Limelight Seekers

So its that time again.

And they are all hopefuls. Hoping to capture that coveted crown to be deigned Malaysia's prettiest and to go forth to compete on the world's stage.

I hope the prettiest one wins.

Pretty Lasses of Malaysia

I have the fortune to see some of the most beautiful girls of Malaysia. Most of them are from the world of entertainment though there are beauty queens among them. I have seen some of them in person.

Paula is marvelously attractive. Saw her in a sports car in Mon't Kiara. Lina waved back at me when we recognised her passing by in a car.
The others I saw them on the tube or in mags.


Paula, Ariana, Jojo, Carmen, Fazura, Elaine, Deborah,Lina, Amber,Kavita, Daphne and Marion are our icons and ambassadors of beauty for Malaysia.


I salute you on this blog posting.

Superior Botox

An interesting find here.

Doctors have come up with a treatment that could help millions of middle-aged Britons with weak bladders - a shot of the celebrity cosmetic treatment Botox.

They claim that an injection of the virulent toxin directly into the bladder wall can improve symptoms in the over-50s, making a 'significant' impact on their quality of life.

The jab works for up to 24 weeks, reducing incontinence and making a massive difference to a sufferer's social life and general health.

Those taking part in a trial in London claimed they slept better, had more energy, could go out more and become involved in relationships.

This is the first time Botox has been shown to have a medical use for a condition affecting up to one in six Britons over 40.

Doctors from the London hospitals Guy's and King's College tested 34 sufferers for whom other treatments had failed. Half had the injections, while the rest were given a placebo.After being monitored over 24 weeks, the researchers noted marked improvements in symptoms among those who had Botox.

Measuring the effects on a scale of one to 100, they said the physical impact of incontinence had been reduced from 100 to 65, leaving them more confident.
Their social limitations fell from 72 to 39, the negative effect of the condition on their emotions fell from 100 to 65 and the effect on relationships fell from 67 to 50.

The impact of the condition on sleep and energy levels fell from 83 to 58.
Writing in the specialist urology journal BJU International, the researchers said the injections were made using a cytoscope, a long tube described as 'minimally invasive'.

Genting- A Route to Macau?

Jonathan Cheng did a write-up today expressing his concerns about the possibilities of a Genting entry into Macau's casino business.

I paraphrased his article.

Fresh from a recent move by by Genting Bhd to take a 3.2 per cent stake in MGM Mirage and buying a US$100m debt notes, the talk continues among punters that Genting is after a foothold in Macau, where MGM has a joint-venture casino and resort with gambling heiress Pansy Ho.

Genting dominates in Malaysia and has a huge new resort ready to start in Singapore. However, Macau the jewel in the casino landscape continues to elude it.

Macau, the most explosive growth story for the gambling industry is still hampered by a global recession and ham-stringed by strict visa restrictions imposed on mainland Chinese visitors.

Macau watchers are of the view that any attempt by Genting to get into the lucrative market may be difficult, despite a potential window of opportunity opening before it.

Last month, MGM said regulatory enforcers in New Jersey had criticized MGM's relationship with Ho, the scion of Stanley Ho's family, calling her "unsuitable." Experts say any ruling by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission against the partnership could jeopardise MGM's presence in either New Jersey, where it owns half of the Borgata in Atlantic City, or in Macau.

This in turn could leave an opening for an eager beaver like Genting, whose management said publicly last year that Macau holds attractive opportunities, despite the fact that all of Macau's gambling concessions were handed out years ago.

Just after New Jersey's report was made public, Genting bought US$100 million (RM350 million) of MGM debt, which sent Genting shares soaring on speculation about what the debt purchase could mean. On Tuesday evening, MGM confirmed that it had sold a 3.2 per cent equity stake to Genting. A spokeswoman for Genting yesterday declined to confirm or comment on any equity stake sale, which was first reported in the Financial Times.

If a piece of Macau is what Genting is after, significant obstacles could stand in the way.

MGM, experts say, if confronted with a choice between giving up New Jersey or Macau, it is still uncertain if MGM would want to relinquish its beachhead in the promising Chinese market. And even if MGM should look to pull out of Macau, Pansy Ho would have the right of first refusal on any stake sale. There is also the sticky legal question — still untested — about if, how and under what conditions a Macanese gaming concession could be transferred.

That's not all: If Genting were to jump into a partnership with Ho, it would likely draw regulatory scrutiny from Singapore, where Genting's commitment to its Resorts World project is more or less non-negotiable. Singapore's government could balk.

That all adds up to a daunting set of "what ifs," but given how quickly things are moving in the gambling sector, it may be wise not to rule anything out. Investors seem to see opportunity in Genting's moves to get a piece of MGM, pushing Genting's Malaysia-listed stock up by nearly 24 per cent in the three weeks since Genting first made public its purchase of MGM debt.

Of course, it is possible that Genting has something other than Macau on its mind. After all, MGM has attractive assets and a big presence in Nevada. It also has interests in other markets, including a proposed project in Vietnam.

Genting's purchase could also be a smart move from an opportunistic perspective, should MGM weather the financial crisis, catching the Las Vegas icon at the bottom of the market. The US$7-a-share offer that MGM made last month comes at a sizable discount to its historical trading range.

MGM was forced to sell the stake in a round of equity fund-raising last month, in part to help it finish its massive City Centre project in Las Vegas. — Wall Street Journal (Jonathan Cheng, Business Times, Singapore)

Amanda Holden-Botox Beauty

I was watching a Susan Boyle video on You-Tube and I watched with awe the spontaneous reaction of the female judge besides Simon Cowell. She looks adorable.

I was to find out that she was Amanda Holden, a 38-year old blond beauty. What I saw was actually a botoxed version of her face-lift.

Amanda has admitted to freely using Botox injections.

According to the Daily Mail, Amanda confirmed to have used Botox.

Manhattan plastic surgeon Dr. David Shafer agrees that Amanda looks great. However, she could use a bit more in her crow’s feet area and definitely had some filler in her cheeks.

According to Amanda, the surgery was not drastic as her skin scars easily.

Amanda apparently does not like the idea of growing old gracefully.

Looks like for the moment, Botox is good for Amanda.

Working Girl

Excellent movie.

I love Melanie Griffith in her role as the underdog secretary, Tess and how she was played out by her boss, Katherine who stole her idea for a merger. Melanie is a beauty that grows on you espcially the way she speaks. A young Harrison Ford helped in making this movie such a watchable fare.

Great song by Carly Simon "The River Runs" and the haunting melody and music pulsates through out the movie.

A great revisit for me.

Morrie Talks About Life and Death

Morrie says, "Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live."

He contends that people do not think about dying because they are virtually 'sleepwalking' daily. They do not experience the world fully. In a half asleep mode, they do things they automatically think they have to do.

According the Morrie, when you face death, all these changes. You begin to focus on the essentials.

When you realize you are going to die, you see things differently. Material things pale in importance.

You will make time for things spiritual.