I'm OK!

To those of you who know our good friend Bernard Chong or read his blog (speak now, ah?) would know that his dad had been unwell fer some time now. Sadly, Chong Snr lost his battle against the dreaded Big C late this afternoon.

I meself have some pretty fond memories of Uncle Chong. His fave phrase was "I'm OK! That's my name OK Chong". He was a pretty happy-go-lucky-uncle who happily enjoyed his Peter Reds, fine booze & was always more than happy to oblige the crowd with a song or two. Nothing seemed to faze him; whether it was a stock market crash or a health scare, he took it all in stride.

And he was always quick to invite me (or anyone of else fer that matter) to join him fer a few drinks. When we were wee college brats he even handed us some cash with the specific order to "go enjoy yerselves"! Uncle Chong was one cool dude.

But me fave memory was when one nite I was dropping Bernard off after a few drinks. Bernard had forgotten his keys & was hoping his dad would be downstairs to let him in. But when we got to the house, Uncle Chong had also just forgotten his keys after a few drinks & the sight of the two redfaced Chongs drunkenly scaling their house gate is a memory that will stay with me forever.

As they say, when you are born, let it be you who is crying & everyone else smiling; when you die, let it be you who is smiling & everyone else is crying . . .

Uncle Chong, you will be sadly missed by all.

ps: Friends are welcome to share their fond memories of Uncle OK Chong here.

Weekly footie digest

Its the beginning of the hectic X'mas programme & we'll soon know if its a winter of discontent. Already 10 fooking points of the pace, it looks like another season of scrapping fer fourth fooking place. And this year it won't be as straightforward as previous campaigns with Man City, Pompey & the Blueshites looking decent bets on making it into the Champion's League.

Sorry, but let's face it, our title hopes were over once we fooking drew with Birmingham & Spurs at home; nevermind other results. The Arse & Scum have built up too big a gap fer us to chase down whilst Chelsea has been resoundingly solid & should hold onto third spot. Truth hurts, I know.

As fer the European Cup, what can I say, like last year we drew the one team everyone wanted to avoid. But Inter & Zlatan in particular are on fire & will be just too much fer us especially having to play the 2nd leg away. So no league cup, no European Cup & definitely no Premiership title means Rafa's tenure is more than likely to end up like Jose's tenure at CSKA London . . .

Sad but true. Well, a quick round up of weekend action:

Liverpool 4 v Pompey 1
Pompey were dreadful even though our Djimi "Bambi Legs" Traore wasn't in the squad. We were ok but Pompey were shite. Fer a team that has held us to two scoreless draws since August, they never looked like containing Benayoun nevermind Torres. Good to have a decent result after three domestic reversals in a fooking row.

Arsenal 2 v Spurs 1
What can I say? Keane bangs one against the bar from 5 yards out & missing a pen as well. Wha tha fook? Fer the sake of me Spurs friends sanity, me sincerely hope you lot can beat their under-15 side in the League Cup semis.

Scum 2 v Blueshites 1
This is getting too predictable. Everton play with great gusto only to be undone by one moment of madness. Don't believe me? Two season ago, Yobo "back passes" ball to Rooney fer winner. Last season, Keeper inexplicable fumble & Neville own goal sparked scum revival in a game Blushites were leading 2-0 & in complete control. Dodgy? You fooking bet . . .

Newcastle 2 v Derby 2
If we are not careful, we could well end up like the laughing stock that is the Toon. To think some M'sians were interested in buying this club. Gila ka?

Blackburn 0 v Chelsea 1
Normal service has resumed. Sexy football? Yeah right, more like androgynous humping more like it.

We'll see on Boxing Day whether we are to remain a Top Four team or our slide into mid-table anonymity (ala Souness reign) begins here. Until then, here's wishing all of you a very Merry Xmas & Happy New Year!

Blonde on Blonde

Let me just categorically state that I happen to think all me departmental colleagues fall under the "intelligent" & "educated" categories. But somehow they too are prone to a blonde moment or three . . .

Eg:

1) Miss Siew Pau has been planning to get inked. So she asks me this gem of a question - "Bala, tattoos don't bleed do they?" (!!!)

2) Me manager (let's call her by her initials) AAS is looking to change her wheels & a certain Alfa Romeo has caught her eye. So I suggested she also check out the Fiat. Her response, "Don't want lar all this Taiwanese cars." (!!!!)

And last but not least, this absolutely priceless moment;

3) I still use an old fashioned tape recorder fer interviews. So when I had done one such interview, I passed Miss Siew Pau the cassette to transcribe contents onto website. She looked at it in a puzzled manner & asked, "How to transfer data ah this one?" (!!!!!)

Fooking hell, on all occasions, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry . . .

ps: Header is title of Bob Dylan's (arguably) greatest piece of work. All homes should have one!

Welcome to Puchong!

Here's a little something to lighten up the mood. This salon was spotted in the new neighbourhood of Bandar Putri Puchong's commercial area. Me & wifey did a double take when we first saw it & wondered what sort of dubious "services" were being offered in this establishment. And who says Puchong is the fooking boondocks with fook all entertainment eh?

