No photoshop

5 March 2011 - I came across an interesting website (http://thechive.com/2011/03/03/celebrity-close-ups-sans-photoshop-26-photos/) with the pictures of 26 American celebrities without being photoshopped. The portraits are rather intense, often beautiful and always captivating. I do not know who all these "celebrities" are, but there are the amazing faces of Clint Eastwood, Helen Mirren and Cate Blanchett staring you in the eye. No photoshop does not mean no make-up, but these white screen gods suddenly become real people. You could almost meat them in the supermarket. Little is said about the vision of the website, but it's a great initiative. Great people, great picture, great site.

Guam

4 March 2011 - I have never been to Guam, but the name of the place has this magical ring to it. Yet, I seldomly hear of people visiting the place. I checked the Lonely Planet website, and it is explained that there are a few good reasons why Guam, a former Spanish colony and the biggest island in Micronesia, is so rarely visited. From North America or Europe, only a few airlines will take you to this US territory in the Pacific Ocean and almost every route has stops in either Honolulu, Tokyo or Seoul. And with round-trip tickets starting at $1,500, it is not exactly the cheapest place to get to either. But one will forget the long, expensive flight once set foot on the island, which is one third of the size of London and has year-round temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. One million Japanese tourists flock here every year for the predictable weather, white beaches and crystal-clear Pacific Ocean. They swarm the theme-park style hotel pools, beach-side wedding chapels and the luxury shopping malls that feel like an air-conditioned, less-crowded version of Fifth Avenue. These distractions make for a happy few days away from reality, or a honeymoon, but it might be missing the point. Guam is not just about tourists offerings. The real draws are the local food and culture.

Soumaya Museum

3 March 2011 - The Soumaya Museum has opened! Designed by LAR + Fernando Romero, the Soumaya Museum will house a diverse collection of international painting, sculpture, and object art from the 14th century to the present, including the world’s second largest collection of Rodin sculptures.  Conceived as a sculpture, the museum’s amorphous form will be a contemporary icon for Mexico City that is also a functional curatorial space. The Museum is funded by Mexican rich man Carlos Slim, who can rightfully claim the title of the world's richest man. The museum will also house his private art collection. .

Quote of the Day (29)

2 March 2011 - So, Oscar season is over, but let's not forget thsi quote before we turn the page:
David Seidler, 73, accepting best original screenplay for The King's Speech:

"My father always said to me I would be a late bloomer. I believe I'm the oldest person to win this award. I hope that record is broken quickly and often."

Business Cards

1 March 2011 - Industries may change and brand names may come and go, but at least one tradition in the business world has remained largely unchanged for hundreds of years. The exchange of cards between two people who are meeting for the first time is a ritual that goes back as far as business itself. For most of us, the handing over of contact details is an important moment - a clear signal that a connection has been made. But as our lives turn increasingly digital, technology is attempting to provide a range of futuristic alternatives to the old-fashioned card. Ever since the arrival of electronic communication, people have been exploring new ways to share information with each other- from swapping email addresses to trading mobile phone numbers and, increasingly, connecting through an online social network. A range of services have appeared to take advantage of this trend, including Bump Technologies, a two-year-old startup based in California's Silicon Valley. Its application, which users download to their phones, lets people trade contact details simply by tapping their handsets together. It is an approach that has a number of advantages over the traditional paper card, says Bump's Sadie Bascom - particularly since nobody goes anywhere without their mobile these days.
"It's easy, always on your phone, and you never have to remember to grab a stack of physical cards or worry about them running out."

One-dog Policy

28 Feb 2011 - Most people know of China's one-child policy, but now there is something new cooked up. China's leading metropolis Shanghai has adopted a one-dog policy, passing a law limiting homes to one dog each as it tries to curb the growing popularity of man's bast friend. The law takes effect on May 15, the China Daily reported earlier this week. Under the law, dog owners must give their pet's puppies to eligible no-dog households or to government approved adoption agencies before the pups reach three months. Anyone currently owning two or more licensed dogs will be allowed to keep them. Official estimates put the pet dog population in Shanghai at 800,000 although only a quarter of that number is registered.

