My friend BITES OFF her bf's NIPPLE during *ahem*

I nearly fall off from my chair laughing at this but I can't help but to blog about this. Approximately 3:30am on 30th January 2010 (to be specific, Adelaide, Australia's time), I suddenly received a phone call. I thought what happened.

My friend told me that she accidentally bite off here boyfriend's nipple during *ahem* just now. So, since was panicked and didn't know what to do, she called me up asking what to do next.

My answer was: WTF? Go to hospital lah, what else? You want him to bleed to death is it.

Lesson to learn guys: Go slow, don't be too excited. That nipple is fragile and not your regular KFC fried chicken ok.

World's Best Restaurant: Reservations Get Tougher

Given the excitement surrounding the press conference in Madrid on Tuesday, you'd have thought that Jennifer Aniston were announcing that she and Brad Pitt had gotten back together. But no. Here at Madrid Fusion, an annual international culinary conference, the news is all about chefs, and no news is bigger than that of Ferran Adrià, the chef of elBulli, reputedly the best restaurant — and the toughest reservation — in the world. To the accompaniment of dozens of flashing cameras and a live feed for Spain's main television channel, one of the masters of the culinary universe declared that he would be closing his restaurant to the public for two years beginning in 2012.

It's not a definitive end to the restaurant that has been voted the best in the world five times (including in 2009) by Restaurant magazine, the recognized arbiter of such things. Adrià and his team will still be working at elBulli, developing ideas and trying to figure out what comes next. But he says the restaurant's current format is finished. "When we come back in 2014, it's not going to be the same," Adrià says.

Although rumors of elBulli's closing have circulated for years, the news still came as a mild earthquake in culinary circles. Frequently referred to as the founder of molecular gastronomy — a term the chef himself reviles — Adrià and his team have revolutionized modern cuisine with their constant search for new techniques and ingredients. In their hands, olive oil has been "spherified" until it takes on the shape and texture of caviar, and Gorgonzola cheese has been transformed with liquid nitrogen into a frozen globe that looked like nothing so much as a dinosaur egg. Dinner at elBulli, which consists of 30 or so courses, is a unique experience that has diners routinely laughing in delighted surprise at the new sensations provoked by the food on their plate.

The lucky few diners, one should say. Eight thousand people get reservations at elBulli each year, a mere fraction of the million who request them. (The restaurant is open only about half the year.) Indeed, despite its 230-euro price tag, dinner at every table for the six months that the restaurant is open is assigned in a single day. And now that it's clear that this year's reservations lottery may well be elBulli's penultimate, the number of gourmands clamoring to get in will surely grow.

The change will bring other sacrifices as well: Adrià and his team will have to relinquish their three Michelin stars, for example, and no one knows how they'll pay for the two years of inquiry without customers to finance them. But citing a desire to spend more time with his family, the chef says he needs a break from serving food to figure out what comes next. "We still want to be creating in 2020," he says, "but for that to be possible, we have to normalize our lives."

Adrià refused to speculate on what elBulli will be like once the two years are over, emphasizing repeatedly that at this point, he has no set plans. He did suggest, however, that although elBulli would once again feed customers, research would likely take on a greater priority than cooking. And he joked — if it was indeed a joke — that in whatever new outfit he comes up with, he might just have one table.

When journalists in the crowded room pressed him for more details, he cut them off. "Our challenge is just this," he said. "To find out if there's anything beyond what we've already done."

Abend is working on The Sorcerer's Apprentices (Free Press), a book about the young cooks who each year come from around the world to work in elBulli's kitchen.

Polish priest checks fingerprints for mass attendance

WARSAW (Reuters) - A Polish priest has installed an electronic reader in his church for schoolchildren to leave their fingerprints in order to monitor their attendance at mass, the Gazeta Wyborcza daily said on Friday.

The pupils will mark their fingerprints every time they go to church over three years and if they attend 200 masses they will be freed from the obligation of having to pass an exam prior to their confirmation, the paper said.