If any of you have been there, please feel free to share yer experiences here. Those of you who would like to check it out, well . . . he he

ps: pix courtesy of the Nanyang Siew Pau.

pps: Believe me, this is fer real, no fooking digital tricks here.

Sorry, I'm Indian

"This a betrayal of our country. Was there ethnic cleansing? There was nothing about wiping out the Indians in the country." - PM

"If I have to sign (ISA detention orders), I will do so without feeling guilty or sad." - PM

As expected, that wonderful three-lettered piece of legislation has finally made a return to the front pages. The HINDRAF leaders/organisers were sent off fer a holiday in Kamunting last nite after rumours of a second (& bigger) rally was being planned. No fooking surprise that the govt would go down this route.

"Racial hatred", "sedition", "national security" - all the usual reasons were wheeled out to justify the govt's use of this piece of legislation. But like I said, this was to be expected. What is of a greater concern is how law-abiding citizens are also affected.

This is what our good friend Premo had to endure on Wed nite as he drove into KL city centre fer an appointment. The place was utter chaos not because of street demos but due to numerous police road blocks. Premo was stopped & immediately questioned as to his involvement with Hindraf. On what basis? Coz he is Indian. Despite his protestations, he was hauled off to the utterly unpleasant confines of the Dang Wangi station. He was among 15 others who were being held on "suspicion of being linked to Hindraf".

After a couple of hours of being subject to all sorts of racial slurs (Premo can't even bring himself to repeat most what was said such was his disgust),he was let go with zero fooking explanation. This episode literally means Indians cannot freely go where they want in their own country of birth. How is this reflective of a democractic country?

This goes beyond racial profiling. It is sheer fooking RACIAL harassment. How can anyone justify being made to feel like a fooking criminal fer the colour of their skin? Think bout it fer a moment, a law-abiding citizen of this country is hauled off simply fer being Indian.

Fer those who think this is a minor inconvenience fer the greater "good & safety of the rakyat", will see if you feel the same if it was yer arse being dragged into custody. And believe me, it is a unnerving experience to be in when you know the police can do whatever the fook they want (& get away with it!). Premo's story is not an isolated incident. Neither will it be the last.

Yes, Malaysia Indians have not been exterminated like the Bosnians in the Balkan states. But as Premo's experience highlights, our rights are constantly being trampled upon & treated like fooking no-class criminals. Malaysia - a civil society? Fook off!

As fer the police behaving like Ku Klux Klan members, anyone who knows the inner workings of the police force will tell you this is nothing new & if you are of an ethnic minority in their custody, things will be very fooked up (fer you, that is).

Do you think this is a small price to pay? Or are you intelligent enough to realise certain fundamental human rights are sacred? I leave it to yer better judgement to decide & to cast yer decision at the upcoming polls . . .

ps: Please feel free to comment or share any similar experiences you may have had . . .

pps: Please sign online petition at www.petitiononline.com/31081957/petition.html to demand the release of the Hindraf leaders & rally organisers. Urgent (but peaceful) action is required!

Bedtime fer democracy

Jeff Ooi
Called in fer questioning by police. Screenshots blog down.

Hindraf
Leaders re-arrested & charged fer sedition.

Bar Council
Members arrested fer participating in walk without permit.

Parliament
Bersih reps stopped from presenting memorandum to MPs.

The list of recent debacles & fiasco in this "democratic" country of ours goes on & fooking on. And the list above is just fer the last few fooking days! But yet most Malaysians encountered are still nonchalant & non-partisan on the many issues that plague us. "I'm not into politics" is a common excuse given by many. Another is the usual "We are ok, we are not as bad as Thailand or Pakistan".

With regards to the former, the erosion of basic democratic rights such as the freedom to express oneself & to gather peacefully are NOT political issues. Whether you agree or disagree with the likes of Mr Ooi or even Hindraf does not detract from the simple fact that they have a right to voice their opinions. THESE ARE YOUR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AS A CITIZEN IN A DEMOCRATIC NATION.

As fer the second statement, are we really going to wait till it is too fooking late before we do shit? A coup perhaps? Even then am sure many M'sians will feel it is just politics & does NOT concern them. As long as can cari makan, ok lar . . .

Am not asking people to throw down their tools & start a riot (or even march fer that matter). Just simply register themselves to vote. That's all. A surge in registration at the post office will be enough to send a shiver down the BN's spine.

And, of course, care enough to inform themselves of what is going on in this country of ours . . .

ps: Header is the title of an album by legendary hardcore punk dissidents Dead Kennedy's.

Of Rain & Open Air Gigs . . .

RE: My Chemical Romance, Live at Stadium Merdeka, 9 Dec 2007

First off, let me get a few complaints off me fooking chest. Why did the organisers (Celcom & Galaxy) feel that it was ok to keep fans locked out of the stadium while the support acts had already started. It was not only fooked up but courting danger as an impatient & restless crowd surged & pushed to get in. In fact by the time most people got in, the support act were done & dusted. No big shit fer me but most fans felt fleeced. I was just plain annoyed with the shoddy fooking treatment.

