2007 moving to 2008...

--------------------------------------------------------------

Have you ever dreamed of a white Christmas? I'd prefer to celebrate it in the tropical weather..

--------------------------------------------------------------

As I'm writing off the final chapters of my '2007 chronicles', I slowly plot the storylines for the next book '2008'. Looking back, the year's been full of ups and downs, memories and nightmares. I'd guess that nothing is perfect in the world, each and every experience is an opportunity to learn new things, to measure your character and to test perseverance.

Today, as everyone is happily getting wasted on the Christmas night, I'd stay in front of my reliable lappy to reflect on my highlights and perhaps some of my lowlights which happened in the last 360 days. I guess, in another 5 days or so, I'd need to set myself a new path, direction to make sure what happened before does not repeat itself.

Nevertheless, I believe that life itself should be celebrated, other occasions are just reasons to make life richer, more memorable and most importantly celebrate gratitude to life and to everyone contributing to our lives.

Neglect all the nonsense above, as it is past bed-time and my mind is now set to auto-pilot. So, what I ACTUALLY want to say is MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to all my family members, my lads and pals, my acquaintances, people who know me but I don't know them and yadda-yadda. All the best to all of you and thank you all for making me who I am today in the final days of 2007. May it be good times or bad times, I thank you all for painting some part in my book of '2007'.

新垣結衣 - Heavenly Days

I happened to bump into this clip when 'YouTub'ing, and hey, I find it quite a sweet song. I wonder what is the movie about?

Enjoy!

Norah Jones - Don't Know Why

------------------------------------------------

There is always a time when you'd listen to something which catches your attention. Well, this time it's this song, when i was watching a drama, happened to be one of the few distinct songs which I find it quite soothing. Here goes..

------------------------------------------------

Norah Jones - Don't know why

I waited til I saw the sun

I dont know why I didnt come

I left you by the house of fun

I dont know why I didnt come

I dont know why I didnt come

-

When I saw the break of day

I wished that I could fly away

Instead of kneeling in the sand

Catching teardrops in my hand

-

My heart is drenched in wine

But youll be on my mind

Forever

-

Out across the endless sea

I would die in ecstasy

But Ill be a bag of bones

Driving down the road along

-

My heart is drenched in wine

But youll be on my mind

Forever

-

Something has to make you run

I dont know why I didnt come

I feel as empty as a drum

I dont know why I didnt come

I dont know why I didnt come

I dont know why I didnt come

James Blunt - 1973

------------------------------------------------

It bothers me when I hear a song, usually one with a somewhat catchy tune, and it won't go off my mind till I listen to it for several times. Is it a disease? Please.. Help me..

------------------------------------------------

Alright, this time it's this song, 1973 by James Blunt, featured in his album, 'All The Lost Souls'. It just won't get off my mind.. Arrgh!!

James Blunt - All The Lost Souls (2007)

James Blunt - 1973

Simone

You're getting older

Your journey's been

Etched on your skin

Simone

Wish I had known that

What seemed so strong

Has been and gone

I would call you up every Saturday night

And we'd both stay out till the morning light

And we sang,

"Here we go again"

And though time goes by

I will always be

In a club with you

In 1973

Singing "Here we go again"

Simone

Wish I was sober

So I could see clearly now

The rain has gone

Simone

I guess it's over

My memory plays our tune

The same old song

I would call you up every Saturday night

And we`d both stay out till the morning light

And we sang, "Here we go again"

And though time goes by

I will always be

In a club with you

In 1973

Singing "Here we go again"

I would call you up every Saturday night

And we'd both stay out till the morning light

And we sang, "Here we go again"

And though time goes by

I will always be

In a club with you

In 1973

Singing "Here we go again"

I would call you up every Saturday night

And we'd both stay out 'til the morning light

And we sang, "Here we go again"

And though time goes by

I will always be

In a club with you

In 1973

Singing "Here we go again"

And though time goes by

I will always be

In a club with you

In 1973

Heh... at least i feel better now... *sighs..

