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.
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
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
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
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?
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.
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
…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.
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.
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
