Back after a LONG hiatus

Hey there!

It's been a while since I last posted here. A lot of things have changed in my life; got a job, fell in love, broke up, lost a job, end up on the streets, got off the streets, got a job again, lost a job again, got a job again, fell in love again, broke up again, lost a job again, got a job again, and here I am.

Am now working as the Head of Admin of Fortress Defence Sdn Bhd (www.fortressdefence.com), a company that markets less lethal weapons for government agencies & private security companies. We will soon launch a line of less lethal solutions for the general public as well, called the Guardian Angel. Do check out our website for more info.

I'm also part of an independent initiative called Projek Ilmu Seks. We do sex education in unfiltered, laymen term over YouTube & Twitter. On top of that, I'm one of the 6 writers who contributed to REVOLUSIS; a feminist graphic novel. It's said to be the first of its kind in Malaysia. They say lah...

I guess I'll be back posting here every now & then. Most of the time I'm on Twitter, sharing whatever news I deem worth sharing, or shit-posting lol.

Btw, Malaysia HAD A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT! After sixty-fucking-years! Finally!

Though honestly speaking, the new MPs still have a lot to learn. But hey, if the people can change the government once, they can do it again. Let's use this 5-year term as an acid test, and see if they're worthy to govern for another term.

Until next time, adios!

Tentang isu boleh atau tidak kalimah "Allah" digunapakai di dalam Bible berbahasa Melayu...

TAHU KAH ANDA SYURGA DAN NERAKA ADALAH KALIMAH HINDU?

BAGAIMANA KALAU PENGANUT HINDU TAK BENARKAN?

Saya mendesak agar ulama PAS dan UMNO melarang orang-orang Melayu daripada menggunakan Al Quran versi Melayu kerana ia menggunakan pelbagai kalimah yang berasal daripada agama Hindu.

Contoh-contoh:
(1) Dosa
(2) Sembahyang
(3) Neraka
(4) Syurga
(5) Bidadari yang berasal daripada Vidhya Dhari dan banyak lagi.

Sesiapa yang menggunakan kalimah-kalimah ini didalam upacara agama Islam telah murtad daripada agama Islam. Mengapakah orang-orang Melayu banyak menggunakan perkataan-perkataan agama Hindu?

Jawabnya:

PARAMESWARA - rajah (satu lagi perkataan Sanskrit) Melayu yang pertama kali datang ke Tanah Orang Asli pada tahun 1344 adalah seorang Rajah yang beragama Hindu.

Erti Parameswara di dalam bahasa sanksrit ialah Tuhan.

Sebab itu orang Melayu daripada zaman dahulu sampai sekarang memanggil Rajah "Tuhanku" dan menyembah Rajah-Rajah ini yang mereka anggap sebagai tuhan sebagai Seri Paduka, Yang Maha Mulia, dan banyak lagi contoh lain yang membolehkan orang Melayu menjadi mushrikin.

on PENGUMUAN : SILA JANGAN HINA PATIK PACAL YANG HINA

kredit to : Tukartiub.blogspot.com

Feedback from Pos Malaysia

Dear Mischa,

We refer to your feedback received through Pos Malaysia Facebook on 16 January 2013 and would like to take this opportunity to thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

First and foremost, please accept our apologies for the inconvenience and anxiety this matter may have caused you.

For your information, our investigation revealed that the Call Center agent did send a message to PPL Kuala Lumpur on 14 January 2013 at 1.30 pm to hold your parcel as requested by your goodself. We noted that you have made an attempt to collect the parcel on the same day but item was not available yet. For your information, the parcel was received by the centre only after 6.00 pm after the courier has completed his run for that day. Our sincere apology again for the inconveniences as our Call Centre agent should have communicated to you to collect the parcel on the next day.

Under normal circumstances, any messages sent through our system would normally be scanned by the PPL staff at the end of the day so that any actions taken will be communicated to the respective parties accordingly and also to assist in delivery planning on the following day. Unfortunately, the PPL Kuala Lumpur staff in charge has overlooked the message resulting in the parcel to be sent for delivery on 15 January 2013.

The same has been conveyed and explained to you through our telephone conversation on 17 January 2013.

For your information, we have brought up this matter to the PPL Kuala Lumpur Manager. The staff in charge has also been counseled and counter measures have been taken to improve the process to avoid the same issues from recurring.

On behalf of Pos Malaysia Berhad, we would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused with regard to this matter. You may contact our Customer Service Centre through PosLine at 1-300-300-300 from 8.30 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. on Monday to Friday and from 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. on Saturday (except on 1st Saturday of the month and Public Holidays) for assistance. Alternatively, we can also be contacted via email at care@pos.com.my

Thank you and warm regards.

Fauziah Mat Nuri
Customer Care

Complain on service provided by Customer Service agent, Pos Malaysia

To whom it may concern,

I am not happy with the service provided by your callcenter agent. On 10th January 2013, I sent a parcel to one of my customer using your PosLaju service (ref number EN434696467MY). Due to some policy issues at her workplace, the parcel was returned back. Upon calling PosLaju Customer Service line (1300300300) on 14th January 2013, I was informed that the parcel has been sent to PPL Kuala Lumpur, as the sender's postcode is under the jurisdiction of PPL Kuala Lumpur. I inquired if I could retrieve the parcel by hand, to which the CS agent confirmed possible, and that he will advice PPL Kuala Lumpur to hold the item for me. About half an hour later, the CS agent called back to advice that the instruction to hold the parcel for my collection has been relayed.