Secondly, fer an act that appeals to the teen market, shouldn't have the tickets been a bit more reasonably priced? RM103 was the cheapest & was a bit steep in me opinion, thus pricing out a huge segment of youngsters. A 50% reduction to say, RM55 would have seen twice the number turn out fer band currently riding high on the success of third LP The Black Parade.
Thirdly, why have an open air gig fer around 10,000 punters during the rainy season when the infinitely more appropriate & "intimate" venue of Stadium Negara is available?

And yes, apart from a few accompanying parents, I was the quite possibly the oldest geezer at last nite's My Chemical Romance gig. (This was further highlighted by the fact that all the souvenir T-shirt stalls only carried the anorexic teen sizes of 'S' & 'XS'.)
But that didn't deter me from enjoying meself. In fact, it was great being able to feed off the youthful energy of the crowd. Though MCR's brand of MTV-friendly pooonk-lite anthems aren't quite me cup of todi; there's still no more thrilling sensation than to hear several thousand people belt out a chorus in unison. Seasoned gig-goers will know precisely what I mean.

Well, MCR belted out all them hits such as Mama, Famous Last Words, I Don't Love You and the title track. The eager & eye-linered crowd bounced, sang & generally ate up MCR's none-too-original stage antics which included the ultra-rebellious act of using words such as "effing", "friggin" & "f.u.c.k" as well as the ubiquitous "Kuala Lumpur, are you ready to rock?".

Did I mention it was pissing down last nite? The rain (eeriely) started and stopped precisely as when MCR took/left the stage! Bet you the organisers tried to stinge & decided against a pawang hujan. However, the rain only added to the Woodstock-atmospherics. Wifey & meself kept warm with a hip-flask of Suvvern Comfort which gave proceedings a nice buzz.

Somewhat surprising was the fact that halfway thru, the guitarist decides to invoke the spirit of Stevie Ray Vaughn as he launched into an extended guitar solo. Thought these new bands didn't belive in the rock-dinosaur traditions?!? Still he managed to keep it down to just the right duration & wasn't too flashy; erring on the right side of caution.

MCR played fer just over an hour & I was shocked there was no encore, especially with a crowd consisting of dedicated fans. In fact, even more shocking was the fact that the fans just buggered off without demanding fer more. S'ppose both band & fans alike have a few things to learn regarding concert etiquette.

But the best thing fer me was seeing me wifey thoroughly enjoying herself & the huge fooking grin on her face afterwards. That alone was worth the price of admission . . . (I know, I know, am a fooking sweet romantic).

ps: Miss Siew Pau (below) cried like a fooking teenybopper when MCR sang Cancer. Quite unbecoming fer a "over-the-hill" 26-year old, don't you think?

pps; I urge all those who were at yesterday's gig to post yer grievances at http://www.galaxy.com.my/ (0r call 03-2282 2020) or bombard Celcom with yer complaints.

Pimps R Us

He he . . . can't fooking help this. Me colleague (pix above) is an impish, young ciku who is a bit of a camera whore. Her computer is fooking full of shots of herself in various poses and yet she "pretends" to be some fooking "shy and demure" small-town gal.

Well, me thinks deep down she's a frustrated model (yup, she's only 155cm tall) & is a closet attention deficit syndrome sufferer! But seriously, just fer yer info, she's young, free & single. So if anyone would like further details, please feel free to fooking BRIBE me. Preferred currency would be BEER or LIQUOR.

I feel like a real Mack Daddy Pimp, dude! He he, got them pimped out wheels & now I just need a fedora hat & a swanky cane fer that Snoop Dogg Fab Pimpin' vibe.

PS: Please deposit bribes in comments box . . .

PPS: She makes damn fooking fab Siew Pau! So all you pandi lovers out there, start ordering them roses & sharpening them chat up lines.

Laughter the best medicine

Am quite a fan of Scott Adam's Dilbert comic strip. The observations on cubicle-dwelling office characters are almost always fooking spot-on. Plus I love the strip's dry sarcastic wit. So I was well chuffed when I came across a DVD box-set of the animated series (which ran on CNBC) at me neighbourhood pirated-DVD emporium recently. Who says Puchong is the boondocks, eh?!?

Wifey & meself couldn't contain our glee when we watched the first couple of episodes. Adam really captures the zeitgeist of life in a large, faceless organisation run by idiotic morons disguised as upper management. And like I said, you'll definitely see people you know from yer office portrayed in the cartoon's endless list of idiosyncratic characters.

If you do come across this box set in yer local DVD mart, do get it as it is fooking hilarious! Also included a recent gem (print version) fer yer amusement. Hope you all have a nice day @ work.

PS: Sorry, sparsity of postings lately due to busy work schedule.

PSS: I only paid RM25 fer me 4 disc box set, so don't get fleeced or come down Puchong way!