Elevator Pitch

It's the final year, I guess. I suppose that's how it is, unless any new opportunities come up. So yeah, lets do it case by case, day by day, one assignment after another basis. Two weeks have passed already. Four subjects taken; one for research, then lighting, energy and the inevitable aerodynamics. All four for the whole year. Not too bad. On average Victoria University students do 3 subjects at a time. Four? Maybe a new challenge. It can't get any easier by the year is it?

I always wonder whether am I up for this kind of programme. The self-doubt is kinda bugging me once in a while but Tommy's always there to remind me, "The hell with it, do or you better off f**king dead dude,".

Anyway, there's one particular thing I find interesting that I just learned this past couple of weeks. Elevator Pitch. It's a good practice for those who's looking forward to be world changers. Okay, imagine yourself looking at your possible client, or a really really reaalllyy hot girl that you've fantasized for the past whole week and she's walking into an elevator. You followed her into the lift and now, you have a whole minute to say anything inside your head before she walks out the door and possibly never see you again.

60 seconds (hoping that it's a very long elevator ride) to tell her who are you, what do you want, what can you offer and finally picture frame your whole idea or proposal to her.

TING!

The lift door open, and what's left is her response as she stares at you from shoes to top wondering what's the deal with this fella. She likes it, and as so delightful you're gonna feel, she says yes. Now that's a successful pitch.

One whole minute, to make a difference. That is the Elevator Pitch. We should all practice that. Maybe.

Warna

I'd guess that most of my close friends know how huge I am a Sheila Majid fan. I love most of her songs and most of the bands that have accompanied her during her long career in music, especially for this past recent years.

Well, I found this video on YouTube.

Rini Wulandari - Warna (Sheila Majid cover)

Oh boy, she sings this song better than Sheila herself (My personal opinion. Sorry Sheila, but I still love you, always, in a fanatic fan kind of way of course, unless you're looking for something much more, we can always arrange something). This girl performed Warna as what the song should be, a colourful powerful composition that tingles you every time she daringly strikes the high solid notes. Oh how beautiful her voice that lifts your spirit high. Great accompanying band too.

I'm gonna listen to this song over and over again.

Hari Kekasih

It's that kind of season I suppose, in the western world, ... well, or for us modernized easterners. I'm a Muslim so celebrating Valentine's Day is kind of non-Muslim-thingy. Hence, the adjusted phrase as entitled above, Hari Kekasih or Lover's Day. So yeah, for us mature and so-what-I-have-other-priorities cool people, we shall continue to wait for that Friendship Day thingy to come (When is it anyway? I googled and got confused. I found that it's on the first Sunday in August and another theory that it's in February. Is it sort of like a back-up marketing scheme that people use to tackle the losers on Valentine's Day?).

And I quote from my previous entry on the same issue last year:

“Just being attracted to someone doesn't mean that that person is attracted back, and few things drive us crazier than wanting something we may not get.”

-The Science in Romance: Why We Love?, Time Magazine-

Hence, here I am now. Still single, but not sad. But hey, love is great when you can share it when someone. Something like great desserts, or spaghetti like in that Lady and the Tramp cartoon.

Anyway, now, I wish to dedicate a special love letter to my future other half, my hunny bunny, that significant other, cream to my pie, the Juliet for my Romeo, Chun Li for the Ryu in me (or Ken?). Who knows, if you're reading this, clueless that we'll be together someday, but somehow at the end we do, and you're actually reading this, fate is silly I know, but I hope you'll remember this because I possibly won't, anyway this is for you.

My love dearest,

I just wanted to let you know that if you lost all your limbs, we'd still be together forever. I mean I really hope that doesn't happen because I think your limbs are pretty great. And when you said my name, it would always sound safe. I would always try to make you smile when you're tired. I know you think that's pretty hard to do but I could do that. And you would never have to be scared to tell me anything. And if you like this shirt, I wouldn't take it off for a month. And I would be more than willing to paint your grandmothers toenails so your grandfather doesn't have to do it anymore. You don't have to save me dear. But I am going to love you for the rest of my life, so things would be a lot better for me if you were around.

Lots of love,
Huggly Wuggly Bear

...