Karaoke Hits

27 Feb 2011 - Some people think that Karaoke is merely an Asian activities. Not rue, and although I do not have any figures to proof it I like to share the Top Ten of Most Poplular Karaoke songs in British venues, as published by The Telegrap. Here we go go go:
1. Waterloo - ABBA
2. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
3. My Way - Frank Sinatra
4. I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
5. Dancing Queen - ABBA
6. Angels - Robbie Williams
7. Like A Virgin - Madonna
8. Its Raining Men - Weather Girls
9. Summer Nights -  Olivia Newton John and John Travolta

10. I Should Be So Lucky - Kylie Minogue

Robot Marathon

26 Feb 2011 - The world's first full length marathon for two-legged robots kicked off in Japan last week. The toy-sized humanoids are set to run the 42,195km over four days. The machines began the non-stop race on a 100m indoor track in the city of Osaka after doing knee bends or raising their hands to greet spectators. The race is a big hit with Osaka citizens who have flocked to the venue to watch the spectacle unfold. The bipedal robots - the tallest of which measures 44 cm - must complete 423 laps to reach their goal. The "Robo Mara Full" race is organized by Vstone Co, a robot technology firm based in Osaka, in cooperation with the Osaka prefectural Government. Vstone robots took an early lead, while the two entrants of the University of Osaka Engineering teams got off to a shaky start.

Crocs

25 Feb 2011 - I recently spotted a one meter long lizzard in the garden in Malaysia (downtown Kuala Lumpur!). But it could be worse. A woman in Brazil was shocked to find an alligator hiding behind her sofa after heavy rains flooded her house in the central town of Parauapebas, in Para state. She said she was alerted to the animal's presence by her son, who was patting the alligator's head. The woman snatched the child away and called the fire brigade, who trapped the 1.5m-long (5ft) reptile. The firefighters said the family was lucky the animal was not hungry. Firefighter Captain Luiz Claudio Farias said the alligator could have seriously hurt or even killed the boy. Mr Farias said it was not uncommon for animals such as alligators and snakes to enter people's houses in towns such as Parauapebas which are built very near rivers and the rainforest. He said the animal had been released in a less populated area of the town.

Online Games

24 Feb 2011 - Be careful with those online games ... A Chinese man has died after a three-day online gaming session in which he did not sleep and barely ate, reports say. The man reportedly lost consciousness at an internet cafe on the outskirts of the Chinese capital, Beijing. He was rushed to a clinic but could not be revived, the Beijing Times said. The 30-year-old man, who was not identified, was said to have spent more than 10,000 yuan ($1,500) on gaming in the month before his death. China has more than 450 million internet users, and online games - which can involve multiple users role-playing in a virtual world - are particularly popular with young men. Researchers say tens of millions of Chinese people - many of them teenagers - are addicted to internet gaming, despite curbs introduced by the authorities aimed at tackling the problem. Similar deaths have occurred in other nations. In 2005 a 28-year-old man died in South Korea after playing online games for 50 hours without a break.

OK

23 Feb 2011 - It crops up in our speech dozens of times every day, although it apparently means little. So how did the word "OK" conquer the world, asks Allan Metcalf on the BBC website (www.bbc.co.uk). "OK" is one of the most frequently used and recognised words in the world. It is also one of the oddest expressions ever invented. But this oddity may in large measure account for its popularity. It's odd-looking. It's a word that looks and sounds like an abbreviation, an acronym.We generally spell it OK - the spelling okay is relatively recent, and still relatively rare - and we pronounce it not "ock" but by sounding the names of the letters O and K.Visually, OK pairs the completely round O with the completely straight lines of K.
So both in speech and in writing OK stands out clearly, easily distinguished from other words, and yet it uses simple sounds that are familiar to a multitude of languages.Almost every language has an O vowel, a K consonant, and an A vowel. So OK is a very distinctive combination of very familiar elements. And that's one reason it's so successful. OK stands apart.

