UNCONVENTIONAL WORLD RECORDS

The former prime minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, 82 launched his blog on 1st May 2008. Within 1 month it has registered one million hits / views.

During his tenure as PM, he turned the country into a technology hub via projects such as Cyberjaya and the Multimedia Super Corridor, yet he said he did not foresee that one day he himself would turn into a blogger.

Interestingly, perhaps for a 80+ year old, he has been an avid blogger – updating his blog, chedet.com frequently.

In perhaps another stamp on the blogging platform’s claim to be the fifth estate, he said:

the mainstream media are now quoting from the blog and even dare to write on formerly forbidden subjects. This is to be expected as many people no longer read the mainstream papers or watch television. The NST (Umno-linked New Straits Times) circulation has been reduced to an average of 135,000 daily including free and discounted copies for hotels, schools and airlines. Unless there is instruction to spin news from certain quarters, the mainstream media might become irrelevant.

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Granted, Mariah Carey, 38 is not a professional baseball player, and that nobody can touch her when it comes to singing, but c’mon, surely anybody can do better than her opening pitch at the Yomiuri Giants versus Rakuten Eagles match at Tokyo Dome on 28th May 2008:

I think it’s even worse than the celebrated first pitch by the mayor of Cincinnati back in March, when he looked more angry than embarrassed by the result:

Click here to see the video

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UPDATE 23rd July 2008

The Borneo Post reported on the 22nd of July 2008 that for the first time ever, the “Kinabalu Series” will be on show, at least in Sabah. So head over to the library of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Kota Kinabalu between 28th July and 1st Aug 2008.

Yee I-Lann was trained in Australia, and has exhibited in places like Amsterdam and New York. She’s a daughter of Datuk Stan Yee, former press sec to the Sabah Chief Minister.

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The Star reported on 26th May 2008 that a digital art piece entitled Huminodun by Sabahan artist Yee I-Lann, 37 has sold for USD38,000 (RM117,000) at a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong on Saturday.

It is the 6th part of her 8-part “Kinabalu series” which “explores the eroded spiritual power of a Kadazandusun woman and her shifting relationship to her land.” Huminodun is a character in Kadazandusun tradition.

It’s not small: it was printed on a Kodak Endura paper measuring (106.5 cm x 204.5 cm)

She’s teaching at the National Arts Academy.

Some closeups of the pic (all images from christies.com):

A pregnant Huminodun, I presume?

Click here to see more pictures

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Really bad singers abound, and this topic is a very subjective matter. So I think I’d limit myself to performances in nationally-known competitions or events, and which had been at least televised on TV (worldwide availability not a prerequisite).

The audition of American Idol Season 1 (2002) contestant Derek Stillings, 20 which Simon Cowell described as “The Worst Singer in America”:

The audition of American Idol Season 2 (2003) contestant Keith Beukelar, to which Simon Cowell described as “The Worst Singer in the World”:

Click here to see the rest of this post

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What else but the blog post on 19th May 2008 by Tun Dr Mahathir?

Anybody else informing the world via a blog posting that he’s quitting a political party might not be worth a second look, but this man is different:

Apparently he typed in the blog post himself, or at least dictated it.

He has been a member of Umno since its inception i.e. 1946. In 1946, most of us are not even born yet. In fact, some of the leaders of the other BN componenet were not even born then. Heck, the King of Malaysia was not even born yet.

He’s the number one member of Umno. His wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah is number 2. She has also quit Umno.

He’s a life member of Umno.

Umno is the mainstay of Barisan Nasional, the coalition that is ruling Malaysia.

He was the Prime Minister of Malaysia for 22 years, from 1981 to 2003.

Does any other Malaysian blog post, not just in the short history of the blogosphere, but rather the whole history of the World Wide Web, can even come close?

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A few months ago I received a trial copy of the Discovery Channel Magazine. Flipping through it, I nearly jumped off my seat when, opening up a page, I was confronted with a 2-page spread of this:

Have you seen a scarier image on a mainstream magazine? I am sure there are even worse pictures on specialty / underground magazines, but how about magazines of this type i.e. available at any newsstand?

Here’s a closeup of those haunting eyes staring at you:

This is definitely something that those who needs it has to wear their medical alert bracelets.

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Justine Henin, 25, the world’s top ranked female tennis player and 7-time Grand Slam winner, announced her immediate retirement yesterday.

She has won a total of 41 WTA singles titles and almost USD20 million in prize money. The Grand Slams included 4 French Opens, 1 Australian Open and 2 U.S. Opens.