Confident that I was given the correct information, I went to PPL Kuala Lumpur to collect the parcel. However, the staff handling parcel self-collection (Puan Farah) informed me that my parcel has yet to arrive at PPL Kuala Lumpur, contrary to what the CS agent had advised me. On 15th January 2013, I went to PPL Kuala Lumpur again, only to be disappointed for the second time. This time, I was informed that the item has been sent out, and that no email was sent from your callcenter by the CS agent who handled my request, instructing PPL Kuala Lumpur to hold the parcel. Quite contrary to what the CS agent had claimed. Puan Farah then recommended that I lodge a complain on the matter, citing that such cases has been on the rise. She also suspected that the agent did not log any case for the call, as no reference number was profided by the CS agent for my record.

I would like the following action to be taken:
1) Trace back the calls made to 1300300300 from mobile number 01*******7 (my personal number), and investigate whether the agent had delivered what he promised in the conversation.

2) If he had in fact provided false information (instruction to hold parcel for self-collect has been relayed, when in fact no such instruction made), I demand a written apology from himself, and necessary disciplinary action taken.

3) Review the performance of the callcenter handling Pos Malaysia Customer Service line. The last time I checked, the service was handled by the CS team at the 10th Floor, Menara VADS.

Please be informed that this complain e-mail as well as future communication pertaining to this issue will be published on my personal Facebook page, my blog, as well as on Pos Malaysia's official Facebook Page.

Looking forward to your feedback. Thank you.


Warm regards,

Mischa Selamat

Transsexualism and Sex Change in Islam

Translation and transcription of the video:

DR TARIQ AL HABEEB

Do we judge on a person that he is a male or female from his external physical appearance ? Or from the internal feeling inside himself ? Most of those who i've conversed with said : HIS EXTERNAL PHYSICAL APPEARANCE.

But in... my view ,and maybe a lot will disagree with me,we judge the person if he is male or female from his internal feeling inside himself.What does he feel in himself ? What does he feel in his identity ?

If we ask anyone for example. why do you wear arabic scarf or dress ? is it because your physical appearance is a man so you did wear that ? Or is it because you felt inside you that you are a man so you did wear that ? the basic gauge is his feeling that he is a man made him follow that habit.We ask the women why do your wear such ? is it because of your physical appearance is feminine so u wear such ?Or is it because you felt inside you that you female so you do wear that clothes? The standard perspective ,if we observed and focused in ourselves , is because we feel inside ourselves that we are men so we wear that clothes,or because they feel they are women so they wear those clothes.Even in the national and the patriotic structure of the person,why he is following a specific attitude ? It is because he, inside himself, assume that assumption.

But i focus on the self structure , the identification , the personal , Am i male or female inside my self ?

Lets take for example the man who came to my clinic for example,he feels that he is a female.What should we do?We evaluate his body: we found that he is a man.Then we evaluate his hormones, to see what the structure of the hormones say about him ? in most cases ,from what i've seen in these condition , is that the hormones structure is for men but has been disturbed.If there was defect , we go for curing the hormone defect that causes that condition.If there no any defects,we look to the psychological side ,So we do the physical check up first ,external and internal ,We see if there is a uterus or not ,ovaries etc.Then we check his hormones if he is a man and has female hormone, we modify these hormones and then we see what happen next.The third condition , we found that his body is a man, and his hormones are male hormones,But inside himself he feels that he is a female.."I'm a female,not only i like to be with females,I'm a female inside my self,not only inside my self,i'm all a female.But why should i act like a man,and wear mens clothe...etc? it is because society imposed on me...i feel that i'm a female..

we ask now,should that person live as a female or male? what is the right that we should give to this person ? Should he live as a male or female ? in my personal evaluation this person must be a female...because the gauge is not the body,and its not the hormone,because the actual gauge is his internal feeling, his composition , if it was since he was raise while he was a child,and he feels that feeling,so he is a female with a male body and male hormones..but if it was something casual,so no,we don't accept that..!!!Maybe some while growing more with girl ,started from females behavior.That is behavioral conditioning ,but his self identity is a man.Feels like a man,but like some of females behavior THAT IS NOT THE ONE WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT..! Please don't get mixed up with what i'm saying,But a person since he came into life and he feels that he is a female so it is very limited percentage ,not every man who effeminate in his clothes or a woman who dressed like a man .No,not those whom we are talking about.WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THOSE WHO HAVE INSIDE FEELINGS THAT MAYBE LEAD HIM/HER TO DRESS IN A CERTAIN WAY OR ANY OTHER BEHAVIOR.That person according to my view should live as a female..And the woman that has a feeling of a man since she was born and came to the universe and that feeling strong inside NOT A PASSING OR TEMPORARY FEELING ,NO,Not that what we mean,but the complete feeling that she is male ,she deserve to live as a male ,and those whom i'm talking about those have the right to live ,the woman as a man,and the man as a woman .