The pupils in the southern town of Gryfow Slaski told the daily they liked the idea and also the priest, Grzegorz Sowa, who invented it.

"This is comfortable. We don't have to stand in a line to get the priest's signature (confirming our presence at the mass) in our confirmation notebooks," said one pupil, who gave her name as Karolina.

Poland is perhaps the most devoutly Roman Catholic country in Europe today and churches are regularly packed on Sundays.

May God save Brangelina's (Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie) marriage

Pitt's mother steps in to help save Brangelina's relationship

Brad Pitt's mother is desperately trying to help save her son's relationship with Angelina Jolie.

Family counsellor Jane Pitt - who is famously close to her son's ex-wife Jennifer Aniston - is keen for the couple to repair their five-year union for the sake of their six children - three adopted children, Maddox, 8, Pax, 6, and Zahara, 5, and three biological children, Shiloh, 3, and 18-month-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

A source told the Daily Mail website: “Brad is trying to cling on to the wreckage of the relationship as he is still very much in love with Angelina and believes they can make it work.

“Jane wants what is best for her son and grandchildren and Angie has agreed to meet her. She has stuck at her own marriage and worked with families for 30 years trying to keep them together.”

Jane Pitt believes her skills as a mediator will come in useful when speaking to Jolie to whom she has become close in recent months thanks to their joint work in setting up a cancer centre.

It was recently reported that Brad Pitt and Jolie were heading for a separation after signing a legal document that split their $US330 million ($365 million) fortune and custody of their children equally.

However, sources close to the couple denied this and insisted “everything was fine” between them.

Friends also said the couple were planning to attend the Oscars together in March and had already started planning their outfits.

One friend said: "Angelina and Brad are still very much together. They're even in the process of planning out their Oscar outfits. Brad wanted to make sure he didn't clash with Angelina, who's putting some serious thought into her choices. They are still a couple.”

Pitt and Jolie - who has been married twice before - got together after meeting on the set of the film Mr and Mrs Smith in 2004, while he was still married to Aniston.

Driver watching PORN when he rammed into car

BUFFALO (New York): State police say a truck driver was watching pornographic movies on his laptop computer when his rig struck a disabled car on the New York State Thruway near Buffalo last month, killing the driver.

Thomas Wallace of Ohio was arrested Tuesday. He’s been charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of 33-year-old Julie Stratton, a mother of two from a Buffalo suburb.

The 45-year-old Wallace was being held in Genesee County Jail on Wednesday. It was unknown whether he had an attorney.

Investigators say Wallace also violated federal trucking rules by sleeping no more than four of 27 hours before the crash.

Stratton’s car was struck soon after she called police to report she’d hit a deer east of Buffalo. -- AP

Australian Open 2010: Roger Federer is through to Semi-Finals

Australian Open 2010: Roger Federer beats Nikolay Davydenko to reach semi-finals

World No 1 Roger Federer recovered from a set down to overcome his recent tormentor Nikolay Davydenko 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5 and continue his remarkable run of reaching grand slam semi-finals.

Davydenko had beaten Federer in their previous two meetings and began confidently to roll through the opening set before grabbing an early break in the second.

The Russian had all the momentum, but Federer responded to the challenge in emphatic style as he peeled off the next 13 consecutive games and leave his Russian opponent stunned.

Davydenko, who had won his previous 13 matches, regained his composure to briefly threaten in the fourth set, but again Federer withstood the challenge to book his place in a record 23rd consecutive grand slam semi-final.

"I've played him many times and I know he goes through phases although they weren't a notch on what he did in that first set." Federer said.

"I just tried to stay positive. I wasn't playing bad but he was just playing so well.

"It was obviously a bit of a surprise to come back that great because obviously he has been on an incredible run."

The Swiss also revealed he had used a toilet break to his advantage at the end of the first set after Davydenko had broken him twice to take the initiative.

