Poke Your Lung

Teriyaki Boyz - Work That

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:24:00 +0000

Mention "Teriyaki Boyz" and what springs to mind? Yes, it's that god awful tune with lyrics that go along the lines about living in Tokyo and being fast and furious (followed with suspicious chants of "dick, dick, dick"). At its peak everyone had that song at their ring tone.

You would imagine the "teng, teng, teng teng teng" coming up from somewhere and everyone would be rummaging through their pockets/handbags to see if it was their phone.

OK, enough with Tokyo Drift. I stumbled upon another another (more recent?) Teriyaki Boyz song which totally wipes the floor with it - features Pharrell and girlfriend-basher Chris Brown. Check it out. Turn up your bass.

Can This Phoenix Rise Again?

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 23:34:00 +0000

Anyone else here a fan of the very talented Joaquin Phoenix?

I certainly am. For those who have watched Gladiator (which happens to be one of my favourite films of all time), I'm sure you hated the character portrayed by Phoenix in the film, and that's the treacherous Emperor Commodus. Without giving too much of the storyline away, for the benefit of those who still haven't watched it yet, Maximus (Russell Crowe) was a persistent thorn in the Emperor's side throughout the story. Commodus duly challenged Maximus to to a sword duel at the Roman Colosseum. Despite being vastly inferior to the ex-general in strength Commodus, being the evil bugger that he is, handicapped Maximus (I'm not telling you how) for the fight but ultimately met his death in the resulting combat at the hands of Maximus. I hated Commodus in the film so much that I felt so jubilant at the time of his death. It was because of Joaquin Phoenix's sheer talent in bringing out such evil in a movie villain that made me first realise of his skill.

Of course, who could forget his epic role in the the Johnny Cash biography - Walk the Line?

I'm not usually a fan of biopics but this one totally blew me away, mainly because of his chemistry with Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash and also because of how he managed to portray the country music legend's success, struggles, dilemmas and comebacks so well. His performance wasn't exactly over-the-top-mindblowingly-brilliant, but what makes it tick was that he made the character in the film so believable. And not many actors can do that. Mind you, he was nominated for a Grammy that year for Best Lead Actor, but he didn't win it, unforunately.

He's got a new movie out this year called Two Lovers co-starring Gwyneth Paltrow and the movie critics are already waxing lyrical about it. In February he was invited onto the David Letterman show to have a chat-chit (yeah, I flipped it on purpose) about the movie. So he showed up, but something's different now. He's like a completely douchebag. He's sporting a massive beard, perpetually has these unnecessary shades on, was murmuring monosyllabic answers throughout the entire interview that even Letterman himself was feeling a little awkward. He was just downright.... queer.

Yeah, that's his new look. See what I mean? WTF! What on earth has happened to him? If you watch videos of the interview online (just search for "Joaquin Phoenix on David Letterman" on YouTube, I'm not putting it here... lazy...), you'll see that his behaviour just doesn't concur with that of the social norm.

Prior to that, he had announced that his dumping his acting career to pursue a new one in hip-hop/rapping.

......Hip-hop? Rap? You'd think that if he were to pursue a career in music, he'd be doing country since he was so good at it in Walk the Line.

No shit.... and he's dead serious about it. It's no hoax. During the Letterman show, a reporter asked him whether all this was a put-on and he had an awfully disdainful look on his face. He looked as if someone had slapped him. He wanted his hip-hop aspirations to be taken seriously. Here's what he has to say about it:

"Might I be ridiculous? Might my career in music be laughable? Yeah, that's possible, but that's certainly not my intention."

Apparently his buddy Casey Affleck is filming a documentary of him turning into a hip-hop star, so he's probably doing all this just to "get into the character" just like how Heath Ledger did to become The Joker. So it could be a giant hoax and could well be his own way of telling the media that "you don't know a thing about Joaquin Phoenix".

You know what? We really don't. But I do know that someone as talented and accomplished an actor like he shouldn't let his acting skills go to waste. I'm sure he'll be back in the future.

I'm sure that this Phoenix will rise from the ashes again.

Shuffle

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:25:00 +0000

Just a random tag that I came across on a random blog when I was surfing randomly in the library during one of my random breaks on one of the random computers. Results are quite amusing, mind you.


	The rules laid out are: 1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on Shuffle mode. 2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer. 3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS. 4. Write any comments you have after the song name.

If someone says "is this okay?" you say?
On Bended Knee - Boyz II Men

Now that would freak that someone out.

How would you describe yourself?
Dream On - Aerosmith

really, now?

What do you like in a guy/girl?
Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis

I'm not that emo

How do you feel today?
Everything - Fefe Dobson

Yeah, I've got trouble sorting out my feelings so I just lumpe everything together

What is your life's purpose?
Bad - Michael Jackson

Hell-yeah! I'm bad@$$!

