.....I'm outta my mind.....

Man vs Animal

2011-10-19T17:56:00.003+08:00

In Santiago, Chile, a dog rescues his furry friend who was hit by a vehicle. See the video below.

Meanwhile, in Foshan, China, this happened (viewer discretion advised).

Who's the one with the 'hati binatang' now?

p/s: The toddler has since died from her injuries.

Palestinian-Israeli Prisoner Swap

2011-10-18T17:48:00.002+08:00

There was a prisoner swap between Hamas and the Israeli government today. An Israeli soldier was traded in exchange of hundreds of Palestinians. And Yahoo! decided to cover the story with the headlines, "Israeli soldier very excited to go home".

I wonder whether the hundreds of Palestinians (most probably just civilian) freed actually even have a home to go to.

Kids These Days

2011-10-18T10:37:00.003+08:00

The world of technology is ever evolving. What was the in thing as recent as a few months ago might be so yesterday today. Back in my days, there were cassettes, the Walkman, VHS. Ask kids these days and they'd have no clue to what I just mentioned above.

And with such advanced technology like the smartphones and tablet computers, its a matter of time before people would no longer know books and magazines. Case in point, see video below.

I wonder what the future holds.

What Grinds My Gear (2)

2011-10-13T17:25:00.000+08:00

I promised another raya issue for 'What grinds my gear'.

What really grinds my gear is that, as far as I can remember, TV stations are always airing ghost movies during the raya period. Why?

No comment

I understand that syaitan has finally been released after a month of being chained. So by airing these ghost movies, are they like celebrating the occasion? Absurd Malaysian culture. And I'm not even gonna comment on the ridiculousness of said movies.

That really grinds my gear.

Minyak Gamat

2011-10-13T17:17:00.000+08:00

This thing called minyak gamat (sea cucumber oil extract) works wonders! Whatever it is, be it cuts, bruises, itching, muscle pain, or aches, this potion can insyaAllah relieve you of that pain.

I remember a long way back after my circumcision, the doctor said he heard that putting minyak gamat would help. So minyak gamat was applied to everyday and when I revisited the doctor a week later, he was amazed to see no scarring.

The potion

Amazingly, this medicine is mostly used only traditionally. I would suspect that such would have great potential if more research and advertisement were to be put into this medicine.

I admit, the sea cucumber looks weird.

What Grinds My Gear (1)

2011-09-30T15:07:00.000+08:00

With Syawal finally over, my first two 'What Grind's My Gear'(s) would be about the raya celebration here in Malaysia.

What really grinds my gear is all the sad, depressing raya songs they play over and over again on the radio/tv. Is that even necessary? How many people out there are actually sad during raya? But a few I would suppose. Eid was supposed to be a day of joy and rejoice, after a month of fasting.

"Everyone else is out praying, but here am I, all alone, mending my broken heart,"
said one of the very rare sad guys during eid.

Since when did it become a day to be sad? Did hipsters have a thing to do with this? LOL. The only possible reason to be sad is because Ramadhan has just passed, and you don't know whether or not you'll make it to next year's (and sad for missing out a day(s) of fasting is also acceptable). But these songs have got nothing to do with that. The songs are always about not being able to balek kampung, being sorry for past mistakes (you had a whole month of Ramadhan for that!) and the 'coup de grace' of all sadness, breaking up with your partner. I mean really? Who would break up during eid.

That really grinds my gear.

What Grinds My Gear

2011-09-30T12:39:00.000+08:00

I've been wanting to create this new category, 'What Grinds My Gear' for a while now. I'm borrowing this off from the fat man (as Stewie calls him) in Family Guy.


The Fat Man, Peter Griffin

It'll consist most things I find rather annoying in this world that we live in. Yo gotta problem with that? Cause that really grinds my gears!

O ya, feel free to include anything that might grind your gears in the comments section. Cheers :)

8 Reasons Why You're Getting an F in Personal Finance

2011-09-29T14:50:00.006+08:00

by Len Penzo

Monday, September 12, 2011

Failing a class in school is one thing. Failing your financial goals as an adult is another. Here's how to earn an A-plus in personal finance.

Last year, my son brought home a midterm progress report that showed he was getting an F in one of his classes. What was infuriating was that the F was in physical education.

"How in the world do you fail phys ed?" I asked my wife, shaking Matthew's midterm report card in my hand for added emphasis.

"Beats me, Len. Why don't you ask him?"

Why didn't I think of that?

Needless to say, Matthew and I had a nice little heart-to-heart talk about his failing grade and, I'm happy to say, he actually ended up finishing the school year with a C in PE.

That little incident got me thinking about what people would have to do to earn an F in personal finance. If you find yourself swimming in debt and living paycheck-to-paycheck, the odds are you're already getting one. Here are the most likely reasons why:

1. You don't have an emergency fund.

In life, you should expect the unexpected, such as the sudden loss of a job. The last thing you want to do is be caught off guard and be forced to rely on credit cards or a loan that could get you into deeper financial trouble.

Extra credit: Establish an emergency fund of at least three to six months of expenses. And don't delay. You should start building your emergency fund as soon as you get your first paycheck.

2. You don't know how much you have in your bank accounts.

Overdrawing a checking account by just a few cents could result in lots of expensive bank fees. To ensure you'll never write a check for more than what you have, you should always know how much money you've got in all your accounts.

Extra credit: Set your overdraft limit to $0 and your debit card won't be allowed to overdraft your account. True, you could bounce a check. But if you're running your household like a business and balancing your checkbook regularly, that shouldn't ever be a problem. Consider using money management software to help manage your finances more closely.

3. You don't understand the difference between a want and a need.

One of the biggest impediments to getting your financial house in order is the inability to properly distinguish discretionary and nondiscretionary expenses (otherwise known as wants and needs).

Extra credit: Understand that when taken down to the most basic level, all of us have only four or five primary needs. Those needs are food/water, clothing, shelter, transportation, and health care. Everything else is a want.

4. You don't know how much money you spend.

It's pretty simple: The amount you save is the difference between how much you make and how much you spend. But it's tough to save anything if you don't know how much you can afford to save. That's why it's important to take a critical look at your expenses so you know exactly how much money you are spending.

Extra credit: Audit your expenses by writing down everything you spend your money on for a couple of months. The trick is to be as detailed as possible. Try to capture even the smallest purchases. Here is a budget worksheet to help get you started.

5. Your tastes exceed your spending capability.

Understand that this is not a problem so much as an excuse. Kind of like my son arguing that he's getting an F in his PE class because the teacher doesn't like him. When your expensive tastes starts impacting your ability to save, you're in for trouble.

Extra credit: If your tastes exceed your budget, ratchet them down a notch or three and stop making lame excuses.

6. You can't say no.

Many people do understand the difference between wants and needs, but they have trouble saying no anyway. Being able to say no is a crucial skill in the world of personal finance. Those who can't will always have the most trouble keeping their personal finances on an even keel.

Extra credit: Master the art of saying no.

7. You're an impulse shopper.

Impulse buying is a nasty habit that can best be cured by careful planning.

Extra credit: Establish a household budget. Before going out to shop, know exactly how much you will be spending at each establishment. Make a shopping list before you go to the supermarket or the mall. In short, think before you buy.

8. You worry about what others think about you.

People who worry about what others think of them suffer from a desire to keep up with the Joneses. There are many reasons why people do this, including: the urge to advertise their success in life (be it real or imagined), the desire to have what others have, and instant gratification. Whatever the reason, once they reach the checkout counter, they tend to ignore this little slice of reality: Unlike the Joneses, they probably can't afford it.

Here's the original article.

Yahoo Picks

2011-09-29T14:48:00.003+08:00

I'm gonna start a new category on this blog called Yahoo picks. It'll practically consists of articles I find useful taken from the yahoo homepage. No plagiarism intended, just sharing. Sharing is caring, after all :)

It helps me in that I get to put on something interesting and worthwhile on my blog without having to think much into it.

Perihal Mat Indera

2011-09-06T14:03:00.010+08:00

Whose this Mat Indera guy people have so been talking about lately, ever since Mat Sabu raised the issue in a ceramah a couple of weeks back?

People have been talking, saying that Mat Indera was responsible for the Bukit Kepong attack. I knew a bit about Bukit Kepong, from the movie by Jin Shamsudin. I knew that in the movie, a police station was attacked by some bad ass communist guerrilla. But that's really all I knew. Honestly, I initially had no clue that Mat Indera ever existed!

Bukit Kepong, the movie

So amid all the issue highlighted by Utusan and KJ, I decided to read some history about this guy. Here's a photo of him.

Bad ass or hero?

Read more of the story of Mat Indera here, here and here. For those of you too lazy to do so, here's a brief knockdown.

Mat Indera, or his real name, Muhammad Indera is a descendent of a worrier from Siak. Apparently, he was said to be a religious person, being a Hafiz as well, and his teachers, among others were Kiai Haji Fadzil Bentan and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's father.

He became involved with politics to help drive out the Brits from Malaya and joined Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (PKMM, lead by Dr. Burhanuddin Helmy- another name that was only mentioned in passing in our textbooks) and Angkatan Pemuda Insaf (API). Probably inspired by the Indonesians in their fight for independence from the Dutch (using primitive weapons like bamboo spears), Mat Indera took his battle into the woods, guerrilla style. That's where he met Bintang Tiga. Even though both parties had different missions, as the saying goes, 'the enemy of your enemy is your friend' Mat Indera soon joined forces with Bintang Tiga.

Aware of the threat posed by Mat Indera, the Brits wanted him, DOA. They set about spreading rumours and propaganda about the man, saying he was a dangerous communist man with no religion and moral values, and they offered $25000 for his capture.

Then came the Bukit Kepong incident. Some say he didn't authorize the killing of the police officers, let alone burning of their dead bodies (he had just wanted to catch some of the officers). Some say that he arrived late at the battle field, and wasn't involved in the fight. Others claimed that he tried to prevent the killings of the police officers, going as far as pointing a rifle at a communist member to stop him from humiliating the dead. And some claimed that he even helped some of the officers escape.

After the incident, his bounty rose to $75000. Finally, the Brits caught some of Mat Indera's men and collaborated with them to capture Mat Indera, promising them land and wealth. Mat Indera was caught and hanged to death in 1953. An end to yet another freedom fighter.

There lies a hero- Tok Janggut

If you look closely at the story of Mat Indera and how it was portrayed by the Brits, there's vast similarities with that of Datuk Maharajalela, Mat Kilau, Datuk Bahaman, Abdul Rahman Limbong and Tok Janggut (see above). Tok Janggut also fought and killed Malay police officers and soldiers who sided with the Brits (scumbags), and he was portrayed by the Brits as a rebel and traitor to the Sultan of Kelantan. When Tok Janggut was finally killed, his body was humiliated to the highest degree by being paraded all over town and then hung upside down for all to see. You can read his story here and here. And for all that, what did out text book portray him as? Read below, an extract from Buku Teks Sejarah Tingkatan 5 (KBSM).

Yet another selfish Malay noble man who didn't want to pay the taxes?

Was that really all in Tok Janggut's fight? He didn't want to pay taxes? Lost of political powers and influence? Is that really how we want to remember him as?

Are these stories of traitors or freedom fighters? History is written by those in power. Wallahualam.

That's a Big Croc!

2011-09-06T12:12:00.001+08:00

See below.

Thats a big croc!

That's surely a big crocodile. The salt water crocodile, measuring 6.4m and weighing 1075kg was captured in a village in Southern Philippines. It took some 100 people to pull the beast. I'd imagine even the late crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin would have a hard time taming it! Read about it here.

The site of the big croc reminded me of news I read a few years back, when an 11 year old shot and killed a giant hog.

They should make a movie: Giant Croc vs. Giant Hog. That'll sell

I wonder what they eat to grow that big.

Fasting Footballers

2011-08-25T12:20:00.002+08:00

This is a very good read from The Independent about Muslim soccer players observing the month of Ramadhan and at the same time, playing a high level of competitive soccer. Very inspiring!

In Pursuit of Lailatul Qadr

2011-08-24T18:11:00.005+08:00

We are now entering the last 4 or five days of Ramadhan. Tonight's the 25th night, which is an odd night. Then we have the 27th and 29th nights. So that means we have 3 more odd nights. It may proof to be futile to speculate when the night really is. It may be nice and cool at your place, but then all rainy and thunder storming at mine. Or cold and freezing at another.

So lets just do our utmost and strive to find this night of 1000 months.

A Wedding Photo

2011-08-24T11:48:00.002+08:00

I was Googling my name and found this. Thanks Hamidians0004!

The date though, is a bit wrong. It should be 29/05/11

Investment

2011-08-22T14:41:00.008+08:00

I'm not an economist.

I'm not a player in the stock market.

I'm not an agent of anything trying to get a commission from what I'm about to tell you.

I work as a forensic engineer to make ends meet.

And I admit I'm not really good at this field subject (i barely made it out of my micro and macro economics class alive!).

But here's my word of advice. In this downward moving and unpredictable economy we're in now, invest in anything GOLD. As of today, gold price is in access of $1880/ounce. Thats more than RM200/g. Utterly Ridiculous.

I started investing in Kelantan gold dinars last October. They're definitely nice to look at (see above photo). I bought a couple for RM580 each back in October 2010. You know what a dinar costs now? RM850! But good luck getting them, peeps. They're a tough catch.

Get the latest gold and dinar prices here and here.

