Long ago, wise men said:

Confucius said:-   By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.           

 
Lao Tzu said:-  Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
 
Sun-Zi Art of war
Move not unless you see an advantage;
use not your troops unless there is something to be gained;
fight not unless the position is critical.
No ruler should put troops into the field
merely to gratify his own spleen;
no general should fight a battle simply out of pique.
Anger may in time change to gladness;
vexation may be succeeded by content.
But a kingdom that has once been destroyed
can never come again into being;
nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.
Hence the enlightened ruler is heedful,
and the good general full of caution.
This is the way to keep a country at peace and an army intact.
 
Duke of Zhou (Zhou gong) advice
Do not cherish anger against the obstinate, and dislike them.
Seek not every quality in one individual.
You must have patience, and you will be successful;
have forbearance, and your virtue will be great.
Mark those who discharge their duties well,
and also mark those who do not do so.
Advance the good, to induce those who may not be so to follow.

Whitney Houston is dead at 48 years old!

Died on Saturday - 11 February 2012, at 4th floor, Room 434, Beverly Hilton Hotel, Los Angeles.

Found dead "drowned" in the bathtub. 

Rumoured to be on the brink of bankcruptcy.  Someone super talented, so famous, so rich to end up this way.

Binged on cocaine, alcohol and pills in her final days: Read Daily Mail

Read: Daily Mail, UK

Another True American Sad Story.....

Whitney performing with her then-husband Bobbi Brown. They married in 1992, divorced in 2007.  Their marriage was turbulent, with reports of drugs addiction, jealousy, violence, physical abuse and bisexuality.  He was also unfaithful and promiscous. He already had 3 other children when he married her. The end of her career and self-destruction started right after her marriage. Whitney said he was her drug and she never did anything without him.  They bought cocaine by the kilos and did drugs daily.  Sounds like he turned her into a drug addict to control her and she being emotionally weak was easy to bully.  O dear....a sweet god-loving girl who grew up in church....she was not "streetsmart"...and chose the wrong man to love. Very sad.

Read transcript of Whitney's interview with Oprah in Sept 14, 2009

Truthquake.com: A Bisexual open marriage? 

 Whitney's schoolmate/close friend/personal assistant/flatmate - Robyn Crawford. 

Whitney was 16 when she got to know Robyn who played basketball.  Robyn protected Whitney from school bullies and was like the elder sister she never had. 

Rumoured to be in an unusually close (lesbian?) relationship.  Robyn slapped Whitney at the Jan 27, 1991 Super Bowl (after Whitney came back from going off with MC Hammer).  Whitney's mother Cissy then punched Robyn. Cissy then told Whitney to break friendship with Robyn. 

In July 18, 1992 Whitney married ghetto bad boy Bobby after a courtship of 3 years, and Whitney gave a Mercedes car to Robyn as a parting gift.

Read

Another friend of Whitney - "Top Gun" actress Kelly McGillis

Whitney and her  daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown  arriving at the pre-Grammy gala previous year on 11 Feb 2011.  When Bobbi was 17, she was photographed snorting cocaine and drinking alcohol. Both mother and daughter - addicted to drugs, alcohol....road to self-destruction! Kristina was born March 4, 1993.  When she was 15 she tried to stab her mother and then slashed her own wrists with a razor blade. She was sent to a psychiatric hospital and to rehab.

Kristina snorting cocaine (photo by ex-bf.)  Whitney gave her daughter $1000 a week pocket money. Read Truthquake news: ex-bf tells all

Whitney and her cousin Dionne Warwick, and daughter Bobbi exactly a year ago..

(Dionne is a gay rights activist)

R.I.P.  1963-2012. 
Legends dont grow old, they all die before their time. Her tormented soul can now have peace.

1985 (22 years old) - when she released her 1st album.  Young vulnerable obedient girl.

1990 (27 years old) - beautifully single and glamorous

1992 July 18 - Marriage to the man who emotionally abused and destroyed her!  When Whitney was in hospital to give birth (by caesarean), her husband arrived stinking drunk. She should have found the strength then and taken positive steps to divorce him before he corrupted her with drugs to control her. Her father blamed Bobby for ruining Whitney and Whitney became estranged from her father for years that even when her father died, she did not attend his funeral.

