TO CUT OR NOT TO CUT THE CABLE

Without putting any brand names in this post … I shall attempt to share with you my experience of “cutting the cable” (so to speak) !

Having been a loyal customer of “the cable” … from the days of dial-up (we had to use a software called Trumpet Winsock to dial up the internet) … I’ve been slightly peeved that my connection’s been crap of late. So what did I do ? I succumbed to advertising … I “cut the cable” !

Excited at the prospect of not having to be “tied” down (there are a lotta puns in this post huh) … I headed to the nearest mall to look out for one of these vendors selling the wireless package … and lo and behold … FOUND ONE in Kota Damansara !

Speaking to one of their (overly) enthusiastic “customer service” reps (he’s really just a part-timer) … he assured me that … “Boss … your area ar … the signal ar … very powerful wan the signal … got station next to your apartment ma” ! So I was like “WOAH !!! SIGN ME UP NOW !!!” … and I did. He also assured me that I had a 7-day trial period and if I wasn’t happy with the service … I’d get my RM100 back.

Excited as a dog with a bone … I drove home as fast as I could (within the speed limit Mr. Policeman) … I tore apart the wrapping and hooked it up … and it booted up … first the red light comes on (manual says it’s initializing the internal hardware … ok cool) … then the orange light comes on (manual says it’s still initializing … ok … no problem) … and then FINALLY … the GREEN light comes on … oh wait a minute … the manual says all the lights come on in sequence when initializing and it doesn’t reflect the signal strength (dammit !).

OK … nooow it’s searching for the signal and the signal strength iiiiiissssss … ORANGE !!! Alamak … why so weak ?! Aik ?!?! Now it’s RED ! WHAT’S GOING ON HERE ?!?!?!

They said the signal in my area was gonna be strong … and furthermore I placed the terminal facing outward at my window ! Maybe I’ll try it somewhere else in my apartment … my bedroom … the kitchen … the living room … in another part of the living room … in the bathroom … above the water heater in the living room … ok … last resort … the balcony … YAY ! It’s … orange … why isn’t it green ?! So what do I do ? I stick it out further … and further … and further out till I’m holding the terminal in my hands with arms stretched out as far as I can and I’m on my tippy-toes already … and finally GREEN !!!

What gives ?! I’ve got to go thru SOOOOO much trouble for a strong signal ?! This blows !

What do I do now ? I’ve already said I was NEVER going back to the “wired ones” !

So now I’m in a dilemma … I’ve returned “the terminal” and I’m currently Internet-less at home.

Drop me a comment … should I go back to the “wired ones” or should I keep searching for another broadband provider ? I need one ASAP !!!

A NEW YEAR OF MOVIE SEQUELS AND … RE-IMAGININGS (SHUDDER)

The last one always gives me the shivers cos it always worries me.

Remakes OK la … they take the original script and they just get new actors and stuff. “Re-imagining” a movie is worrying cos there’s only 1 of 2 outcomes … it’ll either suck big time or it’ll be awesome.

Take Halloween for example. Rob Zombie reimagined it and it was amazing … amazingly bloody and violent in certain parts … but amazing nonetheless.

They sorta re-imagined “The Hills Have Eyes” from the Technicolor version … I liked it too.

Miami Vice was “reimagined” … the TV series got a makeover session with Colin Farrel and Jamie Foxx but it just didn’t work for me. It was just weird.

There are a couple of “re-imaginings” coming up I’m worried about though … Conan and A-Team. Clash Of The Titans looks good though.

Let’s talk about what movies are coming up :-

Sequels :-

Tron Legacy … most of the original main cast member are back. (Expectations : HIGH)
Iron Man 2 … War Machine is introduced. (Expectations : HIGH)
Wanted 2 … how the h**l are they gonna bring Angie Jolie back to life (Expectations : BOLEH LA)
Wall Street 2 … some movies shouldn’t have sequels … still … (Expectations : BOLEH LA)
Toy Story 3 … the kid grows up and the toys are left to rot … OH NO !!! (Expectations : HIGH)
Chronicles of Narnia : Voyage of the Dawn Treader … I’d enjoy it so sue me (Expectations : HIGH)
Shrek : Forever After … their world is turned upside-down (Expectations : HIGH)
Sex and the City 2 … what ?! another one ?! (Expectations : NOT GONNA WATCH IT … WHO CARES)
Rambo 5 : The Savage Hunt … another one ?! (Expectations : BOLEH LA)
Little Fockers … Bob DeNiro and Ben Stiller are back ! Yay ! (Expectations : HIGH)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows … I’m excited … are you ? (Expectations : HIGH)

Well … there we go … we’ll just have to wait and see how these movies pan out !

Did I miss anything ? Leave a comment.

