for allegedly copying "Terang Bulan" for our national anthem. Now hundreds of comments are posted on forums and portals in their country screaming "Ganyang Malingsia" and baying for our blood because we've robbed, stolen, mutilated, abused piagiarized etc their heritage, culture and people from Rasa Sayang to oil-rich Ambalat island.

I have no problems for our government and people to take responsibility if indeed their accusations are true and proven. Indeed we should be ashamed Noordin Mat Top set up his base across the straits and bombing innocent citizens to death in his deluded jihad against non-Muslim heathens and infidels, therefore should he be caught here toughest measures should be taken against him including use of ISA. Tough actions should be taken against employers who cheated, mutilated and abuse their citizens who worked here (but then the treatment should not be mutually exclusive but applied to others from Philippines, Myammar etc). And if indeed the Malaysian Royalty is convicted by court and responsible for heinous abuse and treatment to Manohara, special treatment and defense must not be accorded to him.

But here I am going to put on my proverbial redneck cap and call tit-for-tat. Their government recently has the cheek to ask our government to raise the minimal salary for their maids to be raised to RM 800. And as I type, many of their kind over in Borneo is crossing over our borders from Kalimantan and getting their MyKads faster than FRUs arresting Hindraf demonstrators in KL. Plantations and factories are still recruiting their kind, depriving our locals their chance for a livelihood. Whom do we see manning DBKL trucks picking up smelly garbages at our housing estates? Who are the people who are employed to sweep streets and busy highways? You will be surprised Indians are doing the dirty job while our "serumpun" kind are managing stalls in pasar malam and warungs in eateries! Imagine the balls of these people sending back their our cash back home and behind our backs screaming "Ganyang Malingsia!".

And surprisingly the editorials I read in (usual mainstream lah) newspapers calling for tolerance and dialogue with these people. I'm not going to call for a nuke across Melaka straits to shut their pie hole for good but as a letter to Malaysiakini states, the non-Bumi Malaysians never pelted eggs and bayed for blood leaders such as Hishamuddin, Chua Soi Lek, Samy Vellu, despite their blatant tunnel vision and hypocrisy. Surprisingly Utusan Malaysia's venom against our "serumpun" brothers seemed tame compared with their rant against Chinese and Indians. They do not have problem with these pendatang flooding the streets of Chow Kit and KotaRaya while they have issues with their fellow Hindu citizens trying to build a temple near their place.

It would do the government a great deal of good and save them a lot of trouble if they wake up from their slumber and smell the coffee. Ban their bloody people from working here as maids since they complain the pay is too meagre and our people complain in papers that they are getting sloppy in their job. When their kind is unemployed and unable to find jobs back in their homeland, they would be crawling to us on their knees and beg to work in pig abbatoirs for RM 100 a month seven days a week, just you wait! Aren't we afraid of the diseases they may carry to our country in light of H1N1? Stop issuing instant MyKads to the Kalimantan pendatang and start giving more consideration to talented non-Bumi acedemics who are leaving here rapidly for greener pastures in Melbourne, London, New York etc. Weed out the parasites and nurture the real patriots no matter what their race. Show these ill-tempered "guests" that we're not pussies and we mean business.

A H1N1: BN's tidak-apa attitude will bring dire consequences

I salute PM Najib for his achievement as nation's 6th Premier; being a worst Prime Minister than even the gutless, impotent Abdullah Badawi.

That totally blew away my expectations. Seriously.

Najib shows that he is not much different than Pak Lah "Work with me not for me" Badawi in terms of putting a charade and let the monkeys roam loose doing shit. Hundreds of millions, I daresay being put in his big fucking phony 1Malaysia campaign. You see big effin banners and billboards on highway, it was bombarded in newspapers and even Limkokwing have composed a 1Malaysia anthem for it (which sounds like the worst Aswara student composing a RTM patriotic song horrors!). And yet Utusan Malaysia spews so much racist venom than ever it made Mein Kempf read like freaking Anne Frank diary. Anyway I digress.

It was only a few days ago that the deathtoll for A H1N1 pandemic was roughly twenty and one day later the bodycount doubled to 40! Today the latest deathtoll reported is 51 http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-08/14/content_11878777.htm What the bloody hell's name is the govt doing? The Sun journalist R.Nadeswaran gave a damning expose on the incompetence of the Immigration Dept in screening passangers arriving at KLIA. In the forms he filled, he even passed himself as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and got away with it! Predictably, the Health Ministry lambasted Nadeswaran; http://sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=36693

In the Xinhuanet link, Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said that closing schools were no longer practical to prevent the infection because most patients were infected from the community. Can he explain in detail what he meant by that? Don't you have students from that community who goes to school? And there is no doubt that people who are in contact with infected patients may have travelled across state, thus spreading the virus further unless the HM told us they send a battalion of FRU troops clad in spacesuits the minute they got a call somebody was infected and closed down the community and anyone who tries to escape are tranquilised or shot on spot. I would buy that argument, even if it's made up.