*Video embedded from some guy of YouTube, pictures cropped from various internet source.

There goes my one-sen...

-----------------------------------------------

There is a lot of time where people neglect the value of 1 sen. I remember seeing my friend drop it on the floor and don't even bother to pick it up; saying 'Ah! It's just 1 sen after all.' By April next year, things will change...

-----------------------------------------------

By April Fool's next year, the Government will enforce the rounding mechanism for over-the-counter transactions. Yeah, I'm not kidding, it's not April Fool's today..

What this means is that by the time such action is enforced, the one-sen coins will be useless less-used.

Ah, what should we do to them?

I still have sooo many of it at home (not)...

Anyway, the question which will most likely pop up is 'Why do so?'

Try read the facts and you'll understand:

Is that so? I didn't know that...

So how will life be after this rounding off of one-sen next time?

Will the taukehs not be able to use pricing strategies like 'the .99 strategy'?

Worry not, as it still can be used, just that it will be rounded to the nearest five-sen.

How the rounding up works...

Which means, if you visit a sports shop and see a Nike shoe priced at RM 399.99 (and you'd the shrewd owner standing nearby smiling..) you will need to pay RM 400, and need not expect the cashier to give you back any change.

For more examples:

Buy anything with less than two-sen...

Perhaps, one-sen is valuable after all...

*Pictures are cropped from The Star, for related article, click on link below:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/14/nation/19460993&sec=nation&focus=1

Random Post...

 

------------------------------------------------

This is my first attempt to use Windows Live Writer to actually post my blog and of course, I wanna see how the effects will be..

------------------------------------------------

Visit the link below to enjoy the full benefits of Windows Live!

Windows Live Home

Wah! We are now a space power!

------------------------------------------------

Man, I feel damn jaded now. Work, work and more work. Hopefully I can get a break soon.

------------------------------------------------

A friend of mine just came back from KL, who happened to be a staff in The Star pointed me to this interesting article, related to a recent and popular event in our country; the first Malaysian to ascend into space.. Here's the stuff

Click below:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/10/18/focus/19171550&sec=focus

LOL - Hilarious..

Keroro!!

------------------------------------------------------

Which 23 year old nowadays would actually spend his first RM 50 of his monthly salary to buy a snap-up toy which is not so cool, but inevitably cute. Read on...

------------------------------------------------------

It was Friday, 19th October 2007, where me and the lads had lunch as usual at Seng Kee (One of the many various spots we have our meals when the clock strikes 12 pm). We arrived early, lunch was brief, so after eating, one of us decided to have a stroll at a place I have not really been to for almost 6 to 7 years: Toys World (well, I did went there, but not really to look at the toys..).

It certainly brought back some nostalgic childhood memories, like what toys I used to like playing, some which I wished to have and some which I thought it was silly having it.

But one thing for certain, I like to build models. I remember building alot of car models, the last one was a Toyota Celica, which I almost broke my bank to buy just the paints and tools to help out with the build-up. But heck, I don't even know where the car is in my house now.

Anyway, I stumbled upong this little model, which I find quite attracting to me, and immediately I have the feeling that I need to get my hands on it.

Lim told me to get it, but hey, I was all dressed up for work, and you don't expect a working guy to suddenly pop up in a toy store to buy a friggin lame toy?

Well, I brushed off the thought of buying it until just now (Saturday, 20th Oct 2007, 8:30 pm), which I sneaked in to quickly make a purchase, before many people notice (Of course, I brought together with me a decoy, my brother, in case anyone familiar asks me who I am buying the toy for).

Anyway, let me reveal to you, the ultra-adorable character I had only seen once on TV and resulted in me buying the model of him: Keroro!

Yeah, say it's going to sound gay, but I have to admit, he's cute..

Well, I don't exactly understand what the bloody Japanese gibberish captions on the box says, the only characters that I can read is 'Keroro Gunso Ver. 1.5'.

It even says a 'Flying board' is included!

