Another Typical Shopping Trip

 1. For the cats.

(i)  Pellets

(ii) Sardines

(iii) Fish  

2. For the hooman.

(i) Soya bean curd

(ii) Soya bean milk            

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.

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

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.

  

Chasing Sunsets

Chasing sunsets

And capturing them on film

As I succeeded in doing moments ago

Is a hobby of mine.

Someday I'm gonna paint them

As well as cloudy blue skies

Like a Van Gogh or Monet would

As that is a dream of mine.

Eurovision 2016 Top 10 Songs In My Book

Judging Criteria:- 

(i) Entertaining

(ii) Enjoyable

(iii) Good Market Response If Recorded & Marketed By A Record Company
(iv) Hit Song Potential As In The Case Of Abba (Waterloo, 1974)

(in reverse order)

No. 10 -- Azerbaijan / Miracle by Samra

No. 9 -- Spain / Say Yay! by Barei

No. 8 -- Armenia / Love Wave by Iveta Mukuchyan

No. 7 -- Russia / You Are The Only One by Sergey Lazarev

No. 6 -- France / J'ai Cherche by Amir

No. 5 -- Lithuania / I've Been Waiting For This Night by Donny Montell

No. 4 -- Belgium / What's The Pressure by Laura Tesoro

No. 3 -- Bulgaria / If Love Was A Crime by Poli Genova

No. 2 -- U.K. / You're Not Alone by Joe & Jake

Honorable Mentions:-

(i) Sweden / If I Were Sorry by Frans

(ii) Cyprus / Alter Ego by Minus One

No. 1 -- Netherlands / Slow Down by Douwe Bob

Two Sides Of A Coin

A woman's beauty is defined by her face, her hair, her hands, her legs and her figure. If she chooses to hide them from the eyes of every man except her husband's, who are you to pass judgement?  - Anonymous