Lunch with CL Wong

Wong called up about 10 am to meet for lunch at 12 pm.

And so we met at the 1960's Shop of Fishballs in SEAPARK to share recent events as well as to talk shop. In a way, it got me back into the loop a little. To put me back on the pulse of the public sector.

We spoke of issues like integrity, corruption, race relations and the future of the nation.

Nothing much really has changed. Things are not good generally, including the economy.

Well, he has been extended yet another year. His final, he added.

Good for him. Great chap;always enduring.

Man of Integrity.

Must be a great pastor at his church in Cheras too.

Farrah Fawcett is gone

I have taken this write-up from on on-line source.

She really tried. And, for a sex symbol, that alone can be like an accomplishment.

A scrim of sadness covers Farrah Fawcett’s career. Her stardom traced that cautionary Hollywood arc: meteoric fame followed by years spent trying first to overcome it, then, too late, seeking to recapture it.

Cancer interrupted Fawcett’s attempted comeback in 2006 and put her on a different, more didactic track – pursued by a careful-what-you-wish-for flurry of publicity.

She put the incessant tabloid intrusion to the service of her illness, making a video diary of her struggle with anal cancer that, among other things, allowed her to feel that she had some control over the coverage.

NBC, never shy about exploiting a celebrity tragedy, overproduced and overpromoted her film in “Farrah’s Story,” but never made the public service point that, besides abstinence, the HPV vaccine is the most promising form of prevention against this type of cancer, which in most cases is sexually acquired.

Fawcett died Thursday at 62. And her last poignant appearances sometimes obscure a smaller, more gratifying story line of a celebrated beauty who worked against type to construct a more dignified second act.

Fawcett tried to be a good actress, taking on extremely difficult roles. She scrubbed off her tawny good looks to play battered – and battering – women in “The Burning Bed” and “Extremities.”

Fawcett was not as talented or as versatile as other 'A rate' actresses. Still, while at the peak of her career she tried to show skeptics that an object of male desire can hold her own in roles usually reserved for less glamorous, better trained actresses.

Farrah was most famous in her earlier days.Nobody in recent memory comes close to the giddy heights Farrah Fawcett reached in the mid-’70s with one season on “Charlie’s Angels” and That Poster.

The pinup of Fawcett in a red one-piece bathing suit, tanned, head tossed, body lithe yet curvy, was a revelation. She looked delicious but also a little carnivorous, her gleaming white teeth frozen in a friendly but slightly feral smile.

That poster ended up on every teenage boy’s bedroom wall and in the annals of pop culture – Farrah was the face, body and hair of the 1970s

Fawcett left “Charlie’s Angels” after only one season, the queen of “jiggle TV.” She had a dazzling smile underscored by a whispery baby voice, a sweetness that allowed young male fantasists to believe that she would be a forgiving sex goddess.

Fawcett was a cheerleader from Corpus Christi, Texas, who radiated a healthy athleticism just ahead of the aerobics revolution led by Jane Fonda and Jamie Lee Curtis.

She made movies like “The Cannonball Run” but also set her sights on Broadway long before it became fashionable and profitable for theatres to boost ticket sales by recruiting television and movie stars to perform onstage.

And in 1983 she dared to take over a role originated by Susan Sarandon in “Extremities,” in the grueling role of a rape victim who seeks revenge on her attacker. That performance led to “The Burning Bed,” a 1984 TV movie in which she played a battered wife and which was a television milestone; it helped her secure the lead in the 1985 film version of “Extremities.”

She took on other ambitious roles, not as persuasively perhaps, but they were brave choices nonetheless: the Nazi hunter Beate Klarsfeld in a 1986 television movie; the heiress Barbara Hutton a year later; and in 1989, the wartime photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White.

Her career took a detour in 1997 – that was the year of a Playboy spread and her infamous David Letterman interview, but it was also the year she played Robert Duvall’s wife in “The Apostle,” an affecting performance that was well received by critics, if not widely seen.

She kept at it, though the offers kept shrinking; her last movie was a small part in “The Cookout,” the 2004 Queen Latifah comedy.

Toward the end, her private life – her son’s drug problems, her on-and-off relationship with the troubled Ryan O’Neal – eclipsed decades of work. Cancer brought it to an end.