Well, I didn't write that off my own head (I got this from a pretty cool movie. Slow, but still cool. Matt Perry is in it. You can try google it). I do think I could've come out with something more original but who cares. "You complete me,". "I wanna grow old with you,". All the good stuffs have been taken by those bloody romantic Hollywood movies. But, then again, I do believe that most of us still love the clichés. "Sugar is sweet, and so are you" still works. Women get flattered, men get lucky.

As long we're happy, that's all that matters. To you boys and girls out there, celebrate your love. Ladies, if he doesn't buy you enough white lillies, nor compliment you enough how wonderful the way your hair falls in your face, nor just simply not loving you like you should the bloody hell deserve, I'm always here available for booty calls. Then afterward, you can go back to your man, apologize and realize that your man loves you like no one else possibly can.

Sort of something like that quote early in this entry.

Cognitive Psychology

Hypothetically:

“All those who lives in Perak must fill out the Form 3A(b).”

You do not live in Perak. Do you have to fill out the Form 3A(b)?

Well, many individuals who deem themselves logical might answer no to this question. But really, there’s not enough information to assume the most correct response. The possible case is, that maybe you don’t need to do so but actually you may also have to.

When it comes to casual analytical process, we can break it down to series of questions to try to understand our obligations on that particular matter. The process of understanding might educate us to be more considerate of the current issue. However, towards the end, when it comes to urgent counter responses, our ability in decision making is put at test. Hence, is it fair to act without enough information or if it is considered acceptable, should urgent responses be deemed the best solutions?

The point is, our interpretations of language are often inconsistent. When ambiguity may be the source of error but it is us humans that often make mistakes in reasoning, and we make those mistakes over and over again. Hence, how do we, as humans, practice tolerance, under the spirit of humanity, for both side of the one who questions the ridiculous riddle and the one who is supposingly ridiculed?

And oh by the way, this entry must have nothing to do with the current political scenes in Perak. Just so you know.

Although, hypothetically, I could’ve actually used a different state to name here with 14 (or is it 19?) others to choose from. Ah, this is annoyingly provoking.

Hensem Boy

Aku kini berambut pendek.

Sekian.

:D

We're All in This Together

Oh by the way, I just found this video on YouTube. I think it's kinda fun to watch. Well, at least for my friends in Wellington.



Enjoy :D

Dating Resolutions

I was inevitably forced to read this one short article about dating resolutions, well, for men. Being a sexy single man myself, I couldn't help it but to feel that hey, I might can use this. Plus, it might be fun sharing this anyway.

There's a list of stuffs mentioned but I'll just gonna highlight a few. To start, I might want to develop some new dating tools. Be it might I be already a very super interesting guy and all but even the most fascinating people still need to learn new things. Pick up some books on wine or take a vineyard tour to learn the actual process of wine making. If I have an area of expertise, like dancing, don't be afraid to show it off on a first date (Clearly I'm reading the wrong article). Despite the obviousityness that I'd never want to know anything about wine drinking nor I possess even the nearest amateuristic skill of a dancer, maybe we all can get the idea that we, single sexy men, can try learn a little something about what we eat or drink, and earn any artistic skills that may seem faggoty at first but somehow girls like that, silly.

Online dating can be an option too. People, well, this article say that online dating today, isn't as it used to be, the only chance at love for the hopeless, desperate or the socially inept (Yes!). Thank goodness with Facebook, I can go through a list of open resumes (assuming the page is not private, which should be ban) and filter interests, favourite colours, hobbies, etc and save that amount of weeks courting, first dates, getting to know her, third dates, she likes cats you hate it, knowing that the relationship isn't going anywhere, break ups, the new girl, courting and hence, the cycle. Online dating saves time. Yeah.

Owh it also says that it might be a good idea to get a new look. Nothing builds the confidence like a new set of Ralph Lauren's and a fresh hair cut (Really? For male heterosexuals?). Well, I booked an appointment at a saloon yesterday anyway. The sexy hot Asian-European mix stylist took a good look at me and say, "Mr. Pitt..".

...

Thus I knew straight away, I don't need dating resolutions.

Managing Comfort

Humans are very adaptive creatures. If we get hungry, we find food to eat. If we're bored, we find interesting things to do. If we're heartbroken, we shoot that bitch that stole your partner. Humans are intelligent creatures that find solutions to find the right balance in ourselves, ergo, to be happy.