And to pursue the appropriate medical decision,From THE ISLAMIC View some maybe against and say "HOW COULD THIS BE'? I Say:I HAVE EVIDENCE IN THIS MATTER,The intersex,whose body completely is mixed with female and male..What do the scholars say about this ? They said : To which ever he is close to, he or she should change...That person in front of me ,is two pieces ,one is physical and the other is the psychological i fix them together.What does that person feel ? what does he want ? what is attracted to ? we are talking about intersex..!! this is how we evaluate that person who is called in fiqih a intersex or hermaphrodite who is not matching one's assigned sex,but mixed sex in his/her reproductive organs ..what should we do to that person? we ask him/her where do you find yourself closer to? and see what is his/her body structure closer to..so we mix this with that ,and continue the treatment of making this person a male or female..i apply my idea that i'm saying ,and base it on that EVEN IF THE PERSON WE ARE TREATING ,FROM OUTSIDE HE IS A MAN ,AND HIS HORMONES ARE MALE,BUT INSIDE HIM IS A FEMALE,YES,HE HAS THE RIGHT TO LIVE AS FEMALE,AND I'M SAYING IT WITH ALL BRAVERY..He should live as a female,the society,the culture,and so and so don't judge on me as on that's how we found our fathers doing,don't judge on me based on theories,judge on me with science,converse with me.My parents have taught me to debate the idea by another idea,and argument by another argument,..But if i started saying..this and that and what should i do with the people ? That is not the language of science ,nor the language of religion..Never at all..But we evaluate that matter,and make the ideal psychological and surgical treatment for that person to live tranquilly..LET'S THINK ABOUT OUR FAMILIES AND SOCIETIES...

Many parents come to me saying:HE EMBARRASES US INFRONT OF THE PEOPLE....! How we could changed him ? COME ON GUYS,SHOULD HE SUFFER FROM WEARING MEN'S CLOTHES? OR SHOULD SHE FOR EXAMPLE SUFFER FROM THOSE WOMEN'S CLOTHES? YOU FIND A WOMAN LIVING AS A MAN,WALKING LIKE A MAN..She has the right to live as a man..We think about our interest and benefits..BUT WE DON'T THINK ABOUT THEIR RIGHT..It is his right to live as a woman,IF HIS PSYCHOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY SINCE ALLAH CREATE HIM AND HE FEELS INSIDE HIM THAT HE IS A FEMALE,IM REPEATING AGAIN...,Not a temporary feeling,so none misunderstand me,But A VERY STRONG & ROOTED FEELING INSIDE HIM,THAT MAKES HIM WORRIED AND ANNOYED FROM WHAT ? From his outer physical appearance and his clothes,that he wears male's clothes and HE FEELS INSIDE HIM THAT HE IS FEMALE..! OR SHE DID WEAR FEMALE'S CLOTHE ,AND SHE FEELS INSIDE HER THAT SHE IS A MALE.So after that evaluation,the physical and hormones,we move to the psychological side..If it was a strong and rooted feeling for that person,in my scientific opinion,It is favourable for that person to live as female ,that man and that woman,it is favourable to live as male.

There is different composition in some people,even in their internal psychology,those no ,we see to which he/she closer and we confirm on it,not impose the opposite.there is also the person who has sexual orientation , a man who is attracted to both women and men (Bisexual),That is not whom we are talking about..That is call sexual disturbance...and actually i don't call it a 'disturbance' with all the meaning of that word,A person who attracted to the same sex, a man to man,a woman to woman,maybe it is disturbance..but both sex at the same time ,that is maybe because of some social habits make the person attracted to both sexes,A Man who is attracted to both sexes sexually,and feels inside him that he is a man,That is not the one whom we are talking about..or A woman who is attracted to both sexes sexually,or even is attracted to women only,and she practice lesbianism a lot in her life ,She is not the one whom we are talking about...unless she feels inside that she is a man..Even she practiced lesbianism,and she feels that is the dominant (top), and not the receiver (bottom),in this relationship,still,we ask does she feel she is a man ? or a woman and she want to practice that?If she felt that she is a woman,and continuously during that sexual act and after it and since very early time in her life,and with a strong feeling in my thought that lady is a man,she should live as a man...it is her right to live as a man,and our duty to support that orientation but by using the medical standard to control that issue..The time of the program is over..Assalamualaikum warrah matullah hiwabarukatoh...

Dr. Tariq Al-Habeeb is an Islamic psychologist.

I Think, Therefore I Am Dangerous

New Book To Look Out For

Got this email earlier, and I believe you guys would be interested to read about it:

I enjoyed visiting your blog today, and I thought that you might be interested to learn that a new edition of Napoleon Hill's classic book "Think and Grow Rich" has been published.

Its title is "Think and Grow Rich!" (subtitled) "The Original Version, Restored and Revised." I am the editor/annotator of this new 412-page edition, which is really an homage to Dr. Hill. (For several years I was the editor-in-chief of "Think & Grow Rich Newsletter.")