Such models do not come cheap, especially when it is branded (Ban Dai is famous in such models like 'Nike' in sports apparels). It busted my first RM 50 of the month after I got my salary yesterday.

*Hiss.. the sounds of burning in my wallet..

Price aside, the model is not exactly huge, in fact the box is just around the size of 13 cm x 8 cm x 3 cm. But what caught my eye was the various pose this little toy can do as illustrated on the side of the box.

Hold a fan, stand up straight, sit down cross-legged are just simple moves. It can even slip over a bloody banana!

Of course, once the box is opened, the contents are not as pretty as it seems, all in seperate pieces. Now, I really can't wait to fix it up.

Hmmm.. the legs are here, the arms there, where is the head??

Well, I've made more detail models than this, so it does not take me much time to actually finish the head. In fact, you need not worry if you get your hands on such model as the instruction manual is as detail as a picture taken by a 10 mega-pixel camera (errm... I know, it's the worst metaphor to describe the scenario..)

Ahhh! They removed your body, and left your head. Don't worry, they've got the fluids from your brain to regenerate new parts of your body... Err.. anyone with 20 cents please?

With the help of the manual, my experience with models and my mom's manicure set, the Keroro-slipping-over-the-banana is completed within just a short 20 minutes. Here's how it looks..

Lively looking little dude, I can even feel the pain from the fall too..

I was tempted to put this model in my car, but heck, I wouldn't want it to melt under the unmerciful Malaysian sun.

His legs are too short to do splits over the banana.. Ermm.. Pardon the pun..

The movements of this model is quite flexible, it can even change facial expression by swapping the mouth and turning over the eyes. Plus, as promised on the box, I get a flying board accompanying this little dude, my guess is that it is his official ride in the animation.

Another angle of the fall. Nice landing I presume..

Anyway, at the price of RM 46.90 (Exact figure, no GST nonsense included), I'm pretty satisfied with the end product. In fact, I made a vow to myself not to let this little guy to feel lonely too long by getting the rest of the members (This green guy is blue, he has a compatriot in the colour of blue, red and black).

"Get my lads to join the fall!"

Anyway, I guess it's time for me to do some budgeting for the next month..

Can I Story You (2): The Hospital Window

----------------------------------------------------

Weather today in Miri changed quite rapidly, from a sunny morning became a rainy evening. Well, at least tonight will be a nice cooling night to sleep. Anyways, here is the second story from the new 'inspiration' slot which I would like to share some stories from the 'Can I Story You' book, so enjoy.

----------------------------------------------------

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the men in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and colour of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every colour and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

Unrelated pic: just to fill up the cold texts with a warm pic.

As the man by the window described all this exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.

Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.

He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside his bed.

It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside the window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."


Moral of the story:
There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite their own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but shared happiness is double the joy. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy. "Today is a gift, that's why it's called rge present." The wonderful things of life are within us. If you could see it in your mind, you can see it in your life.

Daddy.. where do I come from?

-------------------------------------------------

Nasty schedule, hectic working hours and lots of tea with clients.. That sums up my current working time.. LOL...

-------------------------------------------------

Often, little kids pop up 'the question', which leaves the poor parent(s) stammering with a vague answer. Little does the kid know, the usual response is seldom the truth, some may just be brushed off without any answer, leaving the poor kid searching in curiosity.

'Mommy/Daddy, where do I come from?'

Or..

'Mommy/Daddy, where do babies come from?'

Questions as such is always accompanied with a very innocent and curious look from the eyes, and the parent(s) is always in a dilemma to tell the real process of how they were actually made up..

They just can't say..

'Daddy made a mistake, forgotten to buy a special balloon and thats how you are here.'

Or,

'One beautiful morning, a white stork carrying a small bag flew to our chimney and dropped you on our unlit fireplace.'

With such vast media sources nowadays, the above statements just don't cut it anymore. What if they really google for the fact and realize that what 'Daddy' or 'Mommy' says is a lie afterall?

