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

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

Jailed For Being Idle

The title is straightforward ......... you will be jailed if you were proven that you were idling your time away. This is happening in Nigeria. According to its Sharia penal code, a person found idling around without any work or even school will be sentenced to jail time and be given strokes of cane.

Of course the court officials won't go out hunting for such people. A dad of the muslim community has reported his son to a Sharia court out of love for him. His son was mixing with bad hats and one way to save his son was to send him to jail and hoping that the jail term will wake his son up. Will his son wake up after getting six months jail and 30 strokes of cane? I will even before a single stroke of cane.

This strict penalty is being practised in Bauchi state that adopts the Islamic Sharia law. Is this law good and effective which can be considered in the land of milk and honey - Malaysia?

Reading: Nigerian man jailed for idleness - BBC News/Africa
Tags: Nigeria, Bauchi, Sharia Court, Sharia Penal Code, Islamic Sharia Law

Japanese Food Being Recalled

We have heard of many food products being recalled especially those being produced / manufactured in China. Their QA/QC methods could be totally skipped or neglected. Long and tough road ahed for the Chinese producers / manufacturers to regain the customers' confidence and trust.

When you talk about QA/QC, the Japanese seems to be excellent in this area as their electrical goods / products are being exported worldwide. But the food aspect has its doubt now.

I'm sure many people have tried the Japanese noodles where it could be bought in almost any convenience store or supermarket. One of the famous brands is the Nissin Cup Noodles. It has been made known that Nissin Food Products Co Ltd ("Nissin Food") has recalled their 500,000 Nissin Cup Noodles in wake of detecting paradichlorobenzene, a key chemical in bug repellent.

Apparently this batch of Cup Noodles has not been exported and all of the products were being sold in Tokyo and neighbouring areas. Has Nissin Food's extensive Food Safety Research Institute has somehow failed to detect this insecticide chemical found in the Cup Noodles?

A similar food producer / manufacturer by the name of Myojo Foods Co Ltd was implicated with the food scare as well. The same kind of chemical has been detected in their products. It was noted that this company has been bought over by Nissin Food in 2007.

Reading: Japan's Nissin recalls 500,000 noodles over insecticide fears - AFP
Tags: Nissin Food Holdings Co Ltd, Nissin Food Products Co Ltd, Nissin Cup Noodles, Food Safety Research Institute, Myojo Foods Co Ltd, Paradichlorobenzene, Bug Repellent

Cheapest Airline Started Operations

The cheapest airline has started its operations. Malaysians will enjoy the cuisine served in the airline that will make you feel at home.The airline's name? Kerala Airways ................ a guaranteed low cost carrier Tags: United Kerala Airlines, UK, Airlines, Travel, Kerala, Kerala Airways, Low Cost Carrier

Hugo Boss Has New Product Name

This brand name of Boss Babi is found in China's departmental stores. Could this be Hugo Boss' latest brand name for their handbags.
The word Babi in my malay language is actually pig. The animal pig is somehow off limit to the muslims. I guess this handbag section is non-halal then ........ hehe but maybe not. Co-incidentally it was named as such but the material couldn't have been sourced from the pigs.

Be careful when you purchase this as a present for your lady boss as you wouldn't want to insult her with brand name of Boss Babi = Pig Boss!

This Boss Babi brand is owned by Guangzhou Lankai Leather Development Co Ltd and they produced various types of high end leather goods. If you are interested to market their goods, give them a call as they are looking for joint-venture partners. But I think this products won't make it in Malaysia and Indonesia for sure.
Tags: Boss Babi, China, Hugo Boss, Guangzhou Lankai Leather Development Co Ltd, Leather Goods

Lower Price for Goods & Services?

With the looming threat of a recession in Malaysia, the cost of living in the capital city is still high. Majority would agree that their salaries do not move in tandem with the cost of living (it's always never enough though).

The government did the unthinkable by raising the petrol price by a whopping 40% at one go in June 2008 and immediately after the increase, providers of various goods and services took the opportunity to raise their fees, fares or prices.

Subsequently, we saw prices being increased for food ....... where the general public has to purchase no matter what. Secondly, the materials used for the housing industry went up in tandem which caused getting a roof over our head even harder to achieve. Thirdly, transporters have no qualms in increasing their charges.

The Malaysian government, in seeing that petrol price has dropped as much as 60% from its highest level of US$147 per barrel, has decided to reduce the price of petrol down to the current pricing of RM2.30 per litre. With this lower petrol price, the government would be thinking that generally all other products and services would see a lower pricing and curb the inflation one way or another.

The government did mention that price will be adjusted if the world crude oil price has stayed below US$72. It did but government is always slow in reacting.

I guess the politicians sitting in those top level government ministries are not well equipped with the happenings around the world. Professionals in their respective fields are finding it hard to adjust to the current financial meltdown. Cost is rising but economy is dwindling. Don't tell me that our government has not heard of this quote before - "when the prices for goods and services go up, it will stay up forever".

Then the Prime Minister has the guts to tell us, the citizens and the consumer associations / groups, to assisnt the government in reducing the prices for the goods and services. How in the world do you think we can do that? If your government ministries are not functioning as it should be in enforcing the right price to be transacted, how do you expect the poor citizens to command that?

A company where the government has a strong say has not even buck in decreasing their charges. That company is Tenaga Nasional Berhad ("TNB"). Their recent price increase effected in July 2008 was due to higher generation cost especially with the increase in the price of fuel and gas. Now that both of this energy products' prices have reduced significantly, we are still waiting for the government to get TNB to reduce the electricity charges.

Everyone is already complaining that prices are still going up or staying where they are despite the reduction in petrol price. What's happening?

When food and retail outlets were questioned as to why their prices were maintained and do not reflect the reduction in petrol price, the reason given was - "suppliers didn't reduce their prices". You see! Short, sweet and simple reply. That's all they will tell you and the government can't do anything.

The Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association and Pan Malaysian Lorry Owners Association had already mentioned that they can't absorb the cost of other goods and services and therefore unable to pass down the savings in terms of petrol price. The government didn't foresee this?

The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association has mentioned that there is nothing to celebrate on this petrol price reduction as they don't think the prices of other goods will also be reduced. These three associations are telling truth and it's a fact.

When I heard about complaints of high prices and that it will go up even higher, I will give a them a reprieve. I will say don't worry, the prices will definitely come down. To which they will respond "How can? It won't already". That will be the typical respond.

But it will go down definitely. Come recession, where demand for goods and services will reduce, the economics law will set in. Lesser demand will cause the lowering of prices. In order to see the prices going down, are you prepared for a bad recession? It will go down but our life will be affected as well. Some people you know will be retrenched, deemed redundant, put into 'cold storage' and so forth during a recession, maybe you.
Tags: Recession, Financial Meltdown, Economics Law, Malaysia, Petrol Price, Tenaga Nasional Berhad, TNB, Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association, Pan Malaysian Lorry Owners Association, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association, FOMCA