goodbye '06, hello '07

EVER wondered how the year passes with a blink of an eye. So many events, so little time and we’re all getting older year by year.

We’ve seen what 2006 is all about, and it had to go off with a tragic way- the worst floods ever seen in Johor with more than 60,000 left homeless to the hanging of the world’s most spoken leader of all time, Iraq’s Saddam Hussein.

Many hope 2007 will bring more cheers and tears of joys instead. Back home we hope the rumours of another price hike in petrol will remain as a rumour while our Middle Eastern friends hope with a new UN secretary general, the process of uniting the Israelis and Palestinians will now commence quicker then ever. Also, there will be more peace talks instead of frustration between USA-Iran and USA-North Korea.

Even grown men believe in miracles as there’s nothing to cheer and laugh about in a world with so much of hatred. Africa is still in the doldrums no thanks to civil wars while the Iraqis are only killing themselves just because they do not hail from the same clan.

Move aside war, lets go back to the 70s- to a world filled with HariRamas and Hari Krishnas, adorning peace symbol lockets and with long hippie hair neatly tucked under a colourful reggae like bandana we shall sing Jamaican legend Bob Marley’s One Love. Let’s make love…not war!

-The Man Who Sold The World-

a not so merry xmas

CHRISTMAS is just five days away, yet there’s nothing to be merry about.
From political unrest at the Gaza Strip, to a proposed invasion against Iran and back home from rising tolls, a perhaps petrol increase come New Year to the freak flash floods in Johor recently. What’s there to be merry about?
This Christmas also marks the second anniversary of the Tsunami hitting this region. Millions were collected yet some till today are waiting for housing and basic needs from the funds which were supposed to be channelled to them. There won’t be a Merry Christmas for them.
Even shopping malls and street decorations in KL do not reflect anything ‘Christmassy’ unlike previous years. Will our economy be as bad as our neighbours Thailand? Only the future will tell.
So if you have plans this Christmas and New Year, you have two options- 1. either save for the rainy day and stay put in your homes, or, 2. spend all you like as there will be no promise what tomorrow will be.
Que se ra se ra….

p/s: Just for the heck of it, Merry Xmas!!

-The Man Who Sold The World-

ayo yo samy...

Everything just seems to be increasing. And how the government intends to reward us in ushering 2007….by a hike in toll rates!

Transport Minister Samy Vellu will announce the new prices, which is said to have a 10%-60% increase, today.

However, the interesting bit about this price hike is the how the government had manipulated its way around the issue. Call it politics if you may, it has certainly given the ruling government a bad image.

Here’s the thing. Word on the street was that Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak held a meeting with editors of the media in a bid to ‘not make it a big deal’. Apparently, prior to the meeting, the deputy transport minister confirmed the price hike to foreign press as they government felt giving out information in stages and at a moderate stage will cushion the impact upon the citizens.

However, the net is filled with rage and outburst as internet savvy Malaysians are making their voices heard as they cry foul over the latest hike. There is also rumour circulating about another petrol hike despite the prices of global oil have decreased over the year.

Some claim it is right for the government to increase the price as the government cannot be seen subsidising for the citizens and run at a loss. However, the counter argument to this point is that the tax payers are paying for other unnecessary expenses which only result them to pay more to get on with their lives.

While some may not feel the effect, the middle and lower income group will certainly suffer. It is a known fact in this country where the chain reaction is strong as prices of goods will naturally go up no thanks to pricier transportation along the highways.

And the effect of such a hike- people will start using trunk roads which is at more risk to cause mishaps, prices of goods are sky high while monthly income is still the same causing people to commit crime- either broad light robbery or white collared crimes.

Car pool, or start investing in a motorcycle. Otherwise, try a bicycle instead; at least it’ll lower your heart problems in a country where everything just goes up and up!

-The Man Who Sold The World-

the rise of cicakman?

The advertisement shown is just another internet prank circulated from one mail box to another. A joke it may be (not for JobStreet at least), the truth remains people are resorting to crime to pay for their expenses.

Ask mini market owner Perwin Abdullah and she will tell you all about the increasing crime rates in the city. As if being robbed once was not tormenting enough, the poor lady was robbed twice days apart!