Gaddafi Out!

2011-08-22T12:03:00.003+08:00

The Battle for Libya is drawing its conclusion after a six month battle beginning last February. The capital, Tripoli, was claimed to be under the control of the rebels on 22nd August 2011, or formally known as the National Transitional Coalition. The end of Col. Muammar Gaddafi is definitely near. Read more here and here or any other news agency. Here's a good read from the NYTimes.

Good job Libya!

Misconceptions Regarding the Story of Yusuf

2011-08-21T11:22:00.010+08:00

I remember a few months back when I was shopping for my wedding invitation cards and looking at samples, a du'a and a 'catch phrase' caught my attention.

The du'a was:

"Ya Allah, Satukanlah hati kedua mempelai ini seperti Engkau satukan hati Adam dan Hawa, Yusuf dan Zulaikha dan seperti Engkau satukan hati Muhammad SAW dan Siti Khadijah."

The catch phrase was:

Tidak perlu mencari secantik Balqis, andai diri tak sehebat Sulaiman.
Mengapa mengharap teman setampan Yusuf, jika kasih tak setulus Zulaika
Tak perlu mengharap teman seteguh Ibrahim, andai diri tak sehebat Siti Hajar
Dan mengapa didambakan teman hidup yang sempurna Muhammad, jika ada keburukan pada diri.....

Those phrases were undoubtedly catchy and romantic, and would seem to sit perfectly well in a wedding card. Problem was, in my limited knowledge, I never knew that Yusuf (pbuh) married Zulaika.

And as yesterday I was reading Surah Yusuf, I decided to read the seerah of this prophet a bit more, particularly the part about him and Zulaika. So lets take a brief look into this story.

For starters, there is no mention, what so ever, of the name Zulaika in the Quran, with the only women being mentioned by name is Maryam, mother of Isa (pbuh). In the Quran, what is mentioned is 'the wife of the Al-Aziz (ruler). So where did this name, Zulaika come from? Most say its from isra'iliyyat's traditions but then a quick glance at Wikipedia says that the Bible simply mentions her name as the Potiphar's wife. Allah knows best.

The first part of the story of Yusuf (pbuh) and The Al-Aziz's wife is narrated in the Quran from verse 21 to verse 33. It starts with the Al-Aziz buying Yusuf (pbuh) and introduced him to his wife. He asks his wife to receive Yusuf honorably and that they might find him useful or even adopt him as a son. The story continues with the wife inviting Yusuf unto herself and commit adultery. Yusuf (pbuh) rejects her advances and tries to reason with her, saying that the Al-Aziz had treated him honorably and that wrong doers never prosper.

And Allah said, "She verily desired him and he would have desired her if it had not been that he saw the argument of his Lord." and "...Lo! he was of Our chosen slaves."

When the Al-Aziz discovers his wife's bad intentions (even after she pleads her innocence), he asks that Yusuf (pbuh) forgets about the incident and that his wife ask for forgiveness for her sin.

But alas, in such high society were gossips and rumours tend to spread faster than forest fires (yup, even back then!), the women in the city learned about the incident. And when the wife heard of this, she wanted to make a point and called upon the women to her palace for a feast and gave them fruits and knives to cut the fruits with. Then she called upon Yusuf to enter the room. Stricken by Yusuf's beauty, the women cut their own fingers and went as far as to claim that "...This is not other than some gracious angel." The women made advances towards Yusuf, which lead to Yusuf praying, "O my Lord! Prison is more dear than that unto which they urge me, and if Thou fend not off their wiles from me, I shall incline unto them and become of the foolish."

The second part of the story is narrated from verse 50 to verse 53 of the same surah. When the king of Egypt requested that Yusuf be brought to him, Yusuf asked the king inquire about the incident with the women who cut their hands. So the king summoned the ladies and asked about the incident. The wife of the Al-Aziz then proclaimed, "...Now the truth is out. I asked of him an evil act, and he is surely of the truthful.....I do not exculpate myself. Lo! the (human) soul enjoineth unto evil, save that whereon my Lord hath mercy. Lo! my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful."

That was the end of the mention of Yusuf and the Al-Aziz's wife. No where did the Quran mention about Yusuf (pbuh) later marrying the woman. Nor was it mentioned in any Hadith. So where is this Romeo and Juliet-esque love story coming from? Allah knows best.

With regards to this wife of the Al-Aziz, was she an evil person? Lets put ourselves in her boots. She was wife to a very important person in the Egyptian hierarchy, a very busy man. She was probably most of the times alone in the house, with only the ever so beautiful Yusuf (pbuh). So beautiful was Yusuf that the prophet Muhammad once said, “When I met Yusuf (pbuh), I saw that Allah (swt) has blessed him with half of the beauty of the whole world, while the other half has been spread over the rest of it.” (Sahih Muslim).

And if the two decided to commit that sinful act, they could've easily concealed it from everyone's knowledge. Temptations could bring the worse of mankind. That was what the wife thought. But it was not to be for Yusuf was a prophet.

As narrated in the second part of the story, the wife later acknowledged her sins and asked Allah for forgiveness. And Allah is most forgiving. So that is that. Wallahualam.

For more reading, go to here, here, here and here.

Silver Lining

2011-08-20T12:28:00.007+08:00

We were first taken aback by reports that after the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the Japanese people were still following social order albeit their ordeals. They were very calm, patiently waited in lines to buy necessities (even though for hours), they shared unselfishly with others, voluntarily cut back on electricity and gasoline, and no one looted. These are stark differences to scenes observed in other disaster struck places like Acheh, Haiti and even the 'western' New Orleans.

And now, some five months after the disaster, Japanese police claim that $78 million of missing cash have been turned in. The Japs have sent the standard for ethical awareness.

We Malaysians, have a loooong way to go. Remember this image?

This was from a report in The Star of a road accident involving a truck carrying coins in Melaka. After the accident, in which coins were strewn onto the highway, motorist stopped their vehicles on the side of the highway to collect the coins. And they were not collected to be returned to the owners, even after the owners pleaded. You can read the report at the link above. And we're not talking about 100 ringgit notes, or 10 ringgit notes or heck, 1 ringgit notes. These are just 10, 20 and 50 sen. That's how cheap we are. And judging from the photograph, most of them were Malays, Muslims. We should be ashamed.

Its about time we stop adopting just the J-pop, K-pop, culture and dramas from those countries in the East. Its time we adopt their moral values, as well.

Crossing Roads

2011-03-02T11:38:00.004+08:00

When I was little, I was taught in school the way to cross the road is by looking your left first, then your right, then to your left again.

I didn't know that was the case also in Malaysia. I came upon twice in the radio, yesterday and today, when the DJs said to look left, right and then left again which left me puzzled. Malaysia is left hand traffic (as opposed to the US right hand traffic) so why would you look to your left twice, when the car coming from the right is approaching you faster??

What me thinks is that this is just another foolish and at face value acceptance of things in the western world. sigh..

P90X Final Results

2011-01-02T15:41:00.003+08:00

So officially, I finished my second round of P90X. I was quite consistent doing the program for the past 90 days, waking up as early as 6.30am in the morning to exercise. I usually won't have much time otherwise. But there were of course my days of slack, were I skipped routines, ate junk, etc, especially towards the end of the program.

Here are my results:

Body Fat: 11.8%
Weight: 135lbs
Chest: 35.5'
Waist: 30'
Hips: 36.5'
Thigh: 20/20'
Arm: 13/13.5

Overall, I'm quite happy with my results.

So whats next? Another round, MAYBE!

I'm on Twitter

2010-11-04T15:23:00.005+08:00

The lack of something to do today in office has lead me to join Twitter and write 3 blog posts, including this one, albeit being short, short posts.

So follow me tweet in Twitter!

Joining the Cause

2010-11-04T14:49:00.005+08:00

The government's decision to build the 100 storey Mega Tower called the Warisan Merdeka is very much indeed worrying to say the lease.

That's why I'm joining the cause to support and promote the 1M Malaysians Reject 100-storey Mega Tower fan page on Facebook. Check out the box I attached at the bottom of the blog.

That's why, come next general election, InsyaAllah I'll be voting.

Come on fellow countrymen, lets make a change!

P90X Phase II

2010-11-01T23:18:00.003+08:00

I'm entering Phase II of my second round of P90X, and here are my results so far.

Body Fat: 9.4%
Weight: 127lbs
Chest: 32.75'
Waist: 28.25'
Hips: 36.5'
Thigh: 19.25/19.5'
Arm: 12.5/13

I think on one of the body fat calculations, I miss calculated something. I don't believe I drastically decreased my body fat that much in just 1 month.

*Update
I figured I mistakenly calculated my 'before' body fat percentage.

Reasons Why I think We Shouldn't be Celebrating Halloween

2010-10-29T11:35:00.002+08:00

In our nation's bid to become more 'Westernized' (read: night clubs, concerts etc), we are basically copycatting their every move. We are plagiarizing the Westerners. There is no integrity in that. Its almost like when Little Johnny's been copying his friends test answers all afternoon, and when his friend puts down 'I don't know' as an answer to a question he doesn't know, Little Johnny puts down on his, 'Neither do I'.

In one of our latest attempts on plagiarism, he are now adopting Halloween. The talk all over is about the October 31st celebration. Spooky indeed!

Now there are tons of reasons why this beautiful nation of ours shouldn't be celebrating such. Here's some of mine. But first, read a brief description and an article of what Halloween is all about.

Valentine's Day, anyone?

1. It has roots to the Christian holiday All Saint's Day. Now I know some Muslims out there are celebrating.
2. Historically, it was probably from the Celtic festival Samhain/Samuin, which roughly means 'Summer's End'. I don't believe we have such a season here. Adding to that, wearing ghost costumes, the undead, evil spirits etc just doesn't sound right. Again, Muslims, listen.

3. Halloween was brought to the US by Irish immigrants back in the days. That's why they celebrate it over there. Who brought it here? The TV?

After this, to become even more western, we might want to consider celebrating Saint Patrick's Day, the 4th of July, or even Groundhog day.

P90X, Take Two

2010-10-27T19:43:00.002+08:00

So I finally got the urge to rejuvenate my long abandoned blog and tell the whole world (any surviving readers, at least) that I'm doing my second round of p90X! Bring it!

I actually started doing the program the first week of October. This time, I got my sister to do it. Hope it works for her as well. The results, if they come out, will be on Jan 2nd. Until then, we'll see were this journey takes us.

Here are my measurements right before I started the program.

Body Fat: 20.32%
Weight: 134lbs
Chest: 31.5'
Waist: 29'
Hips: 36.5'
Thigh: 18/19'
Arm: 12/13

Pictures? Depends on the final results!

2012

2010-04-15T14:36:00.006+08:00

An earthquake in China, a massive mudslide in Brazil, a cyclone in India, a volcanic eruption in Iceland, cold winters in UK caused by low solar activity. One might be forgiven for thinking that these were scenes from the movie 2012.

In all reality, these are just some of the natural disasters that's been happening over the past few days. Frightening, much?? You better be!

China earthquake
Brazil mudslide
Indian cyclone
Iceland Volcano
UK winter

Antara Dua Darjat

2010-03-08T21:06:00.003+08:00

In the US, in the not so distance past.....

"Eh aku seminggu ni makan McDonald's je."

"Eh kenapa ni? Ko takde duit ke? Kesiannye."

In Malaysia, present....

"Eh aku seminggu ni makan McDonald's je."

"Wah gile kaya ko!"

Yes, I'm definitely loving it!

Malaysian Football

2010-03-04T15:01:00.003+08:00

I've been wanting to write another article concerning Malaysian Football ever since their historic 2009 Sea Games win last December, but never really got it going. Sigh...

Being it 20 years since the last time Malaysian soccer tasted gold in the Sea Games, even after 3 months since the success, I still think its not too late to congratulate the team. The team played relatively well during the tournament, considering the stakes that were against them, including the reported flight problems, and their label of underdogs. The nation of ours have been longing for a taste of soccer success, and these young guns duly obliged in delivering the silverware.

But lets not get too carried away shall we? For we still a far way to go.

Since the games are biannual, it means that there had been nine unsuccessful attempts in between the two golds.

This is Ridiculous

2010-02-25T08:51:00.003+08:00

This article published in Utusan Malaysia on 14th February 2010 was just outright ridiculous.

This just goes to prove what we people already knew about the BN government: They're just a bunch of suns of beaches.

Malaysia So Hot

2010-02-12T15:56:00.004+08:00

I remember back in the days when I was at the States, during fall, winter or spring, we would complain about the cold, cold weather. The Weather Channel website would always give the temperature outside, then include a 'feels like' temperature. The feels like temperature usually depends on the wind velocity, precipitation, etc, which usually makes it feel colder than it really is.

I checked out Kuala Lumpur's weather today and got this

Not that 34C is not hot enough already, but the feels like temperature is even higher!

Car Comparing

2010-01-27T10:25:00.006+08:00

It's a well documented fact that we as Malaysians, pay more for our cars. Ever since the dawn of the Proton Saga launch, some 25 years ago, imported car prices have cost at least 30-60% of the equivalent locally produced vehicles. Malaysians dreaming of a City or Vios would have to settle for a Persona or Myvi. Those wishing for a Wish or Stream would have to be content with an Exora or the Alza. All for the reason of protecting our 'national pride', Proton. Well, as the Proton saga continues with no definite end in sight, lets check out the selling price for cars outside Malaysia and dwell on what if's.

Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is quite the pinnacle of car manufacturing giants, Honda. Ever since its launch in 1976, the Accord has sold tens of millions worldwide. The price for a 2.4L Accord in Malaysia is at a hefty price of RM166035.

Its price in the US? $ 21855. Equivalent to RM74683!

Toyota Vios
Those with a bit of extra money looking for a compact economy car, its always the Honda City or the Toyota Vios. The car is sold at roughly around RM75000 here in Malaysia.

Called the Toyota Yaris Sedan over in the states, the car is sold at a starting price of $14165, which equals to RM48400.

Volkswagen New Beetle
The New Beetle is quite a common car at the US. So common is the beetle that it is even available at regular car rentals. That doesn't seem to be the case here in Malaysia as the selling price for the car is RM140000. The car is considered a luxury car here in Malaysia because of that price tag.

In the States, the car is selling for as low as $18700, equivalent to RM64000 only!

MINI Cooper
Here's another 'luxury' compact here in Malaysia with its mind bobbling price of RM238560. That is a real hefty price considering the small size of the car.

It's price in the States? The MSRP is nothing but $19500. Thats only RM66635. Take that!

BMW
Now for some serious luxury. The BMW has always been my dream car, albeit never actually driven one. The sheer looks of the car was always enough to mesmerize me. That's true beauty. The usual BMW 5 series you find in Malaysia is the BMW 530d and its close variants, nicely priced at RM376800.

By comparison, the BMW 535i, which, by model number is better than the 530d, sells for $51250, equivalent to just half of the Malaysian price, RM175130! Guess I'll need to sleep on.

Ferrari
Enter Sexy.

This is the 2007 Ferrari f430 Spider. The base price in the US is $193000. The equivalent cost in Malaysia would be RM660000. That's considerably lower than the RM1.3M you'd have to pay to own one in Malaysia.

The conclusion is that the imported cars in Malaysia are priced at least double it's price elsewhere.

Surprised? Disappointed? Wth? Don't be. Because this, is Boleh Land.

Malaysian Consumers

2010-01-25T16:26:00.007+08:00

It's quite obvious that Malaysians tend to be quite on the low side when it comes to anything regarding consuming. We tend to waste, we tend to neglect, and we tend to be naive (among others) when it comes to consuming. And most importantly, most of us know nothing about the power and rights of the consumer. Luckily, this has not gone without notice and the relevant organizations are doing their bits to help Malaysians know and appreciate their role, power, responsibility and rights when being a consumer.

Recently, I was in a Tesco in Melaka when I experienced just how naive some of our consumers may be. I was waiting for a friend running his errands inside Tesco when I noticed one of the kiosks outside the supermarket was selling slimming jeans.

Yes you heard me the first time. Not slim jeans, but slimming jeans. Jeans that supposedly shreds your fat when you wear them.

From the poster at the kiosk, the jeans were supposedly made in Korea, and there were three sequential drawings (not even photographs) of the effects of wearing the jeans over time. Amused by the crowd the kiosk attracted, I decided to pop up an ear and go listen to what the seller had to say about such 'astonishing break through technology'.

The jeans turned out not to be jeans after all. They were but thick tights that were dyed in jeans like colors with pockets drawn onto them. The selling price was 50 ringgit. The jeans were designed for ladies. And here's how the conversation went between myself, the seller, and an over zealous lady costumer who was planning to buy the jeans (OZLCWWPTBTJ) :

Myself: So what are the jeans like?
Seller: (probably not hearing me properly because of the crowd) Even guys can wear it.
OZLCWWPTBTJ: Yes, you can wear it underneath your pants. Wear it like you would wear tights. That should be ok.
Myself: (asking the seller) How would it make you skinnier?
OZLCWWPTBTJ: They have infrared.

(As things were just about to become interesting, my friend came and we had to cut short the conversation)

Even IF the jeans did work, you would suspect a person wearing it over time would come to look like this, right? :)

Unless, that is, they come up with a shirt that would go with them jeans.

Malaysia Fifth Friendliest

2009-12-26T20:24:00.002+08:00

In a recent survey done by HSBC revealed that Malaysia is the fifth friendliest country in the world, after Bahrain, Canada, Australia, and our next door neighbor Thailand. Read it here.

Well at least that's one for the locals.

How on Earth do You....

2009-12-21T22:14:00.005+08:00

I remember watching Slumdog Millionaire where these kids stole the engine, and tires of a Mercedes Benz. But that was in a slum area.

But how do you steal an engine from this?

And yes, at a heavily army guarded area?

Beats me. I don't know.

Abbreviations VS Acronyms

2009-12-21T20:29:00.007+08:00

No they are not the same thing, and nor are they meant to be interchangeable.

From Dictionary.com:

Acronyms:
a word formed from the initial letters or groups of letters of words in a set phrase or series of words, as Wac from Women's Army Corps, OPEC from Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or loran from long-range navigation.

Abbreviations:
a shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase, used to represent the whole, as Dr. for Doctor, U.S. for United States, lb. for pound.

Abbreviations are used to shorten the writings of words, not to shorten their pronunciation. Thus, it really grinds my gears when I hear people pronouncing words such as BBQ as b-b-q. It's barbecue for crying out load. Others like inc. is shorten for incorporated, so next time don't pronounce it as Monsters Inc. McD? No, its McDonalds. And what's up with bro? I hate the usage of the word here in Malaysia to begin with, but since I'm at it, it's pronounced brother.

After all, you don't pronounce Mohd. as mohd right? Or s-d-n b-h-d? A-b-d? No, its Mohammad, sendirian berhad, and Abdul.

Don't be lazy. Open your mouth a bit more will you please.

Thank you.

Gambar Mak di Mekah

2009-12-15T19:04:00.004+08:00

A few photos of Mak climbing Jabal Nur, taken from one of the Jemaah's blog.

When Stupidity Prevails

2009-12-14T13:50:00.004+08:00

It's amazing how stupid and superstitious some people can be at times.

I was jump listening to a few radio stations on my way to work today and something on Fly.fm caught my interest. They supposedly had some sort of fortune teller present at the studio by the name Guru G something (I think) that could tell the future. The Dj's were encouraging people to call in so that this Guru G could read their future.

So people began calling in. And this guy, albeit in a joking manner and voice, began 'reading' people's future. Even some Malays called in to have their futures read to them (considering it's haram in Islam to do so). And these callers sounded really impressed by Guru G.

But I knew this guy was just a joke. His accent that he put on was clearly fake. And heck, his predictions weren't really predictions, they were more of what the caller needs to do in the future in order for this and that. But what got people going was the fact that he was able to tell something about the caller without the caller even mentioning about it. Like he would say you have a cousin named bla2.. or you like talking, you wanna become a lawyer. Freaking? No, not really.

So how was this Guru G able to do such 'readings'? The answer didn't require any special powers. The DJ revealed after the show that Guru G simply Googled the names of the callers and talked based on the information that popped up, whether it be based on Facebook, MySpace, Friendster or blogs.

If I was one of the callers, boy wouldn't I be embarrassed! Google is quite a powerful tool. Try googling your name up. You might just be surprised by what you'll find :)

Nice

2009-12-11T15:49:00.001+08:00

In a recent interview with the Vanderbilt Hustler, former Vanderbilt Chancellor, Gordon Gee declared, "It used to be that Vanderbilt was the "Harvard of the South." I now believe that Harvard is the "Vanderbilt of the North."

I like that. :)

After So Long

2009-12-06T10:38:00.005+08:00

I haven't been blogging for quite some time. The last post 'Sending Off Mak to Mekah' was with minimum words. I let the pictures do the talking for me, in an attempt to hide my insufficient writing power to even tell that straight forward story.

Heck, my last real post was way back on the 28th of September. How many years back was that?! Two months and a half to be exact.

I am seriously trying to kick start my blogging career again. Currently I am starting to write reports in my job as a forensic engineer, so I really need to salvage my writing skills before I lose them all together. Not to mention that I'm also succumbing to the many (read a few) requests to update my blog. I don't blame them. :)

But after that lost of writing momentum, it's really hard to get it back. I used to have ideas flowing continuously as I write, which is noticeably missing now. As Newton's First Law of Motion goes, albeit in a simpler manner, a non moving object will continue to stay motionless unless an outside force is applied to it. Same goes with blogging.

So bear with me folks as I endure this barren spell of blog posts. I miss my blog posts as much as you do :P ! But seriously, I might surprise you with a post sooner rather than later!

Sending Off Mak to Mekkah

2009-11-10T21:16:00.010+08:00

I know this might be a long awaited blog update for some. Yes you know who you are. Well wait no more.

Yesterday my mom went for her hajj.

I went back to Terengganu for the weekend and took the Monday off so that I could spend the last few days with Mak before she went for her 50 day journey. InsyaAllah she'll be back on the 1st of January.

We all hope you gain Al-Hajj Al-Mabrur, insyaAllah. And we all hope you have safe journey to and from. Ameen. Can't wait to see you come next year!

Here's some pictures.

Classic

2009-09-29T16:46:00.002+08:00

A quote from two of the best soccer players in the world.

Gerrard said: "I wouldn't swap Fernando for any other striker in the world, he's the best."

And Torres added: "If you play alongside someone like Stevie, who is the best in the world, it can only help you. He is a great passer and can score goals."

Once Upon a Time

2009-09-28T16:25:00.011+08:00

Once upon a time, 5 friends, all of which were studying in Vanderbilt University, were going back to their dormitory at Branscomb Quad. On their way, they decided to form a band, a band that would later be known throughout the years as Vandy Boyband.

Original Members: Hubab , Dols, Babe, Arif, and Hafiz Hafifi

Later that night, as the newly formed band continued their walk home, they decided it was time for their first performance. The performance was held behind Olin Hall, and featured a guest singer, a rising star made popular by band members Babe and Hubab, named Abal.

Abal takes a pose with the original Vandy Boyband.

The band's first music video was released later that year. The momentous event for Vandy Boyband occurred on the band member's way home from the 2005 Raya celebrations. Using Rizwan's Handycam, the band recorded their video clip in between the Art Studios and the Student Life Center buildings. However, due to some difficulties, band members Dollah and Hafiz couldn't attend the shooting, and were replaced by Amar and Hassan, who would later become prominent members of the band. Among the songs sang where from Westlife, the Backstreet Boys, and Jamal Abdillah and Siti Sarah. The music video was available only for a limited time on Youtube, and generated almost a thousand views. Not bad for a first timer.

Vandy Boyband's first music video.

Vandy Boyband continued its rise to stardom when the band was invited to sing during the 2006 Senior Farewell Party. However, no photographs were taken, and thus, no record of the performance survived.

Later that year, the band decided to change courses for a while when it released it's debut nasyid album. The band even went as far as changing its name into Auliya'. Two extra singers were invited to the photo shoot, Qayyum and Amir. The newly formed nasyid band made its sole performance during the 2006 MAS Youth Camp. Again, no photographs of the event were recovered.

The band rebranded itself into Auliya'

The band went into a brief hiatus after that and it wasn't until the winter of 2007 that the band finally reemerged.The band decided to reform it's boyband and inspired by James Blunt hit You're Beautiful, which was shot in the snow, Vandy Boyband's cover album was also photographed in the snow. The album title: Boyband in the Snow. The band retained Dollah and featured Danny for the cover album.

Boyband in the Snow

The band decided to move slowly from there onwards. Their performances were limited to the MSAV's annual Raya celebrations only. There were no record of other activities by the band.

May 2009 signaled another milestone for the band. All of the band members, Dolah, Amar, Hubab, Hasan, Babe, and Arif graduated from Vanderbilt with a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering. After of which, they decided it was time to step out of the lime light and call an end to their glittering four year career. Now, the band members are dispersed everywhere in Malaysia and are living life as ordinary people among you and me.

That's the story of the Vandy Boyband. And yes, as with all fairytales, the band members are also living happily ever after.

THE END

Becoming a 'Kl'er

2009-09-28T11:15:00.004+08:00

I'll be becoming a 'Kl'er starting from tomorrow. lol.

I start my job on the 1st of October.

I'll try to come back to Terengganu once a month, but I know it'll be quite hard to do so.

The waters are murky, the view hazy, and the stakes are high. But do wish me luck for this new chapter of life I'm entering into.

Selamat Hari Raya

2009-09-28T10:36:00.005+08:00

Finally, here is my Hari Raya post. And yes, I know this post is outrageously overdue, it's almost expired! But what the heck, raya in Malaysia is for a month!

So I'd like to wish everyone out there, Muslims especially, Eid Mubarak! May this Eid occasion bring 1001 joy to each and everyone of you. And may Ramadhan that has just passed us bring us closer to the Creator, and hopefully, we can continuously maintain our ibadah for the coming months. InsyaAllah.

Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir Batin.

Berkat Ramadhan

2009-09-05T14:43:00.003+08:00

Praise be to Allah, the All Mighty!

Ramadhan is a month of blessing, forgiveness, and hindrance from the Hell fire.

And in this blessed month, I finally got a job!

I landed a job in the forensic business. As a Failure Analysis Engineer. It might not be pretty and glamorous much, but it should be something I would enjoy doing. Gaining hands on experience is something I would prefer more over staying in the office.

Here's the website of the company which, InsyaAllah I'll be working at. Thanks for all the prayers!