What is your motto?
I Drive Myself Crazy - NSYNC

True - I totally drive myself up the wall sometimes

What do your friends think of you?
Cigarettes & Alcohol - Oasis

LOL. Come on, now!

What do you think of your parents?
The One - Foo Fighters

Yep, they're the only parents I have!

What do you think about very often?
The Day I Tried to Live - Soundgarden

As if I'm living a life of non-existence now.

What do you think of your best friend?
Hysteria - Muse

Really? Nuts?

What do you think of the person you like?
Always Be My Baby - David Cook

ZOMG iTunes you can read my mind.

What is your life story?
Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas

Haha bulldozing my way through life.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Shine - Collective Soul

Totally. Gonna do something great. ;)

What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Rule the World - Take That

What will they play at your funeral?
Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson

Holy smokes, that would be so cool.

What is your hobby/interest?
The Great Beyond - R.E.M.

Makes me look like some kind of philosopher.

What is your biggest fear?
Every Morning - Sugar Ray

Eh?

What is your biggest secret?
Belly Dancer - Akon

HOHOHO this one takes the cake! You guys must be astonished.

What do you think of your friends?
You Rock My World - Michael Jackson

Hell yeaaaaa.... shoutout to all my buddies, you know who you are.

What do you think when you wake up?
Keep On Movin' - Five

Total opposite - I wanna continue lying in bed...

What do you like to read books about?
Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard

Uh.... okkayyy.....

If the lecturer asks you a question, you say:
4 Minutes - Madonna/Justin Timberlake

Ahahahah great way to delay an asnwer...

You open the fridge door, you think:
The Great RocknRoll Swindle - Sex Pistols

Now why on earth would I think that?!

The person that you like asks you out, you say:
Sexy Love - Ne-Yo

Real suave...

What you think about your current assignment:
无可救药 - 品冠 (wu ke jiu yao lit. translated: "Helpless" - Pin Guan)

Amazing... I really feel like iTunes has a mind of its own, and it knows me personally.

Someone gets you a horrible xmas/birthday present and you say:
St Anger - Metallica

Uh, ok.... I really wouldn't get angry...

What do you think about you?
Ordinary - Train

Bingo. 100% spot on.

What would you say to a little child who just dropped their icecream?:
Who's Your Daddy? - Benny Benassi

LOL this would scare the bananas out of him.

You find your best mate and bf/gf making out what do you say?:
Boom - P.O.D.

More like I would go "boom" xD

Credit Crunch Jokes

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:28:00 +0000

Hey guys, my apologies for the unintended hiatus. Anyways, I'm back! And in the midst of the current economic crisis, here's a few jokes to enlighten the mood. Got this from a forwarded e-mail.

Stock Market - Have a laugh while you still can.

"The US has made a new weapon that destroys people but keeps the building standing - it's called the stock market." - Jay Leno
"Do you have any idea how cheap stocks are?? Wall Street is now being called Wal Mart Street." - Jay Leno
(my personal favourite) The difference between a pigeon and a London investment banker - the pigeon can still make a deposit on a BMW.
What's the difference between a guy who lost everything in Las Vegas and an investment banker? A tie
The problem with an investment bank's balance sheet is that on the left side nothing's right and on the right side nothing's left.
"I want to warn people from Nigeria who might be watching our show, if you get any e-mails from Washington asking for money, it's a scam. Don't fall for it." - Jay Leno
"Bush was asked about the credit crunch. He said it was his favourite candy bar." - Jay Leno
"The rescue bill was about 450 pages. President Bush's copy is even thicker. They had to include pictures." - Jay Leno
"President Bush's response was to meet some small business owners in San Antonio last week. The small business owners are General Motors, General Electric and Century 21." - Jay Leno
What worries me most about the credit crunch, is that if one of my cheques is returned stamped "insufficient funds'. I won't know whether that refers to mine or the bank's.

Now if you excuse me, I'm going to have credit crunch for breakfast...

I Love The Whole World

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 19:12:00 +0000

This has gotta be one of my favourite adverts ever. Credit crunch getting you down? Exams? Assignments? Work? This one is sure to brighten up your day.

Boom-de-yada, boom-de-yada, boom-de-yada....

P.S. Stephen Hawking FTW!

Que Sarah Sarah

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Crikey, I came across an article that really made by day! Especially in the run-up to American election week! I wonder if presidential candidate John McCain ever regrets shooting himself in the foot by electing hockey mom Sarah Palin as his running mate.

She's been involved in so many media faux-pas that she really cracks me up... they just get funnier and funnier!

