Mayhem on the Boardwalk

This is the latest Prohibition cum  rat-a-tat-a-tat mini series to hit the small screen.

Packed with overwhelming violence, it is tight and does not do injustice to the liquor wars that flamed the eastern seaboard of the USA in the 1920s.

Helmed by the wizard of cinema magic, Martin Scorcese, this series is an on-going never-ending tale of Nucky Thompson who ruled with an iron fist and  handfuls  of cash for everyone from runners to the candidate for the US Presidency and his key staff.

Great series.

The fourth season will begin next month.

Watch it to savour the magic tale as played out by Steve Buscemi as Nucky and his horde of gun-toting villains.

Season of Grace;Season of Giving for X'mas and New Year 2013

Season of Goodwill and Kindness

Well, it's that time of the year again;

When we wish and pray for all dear and near, the very best of our love and affection;

It's that time of year when we pray for grace from our Father in Heaven;

To touch the lives; and reclaim good health of those who are in pain and in sickness;

Is that time of the year when we renew our bonds of friendship with loved ones;

When we forgive and forget all the misunderstandings that the world has brought upon us;

To recall the challenges that we overcame and recognize those yet to be overcome;

To all these close ones be they friends, relatives and even foes:

We wish them all goodwill among men and peace and blessings;

Merry X'mas and a joyous New Year 2013.

Amen.

Are They Really That Worthless?

Victim of an Unfair Cartel?

Are old cars really worthless even though they run as smooth as mercury?

Since when did the price of second hand cars went into self-destruct mode?

Was it after the much rushed thoughtless New Automotive Policy launched during the former PM's era which apparently wiped out many second-hand car dealers?

I think there could be some cartel fixing by second-hand car dealers and adjusters to ensure most cars which are still good in running condition fetch no more that scrap value.

My conclusion-it must be so since a car manufactured in 1995 can now only fetch a few hundred ringgits and one manufactured in 2000, possibly one grand.

Only option left.

Keep these cars well as even new cars will sink in value given these atrocious second hand market price fixing.

Visiting My Father on 16 December 2012

Similar-type Unit

I took the journey to visit my father who fell over two weeks ago. He had a femur fracture; was held in a steel frame contraption and was discharged  from Malacca GH about three days back.

Chicken Rice Balls

So, testing my old knight, the first generation Satria 1.3, along with Shaline and Iriene my younger sisters, we were homeward bound. The drive to and fro was uneventful and we had time to trade sibling stories. On reaching Ayer Keroh Heights, we took our brunch on the famous chicken rice balls, roasted chicken; had three dishes of chili-groundnut sauced taufu and a cup of warm soya bean drink each. Great Malacca fare!

It was good to see Father and he was definitely in better spirits despite the pain in his leg. The swelling apparently has gone down which is a good sign. Also good to know that he has a care-giver on hand though we have yet to know what are the charges.

After the usual repartee and the unsolicited good advice that we gave him,we bade him farewell and god speed in his recovery.

Dropped by the R&R in Dengkel for a snack and also bought some satay home.

Old trusty 12-Year Old Wheels

I was happy with the trip and with the Satria. It performed!

Dengkel satay was also good. The rabbit meat was acceptable on the palate too!

The PJ Bah Kut Teh Chronicles

One of  the most delectable dishes for the Chinese of Malaysia, bah kut teh is a must if if you a genuine food connoisseur.

While Klang is touted as the paradise for this dish, many of these from the original birthplace had migrated to the new watering holes of Petaling Jaya.

They do sprout everywhere from fully specialised premium bah kut teh shops to stalls in kopitiams.

The Standard Bearer

For me, the champ is still Heng Kee in PJ Old Town. Flavourful, it has just the right concoction of herbs, garlic and the meat served is sumptuous. Price has been heading northwards lately. Go and try it to benchmark your favourite bah kut teh joint!