Ramadhan Then and Now

2009-08-24T11:26:00.002+08:00

As we approach the final few days of Ramadhan, it's only fair to compare my previous 4 year experience of Ramadhan in Nashville, TN, with what I'm experiencing now in Malaysia.

I'd have to say I really enjoyed fasting here in Malaysia, especially with my family and all. It's thrilling to relive the experience that I had prior to my stay in the US. The 'kuih muih' and the variety of food on offer at Ramadhan bazaars are at times overwhelming. It makes the decision on what to buy somewhat tougher. The blast and cracks of fire crackers and fire works throughout the night (even though sometimes quite annoying) are just some of the things I miss hearing. And then there's the 'bedil' the loud blast in Kuala Terengganu that signals the time for Imsak and break fast. Those are just some of the things unheard of in the US.

But whose to say I don't miss the Ramadhan in Nashville? Because I really do! I miss break fasting together with my friends at ICN, and the occasional sahur there. I miss it's Terawih, and especially, I miss the food. That's why during the break fast here in Malaysia, some of the things I cooked include, manggo lassi, tandoori chicken, and Waffle House style hash brown (others, I have forgot).

However, it's quite saddening to see that the month of Ramadhan is nothing more than just a tradition to some of us. We fast only because everyone else is doing so. Terawih here in Malaysia is most attended only during the first week of Ramadhan. Where everyone goes during the remaining weeks is quite a mystery. Even the last 10 days which contain Lailatul Qadr can't encourage people to visit the mosque. That my friends, has got to change.

The Story of Two Tails

2009-08-14T09:17:00.003+08:00

We all know of the famous Mowgli, a fictional character from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, and how he was brought up by a pack of wolves.

But watch this video closely and you'll see that sometimes, myths do come to life.

Of course the easier thing to do was for the leopard to eat the mother for dinner, and save the baby baboon for supper or breakfast. Or heck, just let it die. But no. Even it's animal instincts knew better than that.

Maybe we humans can learn something from this? First off, stop disposing of babies.

Ar- Raheequl- Makhtum

2009-08-10T12:20:00.004+08:00

Looking to find a detailed comprehensive biography of the Noble Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)?

Then look no further than Ar-Raheequl- Makhtum, or in it's English version, The Sealed Nectar.

It starts with a brief introduction of how Arabs came about, and covers in detail of the happenings throughout prophet-hood, all the way to the death of the Messenger (PBUH).

An extract from the publisher's note goes, "No doubt The Sealed Nectar is a book of great value and praiseworthy work of the life of Muhammad (PBUH), written by the Eminent Shaikh Saifur- Rahman Mubarakpuri of Jamiah Salafiyah, Banaras (India). The first Islamic conference on Seerah was held in 1976 in Pakistan announced a world contest of writing a book on the life of the Prophet (PBUH) which had a $500000 grand prize for the best 5 books. 171 manuscripts were received from all over the world. The Sealed Nectar won grand prize for its authentic and sound collections of narrations." Abdul- Malik Mujahid.

This book, would InsyaAllah give you a very good understanding of the life of the Prophet (PBUH), as well as correct some misconceptions regarding it. This includes the infamous misconception of when the song Tala Al Badru 'Alayna was sung, which was actually during the return of the Prophet (PBUH) and his army from the Battle of Tabuk, and not during the Great Pilgrimage. Allah knows best.

Enjoy.

Rapatkan Saf, Luruskan Saf

2009-08-07T09:34:00.003+08:00

"Rapatkan Saf, Luruskan Saf..." calls the Imam right before takbiratul-ihram. But do we bother?

I guess not.

That's one of the main problems I realize in our congregational prayer. We neglect the rows. We stand a distance from one another, and our rows are far from straight, even with carpet lines to the aid.

Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) is reported to have said: "When you begin your congregational prayers, straighten your rows...." [Muslim; ch. on tashahhud]

Nu’maan bin Basheer (radhiallahu anhu) once says: "Once Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) faced us and said: "Straighten your rows". He repeated this thrice. He then said: "By Allah, you must most certainly straighten your rows or else Allah Ta’ala will disunite your hearts". Hazrat Nu’maan bin Basheer (radhiallahu anhu) says: "I then saw the people joining together their shoulders and ankles". [Abu Dawood, Sahih ibn Khuzaima]

"Straighten your rows and come close together, for indeed I see you behind my back" [Bukhari]

Jabir bin Samurah (radhiallahu anhu) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) came out to us (once) and said, "Why do you not stand in rows as the angels do before their Rubb?" We asked: "O Messenger of Allah! How do the angels stand in rows before their Rubb?" He (PBUH) replied, "They complete each row beginning with the first and filling all the gaps."

Abu Hurairah (radhiallahu anhu) reported: Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said, "If the people were to know the excellence there is in the Adhan and in the first row, and they could not (get these opportunities) except by drawing lots, they would definitely done that. And if they were to know what excellence lies in joining the Prayer in the first takbir, they would have vied with one another. And if they were to know what excellence is in the Night Prayer and Morning Prayer, they would have definitely come even if crawling (on their knees).

Please read this interesting piece of article regarding the formation or rows in salat.

Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd said:

One of the new things that we see some people doing, with no evidence in sharee’ah, is that in prayer they try to align themselves with a person on the right if they are on the right hand side of the row, or to align themselves with a person on their left if they are on the left hand side of the row, and they turn their feet inward so that their ankles are touching the ankles of the people next to them.

This is something for which there is no basis in sharee’ah and it is going to the extreme in implementing the Sunnah. This is wrong on two counts.

The alignment of the row should begin from where the imam is standing. Whoever is on the right of the row should align himself by looking at those who are to his left (i.e., closer to the imam). Thus the line will be straightened and the gaps will be filled. Alignment is done by lining up necks, shoulders and ankles, and by completing the front rows.

But to try to spread the legs wide and turn the feet inward so that one's ankles touch one’s neighbours’ ankles is an obvious mistake and an exaggeration, and a new interpretation which is indicative of going to extremes in trying to apply the Sunnah. It causes annoyance and is not prescribed in sharee’ah, and it widens the gaps between people standing in prayer.

That becomes apparent when the people prostrate, and when they stand up again they become distracted in trying to fill the gaps and turning their feet to make their ankles touch their neighbours’ ankles, which makes them miss out on what they should be doing, which is to make the toes point in the direction of the qiblah.

Doing that is like competing with one’s neighbour and trying to take his place. All of that is not prescribed in sharee’ah.

Laa jadeed fi Ahkaam al-Salaah, 12. 13."

So the next time we show up to form rows in our salat, make sure we do it right.

Allah knows best.

Swine Flu

2009-07-26T11:21:00.002+08:00

Oops, did I say swine flu? I meant H1N1.

The people of Malaysia can be forgiven for confusing the name of the influenza. There was a disrupt of what to call it among two ministries a few weeks back.

But lets call it H1N1 for simplicity, and plus, that's what WHO calls it.

H1N1 is seriously an annoying influenza. Not because how it effects people, but because of the stigma and paranoid that comes with it. Initially called swine flu because of the belief that it originated from pigs, the flu has caused shock waves and horror throughout the world.

Reason of fear: Death.

As of to date, WHO reported a death count of over 800 people. Astonishing as it may sound since it's outbreak in mid April, there's no reason to go horror crazy. Because, there's another virus out there on the loose, one much, much deadlier that H1N1, which has killed people of to the hundred thousands annually.

Dangerous? Enter the regular flu. CNN reports an annual death toll of 250 000- 500 000 people. So why aren't there much reports/ tallies on death caused by regular flu? Because it's REGULAR!

9 out of 10 deaths of regular flu are among those over 65 years of age and have preexisting conditions that worsens with that catch of the flu. Regular flu can be extraordinarily deadly if caught by babies. That's been the very case with H1N1. Death are reported on babies and people with preconditions that worsens with H1N1.

H1N1 is as uncontrollable as regular flu is. WHO even came to an extent of ending it's tally on people effected by the virus because of the impossible nature of the task. They now estimate of up to a million people are effected worldwide. The organization also recommended that governments stop tallying too. And with the northern hemisphere to approach winter in a few months time, the tally of effected can only multiply.

But the main reason I'm bitter towards H1N1? Because it canceled the midwest games, of course!

Malaysia XI vs Manchester United

2009-07-21T21:19:00.007+08:00

First I'd like to congratulate the young Malaysian team for their double header against Manchester United. I admit that after the 2-3 lost on Saturday, I was really keen on going to KL to watch the rematch yesterday night. It would take a real brave heart to go against one of the mightiest teams in world soccer. Kudos to the team of youngsters.

But rest on their laurels they must not! For if they do, it would be at their own peril. They have still along way to go to be seriously considered again in soccer. The two fixtures were barely a friendly match, and was only Man U's first preseason friendly. Man U was just trying to get their match fitness back after a few months off. Playing against a team which is on preseason friendly, even with all the glamor that comes with it, shouldn't be a way to bench mark your performance. Liverpool drew and lost it's first two preseason friendlies against much weaker opponents. That's not to say Liverpool is weaker or the opponents are much stronger. And the humid weather in Malaysiaw asn't much of a help either, not that the Malaysians are complaining though.

I decided to watch the sports news on Buletin Utama to watch highlights of yesterday's match. In an interview, the Malaysian goalkeeper, Mohd. Farizal Marlias, as proud as ever, declared, "After the match, Van der Sar came to me and said,'nice game'. I was really proud." I hope the lad doesn't really take that as much of a complement, as westerners are known to utter that phrase after a game, regardless the result. I've had countless games in volleyball and soccer which I lost (and some resoundingly), but the opposition still came up to me and said 'nice game'. It's the same as 'nice to meet you,' when you know, of course, that they didn't really mean it. It's just a way of them being polite. But don't get on the down, for Farizal did have a game to remember for the rest of his life, with a few decent saves that prevented Malaysia from suffering a mauling.

But the thing that really caught me surprised was the fact that TV3 covered the story of which a guy by the name of David Roles, supposedly from Sheffield, wrote this in a soccer transfer rumour website, 4thegame.com:

Who? - Amri Yahya
Where is he? - Malaysia
Who is he linked with? - Manchester United

Amri Yahya scored two goals against Man Utd, when Malaysia XI vs Manchester United on the 18th July.. He have a good mental and skills. He think fast knows what to do next..He will make a goo midfield with MAn utd squad.. Hope Sir Alex Ferguson can buy him..

David Roles from Sheffield

TV3 should've really done their homework. The post meant nothing. It was a random transfer rumour that really came out of nowhere, from a random person. Why put that in the news? Anyone, anywhere, can put a rumour at that website. You just need to fill out a short form as you can see on the website. And for all we know, the guy might not even be English as TV3 claimed, judging from his bad English.

Watch highlights of the first game below. Amri Yahya scored a marvelous goal indeed!

When News Coverage is ****ing Bias!

2009-07-21T11:05:00.003+08:00

Pardon my French.

Muslim father murdered daughter for having secret boyfriend - BBC.
Muslim father strangled daughter to death for disgracing family - FOXNews.
Muslim husband beheads wife- CNN.
Muslim father slains daughter for falling in love with wrong man- FOXNews.
Russian neighbor stabs Muslim woman 18 times to death for wearing headscarf- what news?

We trust news channels like ones mentioned above to bring coverage of news all around the world. When a pregnant Muslim woman is killed by her neighbor in a courtroom in German, after being continuously verbally an physically harassed and called a terrorist, stabbing her 18 times in front of her son, you'd expect the news to make the headlines. But did it? I'm afraid not!

Marwa Al-Sherbini, a pregnant mother of one, was stabbed to death in a German courtroom, after giving testimonial to the court about insults thrown at her by her neighbor. It took 18 stabs to finally stop the violence.

When security personnel finally made it to the courtroom, they shot Marwa's husband in the leg, initially thinking he was the attacker. The husband was actually trying to protect his wife, and is now in critical conditions after 3 stabs and a gunshot. Adding insult, German tried to bury the story.

Cruel? Unfair? Biased? Hypocrites? That's the reality of the world we live in today.

Read more here. TIME magazine also published an article here. Show your support for Marwa Al-Sherbini, and all the Muslim women out there by joining this Facebook group.

May you rest in peace, Marwa Al-Sherbini. May Allah put you in those that are granted jannah for your shaheed. And may this death inspire others to withhold their rights, as a women, and as a Muslim.

Leading a Healthy Lifestyle

2009-07-15T21:10:00.004+08:00

Basically, the people of this world can be categorized into 3. The Fat. The Skinny. Or The Fit. Which one are you?

The Fat

Everyone knows that being fat isn't the healthy way to be. It's doesn't look right, it doesn't feel right, coz it ain't just right! I would guess that fat people are those that have a Body Mass Index (BMI) higher than that recommended. You can check your BMI by some simple calculation or if you're too lazy (I know) you can just calculate online at this website. (You can calculate a lot more than just your BMI here). There are of course other ways to determine whether you're fat or not, and if you're not happy with the 'accuracy' of the BMI method, feel free to try others.

There are many negative effects of being fat (and PRAY you're not obese) that I shall not name all. But to name a few, there's diabetes, heart diseases, high blood pressure, etc.

The Skinny

You're still not safe by merely being skinny. You might look a bit right-er than the fat, but you're still not quite there. I would say skinny people are those that fall short of the recommended BMI. I understand that people are just happy to be skinny, especially Malay girls (yes, I'm sorry) but as I mentioned above, that doesn't categorize you as being healthy, yet. I also notice this popular saying (among girls especially), "Buat ape ko nak exercise, ko kan dah kurus," (Why exercise, you're skinny already). That is surely not the right attitude.