Nobody will trust that the Health Ministry and the government is doing their utmost best in dealing with this crisis if health forms in KLIA are still used as bookmarks. Minister Liow Tiong Lai should quit all his politicking with MCA and concentrate 200% on tacking the H1N1 crisis. India's actions in shutting down schools and cinemas after 15 deaths shows the government's utmost ruthlessness and concern in tackling the pandemic effectively, and not worrying about petty "practical" reasons and economic concerns. The Malaysian government should worry least about these things, and should put the health of the rakyat at their utmost priority. Least of all, don't bluff your people with your lame chest-thumping statements in mainstream media that "Semuanya is ok!".

No Country for Old Men

Here is a little warning if you haven't watch this movie. This isn't a SLASHER FLICK ala Friday teh 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Terminator, Predator etc although in this movie Javier Bardem's Chigurh character would've dispatched most of baddies mentioned with his airgun and not bat an eyelid (hell, even "badass" is an understatement for this villian). If you hate indie movies with passion, then NCFOM (acronym for this movie) is a typical award-winning fare that critics worship and Transformers-loving teenyboopers wail like babies if shown to them in a detention class. Have I spared you two hours?

The first ten minutes would have lulled majority of Malaysian movie goers either into sleep or leaving the cinema for good. Camera panning into distance of a desolate landscape, virtually dialogue free activity focusing on Josh Brolin's character who is hunting on a desert. He finds two million dollars in a suitcase on site of a massacre. Brolin finds the money and buggers off, but then returns to the place where he found them. Back there was a dying old man who needs a sip of water. Lesson of the day: Never take what isn't yours or even if you do, leave and never turn back. Moss got found and what is worse is not a bunch of raging Mexicans after his ass, but a hired assasin with a seriously whack hairdo. In the movie also, a Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is assigned to track Moss down and to protect his wife Carla Jean (Kelly McDonald) but on screen he may be seemed a pretty useless character who laments increasing violence in his good town and "lack of old manners" that is much different than "back in good old days". What is the use of a whining, toothless sheriff who is pretty much impotent in this movie? He doesn't even meet Chigurh in the whole duration of the film (or almost). Just minor spoilers btw

The movie will snap sense onto your head when it reaches the credits. This is also where most people at this point will cry "Bullshit". NCFOM is a movie that demands repeated viewings in order to piece together things that doesn't make sense at first attempt. The movie's main themes centres most on free-will and predestination of fate, or rather also how we respond to inevitability of things, such as force of evil. Chigurh is a fascinating character, much like Joker in The Dark Knight who has their own "integrity" and code of conduct and has no history of injustice or abuse that scriptwriters usually use in order to justify their actions. Whereas Joker's "story" of how he got his scars are most likely cock-up rants of a deranged madman, Chigurh is incorruptible in his pursuit that even if Moss hands him back the million dollars he will still blow his brains out with his airgun. The only way Chigurh's target could survive if he himself offers to toss a coin in deciding the fate of his victim.

Also without spoiling the movie since Chigurh represents Death in this movie, the characters such as Moss also represents how we deal with it. Some choose to continue weasel their way out, even knowing that running away is futile. Some prepares for Death and makes no apology for whatever manner that may lead it to them. In any case, you don't need to be an artsy critic in order to appreciate this movie. Still if you're renting this, watching Bardem's character with that bad hairdo walking about with his airgun still kicks ass.

Quit being a retard, Muhiyiddin.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin gave a speech in light of recent by-election defeats in Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau. In a rencana interview by Utusan's Mingguan Malaysia tabloid, the DPM said the Chinese voters have duped BN despite millions of ringgit given to the community for development and they were tidak mengenang budi (ungrateful). Muhiyiddin later lambasted the Chinese press for supposedly twisting his words in that interview.

"I think it's the Chinese papers. I don't know. I don't read Chinese but I got people who reported to me and they (the Chinese dailies) twisted my statement," he said. He also denied saying the Chinese were ungrateful in the interview. "No, no (I didn't say ungrateful). Did you read my Bahasa (Malaysia)? Even (deputy education minister) Wee Ka Siong knows Bahasa. "In Bahasa, I said 'seolah-olah tak menghargai' (‘They seemed to be unappreciative'). You have to read the whole context. Don't pick up just like that," he said. He also appeared to be annoyed with reporters who continued to pester him on the issue. "If you don't understand Bahasa, I can send you to school to understand it." He said that his language in the interview was "very clear and straight" and there was no way it could be twisted. "When you start twisting the whole thing, it puts me in sort of a bad light among the Chinese community," he said.

Muhyiddin unfortunately looked as if has a low-IQ capacity in his lame attempt to defend or sidetrack the remarks he made. Following is the full interview posted here on Utusan Online, HERE.



