Sesaat Kau Datang

I'm sure many of you have listened to the latest single by Ramlah Ram titled Sesaat Kau Datang.

The song which featuring a hip hop duo from SingaPURA, will be competing in the TV3's weekly show, Muzik Muzik.

Don't forget to cast your vote if you like the song. It's sooo catchy, kan!?!

Below are two video for your listening pleasure. Yang pertama adalah rakaman untuk pencalonan baru Muzik Muzik 27, sementara yang kedua adalah rakaman di studio.

Agent Banking? Apa Tu?

Some of you might have noticed the advert below by Bank Simpanan Nasional.

This is another initiative to ensure more Malaysians have access to basic financial services. Due to geographical and logistic issues, financial institutions are facing difficulty to establish physical presence in each corners of Malaysia. Now, with agent banking framework, financial institutions are allowed to appoint qualified agents to conduct basic financial services with unserved customers on behalf of the financial institution.

A guidelines will be issued by BNM to ensure this initiative will be implemented safely, efficiently and effectively and more importantly will safeguard the interest of consumers.

BSN has just started theirs and the Government has set a target of 5,000 agents nationwide. But I'm not sure whether the target is for BSN or for the financial sector.

I've read somewhere that some people in Sarawak had to spend two to three days to the nearest town in order to perform banking transactions.

I believe this effort, coupled with existing physical branch, internet banking and mobile banking would facilitate the aspiration of financial inclusion.

Bila Wafri Meniarap

Today is not his first but it's the first i saw him meniarap. By the way, is meniarap in English?

Aku pulang ke kampung untuk beberapa urusan.

Pertamanya, untuk membawa Mak dan Abah ke klinik bagi mendapatkan suntikan meningitis.

Keduanya untuk memungut dokumen-dokumen yang diperlukan untuk urusan umrah Mak, Abah dan Mak Lang.

Ketiganya, untuk majlis kenduri arwah buat arwah Pak Itam. Sepatutnya nak buat di Sungai Petai, tetapi disebabkan seperkara dua yang tidak dapat dielakkan majlis tersebut, berserta upacara naik nesan terpaksa ditunda. Akan tetapi adik beradik aku telah memujuk Mak agar meneruskan juga memandangkan ramai sanak saudara yang telah pun pohon cuti. Majlis diteruskan cuma berbeza lokasi.

All and all, my prime motive is to be with my beloved family and of course to play with my nephew and niece.

For the time being, I only managed to snap Wafri's picture because Batrisya id at her paternal grandparents. She will only be coming tomorrow because both of her parents are working today.

Lata Berkoh

A brief stop before jungle trekking to Lata Berkoh. Our guide advised us to come again in July or August, for maximum adventure because the tide is lower then.

Lata Berkoh is not the place for swimming dummies like me. Anyhow, the view of its surrounding is picturesque! It could be considered as eye therapy too, staring at the beautiful creations by the Almighty.

And of course the boat ride was awesome. Worth doing it again and again. I wish I had a video camera, but my iPhone4 did not do justice to its beauty.

On the way back, we stopped for an hour at Kelah Fish Santuary for feeding the fish and of course, to swim the fish too. I personally think they should ban the fish feeding activity because it will affect the habitual of the fish and to some extent, affect their surviving skill. Anyhow, the guide claimed that the feed is organic-based and not harmful to the fish. (Hmmm... betul ke?)

But again, my opinion on this was not well-received by my dearest friends.

Sent from my iPhone

Taman Negara

[Note: I was told by my guide that during the recent flood, the water rose until it covered the "National Park"wording of the signboard!]

At last, my friends and I decided to be close to nature during Chinese New Year holiday, instead of a foreign country. And we travelled there in two cars, instead of taking the 3-hour boat ride.

We stayed at Rainforest Resort, which is about 1.5km from the entry point jetty.

The Q as at 4.27pm

Trauma Wardina

Trauma! Mereka merompak "perasaan selamat" saya.

Selimut saya terbuka! Dibuka! YA Allah seorang lelaki bertopeng menyuruh saya diam “SHHHHHH” katanya. “Barang kemas mana?” “Barang kemas mana?” katanya. Tersedar saya, ini bukan mimpi lagi, rumah saya dimasuki pencuri! Saya cuba tenangkan hati, dan menyorok muka juga tubuh saya. Jawab saya dengan yakin “Saya tak pakai barang kemas, saya tak ada barang kemas” Yang ada pada saya cuma cincin arwah tinggalan nenek saya. Dengan berat hati saya membukanya, “Ini saja yang saya ada, cincin nenek saya, nah ambil” balas saya. “Saya memang tak suka barang kemas, tak pakai barang kemas” kata saya lagi, cuba meyakinkan manusia ini bahawa rumah ini memang tiada apa yang dicari.