(Cissy had sang back-up for Elvis Presley)

Daily mail UK: Smoked Havana cigars laced with cocaine, threesome:  click

Smoked crack in limousine with daughter sitting beside her: Click

2007 - the year she divorced

2 days before she died

2 days before she died, leaving a niteclub after a party.  See more pics here: Zimbio

2012 February 11 - Dead. Her corpse being removed from the hotel room.

Sad death of a superstar......

To see image of bathtub she died in:-  Click (The Sun UK)

Off to the afterworld in a shiny gold and silver coffin to the tune of her song "I will always love you".

Jordin  and Whitney - filmed the movie "Sparkle" - to be released in August 2012.

"My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity." (Proverbs 1:1-2 NIV)

Wisdom and discernment is very important to resolve our problems in life. Pray for it!

Was reading the Daily Mail, UK and cant help feeling that England has a lot of people with mental health issues.....a deteriorating society in a first world country!  Child abusers, killers, criminals etc.etc.

1)  True Sad story from England
Click to read  - 37 year old  mother murdered her 8 month old baby son and left the body in the cot for 8 months until it partially mummified!  She lived in this filthy flat! 

the rubbish strewn cot.

the baby's room

decaying and mouldy milk bottles

living room table

couch

the mother a former heroin addict,  was judged guilty and gonna spend 15 years in jail.

2)  One month old baby boy battered and raped.
Click to read   

the baby was warded in intensive care at this London King's College Hospital and survived the brutal attack.  His parents were suspected, was questioned but released on bail..

Really sad that there are a lot of criminals and psychos in the world.   Watch out for these "evil hearted restless wanderer on the earth"!


"When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."   (Genesis 4:12 NIV)

Transgenders! What possessed them to change their sex.  Find it hard to accept this sort of thing.

Warren Beatty's sweet daughter (Kathlyn) became a boy (Stephan). 

Warren Beatty's family photo.

Cher's daughter Chastity Bono before becoming a man.

Now she is a man named Chaz Bono.

Read: http://www.bellenews.com/2011/09/20/entertainment/chaz-bono-stripped-off-to-reveal-his-naked-torso-at-dwts/

Tracy, a former finalist in Miss Hawaii Teen beauty contest.  She became a transgender male and legally changed name to Thomas Beatie. He later became known as the world's first "pregnant man". 

His female partner was infertile, so he decided to be the one to bear children since he still had his womb.  Sperm by a donor.  The pregnant man bore 3 children.

If you wanted a son but got a daughter, dont complain.
If you wanted a daughter but got a son, dont complain.
Just be thankful for whatever you created, and pray your children will grow up normal.

MI4 - GSC Maxx Cinema - Berjaya Times Square

Digital 2D - MI4 Ghost Protocol movie at GSC Maxx Cinema Berjaya Times Square - Good!

I watched the 2D movie Mission Impossible  -  Ghost Protocol last night.  Never had watching a movie been so exciting for me that made my old heart jump and beat so much faster.  Old me let out a lot of "oohs and "aahhs" at the fast paced action, especially the climbing/swinging scene of Tom Cruise at The Burj Khalifa Tower.  Gave me vertigo!  

This sensational exciting experience was possible only by watching it in Maxx  Cinema, with its wide big celluloid screen and terrific  sound  systems.  It was like what we used to say many years ago in the 1980's a "sense-surround"  feeling.  I grew up in the 1960's watching movies in big screen stand-alone cinemas of Shaw Brothers and Cathay Organisation  that seats from 1000 to 1500 people.  All these old cinemas have closed down and the new cineplexes in shopping malls took over.  The Maxx cinema experience should be the only way to watch movies as it  captures the viewer's imagination making them feel like they are part of the action in  the movie. 

The Burj Khalifa Skyscraper, Dubai.

.  Go see a movie in Maxx and you'll know the difference. 

Lobby of GSC Maxx cinema halls

Clowning around...Jedi wannabe. Coming soon in 3D.