Of course, they can't just illustrate the steamy and illicit sessions on how they 'made' babies to the kid at such tender age. So the question is, 'How to overcome 'the question', without revealing too much and at the same time not telling a terrible lie?'

Of course, not everyone is like Luke Skywalker in StarWars, where he doesn't even know who the hell is his dad till Darth Vader unveils the horrible truth..

So, I happened to stumble upon a wise fella who answers like this:

'Its a little love from Daddy, a little love from Mommy and LOTS of love form God.. That's how you came about..'

Hmm.... fascinating...

Can I Story You: The Red Marbles

------------------------------------------------

After the previous post, I just cannot no post this story. Hope you enjoy it; forget about your ego and let it move your heart. *Ahem..

------------------------------------------------

Jim Miller was bagging some early potatoes for me. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller and the ragged boy next to me.

“Hello Barry, how are you today?”

“Hello Mr. Miller. Fine, thank you. I’m just admiring these peas. Sure look good.”

“They are good, Barry. How’s your Ma?”

“Fine. Getting stronger all time.”

“Good. Anything I can help you with?”

“No sir, I’m just admiring these peas.”
“Would you like to take some home?”

“No sir. I have nothing to pay you.”

“Well, what do you have to trade for some of these peas?”

“All I have is my prize marble here.”

“Is that right? Let me see it.”

“Here it is. She’s a dandy.”

“I can see that. Hmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?”

“Not really but almost.”

“Tell you what, take this sack of pea back home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble.”

“Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.”

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, “There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn’t like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, perhaps.”

I left the stand smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering. Several years went by, each more rapid that the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there I learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his viewing that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could. Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts, all very professional looking.

They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband’s casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one; each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes. Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and mentioned the story she had told me about the marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

“Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim ‘traded’ them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about colour or size, they came to pay their debt.”

“We’ve never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,” she confided.

“But right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in the world.” With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

Moral of the story:
We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.

Can I STORY you?

-------------------------------------------------------

During the conference in KL, there was a booth which sells some books; and this book, in particular, caught my attention. Without hesitating, I splashed out a few ringgits to get hold of it. I have to say, my 'few ringgits' are not wasted.

-------------------------------------------------------

Everyone loves a good story. The world thrives on intriguing plots, moving lines and many of its heroic characters. ‘Once upon a time’ and ‘happily ever after’ are the lines where all the readers or listeners anticipate, and the truth is; even Hollywood is built upon these foundations.

Story-telling has been around as soon as mankind learnt how to communicate. Stories are not just for mere entertainment. Many times, story is use to teach the next generation about values of life. It is the mould for a child’s dreams, inspiration for the ones tested, advice for the ones who seeks and motivation for the worn-out souls.

"Ahem, can I story YOU?"

The book ‘Can I Story You’ breathes in fresh air for the minds, enriching souls with words of wisdom from wise people who’ve lived a meaningful life. Some of the stories are parables to describe the meanings of life itself, some are real life experiences.

"Life is like a tree.. think about it.."

Basically, the book is divided into 5 sections:
1) Seed – Symbolises vision and goal,
2) Roots – Symbolises character and attitude,
3) Nourishments – Symbolises desire and motivation,
4) Tree – Symbolises growth, perseverance and persistence,
5) Fruits – Symbolises success and results

"Vision and goal, sprouts from the seeds in your heart."

This book contains several short stories, all with the purpose to let the readers think twice about their lives.

It is wonderful how people can come out with metaphors to describe life. I wonder; when was the last time I read a storybook?

Exciting Saturday - Pre-Mid-Autumn Festival celebration

--------------------------------------------------------

I wanted to blog about this before leaving for KL last week, but it seemed that I am very busy preparing for the trip rather than to slot in a time for this. So, here goes...

--------------------------------------------------------

By the time I prepare the script for this blog, I am on my way, ascending to the famously known as the 'Top of the Clouds' or 'Malaysia's Gambler's Paradise'. Yeap, I am referring to Genting, as the reason for going there is to attend my company's conference, which is held every year around this time; the Top Achiever's Congress.