Seribu satu perasaan dan sejuta lagi penyataan memecut laju didalam minda. Kenapa? Bagaimana? Apa akan terjadi? Mana anak-anak saya? Siapa mereka? Mahu apa? Adakah saya akan diapa-apakan?

Cincin belah rotan dengan tiga butir berlian kecil, mungkin tiada nilai yang tinggi. Namun itulah peringatan asal usul dan ‘memori’ jati diri ini. Separuh dari diri saya. Tidak tinggi dengan nilai harga,tetapi tinggi dengan nilai jiwa. Cincin arwah Dorris Irene Wilmot yang dipakai ketika perkahwinannya dulu. Dari Scotland ke England kemudian bersama cincin itu juga dia berlayar bersama Leslie James Morgan Wlmot, grandpa saya, ke Australia tatkala perang dunia ke-2. Saya sebenarnya mahu memberinya kepada Amna satu hari nanti ,tapi apakan daya. Memori dan nilai sentimental cincin itu amat tinggi sekali. Tidak apa, kerana memori di dalam diri tidak mungkin dapat mereka curi.

Namun sebagaimana memori indah itu akan kekal dengan izinNya, memori ngeri ini juga akan terus tersemat dalam diri. Seperti pita video buruk yang rosak, gambaran kejadian berputar dan berputar kembali dalam ingatan saya. Adakalanya bulu roma saya naik kembali, tangan dan tubuh bergetar dengan sendiri. Wajah mereka kini sering mengganggu dan menghantui saya. Saya pasti, ianya mengambil masa untuk di’lupa’kan. Bukan lupa sepenuhnya, namun lupakan ketakutan dan mencari kekuatan kembali. Takut, resah, gelisah dan beribu perasaan lain, bercampur seperti dicampurnya rencah di dalam kuali. Namun akhirnya gulai itu sungguh enak sekali. Akhirnya, saya mengucap syukur Alhamdulillah. Allah mahu membersihkan kami. Musibah demi musibah , membuatkan diri lebih dekat dengan Ilahi, “Syukur Ya Allah” “Alhamdulillah” dan “Innalillah” bermain di bibir sejak pagi tadi.

Saya terfikir, siapakah dia insan ini, sehingga sanggup buat begini? Mencuri demi wang ringgit semata. Ketika dipukul Ikhwan di kaki dan kepala, mereka berkata, “saya tak kacau orang, saya tak kacau orang” dalam loghat Indonesianya. Ikhwan memberi amaran keapda mereka “Jangan sentuh isteri saya”, “jangan kacau anak saya”. Ikhwan dikejutkan ketika sedang menemani Imran yang demam, di kamar birunya. Diikat tangan suami tercinta. Setelah Ikhwan menjerit, mengharapkan ada yang mendengar, saya kemudian tergamam ketika perompak itu berkata “Sini, sini” cuba membuka selimut saya.

Saya berjanji pada diri ,sekiranya orang ini cuba mengapakan saya, saya akan bermatian sehingga nafas terakhir, mempertahankan maruah saya. Saya juga wanita Aceh, darah pejuang mengalir di dalam badan saya. Rupanya Eka saudara saya dari Aceh yang kini membantu saya ditarik dari kamarnya dibawah keatas dan disuruh bersama saya didalam selimut. Saya memeluknya.

Anak-anak saya? Di mana mereka? Saya tertanya-tanya. Saya berikan dan letakkan keselamatan diri mereka kepada Allah sepenuhnya. Saya yakin mereka selamat. Doa saya setiap lepas solat adalah supaya Allah memelihara mereka, kerana mereka bukan kepunyaan saya, mereka ilik Allah. Saya yakin pasti ada diantara doa saya didengari. Saya pasti! Saya yakin! Tidak lama kemudian terdengar tangisan Imran.

