I am not quite a newspaper junkie, but it has to be said that i spend more time on newspaper portals compared to other websites.

As the intense headache which got me sleeping for 12 hours on new year's eve washes away, i read the health section of New Straits Times and found out some interesting information.

"Listening to your favourite music for at least 30 minutes a day can improve heart health and promote lower cholesterol levels."

But listening to "heavy and rap" music may cause the blood vessels to shrink by 6 %.

This is funny though. "Scientists have found that listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers and Madonna can improve endurance, while 18th century symphonies can improve mental focus."

Generally, listening to music encompasses all kinds of melodies, which also qualifies the recitation of Al-Quran in this category. Sometimes i think i want to study the notes of the recitation of Al-Quran, just to see the progression of its symphony. But sadly i can't read musical notes. What a downfall!

Great Islamic scholars themselves such as Al-Kindi and Al-Farabi studied musical theories. Al-Farabi even studied the therapeutic effects of music on the soul. So i guess the above news from NST is jurasically outdated.

And of course, those scholars didn't invent grunge or punk music. They scholarly experimented the scientific aspect of music.

Red Hot Chili Peppers..hmm...kinda funny to say the least. But after what they've gone through (near death drug overdosage) i could understand they have composed some songs which are soulful.

And Madonna is a grandma who needs to start realize those botox won't last forever.

Another medical information i found out was, "an extra hour of sleep a day reduces the risk of developing calcium deposits in arteries."

*yawning*

Need..To.Get..Some..Sleep...

May Maal Hijrah 1430/ New year 2009 bring more prosperity and happiness to you and me!
I read with irresistible disgust of the proposed bid from Sime Darby to purchase a 51 % stake of IJN, which is 99.99 % owned by the Ministry of Finance. Values are taken from the Star.

How much is life worth? Has humanity lost its head, with health care now a subject of economical source instead of what it really stands for?

Has the government gone nuts? Bidding the lives of Malaysians? What if another company comes in with a better offer, would they still consider Sime Darby's original bid?

First and foremost, privatisation was rapid during Dr. Mahathir's reign as Prime Minister. It lessens the burden of the government, in order to channel the money to finance other projects. And yes, there are positives and negatives of it all. Look at Telekom Malaysia, the provider of our beloved Streamyx. Telekom has become a little bit big headed in a sense that they know that they are the only broadband providers in Malaysia. And hence, their services are not well maintained, because the money keeps on flowing for them.

The plan to sell IJN was scrapped after intense pressure from the people, claiming that IJN is for the Rakyat. Sime Darby claims that they can improve the facilities there, and that the charges would remain the same, but there is no honesty-meter to prove that they're not fooling around with us. When the core purpose is money and the activity is business, it's hard to believe these knuckle heads at Sime Darby whatever they're feeding us through the mainstream media.

Maybe there's a political ploy, but i would leave that for conspiracy theorists.

We are all having a perception that if Sime Darby takes over, the prices would go double or triple. And they would ask us to pay for some unnecessary tests and procedures. The question now is, what is the current cost for treatment in IJN? Does it really serve the rakyat as it is purported to be?

Well, you could read what this guy had to say. For those lazy bums out there, i will try to explain it.

Mr. Joe Average (according to the letter) was referred by HKL to see a cardiologist at IJN. There, he was informed that he needed an angiogram (medical imaging method to visualize blood vessels) and the insertion of stent (a tube to be inserted in the lumen of a blood vessel). That would cost a whopping RM 20,000! He decided to ask for financial assistance, and he needed to submit a spectrum of documents before he was told that they could only pay half the original cost.

Bureucracy at its best.He needed another RM 10,000 from his own savings.

Luckily, he had a friend in University Malaya Medical Centre and he had the same treatment plus the cost for hospitalisation for around RM5,700 in UMMC.

Do they even highlight these stories in Buletin Utama?

See the difference? Who are IJN actually serving? The Rakyat? Or some old politicians, rich ministers, fat and slobby datuks, some bearded shaggy looking tan sri who actually should be getting their treatment at some other prestigious medical establishments?

These aristocrats. Rich yet stingy.

From a personal aspect, i don't have plans to work for a private medical hospital/clinic later on. The pull of money is there, that gravitational ringgit urge, but i just don't think i belong there. But then again, who knows? Maybe i might end up being a greedy handsome looking doctor 10 years from now.

With money, it is not about how much you get. It is about the utilisation, what do you spend your money on. Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary, the richest bumiputera in Malaysia spent half of his earnings for the poor when his salary was merely RM1500 when he started working.

Look where he is now? A billionaire. And he established his own foundation which is located very near to my house in Alor Star.

That's a bit off the topic. Haha.

We are all potential patients of IJN. You and me, he and she. So now please go exercise, stop smoking, stop taking excessive fatty foods.

Preferrably, go play football and support Liverpool FC. That's good for your heart.

Before the year ends, i would like to pay homage to the school which had given me so much.

For all the great memories i had and great friendships i forged.

For the 3 years of pure testosterone influenced behavior.

For the green field where we played football.

The teachers, who were very influential.

The Land Scout movement, the bad ass movement in our school.

For the nice neck tie which i still bring everywhere i go.

For those times wasted skipping class for the sake of marching.

For the great seniors who taught me about music, who later influenced the underground music scene in Malaysia.

Thanks for the memories.


