In My Mind

KWN

2007-05-26T11:00:00.000+08:00

My daughter Nurul Hafizah attended the KWN workshop organized by Panasonic from 24/5/2007 until 25/5/2007. The workshop is to prepare the students for making videos for Kids Witness News (KWN) competition. The trainers were Habsah Hassan, Othman Hafsham and others from the film industry. The kids had really fun-filled 2 days of training.

I will post some of the photos later.

Open Sesame...

2007-02-26T10:47:00.001+08:00

You Are 78% Open

You're a pretty open person - and you don't mind sharing the good, bad, and sometimes ugly.
And while sometimes you do catch yourself blabbing on, you usually exhibit restraint.
You're openness is quite refreshing, and it encourages other people to be open with you!

How Open Are You?

Miami

2007-02-26T10:45:00.000+08:00

Never lived in other cities except Miami - for six years in 1984-1990

American Cities That Best Fit You::

70% Austin

65% Miami

60% Seattle

55% Honolulu

50% Denver

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

INTP

2007-02-26T10:38:00.001+08:00

Your Personality is Very Rare (INTP)

Your personality type is goofy, imaginative, relaxed, and brilliant.

Only about 4% of all people have your personality, including 2% of all women and 6% of all men
You are Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Perceiving.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

Not That Weird After All

2007-02-26T10:32:00.000+08:00

I was classified as a wierdo in school but ....

You Are 30% Weird

Not enough to scare other people...
But sometimes you scare yourself.

How Weird Are You?

Nerd? No, not Me

2007-02-26T10:27:00.000+08:00

I am not that nerdy after all....

You Are 36% Nerdy

You're a little nerdy, but no one would ever call you a nerd.You sometimes get into nerdy things, but only after they've become a part of mainstream culture.

How Nerdy Are You?

EID MUBARAK

2006-10-24T15:44:00.000+08:00

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI kepada semua kaum muslimin daripada kami (Eid Mubarak to all muslims from all of us).

The photo of my kids and their grandma was taken during our visit to my sister's house in Bangi.

The guy with the skull cap must be me then?

This is the photo of my youngest brother, my mother and my only sister (same-mother-same-father that is) together with my mother and my two youngest daughters.

My other brother (also from same father and same mother stock) is celebrating hari raya in Kelantan.

(Note: I have 13 brothers and sisters all together, the eldest is 62 years old. 4 had passed away)

NCAA Football Is Here Again

2006-09-10T09:52:00.000+08:00

University of Miami started its 2007 campaign on a low note by losing to Florida State University 14-10 on September 4.

This year I am not going to post as many as last season. But I still post a few scores.

At Last - Completed

2006-09-10T09:20:00.000+08:00

I am pretty quiet lately.

At last, I have completed my PhD proposal and submitted for evaluation before going for Comprehensive Examination.

IIUM's PhD in Engineering program is a bit wierd, before students can proceed for proposal defence (i.e., comprehensive examination), we need to discuss 5 topics with 5 different potential PhD supervisors - eventhough we already have our main topic to do research on. So, if we want to do a proper job, we need to at least do some research (i.e., literature review) for each five topics. I did that and took me some time to complete.

If approved, I will be sitting for my Comprehensive Exam by end of September 2006 and if go through I will start my research immediately after that. In order to get some sponsorship for my research, I need to complete my TechnoFund application by September 12, 2006.

My area of research? Well, it has to do with Real Time Object Detection, Object Tracking and Activity Recognition in Video Image Sequence. The application can be in surveillance system such as at airports, can be in automatic film censorship and rating system, and many other areas such as in medical and Military. My interest is more in Military applications.

Kakak's Golf Tournament

2006-04-13T21:19:00.000+08:00

Kakak (pic: most right) competed in the MSSK (Majlis Sukan Sekolah-sekolah Kelantan) Golf Tournament on 28-29 March 2006 and got Third Placing. She did not get to represent Kelantan (MSSM Golf competition will be held in Melaka) due to her score (eventhough qualify to represent Kelantan, but it is better for her to wait next year - even if selected she would have to miss it due to her prior commitment to represent her school in Public Speaking Competition which to be held almost at the same time in Pahang).

The competition was her first time and for the first round she did very bad due to unfamiliarity with the course and also new golf clubs used (also it was the first time where she had to cart her own golf bag and no caddie). For the second round, I decided to be her caddie. She did well for the second round but her tee-off let her down.

Top two players were already represented Kelantan last year and both of them will again be playing for the state. The winner Siti Salbiah (pic: most left) is a very good player even my own golf buddies could lose to her ;-)

What was in the bag?
Driver: Callaway Steelhead 11 degree
Fairway Woods: Callaway Great Big Bertha II #3 & #5
Irons: Mizuno Mira #4 - PW, SW
Putter: Odyssey White Steel 2-Ball Blade

After the competition I took Kakak back to KL and decided to have an hour lesson with Coach Tony.

I also got her a new driver. What is in her bag currently: Let see....

Driver: Callaway X460 11 degree with Fujikura shaft
Fairway Woods: Callaway Great Big Bertha II #3 with Grafalloy Prolaunch 45 shaft & #5 with GBB gems shaft
Irons: Callaway Steelhead X-14 #3-PW, SW all with Grafalloy Attacklite shaft
Putter: Odyssey White Steel 2-Ball Blade

Swing Analysis

2006-03-13T20:38:00.000+08:00

Kakak went for a one-hour golf lesson with Tony on Sunday 12/3/2006. Tony was pleseantly surprised with Kakak's swing mechanics even though Kakak stopped going for lesson for the last two years.

