Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
Tagline : Prepare to get served!

I think the recently wrapped up delegates at the climate conference in Copenhagen should be shown this. It's light hearted but at the same time loaded with tonnes of environmental messages. Also filled with the ironic take on the consumer pattern. Had a great fun watching and laughing.

Be Mine (2008) - Aditya

I think the album is quite nice. Didn't think it get good response in Indonesia though. Another case of less-appealing appearance I guess. The track list:

1. All About Me
2. Cinta Sesaat
3. Be Mine
4. Love Will Find You
5. Get A Room
6. Diamnya Dirimu
7. Salah
8. In The Night
9. Sangat Rindu
10. Kurelakan

After Sunshine Cleaning, Smart People starts to learn How To Lose Friends & Alienate People while understanding The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

Sunshine Cleaning (2008)
Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin
Tagline : Life's a Messy Business

I was sold after knowing Amy Adams and Emily Blunt helmed this little indie vehicle. Upon watching it, there's Alan Arkin in it as well!!! (Arkin is everywhere nowadays especially after his winning of the Best Supporting Actor for Little Miss Sunshine). The movie itself is a delight, not trying to be artsy-fartsy with its simple-regular-person dialogues. Adam is extremely lovable with her girl-next-door charm, not too sugary but "plain" enough to be able to squeeze her best in every character she's in. Emily Blunt is another delight. Already stealing scenes in Devil Wears Prada alongside Meryl Streep, she's destined to shine more hopefully with more meaty characters come to her. Alan Arkin, however charming he is, was just merely repeating what he does best and somehow feels like an extension from his character in Little Miss Sunshine.

Smart People (2008)
Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page, Thomas Haden Church
Tagline : sometimes the smartest people have the most to learn

Dennis Quaid carried his character of a widowed smart-ass-i-don't-care-what-the-world-thinks language lecturer with ease. Parker really had problem broaden her scope after her stick-in-your-mind character in Sex & The City; she's really so-so here as the romantic interest for Quaid, an ER doctor. Ellen Page is good as Quaid's daughter, a replica of Quaid's personality and in constant pursue of her dad's approval and affection trying to be perfect scoring the highest SAt etc. Haden Church again proves to be born with the talent to portray scruffy unreliable jack ass as he did in , here as the adopted brother of Quaid's character.

How To Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)
Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Megan Fox, Jeff Bridges
Tagline : Brace yourselves, America. He's across the pond, and out of his depth.

Here's some little Brits flavor for you; well... Simon Pegg is here (remember Hot Fuzz???). Based on a book, it's a story of a British writer who was hired to work with a glamourous magazine in New York by Jeff Bridges character (great grey hair by the way). Kirsten Dunst is again doing her Spiderman's character here, an aspiring novel writer trapped in the hi-so working environment of a glamourous lifestyle magazine. Megan Fox is the hot siren here doing nothing really notable except being seductive and sexy. In some angle, she kinda looks like a slimmer and taller version of Salma Hayek. Oh.. the Agent Scully of X-Files fame (anyone remember her????) is here as Fox's manager.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009)
Robin Wright Penn, Alan Arkin, Winona Ryder, Julianne Moore, Maria Bello, Monica Belluci, Keanu Reeves
Tagline : The life you love maybe your own. She lived many lives - except her own.

Lots of big names here and I think Penn was in a rare chance to be able to carry a title character with so many stars complimenting her. Commendable effort though I think the story sounds too familiar in a way. Ohh.. Alan Arkin is here too! Julianne Moore strikes again. The movie is directed by Rebecca Miller, wife of Daniel Day-Lewis and daughter of the famous Arthur Miller.

THE MOVIES ABOVE... ALL COURTESY OF MY BEST MATE SHERRY!!!

Dia - Maliq & D'Essentials

My Favourite Indonesian Group, Maliq & d'Essentials (DIA)
Read about my write up about them...
(HERE) and
(HERE)

We Still Have Philippines, Cambodia and Myanmar!!!!!

From mysinchew.com.... by Tay Tian Yan..............

50 years ago, everyone said Malaysia was the best, even better than Hong Kong and Japan.

30 years ago, they said Malaysia was not that bad, at least we were as good as Korea and Taiwan (Hong Kong and Japan were no longer mentioned by them).

20 years ago, they said Malaysia was still quite okay, at least we were better than China and Thailand (Taiwan and Korea were no longer in the same league).

10 years ago, they said Malaysia could never be like Vietnam or Indonesia, no matter how terrible it was (China was not in the same category any more).

Today, Vietnam and Indonesia have far outpaced Malaysia in economic development, the gap is fast closing in.

What to worry? We still have Philippines, Cambodia and Myanmar!

Time for SOS?

Is it the time for distress call? I don't really know but it feels bad to be reading news in Malaysia now. And of course, I am not referring only to the online media but the MSM especially the racist ones (in a way, which MSM is not???) also portrayed the same distressed feelings, of course not by telling the truth but non-stop spinning which reflected the distress in terms of the stupidity of the moronic political animals in the country.