What I have done is this: to restore Dr. Hill's book to its original manuscript content (it was first published in 1937, but was abridged in 1960), annotate it with more than 50 pages of endnotes (most of the persons and events he discusses are generally unknown to readers today), index it thoroughly, add an appendix with a wealth of additional information about Dr. Hill and his work, and revise the book in ways to help remove certain "impediments" to reading the book today (language that today would be considered obsolete, sexist or racist). None of these things had previously been done with TGR.

If you would like to learn a little more about this project, a quick visit to www.tgr-restored-revised.com will give you some details. The "Editor's Foreword" provides more complete information, and the “Testimonials” page will demonstrate how well-received this new book is around the world.

Here is the book’s Amazon.com page...

http://www.amazon.com/Think-Grow-Rich-Original-Restored/dp/1593302002/sr=1-1/qid=1172004763/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1493475-7148634?ie=UTF8&s=books

The book is available on all the Amazon websites and most other online sellers, it can be ordered by any bookstore, and it will start appearing in bookstores soon. We also sell direct, at steep discounts, to personal success coaches and motivational speakers who use it for back-of-the-room sales and to teach Master Mind Study Groups.

Our edition of TGR! is superior in every way to other versions on the market. It is a trade paperback, not a pocket-size mass market paperback. It is unabridged. It is 412 pages versus 230+ (depending on the edition). It looks better, feels better, reads better than any other version. It is fast becoming the "version of choice" among Napoleon Hill devotees and other students of success and high achievement.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Ross Cornwell, Editor

Well, what are you waiting for? Go get it, and read it from cover to cover. Here's to success.

Site of the week: House of Happy Furmily

Am doing this to help an old acquaintance. She's the founder of this movement, and I'd like to see her succeed in her endeavor, since I'm a pet-lover myself.

House of Happy Furmily

Providing H O P E when it seems to be HOPELESS

Imagine all of a sudden your lovely dog was diagnosed with a critical health problem.

Or worse, your precious cat got hit by a car, and lost two of his/her legs.

Not only humans have medical problems but animals as well. If your pet encountered any of the similar misfortune, what would you have done?

Put your pet to sleep? Give away to a shelter?

You might be thinking that giving your pet away is the best solution because you cannot bear the high medical fees to help your pet.

“I can buy more than 1 new puppy with that amount of money, why bother paying for that sick dog’s medical fees?”

That kind of thinking is sick and insane, mind my language.

Will you push your family members like your mother/father to a shelter or even put them to sleep when you think of their medical bills?

But sadly to say, there are some people with such thinking in this wonderful world.

I have 7 adopted dogs and 1 rescued cat staying with me under the same roof. Most of them are either abandoned by the previous owners, with critical health condition, untamed or untrained. Even they are with such disadvantage, i doesn’t see them showing me their “giving up” face. They are still trying their very best to live a happy life, eat and play as hard as they could. It is a joy to have them around. Seeing them brings tear to my eyes because these are the true example of being grateful and happy for what you have despite your shortcomings.

I’m personally touched by their strong surviving spirits. Together with my friends; we are a group of pet enthusiasts who believe that helping pets is a necessity because pets have feelings like we do. If you abandon your dogs, they will be feeling the same way you would feel if someone abandoned you when you get sick.

Therefore, my friend and her partners decided to develop a charity fund catered especially for handicapped pets or those in dire needs of medical attention even those who are advised to “put-to-sleep” by certain vets, in other words, special pets. With this charity fund, there would not be any more cases of owners not being able to treat their pets because of financial constraints.

We want to help as many as we could! All our team mates behind this charity fund have a true heart to help these special pets. We want to be the ones that these special pets can turn to when there seems to be hopeless in their owners’ eyes.

Please support the House of Happy Furmily and be a blessing to those special pets. Let’s give them a hope and a chance to live a longer and happier life.

H1N1 Info: Kindly share if you care

Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 is a disease that is caused by a virus that could affects your respiratory system.

The symptoms of Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 are:
i. Fever
ii. Cough or sore throat
iii. Body aches
iv. Headache, chills and fatigue
v. In some cases, vomiting and diarrhoea

Complications of the disease include pneumonia and difficulty in breathing. Death may occur in persons who have other medical problems or complications.

How does Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 spread?
i. Influenza viruses are mainly spread from one person to another through droplets released during coughing or sneezing;
ii. Sometimes people may become infected by touching surfaces or holding objects contaminated with influenza viruses (e.g., hands, door handles , handkerchiefs, tissue paper) and then touching their own mouth, nose or eyes.

How is Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 managed?
i. There is no vaccine available at the moment; however, studies are being conducted to produce a vaccine;
ii. Antivirals (medicines used for managing infection with a virus), can be used to treat the disease. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is one of the effective medicines currently being used;
iii. Antiviral medicines work better if started soon after getting sick (within two days of appearance of symptoms);
iv. Those treated with antivirals usually recover fully; so far, no resistance to the recommended medicines for Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 virus has been documented;
v. Health workers should make treatment decisions based on clinical and epidemiological assessment. Particular attention should be paid to patients with complications.
vi. WHO does not recommend the use of antivirals for mass prophylaxis.