The Fit

…and healthy. This is where you wanna be categorized in. Normally, the fit would have a BMI within the recommended range.

So how do you become fit? By exercising and dieting of course. But let me tell you this; it's easier said than done. This is because to be consistent in both is difficult indeed. You'd need discipline, courage, enthusiasm and a strong mind to succeed. And let me tell you something else; like anything else, the fruit is sweet and worth it.

But don't get me wrong here. I'm not asking you to hit the gym, although that is surely a very good option. By exercising, I mean (besides hitting the gym) by playing sports, swimming, running, jogging, or heck, even walking. You need to burn calories. Burn the fat. Ah, and one thing about burning fat is that, unlike muscles, you can't target specific areas where you'd like to burn. You can't say I want to get rid of my buncit and start doing sit ups. It doesn't work that way. You have to indulge in cardio exercises (swimming, running, etc) to burn your fat gradually from your body. So there are tons of ways to exercise (did I mention yoga and Tai Chi?). It's only a matter of pick and choose.

Alas, don't forget the diet. Because, contrary to popular belief, without the right diet, you can't quite reach it. You need to eat the right things, things that are healthy, which would give you the right amount of energy to drive you in your daily routines. And by healthy, it's not only about eating vegetables. It's about eating a complete and balanced all round diet, one that corresponds with the food pyramid. Rule of thumb is simple: To lose weight, eat less calories than you burn, and vice versa. Even in Al-Baqarah , "Eat of that which is lawful and wholesome (healthy) in the earth..." By simply eating chips and drinking Coca-Cola won't do you good.

This brings me to another point. People of the past, i.e. during the time of the Prophet, must have had really healthy lifestyles. Else, at 60, they won't be able to go to war, walk the burning desert, or go dakwah so successfully. Their secret: eating right and exercise. Sure back then there weren't the push ups or jumping jacks that we have come so fond of now, these guys just had less of doing nothing. They don't sit around as much as we do, they don't sleep a lot, and yes, they pray. A lot! Which, for obvious reasons, is a way of exercising.

And now, for why is it important to be fit and healthy? The reasons are obvious. Exercising and eating right decreases your chances of falling sick. Your cholesterol level decreases, your body fat percentage decreases, and you become stronger both physically and mentally. You become more confident and satisfied of yourself. And if health benefits isn't enough to convince you to exercise, then what about the attraction of the opposite gender? Exercising will tone your muscle, giving your body the shape that everyone desires, both for male and female. No more beer bellies, flabby arms and legs or out of proportion body parts, and heck, no more plywood figures. If these two still won't encourage you, then I say no more.

I rest my case.

Death of King of Pop

2009-06-26T20:17:00.004+08:00

The world saw the lost of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson last Thursday, June 25 2009. He was 50 years old. Early speculation says the cause of death was due to cardiac arrest.

News of the death was first spread online. When Yahoo published a post announcing the 'death', I was a bit skeptic, as even yahoo couldn't confirm it for sure. It was only a few hours later that the news became official. Many websites experienced technical difficulties after the news was spread, that even Google thought it was being hacked with so many Michael Jackson searches. Jackson was expected to perform a comeback into pop after years of turmoil that surrounded his career of late.

More over a year ago, UK tabloid The Sun published news that Michael Jackson converted to Islam. He was said to be influenced by his brother, Jermaine Jackson and some others. If these news were true, we all pray that his soul lies with those that are on the right path. Ameen.

edit (July 8th, 2009)

Watch Michael Jackson's memorial here. Some of the key moments were Brooke Shield's speech on her close times with the singer; a performance by his Muslim brother, Jermaine Jackson, with Michael Jackson's favorite song, Smile; and most of all, Jackson's daughter, Paris who came up at the end of the memorial and expressed her love for her father. Watch.

Dark Matter

2009-06-24T19:08:00.004+08:00

I'm kinda of familiar with black matter, a fictional substance in a few episodes of Smallville. It's black, some way liquidish, and was evil. And it came from outta space. I never thought there would be anything like that.

That's why I'm no scientist. There's no black matter, but dark actually does exists. Read here.

Currently work is being executed to build the deepest science lab in the world. The field of study: dark matter. The depth of the lab is 4850 feet, more than six Empire State Building, with it's deepest reaches being up to 8000 feet. Studies has to be done way down there because apparently, the highly sensitive detector used to study the matter would be bombarded by cosmic radiation if used at ground level. Read more here. Further reading taught me that the study of black matter is important, as, among others, would allow scientist to conclude whether the universe is expanding of contracting. How these things add up are way being my imagination.

Which makes me think, how and where do these people come up with stuff like this? Quantum physics has never been my subject of interest, and the discovery of black matter, as interesting a it sounds, might just be something I will never get a full grip of. Nor am I trying to. But really, how do people actually think of something that they can hardly be seen?

I'm not denying the existence of black matter or any other quantum physics theory. It's not in my capability to do so. But this just proves the existence of the Mighty One. When will they notice?

Welcoming Myself to Adulthood

2009-06-24T18:30:00.002+08:00

As I wonder endlessly in search for job opportunities in the web, one thought has been ever circulating my mind. I am entering adulthood!

I graduated in May with a Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering. They say time flies really fast when you're having the best of times. My four years in Vanderbilt has surely been a zip. Heck, I can hardly believe than I'm already 22!

So now it's not just time to grow up, it's time to be a grown up. Time to mature. Time to look at the world as it truly is. I just concluded yet another chapter of my book called 'life'. And now a new one begins.

I look forward. It's now about time to hit the ground running!

Terengganu's New Tourist Attraction

2009-06-15T21:40:00.009+08:00

Terengganu is never shy of attracting people to visit it's rich land. Recently, a very rare phenomena occurred in the state, creating a tourism frenzy with people coming from all over. It's fast becoming popular among local and outside tourist, so much so that within the first few days it was discovered, vendors are already all over the place selling drinks to the ever present visitors. Here are the pictures of that really amazing place.

Jadi marilah pakat rama-rama maghi ganu tengok stadiung rutuh!!

Good Bye Vandy!

2009-06-02T10:39:00.009+08:00

My four year journey as a student at Vanderbilt University has recently come to an end. I left Vanderbilt for good on the 30th of May, 2009. I left Vanderbilt with a heavy heart. I left Vanderbilt InsyaAllah a better and smarter person. And surely, I left Vanderbilt with a thousand and one memories of friends and fun that will forever be cherished.

Here are just some pictures of the Vanderbilt that I'll surely miss.

Kirkland Hall

The very symbol of Vanderbilt University

Kirkland Hall is regarded as the the trademark of Vanderbilt University. The high tower of Kirkland hall can be seen miles away. Venue of many a traditional event for the university. You see Kirkland, you see Vanderbilt.

Featheringhill Hall

The atrium

FGH is the main building for engineers. You know you're a true Vanderbilt engineer if you spend more time here than any other place on campus. FGH was were I first learnt my first few steps in becoming an engineer.

Olin Hall

The chemical engineering fortress

Olin Hall was as close a second house for us chemical engineers. The building was a fortress with no windows. And for the fun of it, compare it with the building below:

This is the power chamber from Power Rangers. Almost the same, right? lol..

Vandy Squirrels

I wont be finding any of these cute fuzzy animals here in Malaysia. They're hard to find.

Of course it'd be impossible to list down every single thing I'd miss in Vandy. But those mentioned above are definitely worth the mention.

Penn State Student Dies At Smokies

2009-05-26T04:29:00.006+08:00

Death comes to us all. It's just a matter of how and when. So always be prepared.

"Every soul is bound to taste death" Al-Imran 185.

Last Sunday, Penn State freshman Nublan Zaki Norhadi was killed when he drowned at Abram Falls, near the Great Smoky Mountains national park. The incident occurred roughly at around 7pm on May 24th, but the body was only recovered at 1.30 pm the next day. Read more here and here.

Backpacker magazine recently ranked the Abram Falls trail as the ninth most dangerous hike in America as a result of high exposure to drowning and hypothermia hazards. The article cited 29 deaths on this trail since 1971 as a result of water related accidents.

My prayers and thoughts are with his family and friends. I can only imagine how hard it was to be there during the incident, and how hard it would be to digest the fact that your son is no more. The deceased was expected to go home for the break this Thursday.

Innalillahi wa inna illahi raajiun.

My Final P90X Review

2009-05-23T12:29:00.005+08:00

I finished my p90x about a month ago but never really had the time to write about it or even take the after pictures. But one thing for sure, the exercise program can really bring you wonders. A picture of me shirtless would be too indecent an exposure to be put in this blog. So these are two pictures taken before and after the program. Compare.

Before the program

A while after the program

Young Star's House Demolished

2009-05-17T04:14:00.003+08:00

The 10 year old star that appeared in Oscar winning movie, Slumdog Millionaire had his house demolished last Thursday. And to think that the kid was part of one of the most touching movies ever produced. Poor kid. Hollywood could, and should've done something.

I've Made it!!

2009-05-09T15:27:00.004+08:00

5/8/2009- I am officially a Vanderbilt Alum.

A post and pictures of my graduation is set to come. Do wait people!!

The Big Tomorrow

2009-05-08T15:05:00.003+08:00

So after 4 years of inner and outer struggle, I have made it to the finish line. Tomorrow, I will be officially proclaimed of my achievement, albeit not as handsomely as my other colleges. But hey, I made it!

Drum roll please...

What's Wrong with the World, Mama?

2009-04-15T06:36:00.003+08:00

People living like they ain't got no mama....

And so the Black Eyed Peas hit goes.. And rightly so, as this is what is happening in the real world today.

On March 27, 8 year old Sandra Cantu went missing from her home in Tracy, a city 60 miles of San Fransisco.

Ten days later, farm workers draining an irrigation pond found a suitcase containing the victims body. Evidence also suggested that the victim was also molested and raped before her murder.

And the suspect?

You would never of guessed her. Yup, a her. A 28 year old volunteer Sunday school teacher at a Baptist Church, by the name of Melissa Huckaby. She was arrested on suspect of the killing after hours of interrogation by police.

How could somebody do such a gruesome crime on such a sweet little thing?

Ironically, given the fact that the accused was actually quite a religious person, no one blamed Christianity to have to do with it. Immediately after the killing of Aasiya Zubair Hassan by her husband, TV mogul Muzzammil Hasan, people all around were relating the murder as if it was an act of 'honor killing' in Islam.

Now that's not right.

Dragonball Evolution Is Out!!

2009-04-14T11:10:00.004+08:00

....And as it turned out, it's a big disappointment.

The movie was released April 8, and surprisingly, I noticed no commercials on TV advertising it. IMDB users gave the movie a 3.2 rating, while users on Yahoo shared basically the same feelings. Some even claimed the screen play as a step back for the dragonball franchise.

Basically, from what I've read, the film lacked a strong storyline, that things happened without a proper explanation. The visuals and graphic were said to be cheap, and the plot deviated so far from the original dragonball manga. For instance, Goku never went to high school, and most importantly, there was no Kurin/Krillin, Goku's best friend. And the actors, albeit being considerably good actors, gave lacklustre performances. Let's make it simple, the movie was plain dumb boring.

And to say I waited 5 years for this movie. What a bummer. Let's hope for a better sequel.

My 10 cents on the New Parliment

2009-04-14T10:21:00.002+08:00

This may be a bit late. I have been quite in the dark regarding politics in Malaysia for some time now. Nothing near to the almost daily updates come PRU 12 last year. But well, here goes.

So sometime last week, our new esteemed PM, Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak announced his newly elected cabinet members. And here it is.

There's not much for me to say right now, because as I mentioned earlier, this whole thing is still a bit a blur to me, but what's obvious is that a couple of senators were elected as Ministers, and a few more as deputy ministers.

And so I sense a bit of a disrupt among the BN ranks with the announcement of the new cabinet. Some claim the allocation of the ministers weren't fair, that there were not enough of their party's representative in the cabinet, and what not. Read from BH. There's nothing new with this. It's always as usual. Once a new PM rises, they rid of the old guys people, and instill some of their own. It's called cronyism. What's new with that?

Oh, I smell rotten fish!!

My Very, very last and final stand

2009-04-01T12:39:00.006+08:00

I know I said it before in a post during the start of this semester that this will be my last stand. But now, with less than a month of classes to go, this is really, really, and finally, my very last stand. I can't stress that enough.

I've been waiting for almost 4 years now to get my degree. So what's that compared to the three weeks or so until I finish class? It's everything! The anticipation, excitement, and joy of finally about to hold a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering is just too much to bare. To top that, I still have another week or so to go after finishing class until my commencement.

But then again comes the despairing and dismaying fact that I'll be leaving Vandy for good. Haih.. Now that's something I'm gonna surely miss. But heck, life moves on, and it stops for no one.

Pray that all goes well insyaAllah. To my fellow seniors, all 21 of them, good luck!

Saya Sebuah Komputer Riba

2009-02-28T17:06:00.005+08:00

Saya sebuah komputer riba. Saya dilahirkan dengan nama timangan Latitude D610 di sebuah 'hospital' Dell di Malaysia. Reka bentuk saya cukup kacak. Badan saya slim, dan disaluti warna kelabu yg cukup menawan. Dalaman saya pula tidak kurang hebatnya pada ketika itu. Saya mampu menyimpan maklumat sebanyak 80GB. Saya jugak dilengkapi dgn Intel Centrino dan bersistem operasi Microsoft XP. Cukup hebat, cukup menawan. Sayalah Romeo, sayala Juliet pada ketika itu. Alangkah indahnya kenangan...