What is even more disturbing here is that the whole interview smacks of xenophobia ala Hitler who ascended to power by making Jews scapegoats for "corruption" of Germany. The headline entitled Kuasa penentu Melayu hilang jika terus berpecah had Muhiyiddin opined that the minorities (Chinese and Indians) knew they're kingmakers in the elections and warns Malay race that they will turn into a minority if they keep rejecting UMNO in next upcoming elections. These minorities are deceitful people who applauds when BN delivers millions of ringgit in development but then snubs their contribution when it comes to votes, hence they're ungrateful bastards.

If the Chinese press are to be blamed for taking his remarks out of context, here is an actual quote from Utusan website, word by word:

"Saya fikir paling jelas terbukti masyarakat Cina dan India belum bersedia menerima apa-apa bentuk pimpinan kerajaan yang seperti ada sekarang ini, lebih lagi agak terlalu menonjol ialah terhadap apa yang berlaku di Perak itu sendiri. Sesetengah masyarakat di sana, melihat ia dari sudut yang rasis, kerajaan orang Cina ditumbangkan oleh kerajaan orang Melayu walaupun tanggapan itu tidak betul.

Mungkin mereka tidak berapa jelas cara dari sudut Perlembagaan dan peraturan, maka mereka melihat apa yang berlaku sebagai satu bentuk menolak hak majoriti rakyat, mereka mahu kerajaan dipilih seperti pilihan raya lepas."

It is apparent from my understanding that he remarked the minority voters who rejected BN are not educated enough to understand the workings of the law and Constitution.

"Tetapi bukankah setiap kali pilihan raya kecil, permintaan kaum bukan Melayu dipenuhi, malah di Bukit Gantang walaupun peruntukan RM1juta diberikan tetapi kaum Cina tidak juga menyokong BN?

MUHYIDDIN: Ya, kadang-kadang kita berasa terpedaya juga kerana zahirnya nampak macam 'ok', sambutan dengan tepukan gemuruh tetapi mungkin sudah ada tertanam dalam hati iaitu sesuatu tidak mudah hendak berubah, pokoknya masalah isu Perak terutamanya di kalangan masyarakat Cina yang mungkin telah dipengaruhi dengan sentimen simpati kepada Datuk Seri Ir.Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin, kononnya dia 'dijatuhkan', lepas itu kononnya dasar memberi pegangan tanah selama 99 tahun dilihat dasar yang menguntungkan.

Ini yang mungkin menyebabkan sukar BN mendapat sokongan walaupun kita fikir bila mereka hendak sekolah Cina dibantu, kita bantu, sepatutnya mereka membalas budi. Pada waktu itu, kita pun tidak berharap sokongan kaum Cina akan meningkat 40 peratus dan sebagainya cuma kita berharap ada peningkatan sedikit tetapi apa yang berlaku ia mencatatkan penurunan, macam tidak ada penghargaan terhadap apa yang kita lakukan."

Note also Muhyiddin repeatedly said these words were twisted out of context, as if it existed in the first place! Furthermore he add, much to his annoyance of reporters who kept pestering him that "If you don't understand Bahasa, I can send you to school to understand it." and he said that his language in the interview was "very clear and straight". His modus operandi to deny his prejudice now is to retort to the interpreter that his/her command of B.M is weak. Amazing, isn't it? Those Chinese reporters probably didn't even get a simple credit in their B.M paper in SPM! Blame those illiterate, ungrateful, deceitfully conniving reporters!

It goes to show Najib hasn't learned from the mistake of his predecessor Pak Lah "Work with me not work for me" Badawi's cakap lain serupa bikin attitude. His deputy's xenophobic views contradicts his 1Malaysia blueprint vision. But then again, we all know its a fucking facade of lies since this PM made a statement back when he was UMNO Youth leader in early 80s that he will bathe Chinese people's blood in keris. We all know BN's same old modus operandi for winning votes in by-elections; talk about national unity, promise development to non-Malay voters while talking dirty about pendatang and how they're usurping the rights of bumiputeras to Malay voters.

As consolation to haters of BN, they have not learnt their lesson! I suppose the lack of I.Q content by leaders such as Muhyiddin is a good thing. They are still clueless about why non-Malay voters were ungrateful to them?! Use those time and money you're going to spend on "feedback" on more productive things, like going to fucking Disneyland on context of "lawatan sambil belajar" (credit to Khir Toyol). As Malaysiakini put it aptly quoting a popular saying, “Fool me once, shame on you but fool me twice, shame on me!". Voters aren't going to be fooled thrice and elect this retard as the Prime Minister of this country.

I don't buy the Earth Hour claptrap

Freaking rant.

I initially wanted to join the whole Earth Hour claptrap until at eleventh hour the whole BS to me is just appalling when the fact struck me that event feels as hollow as celebrating Valentines Day. Most of the "celebrities" and people who are psyched by this event are probably hypocrites when it comes to doing real energy conservation.