Pets Are Like Family

Do you have pets ?

They’re like family aren’t they ?

It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a dog … a cat … birds, fish, reptiles … or in my case … HAMSTERS !

I’ve been having hamsters since I was a kid. I’ve had Golden hamsters and now I’ve got Winter White Hamsters … they’re the cutest things.

I’ve got 2 girls … one’s named Olive while the other is Pepper.

Olive is the more docile one … she’s a huge eater, rarely runs the wheel and loves to be held … much like me.

Pepper on the other hand is more rambunctious … she’s VERY much like me. If she doesn’t like you … she’ll bite you. She doesn’t eat a lot but runs the wheel like an athlete possessed.

You know what they say about getting pets ? … don’t get too attached to ‘em cos they’ll pass on eventually. What do I tell these people who say these things ? I thank them for their concern but really … why wouldn’t you wanna get close to your pets ? They’re an extension of you (in some ways) and they are family. They live with you don’t they ?

I’ve had a dog (Marco) who lived with us for over 15 years … that’s REEEEAAAAAL long for a dog. I’ve had cats. I’ve had turtles. It’s no different with hamsters. You’ve got to have an emotional bond with ‘em cos they’re your friends.

Unfortunately … all good things must come to an end.

I noticed yesterday that Pepper looked really “under the weather”. Her eyes were “bengkak” and she had lost soooo much weight in a day. She was fine the day before. Once hamsters get sick … it’s pretty much it. So what could I do ? I tried to make her as comfortable as possible. I held her (amazingly cos Pepper hates to be held) and she snuggled up in my palm. She fell asleep in my hands. I gently placed her back in her cage on her “bed” and hoped and prayed for the best.

Today … Pepper rests in peace. She no longer feels pain. She has passed away … and I will always miss her.

BRAND NEW DECADE … SAME OLD FASHION ?

You know what they say ? … History repeats itself.

In the 90s … the fashion and music of the 60s were the “in” thing and everyone started pulling out their tight pants, Fender Stratocasters and thick-rimmed glasses. It was fun, care-free and it made hanging out at the Peach Pit (a la 90210) type places cool. My parents found it interesting that young people were dressing they way they did back in the day.

Then came the noughties … actually even towards the end of the 90s … young people were starting to dress a la the 70s … bell bottom pants, psychedelic colors on shirts, afros, head bands and the like. Even the 70s music came back in fashion … from Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd to Hendrix and Joplin.

So here we are … at the dawn of a new decade … 2010. What will this new decade bring us ? Well … to start things off … we have 80s music already back in fashion and that’s not all. Even new acts are very 80s-esque. Don’t believe me ? Back in the 80s … you had flashy frontmen of bands who dressed up in gender-bending clothes (think Boy George) … you had solo artists whom you couldn’t figure out if they were “playing on this side of the field or the other” like David Bowie … and then here we are … a brand new decade … and we’ve got one of the most exciting solo artists for a while in Adam Lambert. Everything about him is flashy … very much like the 80s.

So what did we have in the 80s that I think might return to excite us (or haunt us) ?

Mullets … short spiky hair in front and a long mane at the back … HAUNT !!!!
Leg warmers a la Flashdance … excite (maybe cos it reminds me of Michael Sembello’s Maniac)
Huge earrings … Nisha’s been wearing ‘em forever so she’s waaaay ahead of her time.
Strong makeup … HAUNT !!! No one wants to wake up next to a kabuki doll !
Music … EXCITE !!! Retro is the new “in” thing now … so break out your Tears For Fears, Johnny Hates Jazz and Nick Kershaw records !

Did I miss anything ? Drop me a comment.

IT’S A BRAND NEW SPORTING YEAR

I figured since it’s a new year and the start of a new decade … I thought I’d be a little bit of a sporting Nostradamus and see how far my predictions will go.

It’s a brand new year and most athletes have had a well deserved break having spent a tiring season grueling it out in various weather conditions against various oppositions in various continents. The fans have been waiting patiently for their heroes to return to their arenas … well … all except football where a season runs between 2 years.

Let’s start with Formula 1 and the return of Michael Schumacher. Much is expected from the legendary German champion and much is expected of the team he races for (of which part of it is Malaysian owned). My prediction ? … he will NOT win the championship and Jensen Button made a terrible decision to switch teams. Who’s gonna win ? I say it’s either Hamilton or Vettel.

Moving on to football (or soccer as the “Yanks” like to call it). Who will win their respective leagues ? Barca in Spain, AC Milan in Italy and much as I hope Manchester United will win the league in England … I doubt they will be able to with Chelsea looking strong … the big question is … who will win the UEFA Champs League … my money is on AC Milan. Why ? I dunno … it’s a gut feeling.