More than just a club


20 Dani Alves (<4 Sergio Ramos damn best right back ever)


The La Liga patch on the right sleeve


The unicef logo means that this jersey is suitable for your mom too!

I am not much of an entrepreneur but this is for the sake of being roommates.

My roommate Encik Fairuz Rahmat has mistakenly bought this clownish looking FC Barcelona 07/08 away jersey with 20 DANI ALVES on the back from kitbag.com. He has decided to sell this jersey in order to finance the purchase of the same clownish looking jersey but with 14 CRUYFF on the back, which would make the jersey look less clownish.

The colour tone of this jersey is kinda similar to the Volgo team jersey for the upcoming Volgames 2009. Want to look a wee bit different? What are you waiting for then. There's only one in stock and it could be yours! Ideal for all Volgogradians to wear during the games.

Price : 2200 russian roubles (negotiable) - quite cheap actually, you could google the price of such jersey and try to compare the price.
Size : M

Interested? Stalk me or Fairuz himself at Room 92, Hiroshima hostel.

And please do bring some food for us. We're hungry.

Pictures taken using Canon IXUS 80. By the way, this blog is not sponsored by Unicef or Canon or even Nike.

And of course FC Barcelona < Real Madrid.

panoramic view of the beloved laptop


Chewbacca : I'm not curvy anymore


Master : You're just as sexy as ever before


The piece of paper which holds the charger jack so that the flow of electricity is not disrupted

Well, my maal hijrah resolution is to post more pics on my blog because my roommate bought himself a new Canon IXUS 80. Now i can go cam whoring whenever i like.

Of course i try not to post pics of my facial appearance as the exposure of pure handsomeness might trigger a cyberspace war.

By the way, i am just too lazy to edit those pics. I need a good software. Got any suggestions?

Sayonara.
Dear Chewbacca,

Now that you're immobilized and going to die, you finally have a name! Well, you're not as fuzzy as Chewbacca, but you can't quite talk human and so does he.

We've been through a lot, Chewy. I wanted to call you Lappy Toppy but that sounds too gay and so uncool. Now you sit soundly on top of the Puma box. Biding your timing. You can't be moved here and there. You're just waiting for your time to go away.

If you're human, then there must be a lot of wires and tubes, needles and IV systems to save you. The defibrillator stands by your bed. The oxygen tank is full. Resuscitation measures. Most probably, you would be in an intensive care unit.

Your circuits are now cancerous. Your hard drives are hemorrhaging. Some keys on the keyboard are stuck, as if there are kidney stones underneath it all.

In other words, your keyboard is calcified.

Keyboardolithiasised.

Don't mention the viruses which infected you! This bogus Russian doctor who goes by the name of Kaspersky isn't helping me much. The trojan horses, the worms, malwares and adwares have gone pass their incubation period and by now, you might be the source of infection somewhere else. Maybe you're causing a cyberspace epidemy.

Well, i didn't pay legally for the doctor's services. Sorry..

You've got scars everywhere. Your RAM might be inflamed inside out.

Chewy, this is not how i imagined it to be.

You were THE bomb. The best package when you came out of the factory.

Your edges were curvier than Angelina Jolie's. Now it has become crooked down to my recklessness. I dropped you off my bed. Bad landing.

The sticker on the top of the screen says ,' 30% more screen information, 15.4" HI-DEF WIDESCREEN, 18% larger picture when viewing widescreen movies.'

Thanks. You made the experience of watching Jessica Biel on this screen 18 % larger, and probably 18 % more real. Or is it 30%?

You were more seductive than Miss Universe. We spent those nights together, just you and me in the dark starry silent nights, illuminated by the far reaching moonlight.

The e-mails. The posts on my blogs. Just by being with you, inspiration comes pouring down. And of course, the secrets that we shared.

How i wish they would last forever.

Maybe i will opt for a macBook. Maybe a Hewlett Packard. But for now you have earned my respect. I will still be touching your skin smooth oily surface of the mousepad, i will still be typing using the calcified keyboard of yours, and i will still be relying on your atherosclerosed and cancerous circuits to supply electricity. Til the day you die..

Chewy, i never really told you this..

But..i....

Well, it is better to keep these feelings to myself.

To quote from the famous Russian Novel, Dr. Zhivago :

"For a moment she rediscovered the purpose of her life. She was here on earth to grasp the meaning of its wild enchantment and to call each thing by its right name."

You're not quite a wild enchantment. You're a brainchild of some geeks who had the intentions to change the world.

By right, i need to be calling you by your right name.

Mr. Presario X1000, as it is inscribed here, thank you very much. For everything.

Yours truly. Afiq Fikri Azmi.

PS : No gayish intentions. Supposed to take pictures of my laptop, which isn't really in a bad condition (hehe) but my friend is out, and he took his camera with him. I will put them up later.
Now, please redefine a long hiatus.

The garage is yet to be decorated with cobwebs. And the items are yet to be dusty.

Now, please redefine 'addicted to blogging'.

My blood is rich with the 'crapping antigen'. Now i just want to crap. Like i used to. Albeit, i am not really good at it.

Now, please check this space.

My brain is rusty at the moment. Fungus all around the edges. Bad shape. Bad condition.

Now, take a deep breath.

And enjoy.

By the way, i am reverting back to English due to some vulgar subliminal intentions people thought i had when i blogged in Malay.
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