The Jonas Brothers ... another Hanson ?

Lemme ask you something ... has anyone NOT heard of The Jonas Brothers ?


You might not know their music … never seen ‘em before … don’t know ‘em from Adam but you probably would’ve heard of ‘em. The 3 brothers are a cultural phenomenon. Never seen anything like ‘em before … or have we ?

Over the decades … there have been musical groups comprising of nothing but (or mostly of) family members … from The Beach Boys to Bee Gees to The Osmonds and The Jacksons and more recently Hanson, The Moffats and now (of course) … The Jonas Brothers.

Do they last ?

History has shown that they do NOT.

More often than not … the band/group either disappears into oblivion or one of the members become more famous than the others … which makes family home a little uncomfortable. Ask Donny and Marie Osmond, Michael Jackson and now probably Nick Jonas who is branching out on his own to do his solo thing. Their management has confirmed that the band The Jonas Brothers are NOT breaking up but we all know where this is going.

One hopes that he makes it big and not slip into obscurity.

Just in case you’ve forgotten the ones who also disappeared … lemme refresh your memory.

Anyone remember BROS from the 80s ? One of the brothers has branched out into acting in movies like Blade and also Hellboy. Not bad … rather respectable.


What about the group Nelson comprising of the twin sons of Rick Nelson. They only had one major song … “(I Can’t Live Without Your) Love & Affection”.


The only group that I can think of that stayed true to the cause is probably the Bee Gees albeit without one brother who recently passed away.


What about bands comprising maybe just 2 brothers (or more) ?

Oasis is currently having a tumultuous time (did they ever have a peaceful time?).


Nickleback are doing good with the Kroeger brothers respecting each other’s fame and talent.


30 Seconds To Mars … with the elder Leto brother on drums and Jarod on lead. Just wanna mention that Jarod Leto’s probably one of the few actors who can actually rock out. There have been many pretenders.


Kings Of Leon … they’re just coming out so let’s hope success don’t go to their heads.


Van Halen … Alex and Eddie are cool with each other. Can’t say the same for their relationship with their formers bassists and lead singers.


The DeLeo brothers of Stone Temple Pilots had a respectable grunge career.


Credence Clearwater Revival’s Fogerty brothers ruled the 70s.


Pantera’s brotherly alliance was cut short when Dimebag Darrell was murdered by a fan.


… and who can forget the Greenwood brothers of Radiohead … they’re doing good.


But back to the topic at hand … what do you think’s gonna happen to The Jonas Brothers ?
Do you think they’ll disappear like The Moffats or Hanson ?


I think so … nuff said I guess.

VANDALISM STILL HAPPENING

What’s the deal ?

Here I am … walking around Pavillion and head into an elevator. A very classy elevator I might add cos Pavillion is a classy place. No muzak … even better. It’s fast … it’s efficient … but then … what do I see at the back of the elevator (where tenants advertise their goods).

The advertising board (which shows a woman enjoying a drink) has been vandalized ! Someone drew glasses, a moustache and fangs on the poor woman ! WHY !? WHY ?! WHY !?

It pisses me off everytime I see some public facility messed up.

It makes me wonder … what’s the appeal of vandalizing something beautiful ?
What’s the vandal’s motivation ?

So what did I do ? I decided to drive around at night and spy on some would be vandals. I figure their MO is to hit bus stops, public phones, public toilets, malls, etc. I hit the nail on the head apparently cos after just a couple of minutes of driving around KL city at night … I happen upon a group. Dressed casually … they hang out (at midnight mind you) at a bus stop near SoGo … talk loudly … laugh … and what happens next … they start kicking the rubbish bin that’s attached to the hand rails. Happy with what they’ve done … they move on to the public phone booth nearby (which wasn’t in good shape to start with) and they yanked out the receiver.

What the heck !

I’m traumatized at this point … so I decide to drive on and get a closer look (and do a drive-by) and what do I see ? … it wasn’t just guys vandalizing the stuff … there were some teenaged girls, some men (probably in their late 30s) and some really young boys (in primary school probably).