Well, like what Alan describes such functions: attending a function just to listen to mumbo jumbo, I am not going to elaborate much on the functions that I've attended (unlike Alan, I find the function quite enriching and motivating.. LOL), but rather, I want to share more on the 'early' celebration of the Mid-autumn Festival.

Being one of the very few significant Chinese celebrations which is slowly forgotten, I would like to take this opportunity to give some tips on how to make this event rather being opposite of 'boring'.

So, here are few of the steps to make the most out of this event, well, at least for us bunch of over 20 year olds who still likes to compare whose lanterns are cooler.


Step 1: Find a good location.

Mid-autumn Festival reminds me when I was still a kid, and the cool times we had with some friends, especially to compare how cool and 'up-to-date' our lanterns are. Since we want it to be as nostalgic, we've picked a park (fully equipped with playground: swings, slides, etc.). To create the 'feel' and proper 'atmosphere', Adrian volunteers to show his sublime skills on swings.

'Yeah, you think this is cool? 10 years back I can do a 360 on this thing!'

Step 2: Get the tools ready.

A cook cannot do anything without his kitchenware, a mechanic cannot repair without his toolbox and definitely, WE cannot celebrate Mid-autumn festival without any lantern. What you do here is to ask one of your most trusty friend (who is free during lunch-time) to help go to the nearest open air market to buy you the most suitable lantern for the night event. Here, I asked Lim to help me get one, and being a person with taste for the cliche, he got me this ultra-cute 'Hello-Kitty' lantern decorated with a 'Pucca-pucca' (or however you spell it) decors. My initial response was the 'WTF' response but soon, I grew to like my lantern more and more (yes ladies, I DO have my feminine side)

'Hellooo-Kitty... are you kidding me??'

The lantern itself is not enough. Next, you'd need a proper 'stick' to support it. As shown above, I've picked up a super unique stick, with the right thickness and length and as a bonus, it has two 'balls' as decor! How cool can that be?


Step 3: Light it up baby!

Here is the fun part. Get your gang to light up the lanterns together. Watch out and get your parent's (or any adults help, age 21 and above, capable of handling fire and not insane) to help you with the process if you are too young to play with fire. Remember, in Step 1, we have chosen a PARK, so if your Step 1 preference is your 'HOME' then be sure to take extra precaution, or else 'www.therubbishbin.blogspot.com' will not be liable for any losses due to accidents after following the acts we've illustrated.

'Light up the bulb dudes! Let's ROLL!'

Step 4: Start parading around the area like crazy dudes.

This is the part where Step 1 is cruicial: If you've selected a crowded place, prepare to be given the 'What the heck!' look. But, since we've selected the park, and it's already 1 am, no one dares to stop us, or else we'd bash them with our 'luminating batons' on our hands. Sing songs, do whatever you like, but please, do not run around naked even though no one is around the area.

'Parade in progress.. Do not mess with us..'

Step 4: Disposal.

Of course, if you are parading in a public place, be sure that you dispose your leftover lanterns so that the aunties who are going to clean the place in the morning need not have a hard time cleaning our mess. You can either:

a) Toss it into a nearby rubbish bin,
b) Let it be washed away by the current of the sea,
c) Bring home and keep, or
d) BURN it there and then..

I think they burned it there and then, I'm not there to witness the finale as I need to rush home early, but heck, I wonder what they did to my 'Hello-Kitty' Lantern.

'4-4-2? 4-3-3? You can even do football tactic formations if you have this many lanterns!'

Of course not to forget, get a piece of Mooncake, and the Mid-autumn Festival celebration is complete!


Disclaimer: www.therubbishbin.blogspot.com is not responsible for any misdoings or criminal activities that may arise from the ideas given above. The above contents are seriously meant for education and recreational purposes only and do not carry any elements of violence, racism and politics.

Juz random post..