Pada usia yang cukup muda, saya telah dihantarkan ke Amerika Syarikat untuk berbakti di sana. Betapa terujanya saya dengan pengalaman itu. Berhijrah ke luar negara memang menjadi mimpi saya dari kecil. Saya berpegang pada kata-kata, 'Jauh perjalanan, luas pandangan,'.

Nasib baik saya tidak berakhir di situ. Setibanya ke tanah asing benua Amerika, saya mendapat berita bawaha saya akan di hantarkan sebuah universiti terkemuka dunia, iaitu Vanderbilt University. Saya cukup bangga! Dapat berkhidmat kepada ilmuan-ilmuan bakal pemimpin dunia cukup membuat saya begitu bersemangat, kerana saya pasti, dengan reka bentuk dan kelengkapan di dada, saya pasti tidak mengecewakan!

Setibanya saya di Vanderbilt Univeristy, saya telah diletakkan dalam kotak yg tertera perkataan Hubab Al Munzir Asmawi. Barangkali itu nama tuan saya, hati kecil saya terdetik. Dan sangkaan saya memang tepat sekali kerana saya telah diberikan kepada seorang pemuda dengan nama tersebut. Dia merupakan pelajar tahun pertama dalam jurusan kejuruteraan kimia. Yang lagi anehnya, dia juga berasal dari Malaysia, tanah tumpah darah saya juga! Tidak saya sangka bahawa saya akan berurusan dengan orang Melayu lagi.

Maka bermulalah pengembaraan saya bersama tuan baru saya Hubab Al Munzir Asmawi. Dia cukup bangga dengan saya, kerana saya merupakan komputer riba dia yang pertama. Saya selalu dibandingkan dengan komputer-komputer riba teman-temannya yang agak terdahulu. Komputer-komputer tersebut hitam dan besar, katanya. Tambahnya lagi, komputer-komputer tersebut tidak secanggih saya. Bangga saya apabila saya dibawa merata-rata oleh tuan saya, kerana semua mata memerhati dan memuji kecanngihan saya. Tuan saya pula cukup pandai menjaga saya. Pada ketika itulah saya rasa kenangan paling manis dalam hidup saya!

Namun, kusangka panas sampai ke petang, rupanya hujan di tengah hari! Setelah setahun bersama tuan saya, pelajar-pelajar tahun pertama yang baru mendaftar telah dikurniakan komputer riba yg lagi canggih daripada saya. Nama meraka Latitude D620. Meraka ini, walaupun dikira adik kepada saya, cukup sombong dan angkuh! Langsung tidak hormat akan saya, dan selalu menunjuk-nunjuk kecanggihan meraka di depan tuan saya. Cemburu!

Namun, tidak sama sekali saya berputus asa. Agi idup agi ngelaban! Itu juga motto hidup saya. Saya cuba memberi perkhidmatan yang terbaik kepada tuan saya, walaupun jauh di sudut hati saya sedar, saya tidak mampu bertahan lama. Saya juga akur, tuan saya sudah mula memikirkan samada mahu menukarkan saya ataupun tidak. Atas berkat usaha saya yang tidak kenal jemu, saya berjaya berkhidmat sehingga tuan saya tamat tahun ketiganya di Vanderbilt.

Pada akhir semesta itu, saya diserang oleh virus yang hebat. Saya jatuh sakit dan tidak mampu berfungsi sebaik-baiknya. Saya bersyukur, kerana tuan saya tidak berputus asa terus dengan saya, dia telah cuba sedaya upaya untuk menyelamatkan saya. Dengan bantuan kawannya, tuan saya telah format semula saya, dan Alhamdulillah, setelah itu, saya sembuh dari penyakit virus berbahaya tersebut. Malangnya, setelah format semula, saya gagal berfungsi sebaik sebelumnya. Saya gagal memberikan perkhidmatan yang terbaik kepada tuan saya. Tidak lama kemudian, saya diserang lagi dengan virus yang lebih hebat. Tidak mampu saya melawannya. Dengan imunisasi badan yang sudah lemah, serangan demi serangan virus telah saya hadapi. Persembahan saya tidak memberangsangkan. Sampai satu tahap, tuan saya tidak percaya pada saya untuk berkhidmat kepadanya dalam suatu ujiannya. Saya cukup sedih. Pada ketika itu, saya sudah merasakan ajal saya makin hampir. Tetapi bila?

Tidak kusangka, rupa-rupanya tuan saya sudah mula berbincang bersama teman-temannya tentang cara bagaimana mahu mendapatkan komputer baru. Dan tanpa pengetahuan saya juga, kira-kira satu minggu yang lalu, tuan saya telah menghubungi Dell untuk meminta komputer baru. Sudah jatuh ditimpa tangga, lagi malang nasib saya apabila pada hari Rabu yang lalu, tuan saya telah membawa pulang komputer ribanya yang baru, Dell Latitude D630. Walaupun komputer itu merupakan unit 'referbished', namun ianya tetap jauh lagi canggih dan baru daripada saya. Berdesing telinga saya apabila mendengar tuan saya memuji-muji komputer barunya itu. Lagi mengeruhkan keadaan, komputer barunya itu ditempatkan bersebelahan saya. Oleh itu, setiap kali saya bangun, saya mesti melihat kelibat 'orang ketiga' itu bersebelahan saya. Makin hari makin saya tidak digunakan. Saya dipand

ang sebagai 'scrap material' sahaja. Tambah penghinaan, apabila tuan saya menganggap komputer riba baru itu sebagai hadiah hari jadinya daripada Dell. Istimewa sangatkan D630 itu berbanding saya?

Tanggal Februari 27, 2009 merupakan hari terakhir saya. Benar kata mereka, dunia ini hanya sementara. Umur saya ketika itu belum pun mencecah empat tahun. Pada mulanya, saya menyangka tuan saya mahu menggunakan saya untuk project biodieselnya. Sangkaan saya meleset jauh sekali. Rupa-rupanya, tuan saya mahu bertindak kejam dengan menamatkan riwayat saya. Tiba-tiba saya dicurahkan dengan alkali KOH. Aduh, pedih! Sakit! Saya menjerit. Namun jeritan saya tidak diendahkan. Akhirnya, tamatlah riwayat saya sebagai sebuah komputer riba!

This is a tribute to my friend of three years, my dear laptop. I'm sorry it had to end this way. :(

hehhe...

Dell: Happy Birthday, Hubab!!

2009-02-25T14:55:00.007+08:00

Dell said to me today, "Hubab, happy becoming birthday! Here's your birthday present!"

"Aww, Dell, you didn't have to! But thank you so much!" I replied. I was surprised.

So Dell gave me a laptop for my birthday. Isn't that something? (But it surely would've been much sweeter if Apple gave one instead, though!)

Anyway, obviously they didn't actually give me that laptop for my birthday, but heck, it's only two days anyway, so it's nice to 'perasan' the laptop as a birthday gift.

My old laptop, the one I loyally wore for 3 years and a half (since freshmen) finally 'gave way' and it was time to part with it. After so many difficulties and problems with it, I decided the best option was to get a new one. Like they say, 'Habis madu, sepah dibuang,'. So I had a chat with a Dell representative last Tuesday, and a week later, this Dell D630 was in my mailbox. Alhamdulillah.

So now a new chapter is opened with my new laptop.

Is Yoga Haram?

2009-02-20T14:54:00.009+08:00

There was quite a commotion a few months back when Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan of Malaysia issued the yoga practice as haram. So the question arises here, is yoga actually haram in Islam?

Yoga, as defined by Wikipedia is a traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in both Buddhism and Hinduism. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu Philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs its practices. From the Merriam-Webster dictionary: a Hindu theistic philosophy teaching the suppression of all activity of body, mind, and will in order that the self may realize its distinction from them and attain liberation. Finally, from dictionary.com: a school of Hindu philosophy advocating and prescribing a course of physical and mental disciplines for attaining liberation from the material world and union of the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle.

All Muslim scholars agree that yoga, when it's spiritual chantings and mantras are included in the exercise is haram. There should obviously be no doubt about that. There's no knowing what all those chantings and mantras mean and refer to. That is indeed blasphemy and leads to syirik. Nauzubillah hi min zaalik.

However, is it also considered haram to practice just the exercise part of yoga, i.e minus the mantras? This is where the debate lies. Some scholars say it's ok to do so, while others believe otherwise. And both have strong grounds to hold their case. I am stressing here that I am not issuing a fatwa of my own. That is not my level. I am merely just pointing out the reasons some scholars believe it is permissible in Islam to practice yoga (the exercise) and otherwise.

The debate behind the opinion that yoga is haram is largely based on the hadith ,' Whoever resembles a people is one of them' (Abu Daud). And since Yoga's root is Hinduism, it falls in that category. Other than that, since Yoga contains the mantras which praises and proclaims another deity other than Allah, it is syirik, and must therefore be prevented. Do correct me if I'm wrong.

On the other hand, yoga is considered permissible according to some scholars is when it is preformed without the chantings of mantras. Because yoga, without the mantras is just like any other flexibility exercise.

I do yoga for the sole purpose of increasing my flexibility. Having good flexibility helps me increase my range of movement, makes me less prone to injuries, and decreases muscle pain. Read more on yoga physical health benefits here. The bizarre movements you do in yoga certainly helps in reaching this goal. And while others like to believe that yoga also increases spiritual strength and helps you relax, I don't really buy into them. Yoga movements are really tough, and so it is really hard for me to relax while doing them. LOL. Anyway, I have better ways of finding inner peace. And that is of course is through the remembrance of Allah.

'Only in the remembrance of Allah can the heart find peace,' - surah Ar-rad: 28

My P90X Review

2009-02-20T12:58:00.004+08:00

Recently, I've started a new work out program called P90X. It's a new work out program that I discovered from Qayyum (which he got it from Hanum), and I tell ya, it definitely isn't one of those crap workouts you see on tv!

But first and foremost, what is this P90X? Well, P90X is an extreme exercise program designed to build, shape, and tone muscle. The course of the program is 90 days, of which is divided into 3 phases. And based on the 'manual', by 90 days you would have a ripped, toned, and muscular body. What I like about this program is that it doesn't require any fancy equipment at all. All you need is a set of dumbells and/or exercise bands, and a yoga mat (gosh, only 3 things. or am I missing anything?). And ya, there is also a diet program that comes along with it. Read more about P90X here. The trainer is, btw, Tony Horton.

Alhamdulillah, yesterday I accomplished the first phase. The exercise routines weren't so bad, once you get used to it. I remember during the first week, when my body was just learning the new workouts, it ached all over for the whole week! But over the course of time, your body adapts to this vigorous routines and voila, no pain at all. The diet program that accomodates the exercise wasn't so bad, too. The first phase was called 'fat shredder', and true to it's words, it does burn fat. Why? Because you don't eat anything much other than protein. No kidding, most of my pants are starting to fall off, and my rib cage is becoming more visible. And heck, no more buncit2! lol.

So really, I do feel that this proram actually does work. I feel different, I look different. I'd love to put my before and after photos here, but they're too discrete. As Tony Hurton likes to say through out the videos, "It's X, ladies and gentlemen!"

Virus Attack

2009-01-21T14:10:00.004+08:00

It has become some kind of a trend over the last few months, that our personal computers are being attacked by viruses of all sorts, to an extent that some of my friends have been affected 3 times already. And as I'm typing this post, my computer is again, officially under attack from another virus, of which I'm unfamiliar with, called VirusRemover 2008. What the heck.

The previous virus that infected my computer was because I clicked on some warnings (which I foolishly thought was from Windows). But this time, it happened rather suddenly. No clicking on any warnings this time. And this bloody virus is closing my yahoo messenger, my itunes, opening random attacked sites on my mozilla firefox and opening internet explorer. What else would it do? Well, it's too early to figure that out yet, but we'll see. In the mean time, Arep, SOS!

A New Era Begins

2009-01-21T12:00:00.006+08:00

Today was officially the first day of Barack Obama as the forty-forth President of the United States of America. Today was President Barack Obama's Inauguration day. And today, 'the world has changed,'.

What a day it turned out to be.

Americans, of all walks of life, near and far, gathered around the capital to share a moment of history. Gathering up to two miles off U.S Capitol at the Lincoln Memorial, people braved the cold winter month of January, and still felt, as much as any where else, part of the grand event.

Others who couldn't make it to D.C fought off internet traffic in attempts to watch the Inauguration video online. The online video of the Inauguration set records in internet traffic as millions tried to gain its access. The overwhelming demand meant most had to settle down for other means of media to witness the coverage. Some of the luckier ones managed to get glimpses of frozen images of what what was going on.

The frenzy doesn't stop there. The Inauguration also prompted more than a million status updates on Facebook. Read more about that here. People all over wore shirts bearing support for the new president. Read other interesting stories of Inauguration Day events here, here, here, and here. Or heck, just Google it.

So as America, and practically the whole world, nurse the hangover from such a historical and significant event, the question arises: How long will the Obama honeymoon last, if there is to actually be one, of course. Will the economy spring back to life?, will the world change it's views on America?, will the wars stop?, will there be more stability in America?, and etc. Just how much time are the people willing to wait to see these changes?