"I was having problems with the sun in my eyes also in the opening set," Federer said.

"I was waiting for it to move. I never use my toilet breaks so I thought I will use it and I hoped that maybe in that time the sun would move maybe one centimetre, maybe three.

"It might have been one point that it affected, but maybe that is important in the end."

His relief break did not work immediately as Davydenko again broke and went 3-1 ahead before the Swiss reeled off the next 13 games in a row.

The run handed Federer the second and third sets as well as a break in the fourth.

Davydenko had gone an hour without winning a game when he held to love and then broke to level at 3-3.

But after the players traded breaks again, and Federer failed to serve out the match, the Swiss finally landed the final blow with a cross-court winner.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/yggkb6r

A Lion Won't Cheat Its Wife But a TIGER WOOD

Well, it's the time of the year again. It's the 2nd cycle of my life. It's the Year of the Tiger (Year 2010). This Lunar New Year marks the beginning of the Year of the Tiger and it coincidentally falls on 14th February 2010 which is also Valentine's Day.

For the 2nd year in the row, I have been missing the opportunity to toss the "Yee Sang" ("lou sang" in Chinese) but ironically, this dish is only found in Malaysia or Singapore. It's not a dish where you will find it in other parts of China or any Chinese speaking nations. Well, it is alright. I shall be back for THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT 2011.

YEAR OF THE RABBIT 2011
3rd February 2011 - 22nd January 2012

Of Religion vs. McDonaldisation

How would McDonald's have changed our lives over the years? Since the existence of Golden Arches in Malaysia, I remember that my not so well-to-do father only took me there once in a blue moon when I was young but nowadays, McDonaldisation have changed us Malaysians. We can practically sit there through the night till the wee hours of the morning for their breakfast studying, using their Wi-Fi and refilling our drinks - all for a cup of Regular Coke and a Medium French Fries. That is just sufficient. But that's not what I am going to tell you here.

I'm sure all of us remember the stampede that took place back in the year 2000 in which McDonald's Singapore introduces the Hello Kitty, now they are back again, not with the kittens anymore but with animals.

Of recent McDonald's in Singapore were place on the griller not over their beef patties but over the "pig zodiac" toys in which they wish to introduce in their Happy Meal. A set of 12-zodiac toys were introduced namely: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and CUPID!!! The missing animal which supposed to be the Pig was purposely left out for fear it might offend their Muslim customers.

According to the Straits Times, the fast food chain was apologetic about the initial decision to yank the pig character. McDonald’s Restaurants communications director Linda Ming said the chain excluded the pig toy out of sensitivity for its Muslim customers and chose Cupid instead to commemorate Valentine’s Day, which coincides with the first day of the Chinese New Year this year, on Feb 14. "We seek our customers' understanding that it has never been our intention to be disrespectful towards any religion or culture."

But the damage is already done. Blogs and forums are already calling it an overreaction and experts say it showed a lack of cross-cultural understanding. Sociologist Daniel Goh said that if McDonald’s did not consult Muslim opinions before making the decision to exclude the pig toy, the company had then assumed Muslim sensibilities, which amounted to a form of self-censorship.

Dr Mohamad Maznah, a visiting senior research fellow with the Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore (NUS), said to the Straits Times that she felt the restaurant was just being cautious, although she doubted the Muslim community here would have been upset if the pig toy had been included. Dr Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied, an assistant professor of Malay Studies at NUS, said, "Pigs and dogs are not non-halal, except when they are consumed."

Pope Benedict XVI is blogging

Pope to priests: Go forth and blog

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI has a new commandment for priests struggling to get their message across: Go forth and blog.

The pope, whose own presence on the Web has heavily grown in recent years, urged priests on Saturday to use all multimedia tools at their disposal to preach the Gospel and engage in dialogue with people of other religions and cultures.

And just using e-mail or surfing the Web is often not enough: Priests should use cutting-edge technologies to express themselves and lead their communities, Benedict said in a message released by the Vatican.