“Imran” jerit saya, tanpa membuka cadar. Ikhwan masuk bersama Imran ke kamar saya. Saya pegang badan panas Imran, dan Imran terus teresak-esak dalam pelukan saya. “Naughty man, Ummi” kata Imran pada saya. “Dia hit ayah Imran” katanya. “Imran tak de sword, Imran” katanya. Allah, sucinya anak ini. Belum mengerti apa pun. Ini bukan filem atau kartun anakku. Sword Imran tak akan mungkin membantu. Satu ketika dahulu, perompak-perompak ini juga pernah suci dan comel sepertinya. “Ya Allah pelihara anakku” bisik saya dalam hati. Tidak lama selepas itu, Amna dan Azra dengan senyap memasuki cadar saya. Kami bertiga memeluk erat sesama sendiri. Sekali-sekali saya mengusap Eka disebelah saya. Saya harus berani untuk mereka. Saya tiba-tiba merasakan Ikhwan duduk dikaki saya. Alhamdulillah kami semua ada bersama.

Sekali lagi selimut saya ditarik, seorang lagi lelaki bertopeng bertanya “Barang kemas mana?” Ikhwan berkata “Jangan sentuh dia, dia tak ada tudung” MasyaAllah, begitulah suami saya menjaga kehormatan saya. Dalam saat ini pun dia tidak mahu sesiapa pun melihat ‘hak’nya. Saya amat berbesar hati ketika itu. Maka kerana itulah luluh jantungnya melihat gambar saya dahulu di’post’ sesuka hati di alam maya. Kasihanilah saya dan dia. Janganlah buat begitu lagi ya? Pelihara aib orang lain supaya aib anda dan keluarga juga dijaga. Percayalah janji Allah itu benar, ini bukan janji manusia.

Sekali lagi saya menjawab membalas pertanyaan perompak ini, “Saya tak pakai barang kemas, saya tak suka barang kemas” Ikhwan mengalih perhatiannya kepada laci dihadapan. “Sini banyak barang mahal” tunjuk Ikhwan. Manusia ini menggeledah laci tadi yang sebetulnya cuma termuat aksesori lama. Rantai, gelang kayu, brooch yang dihiasi permata palsu. Ya, saya tidak punya apa! Saya bukan penggemar emas dan intan permata.

Seorang lagi rakannya berhenti dihadapan rak buku kami. Itulah harta saya, buku yang tersusun rapi. Rak demi rak buku didalam kamar. Itulah saja ‘harta saya. Ilmu itu emas bagiku. Tak mungkin perompak ini mengerti! Berdirinya dihadapan rak buku itu, dia seolah keliru. Tidak tahu lagi apa harus dibuat dan kemana harus dituju. Dihampiri rak diatas meja tulis, disitu penuh dengan buku lagi, dengan buku nota yang amat berharga bagi saya, segala nota kuliah, seminar dan persidangan ada disana. Saya yakin tidak akan mereka sentuh sama sekali! Juga tersusun di rak itu Quran-Quran saya. Sampainya dia memegang Quran berwarna hijau muda, Ikhwan berkata “Quran tak nak?” memerli sinis dirinya. Dia Cuma diam.

Ikhwan mula membaca Ayatul-Kursi dengan nada tinggi. Dia menyuruh Ikhwan diam. Mungkin tergetar juga hatinya. Saya mengikut. Al-Falaq menyusul.

“ Katakanlah wahai Muhammad “Aku berlindung kepada Allah Tuhan yang menciptakan sekalian makhluk” Dari bencana makhluk-makhluk yang ia diciptakan” “Dan dari bahaya gelap apabila ia masuk” “Dan dari kejahatan makhluk-makhluk yang menghembus-hembus pada simpulan-simpulan” “Dan kejahatan orang yang dengki apabila ia melakukan dengkinya” (Quran, Al-Falaq:1-5)

Saya ,Amna dan Azra membacanya berulang ulang dengan penuh yakin. Akhirnya semua ini milik Allah jua " Ya Allah yang memiliki hati manusia, timbulkanah perasaan gentar dan tidak selesa didalam jiwa mereka " doa saya dalam hati. Saya cuma mampu berserah, dan ketika ini terasa ketawhidan Illahi yang begitu tinggi memuncak di dalam sanubari. Secara tiba-tiba, terdengar motor pak Jaga di luar rumah saya. Perompak menyuruh kami diam. Tidak lama selepas itu, mereka beredar. Rupanya Farah anak gadis Pak Fauzi Marzuki, jiran belakang saya ternampak kelibat penyamun ini dari jendelanya. Dan siapakah yang menggerakkannya untuk nampak rasanya? Ya Benar! Allah SWT.