2010 will also see the World Cup played in South Africa … let’s put in a prediction here as well … I say Italy. Why ? Gut feeling.

Let’s move on to tennis shall we ? While I’m writing this … I’m watching a Roger Federer match where he’s playing at the Qatar Open … a traditional warm-up to the Australian Open. New racquet … same dominance. I think he’ll win at least 2 Grand Slam trophies … and what about the other 2 ? It’s between 4 players … Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin Del Potro, Andy Murray and Nikolai Davydenko. Where’s Nadal you ask ? I think 2010 will be a torrid time for Nadal.

What’s everyone saying about the once invincible Rada Nadal ? Is it about his fitness ? Is it about his lack of match practice ? His family life maybe ? If you didn’t know … his parents divorced … he travels with his mum and girlfriend while he is still being coached by his Uncle Tony … who is his father’s brother. Tense ?! YOU BETCHA !!! But NO ! These aren’t the things that are being mentioned about Nadal … what are they muttering on about when the favorite son of Madrid walks on court ? The color of his outfit ! That’s right … way to get your priorities straight. Orange and pink are his colors of choice (apparently) this season … and while professional athletes are anal and superstitious about what they wear on court … let’s focus on more important matters please !

So NO ! I don’t think Rafa has a chance at winning any Grand Slam trophies this year. Could I be wrong ? Sure ! What happens if I’m right though ? What will happen to the already brittle confidence of the Spaniard then ?

Think my predictions are off by miles ? Tell me about your predictions and we’ll compare notes at the end of the year.

WOW … WHAT A YEAR IT’S BEEN !

So much has happened in a year … while it may seem like 365 days is a long time … it hasn’t been for us.

Seems more like a flash !

December 15, 2008 … that’s when it all started. Wanna know what really happened ? When we were told that we’d be on in the mornings … we sorta freaked out cos … #1 … waking up early wasn’t exactly our forte since we were (at that time) doing the (old) Red Evening Drive slot from 4pm to 8pm and #2 … could we shoulder the responsibility ?

One year on … we still question whether we can shoulder the responsibility but the “waking up early” bit has gotten easier. Still not the easiest thing to do waking up before 4am but it’s my life now.

We’ve done some crazy stuff over the year and without a doubt … Shake Our Hand To Win 10 Grand was the best (and the worst). Worst because it really took a toll on our physical bodies … our voice got all scratchy from the non-stop screaming, yelling and laughing we did at each and every venue (which was an everyday affair by the way) and our bellies grew from all the weird food we stuffed in. But it was the BEST cos we got to meet our loyal listeners every single day … we played games … we gave away prizes … we partied. What a blast ! While we were doing it … we used to wonder “how much longer can we last ?” … it seemed we lasted throughout the 10 weeks (and more).

To everyone who met up with us at all the SOH locations … we love you.

Then there were the crazy stunts that we pulled … from interviewing Taylor Swift to doing the 4Play 4Feats … and thru it all … you were there with us.

Thank you so much and may there be many many more fun things to do and we hope you’ll be along for the ride !

WHAT'S THE POINT ?!?!?!

Driving around KL (and I’m guessing other parts of Malaysia as well) … you’ll see certain things that just make you go … “what’s the point ?!”.

#1 – Driving home

I’m a routine type of guy. I’ve got a certain way of doing things, I have to do it at the same time and it’s got to be my way.

So every day, I use the same route to go to work … I go at the same time and I see the same thing.

The street lights near my place don’t work. The lamp post is there … the bulb is there but there’s no light. It’s always at the corner, U-turn or at the blind exit ramp that goes to Jalan Duta from Jalan Kuching. Accident and after accident has happened in these separate places but there’s one common factor.

No one can see the danger cos it’s just so friggin’ dark there. What’s being done to sort this out ? Apparently nothing cos the lights still aren’t fixed and no one seems to care. I care … so what do I do ? I call up the relevant authorities but I’m given the run around.

So what’s the point ? … of caring … of putting up street lamps and not use it … what’s the point ?

#2 – Driving in Hartamas

If you go to Desa Sri Hartamas as much as I do, you’ll know that there’s a perpetual traffic jam at around lunchtime and around dinner time aka “habis kerja” time. The jam is caused by EVERYBODY leaving work at the same time … understandable. Also … it’s caused by a couple of numbnuts who seem to enjoy double parking their cars near the 7-Eleven-Devi’s Corner block and also the BlackHole-Pelita block (right across the fire station).

The authorities don’t seem to give tickets to these people, don’t tow their cars away … hell, these people don’t even get as much as a ticking off … whereas, in other areas around the Klang Valley, you see the authorities towing away cars that aren’t blocking anybody.

So you have to ask … what’s the point ? … or more appropriately … what’s the f**king point !!!!!

Any thoughts anyone ?