“There is no point in being scared. Life must go on,” said the gusty lady.
However, not many of us out there are prepared to stare a knife at our face, let alone a gun to our heads. But this is reality in KL and it looks like we need a saviour to stop it from being a crime city.

From Mat Rempits to bad tempered Ah Longs, all circle around the same issue- poverty.

While some may refute this claim, think again. Job opportunities are low even graduates are not getting jobs easily. Prices of things are sky high, unreasonable with the income of a person. Necessity of transportation is vital, as the current transportation system does not canopy the whole Klang Valley.

So when the next time you badly need cash and your friend jokingly asks you to rob a bank, think again as such things are happening these days. KL is getting scary, and what a perfect timing of Visit Malaysia Year 2007.

Guess we need a saviour for our ‘Gotham City’ eh….Cicakman perhaps?

-The Man Who Sold The World-

am i sexy?

THE Kelantan administration has never failed to amuse us.
And now it’s all about women in sexy outfits.
Yet, the question still remains- what is the definition of a sexy outfit? Short blouses that reveal the navel? Spaghetti straps falling off the shoulder? Showing the bra strap or a very low V-neck collar?
An RM500 fine will be slapped to those caught wearing such outfits.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was right by saying the Kota Baru Municipal Council ought to be careful not to violate the rights of individuals.
The Municipal Council however claims its directives are only targeted at Muslim women and this has received backing by its PAS led cum Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Nik Aziz Nik Mat.
Such a ruling can be viewed as a literal attack against women generally. Women, according to the Kelantanese government, seem to be the main culprit of rape cases and ‘khalwat’ being on the rise and thus the need for them to cover up.
It is very unfair to throw such a burden upon the fairer sex when it is the men who ought to control their urges.
And this brings us to an article written by David Zinczenko entitled “Why Men Cheat”.
Below are the excerpts of Zinczenko’s work;

To Fulfill His Biology: You know the old anthropological tale. A man's main job, besides killing the saber-tooth, is to spread his seed in order to ensure the survival of his genetic legacy. It's a man's biology to want to wander. Does that mean he should, or that he can't help it? Of course not. But it does mean that a man is going to have strong-extremely strong-biological urges to knock on the doors of neighboring huts. I have had this argument/discussion/conversation with dozens of men and women: Are men predestined to cheat? My answer is no, they're not-despite their biology. But often times, they do have to fight it. Especially after a pitcher and two shots of Jack.


To Get the Attention: News flash: Sure, some guys cheat because, well, maybe the sexual frequency has slowed a bit, and maybe hot-and-heavy happens at home about as often as Rob Schneider gets nominated for an Oscar. But the truth is that plenty of men who are having regular sex with their partner are also having sex with someone else. Why? Because cheating isn't just about the sex. Just as a woman who cheats may be seeking more affection than what she's getting at home, a man often cheats because he's seeking the attention that he no longer gets at home. Part of the allure of the mysterious woman isn't just to find out what she looks like naked; it's that the woman showers the man with flirtations, with seduction, with advances that make him feel like he's worthy of more than just fixing dents in the drywall.


To Get Out: I know lots of guys who simply don't have the strength to end it. They may try ("I'm just not happy"), or they may take other tactics to drive a woman away. A lot of guys simply have trouble breaking off relationships because they don't want to be perceived as that bad guy, the jerk, the insensitive lout who ended something good. So they tiptoe around the issue in hopes that she'll get so frustrated that she'll back out first. Well, if that doesn't work, then a man knows that the only way out is to commit the relationship sin that drives a woman away for good. It's not right, but it's what happens.


To Change Up His Play List: Think about what's on your iPod. You have your favorite songs you play over and over, but every once in a while, you're in the mood to hear something you haven't played in a long time. You don't need to hear it but once every month or so, but still, you appreciate the changeup. Relationships need to be like good iPods lists. You're comfortable with your routine and you like your routine, but it's always nice to change things up. What men really want in relationships (and what I suspect women also want) is to be able to take comfort in the routine of a long-term commitment, as long as there are some surprises that make it feel like a new relationship every once in a while. In order to keep the relationship strong, you've got to change the songs every once in a while. That goes for in the bedroom and out.


NOTE: So it goes to show it’s the men who need to be slapped with such a ruling eh.

-The Man Who Sold The World-