Pissed off!!!!!!!!!

Berhenti Berharap - Marcell

A nice song by Indonesian singer, Marcell.

Spy Hard

There's nothing better than watching a James Bond spoof in the boring after-workday time in a depressing rainy KK evening. Spy Hard stars Leslie Nelson (I think Steve Martin took over his part after his death) and Nicolette Sheridan (the sultry seductress in Desperate Housewives). It's stupidly funny and reminded me of Stephen Chow. All in all, I had a good laugh!

Gomen Sedang Tension........

You got it! That's GST for you!!!!!!!!!!! Gomen Sedang Tension. Tension apa you ask? Where else to get more money after forcing its citizen to pay RM50/credit card?????????

The age of GST is here....

Congratulations Johnny and Jasmine

Love is patient and kind;

love does not envy or boast,

it is not aroogant or rude.

It does not insists on its own way;

it does not irritable or resentful;

it does not rejoice at wrongdoing,

but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things

hope all things, endures all things.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three

but the greatest of these is LOVE.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7,13

the service of holy martimony

Congratulations to my friend, Johnny Lim and Jasmine Tan. A nice church wedding indeed.

Karaoke Theme Night Series 1 : Groups and Bands

We had our 1st theme-night karaoke. Nope, I am not talking about costume-theme but songs instead. This session, the theme is groups and bands. No restrictions on language, be it Mandarin, Cantonese, English or even Malay and Indonesian.

The Torturers Involved : CK, Esther, Sophia, Erin & Buddy

(photo blurred to protect the safety of the torturers)

Songs List

1. Viva Forever - Spice Girls

2. Say You'll Be There - Spice Girls

3. Spice Up My Life - Spice Girls

4. Who Do You Think You Are - Spice Girls

5. Wannabe - Spice Girls

6. Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) - Backstreet Boys (BSB)

7. I'll Never Break Your Heart - BSB

8. As Long As You Love Me - BSB

9. I Will Come To You - Hanson

10. She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5

11. Chasing Car - Snow Patrol

12. Miss You Like Crazy - Moffats

13. Shape of My Heart - BSB

14. One - Blue

15. 真爱 - 183 Club

16. 我难过 - 5566

17. 流星雨 - F4

18. 绝不能失去你 - F4

19. Lonely - 草蜢

20. 镇守爱情 - 动力火车

21. 不甘心不放手 - 动力火车

22. 靠在一起 - 山脚下男孩

23. 小情歌 - 苏打绿

24. Sha La La - 温拿

25. Falling In Love - Baby

26. I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing - Aerosmith

27. 而我知道 - 五月天

28. 人生海海 - 五月天

29. 你们是我的星光 - 星光帮

30. You Make Me Wanna - Blu

31. Drowning - BSB

32. Get Down - BSB

33. Barbie Girl - Aqua

34. My Oh My - Aqua

35. Turn Back Time - Aqua

36. It's My Life - Bon Jovi

37. Bye Bye Bye - N'Sync

38. The Actor - Michael Learns To Rock

39. Don't Speak - No Doubt

40. Truly Madly Deeply - Savage Garden

41. Waterfall - TLC

42. Fool Again - Westlife

As it's evident from the list, this session released the inner boyband/girlband discreet fan in the torturers hahaha!!!!!!!!!!!

Due to the time limit, some songs selected were just remained selected, i.e. Warisan Wanita Terakhir (Teacher's Pet), You Give Love A Bad Name (Bon Jovi) and some others that I forgot cox not my selection hahaha.... Also worth to note was the unavailable songs even we selected i.e. Suci Dalam Debu (Iklim).

Erin commented that no more band/group night because we lost our voices after that. Now pondering what theme should the next session be.....

Wow.... MCA not only Mau Cari Angpau Tapi Manyak Cantik Acting

i think cai gao and sei lai lai have to surrender to these two buggers lah!!!!!! LAUGHABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

StarMovies Show A LOT of Chick Flick

1st of all, no offense for the usage of Chick Flick to describe the movies I watched; it's used in IMDB too.

One of the peril of going outstation is staying in boring hotels, especially if you are staying in small town with nothing much to do; just stay in the room and hope to sleep early. And normally I will rely on the movies shown in the TV channels available in the hotel I stay to either induce my sleep or keep me boredom away.

For the past 2-3 weeks I watched some movies I never watch before and of course, as it's StarMovie channel, you expect to see some re-run . And Thank God it's StarMovies as it will be even worse if the hotel has Cinemax instead.

13 Going 30 (2004)

Helmed by Jennifer Garner in her rare comedic role, this is a pure chick flick. It's fun and entertaining to watch though, I hate to admit. And Mark Ruffalo is definitely going to be typecast as the SNAG (oppss... guess this description is sooo out now!!!). Just watch, laugh and do not think too much.

Sweet Home Alabama (2002)

Tagline : Sometimes What You're Looking For Is Right Where You Left It

Helmed by Reese Witherspoon, this include some notable cast such as Josh Lucas, Patrick Dempsey and Candice Bergen is another enjoyable time filler, that's all. Typical plot.