For instance at 7.10 p.m someone I know someone from college sent me yet another SMS telling me to switch off lights at 8:30 till 9:30 p.m to "save planet earth" when this guy at college goes off to lunch everytime leaving the goddamn air-cond on in the practice room. His excuse? Cool down his instrument in order to preserve the pitch. >_>

Then I read in NST Zainal Abidin says he will switch off the lights in his house at 8:30 p.m then will spend the whole time doing BBQ with his family.

Thats like a crook saying he's giving up robbing banks and go raping women instead. You switch off lights and use CHARCOAL to fucking grill meat during the hour?

And as usual those hotels and reputable corporations are using the whole Earth Hour shit for cheap publicity, no need to deny them. Corporate responsibility my fucking ass. Announce loudly in newspapers your offices will switch off power completely or "non-essential lights" for that hour. Then rest of the freaking year your company would use 10 times more energy than a normal company would do eg: CEOs who drive petrol guzzling Jaguars, Mercedes or SUVs (hell worse, those who have private jets for Chrissakes). Companies who bulldozes forests and shoo away natives to build exclusive bunglos for the rich. Companies whose factories emit enough carbon to rival those in Beijing. List goes on.

Then shopping malls, hotels, etc are celebrating Earth Hour by inviting artists to perform in a candlelight or "low-powered", "unplugged" concert, organizing candlelit dinners, bla bla and naturally patrons will switch off lights at home and travel there with...petrol powered vehicles. Pointless exercise again unless you're one of the patrons who either take LRT, cycle or walk. Then you're getting a cookie from me at least.

You want to do your part in "saving earth"? First do watch Al gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth" regardless your political affliations or if you think Gore is a pretentious freaking liberal. Use air cond only when its absolutely necessary, even better if you're sleeping at night switch air-cond only for three hours then switch off and use electric fan for remaining night, like what I read in the paper. Minimize use of A4 papers, better use digital softcopy to submit your assignments. Try refuse plastic bags offered in supermarkets, if you do make sure they're recycled. Use containers whenever you tapau/takeaway cap fan, kai fun or whatever since polestrene is evil (which I'm struggling because polestrene is also convenient, but we all try). Whatever helpings you take in buffet, finish them or else smuggle your leftovers out for your dog to finish. The organizers will dump their foie gras, oysters, sashimis into the garbage bin anyways.

And of course, don't brag out loud to everyone you're a "green" hippy. Nobody will give you a medal for your efforts to conserve earth. Don't be like PETA hippies and make our lives miserable. Preach what you want, but don't shove them down their throats.

REC - Blair Witch meets George Romero?

Nothing kicks ass like a good workout for the heart. Um, not by normal cardiac workout. What constitutes one is a good jolt of kick by getting thrilled or scared the bejeezus out of your ass. I always thought the video game medium is more scarier than movies when it comes to deliver good scares. You name it; Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Fatal Frame series. Instead of scares being delivered by whims and from a fixed perspective set by a so-called director who supposedly knows how to deliver the goods, most of the time its a let down. Not so in an interactive horror game - explore the vast but unseen heavily misted stretches in the woods or claustrophobic, dark often very-very dimly lit corridors in a abandoned storehouse/mansion/apartment/etc? The gamer is given free will to get jolted in different ways possible, either from getting chased by a tyrant with a hugeass chainsaw/hammer or risk getting gang-raped by a horde of zombies.

Not to say the film medium is totally flawed. I've seen really good films that even made me switch on lights to sleep at night after watching it; Ju-On series, The Shining, Blair Witch to name a few. The really good movie experience is akin to being chained on a chair being forced to watch a live corpse being dissected to its bare bones. REC is but one example.

The makers of this film doesn't give you any pretentious bullshit, hence you won't find anything groundbreaking or "original" to top Blair Witch Project the film that gave birth to "first-person documentary" style of filming. There is no room for "plot development" and all characters basically whine and yell at each other most of the time. Hence I do not understand stupid critics who denigrates this film based on those criterias, like the one from Variety: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117934528.html?categoryid=31&cs=1

Premise of plot is simple, no need for fancy side-stories about a protagonist's hidden secret past or an excuse for a stupid sex scene (typical in slasher movies) despite the fact the female protagonist is hot. Female reporter covers a typical day of a firefighter for a weekly documentary, which leads her and cameraman to an apartment after a distress call about an old lady getting stuck in an apartment. Over there, shit happens when the old lady attacks one of the policemen, then in an attempt to secure help the apartment is sealed off by authorities fearing an epidemic outbreak. The reporter and cameramen, trapped with fireman, a camera-phobic cop and distressed tenants have to find a way out of there while things in the apartment is getting ugly.

This movie is seriously only Blair Witch with zombies. Thus if you have watched it before, the good thing it retained is the indie-feel, real budget film making and quality without fancy shit like CGI, orchestra and fancy lighting. While Blair Witch is basically the fear of what we cannot see, REC basically ramp things up with that plus the fear with things we can see, hence the zombies.