Maiden Names

22 Feb 2011 - A group of Japanese women filed a challenge in court last week to a 19th century law that compels almost all Japanese females to drop their maiden names and assume their husbands' surnames when they marry. The landmark case is eeen as a test case for the rights of women in Japan, who continue to fight against gender inequality, stereotypes and remain under-represented in corporate boardrooms. The Civil Code stipulates that married couples must share one surname, in practice almost always that of the husband. The plaintiffs, four women and the husband of one of them, argue that the Civil Code clause breaches the constitutional guarantee of equal rights for both spouses. We had a similar case in Holland some years ago, and it was decided that spouses could opt to live under their own name, or choose any of the two surnames for both of them and their children.

American Idol Again

21 Feb2010 - It's that time of year again: for the 10th year in a row it is American Idol season. I used to be addicted to the programme (see positing 21 April 2010), but thanks to Astro Malaysia I am not able to receive Star Channel, so miss out on this year's season. Last season was not that great, so probably I do not miss that much although it would be funny to see Steven Tyler replacing Simon Cowell. I read in the newspaper that this week 327 people went to Hollywood for that one and only shot at fame. They came out in lines of 10 and acapella was the initial way to go. Their pictures were arranged neatly in front of the judges' table for easy identification and elimination. So far nothing new and I wonder if I really miss much. The newspaper also reports that it seems that this years' teenagers are showing their seniors that singing with a big heart is better than throwing it all out with a powerful voice. Maybe they better understand that one Mariah Carey is enough? At the end of the week 168 people "survived". They were crying, dancing and hugging, and - for a moment - did not seem to care too much about the next round.

Thai Kissing

20 Feb 2011 - A Thai couple has sealed a new record for the longest kissing, after locking lips for 46 hours, 24 minutes. The Guinness World Records still have to verify the latest "kissathon" for it to become official.
Husband and wife team Ekkachai and Laksana Tiranarat were one of 14 couples taking part in a contest in Bangkok. The pair won a diamond ring worth 50,000 baht (£1,016) and a 100,000 baht (£2,032) cash prize.
The couple began smooching at 0600 local time on Sunday, and were announced the winners just before dawn on Tuesday. Contestants had to be either married or a serious couple, with a marriage certificate or letter from both parents required as proof. They were allowed to eat, drink and use the lavatory, provided they did not break their embrace. No sitting or sleeping was permitted; one woman fainted just half an hour into the competition. "We want to show that love is meaningful and powerful," said organiser Somporn Naksuetrong.

The Social Network

19 Feb 2011 - People with the most Facebook "friends" are more likely to feel stressed out by the site, according to researchers. Edinburgh Napier University found a significant minority of users suffered "considerable Facebook-related anxiety".However, they only received very modest rewards.
More than one in 10 said Facebook made them feel anxious and more than three in 10 said they felt guilty about rejecting friend requests.The study found that 12% of the students questioned said they disliked receiving friend requests, while almost two thirds (63%) said they delayed replying to friend requests.
The university's Dr Kathy Charles, who led the study, said: "The results threw up a number of paradoxes.

"For instance, although there is great pressure to be on Facebook there is also considerable ambivalence amongst users about its benefits."And we found it was actually those with the most contacts, those who had invested the most time in the site, who were the ones most likely to be stressed. Like gambling, Facebook keeps users in a neurotic limbo, not knowing whether they should hang on in there just in case they miss out on something good”

The Lost World

18 Feb 2011 - The Maliau Basin, a Forest reserve covering an area of 58,840ha in the southern interior of Sabah, Malaysia, is so named at it resembles a gigantic saucer-like basin with the rim ranging from 1,500m to 1,900m above the sea level. It is this unique feature, in addition to its isolation, that has made the basin impossible for human habitation and, therefore, unexplored. Initially, the Maliau Basin was part of Sabah Foundation's concession. It was turned into a conservation area in 1981 for research, education, training and eco-tourism purposes. In 1997 this conservation area was upgraded into a Forest reserve under the State Forest Enactment. It was gazetted a cultural heritage in 1999. The basin is reportedly packed with exotic animals, as they are the only ones to freely enter and leave. Jurassic Park?