If a person is in contact with or likely to be exposed to a sick person, how can he avoid being infected?
i. Regular washing of hands with soap and water is strongly recommended;
ii. Hand rubbing with alcohol is also advised where available
iii. Keep a distance of at least one step (one meter) from the infected person to avoid coming into contact with the influenza droplets;
iv. If contact with a sick person or with potentially infected surfaces or objects occurs, those involved must not touch their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands;
v. Close contact with a sick person should be avoided; people are advised to refrain from handshaking, kissing or hugging during an outbreak;
vi. Those taking care of a sick person should use a face mask in accordance with guidelines provided by national health authorities;
vii. It is advisable to be physically active, drink plenty of fluids, eat well, reduce stress and have enough sleep.

What can infected individuals do to prevent spreading Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 to others?
i. They should cover their mouth with a piece of cloth or tissue paper when sneezing or coughing; the used tissue should be properly disposed of while the cloth should be washed with soap, dried and replaced as often as required;
ii. The infected person should wear a mask when in contact with others;
iii. Tissue paper, handkerchief or other material used by the sick person for wiping his nose or mouth, must not be used by others;
iv. If there is no tissue paper or cloth, the sick person should cover his face with his arm before sneezing or coughing, and not use his hands to contaminate surfaces or things that may be touched or held by others;
v. Hands should be washed with soap and water especially after sneezing, or coughing, and before touching door handles and other objects or surfaces so as to prevent contamination with droplets;
vi. Sick persons should stay at home and limit contact with others as much as possible.
vii. People should seek treatment immediately if infection is suspected, if symptoms occur or when advised by a health worker.

What should communities do to help prevent the spread of Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009?.
i. Ensure community members know how to limit the spread of influenza, the symptoms of the disease and what to do if infection occurs;
ii. Ensure provision of care for those infected;
iii. Support social distancing, isolation or quarantine when requested by a health worker (or as determined by health authorities);
iv. Establish contact with the nearest health facility that will provide support in managing the disease;
v. Report suspected cases and deaths to a health worker or other relevant authority.

For more information about Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 , contact the Regional Office Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 Crisis Management Team (Dr Yada –yadaa@afro.who.int ) and visit the websites www.who.int or www.cdc.gov.

Wine as an investment class has become more appealing

Here's a good article for the investors in these uncertain time:

By DALJIT DHESI

INVESTMENT in quality wine is fast making waves across the globe as an alternative investment class amidst plummeting equity value, extreme volatility and looming recession. It appears that many investors are diversifying their portfolio into premium wines and others, including teetotallers, are also jumping into the bandwagon.

Sure Holdings Ltd managing director James Pala says the biggest appeal of wine as an alternative investment class is that it is low risk, offers stable returns and has a low co-relation with stocks and bonds.

In addition, he points out that wine investment has also become increasingly attractive in recent years due to the fact that people do not have to pay capital gains tax when they sell their wines.

Vintage Assets Pte Ltd director Lionel Lau says the investment in this “liquid asset” is unique as once wine is produced in a certain year, it can never be repeated again in line with the famous saying in Bordeaux “Once in a bottle, never again”.
Pala

Bordeaux is a province in France and the mother of all quality and investment grade wines of the world.

From the world’s total production, only 1% is categorised as investment grade wine, out of which 80% comes from Bordeaux.

Lau says the longer a wine is held, the higher the price it can fetch and the higher the potential returns. During one of the great vintage years of 2005, he says the price of certain wines surged by over 148% between the pre-bottling stage (in June 2005) to the time they hit the market three years later.

General manager Chris Low says great vintage is a term used to describe the best harvest by the top critics of quality wines.

The top five performing wine brand of Vintage 2000, Low says, is Lafite Rothschild, Haut-Brion, Latour, Mouton Rothschild and Margaux.

Sure Holdings and Vintage Assets are believed to be the only two wine advisors and brokers operating in Malaysia. According to Lau, the higher consumption and demand is set to drive existing investment and collection of wines in the global market.

He says investment grade wines like Lafite has survived three recessions – of the eighties, nineties and the present one.

Annual returns on investment grade wines, says Pala, especially those from Bordeaux can typically rake in returns of between 12% and 20%, even though they have averaged far higher returns over the last 25 years.

Liv-ex, the world’s biggest fine wine index based in London, estimates the prices of the best vintages have currently increased by 50% since the start of last year, in sharp contrast to the global stock market, where prices had fallen by 15%. Over the last 12 months, he says wines traded on the Liv-ex 500 Fine Wine Index has increased by 14.4% as against a decline of 33% and 37% on the FTSE 100 and S&P 500 respectively.
Lau

Due to its close proximity with France, London is currently the wine hub of the world as it has the best bonded public wine warehouses equipped with high tech facilities and conducive storage temperature, amongst others.

The turnover on wine investment in Britain alone has currently reached over a billion dollars, not accounting for the US and Asia markets.

The trend in Asia is visible. Hong Kong recently abolished tax on wine and beer in a bid to become a wine hub in the region.

He says in Malaysia the market for investment grade wines was on the uptrend as investors were looking for safer investments to grow their monies.

Pala says he generally advises his clients to go for less risky and relatively short to medium term (two to three years) type of investment.