And why did I mentioned video games in first paragraph? The penthouse as you will see later in the film is an obvious homage to the Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Only gamers will understand what I mean and I don't think that would spoil the sheer awesomeness of this movie. The only flaw is that the movie is too short. I thought the last 10 minutes could be stretched a little more. But then that would be too much of a good thing to finally give way to an actual heart attack. It is that terrifying.

As usual if a horror movie from a non-Hollywood scores big by satiating the lust of screen masochists, its guaranteed for a remake - from Hollywood. However it is also an unwritten rule that a superior remake is like finding speck of gold in Saharan desert. So if you come across the title "Quarantine" but have yet to watch this movie for Chrissakes give it a pass. Even if reading subtitle is a chore, its just a little chore compared to ruining yourself watching an inferior Hollywood remake. Best experienced lights off, after midnight, maximum effect; alone.

Kinta 1881 - full of promise, but ultimately tanked.

Do not be deceived by the sheer coolness of this poster. You're better off spared your RM 10 and 90 minutes of your time.

What pulled me to watch this first ever local produced martial arts flick was a review in The Star written by if not mistaken, S.B Toh. It was one of the most well-written review I have ever read and the writer commented that it is essentially a Testosterone-charged movie just like 300 where as soon as you finish the movie you will rush to join a monastery and endure masochistic workout regime for hell of it. After watching it is safe to say I have NEVER been conned by a reviewer ever in my life. Heck in fact I won't be surprised if the writer is paid to seriously write a fucking damn good review like that to lure The Star readers watching that movie. Holy shite.

I do not want to diss a local effort like that even if it falls short of my expectations. The fight scenes are frankly lame, with terrible editing and moves that looked too scripted and unconvincing. That is okay. Screenplay is a total mess with some scenes that are 3-4 minutes long actually RECYCLED in flashbacks and the betrayal by one of the main lead characters still baffled me by the end of the movie and I do not understand why. I can endure that. What freaking pisses me off are the amateurish script writing and usage of terrible cliches that should've died in B-movie martial arts films made in 80s.

To start one, I suppose ALL the voices you hear are dubbed to the film that the actors acted out. That means they read the script and recorded in the studio so its obvious that whenever Patrick Teoh speaks he sounds like he's been dubbed by somebody else. The numerous groans during the fight scenes are reminiscent of Malay-dubbed Anime we're accustomed to. WTF.

The way the story unravels feels like you're watching a school play. No kidding Sherlock. We're told the main protagonists along with the mine workers are exploited and it just happens they realised it when one day eating dinner the dish ain't different from what they had for the past few weeks (supposedly) and one of those folks couldn't take it. (insert cliche) "We have to do something about it!" Then the main baddie in the movie Patrick Teoh after hearing their grouses decided to dispatch his henchmen and eliminate the miners.

So the entire dormitory the tin miners were staying burned to ground and the surviviors scampered away to the woods. They were found by Malay villagers and were nursed back to health by women clad only in sarong. Here, the protagonists endure several flashbacks which most of the time were tedious to sit through. Typically there are several love stories which was godawful including one which involves Patrick Teoh's daughter having a crush with Tiger, one of the protagonists. I felt like giving a bitchsmack to that actress and her gwaimui friend for their "partnership" atrocious enough to win a Razzie award. The way she introduced uncle Tin Sok (the uncle who takes care of the miners) was excruciating; "Meet my uncle Tin Sok, he's in charge of the miners" "Oh, Tin Sok? Tin Sok?" replies the gwaimui in awe. You might be forgiven that so-called British lady is actually some Belgian who doesn't speak any word of English >_> Another protagonist fell in love with a mute girl whom her dad was brutally murdered by the baddies. Here's a question. Before the old man was murdered, he left a letter asking anyone who read it to take care of his poor, defenceless mute daughter. One of the protagonists picked it up. Did the old man actually included a passport-size photograph? You tell me.

The only saving grace of the movie is the cinematography. Yes, considering the same guy made "Three Generations" featuring Amber Chia which I assume is a total dud not worth my time anyway. One of the fight scenes involves in a Ipoh limestone cave and the shots were gorgeous. Not to mention the murder of the mute girl's dad is actually the highlight of the film, from how the spear went through his neck which was graphic and how he was hanged. Too bad the fight scenes didn't look as cool as that.

Kinta 1881 had a climatic fight inside a cage which is an exhibitionist match arranged by Patrick Teoh to select new Head in charge of the tin mine. Now the fight scenes here are much more realistic compared to rest of the lot earlier on. Not surprisingly the movie ends abruptly in an anti-climatic manner. What does it leave us?