Not all of her performances will stand the test of time, but what is worth remembering is how hard Farrah really tried.

Eye-Care

I got this on my gmail this morning. I thought it would be useful for many of us who are glued to our monitors almost every waking hour, to have a look at it.

Moreover, if it's true, to practise it for our own eye betterment.

This is the full article sent.

"During a recent visit to an optician, one of my friends was told of an exercise for the eyes by a specialist doctor that he termed as 20-20-20." It is apt for all of us, who spend long hours at our desks, looking at the computer screen. I Thought I'd share it with you. 20-20-20

Step I :-

After every 20 minutes of looking into the computer screen, turn your head and try to look at any object placed at least 20 feet away. This changes the focal length of your eyes, a must-do for the tired eyes.

Step II :-

Try and blink your eyes for 20 times in succession, to moisten them.

Step III :-

Time permitting of course, one should walk 20 paces after every 20 minutes of sitting in one particular posture. Helps blood circulation for the entire body."

Selling Your Soul!

Mitch McDeere was a young man with a promising future in Law. A law graduate from Harvard, he was about to sit his Bar exam when he was approached by 'The Firm' based in Memphis which made him an offer he couldn't resist.

Seduced by the money and gifts showered on him, he was initially totally oblivious to the more sinister side of his company.

Then, two Associates were murdered. The FBI contacted him, asking him to turned snitch which he refused. Then he was compromised by a night 'sexcapade' on the beach in Cayman Islands.

Torn between the FBI and the firm, he worked out a all-win solution to trade-off his life for money and the paroling of his brother.

Great plot-line and good acting from a young Tom Cruise and the ever delectable Jean Tripplehorn.

A great film even though it is no longer current.

The King is Dead!

Michael Jackson-the King is dead! Apparently from a cardiac arrest.

Born on August 29, 1958 , Michael showed his singing and showmanship on stage as the Jackson 5 and then moved on to solo. He built his Neverland playground for kids to enjoy themselves but then was branded a pedophile and had his image tarnished further when he went into near bankruptcy.

He had a sold-out tour this year to salvage his sagging image and taking the name Mikhail,after converting to Islam.

He departed on June 25 2009 at 51.

During his life-time, he married the daughter of Elvis Presley, Lisa as well as released excellent albums and songs from Beat it, Dangerous, Bad, Heal the World;just to name a few.

God rest his troubled soul.

Real Easy

Yes, New Orleans-the Big Easy.

Beautiful Creole music and a mishmash of culture down south Louisiana.

I missed this movie when it first came by in the late 1080s. Continues to have its thrills. Plot-wise, it's all about police corruption and the low down of cops who wants to make it big by drug dealing, murder and extortion.

Good chemistry between a youngish looking Dennis Quaid and a sexy Ellen Barkin.

Love the music;love the dialogue.

Great revisit

It's okay to be fat?

Would you believe this?

Reuters reports:

According to a Canadian study,a few pounds appear to protect people from an early death.So this would certainly be happy news to many who are out there carrying that little extra weight.

Apparently, researchers have found out that while underweight and extremely obese people die earlier than people of a normal weight, people who are slightly overweight actually live longer than those of a normal weight.

These findings of a new study were published online in the journal Obesity by researchers at Statistics Canada, Kaiser Permanente Centre for Health Research, Portland State University, Oregon Health & Science University, and McGill University.

“It’s not surprising that extreme underweight and extreme obesity increase the risk of dying, but it is surprising that carrying a little extra weight may give people a longevity advantage,” said researcher David Feeny from the Kaiser Permanente Centre for Health Research.

But fellow researcher Mark Kaplan, professor of Community Health at Portland State University has added a caveat to this. He is of the view that while a few extra pounds may protect older people as their health declines, that did not mean people of normal weight should try to bulk up.

He indicated that the study only looked at mortality and not at quality of life,reminding that there are many negative health consequences associated with obesity, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

The study was based on examining the relationship between body mass index and death among 11,326 adults in Canada over a 12-year period using data from the National Population Health Survey.

During the study period, from 1994/1995 through 2006/2007, underweight people were 70 per cent more likely than people of normal weight to die, and extremely obese people were 36 per cent more likely to die.

But overweight individuals were 17 per cent less likely to die. The relative risk for obese people was nearly the same as for people of normal weight.