Or comfortable.

Well, I'm trying to fill you into the study of human comfort. We, humans, are not like those kind of birds (I don't know what kind are they) that migrate from one place to another when winter comes. We're not like bears that spend the entire season hibernating, just because it's cold outside (Although I do wish we actually do that). We, humans, adapt to our environment to continue being productive.

There's this website I found during my time of study, I think about 2 years ago. There's this Comfort Calculator you can play around. Just key in any ambience temperature, what kind of activity you're doing and what are you wearing and it'll simulate and display the comfort level using that cute colourful bunny (or is it a kangaroo? I'm not so sure). It think it's fun, heheh.

Here's a simple depiction of the study.


I've never been to Ottawa. I hold no responsibility for the validity of these information. Heheh.

Brad Hair Day

I like my hair to be short. My hair is long now. Maybe I'm still in doubt to spend $20 to cut my hair at the moment. Maybe I like to try to have that hair long enough to have a tail at the back. Sort of like those kind you can find on Hong Kong bad-ass mafias on television (Well I've never seen one in real life so yeah I don't really know how do they really look like). Although I do think I look better in short though. Not that I'm in any prospective position to be superficially good looking to court anyone. This is my time to be sloppy, as I always enjoy being.

I don't have any photos to visually describe this, but here's to share to you dear readers of two examples of hairstyle I've experience. I found these photos in GQ Magazine edition somewhere in 2006. I censored these photos to protect the model's privacy.

Winter 2006

Spring 2006

Well, I guess my best and worst hairdos (to my own preference) to date was cut (or kept?) in the same year. I do think I look horrible during that time in winter 2006. It seemed that I learnt from my own stupidity and came back in the awesomest of style (again, self proclaimed) in spring with my super cool short hair, just in time for Malaysian Night.

Anyway, why suddenly I'm gibbering out this nonsense about my hair (although hair is, as one was told, the crown on our head, or is it apply only to women?)? Well, the thing is, today I went to play basketball at the varsity recreation centre. I hate playing with my long hair. Today, I missed a number of easy layups because my front hair kept poking into my eyes (and I don't like wearing headband fellas). See illustration below:

That's it. I'm cutting my hair this week.

I just installed a scanner to this computer. Heh, it's been quite a while since I last draw anything. This is fun. Another sketch before I leave today. :D

Solution, Vision and Injustice

I was reading TIME Magazine Dec 29, 2008 / Jan 5 2009 Double Issue and there're two things that specially caught my attention; Palin and the Atlantis. Of course Obama and Fey should both be my obvious choices; Barack's cool photos in 1980s during his college freshman year and the photo of the ever adorable Tina in her cute orange gumboots on a vintage red bicycle. I can never stop enjoying Tina's performance in anything at all and the new US president-elect is certainly a major democratic hit. Yet, I find Palin and the Atlantis to be more of my cup of Chinese Tea (Well, meaning that something you enjoy not everyday but once in a while it's very fulfilling, if that even make any sense).

Solution

Anyway, Palin, No.4 for TIME Magazine's Person of the Year 2008. I won't go much into Sarah's or her campaign's political perspectives, as I for one, am not very well informed or intellectual enough to question another's political opinions. However, to quote from the article, "She's fresh, she's phony; an inspiration to women, an insult to them; the bright future of the Republican Party, the cartoon princess of its populist past."

When talking about objectivity, she seems to be the exact solution to what the losing campaign needed. Despite her interesting remarks on her foreign policy credentials, faking her son's birth, or her apparently-I-find-it-funny lipstick joke, she was, in fact, a solution. "The size of the crowds doubled, the money poured in, and in a matter of days, McCain was running five points ahead of Obama,". Although personally I would prefer Zhang Yimou to be ahead of Palin instead of being at No.5 but somehow I have find her to be a plausible fit to this TIME Magazine's Person of the Year 2008 list.

Whether she can make it in the next election or not, but last year, she was a solution to a purely objectified campaign. I like that. Somehow I look forward to see more of her in US future political campaign.