Air mata saya menitis. Thank you Allah. Kuasa keyakinan itu amat tinggi sekali. Keyakinan bahawa Allah akan bersama orang-orang yang mahu bersamanya. "Ingatlah Aku dan Aku akan mengingatimu" Saya cukup yakin. Janji Allah benar. Ini bukan janji manusia.

Amna masih trauma, sejurus setelah mereka keluar, setelah polis dan jiran bersama kami. Amna terus muntah. Satu reaksi fisiologi yang biasa bagi kanak-kanak yang trauma. Muntahnya hijau, namun lebih hijau lagi emosinya. Saya akan cuba membina keberaniannya kembali. Satu pertanyaan Amna yang membuatkan saya terhenti. “Why did they do that Ummi?”

Saya terdiam. Bagaimana harus saya jawab pada anak kecil ini? Ya benar kita semua dilahirkan fitrahnya suci dari dosa. Jawapan saya pada Amna di artikel seterusnya! Ianya untuk anda fikirkan juga.

Yang masih trauma,

WARDINA

Nine Ideas To PSC On Electoral Reform

Note: The article was first published on The Malaysian Insider.

Nine ideas to PSC on electoral reform — Wan Saiful Wan Jan

January 16, 2012

JAN 16 — The following is the summary of the Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) recommendations to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform on January 12, 2012.

We focussed on the practical side of reforms, i.e. reforms that could be implemented quickly and have a fair chance of being adopted by the government.

First, there must be mandatory equal access to RTM for all contesting political parties. The media plays an important part in elections. Therefore, RTM as a taxpayer-funded public broadcasters must provide mandatory equal access to all political parties, say, for one hour per week over the campaign period, in all its TV and radio channels. It is wrong, immoral and corrupt if RTM abuses taxpayers’ money by acting as a propaganda machine for one side only.

Second, everyone must be allowed to use the postal vote without a need for a reason and all Malaysians living overseas must be given the right to vote too. Of course, it goes without saying that with the adoption of a widened postal voting scheme, the EC has to ensure that the system is trustworthy, secure and efficient.

Third, the electoral roll should be on “open access” to all authorised bodies with a legitimate interest, including political parties. We have to ensure personal data is properly protected, but at the same time a systematic approach to allow scrutiny of the electoral roll will help the process to clean up the roll.

Fourth, there should be a minimum 21 days’ campaigning period.

Fifth, the voting age should be lowered to 18. A total of 142 countries around the world use 18 as the minimum age. It is time Malaysians joined the majority of countries around the world. We are mature enough to vote at 18.

Sixth, the Election Commission must become a truly independent statutory body. It should be placed under Parliament, and report solely to Parliament. Members of the EC must work behind the scene and not become like politicians who appear in the media regularly. And only professional individuals should be appointed into the EC: it certainly should not become an old folk’s home for retired civil servants.

Seventh, we would like to see a “1:2 formula” adopted as the basis for apportionment of constituencies in Malaysia, which means the ratio for the smallest parliamentary constituency to the largest one is at most 1:2. The current malapportionment makes one vote in Putrajaya (6,008 voters) equal to almost 20 votes in Kapar (112,224 voters), which is clearly ridiculous.

Eighth, indelible ink must be used starting from the next elections. It seems like this has been agreed and therefore there must not be any excuses anymore.

Ninth, the PSC must publish a “minority report” as part of the final report that goes to Parliament. Just like proceedings in Parliament, there should be a permanent record of the ideas proposed to the PSC, what was accepted or rejected, and how each member voted.

The full copy of the submission can be downloaded at www.ideas.org.my

* Wan Saiful Wan Jan is the chief executive of IDEAS.

No Parking Here You Idiot!

I like this move by Tesco. I spotted it at Tesco Extra Cheras last weekend.

Padan muka! Memang patut pun buat macam ini sebab ramai betul rakyat Malaysia yang kulit muka mereka tebal. Kadangkala, pengumuman dan poster tak jalan. Sekali sekala perlu keras sikit.

Moral of the story, guna otak bila nak park!

Melaka Imposes RM2 Heritage Charge

This makes more sense than the 5% heritage charge imposed earlier. Anyhow, the collection and utilisation of this fund MUST be made transparent.