“We trade Bordeaux wines and part of it is the 1855 classification. Over the last three years, we have recommended 40 different wines to our clients with investments totalling £69,000, which have made returns of 43% (£98,000 in value) during the period,’’ he notes.

Vintage Assets was set up last year. Lau says the lowest return raked in by a client so far is less than 20% return a year.

Wine investors in Malaysia are generally high net worth individuals who are businessmen, CEOs of companies and banks, university lecturers and doctors.

Before investing, Lau says that he analyses his clients’ risk appetite and the time frame they expect to realise their investment returns, be it two, three or even in five years time. Both Pala and Lau advised their clients to store their wines bought at bonded warehouses in London to ensure its premium quality.

“It is not advisable to ship them to other parts of the world as it is risky and will affect the wines quality, leading to depreciation in value,’’ Pala remarks.

Source: The Star BizWeek Section

Notice

Umm... Hi there. Wow, didn't expect to see people visiting this dilapidated blog haha. Yeah, the owner is a lazy bum, who would rather go out for a teh beng (or iced milk tea for the westerners) session than writing some useful stuffs in his blog. I will try to be more active in writing, though I admit, am very susceptible to distractions. Namely World of Warcraft, teh beng, gatherings, and MSN haha.

Anyway, hope you guys will visit my other blogs as well. For now, please visit my personal blog. Yes, this blog is not for personal purpose, though I tend to get things mixed up every now and then. The link is on the left-hand side bar. Drats... I need to update those as well. Sigh.

Okay, RadicalScope signing off. Time to take a bath. I'm smelly :p

Be nice to people, as long as they are certified nice.

I remember watching "Fruits Basket" the animation, and listened to the story of "The Foolish Traveler". This particular traveler, had a very good heart. Always wanting to help people, to the extend that he was manipulated by the people he met in his travel. He gave away all his possessions, after listening to their stories, even though they were lying. In the end, as he got not even a single article of clothing on him, he went into the jungle. There, he got tricked by the demons in the jungle, who ate everything save his head. The demons said, "Thank you for your kindness. We have a present for you." The traveler, since he never asked anything in return for his kindness, and never got anyway, was very happy. He keep on saying, "Thank you, thank you. I've never got a present before. Thank you, thank you." He said those words so happily, as he was dying. The present the demons left was a piece of paper, with "Stupid" written on it.

Lesson of the story: DO NOT BE NICE TO PEOPLE UNLESS THEY GOT PROOF THAT THEY ARE NICE TOO.

WANTED

TELEMARKETERS CUM ADMIN

URGENTLY REQUIRED

WORK ALONGSIDE EXPATRIATES

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• strong telephone skills etiquette
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• 1-2 years of documented successful sales experience.
• must be a self-motivated, disciplined professional.
• knowledge in wines and investment jargon is an added advantage.
  

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An Age Old Argument on the Almighty

Born into a Muslim family, my parents (like any other "rational" Muslim parents in Malaysia) would tell me not to question about God. Which, as I grow up, makes no sense as there are plenty verses in the Holy Quran that hinted that as Muslims we should. Not question in a negative manner, but question in a questing manner. We are supposed to question His existence in order to find Him, not to deny Him.

With that mentality in mind, I look around and sure enough, I found that intellectual people who argues about the divine spirit with the intention of seeking the truth found them, whereas those who seek to deny the truth will not. You gain what you seek. So how should we argue about something that we never seen, cannot be touched, never been heard, cannot be tasted, and has no smell? The following conversation might give you an idea:

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty.
He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?
Student: (Student is silent.)

Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?
Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From...God...

Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?
Student: (Student does not answer.)

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?
Student: (Student has no answer.)

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No , sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn't. (The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold.
We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that.
There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat.
We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something.
You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it?
In reality, darkness isn't exist. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God.
You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure.
Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.
To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing.
Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.
Now tell me, Professor.
Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
Prof: (The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavour, are you not teaching your opinion, sir?
Are you not a scientist but a preacher?
Prof: (The class is in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?
Prof: (The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it?.....No one appears to have done so.
So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir.
With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

Prof: (The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)
Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student: That is it sir.. The link between man & God is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

Chicken Soup for the Malaysian Soul

Hi there . Now, how long has it been since the last time I posted? Well, life has been a bit harsh on me. But I know, it is because life is preparing me for something bigger. Something that the current me can never comprehend. Thus, all the hardship I'm facing right now. But hey, we're talking about being positive here, so let's put the depressing talk aside.

What I wanted to talk about today, in this post, is about something that has been in my mind since last year. Have you guys read the book Chicken Soup for the Soul? When I was younger, they even made a TV series based on the stories featured in that book. Since then, there had been various other chicken soup books published, due to the impact brought by the stories featured. So a thought came into my mind, "Hey, it's about time we have a Chicken Soup book for Malaysian." Now, I'm not looking for an avenue for profit. I just want to have an avenue where people share their most motivating, life-changing, inspiring stories with other Malaysians, as well as the world. So the most I can promise for now is a Teh Tarik session at a mamak stall of your preference.

