American Idol 2012 Season: My Early Thoughts

With Elise and Skylar Laine leaving the much touted global singing competition, we now have four comely contestants to battle it out.

Interestingly, all four of them have differing styles.

Let me on the outset put forth my speculative forecast on the strengths and weaknesses of each of these top four finalists.

The weakest of them all will have to be Hollie Cavanagh.

Petite and pretty, she can sing, this small bundle of joy. However, as far of performance range is concerned, she has been acceptable so far, being the prettiest Caucasian in the contest. Whether she can weather the storm of more intense competition to come in as the top three, is anybody's guess. For me, I rank her the fourth of the finalists.Unless the fickle American voting crowd is hell-bent on bringing her in, that will stumble someone who is more deserving out of the contest.

Philip Philips is the third rated in my perception. Interesting singer with his own style, as he fashioned each song he sang according to his vocal capabilities,Philip may have a big following which may bring him into the top three next week.As many would love his nifty hip dance movements and the annoying yet habitual head motions and closed eyes, he may lose the bigger voting crowd to the other contestants. Unless you are a Philip Philips die-hard, he may be an underdog in week 2 to the final countdown.

Jessica Sanchez. It is a love her and love her more situation. She sort of grow on you. Petite as well as charmingly attractive, this nubile singer of Filipino descent has wowed all three judges particularly Steven Tyler who visibly is enamoured by this sweet sixteen. As none of the three judges are objective any more or to be believed because of their rar-rar roles as the singers come into the home-stretch, any one can win. For me, I think Jessica has captured the imagination of the world, just like Leona Lewis with the Britishers in the X Factor singing competition. However, whether the popularity of Jessica, gauged by the sheer volume of the applause after every of her performance can be translated into sweet victory for Jessica, remains to be seen. In my reckoning, in all probability, she has fired the imagination of the young liberal voting American public which can see her emerging as this season's potential American Idol because of her strong vocals, spell-binding stage performance and extra-ordinary audience appeal.

Joshua Ledet is one great singer, undoubtedly. He is destined for greater things, even if he loses. Compared to Jessica and Philips, he may be the underdog without wings below his wings if the voting public votes Caucasian first and feminine charm second. Joshua will come in as Number 3 then. Joshua is no loser. He will be a pop chart wonder with his stage presence,win or lose.

So, let us see whether my crystal-balling is apt or otherwise.

Dirty Dozen Revisited

It took me two days to watch this one great movie of all times.

A bunch of murderous convicts hand picked to destroy an R and R resort for the German generals in World War Two makes for an interesting plot line.

With the participation of macho actors like Lee Marvin, Jim Brown, Telly Savalas, Trini Lopez, Donald Sutherland and Charles Bronson, expect top notch action as they toss in their brand of mayhem on Hitler's Gestapo and the German Imperial generals.

As usual things go awry from the first to die in the parachute drop to the intra team shoot-out between Telly Savalas who played a Bible-toting and death to women persona and Jim Brown who had to mow Telly down before he goes off to create more disaster to their precision plan.

The training bit was fun and the real action, dynamite!

Great film for a revisit on a cold, rainy day.

My Father's 87th Milestone

By 8.45 am, my sister S and I were on our way back to Malacca for my Father's 87th Birthday lunch. Traffic was light today.

I am fortunate that my brother JC planned it on Wesak Day as I do not have to cancel my classes nor get a substitute teacher for my classes at the nearby tuition centre.

Though not everyone turned out like last last year to mark the occasion,the spirit was high as well this year around.

JC and his missus brought a cheese-cake as we sang the Birthday song for my daddy.

Food was just so-so but it was pretty expensive. We cut it three ways and the amount came to RM143.00 each.

Saying goodbye to daddy, we made our way back to reach PJ before 5 pm.

Good drive in a Viva Elite.

Truncating TIME dotCom

Amidst the fall-out at Wall Street due to poor employment numbers, Time Dot.com will undergo truncating in a very convulated manner that will see its share price re-adjusted on 16 May 2012.

What will take place?

The following will be implemented.

First step: A Capital Repayment 2 sen for every TdC Share. The amount will come up to RM50.615 million (RM0.69)

Second Step: Paid up of TdC share will be reduced by the cancellation of 90 sen of the par value from every RM1 share.

Third Step: Share consolidation of 2,530,775,000 TdC Shares with a par value of RM0.10 each post-reduction into 506,155,000 TdC Shares with a par value of RM0.50 each in TdC, on the basis of five (5) TdC Shares of par value of RM0.10 each into one (1) TdC Share of RM0.50 each

From 11 May 2012, TdC will trade ex-offer. Take note that there will be no suspension in view of the implementation of both capital repayment and capital restructuring.

Let us review the share from the quantum perspective.

1) Current: Existing issued and paid-up share capital of TdC is RM2,530,775,000 comprising 2,530,775,000 ordinary shares of RM1.00 each.

2) Post Restructuring: the issued and paid-up share capital of TdC shall be RM253,077,500 comprising 506,155,000 ordinary shares of RM0.50 each.

The shares in relation to the Share Consolidation will be listed and quoted on the Main Market of Bursa Securities on 16 May 2012, being the next market day following the entitlement date of 15 May 2012.

Let us work a theoretical framework for the layman.

Assume: He has 1000 TdC shares of RM1 par prior to restructuring. (RM0.71)

Capital return of 2 sen: (RM0.69)

Truncation: The value of RM0.90 sen is taken off each share and the remaining share will by 1000 Tdc share with RM0.10 par value.(RM0.69)

Consolidation: 5 shares each of the 1000 shares will be consolidated into one share of RM0.50 sen par value. (RM3.45)

Aftermath: He now has 200 shares of TdC of RM0.50 sen value. (RM3.45)

As such the share value of his 200 shares would add up to (RM3.45 x 200)= RM690.

Working up to per lot of 1000 shares, the new price of the TdC share will be about RM3.45

Let us see whether there will be a surge in demand post restructuring of TdC.

PS: TdC adjusted to RM3.17 on 11 May for an initial 3 sen gain.