Melawat Melaka Bererti Melawat Malaysia :)

Melaka abolishes 5 percent heritage charge, replaces it with RM2 charge

MELAKA, Jan 16 (Bernama) -- The state government has abolished the five percent heritage charge imposed on hotels, lodging houses and homestays and replaced it with a RM2 charge.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the charge was abolished because of objections by hotel, lodging house and homestay operators who felt it had a negative impact on their businesses.

"Discussions were held today with their representatives whereby they have agreed to the new charge," he told reporters after a dialogue on the heritage charge, here today.

Mohd Ali said based on the RM2 charge, guests would only have to add RM2 to their room rates.

He said the RM2 charge which would involve 12,000 hotel rooms, lodging houses and homestays throughout Melaka was expected to be enforced in April.

"The state expects to collect at least RM4 million each year from the charge, which would be utilised for developing the tourism sector.

"Operators must duly settle the charge monthly with the local authorities such as the Melaka Historical City Council, Hang Tuah Jaya municipal council, Alor Gajah municipal council and Jasin municipal council," he said.

He added that a heritage charge implementing committee would be formed to facilitate the process.

War on Enhanced GPS System

Not only Japan, Russia and India are working on project to improve the currently American-made GPS technology.

Japan promised for up to 1-metre accuracy, as compared to existing 10-metre accuracy. But it will take some time for the technology to hit our shore. Until then, should I follow Nazrol's step in acquiring one?

Japan plans enhanced GPS system

January 16, 2012

When complete, Japan’s future navigation system will be 10 times more precise than the one currently in use. — Picture courtesy of shutterstock.com

TOKYO, Jan 16 — Japan is working on a new global positioning system that will be 10 times more accurate than the system that is currently in use and will be able to pinpoint a location down to just one metre.

At present, Japan uses an American-made system for GPS devices, but Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has announced that he is backing a project for a new system that utilises “quasi-zenith” satellites that remain stationary over a given point on the Earth’s surface and are able to tune out interference caused by differences in terrain or tall, man-made structures.

The first of the new satellites was put into orbit in September and, when the entire system is in position, it will enable a user to narrow down their position to within one metre, instead of the 10-metre accuracy that is possible with the existing technology.

GPS chips are embedded in a wide range of electronic gadgets, ranging from mobile phones that permit the user to locate their exact position and utilize map software, to drivers using car navigation systems.

The new system will also take into account the shift in the position of the Japanese archipelago caused by the March 11 earthquake. Many navigation systems were thrown off immediately after the quake as parts of the country moved as much as five metres to the east and others sank a couple of metres.

Experts believe the new system will also be if great help the next time a major natural disaster strikes Japan, assisting in search-and-rescue operations and monitoring survivors’ locations.

Under the government’s plan, four satellites will be placed in orbit by 2016 and the system will eventually incorporate information beamed back from no fewer than seven satellites. The system will initially only be designed to cover Japan but the technology will be readily applicable to the rest of the world. Russia and India are also reportedly working on new systems while the US has plans to update the one that it currently provides for the rest of the world.

An initial research budget of Y667 million (RM29 million) has been approved for Japan’s project, with a further Y10.6 billion earmarked for development of the system. — AFP-Relaxnews

Golden Globes 2012

Will it repeats in this year's Academy Awards? Only time will tell.

I'm quite shock to see Matt LeBlanc won his first Globe for the Episodes. May be I should give it a try, who has the DVDs, boleh pinjam tak?

Madonna pula menang kategori lagu terbaik. Best tak? Macam mana ya, lagunya?

To those who had miss the show, here is the final result:

Best Motion Picture - Drama

The Descendants

Also nominated: The Help; Hugo; The Ides of March; Moneyball; War Horse

Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

The Artist

Also nominated: 50/50; Bridesmaids; Midnight in Paris; My Week with Marilyn

Best Actor - Drama

George Clooney, The Descendants

Also nominated: Leonardo DiCaprio, J Edgar; Michael Fassbender, Shame; Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March; Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Actress - Drama

Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Also nominated: Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs; Viola Davis, The Help; Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Best Actor - Comedy or Musical

Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Also nominated: Brendan Gleeson, The Guard; Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50; Ryan Gosling, Crazy Stupid Love; Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris

Best Actress - Comedy or Musical

Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

Also nominated: Jodie Foster, Carnage; Charlize Theron, Young Adult; Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids; Kate Winslet, Carnage

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Also nominated: Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn; Albert Brooks, Drive; Jonah Hill, Moneyball; Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method

Best Supporting Actress

Octavia Spencer, The Help

Also nominated: Berenice Bejo, The Artist; Jessica Chastain, The Help; Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs; Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Director

Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Also nominated: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris; George Clooney, The Ides of March; Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist; Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Best Screenplay

Midnight in Paris

Also nominated: The Artist; The Descendants; The Ides of March; Moneyball

Best Score

The Artist

Also nominated: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; Hugo; War Horse; W.E.