Inside the Maxx Hall -  555 seats. (didnt took a good shot)

The celluloid screen (is it still called celluloid I wonder...)

View of the Indoor Theme Park from the 10th floor cinema lobby

 I sat here at the Rest area (near the cinema) to rest. It has a close view of the roller coaster tracks.

I sat and waited, hoping to catch a close view of people screaming on the roller coaster as it climbs up, but at 8.45pm the ride was empty - no passengers riding, and it looked more like a "ghost ride".

Old Shaw Brothers' B B Park

While Berjaya Times Square has taken over as the new amusement center with its thrilling indoor theme park, let us not forget the well loved old amusement center - the old Shaw Brothers' B B Park.  It was demolished in the early 1970's to make way for Sungei Wang and Bukit Bintang Plaza which opened in 1977.  The Bukit Bintang Plaza's main entrance is located in this spot now.

B B Park - my childhood haunt. This is the main entrance on Bukit Bintang Road but we used to enter BBPark through its back gate (from Imbi Road).

Mr. Cheong Yoke Choy's old mansion's bomb shelter

Going back to Times Square brings back childhood memories.  I was born and grew up near Times Square.  The site of Times Square used to be Cheong Yoke Choy's old mansion, a well known rich chinese man in the early 1900's.  His mansion's front entrance faces Pudu Road (Pudu Jail).   In the 1960's when I was a kid, we and some neighbours sneaked into his vast compound one afternoon through an opening at the back perimeter fencing, through his small rambutan orchard, to do some exploring.  We wanted to see for ourselves the much talked about bomb shelter in his backyard, for hiding from Japanese bombings when Japan invaded Malaya.  The rich chinaman's  mansion and the bomb shelter was an enigma to us nosy inquisitive kampung kids.  Satisfy our curiosity we did! 

After walking through the rambutan trees and bitten by lots of mosquitoes, we found the bomb shelter built in an open field which is a distance behind the mansion.  I saw a small entrance (sort of looked like a small cave to me, maybe about 6 or 7 feet high and 7 or 8 feet width) but it was stinking with urine and I just hung around near the entrance because I was afraid to walk inside. The bomb shelter's entrance faces the direction of the old mansion (which is the direction of Pudu Jail).  If I remembered correctly, the shelter had 2 openings for entry or exit, and its sort of U-shaped. The sloping tunnel dugged into the ground leading deeper into the shelter was bricked up.  If you are looking down from above the air, all you see is a field of green grass with a higher mound in the middle. 

With Times Square built on it, the location of Cheong Yoke Choy's  old mansion's  bomb shelter would roughly be in this location of Times Square's main entrance and lobby.  So each time I walk into this entrance, childhood memories of that afternoon of trespassing brings a smile to my face.

View of Imbi Road from Times Square looking towards the direction of Sungei Wang Plaza

Opposite of Times Square is Sungei Wang, and KL's Golden Triangle.  This premier tourist district of Imbi Road, Bukit Bintang, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Alor used to be a settlement for the early Chinese immigrants/labourers who arrived from China  in the early 19th century.  All these early Chinese pioneers (whom we call chinaman in the old days) contributed to the growth and development of Kuala Lumpur leading to its prosperity today.  If you are of Chinese descent,  and if you are in this tourist district, take some time to ponder Kuala Lumpur's history....how these chinamen built up the chinese community and where we are heading to.

Whether you are a Generation X or Y or Z....dont forget your roots!

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you."   (Exodus 20:12 NIV)

Istana Negara Malaysia - The New Royal Palace of Malaysia in Jalan Duta.
Finally a new palace to replace the old spooky palace.

On 15 Nov 2011 at 10.25am, the King's private flag was raised in the New Palace for the first time.

Went to have a look at our brand new National Palace out of curiosity. The Palace building is situated on top of a gentle hillslope with a commanding view of the KL skyline.  Visible in the distance is the Twin Towers and KL Tower.  The landscaping and gentle hilllocks on the left and right side of the Palace looks in tune with chinese "feng shui" - representing the Dragon and Tiger.  Another small hillock in front representing  the Turtle with a water feature - a small pond.