Loyalists keep it Going

Fatty Gan in Paramount Garden has been there for ages, thanks to a loyal customer base. The cooking-in-the-pot while you wait type is great and so is the pre-cooked warmed up variety. The black sauced chili type is yet to be up to the mark. Give this a miss.There was so much shouting  this morning between mother and daughter. Wonder what is amiss. Hopefully nothing to do with the bah kut teh.

Still good

Yi Xin is People's Park around the St. Ignatius conurbation is another must try bah kut teh. It was originally located in Section 14 just behind Maybank. I used to travel all the way from Jalan Dungun on Friday just to savour this dish. Heard they insert  pound fish powder to make the soup one notch better than the competitors  Do not know that as a fact, though. The variety is there and so is the crowd. Somehow, I feel that the original taste is lost but it still taste better than other bah kut teh around.

No match for the former Ah Keong

Then we used to have a great bah kut teh in SEAPARK. It is called Ah Keong bah kut teh. It used to be at a coffeeshop where Supermarket 99 stands today.Good and inexpensive. I used to have it as often as I can. Sadly, it closed because the operator said he cannot make ends meet with the ever-rising  stall renter. He has called it a day and his bah kut teh skills is lost for good. Sad day for bah kut teh lovers!

Possibly in this kopitiam in Setia Alam

Finally, out of PJ, somewhere in Setia Alam in a kopitiam, there is this stall that serves a mean bah kut teh of the black sauce type. Remember to ask for pork belly even if you want a mixed dish. The oil from the pig belly is super and sizzles when cooked along with the shredded cuttle-fish strips. Yummy!

Battleship: American Valour and Brooklyn Decker

Tight fiery action

The Hasbro inspired movie of human bravery against alien hardware and firepower sets the stage for the super hi-tech movie Battleship that features the navy, the USS Missouri brought back from retirement into action and the ultra beautiful distraction, Brooklyn Decker.

Heroics

Quite a riveting movie encapsulating the heroics of a few navy man and a captain trying to woo the daughter of the Admiral.

And there is that charming  cherubic looking Rihanna to add to the movie as candy too.

Sensuous 

Have a look at these photos of Brooklyn and you known what I mean.

Sensational

Beguiling

Enraptures

Captivating

Body Beautiful

Malaysian Housing Shortage in 2013?

SOFOs

A property company is predicting a shortfall in residential properties in 2013?

Do you believe him? What are the premises for his deduction and conclusion?

His rule of thumb-every year an average of 110,000 new units of houses enter the market. This apparently did not occur in 2012 due to some salient factors. Instead, possibly only 65,000-70,000 units came in, leading to a shortfall of 35-40%.

Of the many reasons he ponied up was developers hesitate on their launches. Because they feel investors were taking a longer term view of the market as stricter lending guidelines firstly confused and then started to bite.

Icon City

His concern: "The shortage will be felt next year…when we will run out of properties to sell next year on the secondary market."

The realtor said that the new guidelines imposed by Bank Negara Malaysia had resulted in slow transactions for residential properties in the first half of 2012, which will take at least about six months to recover.

He added, "At the end of the first six months of the current year, bankers started to realise that they were not hitting targets. Also (by then), buyers began to understand the guidelines better," he said, and transactions thereafter began to pick up in the second half.

MIEA president, Nixon Paul said residential property prices are unlikely to fall next year, but may stay at their current level. So, that would be good as the bubble may be prevented from bursting any time.

He said, "There is a misconception in the condominium market where many clients feel it will crash, that they cannot rent out (their units) or there is an oversupply.

"Those highly geared and dependent on rental income to pay their mortgage will definitely be affected but generally, prices are holding," he said. So, watch out o n these weak holders. You may get a bargain on the fly.

Paul added however that many sellers have holding power today and most investors are no longer "flipping properties", but instead taking a longer term view before selling their properties.

"Instead of buying and flipping (to profit in real estate), most investors are holding on to their properties for five years before selling."

Paul also said that most sellers today will not sell unless they get the price they want, therefore property prices are unlikely to fall. So it continues to be a seller's market?

So, that is their take.

Do you agree?