Best Song

W.E., 'Masterpiece'

Also nominated: Albert Nobbs, 'Lay Your Head Down'; Gnomeo and Juliet, 'Hello Hello'; The Help, 'The Living Proof'; Machine Gun Preacher, 'The Keeper'

Best Animated Feature

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

Also nominated: Arthur Christmas; Cars 2; Puss in Boots; Rango

Best Foreign Language Film

A Separation (Iran)

Also nominated: The Flowers of War (China); In the Land of Blood and Honey (USA); The Kid with a Bike (Belgium); The Skin I Live In (Spain)

Best TV Series - Drama

Homeland

Also nominated: American Horror Story; Boardwalk Empire; Boss; Games of Thrones

Best TV Series - Comedy or Musical

Modern Family

Also nominated: Enlightened, Episodes, Glee, New Girl

Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for TV

Downton Abbey

Also nominated: Cinema Verite; The Hour; Mildred Pierce; Too Big to Fail

Best Actor - Drama

Kelsey Grammer, Boss

Also nominated: Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire; Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad; Jeremy Irons, The Borgias; Damian Lewis, Homeland

Best Actress - Drama

Claire Danes, Homeland

Also nominated: Mireille Enos, The Killing; Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife; Madeleine Stowe, Revenge; Callie Thorne, Necessary Roughness

Best Actor - Comedy or Musical

Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Also nominated: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock; David Duchovny, Californication; Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory; Thomas Jane, Hung

Best Actress - Comedy or Musical

Laura Dern, Enlightened

Also nominated: Zooey Deschanel, New Girl; Tina Fey, 30 Rock; Laua Linney, The Big C; Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Best Actor - Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for TV

Idris Elba, Luther

Also nominated: Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey; William Hurt, Too Big to Fail; Bill Nighy, Page Eight; Dominic West, The Hour

Best Actress - Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for TV

Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Also nominated: Romola Garai, The Hour; Diane Lane, Cinema Verite; Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey; Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult

Best Supporting Actor

Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Also nominated: Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail; Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce; Tim Robbins, Cinema Verite; Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Best Supporting Actress

Jessica Lange, American Horror Story

Also nominated: Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire; Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey; Sofia Vergara, Modern Family; Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce

Source: BBC News

Wafri Datang Lagi

Kalau tak silap aku, ini kali ketiga Wafri ke Puchong.

Minggu ini, ayahnya tak dapat pulang ke Melaka sebab ayahnya pulang ke Taiping. Menziarahi nenek Wafri. Jumaat lepas, rumah nenek Wafri dimasuki pencuri. Alhamdulillah, pencuri itu tidak sempat mengambil apa-apa, dan tak sempat juga mengapa2kan nenek Wafri sebab nenek Wafri sempat menjerit sekuat hati apabila ternampak sangat kelibat pencuri itu.

Oleh kerana ayah tidak dapat pulang ke Melaka untuk tengok Wafri, maka Wafri dibawa oleh Nenek Melaka, Mak Uda dan Pak Usu ke Puchong untuk jumpa ayahnya.

Terima kasih kepada Pak Nit, Mak Nit dan keluarga yang menyediakan tempat untuk perjumpaan kali ini.

Dan harap-harap, ibu bapa Wafri segera dapat rumah baru agar Wafri boleh bersama-sama ayah dan ibu setiap masa.

Alhamdulillah, Wafri yang sudah empat bulan 13 hari. Makin sihat dan kian comel. Syukur alhamdulillah.

Bukit Tabuh Revisited

Aku pun tak pasti ini kali ke berapa aku panjat Bukit Tabuh. Apa yang pasti, kali ini adalah pendakian Bukit Tabuh sulung untuk Dr. Hafis, Farhan dan abang Jepp.

Dan seperti biasa aku ditemani oleh Faizal dan Kuril. Cuma isteri Kuril tiada bersama, kerana menjaga anak mereka yang kurang sihat. I hope the child is much better now. Aamin.

Buat yang tidak tahu, Bukit Tabuh terletak berhampiran Taman Melawati dan Gombak. Memanggari empangan Ulu Hangat.