There are not many tourists and the place looked deserted.  Workers are seen working on  the landscaping.  The King (our Agong) has not moved in yet, but will the King really reside/live in this new Palace?  All the previous Agongs did not reside in the Old Palace except the First Agong.  Why? Some say its spooky and haunted.

After Malaysia achieved its independence on 31 August 1957, the first appointed Agong moved into that (old) Palace in Jalan Istana near Jalan Syed Putra. Two and a half years later, on 1st April 1960, he died in his sleep in that Palace.  His teak coffin  and lying in state took place in the Banquet Hall.  

Some facts about this old palace:  This double-storey mansion was built in 1928 by Chan Wing, a Chinese immigrant from Canton who made his millions through tin mining.  I heard stories from my ancestors that the "feng shui" of the mansion was not auspicious and the location in geomancy terms was on a "white tiger", therefore occupants of this mansion would not enjoy longevity.  (This would make an interesting urban legend. Are geomancy and feng shui for real?)

Chan Wing fled to India with his numerous wives and family during the Japanese occupation and the Japanese army took over the mansion.  After the war, it was sold, changed ownerships a couple of times.  The Sultan of Selangor was using it as his palace when it was taken over hastily by the new government to be used as a royal palace for the soon-to-be first Agong (from Negri Sembilan), when the country obtained independence from the British in 1957.

The next (second) Agong, the Sultan of Selangor,  died from a mysterious unidentified illness on the day appointed for his official installation as Agong on 1st Sept 1960.  He died at the guest palace in Istana Tetamu (Near Carcosa) in Taman Tasik Seri Perdana where he was staying while waiting to be installed as Agong.  Istana Tetamu was previously owned by the British goverment.  It was opened in 1913 and named Governor's House, then named King's House to house the British King.  Later renamed to Istana Tetamu after the Malaysian government took over the mansion.

The second Agong didnt get installed officially, died 5 months after the first Agong.  The first Agong didnt complete his term of Kingship of 5 years.  He died in his sleep inside the old palace...probably his dead soul is still reigning there.
Since then all the other Agongs reside at their own private residences in Kuala Lumpur.  The Palace was used for ceremonial purposes only.

The Old Palace

The Old Palace main gate

The Old Palace Guards and Horse

New Palace under construction. Location - Jalan Duta.

See the wet floor underneath this horse.  I think this horse shitted and the floor had to be washed.  There was a stench of dung in the air.  (The other horse's floor was dry).

The hillock in the background looks artificially created (representing turtle).

Old Palace = 11.34 hectares.  New Palace = 96.52 hectares

Cost = RM800 million or a few billion ringgit?

Total number of domes = 22

Highest dome = 40m (as tall as 10 storeys)

The 14th Agong (Kedah's Sultan) will be installed here on 13 Dec 2011.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The new palace has more privacy, surrounded by a fringe of natural forest.  It will be difficult for people who intends to march and present any political petition to the King like before.  If all the access roads (all flyovers) leading to the new palace are closed and blocked off,  no one can go near the Palace.

Must see pictures of the interior of the new palace - very grand, luxurious, majestic! Wow! All the Agongs will definitely want to move in and live, eat, sleep, play...and forever be Agong. Click

One of the picture is this bedroom....which i likeeee.

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." - James 1:27 (KJV)

Update : 13 Dec 2011 (Tuesday)
Our 14th King was installed this morning.  The oath taking and signing  ceremony was shown live on TV.   Presenting our new King (84 years old) and Queen from Kedah State, who will reign for 5 years beginning today.  (The King is merely a figurehead and does not rule the country.  Power is in the hands of the Prime Minister and an elected government.)

List of Agongs (Kings) since Independence Day in 1957

1. YANG DI-PERTUAN BESAR OF NEGRI SEMBILAN (Born 24.8.1895 - Died 1.4.60)
Tuanku Abdul Rahman Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad. He was installed as the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Sept 2, 1957 (at the age of 62), but died while in office on April 1, 1960.
Tenure: Aug 3, 1957 - April 1, 1960.