Here are some of her quotes:

"They are also building schools for the Afghan children so that there is hope and opportunity in our neighboring country of Afghanistan."

"As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where– where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border." (er, is she forgetting the Pacific Ocean?)

"As for that VP talk all the time, I'll tell you, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day?" (she doesn't really understand the role that she's standing for =.=)

"There's a place in Hell reserved for women who don't support other women." ( so does that mean that Oprah would go to hell, despite all her charity work?)

But I swear, this one really takes the cake.

Palin tricked by comic in fake phone call
US Republican vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin has been the victim of a prank phone call by a French-Canadian comedian impersonating French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
After Palin realised the weekend call was a hoax, her campaign staff admitted she was "mildly amused."
The prank tag-team from Quebec, "Justiciers masques," who have previously targeted heads of state and celebrities, posted the conversation on their website.
In the recording, John McCain's running mate enthusiastically takes the fake Sarkozy's call.
"It's so good to hear you, thank you for calling us ... we have such great respect for you, John McCain and I, we love you!" Palin said.
...
When the fake president told Palin his wife Carla Bruni is "hot in bed," the governor chuckled and complimented him for his "beautiful family."
...
"We should go hunting together," Palin said.
Palin laughed in response to Audette's comment: "I just love killing those animals ... take away life, that is so fun!"
...
"I see you as a president one day, too," said the comedian.
"Maybe in eight years," replied Palin.
...
The McCain campaign later released a statement about the phone call.
"Governor Palin was mildly amused to learn that she had joined the ranks of heads of state, including President Sarkozy, and other celebrities in being targeted by these pranksters. C'est la vie."

Click here for the full article. Doesn't seem likely that she'll become the VPILF that some people were initially championing for.

Get Qualified!

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:17:00 +0000

It seems like the growing trend is that a basic degree is no longer enough to prove the actual level of your human capital. That's why people nowadays opt to pursue further education in the form of Masters or PhD courses. In certain professions, there are also specialist qualifications. For accountancy, you have ACCA, ICAEW and the like. And for finance, you have the CFA. Similarly for actuarists, they have certified actuary qualifications as well.

But have you ever heard that you can become a certified hypnosist as well?? O_o

Randomness Is The New Order

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Firstly, my sincerest apologies to my most ardent readers! The long-awaited hiatus is finally over. I told you that I'll be back, and here I am!

Since my last blog post, lots of things happened. Off the top of my head, here are the ones that stand out the most to me, in chronological order, I think...:

Attended John Mayer's concert courtesy of Shih Kim. Thanks, kaki! Please visit Shaun's blog for the full report.
Petrol prices hit gastronomical figures! Geddit? Petrol.... gas-tronomical.... okay... bad pun.. my bad..
Spain deservedly won Euro 2008.
Began my internship at Ernst & Young. Quality in everything we do, baby!
Rafa Nadal is the new king of tennis after dethroning the great Federer at Wimbledon.
Exam results were out. GG. H@!lat. Bad shape.
Apple's iPhone 3G was released!
The battle between Najib and Anwar started to unravel like in a TVB serial.
It has been revealed (again) that Anwar likes to belakang mari.
I tried my hand at salsa (!!) n00b steps only, though.

Okay, I promise proper updates will resume shortly. Just bear with this one for now.

P.S. Does anyone ever visit this blog anyway?

Hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:37:00 +0000

Activity on this blog will cease until further notice.

Notice: Regular updates will resume on 05/06/08

Steak Porn

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:42:00 +0000

Warning: be prepared to drown yourself in a pool of your own drivel.

Tried it for myself, was great! Only Gordon Ramsay could make something so simple look so ridiculously delicious. Legend.

Stayin' Alive

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:59:00 +0000

OK it's that time of the year again... the dreaded exam revision period. So don't expect too many updates from me. There's not a better way to relieve the stress and tension than to do a tag... besides, I was forced by Suzz to do this

The.. Remove-One-Question-And-Answer-The-Rest Tag

Instructions: Remove ONE question from below, add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag 8 people in your list. List them out at the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged. Whoever does the tag will have blessings from all.

#1 Who is your all-time inspiration?

Stevie, Stevie Gerrard! He embodies passion, drive, commitment, inspiration, leadership, etc. Cut his veins open, and he bleeds Liverpool red.Not that I would try that on myself.

#2 Have you given your first kiss away?

When I was, a young boy... (stops in his tracks to refrain himself from breaking into a chorus of "The Black Parade") I recall that I used to kiss photos of celebrities whom I thought were sui. Yah, when I was 6 or 7 I could tell which actresses were sui or not.

#3 If you were to be stranded on a deserted island, who are the 3 blog buddies you would take with you? Why?

