According to this website a lot of well known people are satanists. The author bases this on the fact that these famous guys are showing a particular hand sign.
Popular with a lot of heavy metal fans, the authors refers to it as the "El Diablo" hand sign.
Bunch of loonies.
Spiderman showing off the Satanic salute?
Rahil doing it too.
FYI, it is the deaf hand signal for the phrase, "I love you."
What do you think?
NEW UPDATES: Send me (ahoklah@gmail.com) your satanic salutes/ ILU signs and I will post up on my blog post here.
TAHNIAH-Anda telah t'pilih utk menerima bonus p'gilan percuma sbnyk RM50 drpd CELCOM. Utk m'aktifkan RM50 ke akaun anda, silataip 08 & hantar ke 10133934236.TQ
TAHNIAH...Anda telah menerima kredit panggilan percuma RM50, sempena ulang tahun CELCOM ke 29. Untuk mengaktifkannya sila taip 7 dan hantarkan ke 10199927191.TQ
Roughly translated into English, both messages mean:
You have won RM50 from CELCOM blah blah, please type (amount) and send to (phone number).
CELCOM's Airtime Share service (ASS) is quite useful especially in times of emergency when the prepaid airtime credit has run out. The person could then send a request to a friend or family member (celcome prepaid user) for airtime credit.
However, scammers are abusing this system, asking credit from strangers using tricks like those given above.
The Sedania Media Group (SMG), which is the provider of the Airtime Transfer Solution, is offering a reward of up to RM2,000 for any information leading to the successful arrest and conviction of these perpetrators.
Prepaid mobile phone users who receive such suspicious messages can report them through SMS (33009) or e-mail (info@idot.tv).
Wasalaam to you,and how are you doing?. My intention of contacting you is to solicit your assistance for a project, which will be mutually beneficial. Though I know my decision to contact you is to a large extent unconventional, the prevailing circumstances necessitated my action. I am Muayed Abdul Faisal. I am son to Late Mallam Mustafa Abdul Faisal of blessed memory was an oil explorer in Libya and Kuwait for twelveyears before hedied in the year 2000. He died after a brief illness that lasted for only four days. Before his death we were both devoted Muslims. Since his death I too have been battling with both Cancer and fibroid problems.When my late Father was alive he made a huge deposit in millions of US dollars with a Deposit Company in oversea. (I will tell you the amount as we proceed).
Recently, my doctor told me that I have only few months to live due to cancer problem. Though what disturbs me most is my stroke sickness.
Having known my condition I decided to donate this fund to either a Muslim organization or devoted Muslim individual that will utilize this money the way I am going to instruct herein. My parents died at a tender age and i was brought up in the orphanage through the help of a devouted muslim. I want this Muslim organization or individual to use this money in all sincerity to fund mosques, orphanages, widows, and also propagating the word of ALLAH and to ensure that the society upholds the views and belief of the Holy Quran.
The Holy Quran emphasizes so much on ALLAH'S benevolence and this has encouraged me to take the bold step. I took this decision because I don't have any child that will inherit this money and my relatives are into some radical Organizations and I don't want a situation where this money will be used in an Unholy manner. Hence the reasons for this bold decision, I know that after death I will be with ALLAH the most beneficent and the most merciful. I don't need any telephone communication in this regard because of my health, because of the presence of my relatives around me always. I don't want them to know about this development. With ALLAH all things are possible.
As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact information of the Deposit Company in oversea where the money was deposited. I will also issue a letter of authority to the Deposit Company authorizing them that the said fund have being willed to you and a copy of such authorization will be forwarded to you. I want you and the Muslim community where you reside to always pray for me. My happiness is that I lived a true devoted Muslims worthy of emulation, Whoever that wants to serve ALLAH must serve him in truth and in fairness. I will not stipulate any precise amount to reward you, as it will have to be on pre-negotiated terms, based on your level of involvement.
Please always be prayerful all through your life. Any delay in your reply will give room in sourcing for a Muslim organization or a devoted Muslim for this same purpose. Until I hear from you by email, my dreams will rest squarely on your Shoulders. May the Almighty ALLAH continue to guide and protect you.
About five years back, I wrote an article titled Why do you need a web presence? in one of my sites, whereby I pointed out the advantages of having a web presence.
It might seem outdated but I find that what I wrote then is still valid today. Even though most businesses have realized the importance of having a web presence, several Malaysian small and medium sized companies still don’t have a web site.
Anyway, in the west the latest trend is to have an official company blog. So far, I haven't come across any Malaysian company with an official blog. However, there are a lot of blogs written by pissed-off employees bad mouthing their place of work.
Recently I came across two interesting online articles by Karen E. Klein in the Businessweek site. In the first article titled Does Your Small Business Need a Blog?, she looks at the pro and cons of having a company blog.
A business blogger could also review industry-specific books, conferences, and organizations and point out relevant articles and Web sites - a service that engenders gratitude and loyalty.
In the second part, she gives some tips on how to get started. I also learnt a new term: splogs, which refers to spam blogs. Read the article here.
