Saturday 17 June 2017

Somewhere In A Parallel Universe Far Far Away

Had Malaysia been an English-speaking nation, its national anthem, like America's 'Star Spangled Banner', Canada's 'O Canada' and Britain's 'God Save The Queen', might have been something like this:

[sung to the tune of Negaraku]




O land of mine,
So blessed by God and so divine
Especially in terms of harmony;
No other king was loved more than our own
Or such a thing as flags more proudly flown,
No other king was loved more than our own
Or such a thing as flags more proudly flown.

And two of its patriotic songs might also have been something like this:

[sung to the tune of Setia]



A nation the world's ignored before
Suddenly was the talk of every town
As its growth rate upwards climbed all the time
Whilst everyone else's went down.*


It was a vision of national greatness
That has brought us where we were today:
An economy that has come to be 

Regarded by the world as impossible;*
It was a vision of national greatness
That has stirred us up too in a way:

Such as number one, second best to none,
In all we sought to do till it was done.


* [high single-digit growth rates from early 1980s to mid-1990s]


[sung to the tune of Sejahtera Malaysia]




A nation no one's heard about before's
About to be made known forevermore
In ways not heard about before:
Malay-ay-sia forevermore.

And, yes, were we found worthy of the land,
Almighty God would see and understand
That we deserved what greatness was in store:
Malay-ay-sia forevermore.

Harmony was something that came naturally
For the whole wide world to see;
The king we loved whilst God above has blessed us quite abundantly.

And, yes, were we found worthy of the land
Almighty God would see and understand
That we deserved what greatness was in store:
Malay-ay-sia forevermore.

Friday 16 June 2017

My X'mas Shopping List

1. Microsoft Lumia 540 Dual SIM (still a Nokia at heart)
  

Retail Price: US$133   
Savings In Hand: US$35 --> US$70 --> US$105 --> US$35 --> US$0.00 --> US$153.90 --> US$0.00
Acquisition Status: Pending --> Settled for a Samsung A7 (2016) as follows:





 












Retail Price: US$132.40 (used / second-hand)
Reason: Seems Nokia has a bad reputation in Malaysia, Android models included, resulting in a zero-market supply scenario. --> (Oct. 2018)


 2. ASUS ROG GL753VD 17" 16GB Gaming Laptop 


Retail Price: US$1,049
Savings In Hand: US$0.00
Acquisition Status: Pending


3. 1969 Pontiac Firebird V8 335 HP








Retail Price: US$35,995
Steering Position Relocation (L.H.S. --> R.H.S.): US$ ?
Transmission System Modification (Automatic --> Manual): US$ ?
Shipping Fees: US$ ?
Savings In Hand: US$0.00
Acquisition Status: Pending


4. Acoustic Guitar Strings & Capo


Retail Price: US$10.74
Acquisition Status: Acquired As Of 1st Feb. 2020


5. Yamaha Acoustic Guitar




Retail Price: US$117.18
Savings In Hand: US$0.00
Acquisition Status: Pending


6. Onitsuka Tiger Shoes



Retail Price: US$36.62 (Facebook Marketplace)
Savings In Hand: US$0.00
Acquisition Status: Pending

Tuesday 6 June 2017

A Disillusioned Atheist's Guide To Choosing The Right Religion

Ask yourself:

1. Does this religion's God teach you right from wrong?
    (a) Yes   (b) No

2. Does this religion's God show you the way to salvation in the next
     
life by good deeds in this life?
    (a) Yes   (b) No

3. Does what this religion's God say will happen come to pass?
    (a) Yes   (b) No

4. Does this religion's God speak to people through prophets with 
     God-like miracle-performing abilities as opposed to mere 
     mortals whatever their exalted  positions in society might be?
    (a) Yes   (b) No


If you have answered 'No' to all of the above, this religion is definitely not for you. 


If, however, you have answered 'Yes' to all of the above, this religion is the right one for you, regardless of whether you intend to honor / fulfill its obligations and requirements or otherwise, as that is what salvation is all about - free will.

  


R.I.P. Hansel Carlos

 IN MEMORIAM Hansel Carlos Born: 3rd June 2023 Died: 26th November 2023 (est.) Found Dead: 28th November 2023 (2330 hours) Probable Cause of...