First and foremost … what the heck are kids doing out at midnight (weekend or not).
What are the parents doing ? Where are the parents ?

I just hate the fact that these things still happen.

Who do we report these hooligans to ? The cops ? The public works department ? Dawg The Bounty Hunter ? Can someone please tell me cos I’m furious !!!

REALITY SHOW FAMILIES

It’s no secret that I enjoy watching TV.

Some of my all-time favorite shows are all reality based … I like the element that anything could happen. You’ve got burly fishermen in Deadliest Catch who literally go up against nature.


You’ve got Bear Grylls teaching us the techniques to survive in different wild environments.

You’ve got Mike Rowe figuring out first-hand how dirty some jobs can get in Dirty Jobs (and there’s even a European version featuring former Man United goalkeeper Peter Schmeicel)

Shows like these open your eyes to things you can only imagine and then thru the magic of TV … you’re sort of experiencing it yourself but then there are other reality based shows.

You’ve got American Chopper which could very well be my all-time favorite show on TV right now.


If you’ve never watched the show which is shown on Discovery Turbo … lemme give you a quick rundown.

It’s about a family-run custom chopper (bike) business where they design some of the coolest bikes on the planet. From humble beginnings, Paul (Sr.) Teutel built OCC (Orange County Choppers) in New York state with his son Paul (Junior) and is later joined by youngest son (Mike). They’ve got great people around them which makes OCC a great company but what makes the show so great to watch is the tense moments between Senior and Junior. In the past … they worked it out and OCC grew to be this monster of a company but recently … arguments between ‘em have gotten so bad that Junior has now left the company. WOW !!! Serious stuff right ?

Another amazing watch these days is Jon and Kate Plus 8. There’s a lotta controversy and dirt on the Gosselins these days but back then … they were just another very interesting American family.


How did it all start ?

Jon and Kate meet. They get married. They have twins. 2 years later … Kate is pregnant again. No biggie right ? WRONG !!!

Kate is pregnant with sextuplets i.e. 6 kids. From then on … it was a rollercoaster of a ride for the family of 10. And it was all for us to see with a camera crew stationed at their home almost 24/7. From massive diaper changes, kids growing up, kids throwing tantrums, mom disciplining the kids, mom disciplining the dad (a lot) and it all seemed like it was working out.

Then the unexpected (although many expected it) happened. Jon and Kate go thru separation and divorce cos of his infidelity. The case is still going on but they’ve been super parents still (despite their circumstances) … making sure the kids were not adversely affected by this development.

What am I trying to get at here ?

I’m thinking … what started out as a great idea to make money and gain publicity (and celebrity) for these folks (the Teutels and Gosselins) has now taken a turn for the worse with (basically) their dirty linens for all to see. Is the money (and fame) really worth it ?

I know (at this point in my life) that I wouldn’t consider having my life invaded by camera crews and television viewers the world over. But then again … there’s still a steady stream of folks who would love to have their lives on camera.

My advice to them is to make the Teutels and Gosselins as your example. What you do after that is up to you but realize that EVERYTHING is for public consumption.

What’s your favorite reality show ? Drop in your comments and suggestions. Would love to hear from you.

WHAT’S MY OBSESSION WITH FOOD SHOWS ?

Hi … my name is JD and I’m a food-show-holic !

If you find yourself watching repeats of food shows and find yourself repeating the hosts lines or you know the recipes by heart … you’re a food-show-holic ! I am happy to tell you though, that you are not alone.


I can’t seem to stop watching repeats of Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” and “A Cook’s Tour” … and he doesn’t even do any cooking on the shows. I’m not watching it to learn recipes or new cooking techniques … I’m just completely entertained by this guy.


Recently, Keith Floyd passed away and there was an endless stream of Keith Floyd repeats from his Fjord Fiesta, Far Flung Floyd, American Pie … I realized that we’d never get anything new from this charismatic man.

Who loves the BBQ guy ? I do !

Who loves Surfing The Menu ? … well … I preferred it when it was Bender and Curtis (who has his own show called Take Home Chef … love that too).