The view is spectacular! Trust me, picturesquely spectacular :)

Dan pendakian kali ini adalah antara yang terpantas, jika tidak paling pantas. Kurang lebih 2 jam 8 minit. Salah satu faktornya ialah kami tidak berhenti untuk bersarapan di puncak Bukit Tabuh, seperti biasa.

Ini kerana Kuril terjumpa najis manusia di tempat biasa kami bersarapan. Memang kurang asam betul siapa yang buat kerja itu. Kalau ia pun, cari lah tempat yang tersorok sikit. Perlu ke lepaskan hajat di tempat laluan orang!!!

Apa-apapun, Bukit Tabuh kekal menjadi bukit kegemaran aku. The view, of course, and another plus point is the possibility of half a day of sweating and you still have time to go for a wedding reception.

Insya Allah, we will try to climb Tabuh East for our next outing. Ada berani? Jom!

Melancholia Named Best Film of 2011

I was first introduced to Lars Von Trier in 1996 by my college-mate, Aidil Rusli. Yeap, the front man of Couple. He brought us to a laser disc outlet to watch The Kingdom. I was really impressed with this 5-hour film, which was edited from eight-episodes of Danish miniseries.

Check it out on IMDB for details of the film.

The other Lars Von Trier's film that I managed to watch is Dancer In The Dark, which he won the coveted Palm d'Or while his controversial leading actress, Bjork walked away with Best Actress award.

I'm dying to watch his other films such as The Idiots, Breaking The Waves, Dogville and of course, Melancholia. I could have just download these films from the Internet, but it does not feel right.

Well, just wish me luck. Lots of luck ;)

US critics reward Lars Von Trier film Melancholia

Kirsten Dunst and Lars Von Trier have both missed out on Golden Globe nominations

Lars Von Trier's movie Melancholia has been named the best film of 2011 by the US National Society of Film Critics.

The film portrays two sisters facing up to the end of the world. Its star Kirsten Dunst was named best actress by the 58-strong panel of critics.

Von Trier, who was expelled from the Cannes Film Festival in May after saying he sympathised with Hitler, missed out on the best director prize.

That award was won by Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life.

Brad Pitt won the best actor accolade for his role in baseball drama Moneyball.

Critics' awards are seen as key steps towards the Oscars. Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have one more week to vote for Oscar nominees, with the nominations announced on 24 January.

But neither Melancholia nor Dunst have been nominated for the Golden Globes, seen as Hollywood's second most prestigious prizes, before they are handed out on 15 January.

SIRI what?

I'm very impressed with Apple's speech-controlled personal assistant, SIRI. I've yet to experience it but heard a lot from Mus. While I'm very tempted to get hold the latest iPhone model, my gut is persuading me to wait until the technology is becoming more mature and widely adopted by other players.

Apple’s Siri puts voice-enabled search in spotlight

January 10, 2012

Luke Peters demonstrates Siri, an application which uses voice recognition and detection on the iPhone 4S, outside the Apple store in Covent Garden, London October 14, 2011. — Reuters pic

LAS VEGAS, Jan 10 — Apple Inc will again dominate conversations at CES, the world’s biggest technology showcase. Only this time, the talk is extending beyond iPad and iPhone chatter to include “Siri”, the voice app that is capturing consumers’ imagination.

Apple’s dulcet-voiced, speech-controlled personal assistant, a key factor in making the iPhone 4S a blockbuster, has breathed new life into the once-obscure and oft-maligned world of speech-recognition technology.

Siri, which can do everything from taking dictation for text messages and entering calendar appointments to answering general-knowledge questions, has intrigued users. Experts say it demonstrated emphatically that voice recognition has moved beyond the days of misheard commands, narrowly defined keywords and anguishingly slow speeds.

The smartphone industry is now scrambling to match and better Apple’s offering. Google Inc and Microsoft Corp will likely want to cash in on an explosion of interest in an area they have invested in for years, without getting anything like the attention Siri is attracting.

“All the mobile phone manufacturers are investing in speech, expanding investments in speech, creating more elegant designs and integrating it more deeply into phones,” said Michael Thompson, senior vice president for mobile at voice-recognition specialist Nuance.

Thompson was coy about his company’s future plans but said he expects voice to be a central topic at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas as device makers jostle for attention from investors, media and consumers.