"The spread of multimedia communications and its rich 'menu of options' might make us think it sufficient simply to be present on the Web," but priests are "challenged to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources," he said.

The message, prepared for the World Day of Communications, suggests such possibilities as images, videos, animated features, blogs, and Web sites.

Benedict said young priests should become familiar with new media while still in seminary, though he stressed that the use of new technologies must reflect theological and spiritual principles.

"Priests present in the world of digital communications should be less notable for their media savvy than for their priestly heart, their closeness to Christ," he said.

The 82-year-old pope has often been wary of new media, warning about what he has called the tendency of entertainment media, in particular, to trivialize sex and promote violence, while lamenting that the endless stream of news can make people insensitive to tragedies.

But Benedict has also praised new ways of communicating as a "gift to humanity" when used to foster friendship and understanding.

The Vatican has tried hard to keep up to speed with the rapidly changing field.

Last year it opened a YouTube channel as well as a portal dedicated to the pope. The Pope2You site gives news on the pontiff's trips and speeches and features a Facebook application that allows users to send postcards with photos of Benedict and excerpts from his messages to their friends.

Many priests and top prelates already interact with the faithful online. One of Benedict's advisers, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, the archbishop of Naples, has his own Facebook profile and so does Cardinal Roger Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles.

In Saturday's message — titled "The priest and pastoral ministry in a digital world: new media at the service of the Word" — Benedict urged special care in contacts with other cultures and beliefs.

A presence on the Web, "precisely because it brings us into contact with the followers of other religions, nonbelievers and people of every culture, requires sensitivity to those who do not believe, the disheartened and those who have a deep, unarticulated desire for enduring truth and the absolute," he said.

Monsignor Claudio Maria Celli, who heads the Vatican's social communications office, said that Benedict's words aimed to encourage reflection in the church on the positive uses of new media.

"That doesn't mean that (every priest) must open a blog or a Web site. It means that the church and the faithful must engage in this ministry in a digital world," Celli told reporters. "At some point, a balance will be found."

Celli, 68, said that young priests would have no trouble following the pope's message, but, he joked, "those who have a certain age will struggle a bit more."

Source: Pope to priest: Go forth and blog

Check out also Pope2you, a website on Pope Benedict XVI's blogging

Not one but THREE Funerals

How would you feel when some you loved and being close is gone? Death in fact is inevitable. I'm sure many of us have seen deaths taking place in our lives. But as I was indulge in a conversation with one of the bloggers early the wee hours of my day (at about 4am Australian Time), he told me that his day was bad as he has THREE separate funerals to attend.

With the news was being related to me, I had a sudden uneasy feeling over me and my gastric juice was being pumped up. How would you take it if two of your friends who were in Haiti volunteering in distributing foods and drinks to the victims of the earthquake became the victim of violent or stampede?

In this case, the two friends who were volunteering, distributed foods and drinks to the locals, beaten them up on their heads (I presume repeatedly) till they were dead. I guess when such catastrophe takes place, it doesn't matter anymore, you will snatch whatever food or drinks that you can find. You have to fight in order to survive.

My condolences to you and the family of your friends (I shall not name the name of the blogger here). Thank you for understanding.

The Controversial Sultan of Johor dies

JOHOR BARU: The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Iskandar Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail, passed away at the Puteri Specialist Hospital here at 7.08pm on Friday. He was 77 years old.

He will be laid to rest at the Royal Mausoleum at 2pm on Saturday. Members of the public can pay their respects at the Istana Besar from 9am 10.30am, while dignitaries can do so from 11am to noon.

He was admitted earlier Friday due to an unspecified illness.

Sultan Iskandar was born on April 8, 1932 in Johor Baru and became Sultan on May 11, 1981. He was also the eighth Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, from April 26, 1984 until April 25, 1989.