A blog can be a great part of your marketing effort, but it should be planned appropriately with strategy in place
I hope more companies start their own blogs which might translate into potential job prospects for all the just-for-fun bloggers.
BTW, read about the Websites-as-Graphs Java applet-based visualizer in an article by Jeff Ooi. Here is my own Social Network Analysis (SNA) site graph.
Of course we all know that the heros in all Bollywood movies have superpowers. For example: - Beating up an army of thugs with bare hands. - Guns that never run out of bullets. - Receiving about 100 bullets in the body ... and surviving. - Sitting down in his office and being teleported to Switzerland. Then breaking into a song and dancing vigorously around trees with the heroine with a bevy of backup dancers appearing mysteriously and changing around 10 different clothes in the blink of an eye, etc.
Krrish, the new Bollywood movie features heart throb Hrithik Roshan as a “superhero with human powers”.
I am not sure what that's supposed to mean?
It is considered unique because it a sequel (a rarity in Bollywood) of the 2003 blockbuster "Koi... Mil Gaya" (I've found someone"), which is considered India's first major Hindi science fiction film.
But what has this movie got to do with Singapore?
Several of the scenes of the movie were shot there with the Singapore authorities arranging for road clearances and parking spaces.
The movie is directed by Rakesh Roshan, Hrithik's father and the synopsis of the movie reads:
Krishna (Hrithik Roshan) is born with magical powers – a legacy from his father Rohit Mehra (also Hrithik Roshan). Priya (Priyanka Chopra) comes into his life and becomes his world. When she beckons him to Singapore, he follows. In Singapore, Dr Siddhart Arya (Naseeruddin Shah), the megalomaniac scientist is on the verge of changing the future forever. Only one man stands between Dr Siddhart Arya and his destructive dreams. To block his ruthless ambitions… Krishna must become KRRISH.
Yesterday, some relatives came over to the house. There were a lot of people and we had a buffet nasi lemak lunch. It was delicious. Anyway, this post is not about the food.
Someone put on the TV and the Akademi Fantasia show was on.
I am so out of touch. This was the first show of this season that I watched. For those who didn't know, Akademi Fantasia is a Malaysian reality song competition, somewhat similar to the American Idol format.
Most of the performers were unimpressive. However, one lady made me stop eating and listen. Maybe I am biased because she was singing Gary Moore's Still Got The Blues. Gary was a hard rock/heavy metal musician in the 70's and 80's and later on crossed over to blues-rock. One of my all time fav. singers.
Still got the blues (1990)
Farhan (Nur Farhan bt Azizan) really did a good job and her vocals were really impressive.
However, I am not going to waste my money voting for her or anyone else. One thing I realise is that no lady is ever going to win in Akademi Fantasia. The reason: Majority of the voters are predominantly girls. And they are voting for "who looks the cutest" instead of "she has got talent".
* Added this video of Farhan singing the song on 22 Aug, 2006 due to requests from some of my guests. Enjoy.
Anyway, here are the lyrics for Still Got The Blues
Used to be so easy to give my heart away But I found out the hard way There's a price you have to pay I found out that love was no friend of mine I should have known time after time
So long, it was so long ago But I've still got the blues for you
Used to be so easy to fall in love again But I found out the hard way It's a road that leads to pain I found that love was more than just a game You're playin' to win But you lose just the same
So long, it was so long ago But I've still got the blues for you
So many years since I've seen your face Here in my heart, there's an empty space Where you used to be
So long, it was so long ago But I've still got the blues for you
Though the days come and go There is one thing I know I've still got the blues for you.
Watch this video and you will understand why I think Gary is one of the World's greatest guitarists.
Some people are skeptical when they see that I have undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in forestry but am doing something totally unrelated to forests right now.
Yes! I received my forestry training somewhere in the Indian foothills of the Himalayas. Those were wonderful adventurous times and will always remain in my heart. So what happened, you ask?
Well! After spending nearly 7 years in and around the forest, I suddenly realized that it was not what I wanted to do all my life.
Anyway, this post is not about me. I was wondering whether the educational background of a person really matters. I ask this question because I see a lot of people doing things quite different from what they had been trained for and they are good at it.
For example, one of my friends trained as an accountant and ended up in the IT business. Another friend who’s a qualified medical doctor is now teaching tourism in a local university. My father’s colleague (and neighbour in Kelantan) was trained in atomic engineering but later on decided to become a medical doctor.
Of course we can’t forget Tony Fernandes, a former Warner Music executive and now Group Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia.
I don't think the basic educational degree really matter. What really matters in the end is whether you love what you do. If you love it, you will find ways to improve that knowledge. I am not boasting but I honestly feel that I know a lot more stuff relating to information comunications technology (ICT) than some of my friends with degrees in ICT, especially related to web techonology. No offense guys.
I don't know why but all short of strange creepy crawlies seem to turn up either in or near my office. It may be due to the fact that our building is very near to a forest.
Among the many strange creatures I encountered near my office. A beetle
A moth disguised as a leaf.