And as Muslims, one of our greatest hopes for this new President is to resolve the matter in Palestine. Will he have the guts and courage to go the extra distance in finding a resolution to finally stop the blood bath in the Holy Land? He is the closest a president can be to a Muslim without actually being one. If he won't do it, no one will.

Like he always says, 'Change has come to America,'. Let's now hope that he can bring that change to the world. Read his Inauguration speech here.

My Last Stand

2009-01-08T10:44:00.004+08:00

So here it is people. My final stand. My finale. My final semester as an undergraduate student here at Vanderbilt. It a few months time, what's left would be memories, and I, an alum. Pray for me, please.

Al- Fatihah

2009-01-03T06:57:00.006+08:00

This post is a tribute to a very great man, who was a stern teacher, a father, a grandfather, and a great grandfather. This very great man passed away around 6 pm, on the very last day of 2008. This great man, was my grandfather. His name was Mohammad bin Awang.

This was the last picture I have with him, taken back during my sister's wedding celebration in Kelantan last August. He had been bed ridden for at least 2 years now. But his condition deteriorated greatly since the last I met him in 2006. He was almost all bones. I knew he didn't have much time back then, and one of my greatest fears was that I wouldn't make it in time for him.

I've had some fond memories of my grandfather, of which we call Ayoh. I remember that he used to be very stern, and we grand kids were scared of him. But we loved him, and admired him for who he was. He was an ustaz and taught Arabic at a nearby surau. And everytime the sound of the his passola came to our ears, as if a signal, calling us grandkids to the door waiting for his return. For each time he returned, there was always icecream and snacks for us. He would occasionally joke that he didn't have anything for us, and if we didn't know him any better, with that very stern look, we would've believed him.

And now that he's gone, what's left on my part is regrets. Regrets that I didn't use my time when I was back in KB to be with him. That I didn't look after him, that I didn't hold his hand long enough, that I didn't make much contact with him. And now all those times with him are only memories, and everytime I go back to Kelantan and pass through Lorong Mohammad Sibawaih, I'll remember the legacy Ayoh has left behind.

Al- Fatihah. May you rest in peace and that Allah makes it easy for you in the here after. Ameen.

This Guy

2008-12-11T14:09:00.005+08:00

So there's this one guy. He has a degree in engineering and a masters in economics from Strasbourg University. He's fluent in French, German and English.

So what does this guy do as a profession?

He's a football (soccer) manager of Arsenal FC. He's Arsene Wenger, to be exact. Just what are the odds...

This just comes to show the wide variety of things someone can do with an engineering degree.

I'm definitely putting 5 years of experience playing Football Manager in my resume!

Harga Minyak

2008-11-13T04:32:00.002+08:00

I was really surprised to learn that today's gas price at Nashville is at a low $2.05/ gallon. Equivalently, it's RM1.95/L. How low is that?

Haa, Malaysia bile lagi? I don't recall Nashville offering the lowest gas price in the US. Thus there must be other places here with lower than that 2.05/gallon mentioned above. If the price of gas over here is that low, why can't Malaysia be lower, or heck, at least challenge that? Kata net exporter minyak?

And pasal harga barang? Don't even mention it..

Welcome to BolehLand!

Malaysia's Big 'Progress'

2008-11-10T11:40:00.003+08:00

There's this one American guy who used to live in Malaysia back in 2001-2002 I know living in Nashville. He used to work as some kind of a tutor (if I'm not mistaken) back then. His name is Blayne Hall and most of the other Malaysian's here in Vandy know him.

Anyway, I was talking to him the other day and I asked him whether or not he has been back to Malaysia since he left in 2002. He said yes, he was just back last May. And so like anyone else who's ever been to a place repeatedly, he compared the difference between Malaysia then, and Malaysia now.

"Malaysia is a lot different now than it was back then," he said. For a moment there I felt proud. I thought he was going to complement on the development of Malaysia, I thought he was going to say something nice about the environment, about the cities, or heck, about the Malaysian people now.

How I was wrong. Because, this was what he said, "When I was in Sepang, I saw two Malaysian women, without head scarves, smoking by the side of the road. I never saw anything like that before. Maybe in Kl yes, but not anywhere else, not places like Sepang."

Wow. So much for the development of Malaysia. Is this where we're heading?

If so, SOS!

Obama Makes History

2008-11-05T13:02:00.002+08:00

Hail to the chief! Barack Obama has made history by becoming the first black president of the United States of America. Officially taking office on January 20th 2009, he will be the 44th president of the country.

This win just shows that it has come a long way since the racial barriers days. Congratulations Obama.

"Change has come," he declared.

And it's off

2008-11-05T10:07:00.003+08:00

The 2008 US Presidential Elections are over and now the vote counts start. As of the time I writing this, Barack Obama is leading the race. What ever the results, let's hope for the best of this country, because, whatever happens here, effects the whole world. Ameen.

Read live coverage here.

Game on, Liverpool!!

2008-10-27T03:37:00.003+08:00

Now I don't write much about sports but since Liverpool recorded what was to be a historic win over Chelsea today at Stanford Bridge, I had to record this down. It was almost too good to be true, and surely, too big of a boost to not brag about.

The score line was just 1-0 Liverpool, but it really did reflect much of the game. Clear cut chances were few for both teams and much of the chances were half chances only. And Alonso's 10th minute strike was nowhere near pretty, but hey, they all count. And Chelsea may have created more chances and held more possession, but at the end of the day, it's the three points that matter. And today, it was Liverpool's day.

Going into this game, Chelsea were not beaten at home for 86 games. What a record that was, but as with all records, it was bound to be broken sooner or later. And it turned out that Liverpool happened to be that team.

So after 9 games into the season, Liverpool are still unbeaten. It's their most impressive start into the Premier League campaign under Rafael Benitez and the hype doesn't stop there. It was a genuine show of intent to win the FA Premier League from Liverpool for the first time since 1990. For now, it's two wins against two of the biggest teams in England. Game on, Liverpool!

Below $3 dollar gas prices

2008-10-22T09:49:00.003+08:00

Surely, a long time coming! Welcome back <$3.00 gas prices. We surely missed you.

Trinity explained

2008-10-21T12:04:00.003+08:00

How do you explain the concept of trinity? Well, this guy might just have the answer for you! Watch.

Thanks babe for sharing such amusing info. LOL.

Here's ten reasons why Jesus (PBUH) is not God.

The Third and Final US Presidential Debate

2008-10-16T11:00:00.006+08:00

I didn't watch but the final 15 minutes of the third presidential debate live for two reasons. I forgot it was today, and second, I had other things going. But what a miss it was. Luckily, there's the internet, and with that, YouTube. For all you that missed out on that historical debate, here's part 1 on YouTube.

You can always catch more parts of that debate by following the proceeding links.

The debate turned out to be a platform for both presidential candidates to get really personal and attack each other and their policies. Read more here and here.

What I like most about politics in the US is the fact that it is done really professionally here, when compared to Malaysia. It's not something sacred, something you have to hide, something only for adults (not even for college students), or something personal. It's done in a really open and positive manner. Even kids get to have their fair share of the situation. Which is really good actually. It helps them gain awareness of the political situations going on, it's issues and it's candidates.

I remember in forth grade, our school used to subscribe to Time For Kids magazine which covers issues similar to the adult Time magazine, only that it discusses issues in a less complicated manner, easier for the kids to digest. And my class would discuss these issues after each edition. And sure enough, during the 1996 presidential election, we discussed the hot topic in class. And no, it didn't get bloody and personal.

Wanna see something else that's cool? Check this out. Kids are actually given the opportunity to ask the presidential candidates questions. Call them kids, but the questions asked aren't anywhere near childish. The questions asked regard health insurance, immigration, the war in Iraq, the economy and global warming. How awesome is that? And it doesn't stop there. Kids would later 'pick' their president by casting their votes here.

You won't find anything near this in Malaysia. Sadly, I have friends who have the slightest ideas of what's going on in Malaysia. Heck some don't even have the slightest interest in the topic. Isn't that funny? One way or another, politics will surely effect your life. Malaysia is your country too, isn't it? It's not just one man's future at stake, it is your future too to decide. Now I'm not attacking anyone here, but somethings gotta change. SOS.

Datuk Shahrukh Khan

2008-10-14T13:57:00.005+08:00

No, not datuk as in grandfather. In case you haven't heard, you may be wondering why there's a 'Datuk' in front of Shahrukh Khan's name. Well guess what? He is a Datuk.

Absurd? You tell me!

The Bollywood heartthrob was awarded the Darjah Kemuliaan Seri Melaka which brings the title Datuk (equivalent to the British knighthood). The reasons? Well, here's what Datuk Seri Ali Rustam had to say.

Ya right. All Shahrukh Khan did was dance in front of the A' Famosa for a little while. As if that was enough to promote Melaka. As if the millions watching that movie would be asking where the shooting was held. Since A' Famosa would've been shot for nothing more than a few minutes (at most), I don't see why it would really help people know Melaka. And dancing in front of that monument definately doesn't merit a datukship. Heck, if that was the case, anyone can go dance in front of A' Famosa and post the video in Youtube. And plus, I don't think t was even his idea to dance in front of A' Famosa. For all it's worth, the credit should've gone to the director or producer of that film.

And if that's the case, many more celebrities should of been awarded the datuk. Chow Yun Fat for Anna and the King, Catherine Zeta Jones and Sean Connery for Entrapment, and Jakie Chan in Police Story to name a few.

No disrespect of any kind, but if the trend of giving out datuks to just about anyone is continued, the value of that honourable award would be no more. I thought the last incident when they gave a Datuk to Michelle Yeoh was funny enough, so this time is out of the roof hillarious. Heck, Shahrukh Khan didn't even attend the award giving ceremony. He probably had many more important things to do, or was simply just too embarrassed to even show up. I mean datuk? What is that?

I couldn't find the A' Famosa clip as mentioned above. But here's a clip from one 2 ka 4 in KL. Enjoy.

Rides to Scream for

2008-10-14T10:32:00.004+08:00

Before I begin, let's get things straight. I am not a roller coaster guy. I'm not too fond of heights to say the least. Me and heights just don't go along well I guess.

Well anyway, I decided to spend last Saturday at Six Flags Over Georgia with the MSA. It was Muslim Family Day over there and I felt it would be a very nice experience to join in the fun. After all, the last I've been to Six Flags was a good 12 years ago. It's been a while. And no roller coaster rides for me back then.

But at 21 years old, you don't pay 25 bucks to go on the kiddy rides! So from the 6 rides we took, 4 were roller coasters.

Our first one, which we initially saw it as a warm up ride (the coaster seemed decent from afar), turned out to be not much of a warm up after all. The Mind Bender was actually the first triple loop coaster in America!

Then we took on Batman. I remember Abah riding that one over at Six Flags Great Adventure last time, and boy was he terrified. Lol. So now it was my turn. Basically you just hang on the coaster via the supporting at your chest, with your feet dangling in the air. And it sure was a blast.

Next up (after lunch) we rode 2 water rides, the Thunder River and Splash Water Falls. The former was similar to the Congo Rapids we rode over at Great Adventure, while Splash water falls was a real splash. We were soaked!

Then came the ultimate rides. As they say, save the best for last, and that was exactly what we did. First was Superman: The Ultimate Flight. You plunge face first through loops, swrils, and turns. Just look at it's affect on us! It was truely an almost flying experience!

Then the cream on the crop was Goliath. Just by its name, you know for sure its big. And it surely was. Standing at 200 feet and at a maximum speed of 70 mph, you can't ask for more. Just look at it:

And it's affect? Well, look for yourself.

Roller coaster rides seem to be an addiction. Once you've been on one, you want another. You just dare yourself for the extreme! For more photos of the trip, visit MSA flickr.

Just a reason why Malaysians athletes can't compete

2008-10-07T10:34:00.002+08:00

I was on the treadmill in gym earlier today and there was this American guy running next to me. I realized that his pace (step wise) was the same as mine. Our steps were basically the same. And so I thought to myself, hey, I'm not doing that bad. But then I realized his treadmill speed. His was 7.2 (I don't know the units), mine was six.

No wonder Malaysian athletes can't compete!! :)

Flu Season

2008-10-03T07:58:00.004+08:00

Tis the season to be flu-ish. fa la la la, la la la la....

The change of weather from summer to fall signals the coming of another season, the flue season. I've had the flu for over a week now, coughing, sore throat, and a running nose. What a way to raya!

So people, as we celebrate our own festive season, just mind the flu season as well. It's getting cold, so wear a jacket. Don't catch the flu, and surely, don't pass it.

EID MUBARAK!!

2008-10-01T10:36:00.004+08:00

Eid Mubarak to everyone!! May you have a wonderful one no matter where you are!

	الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر
	لا إله إلا الله
	الله أكبر الله أكبر
	ولله الحمد

Raya here and there

2008-09-30T10:28:00.003+08:00

Ramadhan will be leaving us again this year, tomorrow, as it did all those previous years, taking away all that extra offerings and barakah from The All Mighty with it. We never know if we'll breathe another day to meet with this holy month again next year. With that, what a shame it would be to those who didn't gain anything, whether it be Allah's mercy, barakah, or forgiveness, in this holy month. How sad it would be to be getting nothing other than hunger and thirst during such a blessed month.