Two hours before his death, the Tengku Mahkota of Johor Tunku Ibrahim Ismail was appointed the Regent.

News about the Sultan not being well had surfaced Thursday night. Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman cut short his trip to India with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and returned by 6pm on Friday.

The first to visit the Sultan in the morning was the Sultan and Tengku Mahkota of Pahang, who arrived by helicopter, while former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi visited him at about 3.40pm.

By then, the press and a large group of members of the public were waiting at the lobby of the hospital. Media offices were inundated with calls from people who wanted to know about the sultan’s condition.

Tunku Ibrahim Ismail and the Raja Muda of Johor Tunku Ismail Idris Tunku Ibrahim Ismail left the hospital at 4.40pm.

The swearing-in of the regent was held soon after at the Istana Besar here.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/22/nation/20100122173117&sec=nation


On Twitter

by Datuk Paduka Marina Mahathir
Ok this time it's true. Sultan Iskandar of Johor passed on around maghrib this evening. Will be buried after zohor tomorrow. Alfatihah.

Stop Complaining - Eat What You Have

HAITI EARTHQUAKES - 7.0 & 6.1-Magnitude

If you think you want to have a rib-eye steak for dinner or your favourite nasi lemak ayam rendang with your spicy sambal, stop being so fussy and eat what's in front of you.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Approximately 8 days after the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake of 7.0 on the Ritcher's scale that kills 200,000 people, leaving an estimated of 2 million people to be homeless and tens and thousands injured everywhere, the nation once again was shook with another earthquake of 6.1 on the Ritcher's scale.

What was really needed is food, drinks, clothes to cover themselves, money to build their homes, medical aides and many more. We are so blessed to have everything at present. Even if there's anyone approaching you for donations, give generously without any questions. You are helping a life that is in need or in danger.

Haiti's main hospital is open again, but there are no doctors and few medical supplies and wailing injured earthquake victims litter the grounds, waiting for treatment on makeshift beds.

On the other hand, the United Nations also said that the body of Haiti mission chief Hedi Annabi has been found in the rubble of its headquarters in Port-au-Prince, which collapsed in the earthquake.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the bodies of Annabi's deputy, Luiz Carlos da Costa, and the acting police commissioner, Doug Coates, have also been found.

LIVE & INSPIRE: Dato Seri' Abdul Wahid Omar

For the past half year or so, Live & Inspire has changed many human beings lives be it an overnight inspiration to something in which it can be use in a long-run. A team of young Malaysians who founded this whole idea of Live & Inspire by accident who now finds purposes in what they do.

Thus, every Thursday night for a short stint of one hour or so, they bring you bite size content, interesting and interactive sessions that add value to human potential and personal growth. The session focuses on the examples of ordinary people who have lived the extraordinary.

Thursday, 14th January 2010
Dato Seri' Abdul Wahid Omar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Maybank

Dato’ Sri Abdul Wahid bin Omar is the President and CEO of Maybank, Malaysia’s largest banking group, since May 2008. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (UK) and a Member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants.

Maybank is the third large organisation that he has led as CEO. Prior to joining Maybank, he was Group Chief Executive Officer of Telekom Malaysia Berhad from July 2004. He was formerly Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of UEM Group Berhad and UEM World Berhad as well as Executive Vice Chairman of PLUS Expressways Berhad.

Dato’ Sri Abdul Wahid had also served at Telekom Malaysia Berhad as Chief Financial Officer in 2001. Born 9 out of 11 children in the family, Dato Seri' had a tough beginning in his life. Prior to his acceptance in Maybank, he was with Telekom Malaysia. He added that "Leaders are not born and it applies the same to me. Each and every one of us . . . even you have a chance to become a leader."Of course every leader would have his / her visionar(ies) but Dato Seri' noted that "A visionary, an inspiring person, knowledgeable, a person open and prepared to learn from team members.