-------------------------------------------------------

Just last week I was saying that I am blogging more often now but it doesn't seem so.. So now, I redeem myself by plotting a junk-post.. what the heck...

-------------------------------------------------------

Ever ate something which is cold, looks nice and cute, with 'Q-Q' texture, and most importantly, have a sweet fruity taste with it?

Introducing..

'Ultra 'Q'! Don't believe? Touch it!'

Ultra 'Q' Jello with Nata-de-Coco made by a good friend (Or used to be my tuition teacher in my secondary school days).

It's so nice, that you'd be craving for more..

But..

I just had two left, so I have no choice but to take a picture of it before putting it into my digestion system...

Tired of plain desktop? Get Yahoo! Widgets..

----------------------------------------------------------

Yea, I know these few days I've been blogging alot, and I admit that I am quite free, to a certain extent..

----------------------------------------------------------

Perhaps, the most significant feature of Windows Vista with its predecessors is the availability of the Vista Gadget Sidebar.

‘Sadly available for Vista users only…’

The Sidebar is definitely a useful addition, as the users can beef up the capabilities of the PC with all sorts of tools; such as media display tools, organizers, simple reminders, and even fancy clocks.

Like myself, I am an occasional user of the Post-it note feature as you all may know; I am a pretty forgetful person myself.

But what if you are not a Vista user?

Fret not; cause Yahoo! Has a solution for you.

Introducing, Yahoo! Widget 4.0, an alternative for a Vista Sidebar where you can have functions as handy yet easily customizable.

‘Ta da…’

The Widget can be downloaded from http://widgets.yahoo.com/. The latest version comes with a handful of tools; battery meter, weather meter, clocks, Yahoo! Mail checker, CPU portal, iTunes remote, picture frame, organizers and many more.

It is graphically sleek and most of them are customizable, where users can go to the widget gallery to add on more geeky or cool tools, whether just to impress or to really ease you off a certain task.

'It is interesting to see how detail the graphic is for the widgets..’

In a whole, Widgets is a useful toy to play around with and at the same time keep you up to date with news feed which you can subscribe. With such fanciness and handiness it does come with some hefty requirements. In terms of hardware, the widgets differ according to memory demand but definitely more is always better here. It is able to run in both Mac OS (Mac OS X10.3.9 or greater) and Windows platform (Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2 or Windows 2000 SP4 minimum. Latest service packs and updates recommended).

‘Now, now. How about both working together? Wha-la!!’

So, if you are looking for some decorations for your desktop, delay no longer. Get your Yahoo! Widget now!

The Making of Rooney's Perfect Kick

'Director: Wayne.. Not again.. How on EARTH could you miss that TWICE??'

The recent campaign by Nike to promote their latest football boot, T90 Laser have many viewers guessing; 'Did Rooney really did the kick in ONE take?'.

In fact, this 'cheap looking' commercial was really done in 3 takes.. It is not the misses that matters, but HOW it was missed that matters instead...

Hmm.. Believe it...

The VISTA experience..

-----------------------------------------------------

My apologies to all therubbishbin dwellers. Really, i have been very busy lately, running here and there to attend to my work, sports and my friends.

-----------------------------------------------------

Having a new toy this week, I finally get some hands-on experience on the much anticipated Microsoft OS, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (Not Ultimate.. not up to that standard yet).

And I tell you, it's sweet like candy, smooth like a baby's ass and sleek as your dream sports car..

"Even Torres comes to life on my desktop.."

Aside from its fancy 3-dimensional ability to cascade its windows like above, it has much cooler interface and effects in a whole and in terms of customisation, you can really tweak it to make the person next to you green with envy.

For those who likes to DIY on anything they own, this is a good tool.

Vista comes with very friendly configuration tools; connectivity, security etc. can be configured to your liking, and most importantly, without needing you to flip on the instruction manual, because it is so easy to do. Even a not so techie person like me have no problems maneuvering around the OS.

And you can add some personal touch by adding you favourite 'instant-and-at-your-fingertips-tools' by your side (sidebar) where you can access instantly..