Judging from the hype and the way the film is promoted, I won't be surprised if the producers recouped the money from making this film. I am actually looking forward for another local martial arts movie as long as C.L Hor stays out of it, even if he's very capable of shooting beautiful scenary and gorgeous shots. Thailand, whom we Malaysians snobbed as a less developed country than us has more than just Ong Bak flick to boast to the world. We have long, long way to go.

The Hulk remake is just as shite as Ang Lee's original

With Edward Norton injecting lifeline into the Hulk "regeneration" movie, nothing can go wrong. Oooopppsss...another experimental failure.

The new Hulk movie by Marvel (yes Marvel has their own movie studio) promised to make viewers forget about the melodramatic tedium of Ang Lee's original. Even better they assigned Edward Norton to be the lead! Yes, the guy who acted in American History X and Fight Club. Finally this is the real deal, sonny - not.

The movie is much faster paced than the ponderous original, yes action scenes are relentless especially the factory showdown and the fight between Hulk and Abomination which was nail-biting I have to admit. However director Louis Leterrier's credits which includes Jet Li's Unleashed and Jason Statham's Transporter series looked capable of producing only MTV-catered B-movie action films only. Therefore that explains character and plot development which was fucking pitiful.

Apparently the director decided to shift all the backstory about how Dr. Bruce Banner was turned into Hulk into the freaking original opening credits! It looked like Marvel is taking exorcism of Ang Lee's tedium melodrama too seriously. So if the original was trying to have too much soul, this remake is void of it. When you're not empathizing with Edward Norton despite the ordeals and trouble he is undergoing as Dr Bruce Banner, something is terribly wrong. The army is chasing his ass all over Brazil at one scene yet I've never felt so indifferent over a lead character before.

The CGI is no different than Ang Lee's original Hulk. Yes the Hulk remake looked more chiselled and enormous strength in muscles but if there is a little compliment Ang Lee's Hulk looked like a freaking CGI cartoon while Leterrier's Hulk looked like its ripped from Warcraft III. The big fight between Hulk and Abomination is bloody intense but if this were shown amongst other videos in E3 or other gaming conventions, it looks like a PS3 demonstration. When Hulk and Abomination were crashing and flying through buildings the background textures lost its photorealism and the differences between two minutes previously was like night and day.

Hulk doesn't suck so bad like a typical (insert_______) Movie or a Uwe Boll trash you'll mourn for the loss of at least one and a half hours but what is pitiful is the terrible waste of acting talents such as Edward Norton and Liv Tyler. I thought both had great chemistry as a couple but the script had let them down. Now terrific action movies such as Bourne trilogy or Die Hard shows that a decent script with decent character and plot development makes a kickass popcorn flick, not this shallow comic-book CGI tedium.

Best football manager interview ever.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=578459&sec=england&cc=4716

The edited transcript of Newcastle United's interim manager Joe Kinnear's first official press conference, taken from The Guardian:

Joe Kinnear: Which one is Simon Bird [Daily Mirror's north-east football writer]?
Simon Bird: Me.
JK: You're a c**t.
SB: Thank you.
JK: Which one is Hickman [Niall, football writer for the Express]? You are out of order. Absolutely f**king out of order. If you do it again, I am telling you you can f**k off and go to another ground. I will not come and stand for that f**king crap. No f**king way, lies. F**k, you're saying I turned up and they [Newcastle's players] f**ked off.
SB: No Joe, have you read it, it doesn't actually say that. Have you read it?
JK: I've f**king read it, I've read it.
SB: It doesn't say that. Have you read it?
JK: You are trying to f**king undermine my position already.
SB: Have you read it, it doesn't say that. I knew you knew they were having a day off.
JK: F**k off. F**k off. It's your last f**king chance.
SB: You read the copy? It doesn't say that you didn't know.
JK: What about the headline, you think that's a good headline?
SB: I didn't write the headline, you read the copy.
JK: You are negative b**tards, the pair of you.
SB: So if I get a new job next week would I take the first day off? No I wouldn't. If I get a new job should I call my boss and tell him I am taking the first day off?
JK: It is none of your f**king business. What the f**k are you going to do? You ain't got the balls to be a f**king manager. F**king day off. Do I want your opinion. Do I have to listen to you?
SB: No, you can listen to who you want.
JK: I had a 24-hour meeting with the entire staff.
SB: Joe, you are only here six weeks, you could have done that on Sunday, or Saturday night.
JK: No, no, no. I didn't want to do it. I had some other things to do.
SB: What? More important things?
JK: What are you? My personal secretary? F**k off.
SB: You could have done the meeting Saturday night or Sunday. You could have had them watching videos, you could have organised them.
JK: I was meeting the f**king chairman the owner, everyone else. Talking about things.
SB: It is a valid point that was made in there. A valid point.
JK: I can't trust any of you.
Niall Hickman: Joe, no one could believe that on your first day at your new club, the first-team players were not in. No one could believe it in town. Your first day in the office.
JK: My first day was with the coaches. I made the decision that I wanted to get as much information out of them.
NH: But why Monday, no one could believe it?
JK: I'm not going to tell you anything. I don't understand where you are coming from. You are delighted that Newcastle are getting beat and are in the state they are? Delighted, are you?
NH: Certainly not. No one wants to see them get beaten, why would we?
JK: I have done it before. It is going to my f**king lawyers. So are about three others. If they can find something in it that is a court case it is going to court. I am not f**king about. I don't talk to f**king anybody. It is raking up stories. You are f**king so f**king slimy you are raking up players that I got rid of. Players that I had fallen out with. You are not asking Robbie Earle, because he is sensible. You are not asking Warren Barton? No. Because he is f**king sensible. Anyone who had played for me for 10 years at any level ... [but] you will find some c**t that ...
Other journalist: How long is your contract for Joe?
JK: None of your business.
SB: Well it is actually, because we cover the club. The club say you are here to the end of October, then you say six to eight games which would take it to the end of November. We are trying to clarify these issues. We are getting no straight answers from anyone. How long are you here for. It is a dead simple question. And you don't know ...
JK: I was told the length of contract. Then I was told that possibly the club could be sold in that time. That is as far as I know. That's it finished. I don't know anything else. But I have been ridiculed. He's trying to f**king hide, he's trying to do this or that.

