Wednesday, November 05, 2008

USA Presidential Election

Barack Osama ............. oops I mean Barack Obama ....... won the USA Presidential election (even though some places are still counting). Why did I bother with this election? Well, for one, when USA sneezes the whole world catches the flu at the same time. These are the states that Obama's camp has declared victory:-Not only the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, an Illinois senator, has won his election but the Democratic Party has won the majority votes in both the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. This will allow Obama's office to draw the political map much easier but certainly not without challenges that are awaiting them. Oh my, the Republicans are licking their wounds now and the Democractics are partying away.

Some people said that with this win, it has transcended over racial issue, that people of other races could have a chance of becoming the president of the United States of America. I'm sure some of the Malaysian politicians will harp on this point as well.

The Obama camp had to thank the virtual world in partly helping them on its course. $$ Millions were raised via the internet. During Bill Clinton's time, there were not many dedicated political linked websites ....... nowadays, you wished that you wouldn't bump into one. George Bush's era does not have many blogs or bloggers didn't realise what they can do then. Nowadays, who doesn't blogs or haven't heard of a politically linked blog. Something similar with the Malaysian scenario.

If you are an United States' citizen, care to share your viewpoint on whether this election was what the people wanted or it should have been otherwise.

What do you know .......... the Malaysian public held a mock USA election in a public forum held last Thursday in Kuala Lumpur (topic of discussion for the forum was - "US Presidential Election 2008: Race, Religion and Economics”) and Obama Barack won by a wide margin. Result was Obama 126 votes; John 16 votes.
Tags: Barack Obama, United States Senate, United States House of Representatives, USA Presidential Election, Illinois Senator, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Bill Clinton, George Bush Jr, USA, United States of America, US Senate, US House

Leadership Summit in Seremban

Two weekends ago, during the Deepavali holidays, I was in Seremban attending a leadership summit.















My identification card plus the programme book that has the various speakers' outlines and for you to write notes.














The musicians, with the keyboardist and drummer from my church, the rest were their good friends.
Dancers from the Christian Dance Fellowship of Malaysia presented us with two dance numbers. Fantastic movements. Made me itch and the thought of me doing it ain't hard ........







The second day of the summit ended around 5pm plus and four of us in one car decided to hunt for the infamous Seremban Siew Pow. We went round and round the small Seremban town but can't seem to see it. Last resort, called friends who originated from Seremban to locate the shop. Found one behind the Maybank branch but it has sold all their siew pows for the day.

Called our friend again and he said that there's one more near the toll exit. This is a real challenge but the signboard directing us to it was big enough even though it was across the road.

Finally we saw it. This shop frontage is actually facing the North-South Highway.

I got Seremban origin fellas questioning me why do I like. Some of them don't purposely go out of the way even though it was located in their own town. Out of town people reacts differently, I supposed.


They have various food products and the fillings for the siew pow could be chicken or pork. It was already late afternoon and I think we were getting the sort of leftovers.













Got myself a box of siew pows and two different kinds of honeycomb biscuits (sak khe ma in cantonese and if you decipher that three words or can't understand, sorry lah. FYI, it's my favourite).

Related post - Global Leadership Summit at Malaysia

Tags: Global Leadership Summit, Seremban, Christian Dance Fellowship of Malaysia, Seremban Siew Pow, North-South Highway

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Tainted Malaysian Biscuits

The biscuit brand of Julie's has a special announcement made for a few of their products due to discovery of contaminated ingredient that was sourced from China. The source this time is not the melamine but Ammonium Bicarbonate.

In the first place, the company can't detect contaminated ingredient when it arrived from China? Nobody checked the quality?

Secondly, how could it have left their factory? You mean to say that their QA/QC team can't detect it prior to their products leaving the factory? Really questionable.

Why? Why? Why?

The Julie's brand is being produced by Perfect Food Manufacturing (M) Sdn Bhd based in Alor Gajah, Malacca.