2. SULTAN OF SELANGOR (Born 13.5.1898 - Died 1.9.60)
Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah Al-Haj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ala’iddin Sulaiman Shah. He died on Sept 1, 1960, just hours before his installation as the second Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Tenure: He had been performing the duties of Yang di-Pertuan Agong since April 4, 1960 (62 years old), following the death of Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

3. RAJA OF PERLIS (Born 25.11.1920 - Died 16.4.2000)
Tuanku Syed Putra Ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail. He was installed as the third Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Jan 4, 1961, at the age of 40, making him the youngest ruler to have been elected to the post.
Tenure: Sept 21, 1960 - Sept 20, 1965.

4. SULTAN OF TERENGGANU (Born 24.1.1907 - Died 20.9.79)
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Zainal Abidin. He was installed as the fourth Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Sept 21, 1965, at the age of 58.
Tenure: Sept 21, 1965 - Sept 20, 1970.

5. SULTAN OF KEDAH (Born 28.11.27)
Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah. Installed as the fifth Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Feb 20, 1971, at the age of 44.
Tenure: Jan 21, 1970 - Sept 20, 1975.

6. SULTAN OF KELANTAN (Born 10.12.17 - Died 1979)
Sultan Yahya Petra Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim. He was installed as the sixth Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Feb 28, 1976, at the age of 59, but died while in office on March 29, 1979.
Tenure: Sept 21, 1975 - March 29, 1979.

7. SULTAN OF PAHANG (Born 24.10.30)
Sultan Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’adzam Shah. He was installed as the seventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong on July 10, 1980, at the age of 50.
Tenure: April 26, 1979 - April 25, 1984.

8. SULTAN OF JOHOR (Born 8.4.32 - Died 22.1.2010)
Sultan Mahmood Iskandar Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail. He was installed as the eighth Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Nov 15, 1984, at the age of 57.
Tenure: April 15, 1984 - April 25, 1989.

9. SULTAN OF PERAK (Born 19.4.28)
Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Yussuff Izzuddin Ghafarullahulahu Shah. He was installed as the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Sept 18, 1989, at the age of 61.
Tenure: April 26, 1989 - April 25, 1994.

10. YANG DI-PERTUAN BESAR OF NEGERI SEMBILAN (Born 19.7.22 - Died 27.12.2008))
Tuanku Ja’afar Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman. He was installed as the 10th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Sept 22, 1994, at the age of 72.
Tenure: April 16, 1994 - April 25, 1999.


11. SULTAN OF SELANGOR (Born 8.3.26 - Died 21.11.2001)
Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Hishamuddin Alam Shah. He was installed as the 11th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Sept 23, 1999, at the age of 73, but died while in office on Nov 21, 2001.
Tenure: April 26, 1999 - Nov 21, 2001.

12. RAJA OF PERLIS (Born 17.5.43)
Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail. He was installed as the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on April 25, 2002, at the age of 59.
Tenure: Dec 13, 2001 - Dec 13, 2006.

13. SULTAN OF TERENGGANU (Born 22.1.62)
Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni Almarhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah. He was installed as the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on April 26, 2007, at the age of 45.
Tenure: Dec 13, 2006 - Dec 12, 2011.

14. SULTAN OF KEDAH (Born 28.11.27) His second time as Agong. (formerly 5th Agong).
Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah. He was elected the 14th Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the Meeting of the Conference of Rulers on Oct 13, 2011.
His tenure started today Dec 13, 2011.
He is 84 years old now.  By the time he finishes his term he will be 89 years old.  Hope he does not die while in office.  Or maybe they like to die while they are King - grand burial.  Whatever...wait and see.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some trivia:  The Agongs are elected by the Conference of Rulers which consists of all the Sultans.
The current Sultan of Johor is of mixed parentage (malay and caucasian).
The current Sultan of Selangor is divorced.  His father died while in office as Agong, his grandfather died on his installation day as Agong.  So is he fearful of being jinxed?  His male heir from his second marriage is of mixed parentage too (malay and caucasian).  His two daughters from his first marriage are mixed-race too = (3/4 malay 1/4 chinese).  His ex-wife's mother from his 1st marriage was chinese.