While voice is expected to be used in many areas of consumer electronics, the technology is particularly pertinent to cellphones because it simplifies functions from Web surfing to typing.

Internet merchants like eBay are also jumping on the bandwagon. And reports have emerged about a voice-control for TVS from South Korea’s LG Electronics just before CES, which will open its doors in Las Vegas this week.

Many companies at CES are not yet ready to showcase products that can match or outdo Siri, Forrester Research analyst Charles Golvin said. But he said he expects the current flurry of activity to result in big voice product advancements in coming years as the technology is perfected.

Apple’s rivals are planning to ship phones with improved speech technology in the fall, in time for the 2012 year-end holiday season, said Thompson at Nuance, which supplies and licenses technology to Apple but has its own voice app.

Even traditional PC makers will jump on the bandwagon: Intel announced at CES on Monday it will adopt Nuance’s “Dragon NaturallySpeaking” voice-command technology on ultra-thin laptops — dubbed UltraBooks — coming out this year from the likes of Dell and Hewlett Packard.

“Voice as an input mechanism is going to be more and more useful and more and more prevalent,” Golvin said. “Consumers have a lot of bad historical experience with it. They are going to encounter good voice interfaces more and more.”

BANDWAGON ROLLS ON

Experts say the technology will evolve as more consumers get acclimated to it.

The interest in voice is already sparking acquisitions, with Nuance setting its sights on phones based on Google’s Android operating system. Last month, it bought Vlingo, a developer of voice-control apps for a phones based on Android.

Android phone manufacturers — all major rivals of Apple — include Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, HTC Corp and Motorola Mobility, which Google is buying.

In the meantime, some developers are helping phone makers bridge the gap. A new app called “Ask Ziggy,” launched a few weeks ago on Microsoft Windows-based smartphones, is generating buzz among users as it allows them to update Facebook, Twitter, answer texts and questions — all through speech.

The free app helps a Windows phone mimic Siri’s features and is already one of the top downloaded apps in its category.

“There’s been a lot of interest globally,” said Ask Ziggy developer Shai Leib, who told Reuters his inbox has been flooded with feedback from users, some even from Microsoft employees.

Leib plans to incorporate speech technology further in the app, to make phones completely hands-free. Microsoft’s gesture-based Xbox Kinect gaming system has also raised the possibility of using hand gestures to manipulate screens and execute commands -- the so-called “Minority Report” interface named after the Tom Cruise sci-fi vehicle.

“With the success of the Microsoft Kinect and Apple’s Siri, new ways to interface with CE devices have suddenly become top of mind,” Ben Arnold, NPD’s director of industry analysis, wrote in a blogpost last week. “I expect several companies to exhibit products using some of these new interface methods in an effort to differentiate themselves.”

Leib argues there’s nothing to stop smartphones also adopting gesture-recognition.

“The next level is to improve the speech, grammar and make the answers a little bit more conversational,” he said. “The possibilities are amazing, especially with Kinect.”

“I am looking forward to see what’s going to happen with Windows 8 and if there are going to be future updates on the Windows phone that can recognize gestures.”

HISTORY OF SPEECH

Apple was not the first to incorporate speech on phones. Google has had speech-recognition applications for Android smartphones for more than two years, and is now possibly trying to beef up its capabilities through the recent acquisition of a company called Alfred.

Alfred uses artificial-intelligence technology to sift through the Web’s vast trove of data and recommend restaurants, bars and other real-world places users might like. Some experts say the technology could provide an important building-block that Google could pair with existing voice-recognition technology to create its own answer to Siri.

E-commerce companies are also playing catch-up, not wanting to be caught flat-footed should consumers become more comfortable using voice to search the Web and shop online.

EBay is planning a voice and image-based search function for its online market and “Red Laser” price-checking mobile software.

EBay Chief Executive John Donahoe has said he believes Siri is just the beginning, and sees a future where users can speak their preferences into phones to narrow down shopping choices.

Dan Miller of San Francisco-based Opus Research agrees. He was particularly intrigued by reports last November of an acquisition by Amazon.com of Yap, whose software coverts voice to text.

“The clock is ticking. In the next year or year and half expect a talking Kindle that supports commerce,” Miller said.

Miller, who has studied voice technology for about 25 years, said he is gratified by the sudden spotlight on voice as he recalls years of consumer frustration over automated customer service systems.

“We’re really happy to see this much positive attention,” he said, “As opposed to “Oh the machine doesn’t understand me.” — Reuters