Note: TIME Magazine's Person of the Year 2008; No.1: Barack Obama - US President-elect, No.2: Henry Paulson - US Treasury Secretary, No.3: Nicolas Sarkozy - President of the French Republic, No.4: Sarah Palin - Former US Republican Vice-Presidential nominee and No.5: Zhang Yimou - Director of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, the Atlantis is a totally different subject. I'm pretty sure many of you've heard of the Burj Al-Arab in Dubai - the world's most luxurious and most expensive hotel to date. Well, the Atlantis is not exactly as commercially patented - arguably. Yeah sure the $1.5 billion resort has awesome underwater Lost Chamber suits (which you guys should check out) and the breathtaking views of the Palm Jumeirah and beyond from the Royal Towers. However. the highlight of this development for me was the partners leading this project; Sol Kerzner, a South African hotel and gambling magnate of Jewish Russian descendent and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai World.

Vision

"We are businessmen from Dubai and we look at it as business. If he is the best Jewish man but has no vision, we wouldn't do business with him, But if he is from Timbuktu with a good idea, we will. What people believe is up to them. And when Sol came to Dubai, he didn't wear a flag that said, 'By the way, I'm Jewish'."

-Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem-

Objectivity. I applaud the creation of solutions and great monumental things without judgement based on simple empirical observations, without influence of emotions or personal prejudices. I have no intention to justify anything of what any of these people did as only God can be the ultimate judge of what is right or wrong. I just wish to be inspired by great things, with God's blessings.

Injustice

But today, it should not be about us. How can we be inspired when today there're hundreds of people are dying of injustice? Please lend your prayers to God to end all the suffering of all the innocent people in the world, especially today in Gaza, and to bring justice to these oppressive rulers. God bless.

Tomorrow Will Be Better

Today.

I went out doing some house and personal errands. Walking across central city, treat myself a nice Latte with Mrs. Higgin's Blueberry and Dark Chocolate muffin enjoying it by Midland Park under the sunny afternoon. Later, went back home and enjoy a great basketball match up Blazers against the Lakers (kudos who pioneered the Internet TV) with my awesome Big M Edge Iced Coffee and Bluebird Grain Waves "Tangier than ever" Honey Mustard. Tangy, heh. I'm a Spanish basketball fan so, yeah, too bad Rudy and the Blazers lost to a much composed and more experienced Los Angeles Lakers.

I packed my sports gear and went to the Rec Centre. Shot some hoops and had some awesome casual pick-up games. I've been longing to play against quality players and today has certainly be a good day for me, and I'm not even bad myself. Well, just the fitness is really troubling me though. Should I sign up for the gym? Hmm.

Went back home. Had a nice long bath in the tub. Enjoyed my downloaded pirated movie; Stranger than Fiction. Good movie, I well recommend it. And here I am now, writing this. It's been a good day.

Well yeah, it really has been a really good day. And I really wish you all the really same tomorrow. Good night. Really.

Oh by the way, this is my current desktop wallpaper.

Ain't it just really the cutest thing? :D

Janus and His Motivation

It's Friday evening and suddenly, I feel like writing. Maybe it's the fresh air from the backyard a minute ago or perhaps the intellectual after-effects of watching some episodes of Boston Legal. Either way, I'm now in a good mood to pour out something while sipping my favourite Bundaberg Peachee.

How about my new year's resolutions?

Statistically speaking, my success rate of completing my new (well, previously) year's resolutions weren't very convincing that I should even be bothered of making any new ones. Lets see, back in 1999, I wanted to be cool. Well, you know, it was high school and every kid wanted to be hip, or so I believed. Anyway, it didn't turned out that way. In 2003, I wanted to learn karate but truth to be told, I'm still the wimp I always was.

So why bother? Well, I don't know. Maybe out of 10 resolutions made, 3 might turned out okay. Time taken is another thing. I wanted to be a culinary expert in 2005 but today I suppose I've achieved that half way. Mathematically I should be one by 2011. The beginning of 2006 I wanted to look like Brad Pitt but I didn't achieve that till mid year 2008, or was it around October? Hmm.

2008.

I gonna take this time to reminisce a little bit. I spent the earlier half of the year in Malaysia and the remaining in New Zealand. Both times have been remarkably fruitful for me. I have to say last year was certainly a good year for me. Not very perfect, but still good. Among the top 3 I suppose, approximated since as far as I can remember. And many of you who were in it I deeply cherish.