Suzz - to return the favour! Nah, seriously... she's the blog buddy I look up to the most! (salutes!)
Eong Xien - hopefully he has his Les Paul or whathaveyou guitar to provide me with entertainment on the island.
Wei-Shaun - I need someone do disturb

#4 Where is the place that you want to go the most?

My top 3 most desired travel destinations are Japan, Spain and what Borat calls "the U-S-and-A". I'm fortunate enough to have been to all 3 of them :) Would love to go to Argentina and try their famed steaks, though. Or Rio de Janeiro for its sexy beaches! Or Moscow to binge like the Russians do!

But at this very moment in time, the place that I want to go to the most - back to Petaling Jaya

#5 If you can have one dream to come true, what would it be?

To be honest, I rarely dream. And if I do, it's usually kinda abstract. They mostly involve situations where I am trapped in a huge, empty white room with a door at the end of a long pathway, about100 yards into the distance. Open the door and I fall into a bottomless pit. You know, that kinda thing. Obviously, I hope that none of these dreams come true.

#6 What is love to you?

Uh, where's that passage from the Bible that defines love again....

#7 What are you afraid to lose the most now?

My house keys. Costs me a bomb to get a new set of keys in London. No joke.

#8 If you win $1 million, what would you do?

My first reaction would be to check and see whether someone's playing a prank on me...

#9 If you could possess a superhero ability, what would it be?

I bet that you're guessing X-ray vision. Hah! Wrong. I'd rather have the ability to control space-time dimensions a-la a certain Hiro Nakamura. If only I could freeze time, then I would have all the time in the world to study for my exams. Yatta!

#10 List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you. (Suzz-chan!)

The ultimate confidante
Never seems to run out of things to talk about
Quirky :D

#11 What are the requirements that you wish from your other half?

Chemistry. No, not the "Na+ + OH- --> NaOH" type of chemistry! Argh, you know what I mean.

#12 Which type of person do you hate the most?

Hypocrites - can't. bloody. stand. them.

#13 What is your ambition?

My immediate short-term ambition is to complete this tag. Falling asleep anytime soon and it's getting kinda late....

#14 If you have faults, would you rather the people around you point out to you or would you rather they keep quiet?

Tell it to my face! My skin quite thick one. XD

#15 Are you a shopaholic or not?

I don't think I'm an anything-holic. I not really a person who goes to extremes in whatever I do.

#16 Find a word to describe the person who tagged you.

Contagious. I meant her personality. :P LOL I made her sound like a disease.

#17 If you have a chance, which part of your character would you like to change?

Need to be more focused! Not just in work, but in everything I do. For example, when I'm watching a movie in a theatre, I am prone to having a brief lapse of concentration (usually involves spacing out for a few minutes) which requires me to catch up with the movie again. My concentration span is that poor.

#18 What's the last shocking thing you've seen or heard?

No more Sub-of-the-day offers at Subway. They've been replaced with "Flavour-of-the-month". wtf, right?

#19 What do you wish to have now?

More time! There should be more than 24 hours in a day!

#20 What was the worst thing you ever did when you were angry?
Kick down a door. Yeah, down.

Lazy to tag people.....

[Edited: 17.04.08 - Didn't read the instructions properly. I've promptly removed one of the less important questions and replaced it with my own. (#9)]

Let It Be A Tribute

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:22:00 +0000

I thank God for the city of Liverpool for 2 reasons – one of them is Liverpool FC. The other, is the most influential musical act of all time. No other artist comes close to replicating the band’s effect of revolutionising the music industry (no, not even MJ). No other pop act could produce songs with such lyrical insight, musical audacity, and longevity. I am talking about John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – The Beatles.

Abbey Road!

While I was just a little kid, I remember my dad bringing home his friends after dinner and they would just congregate in the living room and belt out Beatles tunes on the karaoke set like there’s no tomorrow. I would say that those cheong-k sessions played a huge role in instilling my interest in their songs. I heard that recently contestants on AI covered their songs, but I bet that they completely butchered every single one of them and didn’t do those musical pieces of art any justice at all.

Asking me what my top 10 favourite Beatles tracks is like asking me which Big Apple doughnut flavour is the best – there are just too many of them that I like! Ask me again tomorrow and I’ll probably revise my preferences. The following 10 are some which I really can’t live without:

10. Anna
Better known as “Go to Him”, this one of the band’s first cover songs. Just like another song further down this list, this song was recorded when John had a cold. The blend of the guitar riff during the verse and John’s coarse vocals made the song haunting yet beautiful at the same time. From my childhood memories, this was probably the first Beatles’ song that I’ve heard. The song responsible for my baptism into Beatlemania deserves a spot on this list!