She was twice the losing finalist at Wimbledon, and also won the singles gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

A testament to her excellent technique is the fact that despite her relatively small size (167cm, 57kg), she possesses an extremely powerful serve: top speed 200 km/h.

At the 2007 US Open semi-final, first set, her average first serve speed was the same as her much taller (by 18 cm) opponent, Venus Williams, who herself holds the world record for the fastest serve in a main draw Tour event.

John McEnroe has described her backhand as the best, either in the women’s or men’s game.

How good? Judge for yourself:

Click here to see the video

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…is to join a beer of the month club.

Beer of the month club by greatclubs dot com provides just that.

As suggested by its name, this monthly beer club gives beer fans a chance to taste other types of beer from the comfort of one’s home; in other words, try something other than that Budweiser or Carlsberg.

The USD21.95 per month plus USD10 shipping entitles one to get, every month, a twelve pack of four *different* types the amber liquid in 12 ounce bottles. That means 3 bottles per beer type.

There are many many types of beer one could receive, so much so that it’s adds to the sense of anticipation – one would never know what one would receive next month, as the selection includes the following, and much more: Great Divide’s Denver Pale Ale, Local Color’s Smooth Talker Pilsner, Butte Creek’s Winter Ale, Snake River’s Lager, Pony Express’ 75th Street Brown Ale, Rock Creek’s Devil’s elbow India Pale Ale, Coast Range’s California Blonde Ale, Rockies’ Amber Ale. Wow, most of them I’ve never heard of myself!

As a bonus, for one’s reading pleasure and at the same time become a better expert on the drink, one will also get the “Beer Expeditions” newsletter.

The tipple is “fresh microbrewed”, meaning they are have more flavour than the usual types: made in small amounts and can only be obtained at the place where they were actually brewed (all from US brewers).

The bottles are packaged in styrofoam and sent via a Common Carrier.

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Not too long ago there was no such thing as Kota Kinabalu – Australia direct flights, let alone affordable flights.

But in a short while things have changed, and the world seems so much smaller now.

There are now direct Kota Kinabalu – Brisbane and Kota Kinabalu – Perth flights, both introduced this year, if I’m not mistaken.

To make it even crazier, AirAsia has recently offered zero fares for the Perth flight, for travel between 2nd November 2008 and 30th April 2009! That is guaranteed to cause one hell of a mad scramble.

I should really plan my trip to see my relative in Perth now which has been sitting on the drawing board for too long already. Homestay accomodation is guaranteed there, no need to check out Perth Hotels. As for the other flight, I’d need to look up Brisbane Hotels. Of course the stay can then be extended to the other must-visit cities Sydney and Melbourne, hence it would make sense to ask around for Sydney Hotels and Melbourne Hotels too.

… now would be a good time for me to complement my Swiss Army knives with one of those Swiss Army luggage.

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Tijs Verwest, 39, better known as Tiesto, is arguably the world’s greatest living DJ, and certainly one of the world’s most famous trance DJs.

A native of the Netherlands, he’s the only DJ who has been voted the World’s Number One DJ three years in a row from 2002 to 2004 by the world’s top electronic dance music magazine, DJ Magazine.

He’s still active now, and still perennially in the annual top 10 list. For the 2007 list, he placed second behind Armin Van Buuren.

Although he has not clinched the top spot for several years, he’s still regarded by many as the greatest DJ in the world.

One of his biggest achievements is being the first DJ to play live at an Olympic Games. That happened at the 2004 Athens Olympiad opening ceremony.

Click here to see the video

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In April 2008, Sabine Hilschenz, 42, a German woman, was sentenced by a Frankfurt court to 15 years in prison for killing 8 of her own newborn children between 1992 and 1998.

In fact, she killed a 9th child, also her own, but “the time in which she could be charged for that crime had lapsed since 1988.”

Ms Hilschenz is a divorced unemployed dental assistant in the eastern German state of Brandenburg. She and her her former husband were members, under the communist regime, of the Stasi (East German secret police).

Such was the nature of the crimethat it raised questions about the long-term social effects of communism.

She had been found guilty 2 years earlier (2006).

She said she had been too drunk to remember either their births or their deaths. . In most of the births, she was drunk when she went into labour.

The corpses were were discovered hidden in cans buried in flower boxes, in which she then grew strawberries and flowers, around the woman’s apartment and in an empty aquarium in the garage of her parents’ property in another town:

Does she look like she needed some progesterone to you?

Source
lifesitenews.com 16 Apr 2008

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UPDATE 19th March 2009

On 18 March Fritzl changed his plea to guilty on all charges, after viewing his daughter’s videotaped testimony.