The Fifteenth Day

17 Feb 2011 - Chinese New Year celebrations start on the first day on a new moon and end on the 15th day when the moon is full. In Malaysia, Chap Goh Meh is a celebration of both the final day of the Chinese New Year and the day of lovers, also known as "Chinese Valentine's Day". The Chinese New Year marks also the beginning of spring and the 15 days used to be a farmers only holiday, in part because it was also the coldest time of the year. The frozen ground was too hard to work. Whatever the practical reasons, these two weeks became a time for extended family gatherings, lots of food and festivities and carefully observed rituals designed to invite in the good luck and ward off the bad. But from tomorrow onwards we are back to normal.

Chilean Sex Dolls

16 Feb 2011 - Everybody recalls the moving story of the Chilean miners who were trapped for weeks under ground. As time passes, more and more details about their ordeal are becoming known. Human reserves alone were not alone to keep the 33 trapped miners' morale high. To make their ordeal more bearable as they were awaiting rescue, drugs were smuggled down to them in family letters, a new book claims. They also sought a further lift during the 69 days they spent 800m underground by asking for blow-up sex dolls. When this was refused because the doctor in charge feared having to share them would lead to tension and jealousy, the miners had to make do with pin-up posters instead. Nor did the presence of marijuana posted down the communications shaft to them promote camaraderie, the book claims. Miner Samuel Avalos noticed how some miners would sneak away, he suspected to smoke the drug. But he said they never offered to anyone. The book claims that the drugs created more tension than it relieved.

Naked Pics

15 Feb 2011 - I hope everybody enjoyed (or survived) their Valentine's Day, which seems increasingly becoming a commercial opportunity here in Asia. And all the restaurants were packed and flower shops were sold out, although it was announced in Malaysia that Muslims are not allowed to celebrate St. Valentine's special day  I read that many love-struck Asians have spiced up their work day at with saucy emails to whomever they are besotted with, according to an international poll conducted in Asia and Europe by Microsoft’s Windows Live Hotmail.  Research findings released by Microsoft suggests that many Asians feel comfortable expressing their love, flirting freely and even broaching problematic issues in their relationship via email.  In fact, they are less conservative about doing so than their counterparts in Europe. Who would have thought? Btw - I did not put it to the test, my Valentine was already as magnificent as it was.  

My Funny Valentine

14 Feb 2011 - "My Funny Valentine" is a sow tune from the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart musical Babes in Arms. After being recorded by Chet Baker, Frank Sinatra and Miles Davis, the song became a popular jazz standard, appearing on over 1300 albums performed by over 600 artists. Babes in Arms opened at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway on April 14, 1937 and ran for 289 performances. In the original play, a character named Billie Smith sings the song to Valentine "Val" LaMar ^.  In the song, Billie pokes fun at some of Valentine's characteristics, but ultimately affirms that he makes her smile and that she doesn't want him to change. The song first hit the charts in 1945, performed by Hal McIntyre with vocals by Ruth Gaylor. It only appeared for one week and hit #16.In a 2006 survey of people between 10 and 49 years of age in Japan, Oricon Style found My Funny Valentine to be the fifth most popular Valentine's Day song in Japan. The most popular song was Sayuri Kokusho's 1986 debut single Valentine Kiss, followed by Love Love Love from Dreams Come True, Valentine's Radio from Yumi Matsutoya, and Happy Happy Greeting from the Kinki Kids.