9. Back In The USSR
We sang this song for House Shout during my time at The Leys! Good times! This is The Beatles’ take on a Beach Boys type of song. Apparently Ringo quit the band during the recording session for this song, so Paul is responsible for drums here.

8. Twist and Shout
If John was still around and The Fab Four brought this song up during a gig, I bet all the girls would go ballistic. Okay, make that both guys and girls. John had a cold while this song was recorded and by the end of his session, his voice completely gave up on him from all the shouting. Good on ya, John! If you listen to the song for yourself, you’ll know what I mean.

7. Ticket to Ride
‘60s pop-rock at its very best without sounding corny in any way. Love the electric guitar intro by George which is repeated throughout the verses. John said that the song was a milestone for the band, because it marked a deviation of musical styles from their previous albums.

6. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
LOL don’t give me that look! I like this song, okay? (smiles sheepishly) “OLD, OLD” was heavily influenced by reggae and ska, hence the uplifting vibe that the song gives out. If I could only sing one Beatles’ song in the shower, this would be it.

5. Paperback Writer
Combines a trademark Paul bass-line and some flawless harmonization of vocals. I like.

4. Come Together
The Beatles go psychedelic rock! Take a bass line to die for (how on Earth did Paul come up with such genius?), an interesting drum pattern by Ringo, an extremely high-on-crack John Lennon and what do you get? An amazing song for you to just kick back on a sofa and drink some JD to. I call it a “stoner’s song”. Lyrical nonsense is in abundance throughout the song, but it doesn’t matter. John was high when he wrote the song anyway.

3. Let It Be
The Beatles’ finest ballad. Please shoot yourself if you’ve never heard it before.

2. Taxman
George Harrison’s sole representation on my list – but it’s a very impressive one at that. And since George is singing the lead, Paul takes over George’s duties to play the freaking guitar solo!!! :D Oh and this is another song in which the bass line really stands out. Somehow I could imagine song being featured in the opening credits of a superhero movie.

1. Hey Jude
I know many people will beg to differ, but this is the definitive Beatles song for me. Paul was on fire when he wrote the song, which was originally meant to comfort John Lennon’s son who was distressed over John’s affair with Yoko Ono. The second half of the song features Paul, being the demented Scouser that he was, backed up with a 36-piece orchestra (featuring violins, trombones, trumpets, clarinets, cellos, etc.), singing (or rather sprouting balderdash) us out until the song fades while the rest of the band bursts into an engaging chorus of “na-na-na-na”s. Amazing vocal from Paul. Superb stuff. Five stars. No, make that ten.

Honorary mentions go out to Help!, With A Little Help From My Friends, Daytripper, Eleanor Rigby, Revolution, We Can Work It Out, Here Comes The Sun. There are just too many good songs! And since I’m only familiar with their mainstream material, I bet that they also have other gems which I have yet to discover. I suggest that you try to give them a listen on IMEEM.

Disagree with my list? Then feel free to share with me your favourite tracks by the Fab Four J

Political Tsunami

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 21:11:00 +0000

Today (March 8th) was the day of the 12th General Elections of Malaysia. But I'm sure you knew that, unless you:
a) Are not Malaysian
b) Are Malaysian but a social recluse, therefore disconnecting yourself from all external affairs and live a self-dug pit
c) Are Samy Vellu and probably wished that the events today never happened at all

As my father relayed some updates to me over Skype, there was one result which made my heart practically skip a beat. There was a sudden pang of excitement, sheer joy and surprise within me, but within a short timeframe of a few minutes, that excitement started to ebb away, replaced by a sudden dawn of realisation of the consequences that would be brought about by the outcome which my father had announced to me:

"The oppposition has taken Selangor".

My immediate reaction was to spit out whatever was in my mouth at that time (I think it was Nescafe). "Serious ah?" were the only two words that came to mind. I was in a state of euphoria because I am all for change. I've always wanted more opposition voices in the parliament for "check and balance" purposes. That's why I've been following been following DAP ceramahs online (especially Tony Pua) and I was very excited with how the opposition represantatives have managed to garner sizeable support through their speeches. My mom told me that in their speeches, they wanted to carry out their revolution by "sweeping out" the incumbents. I guess the public took it a little too literally and allowed opposition candidates to wipe the floor with their opponents. But while I want a stronger opposition presence in the government, I didn't forsee them actually seizing control of the state. The state in which I grew up in! Really didn't see this coming. I wonder what kind of impact that would have on businesses, investments and developments within the state and the important commercial hubs like PJU.