But heads up people, we still have one more day of Ramadhan! So, insyaAllah, let's make the most of the final moments we have with Ramadhan. Tomorrow signals the last day of fasting for the majority of Muslims world wide, in Nashville included. 1 Syawal will fall on Wednesday, October the 1st.

It did struck me however, the fact that Muslims don't celebrate this glorious day together. My sister in UK for instance, is celebrating Eid tomorrow, on Tuesday, a day earlier than the most of us. Same is said of Saudi Arabia. Heck, I even heard the Kurdish community in Nashville is having theirs tomorrow.

Why is this so? I mean, Eid-ul Fitri besides Eid-ul Adha is two of the greatest, most glorious celebrations we have in the Muslim calender. The least that could've been done is assign the same date for the celebrations. Why differ from one place to another, from one organization to the other? The dating of 1 Syawal is year in and year out, the hottest discussion most of have towards the end of Ramadhan.

The two methods applied to determine the day is first, by lunar sighting. If that is impossible, then the calculation method is used. Saudi Arabia and other parts of the world celebrating tomorrow used the former method while the rest agreed to use the latter. Why is that we can't agree on one specific date? If someone claims to have witnessed the moon, why can't we all follow suite?

Is it a case of ignorance and ego? With one claiming to be the better than the rest? Are we to stubborn to agree with each other? What message are we sending out to the non-Muslims when we can't even have a consensus on one of our holiest day? Christians are able to celebrate Christmas on Dec 25 with no fuss. Why can't we? Where is the unity that we talk about?

One Eid throughout the world. Read what AMJA online had to say.

Ninja Cat

2008-09-28T11:22:00.001+08:00

Watch this incredibly cute cat:

The Hurrican Effect

2008-09-20T07:34:00.004+08:00

After being hit by two hurricanes, Gustav and Ike respectively, the havoc in the oil rich region has continued to effect many other parts of the US to this very day.

And as an immediate effect of both hurricanes, oil refineries in the Gulf of Mexico region were shut down and are yet to receive full power. Nashville receives 80% of it's oil supply (or gas as they pronounce it in the US) from that region. And thus, almost 80% Nashville's oil is supply is missing. The effect? Gas stations across Nashville have next to nothing gas. Most are seldom open, while some are open only for a while. And the price? At least 4 bucks a gallon. People are really finding it hard to fill their cars now.

Yesterday night a routine trip to Walmart by some friends turned sour when their car ran out of gas midway. And heck, there was no possible way to fill it up since all gas stations were out of gas! The car is now standard there some where. The moral of that story is never go anywhere without enough gas!

What's sad is that it's only been a week since the disaster in Texas. If the oil refineries can't be back and running sooner, God knows what will happen.

Luckily, my carmates had the initiative to fill our car full the night before gas ran out. So now, running on full tank, insyaAllah we'll be able to make it through this depressing time. As they say, sediakan payung sebelum hujan. But then again, who knows how long this upsetting time will last.

Zahid's Flaw

2008-09-16T13:25:00.002+08:00

In the wake of the recent ISA arrests, Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department claimed that the detainees had to be blamed. He said that those detained had ignored past warnings and history when they chose to propagate disharmony in the society.

Being a former detainee himself, we must all think that this guys knows what he's taking. He defends the act since it's for the greater good.

Then came his flaw.

'He also lambasted those who wanted to use religious principles in justifying whether the ISA was Islamic or not, adding they must differentiate between criminal, civil and syariah laws.'

Er, mister, I thought syariah laws consist all, INCLUDING criminal and civil laws as well?

Read it here.

Politics of Fear

2008-09-16T10:27:00.004+08:00

The Malaysian government runs on fuel propelled by politics of fear. They plant fear into the hearts of every Malaysian citizen so as to keep us voting for them. For if the country does fall into opposition's hands, as they say, all hell would break lose. Malaysia would be in total chaos. And heck, we don't want that.

But is it actually true? Is it really true that hell would break lose if Anwar were to make it into Putrajaya? Is he really planning to sell our beloved country to the US?

Be afraid, be very afraid!! That's always been the motto for our government for the good part of 51 years of independence. Why go for another government if this government is still ok? It's not like we're living in a backwards nation of some sorts. Hey, we used to have the tallest building in the world, you know! And in KLIA (even though rather empty), we own one of the biggest and most beautiful airports you could find. The Sepang circuit, Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, man into space, bla...bla.. The list of our achievements just goes on. We have had our moments in history. So why root for a change when it is obvious we are living in a moderate, developing and comfortable country as it is today?

But than again, all this is just too familiar. I've heard commotions similar to these before. Ahh, now I remember. I read these almost same exact lines from my secondary school history books. Yes, true indeed. Have they forgotten that some half a decade ago, these were the same exact lines that came out of people who didn't want independence from the British? People who would rather stay safe and sound in the hands of the British rather than run a government of their own. People who were too afraid to change, to move on, too selfish, and were all too comfortable living in their own comfort zones. Luckily we had people who cared back then, people like Tun Abd Rahman, Dato' Onn Jaafar, and Dr. Burhanuddin Al-Helmy. Later UMNO was formed, and with that, the Alliance Party, and together they 'fought' hand in hand to gain independence from British. UMNO back then was brave, intelligent, and sincere. But, ironically and sadly, it is the same party that is now sitting back too comfortably, selfish, and plain ignorant.How things change..

I remember attending a dinner by Yayasan Terengganu a month ago intended for overseas students who were back home for the summer and basically, it was an 'ada udang disebalik batu' kinda thing. After the dinner (luckily I left the room) all they did was campaign against Anwar's proposed revolution. This Exco Pendidikan guy gave the speach, and one of his many ridiculous points I heard was (and I quote), "Anwar is doing nothing more than selling the country to the US. And the US, as they are, will never want to see any other country develope. So, if Anwar does succeed in his mission to become they next PM, Malaysia will be in total chaos. And you guys studying overseas, I heavily doubt will be able to come back to Malaysia. The government (amid the destruction) will have no money to take you guys back. Now I hardly believe that anyone out that is gonna buy that, but what irritates me, besides the lousy food they served in the hotel, is the hypocritical stance the government is taking. They tell students not to get involved in politics, to stay away from it, and to those who fail to oblige will be dealt with seriously,i.e. sponsorship stripped etc. Then again, they're the ones giving out those 'free dinners'.

And this whole ISA thing? Yup, just another tactic to struck fear in people's hearts.

The recent arrest of Raja Petra, Teresa Kok, and the Chinese reporter, Tan Hoon Cheng demonstrates just that. All of the above were detained under ISA for spreading/reporting racial comments to the media. Home Minister, Dato' Hamid Albar later claimed that Tan Hoon's arrest (under ISA) was more of a safety measurement taken because she had recieved death treats. You can however read the 18 hour ISA detainee's experience here. Dato' Ahmad Ismail, former Bukut Bendera UMNO division chief wasn't arrested after claiming that the Chinese were merely 'penumpang' in Malaysia, as he had already been punished by UMNO. Don't get me wrong, but arresting somebody under ISA to 'protect' the them seems absurd (read here) and not arresting another for the same violations seems pilih kasih.

Surely people would think twice before ever daring to go against the government. Or is it? After these recent arrest, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim resigned from his post as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department as a sign of protest against the ISA. Now that's really brave and well worth noting. He stood by his stance and belief even though the it would've been so much easier to just keep quite. He was, by all means, already a minister! So what's next for Zaid? We'll see.

So that's that. Malaysian's fear factor is the government itself. So let's rid of it, shall we? And if it does turn out that this newly proposed government is worse than the one we currently have, we can always repent come 4 years. Come on, there's nothing to lose!

Ike Hike

2008-09-14T03:32:00.002+08:00

Hurricane Ike, with winds 110 mph, was not only affecting the Texas region it hit, but the whole of USA. Oil prices, as of yesterday night, climbed back to it's all time high of $4/gallon.

It's still a bit too early to declare the damage caused by this category 3 hurricane, but this $4/gal oil price can still possibly go up. I heard rumors last night that the price can go up to $5/gal (mentioned here also), but then again, it's rumors. Oil price will surely depend on how long it will take to get oil refineries back on its feet after the almost direct hit. The hurricane hit region, produces nearly 1/4 of the nation's oil.

Read more here.

Err, Pardon Me? I don't get you!

2008-09-05T11:38:00.003+08:00

Would somebody please (you can see I'm begging here) translate this for me! I have the slighest understanding of this text. However my limited knowledge does tell me it's in English, even with all those misspells and grammar mistakes. Heck it was published in NST, so it MUST be English!

So here's the text I was talking about, which Lim Kit Siang copied in his blog.

HONORARY DEGREE AWARD
7TH CONVOCATION CEREMONY UNIVERSITY TUN HUSSEIN ONN MALAYSIA
TO
YANG AMAT MULIA RAJA ZARITH SOFIAH BINTI ALMARHUM
SULTAN IDRIS AL-MUTAWAKIL ALALLAHI SHAH
D.K.II, S.P.M.J., S.P.C.M.

Yang Amat Mulia Raja Zarith Sofiah binti Almarhum Sultan Idris Al-Mutawakil Alallahi Shah has born on 14th of August 1959 in Hospital Batu Gajah, Perak. Yang Amat Mulia Raja Zarith is a third son to Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Sultan Perak Darul Ridzwan and Duli Yang Maha Mulia Raja Mazuwin binti almarhum Raja Arif Shah.

Yang Amat Mulia Raja Zarith Sofiah get early education in Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Datin Khadijah Kuala Kangsar in the state his birthplace namely in Perak. After end of the education in primary school, Yang Amat Mulia continue the education to form one at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Raja Perempuan Kalsom Kuala Kangsar, Perak.

In the month of September 1972, Yang Amat Mulia Raja Zarith Sofiah have set forth to England for further education in Chaltenham Ladies College, Gloucestershire to form six. Then, Yang Amat Mulia continue learning it in Davies College London in September 1977 and his following year in receive enter to Somerville College, London after having passed Oxford Entrance Examination.

After graduated at Oxford University with Bachelor of Art in June 1983 and follow the traditional University of Oxford, Yang Amat Mulia Raja Zarith will receive Master of Art after three years in 1986. Yang Amat Mulia also is a linguist follow several courses including language Mandarin at the tertiary level, French and Italy language.

As his father, Yang Amat Mulia Raja Zarith Sofiah is a person that talented in picture arts. Refinement of soul, Yang Amat Mulia always watching natural beauty environment immortalize in the form photograph and painting to make look and reference. Yang Amat Mulia Raja Zarith performance become guide to deliver the message education to general public. Yang Amat Mulia concern on women and natural world and it custody aspect in become deep theme in painting.

Yang Amat Mulia Raja Zarith Sofiah comply have interest profoundest field documentation. Apart from producing book, Yang Amat Mulia Raja Zarith doubled up guest writer in the The New Straits Times newspapers and in personal column it “Mind Matters” in The Star newspaper. Besides writing, Yang Amat Mulia comply active presenting a working paper at the conference national level and international.

Education from her father and mother over concern to the people, make Yang Amat Mulia Raja Zarith Sofiah likes engaged in voluntary activities about as Deputy President of Majlis Wanita Johor (ROSE), Chief of Persatuan Pandu Puteri Malaysia Johor branch, Chairman of Nationalistic Community Service Red Crescent Malaysia, Patron of Spastic Children School in Johor Bahru, Patron Rotary Club of Tebrau Foundation, Advisor of Traditional Arts School International in London and become Pro Chancellor University Technology Malaysia (UTM) and becomen Royal Felllow Faculty of Language and Linguistic University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

As the appreciation towards her contributions of ideas and efforts in the development of education in Malaysia, Chancellor of University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Duli Yang Amat Mulia Tunku lbrahim lsmail lbni Sultan lskandar, Tunku Mahkota Johor, has approbation to presented the awards to Yang Amat Mulia Raja Zarith Sofiah binti Almarhum Sultan Idris Al-Mutawakil Alallahi Shah the Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Education at 7th Convocation Ceremony of University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia in this year. Congratulation from us, University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia members.

This is the text as published by NST.

If you're curious what the heck this low quality work is, read here and here.

Golly, whose awfully poor work was that?

What the Heck?!

2008-09-04T12:01:00.003+08:00

I was reading across the internet today and came to this article in Berita Harian dating before the Permatang Pauh by election (yes it's quite old). It's about Arif Shah believing that he would be getting luck in that election because of the date and some related numbers. Read it here.

What the heck? Never thought there were still some Muslims believing in such khurafat. Boy was he wrong!

Anwar wins big time

2008-08-26T20:36:00.006+08:00

Keputusan tidak rasmi pilihan raya kecil Permatang Pauh menunjukkan DS Anwar Ibrahim menang besar. The majority was more than 15000.

Read more here.

So what's BN got to say? Tan Sri Pandikar Amin recently announced that the winning candidate doesn't necessarily have to be sworn into office right away. He said the winning candidate can opt to go for a holiday or even an umrah if he wants to.

Dewan Rakyat is currently assembling to discuss the 2009 budget this Friday. Is this just an accuse to prevent Anwar from debating then?

Stay tuned for the official announcement.

Hello America

2008-08-26T00:20:00.000+08:00

Just reached Vanderbilt at around 10 am. Class starts.

So Long Malaysia

2008-08-24T06:30:00.001+08:00

I'm going back to the US today at 3.15 local time. I would go back to Vanderbilt University as a senior, and insyaAllah, if all goes to plan, I'll be back come 10 months, in June that is.

Till then, sayonara Malaysia!