Growing together with Maybank

Since the inception of Maybank on 31st May 1960, the group grew from a local community bank with only 30 branches to 1,750 branches all across South and South East Asia alone. Back in the 60s, Dato Seri mentioned that Maybank was more of a "Kopitiam bank" which was pretty much not alien to many of us. Banking wasn't a trustable tool by many. They're afraid that the bank will cheat their longterm savings and it took a long time before the peole are convince to save their monies in the bank. He added that "No corporation can claimed to be a Regional Leader if their home base is not stable." This is very true especially if Maybank wants to be top in the region, they have to first convince their locals.

Q & A Session with Dato Seri' Abdul Wahid Omar

Question 1
Q: What sparked your interest in finances?
A: I come from a poor background, so money was an issue. One time he asked his mother RM 10 to buy the scouts uniform. Unfortunately they could not afford it and it was then he wanted to create changes so that they didn't live in poverty anymore.

Question 2
Q: If you have a chance to turn back the clock 20 years ago, what would you do to correct your mistakes or what you would have done that you really want to do?
A: I have made mistake before but what is important is for me to learn from them. Some of them are personal in nature and some of them are from my career. I don't have any regrets. I'm so blessed in my life.

Question 3
Q: Looking at the poorer education system in the country, it has changed trumendously over the years, how are we convince to send our younger generations to study with the current education system?
A: I went through a government education system. Many of my management colleagues went to local universities. There are challenges, however I don't think we should generalize that the local educational system are bad. I think we should stop complaining about how bad the school system is here, and do something about it ...to make it better.


To end the night . . .

It was an eventful night of many people from all walks of life including a Senator attending the talk to young entrepreneurs who are the backbone of the future nation. Dato Seri' Abdul Wahid Omar concluded that "I learn a lot of my leadership skills on the job I've been blessed to work with a lot of inspiring people."

LIVE & INSPIRE
w: http://www.liveandinspire.com/
t: http://twitter.com/live_n_inspire (@live_n_inspire)

Astro B.yond Bloggers Night Out

Greetings once again my fellow readers. Allow me to welcome all of you once again to my blog. Yes, I have disappeared here and there for the whole 2009 but I have decided to spice up my blog by popular demand from many of my blogger friends.
To kick off the year 2010, I have decided to begin my year with ASTRO B.yond Malaysian Bloggers Event. Blogging has gone beyond its distance that it certainly becomes the world's next source of communication in the media industry. It was a mid-week evening where approximately 200-bloggers were treated with an evening of fun, food and friends at Modesto's, Desa Sri Hartamas - but certainly it was the night where ASTRO wants the bloggers to be amongst the first to witness Malaysia's First High Definition Television Commercial for Astro B.yond.Since the inception of technology, Malaysian multimedia industry has evolved trumendously and today Astro prides to be the nation's number one High Definition (HD) broadcast. It will also change TV viewing experience with richer colours, picture-perfect clarity and cinematic surround sound. Of course, Malaysia is way behind many developed nations in introducing HD experience but nevertheless we were not the last to enjoy it.

According to Mr. Henry Tan, the Chief Operating Officer of Astro, he says that "it is undeniable that the bloggers are game changers as their nimbleness and the lack of pretense of their work drawfed and humbled media giants." He further quips that "underlying the success of blogging, we have all learned that it is people who are killer app for the internet age and with Astro B.yond, we are changing the game too.

The Astro B.yond Bloggers Night also saw the premiere of the Astro B.yond TV commercial in High Definition (HD) for Astro B.yond. This television commercial is one of the longest in Malaysian television commercial history with approximately 2.30 minutes. This commercial will be broadcasted in HD and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound on the four HD channels on Astro - ASTRO Supersport HD (Ch 831), HBO HD (Ch 431), National Geographic Channel HD (Ch 573) and HISTORY HD (Ch 575) and followed by ESPN HD (Ch 832) in January 2010.

Dear all, stay tune for more pictures to come soon from the event. Awaiting some hi-resolution photos to come in.