Who loves Iron Chef ? Don’t you love it when the guy says “Fukui san” ? LOL !

Whatever happened to Gordon Ramsay ? I liked his no-mistake-no-nonsense attitude.


What food-show-holic would I be if I didn’t give props to the man himself.


The original superstar chef … Jamie Oliver. Naked Chef revolutionized how cooking shows could be made interesting, humorous, informative and not stuffy. Of course, Mr. Oliver has moved on from his younger days taking on causes close to his heart from taking in problematic youth to his 15 Restaurant charity programme worldwide, taking on the British government with his School Dinners programme, getting people to start cooking more at home with their own produce in Jamie At Home and of course his Great Italian Escape (where he needed to recuperate) … if you don’t love Jamie … you’d better check your pulse.

You thought I was done huh ? … My list of loves would definitely not be complete without the voluptuous Nigella Lawson. Yummy ! Don’t really watch her shows for the cooking … you know why I watch it don’t you ? Hehehehe.


Before I finish up … can someone tell me this … why is that Sizzle guy still on ?

If you’re a food-show-holic like I am … tell me your loves and hates. Would love to hear from you.

ADAPTATIONS … GOOD IDEA OR BAD IDEA ?

When was the last time you really enjoyed a comic book adapted movie ?
I’m guessing most would answer … Transformers 2 was OK right ?

I agree … Transformers 2 was awesome … if you’re a Transformers fan. I recently watched it again and I watched it from a non-fan point of view and, to be honest, was a little disappointed with it. I’m starting to see what everybody else has been saying … Jerry Bruckheimer messed the movie up. Great visual effects (except for the robot chick with the tail that molests Sam Witwicky) and great sound and all that but the story … COME ON !!!

This got me thinking.

What other comic book/cartoon series adaptation movie promised a lot but bombed big time at the box office cos of bad production/storyline/directing/acting. Here’s my list of the 10 worst (I’ve got a ten best as well coming up so relax la !).

- League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen
- Daredevil
- Superman 3 and 4 (was there a 5 ?)
- The Watchmen
- Fantastic Four
- Phantom (waaaaay too campy … Billy Zane in purple doesn’t work for me)
- The Hulk (the one with Eric Bana)
- Batman Forever (with Val Kilmer) and Batman and Robin (with George Clooney)
- Bloodrayne (if not for 1 particular “scene” … the movie would be unwatchable)
- Catwoman (what was Halle Berry thinking)

There have been some really good ones though. Here’s my favorite 10 (in no particular order) :-

- Iron Man
- Transformers
- X-Men series (not Wolverine)
- Spiderman
- 300
- Batman Begins
- The Crow (the first one … so sue me if I enjoyed it)
- The Hulk (the Edward Norton version)
- Road To Perdition
- The Rocketeer (also campy … but I thought it was cool)

There were some which were kinda in the gray area … wasn’t sure whether I liked it or not but worth mentioning :-

- Masters Of The Universe (kinda like it)
- Flintstones (boleh la)
- Garfield (can’t hate a cate with Bill Murray’s voice right)
- Mortal Kombat (the first one … so cool)
- Supergirl (oh yeah)
- GI Joe
- … did I miss any ?

Then there were those bad video game movies :-

- Alone In The Dark (starring Christian Slater)
- Far Cry (man this was bad)
- Doom (with The Rock … no way no how)
- Street Fighter (the old and the new … both suck)

There were some good video game movies too :-

- Silent Hill (creepy)
- Resident Evil (c’mon Mila Jovovich)

I guess there are just 2 more coming out that everybody’s excited about cos we hope they’re gonna be good …

Prince Of Persian (starring Jake Gylenhall) and Thundercats (no cast yet).

Check back with me when these movies come out and see how these 2 did and for the rest of my lists … if you don’t agree with ‘em … please do comment … I may have missed a few.

OUR ICONS PASSING

It's been a strange few months.

Our favorite artistes have been singing their hearts out ... belting out hit after hit.
Our favorite actors have been lighting up the silver screen with Oscar worthy performances.