There follows an exchange regarding the circumstances under which Kinnear had met the owner Mike Ashley and executive director (football) Dennis Wise.

Steve Brenner: (football writer for the Sun) We are all grown men and can come in here and sit around and talk about football, but coming in here and calling people c**ts?
JK: Why? Because I am annoyed. I am not accepting that. If it is libellous, it is going to where I want it to go.
Newcastle press officer: What has been said in here is off the record and doesn't go outside.
Journalist: Well, is that what Joe thinks?

JK :Write what you like. Makes no difference to me. Don't affect me I assure you. It'll be the last time I see you anyway. Won't affect me. See how we go at Everton and Chrissy [Chris Hughton, assistant manager] can do it, someone else can do it. Don't trust any of yous. I will pick two local papers and speak to them and the rest can f**k off. I ain't coming up here to have the piss taken out of me. I have a million pages of crap that has been written about me. I'm ridiculed for no reason. I'm defenceless. I can't get a point in, I can't say nothing, I can't do nothing, but I ain't going to be negative. Then, half of you, most of you are trying to get into the players. I'm not going to tell you what the players think of you, so then you try and get into them in some way or another, so I've got a split camp or something like that, something like that. It's ongoing. It just doesn't stop.

Journalist: It's only been a week.
JK: Exactly. It feels more like a year.
Journalist: It's early days for you to be like this.
JK: No, I'm clearing the air. And this is the last time I'm going to speak to you. You want to know why, I'm telling you. This is the last time. You can do what you like.
Journalist But this isn't going to do you or us any good.
JK: I'll speak to the supporters. I'm going to tell them what the story is. I'm going to tell them. I don't think they'll interpret it any different, I don't think they'll mix it up, I don't think they'll miss out things. I mean, one of them last week said to me ... I was talking about in that press conference where you were there, I said something like "Well, that's a load of bollocks ..."
Journalist: "Bollocks to that" is what you said.
JK: Bollocks to that. And what goes after that?
Journalist: That was it.
JK: No it wasn't, no it wasn't. What was after it? I don't know if it was your paper, but what went after it?
Journalist: I don't know.
JK: It even had the cheek to say "bollocks to Newcastle".
Journalist: I didn't write that.
JK: That was my first f**king day. What does that tell you? What does that tell you?
Journalist: Where was that? Which paper said that?
JK: I've got it. I can't remember. It was one of the Sundays, not a Saturday. It was a Sunday.
Journalist: But you didn't say that to the Sundays, you said that to us. That was during the Monday press conference.
JK: I'll bring it in and show it to you. Why would I want to say that?
Journalist: Are you saying that someone has reported you saying "bollocks to Newcastle?"
JK: Yes. Lovely.
Journalist: I don't know who's reported that.
JK: I'll tell you what, I'll bring it in.
Journalist: That's obviously going to damage you. That's not a good thing. But I don't think someone's done that. We have to have some sort of relationship with you.
JK: So have I. But I haven't come in here for you lot to take the piss out of me. And if I'm not flavour of the month for you, it don't f**king bother me. I've got a job to do. And I'm going to do it to the best of my ability. I'm not going to spend any more time listening to any crap or reading any crap. Stick to the truth and the facts. And don't twist anything.
Journalist: You know, you know the game ...
JK: Of course I know, but I don't have to like it.
Journalist: Today we'll print the absolute truth, that you think we're c**ts, we can all f**k off and we're slimy. Is that fair enough?
JK :Do it. Fine. F**king print it. Am I going to worry about it? Put in also that it'll be the last time I see you. Put that in as well. Good. Do it.Much, much later after long discussions over whether Kinnear had promised Alan Shearer and Kevin Keegan would be returning to the club
Press officer: Let's get on to football. Let's have an agreement that everything said so far, if anyone has got their tapes on, it's wiped off and we're not discussing it.
Journalist: But that's what Joe has said he thinks of us.
Press officer: I'm saying don't push it. Let's accept what's been said and try and move on.
Journalist: Move on to not doing any more press conferences?
PO: No, to doing something now.
Journalist: What, one press conference only?
(Silence)
Journalist: Any knocks?
PO: Come on, let's go football.
Journalist: What are your plans for training in the next three days? How's the training going?
JK: It's going very well. No problems at all.
Journalist: Enjoyed getting back in the swing of things?
JK: Absolutely. I've loved every moment of it.