I want to have a better year. I want to improve socially, spiritually, academically, emotionally and more other -ily stuffs if possible. I don't want to be a genius but with no friends. I don't want to have a girlfriend while losing judgement in faith. Wasatiah, the balancing acts of good - as I chose among the many intepretations. I was and always am the jack of all trades kind of guy. Not that I want to say I'm good in everything. I wish to bite a bit of all the food on the table. Not necessarily all though. Possibly just the ones which not too spicy, or chickens only, or perhaps anything that starts with the letter 'k'- ayam kicap, kentang goreng, ketam masak lemak, etc.

The point is, I want to take care as much aspects I can carry in my adult life. With then, I can feel more complete. That, I conclude, my resolutions for 2009. I want to be more complete. There you go, and I wish you readers for a better year as well. Ciao!

Of Being Resolute

Resolutions, well, as in relation to this blog.

1. Write consistently. Not necessarily more frequent. Just consistent.
2. More relevant input. Nothing trivial, but not too significant either.
3. New template. I'm thinking black and white, or red. Silver-ish?
4. Update links, and add some more useful ones.
5. Change photo.
6. More photos.
7. More sugar and spice and everything nice.

Something like that I guess. Oh well, have a great new year dear readers.

Pas de Touché

"You can't always get what you want,".

Possibly a common sense. A publicly agreed that it is true and somewhat close to a complete fact that we can't always get what we want. A book suggested otherwise that the universe could give us whatever we want, given a true mind with its genuine intention.

I have learned that I'm built to solve things. Justify matters even to its darkest intention, to find the small light of its thinnest possibility of its existence that it can probably clear our paths for our greater goods. Or simply perhaps there's actually no light at all and someone got to buy a torch light real quickly before someone trips over and die.

Anyway, I do believe that we can't always get what we want. Given a simpler meaning of knowing what we want or what we're having. You want to have a vanilla ice cream from McDonald's but they are out of stock. Too bad, hence you have to settle with chocolate. You're a bit disappointed but all in all, you're happy anyway to get an ice cream. Unless you're that stupid moron who mengade2 to run to all McDonald's in the city to find a cone of vanilla ice cream. I confess, I sometimes do such things.

Yet, at the end, it's alright if you still couldn't get it. You just miss Ice Cream on Monday day with your friends but you can still join again next week. No harm done. Just one day without ice cream. Cool, sweet and smooth vanilla flavoured ice cream as if it was made in heaven of a bigger ice cream factory with a hint of honey and fig.

Score an A in your exam, great job promotion, getting the girl (or boy) of your dreams, a wonderful loving family, etc.

Failure.

"Oh well, we can't always get what we want,".

Before I get lost in my own mixing of brain vomit, I'm thinking this entry is something about skipping the stages of grief. Get to Acceptance straight away POSITIVELY and move on. Something like that I think, but not very thorough on the details. Just mingling around the introduction with no valid points on how should it be done.

Success is sweet. Hence failure is bitter. Too much sweet is not good for you. Too much bitter will ruin your life. A balance of both perhaps? A bit more sugar?

I really have no idea.

I wanted it, but I couldn't get it out. Touché.

Like Creamer in Coffee

I'm a boy. I'm not that much different than that 14 years old I once was and sometimes pretend to be a sophisticated 40 years old who wears nice suits and talks about smart stuffs with cigars and throw out some lame wife jokes. The inaccurate simulation left out some real issues; work ethics, the seductive and incredibly gorgeous secretary, rebellious children, stubborn relatives and the pet cat that loves everyone else but me. I only take on the cool stuffs.

I'm a boy. I want to remind myself that I am.

Hah.

Ahh, I'm getting a bit personal.

I'm 23 now. But we do that once in a while. Introspection. Too often, once a month, a year or never. It's just one of those moments. I'm 23 now. Young, spoiled, smart, not so interesting but unique and insanely attractive to a respectable amount of female today.

And oh I make great sandwiches. Not very healthy, but great.

Right Ends, Wrong Reasons?

Lesson in life can come to you at any time and any place of the day. It comes when you're watching a crappy show on local television, when you overheard the couple behind you talking when you're queuing for coffee, or just simply from a nice conversation with a dear friend.

Parents are the major contributor for our lesson in life. How to tie our shoes, courtesy of respect, looking left and right before crossing the roads, etc. A few can come from friends, relatives, strangers, billboards, reading materials, radio and so many other sources you can possibly find. A catch phrase perhaps can really grasp your attention and I have been wondering about one to its deepest possible meaning.