The researchers said this was the first large Canadian study to show that people who are overweight may actually live longer than those of normal weight.

An earlier study, conducted in the United States and published in 2005 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed similar results.

Caution and Apprehension at UH

They are not leaving anything to chance, I hope.

So, as I was about to enter into the RUKA area, I realised that only one door was opened. There was a guard there and he had a spray in his hand. It was an alcohol wash. So he sprayed some onto my opened palms and I rubbed it down into my skin.

The hospital is a bad place to be if you have no business to be there.

I was there to collect my periodic prescription and so I had to sit down among the sick, coughing and sneezing lot; all waiting for their numbers to be displayed to quickly collect their medicine and to vamoose!

It's really frightening if this swine fever is not contained quickly!

Bernama has the latest report on the status of Resorts World Singapore.

The latest position report regarding the development of Genting's RM16.61 billion integrated family resort and casino on Sentosa Island in Singapore is set to put a stop to worries that the project is behind in terms of its physical completion.

The report stated in no uncertain terms that the project is nearing completion and on track to open early 2010.

All structural buildings would be completed by next month.The buildings that will be readied under the first phase of the project will include Universal Studios theme park, a casino, a dining strip and four hotels – Hotel Michael, Maxims Tower, Festive Hotel and Hard Rock Hotel.

Building works, which began in April 2007, were on scheduled, and 60 per cent of the resort’s built-up area would be opened to visitors during its soft opening.

The second phase of the project will involve two more attractions-the Marine Life Park and the maritime museum and two more hotels, the Equarius and Spa Villas, which would be opened progressively. Resorts World Sentosa will be the largest resort, with 10,000 staff when fully operational. Some 12 million to 13 million visitors are expected to visit the resort yearly.

The Universal Studio, the only one in South-East Asia, will offer 24 themed rides, including 18 which are exclusively designed for Singapore especially the world’s tallest pair of duelling roller-coasters in the world.

Other attractions are its seven zones which include Sci-Fi City, Egypt, New York, The Lost World and Hollywood, and the Waterworld Stunt Show.

The Marina Bay Sands, another casino resort complex under construction at Marina Bay and is targeted to be completed by year-end.

Not new and Not the First Case

This must have been happening for doggone years.

So what's new?

Apparently, a lecturer at a private international university allegedly demanded sex and money from students in return for better grades. He has been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

The man, a foreigner in his 40s who lectures in Cyberjaya, was arrested at about 5pm after a victim lodged a report with the MACC.

It is learnt that the woman, 24, sat for a qualifying exam to enable her to continue her Masters’ degree. After sitting for her papers, she was allegedly approached by her lecturer who told her she did not do well in her exam. He then allegedly told her that he could help her, provided she agrees to give in to his demands for sex and cash.

Initially he asked her only for sexual favours but when she refused, he demanded money as well if she wanted to pass the exam.

The lecturer was also reported to have instilled fear into the woman through some wordy threats as well.

An MACC director confirmed the arrest.

To me, this is nothing new and has been happening all the time in both institutes of higher learning in both the government and the private sectors.

So far, it just went unreported!

The Sumptious EON Cap AGM lunch

This is one AGM that is different from the rest. First they gave good door gifts. Two water tumblers. The morning tea was good-roti canai and roti jala. Then a sit-down lunch.

Very well-organised AGM.

I am talking about the EON Cap AGM at the Crowne Mutiara Plaza KL.

For the first time, I sat through the whole AGM and listened to the briefing as well as the questions been leveled at the board and at the Chief Finance Officer.

Matters touched on includes tax credits, office re-branding,better debt collection, the rejection of warrants to Primus and new products for the public.

I was surprised when they told the meeting that they pay interest up front when one open a savings account and the existence of a special forced savings account with better interest basis points built into it.

Same old people asking the questions until the Chairman seems to know all of them by face.

The lunch was a round table sit-down affair. Food was served in a platter and we took our fill of it. There was sour soup and iced longan and almond jelly for dessert followed by tea/coffee and kueh nyonya. I was a thorn among the roses at this table and got to know some people. There was a Ms Khaw who lives nearby who walks through my alley and Nancy, a lady who is well traveled. She recommended Mesiniaga to me for its dividends-19% yearly!

EON Cap really treats minority shareholders nice.