"Currency exchange? It's here. Weather report? We have it. Post-it notes? Plenty."

However, such 'fanciness' cannot be achieved if you do not have a capable machine to power it.. Like they say, 'it comes with an equal price'..

To actually start my pc, it could easily take 3 minutes or so, plus some loading time for my widgets on the sidebar, which really means if you do not have enough memories (RAMS) to support Vista, you will really have a hard time over this memory-hungry operating system. Heck, what is the use of having Vista installed if you only can support the basic layout?

Here is the recommended system requirements to run Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium/Business..

• 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
  
• 1 GB of system memory
  
• 40 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space


• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with:


• WDDM Driver


• 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum)


• Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware


• 32 bits per pixel


• DVD-ROM drive


• Audio Output


• Internet access (fees may apply)

Additional Requirements

• Actual requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration. Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor can help you determine which features and edition of Windows Vista will run on your computer.


• While all editions of Windows Vista can support multiple core CPUs, only Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise can support dual processors.

Home Premium / Ultimate

• TV tuner card required for TV functionality (compatible remote control optional).

Home Premium / Business / Ultimate

• Windows Tablet and Touch Technology requires a Tablet PC or a touch screen.

Microsoft's latest OS also comes with some handy tools such as the Media Centre, Meeting Space just to mention a few which can be useful if it comes to sharing files and medias.

As a whole, Vista experience is a sweet experience for me for the time being, not until bugs starts popping up in time to come, but as a whole, I'd give it double thumbs-up.

*This is not an advert..

Christmas in July!!

Why Christmas in July! I don't really know myself. What i do know is that in Australia, Christmas time is always in the summer season and they want to celebrate Christmas during winter (i guess) and the best time to do that is in July! I won't say this celebration as a tradition through out Australia, however there are ppl here who celebrates Christmas at this time.

Well, it was a totally fun and enjoyable night. There was of course the dinner, the karaoke, dancing which everyone had fun and not to forget everyones favourite, the free drinks through out the night. :p

Christmas in July Celebration!!

200 Pounds Beauty: Review

I have been a frequent visitor of the cineplex for the past few days.. and heck, June is really a good month for movies..

And I came across this title.. '200 Pounds Beauty'..

To love me or hate me?

I have to say... Koreans do come up with the silliest and the funniest movies..

Huge jeans, huge dreams..

Over the surface, this movie is quite similar to its Hong Kong counterpart, 'Love On a Diet', both movies involved the characters being fat at first, then because of love, they.. umm.. find ways to slim down.. And I have to tell you, this movie taught the less healthy way to slim down.. black-mailing a plastic surgeon with a recording of him doing a 'phone-sex' session..


Anyway, the movie goes with the main actress, Kang Hanna (Kim Ah-joong) being a voice of a famous 'singer' Ammy (Seo Yun) who actually, can't really.. sing.. As you can see, despite having the sweet voice, Hanna is not really that pretty (well, she's the movie title..) and secretly she admired him...

Lady killing pose

However, her looks didn't really impress the producer of the album company, Sang-jun (Ju Jin-mo), and Hanna is frequently being targeted by Ammy as victim of himiliation by playing pranks on her, trying to wake her up from her fantasy etc..

'A' or 'B'.. you choose

Which led to Hanna deciding to transform her current form into a new personality. She seeked help from a surgeon (who used to call her up for kinky phone-sex) who agreed to help build her a new image (after black-mailing him)..

'Don't eat the fat..'


Hmm...

When is her wish coming true?

The result of the surgery was spectacular.. She became the new persona of pop songs, and now with her new name 'Jenny', she decides to take another gamble to win Sang-jun's heart..

Oh... did an angel fell from heaven?

Taxi driver: 'What the heck! Do you know how to dri... Are you OK??'

The adventure as a new person is truly a comedy. For the next hour, the movie is filled with both extremes of joy and sorrow. As fame grows, distance is slowly built up between her and her family and friends..