The youngsters have also proven their worth with Miley Cyrus the undisputed queen of the youngster stars with Taylor Swift and maybe even The Jonas Brothers in there as well.

OK ... that's one end of the spectrum.

Here's the other end. The sad end.

In the past 6 months alone ... we've lost a good number of award winning celebrities ... names we grew up with. Names that conjur up images of magnificance and a life full of vitality. That's the side the world sees. What the world doesn't see is the private (and family) side of these superstars we've grown to love thru the decades. Some struggled with drug addiction. Others with medical issues. And some with psychological troubles.

I'm not pulling skeletons from any closets here ... just wanna make sure these names stick in your head cos these were icons of the industry and they deserve to be remembered.

Date of Passing	Age	Name	Field
09 / 14 / 2009	57	Patrick Swayze	Entertainment
09 / 14 / 2009	65	Keith Floyd	Entertainment/Food
08 / 25 / 2009	77	Ted Kennedy	Politics
08 / 13 / 2009	94	Les Paul	Music
07 / 17 / 2009	92	Walter Cronkite	Journalism
06 / 25 / 2009	50	Michael Jackson	Music
06 / 25 / 2009	62	Farrah Fawcett	Entertainment
06 / 23 / 2009	86	Ed McMahon	Entertainment
06 / 03 / 2009	72	David Carradine	Entertainment
05 / 04 / 2009	75	Dom DeLuise	Entertainment
04 / 25 / 2009	86	Bea Arthur	Entertainment
03 / 18 / 2009	45	Natasha Richardson	Entertainment

... and then there was also Heath Ledger who passed away in January 2008 ... who died tragically at a young age at the height of his career and leaving behind a young child.

You will always be in our hearts and minds and we'll recall the happy times as if you were members of our own family because in a way ... you were in all our lives.

We'll miss you.

WHAT’S UP WITH THE ROTI JOHN ?!?!

I’ve recently started fasting along with Dilly for Ramadhan and part of the fun of the fasting month is the festivities and fun at the pasar Ramadhan. You see the most amazing spread of food and it’s been well documented on the “Food Network” overseas that Malaysia has one of the more diverse selections.

What I’ve noticed over the years that I’ve been fasting and also visiting the ‘pasar’ is that there’s always one item that becomes this “phenomenon” that’s seen in every single pasar nationwide. You still do get the staples like ayam percik, nasi campur, satay and a myriad of kuih but that one item add to the variety and it’s everywhere.

A couple of years ago, it was the mini murtabak … then it was the deep fried popiah (springroll), then the tube drinks came along (with the multi level ingredients) … then last year kebabs were a huge hit but what do I see this year ?

ROTI JOHN !

You can get it a la Subway … short (which I think is a 6 inch) and a long (foot long I guess) and all with different 'inti' (filling) !

In case you’re wondering what the heck ‘Roti John’ is … here’s how it’s explained in Wikipedia :-

“essentially an omelette sandwich, is a popular Malay breakfast and snack item … The ingredients include minced meat (chicken or mutton), onion, egg, sardines, tomato-chilli sauce and a baguette-type loaf.”

I know you’re used to having me rant on and on but not this time … I ain’t ranting. I’m just wondering … how do they (the bazaar stall owners) come to this agreement that this year they decree ...

“we’ll all make Roti John and we’ll flood the markets”

I’ve been having Roti Johns everyday during Ramadhan trying out different stalls at different bazaars. There’s only a slight variation and they’re mostly delicious. Mostly. There were 1 or 2 stalls that had questionable ingredients which made it taste weird but all-in-all … my experience with the Ramadhan Roti Johns have been quite satisfying.

I think, however, that I will need to broaden my horizons for the last 2 weeks of the fasting month so I guess I’m gonna leave the Roti John behind and try different things. Any suggestions and where I can get it ? I’m willing to drive to anywhere within the Klang Valley although I do miss the pasar Ramadhan in Penang’s Bukit Jambul … which I think rocks !

Anyway … send in your suggestions and comments … would love to hear from you ! Sorry ... too much Roti John I think :)