Yesterday I came across this, not your average, wall lizard. Found it just outside my door and thought that it was dead at first. Prodded it a bit but it still didn't run away even though the limbs moved a bit.
It was almost translucent in colour with pink dots and about about 20 cms (around 8 inches) long. Can anyone identify the reptile?
Had an interesting discussion with my friend yesterday about the meaning of Singh. My friend was under the impression that all guys with the name Singh in their names are Sikhs.
Actually, Singh is derived from the Sanskrit 'Simha' meaning 'Lion'. It was originally used in names by the ancient Hindu martial classes kshatriya of Northern India such as the Rajputs. FYI, the Malay term Satria is derived from kshatriya (also name of one of the Proton car models).
Sikhs only adopted the name "Singh" due to the wishes of Guru Gobind Singh, the last guru of the Sikhs in 1699.
Now you know why Singapore is called the "Lion city". It is made up of two Sanskrit words, Singa = Lion + Pura = city. It doesn't mean the city of Sikhs.
However, I have no idea why many Malaysians still refer to Sikhs as Bengali. Bengali are ethnic group of people from the state of West Bengal in India and Bangladesh whose mother tongue is Bengali. The great Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali.
A look around the house reveals that (without realising it) we have converted to Tesco.
I am talking about the some1,400 own brands of products and not other brands carried in their stores. These items are divided into three main categories, namely: 1. Tesco Value range 2. Tesco Choice range 3. Tesco UK Imported range
How did we get converted?
Its not difficult to explain. We love shoping at their Damansara outlet because it is near and also because of the wide choice of "low priced" products. The Bonuslink points are extra.
At first we were a bit worried about the quality of their own-brand products because we have always subscribed to the "pay peanuts, get monkeys" philosphy. However, we were taken aback after we tried a few items and discovered that the quality didn't differ much if not better as compared to more expensive brands. And as they say, the rest is history.
Now, some of the Tesco products we use everyday in the house: toothpaste, mouthwash, toilet cleaner, face tissue, hand washing liquid, dish washing liquid and anti-bacterial washing liquid for baby clothes.
In my Office: Disgestive biscuit, wet tissue wipes and mineral water.
I also carry a crate of mineral water and a pack of face tissue in my car. All from Tesco.
For your information, Tesco PLC is the largest British retailer, both by global sales and by domestic market share, and the fourth largest retailer in the world behind Wal-Mart of the United States, Carrefour of France, and The Home Depot of the United States (from Wikipedia).
Tesco Stores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd was incepted on 29 Nov 2001, as a strategic alliance with Sime Darby Berhad (which holds 30% of total shares). It's first store was officially opened in May 2002 in Puchong. Now they have 13 stores all over Malaysia.
One of my all time favourite blogs is not a personal or tech blog but the blog of a naming company.
"What the hell does naming company mean?", you might be wondering. Well read on...
Strategic Name Development Inc. is a company based in Minneapolis, US. It is involved in developing product and service names and their clients list includes several well known companies.Their blog which is updated almost daily carries naming/ branding case studies and related links.
The recent disaster in Kampung Pasir, Hulu Klang buried four people and destroyed three blocks of longhouses (occupied by 232 people, mostly Indonesians).
No! I am not going to start blaming people or pass judgment nor am I going to try to analyse what went wrong.
As noted by Property Malaysia, 5 of the most biggest landslides in Malaysia occurred around the same area.
All 5 locations where within about 2km along the same stretch of Middle Ring Road II: Dec 11, 1993 – Highland Towers May 15, 1999 – Athanaeum Tower Oct 5, 2000 – Bukit Antarabangsa Nov 20, 2002 – Taman Hillview May 31, 2006 – Kampung Pasir
Here are some of my suggestions:
1. STOP, I repeat stop any development (as in housing) in the area.
2. Make the river catchments protected natural reserves (which cannot be de-gazetted easily in the future) with minimal human interference.
3. Survey existing housing areas for weak points and rectify them. For example, I read somewhere that the houses above the kampung where the landslide occurred don’t have a proper drainage system.
4. Start a massive afforestation programme in the area. Trees and plants are the best ways to prevent soil erosion.
5. Remove all illegal kampungs/ squatter settlements. Throw the owners/ developers in jail. If the residents are illegal immigrants, deport them. If they are permanent residents (PR) or Malaysian citizens, give them low cost housing. If they refuse to leave – throw them in jail too.
Remembered a joke one of my friends told me - about Selangor becoming an Indonesian colony by the year 2020.
In a related news the Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid announced today that developers and consultants may go to prison if their projects damage the environment or trigger landslides and other disasters.
At a time when the devastating effects of environmental damage are being felt further and wider than ever, governments, including the US, are considering cutting their financial support to the GEF by as much as 50 per cent.
In April 2006, WWF asked supporters to add their faces to create a photo mosaic making the picture of a jaguar. A huge version of the photo mosaic the size of a volley ball pitch was unveiled on 16 May in Berne, Switzerland. It comprised around 12,000 photos of WWF supporters from around the world. One of them was mine. Read The mosaic unveiled.