So, I need you to help me to:

1. Send me 1 (one) motivating, life-changing, and inspiring story that you had experienced PERSONALLY. It must be a true story, not an adaptation of any sort. Please include your personal details (name, contact number) as well, so that we can have the teh tarik session I promised. Stories are to be sent to my personal email: radicalscope@gmail.com.
   
2. Next, recommend me 3 people whom you know would be able to provide me with stories of the same or greater impact. All I need is their name and email address. If they don't do emails, a phone number would do as well.

The stories, once compiled, will be sent to Jack Canfield, the original author of the Chicken Soup series. If he lets me publish the book under my name, or with me as the co-author, I'll share with you all whatever I get from the book. But the teh tarik session is a confirmed promise.

Okay, that's all for now. Looking for ward for the wonderful stories that you have in store for me, and the people you'd like me to meet for more stories. And thank you in advance. Lord bless you all with happiness beyond imagination.

'Dieting ruined my health'

Jane Elliott
BBC News Online health staff

An eating disorder in her teens left Dr Anna Richman with a legacy of ill-health.

Aged only 32, Anna has osteoporosis - a condition usually associated with menopausal women twice her age.

Formerly a statuesque six footer Anna, used to be taller than her sisters, but the osteoporosis has taken at least two inches from her height.

"The irony is that I wanted to lose weight to have a better-shaped body.

"When I lost the height from my spine my waist actually disappeared and I was left with a protruding stomach.

"I will never get that height back. It seems to have gone from the top half of my body and it affects the way I dress."

As well as osteoporosis, anorexia can have further drastic effects on the body.

A lack of food deprives the body of protein and prevents the normal metabolism of fat.

The effects of this can include an irregular heart beat caused by a change in the heart muscle - which in turn can lead to heart failure and death.

Other problems can include ceasing of menstruation, dehydration, kidney stones and kidney failure.

Some anorexics also develop a fine, downy body hair, called lanugo, on the face and arms and their muscles waste away. Some suffer constipation or bowel irritation.

Teenage diet

Anna, who now works as a hospital doctor in Liverpool, started to diet in her late teens.

"I was only dieting for 18 months, but the implications have gone on for years," she said.

It wasn't long after Anna started dieting that her weight got out of control.

Very soon she was hospitalised with anorexia.

"It did just start off as a bit of a diet. I lost a bit of weight and then it went from a diet to anorexia."

When Anna was first hospitalised her weight had plummeted to just seven-and-a-half stone.

Doctors helped her build her weight back up to over 10 stone.

But then she relapsed and needed hospitalisation as it slumped again to just six stone.

Rebuilding life

Watching her friends leave her behind as they gained their A' Levels and then university places, Anna struggled to take charge of her life again.

She took her exams and started to study medicine, but the damage had been done.

"When I was 19 I was just getting over the anorexia and had taken a part-time job in a nursing home.

Risks

One in three woman and one in 12 men over 50 have osteoporosis
Treating broken bones due to osteoporosis costs the NHS about £5 million a day

"I had a backache and was just told that everyone at the home used to get these.

"But then one day I was in excruciating pain with my back and I just fell to the floor. I could not walk and had to crawl back to bed."

Eventually doctors diagnosed Anna with osteoporosis and spotted that she had two compression fractures in the spine.

Her bone density was low and doctors recommended a high-dose pill to boost her levels.

But she found taking calcium tablets and doing weight bearing exercises worked better.

Fragile bones

Emma Burrows, of the National Osteoporosis Society, said young women like Anna are at an increased risk of osteoporosis.

"Oestrogen is essential for healthy bones in women. Over-dieting can cause a drop in oestrogen levels similar to that experienced at the menopause and can result in fragile bones that are liable to break easily.

"It is essential that we all protect our bones by eating a healthy, well-balanced and calcium rich diet, and that doesn't mean it has to be fattening.

"Low-fat dairy products, such as skimmed milk, actually contain more calcium than the full-fat varieties, and calcium can come from non-dairy sources too.

"Young women who miss their periods for six months or more as a result of over-dieting or over-exercising are at an increased risk of suffering a broken bone due to osteoporosis and should talk to their GP about a possible bone scan or treatment."

Diet is not an answer; it's a mean. Use it wisely or it will devour you.

Malaysia keeps its tiger caged

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

William Pesek

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Those wondering where Malaysia is headed should keep an eye on Tony Fernandes. Perhaps no one personifies the promise of Asia's 10th-biggest economy better than the 43-year-old entrepreneur.

In 2001, he created a budget airline, beating the odds in a place dominated by government-linked companies that tend to abhor competition. AirAsia has been

turning heads ever since.

It was another airline magnate, Aristotle Onassis, who said the key to succeeding in business is knowing something others don't.

Fernandes knew that not only were Asians ready for no-frills carriers, but so were investors.

Fernandes is often called Southeast Asia's answer to Richard Branson. It seems highly appropriate, then, that the two men teamed to launch AirAsia X, a long-haul budget carrier that this month made its maiden flight.

Branson's Virgin Group is among its key backers.

For all his success, Fernandes also is a microcosm of why Malaysia's economy isn't on the upward trajectory it could be. Politicians' efforts over the years to protect the turf of Malaysian Airline System backfired, leaving Kuala Lumpur lagging behind in the

race for Asia's travel hub. Malaysia has effectively tied one hand behind its back to help out national champions at the expense of the bigger picture.