Tony asked Kakak to hit a few balls so that he can video tape the swing and load the video into the computer for analysis (to compare her swing with Tiger Woods and Ernie Els). Photo below showed Kakak and Tony during the swing analysis.

The photo below showed the swing sequence with some marking made by Tony to point out some areas which need improvement.

The first frame (top) showed Kakak's arms were close together and this need to be improve. The first frame of the second row showed her "casting" problem where the arm is not corked enough which result in early release.

In the next swing sequence, Kakak was taped from the side.

In this sequence Kakak was shown to have problems in gripping the club (second frame top - her finger was shown to be dangling) and the hip was not pependicular to the target line (second frame bottom) which indicated she did not rotate properly during impact.

Play Golf

2006-03-13T20:32:00.000+08:00

I played 27 holes of golf last Friday.

In the morning, I played 9 holes of golf with Kakak. We paid for 18-hole but since Kakak's game was not up to my expectation, we decided to stop half-way.

After Friday prayer, I played 18-hole of golf at Monterez with my group of high school friends kopo, aeyol, and juki. My game was bad except for the last few holes.

The Power of Love

2006-03-08T18:49:00.000+08:00

I learned something today from my birdie.

Around noon today, one of the chicks (the smaller size) dropped from the nest. I tried help the chick but it flew away. Then the second chick also flew leaving the nest. Both of the chicks ended up in the tree nearby.

A few minutes later, the mother came back with food but could not find the chicks. I could see the sadness in the behavior of the mother. It then when looking for the chicks and flew to and fro for a few times. I think after a while it managed to find both of the chicks in the nearby tree.

The whole afternoon, I spent my time watching the mother bird (in between my meetings) trying to get the chicks to fly into the nest. At last at 6:40pm the mother successfully get both chicks to fly back into the nest. I watched the mother spent a few minutes fending off the attacker and also to pacify the chicks before it flew again. This time to bring food for the hungry chicks.

At this moment, the mother is busy feeding the hungry chicks.

It bring tears to my eyes watching how strong the love of a mother towards its chicks.

Coaching for Kakak

2006-03-07T12:56:00.000+08:00

I have arranged for golf coaching for Kakak

Sunday March 12, 2006 at 11:00am
Wednesday March 15, 2006 at 11:00am

She will be coached by Tony Maloney - Director of Golf and AAA Member Australia PGA at Pro Tour Golf Learning Centres located at Glenmarie GCC

Want to See My Birdie?

2006-03-07T06:58:00.000+08:00

I want to do the unthinkable. I am going to expose my birdie for all of you to see. Are you ready? What I am going to do is to reveal bit by bit and finally will show a bit of head.....

Here we go.....

Now let see a bit of head....

The birdie started to nest a bout a month ago...

The birdie constructed the nest right outside of my office by sticking the nest onto my glass window (see photo below). I think within this two to three days, the chicks (I think there are two chicks) will be ready to explore their world and leave the nest.

My Family

2006-03-07T06:54:00.000+08:00

One of the latest photos that I have of my family. The picture was taken during my employer's family day gathering. The only one missing from the photo was my second child. She had to attend the UPSR clinic at National Museum on that day.

Another Golf Game Planned

2006-03-06T14:23:00.000+08:00

My daughter will come home for mid-semester holiday on March 9 and I planned to take her for another round of golf on a day after. Hopefully she will improve on her game.

A few weeks ago I met her former coach Tony Maloney at Glenmarie Golf Club. He told me that he just got back from a Junior Golf Tournament and the players from East Coast just the same standard as my daughter if not worse. Tony mentioned to me that a few of Kakak's teammate have progressed tremendously. 3 of them (combined) won 22 tournaments in 2005.

So Kakak, do you think you can represent Papa's birthstate next year or in 2007?

I planned for Kakak to have 2 1-jour session with Tony during the school holiday just to brush up on her skills. Most probably on Sunday and then another one, maybe on Wednesday.

Papa cannot wait for you to come home for the holiday.

Building My Own Golfing Buddies

2006-03-02T09:50:00.000+08:00

I am a member of Bukit Jalil Golf and Country Club but I rarely play there due to not having a regular golfing buddies. So, I just pay my monthly subscription fee for nothing.

Starting this year I am building my own golfing buddies. I have trained my eldest daughter (Kamilah) to play golf and now she is able to play an 18-hole of golf. She need to have a handicap before she is allowed to play at BJGCC. So now I have one golfing buddy.

I need two more. My second daughter (Hafizah) and my son (Kamil) are now taking golf lesson at Setapak Driving Range and I think by next year Hafizah will be ready to go to Kundang for her first golf game with me. My son will follow suit maybe the year after.

By 2008, I will play with my kids at BJGCC.

I have also able to convinced my wife to start learning to play golf also. She started he first lesson last Saturday. I am targeting for her to start playing golf with me in six years time (why? by then my youngest daughter, Widad, will be in standard one. She is one year-old now and already know how to make an interlocking grip ;-)).

My forth child, Laila is also keen to learn to play golf, but she is too young to start yet. I just let her play with putter (I bought USKids Golf putter for her) while her elder siblings hitting balls at SGR.

At last I have a concrete plan on how to utilize my BJGCC club membership.

Hybernating

2006-03-01T10:59:00.000+08:00

I have been hybernated from updating my blog for a few months now (my last post was Dec. 12, 2005). Work is taking a toll on me.

My PhD also is weighting me down. I am still stuck at proposal stage and two semesters have gone by. I do not want this time to be the same as the last PhD which I registered. Previously, I had to terminate my PhD in Management program due to changes made at the university. This time I will make sure I complete my PhD in Engineering.

Just need to soldier on.

Below are some of the updates which I managed to type today.

Trip to Klate and Charity Work

2006-02-03T12:10:00.000+08:00

I sent my daughter to her boarding school on January 31.

And on February 01, I handed over the golf sets which I donated to the SMSTMFP Golf Club. I donated the sets since the school does not have even a single club for the student to use.

I donated;

2 sets Dunlop John Daly for male students,
2 sets Dunlop Tour Elite for female students,
some loose #7 iron (ladies),
some loose #7 iron (mens),
some loose #3 wood,
some gloves (mens),
some gloves (ladies),
some rubber tees,
45 caps with school logo, and
Rule of Golf booklets

I hope with this donation the school will be able to activate the club.

I played a round of golf with Aminuddin (one of my golf buddies) after that. The plan was to have played with Jame but he injured his back the day before.

Golfing with Apple of My Eyes

2006-02-01T11:16:00.000+08:00

I took my daughter golfing on January 27, 2005. We went to Kundang Lake Golf Club since the club is junior-friendly. Juniors can play during weekdays especially in the morning.

She started learning golf in year 2003 but stopped in 2004 to concentrate on her UPSR. Only this year that she started golfing again.

This year she was appointed as President of SMSTMFP Golf Club. The club has 20 members and she is the youngest member there.

See her tee off form, hers is definitely better than mine. She has a smooth flowing swing compared to mine which is a bit jerky.

Maybe because to some I am a "jerk" ;-)

Peachy Miami vs. LSU

2005-12-12T20:11:00.000+08:00

I take back my word. It was good for Miami to play LSU in Peach Bowl instead of playing Louisville in Gator Bowl. Peach Bowl game is one of the only 3 bowl games which pitted both top ten teams (the others are Rose Bowl - USC(1) vs. Texas (2) for National Championship game on Jan. 4, 2006, and Fiesta Bowl - Ohio State vs. Notre Dame on january 2, 2006).

Peach Bowl will be played on December 30, 2005 in Atlanta.

The rest of BCS bowl games are (USA Today Top 25 is used);

1. Rose - USC (1; Pac 10) vs. Texas (2; Big 12) - Jan. 4
2. Orange - FSU (22; ACC) vs. Penn State (3;Big 10) - Jan. 3
3. Sugar - Georgia (7; SEC) vs. West Virginia (12; Big East) - Jan. 2
4. Fiesta - Ohio State (4; Big 10) vs. Notre Dame (5; Ind.) - Jan. 2
5. Capital One - Wisconsin(20; Big 10) vs. Auburn(7; SEC) - Jan. 2
6. Gator - Virginia Tech (11; ACC) vs. Louisville (16; Big East) - Jan. 2
7. Cotton - Alabama (SEC) vs. Texas Tech (Big 12) - Jan. 2
8. Outback - Iowa vs. Florida - Jan. 2
9. Houston - Iowa State vs. TCU - Dec. 31
10. Liberty - Tulsa vs. Fresno State - Dec. 31
11. Meineke Car Care - NC State (ACC) vs. South Florida (Big East) - Dec. 31
12. Peach - Miami (ACC) vs. LSU (SEC) - Dec. 30
13. Independence - South Carolina vs. Missouri - Dec. 30
14. Sun - UCLA vs. Northwestern - Dec. 30
15. Music City - Minnesota (Big 10) vs. Virginia (ACC) - Dec. 30
16. Holiday - Oregon vs. Oklahoma - Dec. 29
17. Emerald - Utah vs. Georgia Tech (ACC) - Dec. 29
18. Alamo - Nebraska (Big 12) vs. Michigan (Big 10) - Dec. 28
19. MPC Computers - Boise State vs. Boston College (ACC) - Dec. 28
20. Insight - Rutgers vs. Arizona State - Dec. 27
21. Champ Sport - Clemson (ACC) vs. Colorado (Big 12) - Dec. 27
22. Motor City - Akron vs. Memphis - Dec. 26
23. Hawaii - Central Florida vs. Nevada - Dec. 24
24. Fort Worth - Houston vs. Kansas
25. Poinsettia - Colorado State vs. Navy
26. Las Vegas - BYU vs. California
27. GMAC - Texas El-Paso vs. Toledo
28. New Orleans - Arkansas State vs. Southern Miss.

FSU Won ACC Championship

2005-12-04T13:42:00.000+08:00

It was a good ending for ACC. At least the team that won ACC was a team which beat Miami and not the team which Miami beat (i.e., Virginia Tech).

I hope Miami will play in Gator Bowl against Louisville and not in Peach Bowl.

Hurricane Season is Here (and ended prematurely after losing to Georgia Tech)

2005-12-02T07:53:00.000+08:00

THIS POST WILL BE TOP STORY UNTIL THE END OF NCAA COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON. I WILL KEEP UPDATING THE SCORE BELOW. (Record As Of November 20, 2005: Overall:9-2, Conference:6-2)

Talking about Hurricane, another Hurricane storm is coming starting from September 05, 2005 and hopefully will last until January 02, 2006.

Miami Hurricanes Poster

Below is the schedule of the Hurricane storms:

2005 Schedule (All time are EST)

(UPDATED: September 7, 2005)

GAME 1: Sept. 5 MIAMI (9) at Florida State (14)

MIAMI LOST 7-10 (Record: Overall 0-1; Conf. 0-1) Miami down to No. 14 in USA Today Top 25 Poll.

Miami's Ryan Moore makes a second quarter touchdown catch over Kyler Hall
For more photos go here

Miami is idle next week.

(UPDATED: September 19, 2005)
GAME 2: Sept. 17 MIAMI (13) at Clemson (23)

MIAMI WON 36-30(3OT) (1-1; 1-1) MIAMI up one slot to No. 12 in USA Today Top 25 Poll.

Tyrone Moss dives into the end zone to score the winning touchdown against Clemson' s Jamaal Fudge.

For more game photos go here

(UPDATED: September 27, 2005)
GAME 3: Sept. 24 MIAMI (12) hosting Colorado

MIAMI WON 23-3 (2-1; 1-1) Miami moves to No 10 in USA Today Top 25 Poll.

Kyle Wright scoring a 2-yard run touchdown.

For more photos go here.

(UPDATED: October 3, 2005)
Game 4: Oct. 1 Miami (10) hosting South Florida 8:pm

MIAMI WON 27-7 (3-1; 1-1) Miami moves to No 8 in USA Today Top 25 Poll.

(UPDATED: October 10, 2005)
Game 5: Oct. 8 Miami(8) hosting Duke 3:30pm

MIAMI WON 52-7 (4-1; 2-1) Miami moves to No. 6 in USA Today Top 25 Poll.

Miami running back Tyrone Moss goes over the top of Duke cornerback Deonto McCormick..

For photo go here

(UPDATED: October 17, 2005)
Game 6: Oct. 15 Miami(6) at Temple 1:00 p.m.
MIAMI WON 34-3 (5-1;2-1)

Miami stays at no. 6 in USA Today Top 25 and ranked no. 8 in BCS ranking which taking into account USA Today Top 25, Harris Interactive Top 25 and 6 computer rankings average. Miami suffers in the computer ranking where 2 polls ranked Miami at 11 points out of 25, and one poll each with 12, 13, 14, and 18 points. BCS poll is as follows;

Southern California
Texas
Virginia Tech
Georgia
Alabama
LSU
Texas Tech
MIAMI
UCLA
Penn State
Florida State
Boston College
Oregon
Wisconsin
Ohio State
Notre Dame
West Virginia
Auburn
Tennessee
Florida
TCU
Minnesota
Nebraska
Michigan State
California

(Note: Unbeatens are in red)

Hopefully next week (20-22/10), Miami can move up at least by one spot. I am expecting Texas(6-0) to beat Texas Tech(6-0), and hoping for Tennessee(3-2) to beat Alabama(6-0). It would also be good is UCLA(6-0) to lose to Oregon State(4-2) and LSU(4-1) to lose to Auburn(5-1).

(UPDATED: October 25, 2005)
Due to Hurricane Wilma, Miami has posponed their game with Georgia Tech. Miami will play GT on Nov. 19, and moved game with Wake Forest to Nov. 12. As of October 25, 2005 The latest BCS Ranking is as follows;

Texas (7-0) (Remaining games: Oklahoma State, Baylor, Kansas, Texas A&M)
USC (7-0) (Washington State, Stanford, California, Fresno State, UCLA)
Virginia Tech (7-0) (Boston College, Miami, Virginia, North Carolina)
Georgia (7-0) (Florida, Auburn, Kentucky, Georgia Tech)
Alabama (7-0) (Utah State, Mississippi State, LSU, Auburn)
UCLA (7-0) (Stanford, Arizona, Arizona State, USC)
MIAMI (5-1) (North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Virginia)
LSU (5-1) (North texas, Appalachian State, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas)
Penn State (7-1) (Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan State)
Florida State (6-1) (Maryland, NC State, Clemson, Florida)
Oregon (7-1) (California, Washington State, Oregon State)
Wisconsin (7-1) (Illinois, Penn State, Iowa, Hawaii)
Ohio State (5-2) (Minnesota, Illinois, Northwestern, Michigan)
Boston College (6-1) (Virginia Tech, North Carolina, NC State, Maryland)
Notre Dame (5-2) (Tennessee, Navy, Syracuse, Stanford)
Texas Tech (6-1) (Baylor, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma)
West Virginia (6-1) (Connecticut, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, South Florida)
TCU (7-1) (San Diego State, Colorado State, UNLV)
Florida (5-2) (Georgia, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Florida State)
Minnesota (5-2) (Ohio State, Indiana, Michigan State, Iowa)
Northwestern (5-2) (Michigan, Iowa, Ohio State, Illinois)
Auburn (5-2) (Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama)
California (6-2) (Oregon, USC, Stanford)
Colorado (5-2) (Kansas State, Missouri, Iowa State, Nebraska)
Michigan (5-3) (Northwestern, Indiana, Ohio State)

(Note: Unbeatens are in red)
Next week, I not expecting any upsets to happen, but wishing for Florida to beat Georgia and Stanford to beat UCLA. Also I prefer for VT to remain unbeaten for another week until the game with Miami. Texas will meet Oklahoma State(3-4); USC vs. Washington State(3-4); Virginia Tech vs. Boston College(6-1); Georgia vs. Florida(5-2); Alabama vs. Utah State(2-4); and UCLA vs. Stanford(4-2).

Game 7: Oct. 29 Miami(6) hosting North Carolina

MIAMI WON 34-16. Miami now is 6-1; 3-1. UM was trailing 7-16 during half-time.

UM revived the old jersey for this game. After the game, the jersey will be auctioned off.

The photo above showed the back-in-time-jersey wore by UM players (Miami defensive back Brandon Meriweather, left, celebrates with Quadtrine Hill after Hill picked up a blocked punt for a touchdown in the third quarter). The Hurricanes wore circa-1967, kelly green-and-gold throwback uniforms. In the first half, literally and figuratively, they looked nothing like their usual selves.

"I don't know when's the last time Miami had a terrible season and looked terrible on the field," Miami coach Larry Coker said. "But that first half, that might have been a throwback to that time."

Miami moved to No. 5 in USA Today Top 25 Poll after georgia lost to Florida.

(UPDATED: November 02, 2005)
As of October 31, 2005 BCS ranking are as follows;

USC (8-0) (Remaining games: Stanford, California, Fresno State, UCLA)
Texas (8-0) (Baylor, Kansas, Texas A&M)
Virginia Tech (8-0) (Miami, Virginia, North Carolina)
Alabama (8-0) (Mississippi State, LSU, Auburn)
UCLA (8-0) (Arizona, Arizona State, USC)
MIAMI (6-1) (Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Virginia)
Penn State (8-1) (Wisconsin, Michigan State)
LSU (6-1) (Appalachian State, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas)
Florida State (7-1) (NC State, Clemson, Florida)
Ohio State (6-2) (Illinois, Northwestern, Michigan)
Georgia (7-1) (Auburn, Kentucky, Georgia Tech)
Wisconsin (8-1) (Penn State, Iowa, Hawaii)
Oregon (7-1) (California, Washington State, Oregon State)
Notre Dame (5-2) (Tennessee, Navy, Syracuse, Stanford)
Texas Tech (7-1) (Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma)
Florida (6-2) (Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Florida State)
West Virginia (6-1) (Connecticut, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, South Florida)
TCU (8-1) (Colorado State, UNLV)
Boston College (6-2) (North Carolina, NC State, Maryland)
Auburn (6-2) (Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama)
Michigan (6-3) (Indiana, Ohio State)
Colorado (6-2) (Missouri, Iowa State, Nebraska)
California (6-2) (Oregon, USC, Stanford)
Fresno State (6-1) (San Jose State, Boise State, USC, Nevada, Lousiana Tech)
OKlahoma (5-3) (Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State)

( Unbeatens are in red)
I am really praying for Miami to beat Virginia Tech. Also hoping for Stanford(4-3) to upset USC, Arizona(2-6) to beat UCLA (eventhough it is just a wishful thinking), and another wishful thinking for Mississippi State(2-6) to be Alabama.

Game 8: Nov. 5 Miami(5) at Virginia Tech(3)

(UPDATE: November 06 10:44am GMT+8)

Miami is leading 10-0 at halftime. UCLA already lost to Arizona 52-14, FSU lost to NC State 20-15 and Boston College lost to North Carolina 16-14.

(UPDATED: 12:14pm)

MIAMI TRASHED VIRGINIA TECH 27-7. Miami is now 7-1;4-1.

Next week Miami will play Wake Forest, USC will play California(6-3), Texas will play Kansas(5-4), Alabama will play LSU (7-1). Hoping for LSU to end Alabama unbeaten run and Califronia to beat USC. Kansas has no chance against Texas.

(UPDATED: November 08 4:15AM)

Latest BCS ranking as of Nov. 07 is as follows:

USC (9-0) (Remaining games: California, Fresno State, UCLA)
Texas (9-0) (Kansas, Texas A&M)
Alabama (9-0) (LSU, Auburn)
MIAMI (7-1) (Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Virginia)
Penn State (9-1) (Michigan State)
Virginia Tech(8-1) (Virginia, North Carolina)
LSU (7-1) (Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas)
Ohio State (7-2) (Northwestern, Michigan)
Georgia (7-1) (Auburn, Kentucky, Georgia Tech)
Oregon (8-1) (Washington State, Oregon State)
Notre Dame (6-2) (Navy, Syracuse, Stanford)
Texas Tech (8-1) (Oklahoma State, Oklahoma)
Florida (7-2) (South Carolina, Florida State)
West Virginia (7-1) (Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, South Florida)
UCLA (8-1) (Arizona State, USC)
Wisconsin (8-2) (Iowa, Hawaii)
TCU (9-1) (UNLV)
Colorado (7-2) (Iowa State, Nebraska)
Florida State (7-2) (Clemson, Florida)
Auburn (7-2) (Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama)
Michigan (6-3) (Indiana, Ohio State)
Fresno State (7-1) (Boise State, USC, Nevada, Louisiana Tech)
Georgia Tech (6-2) (Virginia, Miami, Georgia)
Minnesota (6-3) (Michigan State, Iowa)
Louisville (6-2) (Rutgers, Syracuse, Connecticut)

( Unbeatens are in red)

To be safe, I am wishing for Penn State to lose to Michigan State, Alabama to LSU, USC to California, and Texas to Kansas.

Game 9: Nov. 12 Miami(4) at Wake Forest 7:30 p.m.

MIAMI Beat Wake Forest 47-17. I am in cloud nine that LSU finished off Alabama 16-13 in OT. USC won by beating California 35-10 and Texas win big against Kansas 66-14.

Now I am rooting for Texas A&M (against Texas on 25/11/05). Fresno State is too weak to pose any challenge against USC. I think Texas will will against Texas A&M and also will beat Colorado on December 03 against Colorado (which they beat earlier in the season). USC still have UCLA two weeks after the Fresno State game. Miami needs either Texas or USC to fall in order to have a shot at Championship Game at Rose Bowl.

(UPDATED: NOVEMBER 14, 2005)

Miami moves to no. 3 in USA TODAY Top 25, Harris, and AP polls. The BCS poll is as follows:

USC (10-0) (Remaining games: Fresno State, UCLA)
Texas (10-0) (Texas A&M)
MIAMI (8-1) (Georgia Tech, Virginia)
Penn State (9-1) (Michigan State)
LSU (8-1) (Mississippi, Arkansas)
Virginia Tech (8-1) (Virginia, North Carolina)
Ohio State (8-2) (Michigan)
Alabama (9-1) (Auburn)
Notre Dame (7-2) (Syracuse, Stanford)
Oregon (9-1) (Oregon State)
UCLA (9-1) (USC)
West Virginia (8-1) (Pittsburgh, South Florida)
Auburn (8-2) (Alabama)
TCU (10-1)
Michigan (7-3) (Ohio State)
Georgia (7-2) (Kentucky, Georgia Tech)
Fresno State (8-1) (USC, Nevada, Louisiana Tech)
Louisville (7-2) (Syracuse, Connecticut)
Texas Tech (8-2) (Oklahoma State, Oklahoma)
Wisconsin (8-3) (Hawaii)
Minnesota (7-3) (Iowa)
Florida (7-3) (Florida State)
South Carolina (7-3) (Clemson)
Boston College (7-3) (Maryland)
Oklahoma (6-3) (Texas Tech, Oklahoma State)

( Unbeatens are in red)

Game 10: Nov. 19 Miami(3) hosting Georgia Tech

MIAMI LOST 14-10.

Georgia Tech sacked Kyle Wright seven times, took advantage of key penalties on two touchdown drives and made a pair of late defensive stands to upset the third-ranked Miami Hurricanes 14-10 Saturday night.

What a depressing game where Kyle Wright was sacked 7 times. Miami was also penalised too many times especially for the excessive celebration after a sack which aided GT in their second touchdown. There goes the chance for at least an Orange Bowl bid. They should stick to the normal jersey instead of go for the new jersey (see photo above).

I will not post anymore BCS ranking since USC and Texas more or less locked the Championship Game in Rose Bowl on January 04, 2006.

I am devastated!!!

Game 11: Nov. 26 Miami hosting Virginia

The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes got exactly what the doctor ordered last Saturday, getting back on the winning track by defeating Virginia 25-17.

Quarterback Kyle Wright looked like a different player than one who got sacked seven times against Georgia Tech. In the win over the Cavaliers he completed 23 of 30 passes for 248 yards. Wright also set up the Hurricanes' final touchdown of the night by running 31 yards down to the one-yard line. Charlie Jones' one-yard touchdown run made sure the Hurricanes had their ninth win for the sixth consecutive season.

On Senior Day at the Orange Bowl, 18 seniors were playing in their final regular season games. Senior tailback Quadtrine Hill made the most of his last home game by catching a career high seven passes out of the backfield.

Jon Peattie opened the scoring by connecting on a 40-yard field goal midway through the first quarter to give Miami a 3-0 lead. The lead didn't last for long, however, thanks to some trickery by the Cavaliers.

Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans handed off to wide receiver Emmanuel Byers, who instead of running, sprinted wide right and threw to an open Deyon Williams, who ran 91 yards into the end zone, giving Virginia its first lead of the game at 7-3.

Connor Hughes made a 24-yard field goal on the Cavaliers' next possession to give them a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter. But Miami fought right back, as Jones scored from four yards out to make the score 10-9 before Peattie missed his first of two extra points on the night.

The Hurricanes took the lead before halftime when Sinorice Moss caught his final touchdown in the Orange Bowl, taking a pass from Wright and making a couple of nifty moves to scamper 17 yards into the end zone.

Also playing in his final game at the historic Horseshoe was offensive lineman Eric Winston."This is the closest team I've been on since I've been here," Winston told the Miami Herald. "Everybody was there for each other. Everybody loved each other. That's what I'll remember most."

Jones finished with 88 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries in front of a rather disappointing crowd of 37,629.

The Hurricanes are now in wait-and-see mode. It is yet to be determined where Miami will play its bowl game. It seems like the Hurricanes will end up in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2 against Louisville. The Cardinals gave Miami fits last year at home, and the teams will play next year in Louisville.

Douglas C. Kroll can be contacted at d.kroll@umiami.edu

I Do Not Think This is The Reason Hurricanes Lost But ...

2005-11-22T14:25:00.000+08:00

Rap song featuring football players stirs controversy
Most students feel indifferent towards explicit, vulgar tune
By: Greg Linch
Issue date: 11/22/05

A two-year old rap song threw the spotlight on UM's football team in a different direction from the field, stirring controversy that reached a national level when it surfaced on the Internet last Tuesday.

Kyle Munzenrieder, sophomore, posted a link to a song on Miamity.com that supposedly features several former and current Hurricane football players.

"I just thought it was funny. I wasn't trying to get back at the football players," Munzenrieder said. "I wasn't really expecting the controversy that came after it."

Munzenrieder deleted the link from the weblog soon after it garnered attention from students, administrators and national media outlets for its explicit and vulgar lyrics.

In a statement, athletic director Paul Dee said the song was recorded privately and was not intended for public use.

"To be clear, the University and the Athletic Department disapprove of the content and its references," Dee said. "To those who may hear this material, we apologize. Any students whose voices can be identified will be subject to appropriate discipline and/or counseling."

Athletes are not the only ones who may face possible disciplinary action. According to Munzenrieder, the University has contacted his father, saying that Munzenrieder should withdraw from classes and that he must move out of campus housing.

Pat Whitely, vice president for student affairs, could not comment on any disciplinary measures Munzenrieder might face, saying that it is strictly confidential.

"They have been treating me with little respect and haven't been communicating directly to me," Munzenrieder said. "I think it's a blow to free speech at the University.

"I'm not withdrawing," he said. "I think there's been an overreaction to the song and my role in the whole thing. I'm going to try and appeal [the withdrawal]. It's kind of ridiculous."

Word of the nine-minute song spread quickly across campus, which relates the supposed sexual exploits of several football players, calling themselves the Seventh Floor Crew, thought to represent the seventh floor of Mahoney Residential College, where the players lived at the time.

"I first read it on ESPN.com and then like 20 minutes later everyone on my floor was playing it," Mike Holzer, freshman, said. "But, as far as the actual song, I think it's just a rap song like any other."

That sentiment was echoed by a number of other students though the song has been called sexually explicit, vulgar and degrading to women by members the mainstream press.

"I thought it was kind of funny; it was humorous," Jessy Antoni, freshman, said. "I think they did it all in good fun. The words obviously are a little bit offensive, but it's like any other rap song. I think it's just a huge joke, guys being guys basically."

"A rap song is a rap song," Nate Stout, junior, said. "Plus they just had a Beat Down at the Convocation Center with a bunch of rap groups that rap about the same stuff, so I don't think the University can offer any kind of punishment."

In fact, the posting of the song on the Internet has given it a new audience.

"I thought it was funny, I didn't think it was offensive at all," Brett Bailey, freshman, said. "It's my ring tone."

Larry Nolan contributed to this article.

Greg Linch can be contacted at g.linch@umiami.edu.

Can Be Like Papa and Mama, Hopefully Better...

2005-11-12T18:20:00.000+08:00

On October 27, 2005, both of my kids Hafizah (#2) and Kamil-Hafiz (#3) were judged to be the best students for English. Hafizah is in Standard 5 and Kamil-Hafiz in Standard 2. Both of them do not need to study for their English exams.

Talking about study, my kids do not go to tuition classes, do not go to agama school. I do not believe in burdening them too much on school works. I prefer them to be kids, playing, watching tv (it is good for them since the learn how to speak english). My wife does the coaching at home and I think she does a better job then the teachers. My kids are lucky to have a staying home mum (who is a qualified engineer by the way).

(The one in the middle is my fourth kid, Laila.)

IIUM Convocation Attire, What is The Fuss?

2005-11-12T16:17:00.000+08:00

Initially I refused to blog on this petty issue but it seemed that DAP, an opposition party in Malaysia is making so much fuss about the International Islamic University of Malaysia's convocation attire. To me this should not be an issue when non-Muslims students are well aware of the regulation and status of of the university (i.e., ISLAMIC university), study there for 4 years and after completion of their study make a fuss about the convocation attire (see photo on the right). This is petty (this is a polite phrase - I should use a malay proverb to describe this - "bagai melepas anjing tersepit" - literally translated as "like releasing a trapped dog". In this case, IIUM should stick to original plan which was exclusive for muslims only, no point in showing that Islam is a tolerant religion by trying to accommodate non-muslims by allocating places in IIUM (especially to one of the complainants- Ms. Foo Yueh Jiin - who admitted she could not secure a place to read law in any other universities except in IIUM - proof that she was not a bright student to begin with), because, at the end of the day, after they have achieved what they want, they will turn and bite us on our asses, just like the two non-Muslims graduates whom one of them is a DAP Member of Parliament - Ms. Fong Po Kuan).

Wearing a tudung (headcover) does not make you a muslim. Other religion also cover their heads (see photo on the left)

My advise is, just ignore Lim Kit Siang and the gang. We have more pressing issues to handle (such as declining of quality of education, 160,000 driving without valid licence, the 60,000 unemployable graduates, etc.) than this dress-code thing.

All Flat Out And Leftover Satar

2005-11-02T11:39:00.000+08:00

My whole family members were sick since 31 October 2005. We all caught flu (for male) or cold (for ladies).

I drove to KB at 6:30am (right after my sahur and fajr prayer) on 31/10/2005 to pick up my daughter (her last day of school this year was on 31/10). I reached Pengkalan Chepa at 1:30pm and made my move to KL at 2:00pm. I did not stop to break my fast but instead I just had some drinks, akok, and bahulu (which I bought at Bukit Jawa) in my car while driving. When I reach at Petronas Station at Kechau, I stopped for a few minutes to have my rice with fried beef. I was so tired that I had to stop at Raub Mosque for about half an hour to stretch. I reached home at 10:30pm.

During my journey, I was stopped and summoned by JPJ for overtaking at double-line. This is my second time in 8 years that I was caught for overtaking at double-line. I got so pissed off with old Datsun 120Y (usually in rusty red color) which plying these roads at 40-60 km/hour. From my observation, these old cars are accident hazard. We should have a minimum speed limit imposed on our highways.

Tonight, I will be finishing the leftover satar (see photo above) for my iftar. I bought 40 pieces of satar (East-cost version of otak-otak, but a bit sweet in taste). I ate about half last night for iftar and a few for my sahur. I hope the leftovers are still in "good shape". I do not want to aggravate my sensitive stomach. I think I have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

UMiami: Muslim Center Hits Monetary Roadblocks

2005-10-27T12:45:00.000+08:00

Muslim students find alternate places of worship

By Jay Rooney
Published by The Miami Hurricane: Friday, October 7, 2005

The University has several places of worship that cater to students of many different faiths-Jewish students have Hillel, Catholic students have St. Augustine, Methodist students have Wesley. But Muslim students don't have such a center, due to a lack of funding.