Key incidents:

DAP tarpau BN in Penang. Hammered. Swept away a-la-tsunami. Aggressive campaigning strategies in the island state paid off massively. Chief minister and Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon loses.
Tony Pua (Oxford PPE grad of DAP) topples two-term incumbent Chew Mei Fun (MCA) in PJ Utara
Nurul Izzah of PKR stages an upset over Shahrizat (UMNO) despite late scare of 14 uncounted ballot boxes (expect her to make way for Anwar in the next by-election)
Samy Vellu (MIC) ousted after more than 2 decades in office (Happy birthday, btw!)
PAS claims Kedah and retains Kelantan.
Najib wins in Pekan by a whopping 26k majority while PM Abdullah Badawi scrapes home
Blogger Jeff Ooi wins in Jelutong.
UMNO's Khairy Jamaluddin wins in Rembau despite reports of the contrary
Selangor falls with the opposition winning 35 out of 56 seats (breakdown: DAP 15, PKR 11, PAS 9)
Perak also falls with the opposition claiming the major towns in the Kinta Valley
Parliamentary seats as of 5.30 a.m. (219 of 222 confirmed): BN - 137; PKR - 31; DAP - 28; PAS - 23 meaning Barisan Nasional has been denied two-thirds majority.

What would all this mean?

It appears that the main losers are MIC with many of their senior members tasting defeat. However we actually have more Indians being represented in parliament now, except that they're mainly coming from the opposition. The Indian community never needed MIC to help them in the first place!

Keadilan is now the largest opposition party and should Anwar win the by-election after his ban in politics has been lifted, he would be the parliamentary opposition leader. PKR may have the lowest number of state seats, but they account for more seats in parliament. They will lead Selangor while DAP would head Perak and Penang whilst PAS grabs Kedah and Kelantan.

Oh yeah, should PJians stop using the term "opposition" to describe DAP and Keadilan? Now they are effectively just different political parties working together as a ruling coalition. Hmmmmm this would definitely need some getting used to....

OK. Time to be realistic. I've been scouring the net to see what people think of the election results, and what I've found is that people are rejoicing everywhere, and rightly so! (me included, to a certain extent). But while I'm somewhat happy with the inroads that the opposition have made, I think it should also be accompanied with a degree of caution and apprehension. After all, to all my friends who are living in PJ - have you ever lived under opposition rule before? How certain are you that they were not making any empty promises during their ceramahs?And now that city councils MPPJ, MPSJ etc. are under the opposition for the first time, it's going to take time to create synergy between them and the new state government... so there's going to be a lot of boo-boos in the system during the interim period, and what if they can't be ironed out? My conclusion is, happy as we might be that there's a breath of fresh air, we need to evaluate the opposition's performance within the next 5 years to see if they're right for us and whether they can take us forward. Sorta like a probation period for the long term. They've gotta prove themselves to us.

Long day, huh? I'll be praying for stability and prosperity for the nation under the new federal government.

P.S. Malaysian live TV coverage of the polling results was abysmal.

Rodrigo y Gabriela

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:44:00 +0000

I usually don't dig acoustic but this duo just took it to a whole new level. Shame I didn't discover them earlier! (missed their London gig in December too :( )

P.S. Check out their other metal covers on YouTube as well! and LOL @ Letterman's comment on Gabriela's hand movements. XD

I Got It From My Mamak

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:43:00 +0000

will.i.am: "Baby, tell me where you got ya body from? Tell me where you got ya body from?"
Girls: "I got it from my mama, I got it from my mama."

After their hilarious takes on Don't Cha and Fast & Furious, I stumbled upon another JJ & Rudy "remix" - their very own spin on "I Got It From My Mama". It goes something along the lines of...

Rudy: "JJ, where'd you get your canai from?"
JJ: "Rudy, where'd you get your maggi from?"
Rudy: "JJ, where'd you get your tosai from?"
JJ: "Rudy, where'd you get your curry from?"
Together: "I got it from my mamak, I got it from my mamak."

Absolutely hilarious! XD

And the lyrics are spot-on too!

After flinging your four limbs from all sides at the club for hours, where's the best place to have your group post mortem? The mamak.

Where's the only place which is open 24 hours, ever-ready to satiate your appetite at any time of the day? The mamak.

Where's the best place for you pull an all-nighter chat session with your mates? The mamak.

So whether you're aware of it or not, mamak stalls have played pivotal roles in our life. I can't think of a Malaysian (that are currently not overseas) that has not made a trip to the mamak within the past 6 months.

From a foreigner's point of view, the sight of a mamak stall packed with people who congregate in groups of tens to watch a football match with servings after servings of roti telur and kopi kurang manis in the sweltering heat and humidity might appear rather bizzare. Add to that the fact that you'll find people of all ages (from teenagers to working professionals and senior citizens) and of all races (we Chinese love our mamak, no?) - and what you get is a melting pot with a unique experience that can't be replicated anywhere else in the world (imagine a place like Murni or Steven's Corner in London O.o). Should you have the chance to bring a foreigner to a mamak stall, do it! Whether (s)he likes it or not, it would be an experience from her visit to Malaysia that he won't forget.

Sometimes I can't help but think about how much of the mamak culture I've miseed out on when I was pursuing my pre-u studies at The Leys. Oh well.

Long live the mamak culture!

Shit.... I'm seriously craving for some kopi and cheese naan right now.... :|

2007 In Review

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 10:00:00 +0000

I struggle to count the number of ardent readers of my blog. Hell, it can't even fill up the number of fingers on one hand.. Anyway, to the very loyal few of you, you have finally been rewarded with a new post. Yay. After struggling to think of a topic to blog about, I finally plumped for a highly relevant flashback on the year 2007.

2007 has been an interesting and eventful year.

It's been a year of disappointments...

A year of revolutions...

A year when seeds of discontent were sewn...

A year of conclusions...

A year of triumph...

But above all, on a personal note, 2007 was a year of satisfaction for me.

A year of survival... (treading the waters of competition that is the LSE)

A year of rekindling old bonds...

A year of strengthening new ones...

And a year of forging that special bond...

Have a smashing 2008, people!

得闲冇野做

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 01:53:00 +0000

Why am I even bothering with this tag anyway? -_-"

List Out the TOP FIVE Presents You Wish For:
1. New laptop
2. Ticket to watch Chris Rock live in London!
3. Malaysian hawker food.
4. Free vouchers for anything in London
5. Anything from my dear Wan Ling

List Out the REASONS for Your Choices:

1. Because my faithful IBM T42 is acting it's age. Still a tough cookie, though.
2. Because I'm a great fan of stand-up comedy, and Chris is one of the very best in the business.
3. Because I heart char kuay teow. And prawn mee. And loh mai kai. And chao loh bak koh. And the list can go on forever...
4. Because everything here is soooo feckin' expen$ive!
5. Because I treasure every little thing that comes from her. =)

The Person Who TAGGED You is:

Huang Sue Jian

FIVE IMPRESSIONS of Her:
1. Tall - I seriously mean it. Suzz please don't wear heels when you're walking next to me! Height is a serious issue when it comes to guys - it's an inferiority complex.
2. A great listener. A great talker too. Talks a bit too quickly sometimes :P
3. Celebrity blogger! To me, at least. I visit her blog more often than I do KennySia.com!
4. Jap freak. Adores everything that comes from Japan. I'm probably guilty of planting the seed, though.
5. The ultimate confidante. :)

MOST MEMORABLE THINGS She Has Done For You:
Giving me the inspiration to blog!.... though my blog posts are pretty uninspired. Says so much about the source of inspiration, though :P

MOST LOVED INVENTION
(doesn't need to be technologically advanced):
Dreamweaver. Trust me, you don't wanna edit HTML manually all the time.

What Do You DESPISE the Most:
1. Calculus (measuring hyperplanes in n dimensions wtf?!)
2. Linear Algebra (again. wtf?!)
3. Lies
4. Failure
5. A cold winter night - my hands are practically half-numb as I type this
6. Cafeteria food at The Leys! Thank God I've been liberated from that suffering!

SIX PEOPLE You Wanna Tag:
Some algebra here. Let:
x = Anyone who wants to do this tag
y = Total number of people whom I wanna tag

Function:
y = 6x

OK, that's cheating but you get the point.

我不配

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:49:00 +0000

其实周董的最新专辑是充满 "lame" 歌．　但这么多lame歌之中，也有一两首算是蛮好听一下．请大家欣赏:

超好听啦!! 改次去唱KTV confirm 要唱!

Guess Who's Back?

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 17:54:00 +0000

I is back. Real sleepy noq. Eyelids weigh a tonne. On a more important and immediate note (despite being late):

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUANG SUE JIAN!!!

You're so old now lah... No longer a teen ;)

Going Home

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 21:07:00 +0000

Yup! My highly anticipated return to PJ is almost here! After the numerous delays and all the shit that I had to put up with over here, I finally get to go back! What kind of changes can you expect of me? The answer is, not much. Occasionally I might throw in some British slang into my dialogue despite my accent being 100% Malaysian. Did you know that when I speak with the locals here, my accent changes? It's really a subconscious thing, I don't do it deliberately. And it's not just my accent, but my choice of words as well!

Upon greeting an acquantance:
KW in KL: Eh, how are you ah?
KW in UK: You alright?

When thanking someone:
KW in KL: Thank you ah.
KW in UK: Cheers, mate!