Asked by the judge on why he changed his plea, he replied:

My daughter’s videotaped testimony. I’m sorry.

Then on 19th March, after a mere 4 days a verdict was reached: Fritzl convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of all charges: rape, incest, murder and enslavement.

Before the verdict, Fritzl addressed the jury:

I regret from the bottom of my heart what I’ve done to my family. Unfortunately I cannot undo what I did. I can only try to limit the damage done as best as I can.

Fritzl showed no obvious emotion, telling the court that he accepted it and would not appeal. He left the court building with an impassive face.

Outside the court, his lawyer Rudolf Mayer said:

I would say that the verdict was a logical consequence of a confession. Of course if you have 3,000 cases of rape and 24 years of being kept in a cellar, it is evident that there can only be a punishment or verdict like this one.

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UPDATE 18th March 2009

Fritzl’s trial began 16th March 2009.

He attempted to hide his face with a blue binder but still journalists managed to snap his photo when he had an unguarded moment:

He has pleaded guilty to incest and “partially” guilty to rape but not guilty to enslavement or murder.

It’s expected to be a very swift trial, with a verdict due a few days later.

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Consider the following:

Detectives feared that as Elisabeth aged, Kerstin may have become Fritzl’s next victim. That would be an even more unthinkable crime: having sex with your own daughter who at the same time is also your granddaughter, her offspring (if it’s a she) would be your daughter, granddaughter and your great-granddaughter all at the same time. That’s revolting beyond words.

Joseph Fritzl started making the dungeon in 1978, when Elisabeth was only 12, 6 years before he forced Elisabeth to a quarter-century of subterranean hell.

Joseph had a previous rape conviction in the 60s.

Elisabeth was his favourite child because she was the prettiest. Joseph allegedly started abusing her in 1977 when she was 11.

Elisabeth as a teenager

Image of Elisabeth as a child and a younger Joseph [pic source: Daily Mail UK]

Joseph fathered 7 children with his own daughter.

The 7th child died at 3 days old in 1996 and Joseph threw his body was thrown down an incinerator.

Joseph went on extended holidays in Thailand, weeks at a stretch, without his wife, knowing full well that his daughter and his incestuous offspring were being locked in air so stifling one could almost suffocate in it. Investigators have had get holes drilled through the walls. Inner chambers appear to be solitary confinement cells with bare walls and floors used to terrify Elisabeth and the 3 kids if they misbehaved.

Joseph enjoying himself on holiday. Does he look like he just came out of drug rehab to you?

Joseph chained Elisabeth to the wall with a dog-lead for the first 9 months of her captivity.

Detective Franz Polzer, head of criminal investigations in Lower Austria, said: “The man is evil beyond words. The misery he has inflicted on his family is unimaginable.”

Joseph’s motive was to “recreate once again the situation he had with his first family, the legal family, but this time with a good looking young daughter.” But by the time Elisabeth, now 42, was rescued, she looked more like a sister to her mother, Rosemarie, 68. Her hair had turned grey and she had aged beyond her years.

Elisabeth Fritzl was imprisoned behind not one but eight doors, one of them weighing half a ton. Another 3 doors needed electronic codes, and they were secured with conventional locks as well.

Elisabeth had tried to run away from home in 1982, when she was 16, but was dragged back.

If his eldest incestuous child, Kirsten, 19 had not been very sick, the ordeal would not have stopped. She had spent all her life underground, never seeing sunlight. Kerstin is in a coma due to multiple organ failure, and is likely to die.

Joseph is planning to plead insanity to escape jail.

Even other inmates in the jail hates him and threatens to kill, making Fritzl refuse to come out of his cell.

Joseph had forced Elisabeth to help him build the dungeon.

From 1984, when she was first incarcerated, until 1992, that’s a full 8 years, Elisabeth was in a single room underground. The dungeon was only expanded after she had given birth twice. When she then begged him for more room, he made her help him scrape out another room by hand.

Even awaiting trial, Joseph is obsessed with media coverage. He enjoys watching TV news and reading every newspaper story about himself.

Which father could be worse than this?

Source
Daily Telegraph (UK)

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Vernon Kedit Jolly, the manager of top local vocalist Ning Baizura mentioned in his blog that on 30th April 2008 they were on the same KL-Penang flight with the current Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng.

They first met during the check-in queue. Vernon and Ning were settling down in first class, couldn’t locate Lim there and when they looked beyond the curtain, saw him seated on the front row of economy class.

Hopefully he doesn’t take frugality too far as to wear disposable gloves…

Source

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