Walking the first catwalk after shedding some pounds..

Tell me.. can you sing with more feeling like Hanna??

Jenny (or Hanna) singing Maria (o.s.t of the movie)

The movie is also packed with cool and catchy tunes.. Some of the songs are even sang by the actress herself!

Surgeon: ' You gotta seduce him with killer poses'

Shooting to fame but distance apart from family and friends.. What's her choice?

Despite being labled as a comedy, this movie has its touching scenes as well, especially when she did a public confession in her first concert.. the whole cinema was so quiet and i really can hear some sobbing.. well, my nose was running.. oh well..

I guess i should not say anymore as i might spoil the essence of this movie.. But i guess in a whole, this is a good movie to watch, for those with sensitive feelings, do get a box of tissue prepared, and for those who'd like a laugh, don't miss this film..

This movie really deserve a 8/10 rating... 2 missing for poorly making Hanna's fatty body.. LOL

(* Pictures cropped from http://www.hancinema.net/)

Total 90 Laser: BEWARE mosquitos..

-----------------------------------------------------

Been Watching ALOT of movies lately.. Will be posting another show on the latest Korean flick, '200 Pounds Beauty'.. O_O

-----------------------------------------------------

When you look at this, no doubt you'd say... 'IT'S CRAZY!'

OMFG!

Archers, beware.. The next person who can be a sharper shooter than you might just use his legs to shoot..

OUCH!

Torres teaching all of us how to intimidate others with accurate kicks..

So, footy-guys, T90 Laser is the next big thing for your game..

Transformers: The Movie

-------------------------------------------------------

I know I know.. Apologies for not posting for so long.. Here, I redeem myself..

-------------------------------------------------------

Protect or Destroy

This movie came to me few months back, when I unintentionally bumped into its trailer. Then, the trailer was pathetic.. Why did I say so is because it made me sooo hooked on to the movie and that one minute of teaser is enough to make me yearn more for the movie..

Teaser..

That was in March...

The day came when the premier of the movie came, in Miri itself, was on the 28th of June (last two days from this post..) I wanted to get the tickets in the afternoon but didn't, then when I knew it, the tickets are all sold out. I was devastated..

But my brother came to the rescue..

He managed to get TWO TICKETS from one of his friend, and hey, before i knew it, i am on my way to the premier..

Tickets, with cool covers..

It says: 'No filming of the movie with any recording objects allowed.'

The moview was awesome..

Life beyond our planet Earth?

The story began with the flying cube, where the citizens of a science-fiction planet, The Cybertron are fighting to get their hands on it. The 'Allspark' as they knew it, landed on our planet Earth and they came all the way from their destroyed homeland to grab hold of it, one side wants to harness the power of the cube, while the other want to foil the evil plans by destroying it.

The very very very bad Megatron.

So, the ones wanting to do bad things with the cube are the Decepticons, while the ones wanting to destroy the cube are the Autobots..

WWE Raw, Heavy Metal style..

These two sides battle their way out to find the locations of the cube and the stumbles upon this kid, Sam Witwicky, the decendant of the late Captain Witwicky who found the cube 200 years ago.

The 'Hero' and the 'Heroine'

The movie revolves with lots of action and the same amount of jokes(lots of sarcasm and puns) slotted amongst the serious battles between the Decepticons and the Autobots.

Very scary robots trying to kill humans..

Tho only thing that makes me wonder... Why the Autobots only take shapes in form of four-wheeled (or more) vehicles? Why can't they do like the Decepticons where they get cool military weapons like tanks etc.? Well, maybe the movie makers want to preserve the originality of the story, and heck, the cars are quite cool too...

Damn cool wheels..

In whole (to keep things), I don't wanna spoil the movie, but i do feel that this movie is going to hit the box-office big time. If you can't watch it today, make sure you do tomorrow..

I'd give a 10 of 10 rating.. The movie even has a hot-chick! LOL..

"The engine's loose.."

*Cropped images are courtesy of http://www.transformersmovie.com/