'I'm asking this for national interest, not MAS's interest or anything else,' says Fernandes of his battle to fly from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. 'The consumers have suffered enough.'

Politicians continue to dither over another national champion: state- controlled carmaker Proton Holdings. While talks on an alliance with Volkswagen are

progressing, the saga is a reminder that Malaysia's leaders are wasting time the nation doesn't have.

In Proton's case, the exercise is about finding a partner to help revive sales and return the 24-year-old company to profit. Yet this, like Fernandes's fight to expand his innovative airline, is emblematic of how politicians often don't grasp that

Malaysia's place in Asia is rather tenuous.

The world has lots riding on multi- ethnic Malaysia. It's a place where micro-miniskirts comfortably exist next to women in headscarves. Yet the next 50 years will arguably be even harder than the last. It wasn't one of the original Asian tigers, yet Malaysia became one over the years. Now, amid Asia's boom, the economy

has its fair share of blemishes with which to grapple.

'The world is moving ahead at a rapid pace, and it won't wait for Malaysia,' says Razlan Mohamed, chief executive of Malaysian Rating Corp. The nation needs

to work harder and faster, he added.

Chrisanne Chin, finance faculty head at MIMS Business School, Malaysian Institute of Management & INTI University College, puts it this way: 'It's not so much what Malaysia is lacking, but that China, India, Vietnam and even Thailand and Indonesia have improved so much that they are very capable of leapfrogging Malaysia in a short span of another five years because of specific comparative advantages, from low costs to human capital to technology.'

Human capital is a particular concern. The government needs to do more to train the leaders of tomorrow and import the talent that firms require to thrive. It also has to win more of the foreign direct investment flowing elsewhere in Asia.

There's much backslapping about how the US$147 billion (HK$1.15 trillion) economy may expand 6 percent this year and 6.5 percent in 2008. The real picture can be

found in the World Economic Forum's latest competitiveness survey, in which Malaysia slipped two spots to 21st.

A huge obstacle for Malaysia is something that can barely be discussed: a 37-year-old affirmative-action program favoring the predominant Malay community. It alienates non-Malays, limits foreign investment, stifles competition and keeps the economy from moving toward a meritocracy.

Yet it's a third-rail issue. Most Malaysians won't even discuss it without first looking around to see who is listening.

A sense of political drift doesn't help. Four years in office, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has spent more time trying to solidify the influence of his party, the United Malays National Organization, than bringing the economy to the next level.

Investors and entrepreneurs complain that Abdullah, who, oddly, also serves as finance minister, hasn't attacked subsidies on products such as oil, or tackled

corruption as promised.

Malays are angry too

Umar Mukhtar Nov 28, 07 6:22pm

The Indians are unhappy and angry. So are the Malays and we know it is pretty much the same with the Chinese, Kadazans and Ibans. What they are unhappy about is pretty much the same: A government that does not listen, an electoral process that is so questionable that it is not a real hope for change and the eventual destruction of a nation through the abuse of power by people in government.

By this measure, never have Malaysians been so united in the single cause of changing the way the nation is governed, no matter how much BN tries to spin communal tensions into this. It does not matter if Hishammuddin Hussein brings a million government supporters to the streets Mugabe-style. Like all simple-minded, self-serving myopics, he has missed the point. This is a democracy. Whilst numbers decide a lot, the government in power is still the government of all the people.

Just in case Khairy Jamaluddin and gang has not been made aware, by now they should have gotten the message that people are angry enough to risk their freedom and limbs.

A police force, with members who bullies, kills with dynamites and is corrupt at the highest levels, may be feared but certainly not respected enough for it to be an effective protector. An election that is a farce can never be a hope or even a valve for frustrations. Nor can a judiciary that can be bought and sold or a prime minister who sleeps on the job.

Of course, we can expect the government to listen only to its cronies and continue to believe the lies told to the simple kampung folks. But the people will find ways to make the government listen. In the absence of a fair electoral process, street marches are only one of the many avenues that the downtrodden have resorted - all over the world, throughout the centuries - including my forefathers in their fight for independence.

People like me are thankful to Bersih and Hindraf, not necessarily because I support their causes. Their bravery are the barometers of the people's anger and desperation. The government should listen hard or risk the consequences of a chaotic society when people lose hope. My family and I should not have to bear the inconvenience caused by a government that pushes the people beyond the limit.

Every decent Malaysian, with enough sense in his head, finds the government's lies in its media revolting and insulting our intelligence. The rest of us are blinded by some misguided sense of nationalism, racism and patriotism - messed up into some cheap rojak, spiced up with fear, insecurities and a huge ego that hides an inferiority complex. Every now and then, an expensive and glossy Petronas commercial is commissioned to tug at our hearts as if they depict real life in Malaysia today. How I really wish.

I have no time to justify a renters' economy, rationalise my leaders' indiscretions in the name of my race or turn a deaf ear to their arrogance so unbecoming of my culture.

I am a Malay and proud of it until you guys made into a lunch ticket. I am angry.

A lot of truth in this

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"

In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."


Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in. My Best Regards.


Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein