Friday, April 29, 2005

Kylie Minogue to perform in Singapore


Kylie Minogue will be performing in Singapore on June 17
as part of her Showgirl/World tour


Kylie Minogue is one of the biggest selling female pop singers
for nearly two decades and she is set to take on an extravagant
‘greatest hits’ show in Singapore in June.

Singapore will get to see the Aussie pop superstar make a
glamorous appearance for a one-night concert at the Singapore
National Stadium on June 17.

Complete with costumes created by esteemed fashion designers
such as John Galliano, a stage that lights up like a spaceship,
her own band and dancers drilled by top choreographers, Minogue
brings Showgirl – The Greatest Hits Tour to fans near and far.

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Clean out the Closets of your Life

by Patricia Fripp

Clean out the closets of your life. Have you ever
looked at the clothes in your closet with a critical eye:
the bargain shoes in the wrong color; the expensive suit
you got on sale that never fit; the "great" shirt that
was a gift from someone you love?

I had all of those items in my closet. Then a wardrobe
consultant friend came over and made me clean out the
clothes that didn't fit or that no longer represented
my self-image. It was an exhilarating feeling. Now the
clothes I wear make me feel and look great, and project
the image I like.

Your clothes closet isn't the only hiding place for
negative things in your life. You have a self-image
closet too. Take a serious look at what you find there.
Try cleaning it out. Throw out ideas that no longer
fit your lifestyle or your experiences.

Clean your closet of certain old friends as well -- the
ones who have become acquaintances. Too often we spend
our energies with people whose interests have grown
apart from ours.

Clean the negative people out of your life's closet.
Some folks cannot accept your achievements, insisting
it's only a "fluke" when you finally attain a great goal.
Their own insecurities require them to shoot other
people down. It is time to let them know you are proud of
your achievements, and then move on to someone who will
support you in your endeavors.

Closets may be hiding places for our outmoded clothes
and ideas, but they are also where we store the building
blocks for our daily lives. Don't let them get cluttered
with outdated ideas.

About the Author:
Patricia Fripp CSP,CPAE is a San Francisco-based professional
speaker on Change, Teamwork, Customer Service, Promoting
Business, and Communication Skills. She is the author of
"Get What You Want!" and Past-President of the National
Speakers Association.

Friday, April 22, 2005

Moore the new face for Versace


Demi Moore

The Star: Thursday April 21, 2005
It looks like dating a younger man can bring forth a renewed
figure that becomes hot property. Demi Moore is set to replace
Madonna as the advertising face of Versace.

The stunning actress has been signed up by Donatella Versace
to take over from the pop star to front the fashion giant’s
campaign for this coming autumn, according to a statement
released by Gamut Marketing, the distributor of Versace in
Malaysia.

Moore, 42, will team up with stunning male model Gabriel Aubry
for a magazine photo-shoot and possibly a series of television
adverts.

Speculation was rife the fashion house was planning to strike
a deal with the Ghost star after she was photographed last week
enjoying an intimate lunch with Donatella and boyfriend Ashton
Kutcher at an exclusive London restaurant.

Madonna signed up to advertise the label last year – receiving
a staggering US$10.5mil (RM39.9mil) for her services as well as
free Versace clothes for the next two years.

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

The new Pope - Pope Benedict XVI


VATICAN CITY: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, the Roman
Catholic Church's leading hard-liner, was elected the new pope
yesterday evening in the first conclave of the new millennium
by cardinals intent on sticking to conservative policy.

He chose the name Pope Benedict XVI and called himself
“a simple, humble worker.”

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

The finger test

Came across this cute story in the Star papers. It's a
little bit long but worth a read. Enjoy.

The finger test
But Then Again
By MARY SCHNEIDER

The next time you are introduced to a man for the first time,
there’s one thing you can do that might save you a lot of
heartache later on. And, no, it’s got nothing to do with
trying to find out what sort of car he drives, or where he
lives, or the colour of the pieces of plastic in his wallet,
or which of his moons were ascending at the beginning of the
year of the chicken.

According to recent findings, you can tell a lot about a man
by the size of his fingers.

“Hey, just a minute! That’s not new!” I can hear some of you
saying right about now. “Everyone knows there is a direct
correlation between the size of a man’s fingers and the size
of his ... er ... well, the size of his ... em ... well, his gloves.”

This being a family newspaper, you should be ashamed of
yourself for even thinking such things.

According to a recent study, the length of a man’s fingers
can reveal how physically aggressive he is. The shorter
his index finger is compared to his ring finger, the more
aggressive he will be.

Right about now, if you’re male and you’re examining the
length of your fingers, only to discover that your index
finger is quite a bit shorter than your ring finger, please
remember this has nothing to do with me. I’m not responsible
for your condition – testosterone is. So chucking a brick
through my window as you drive past my house in the wee hours
of the morning really won’t solve anything.

Actress Robin Givens, the ex-wife of boxer Mike Tyson, greeted
this latest discovery with mixed feelings. “Why couldn’t they
have come up with this earlier?” she said. “On my wedding day,
I saw Mike scratching his ankle with his ring finger while
standing fully erect.”

I think Robin has lost the plot. It’s not the ring finger that’s
relatively long; it’s the index finger that’s relatively short.
Of course, it’s hardly surprising that she gets things mixed up.
You would, too. if you’d been whopped on the side of the head
a couple of hundred times by I’m-Mike-and-I-eat-ears Tyson.
Besides, Mike’s ability to scratch his ankles like that is due
entirely to his extremely long arms – which involve another theory.

But I digress.

In the not-too-distant future, I can see finger-length tests
being carried out in a number of different situations. Indeed,
it might be possible for a simple scanning device to be
incorporated into a mobile phone, enabling you to scan anyone’s
fingers in a few seconds.

Not only will this handy device tell a woman if a prospective
mate is up to scratch, it will also be an invaluable aid to
employers recruiting new staff. After all, you don’t want a
physically aggressive man working in, say, Customer Complaints
or the Ye Olde Crystal and Fine China Shoppe, now do you?

Of course, there will always be some men who cash in on their
physical aggressiveness: wrestlers, boxers, nightclub bouncers,
matadors and carpet beaters, to name just a few.

There’s a possibility that some people will point an average-
length finger at the overly aggressive and marginalise them.
Fingerism will drive some physically aggressive men to extreme
lengths in an attempt to cover up the outward manifestations of
their condition. There will probably be a demand for index finger
augmentation and prosthetic fingertips.

If Michael Jackson can live with a piece of moulded foam latex
(the same material that was used to make the masks for many of
the gruesome characters in those Lord of the Ring movies) glued
to the middle of his face as he cavorts around Neverland, I’m sure
it won’t be too difficult for any other man to stick on a couple
of fingertips every morning after a quick shower. And if anyone
makes fun of him, he can always beat the @#*% out of them.

All I can say is that I’m glad I’m a woman – there’s no messy
application of prosthetics to deal with before I leave the house
in the morning. All I have to do after a quick shower is moisturise
my body, squeeze into my clothes, apply my make-up, style my hair,
paint my nails, sort out the contents of my handbag (small animals
have been known to get lost in there) and teeter out the door in
impossibly high heels.

If he’s not keen on prosthetics, a man can grow his fingernails
extra long to camouflage the fact that certain fingers are a bit
on the short side, or partially amputate his ring fingers to make
them about the same size as his index fingers, or become a
participant on a TV reality show – bad behaviour in front of the
camera always sells.

Although there’s no link between physically aggressive behaviour
and the length of a woman’s index finger, another study found
that women with “male” pattern finger lengths displayed more
frustrated behaviour when answering challenging telephone calls
than other women.

Of course, you mustn’t believe everything you read. For example,
my index finger appears to be a little on the short side compared
to my ring finger, but I’ve never dissed anyone on the telephone
before. In fact, a more mild-mannered person you are unlikely
to meet, anywhere.

If you disagree with me, please feel free to give me a call.

Now, where did I put those blasted bricks?

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Oh dear, dearer medicine

Cost of medicine to go up next month
50 sen more: Medicine and prescription drugs may cost
as much as 50 sen more per packet or bottle from next
month. The increase is due to a Health Ministry directive
for all packaging of pharmaceuticals and traditional
medicines to have security holograms to curb counterfeits. More...

Monday, April 11, 2005

Road rage do's and don'ts

This was received from someone who is in the security
line of work and thought it'd be good to share.

These practices and tips can be used to avoid becoming
a victim of road rage. Please share with your friends
and family:

* Avoid eye contact and if you need to use your horn,
do it sparingly

* Get out of the way. Even if the other guy is speeding,
it's safest to not make a point by staying in your lane.

* If someone is following you after an on-the-road encounter,
drive to a public place or the nearest police station.

* Keep your doors and windows locked at all times.

* If you are involved in an accident notify the police
immediately.

* It's a good idea to carry a cell phone in your car,
making it possible for you to call for help for
yourself or someone else.

* Most of the violent incidents occur late at night.
Use prudence when planning your night out and try to
return home at a reasonable hour.

* Never fully roll down your window to talk to a
stranger. If required, roll the window down only
enough to be heard.

* Do not stop to aid disabled motorists. Telephone for
help instead.

* If you are in need of help, make sure you have police
emergency numbers available at all times.

The tips are not meant to cover every single situation
that you may face. Each situation is different and you
must use your judgment on what the appropriate action
should be.

Sunday, April 10, 2005

MyKAD can gain entry to govt offices

MyKad may soon be accepted as a pass to enter government
offices and private buildings.

The National Registration Department plans to encourage
this use for the new national identity card and do away
with the need for the public to exchange their MyKad for
security passes when they visit certain places. Read more

Tuesday, April 5, 2005

Good old times

A good friend recently met up with her friend she has
known for the past thirty years but has not met the
past twelve years.

You can imagine the amount of information they had
to exchange from parents, to siblings to nieces and
nephews; from in-laws to boyfriends, to work, to food,
to pastimes, to travel, and even to waist-lines.
And all that was crammed into four solid hours of
jaw-exercise without either one making a trip to
the restroom and they even promised to meet up again
soon to continue their gabbing.

Oh! by the way, there were actually four of them which
reminded me of the foursome in 'Sex & the City', KL city
that is.

Monday, April 4, 2005

The Pope has passed on

Malaysian PM sends condolences to Vatican

PETALING JAYA: The tireless campaigns of Pope John Paul II for world peace, justice and human dignity will remain an enduring legacy in the minds of people regardless of faith, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

The Prime Minister said Malaysia deeply admired the late pontiff’s campaigns, adding that the Pope embodied the qualities of spiritual piety and moral strength that earned him respect throughout the world.

“His message of religious tolerance, dialogue and reconciliation has contributed significantly in promoting better understanding between Christians and believers of other religions including Islam,” he said in his condolence message to the Vatican Cardinal Camerlengo, Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo yesterday. Read more...