Each time I travel overseas, this is the biscuit brand that I will stuffed into a big box to supplement my meals, in between meals in fact. My favourite is their peanut butter sandwich biscuit and good thing it has not been recalled. Otherwise, I would have lost confidence with this brand.
Tags: Julie's, Perfect Food Manufacturing (M) Sdn Bhd, Alor Gajah, Ammonium Bicarbonate, Peanut Butter Sandwich

Monday, November 03, 2008

New Seatbelt Law in Malaysia

JPJ (Road Transport Department) has done extensive testing on a newly designed seatbelt. Results show that accidents can be reduced by as much as 45% when the belt is properly installed.

This is also in view of the reminder call to all motorists to get use to the idea of getting their rear seat passengers to buckle up as well. Malaysian police will be stopping cars from now onwards if they noticed that your rear seat passengers did not buckle up. By 1 January 2009, they will be issuing summonses when the new ruling is enforced.

If you don't practise it now, you will surely forget by 1 January 2009 and thus giving a chance to bribery again ............... in this case, who caused bribery in the first instance then? The motorists of course.

It's for your own (and others) safety! I do ensure it even if it's for a short distance.

And if you were caught with four rear seat passengers, what will be your recourse?

Anyway, correct installation for the seatbelt is illustrated below .......


Reading: No sure decision yet on whether extra passenger needs to belt up or pay up - Star
Tags: Malaysia, Seatbelt, Motorist, JPJ, Road Transport Department

Free Time in KFC

What would you do during free time while waiting for the rest to finish their delicious finger linkin good Kentucky Fried Chicken meal?
Some people are really that creative with their motor skills.
(source of pics: EastSouthWestNorth)
Tags: KFC, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Motor Skills

Friday, October 31, 2008

Aston Martin DBS Watch

In a James Bond movie, the Aston Martin prestigious sports car manufacturer will sponsor certain accessories and even the sports car in filming the James Bond movie.

But will James Bond get to wear an Aston Martin watch in future James Bond movies?




Jaeger-LeCoultre, the renowned watchmaker based in Switzerland, has teamed up with Aston Martin to manufacture an out of this world luxury timepiece known as the Amvox2 DBS Transponder. Very cheap to invest (yeah, it's known as investment) - US$37,900. There are ready investors waiting for this watch to be retailed.

This Amvox2 watch is outstanding as it could be programmed to lock and unlock your car. Just give a soft press in between the numeric 8 and 9, your Aston Martin DBS car door will unlock. By pressing between numeric 3 and 4, you will lock your car door. FYI, the luxury watch's dial resembles the Aston Martin DBS dashboard.

Now the tricky part is this ........................... you have to own an Aston Martin DBS car .......... no point buying this watch and make it redundant. Talk about car lock, this is really good cool. Fit James Bond's style indeed.

Aston Martin has a close tie-up with the James Bond movies and even has the Aston Martin 007 accessories range for people to buy their stuff for collection purpose.

Who owns Aston Martin?
* David Richards, founder and chairman of Prodrive
* John Sinders, banker & car collector (Aston Martin of course)
* Investment Dar, a Kuwaiti company
* Adeem Investment, a Kuwaiti company
* Ford Motor Company (who sold 91.68% interest to the above four investors at a value of US$848 million in 2007)

Who owns Jaeger-LeCoultre?
* Cie. Financiere Richemont SA - a luxury jewellery, luxury watches and writing instruments manufacturer (see list of businesses)

Tags: Switzerland, James Bond, James Bond Movies, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Aston Martin, Aston Martin DBS, Amvox2 DBS Transponder, Luxury Watch, Timepiece, David Richards, Prodrive, John Sinders, Investment Dar, Adeem Investment, Ford Motor Company, Cie. Financiere Richemont SA

Thursday, October 30, 2008

What Goes Around Comes Around!

One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you.

He said, "I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson."

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, "And think of me."

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant.

Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: "You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you." Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard....

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whis per ed soft and low, "Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson."
Tags: Inspiration, Mercedes, Pontiac, St. Louis, Bryan Anderson

Pattaya International Fireworks Festival

Pattaya is definitely firing up its presence internationally. Covid19 has hit many nations really hard and Pattaya wasn't exempted from ...