While She Was Out (2008)

Kim Basinger

She was the only thing notable of this straight-to-DVD-cable-TV movie and it's definitely sad to watch Basinger in this C-flick. I mean, it's Kim Basinger!!!!!!!! I mean, it's Kim Basinger of 9 1/2 Weeks and L.A. Confidential!!!!!!!!!!!

Mermaids (1990)

Cher, Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci

Tagline : This is our mother. Pray for us

I truly enjoyed this movie. Though it was made 19 years ago, it's still feels interesting. Told from the perspective of the character of Winona Ryder, the story revolves around the flamboyant and loud, insecure-being-dumped-by-husband mother played by Cher and her 2 daughter played by Ryder and Christina Ricci respectively.

Cher really shines here. This was the movie after her Oscar-winning turn in Moonstruck in 1987. If Madonna is being labeled as the come-back queen, Cher is another one though keep on having her last concert being held again and again. And in terms of acting skill, she definitely won over Madonna hands down. Winona Ryder was her usual coming-of-age huge eye teen. And Christina Ricci is VERY cute!!! She's like the Abigail Breslin of the 90s.

Huh.... 2 weeks of chick flicks!!!!

Coal Coal Coal.... NOThing can stop the lunatics!!!!!

OK, the coal fired power plant issue showed without doubt how rhetoric the Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan slogan is. No one in the Sabah BN government is interested to know what the citizen (rakyat) think about the whole issue, let alone release informations or at least let the people know what is all about!!!!!!!!!!!

Consider this :

1. Sabah especially the East Coast consists of Sandakan, Lahad Datu and Tawau (where the palm oil "cluster" - the buzz word after the collapse of the corridors...) is having power shortage AGES ago.... since my school time. Blame it on the incompetence of SESB alone is useless.

2. News out that a coal-fired power plant will be built. Why coal? Sabah has coal???? Rumours saying that our government signed a deal for coal to be supplied from Indonesia. How true is this? The train didn't stop here.... If you are concerned about being squeezed by the balls if the supplier decide to increase the price, don't worry... we actually have coal in Sabah!!! where???? Maliau Basin voila!!!!!!!!!! Long live the logging activity!!!!!!!! No more curi-curi like what happen now in the Danum area. How true is this? Well... still rumour..... You decide.

3. Ration on the electricity supply occurs on-and-off.

4. Now an Aluminium smelting plant is in plan in Sabah. Why Aluminium??? Do we have the supply? I thought Sarawak is having the same plant as well??? Oh.... looks like smelter plant is a HUGE electricity consumer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like a 3.0 engine guzzling petrol!!!!!! Why oh why???? Aiya.... you guys still dunno? So, you guys can't resist the power plant loh... cox that's why they have to build Bakun in Sarawak mah!!!!!!! So, are these true???? Again... it's rumour again. You decide!!!!

5. Some say the power plant will be built using a 2nd hand power plant from China. Again... it might be rumours....

6. Come on.. some assemblymen already threatening the rakyat.... "have the power plant, if not, no electricity, don't blame gomen !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Of course, maybe their English is worse than this or even if they speak in Bahasa Melayu, it won't be any better as well.

But after all these so-called rumours above and if you are aware of the situation in Sabah now... you should had firmly decide for yourself whether they are rumours......

I Try - Macy Gray

Games, changes and fears

When will they go from here

When will they stop I believe that fate has brought us here

And we should be together

But were not I play it off but I'm dreamin of you

I'll keep it cool but I'm fiendin.

I try to say goodbye and I choke

I try to walk away and I stumble

Though I try to hide it it's clear

My world crumbles when you are not near

Goodbye and I choke

I try to walk away and I stumble

Though I try to hide it, it's clear

My world crumbles when you are not near

Audacity of Hope

The cliche is that, the higher you hope, the bigger the expectations. Does it mean that we need to discard hope when we want to avoid disappointments?

I remembered Obama had a book called Audacity of Hope. Well, I do not know whether I still have the audacity to hope anymore.

Jamie Cullum is Back

After "Catching Tales" and "Twenty Something" which received heaps of praises and acclaims, Cullum is back with his new album to be released in March 2010; the 1st one in 4 your years hiatus. Heard his new single via CR903. Hmm... waiting for the better 2nd single I would say....

This IS How Parliament in Malaysia Bersidang

Idiot will always remain as an idiot.

Yes, in this case, I am making personal reference and not about what they talk about (in a way, both KTK and OTK are not worth defending, from any angle). These two idiots were definitely treating the August House as their stage for their antics. These are our Parliamentarians (of course.... who can forget the "monthly-leak" performance from our resident clown BMR), for God's sake!

God Bless Malaysia.

All Is Not Rosy and Chirpy in Malaysia.....

Khoo Kay Peng summarised few points on the financial condition of our beloved country and it's a great pain to see the squanderings done to the already-ailing coffers.

Read more here

The Best Comedy Of The Year Is..........

MCA!!!!!!!!!!!

No doubt. Hands down.