Doing things for the right reason.

It's a decision making kind of issue. It's almost similar to the means justify the ends thingy. Yet I can't get this one out of my head for quite some time. Not that I'm in the midst of making any life defining decision (or actually I am or we all are every single fricking day). It's merely some thoughts surrounding the concept. Too many decisions made based on initial objectives or end-product dependent. The question of why is most of the time directed towards the planning stage or simply the intention itself. How about working on the majority votes; the right intention, the wrong process but the right end-result? How about the wrong intention but the right process and the right finished product?

I'm hoping to do things for the right reason. From its core purpose, to its concluding result, regardless to my benefit or not.

A simple life lesson to learn and I'm so far away from adult maturity. Boy.

Another Milestone

The first entry of this blog was written in November 2006. I started this project of mine out of curiosity for writing, excitement of expressing myself in a different level and possibly out of boredom as well. Though for many reasons I could think of why I actually started this blog is long beyond (or behind?) me, for whatever intention it was of the actual purpose that frequently changing, I am now happy that it's been 2 years, averaging 1.45 posts per week, 2.8 comments per entry, 15.2 visits per day, 467.8 words per entry, 99.3% written in English, 75.1% of its contents are crap, 15.7% are fictional and 20.6% came from the purity of the heart.

I'm forecasting that we'll see a significant decrease in entries rate for the next few weeks. Readers are advised to enjoy the links on the left navigation bar for substitute materials.

Cheers.

Dumbass Fatigue

Have it ever occurred to yourself that you often google (spell check doesn't approve this but I reckon you'd understand anyway) something that is far away relevant to your life? From the personal life of Paul Hewson, lead singer of U2, to the historical background of the newly elected US president, Barack Obama. Well, if not, mm, it's just me then. Hence, I believe I'm currently experiencing symptoms for Information Fatigue Syndrome (IFS).

I'm not even sure whether it is a real disease anyway. Although the point that I'm not interested to look more into it does mean that I'm not actually having this syndrome. Maybe.

Fast internet, global information age and people everywhere around the world, from professional writer to personal 'sharing is caring' blogger and uploaders have brought us here knowing so much more things in 5 years than a whole lifetime of a modest scholar of the 19th century. We can catch the latest episodes of Heroes as soon as it comes out on Tuesday evening, grab the latest celebrity gossips from Yahoo (or perhaps our own for us Malaysians here in Wellington heheh Gossip Girl style), the latest score from the NBA, etc.

Information is easy to get. Are we fed accordingly? If information were food, shouldn't you be fat now? I bet Einstein would be a pig. Hm, nah it doesn't work that way. Information, good or bad is still knowledge. Whether worth having or not is really up to the universe to set us up. Stupid? Nope. Just knowing things that's not relevant to the things around you. Well, maybe, there are people that are really hopelessly unintelligent.

Oh, the reason I wrote this is from my current mild fixation towards political blog, mainly Mahathir and Anwar, and several others, Ahmadinejad as most recent. I read, I tried to understand, confused, none of them is relevant to my current being anyway, but it may be relevant to my future self, but there are more other things that are more relevant, but I kept on reading.

Because knowledge is good, so I just knew.

Well, Lonely Boy

The room is now dead silence. Well, except from the sound of the television, neighbours humping and the non-repairable running water from the toilet. Just, well, it's wee bit quieter than before.

Jimi left today. Well, he's finally now on his way back home. I have the room all by myself now. It's a wee bit unusual. It's been awhile since I last have my own room.

Oh well.

I Bet He's Delicious Too

NJB: Do you think I'm better off clean shaved or just let it be?
Tommy: A bit of scruffyness is cool I think. Kinda Brad Pitt like.
NJB: You think so? I just bought a shaving cream this morning.
Tommy: Dude, if you really want to shave it, then just do it. Why ask me?
NJB: I just like a secondary supportive opinion. Especially from a sheep.
Tommy: How many times do I have to tell you don't call me a sheep!!
NJB: ... but you are a sheep.
Tommy: I play the guitar, I smell nice and I don't walk on four feet.
NJB: ... but you're still a sheep.
Tommy: F**k off.