Jesus am so fucking bored.

So Anwar yapped at Sept 16 that the govt will fall in few days bla bla bla.

Ok then he said he wants PM to arrange for emergency parliamentary session at Sept 23 to file No Confidence against Pak Lah.

Of course wat u expect Pak Lah to say? He's gone cuckoo if he says yes.

Ask the typical people on the streets about Anwar's crossover and most likely Anwar they will tell you to dream on. Of course instead of ignoring Anwar or better, just bust him under ISA the whole BN cahoots cannot resist joining his charade. Switching portfolios with Najib (Take over Defence Ministry wor), more UMNO members calling him to resign before the party's assembly in December and Muhiyiddin making more blardy noise. So much for mirage.

But then on the other side, it looks like Anwar is fucking clueless on the way this shit is going or he's still desperately trying to buy more MPs into his coalition. Fucking clueless as he still doesn't know how to do this crossover thing properly even if he already has enough fucking MPs in his hands. Does he know beforehand the parliament can only be called after Ramadan thats where he can ask his MPs to file no confidence against Badawi? The whole Agong thing, what if His Majesty rejects his request?

But then again this is Datuk Seri Anwar and he knows more shit than I do.

His mistake was imposing the sept 16 deadline and as result a lot of people are already let down. But then his "lie" may be part of the plan. All the mind games will drag on till even end of the year.

For most people, this soap opera of politics is starting to feel like the plot has dragged too much over the welcome it deserves. Do whatever you have to do Anwar but this takeover thing doesn't materialize and Pakatan's reign will be in deep shit because probably by next general election, people would not bother to vote for either Pakatan or Barisan. Who do you choose? Racist, cronyistic, corrupt BN or power-hungry, lying Pakatan?

This country cannot wait three more years to be saved.

It is already past 12 midnight.

Malaysiakini reports that from the Pakatan Rakyat speech in Kelana Jaya, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be ready to form the government TODAY.

This is despite contradictory reports earlier that the plan may be deferred due to "distruption" to his plans.

Now there has been opinions that such "back alley" move is bad for democracy and is despicable.

But looking from events past few weeks it is obvious if Malaysia waits until the next general elections by 2012, motherland may be crippled by UMNO's undoing.

Devastated by March 8 tsunami, UMNO has not learnt its lessons and still continued its despicable divide-and-rule tactics, sweet-talking to rakyat about importance of racial unity, perpaduan and religious tolerence while preaching racial hatred messages to Malay grassroots telling them especially that the non-Bumis are going to take over this country.

The Ahmad Ismail furore has grown much more uglier with the arrests of Raja Petra, Teresa Kok and the Sin Chew reporter who covered Ahmad's speech in Bukit Bendera. Already Zaid Ibrahim the Law Minister had quit in protest.

Good news for Malaysia are the likes of Zaid Ibrahim. And better hope that Permatang Pauh showed that racial politicking has not worked with majority of Bumis who cast vote in the elections.

But like a wounded beast scorned, UMNO will throw all out to save itself from oblivion. They will instigate its ultra-fanatical members to go out on riot and cause another May 13. The mat rempits and samsengs led by Ahmad Ismail and don't be surprised if Khairy Jamaluddin follows, they will arm themselves with parangs, molotov cocktails and cause chaos everywhere. It may even be uglier than May 13th, with the mob going all out to "cleanse" this land from the clutches of non-Bumis and uphold their Ketuanan Melayu supremacy.

Should Najib take over the PM post even sooner, it will be even nastier. The former UMNO Youth leader who threatened to bathe Chinese blood in keris, this guy is much more no-nonsense than the gutless Badawi and will rule this country with an iron-fist that may make Mahafiraun-era seem like Paradise. He will use the ISA as his ultimate weapon and make arrests that will inflate Operasi Lalang figures by ten-fold. The UMNOputera will run fucking riot and it may be even too late for non-Bumis to think of migration.

For this, screw whether what DSAI does is ethical, non-democratic or betrays people's trust. Hell I do not even trust the man himself, but ask any decent-thinking Malaysian if they would pass up a chance for CHANGE.