NB: Actually, I only say "mate" when I'm talking to guys. As for girls... I usually just say thanks. Takkan I say sometihng like "cheers, lassie!". Makes me sound as flirty as Johnny Depp in Pirates.

When praising someone:
KW in KL: Wah liao, xxx, you damn keng.
KW in UK: xxx, you're such a legend!

While swearing:
KW in KL: you f***** c**b** ah!
KW in UK: you bloody wanker!

When asking someone out for a drink:
KW in KL: Eh wanna go yumcha mou?
KW in UK: Wanna go grab a pint?

On the way to lecture, dips into pocket only to realise that I've forgotten something:
KW in KL: Oh, shit!
KW in UK: Oh, shit!
(ok.... no difference there)

When someone gives you a beauty of a pass while playing football:
KW in KL: Nice lah!
KW in UK: Ball! (ask me when you see me to find out how it sounds like)

After stomach ache:
KW in KL: Wah liao, just now I lao sai like no tomorrow.
KW in UK: I've taken a colossal shit. It was MASSIVE.

OK there are many other instances that I can't recall at the moment. I'm sure I'll bring them up during our yumcha sessions when I get back to PJ. CYA GUYS!

Liquid - Jars of Clay

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:32:00 +0000

Arms nailed down,
are you telling me something?
Eyes turned out,
are you looking for someone?

This is the one thing,
The one thing that I know.

Blood-stained brow,
are you dying for nothing?
Flesh and blood,
is it so elemental?

This is the one thing,
The one thing that I know.

Blood-stained brow,
He wasn't broken for nothing.
Arms nailed down,
He didn't die for nothing.

This is the one thing,
The one thing that I know.

Liquid is a song with a mellow tune yet dynamic lyrics, with the emphasis on the lines "this is the one thing that I know" - although nothing in this world may seem certain, our covenant with God is. Amazing song, never ceases to blow me away

Frus Like Shit

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 22:42:00 +0000

You've been counted on.

You can't count on anyone but yourself.

You submit to other people.

You suffer.

You know that this is a feeble attempt by the blogger to sound emo. But seriously, I'm damn frustrated. It's damn frustrating.

Where got...?

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Thu, 24 May 2007 23:13:00 +0000

Got the idea from Sean's blog.

http://www.myheritage.com

Blake Lewis

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Wed, 23 May 2007 23:55:00 +0000

I'm sure you're all familiar with the Bon Jovi classic "You Give Love A Bad Name", right? Here's a fairly popular modern take on it, if you haven't seen it already.

Wah liao.. i'm ancient

noreply@blogger.com (Cyclonova) — Wed, 02 May 2007 22:54:00 +0000

Suddenly I feel so old. For a few years now, I've never contemplated the thought of crossing threshold into unchartered territory... i.e. the 20s. Now I've finally seen the last of my teenage life just vanish before my very eyes. I really enjoyed my teens - sometimes I think I enjoyed it a little bit too much, but sometimes not as much.

What can I look forward to in the next decade of my life? Well after getting through my exams and my degree, I'll have to venture into working life. Daunting as it may sound, I'm actually kinda looking forward to it. Also, I'm hoping that the next 10 years of my life would actually shape me and mould me as person. I want to be a self-made man who can look back on my past decisions without any regrets. Towards the end of my 20s, hopefully I will have settled down, have a steady career and hopefully got together with that special someone.

A birthday before exams sucks. But all of you guys cheered me up. A big big BIG thank you to everyone.

My family - especially Nat, your post really touched me :)
DJians: Wan Ling (thanks so much), Hui Wen (first to wish me at 12am sharp KL time! you're the best!), Karl (for celebrating the Liverpool win with me with via text, you're also the best!), Daniel Khong, Zi Yang (you're next), Suzz (thanks for cheering me up!), Yee Yoon (enjoy your youth!), Devan (so sorry about Manure, dude XD), Sook Yeen, Suk Han, Anna, Jun Chin, Hsueh Ming,
Nick Yang and Eong Xien..... my 2 oldest buddies :)
Leysians: Tracy and hononary Leysian Mun Kit, Derek, Clement, Dan, etc.
EVERYONE who dropped me a wish on Facebook XD
LSEians: You guys are seriously the bestest. Jeff and Le Hong for the gift, Keljin my dai lou, Lilian, Paul, Ash, Yen Li, Jia Pin, Yin Yee, Wei Shaun etc. etc. and all my flatmates! Stop making me drink!
Rafa Benitez, Stevie Gerrard, Pepe Reina and co.

Sorry if I've left anyone out, it's 12 midnight now and I'm getting a lil groggy. Goodnight and God bless!