"This issue probably goes back 15 years-we're talking a long, long time that there's been a dialogue going on," said Rev. Joe Lortie, director and chaplain of the Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship and member of the University Chaplains Association. "The Islamic campus ministries have been trying to raise money for a number of years."

According to Dr. Pat Whitely, vice president for student affairs, funding is the main obstacle towards building an Islamic Center. "We've put the land aside, and we've engaged in a pre-design process," she said. "It's a project that would take a significant amount of money, and that money has not been raised."

Whitely said the last figures she saw pointed towards $5 million to $7 million to build the center. The land set aside for the center is in the corner diagonal to the Pavia Garage, near Hillel and the Writing Center.

Muslim students generally feel a center would be very convenient and a big improvement, although they note it's not as essential for worship as people might think.

"[Not having the center] has in no way deterred us from carrying out our religious obligations as Muslims on campus," Sarah Uddin, president of the Islamic Society of UM, said. "Muslim students between classes find their own niche on campus, whether it be a study room in the library or an empty classroom in Memorial, to make their own sanctuary."

However, she notes that this doesn't mean that Muslim students are perfectly happy with having no center."

Individuals or organizations willing to fund this project should be actively solicited from the on-campus and off-campus communities," she said.

Currently, Muslim students use places such as the ballrooms in the University Center (UC) and the Student Services Building for worship.

"[The space] is simply too small to house the hundreds or thousands of Muslims on campus," Amir Zaher, senior, said. "It is on the last floor of the [Student Services] building and many people don't feel very safe after sunset."

In addition to providing needed services, a new Muslim center would serve educational purposes. "

It will be a great leap forward in clearing many of the impeding misconceptions about Islam," he said.

With such a large amount of funding necessary, many Muslim students feel the new center may be beyond their scope, Zaher said.

"We need large contributors," he said. "It doesn't have to be through donations, but through advertisements, fundraising events, [or] showing more interest in the project."

INMINE: Muslims in University of Miami have endured this hardship as long as I can remember. In 1980's we had to find places for our friday prayer. The University was kind enough to provide us with one small office space to be used as our surau . But that is not enough to cater for Muslims who study and work in UM. I hope Muslims Alumni especially from rich Arab countries can donate generously for make the dream of having our own Islamic Center a reality.

My daughter returned home for ramadhan weekend

2005-10-21T02:20:00.000+08:00

My daugher who is currently studying in Kelantan returned home to spend her Nuzul Quran weekend last night. Her flight was at 10:55pm from KB and we arrived home at 01:30am. It was a tiring day.

She will be home for a few days and will fly back to KB on October 23, 2005.

Ramadhan Bermula

2005-10-04T05:13:00.000+08:00

Ramadhan telah bermula. Selamat datang Ramadhan, semuga aku dan keluargaku mendapat rahmat dari Allah. Aku berdoa agar kami sekeluarga berjaya menjalankan amalan puasa dengan sempurna.

Canes Tracking Hurricanes

2005-09-04T08:00:00.000+08:00

The Hurricane Rainband and Intensity Change Experiment, or RAINEX, will study how the outer rain bands, inner eye, and eye wall of a hurricane interact to influence a storm's intensity.

Unraveling a mystery: Shuyi Chen, associate professor at the Rosenstiel School (University of Miami, Florida), says project RAINEX could lead to a better understanding of rapid changes in hurricane intensity, a phenomenon that has baffled researchers for years.

Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-04T07:38:00.000+08:00

Waves crash against a boat washed onto Highway 80 as Hurricane Katrina hits the Gulf Coast Monday, Aug. 29, 2005 in Gulfport, Miss. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Almost a week has gone after Katrina hit New Orleans (Katrina hit landfalls on August 29, 2005) and other parts of US Gulf Coast, about 44 countries have pledged aids to help the Americans. Even Sri Lanka pledged USD25,000.00 to the American Red Cross.

I do not see Malaysia in the list. Are we such a hypocrite? Have we forgotten our Muqasid of the Sharia? Eventhough most of the damages will be covered by insurance, I still believe we as fellow human beings at least should offer our help. It is good for our soul.

Note:
Muqasid of the Sharia
1. Protecting the Deen
2. Protecting the Humans
3. Protecting the Minds
4. protecting the Honor
5. Protecting the Generations

Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

2005-08-31T06:45:00.000+08:00

Happy 48th Birthday Malaysia (actually Malaysia was only form on 16 September 1963). August 31, 1957 is actually an Independence Day for Malay Penisular (Persekutuan Tanah Melayu).

A New Handphone

2005-08-27T06:32:00.000+08:00

I bought a new handphone on 22 August 2005. I bought a Sony Ericsson K750i since I need a handphone with 2.0 megapixel camera capability. I need this phone primarily for photo-taking during my trips. This phone I use for my Maxis line whereas for my Celcom line I use Nokia 3660.

K750i is a nice phone to look at especially the one in black. The sound quality is good. The photos taken using its camera are also very sharp (will post some photos later). What I do not like is the user-unfriendliness of the menus. I do not like the joystick.

I remembered my first handphone was an NEC primero (AMPS 800) line. I got this phone for free actually. My FIRST phone that I bought myself was an Ericsson flip-phone (it was the smallest at the time). I will always compare mobilephone with this one.

Currently I own 4 Nokia phones (use with 4 diferrent numbers - 2 Maxis, and 2 Celcom).

Any Vacancy?

2005-08-23T21:24:00.000+08:00

It is time for me to move on.

After almost a month observing our new CEO in action, I came to the conclusion that my future is not with this organization. This organization requires someone with R&D background, some who are good with human relations, someone who does not require protocols, someone who can nurture the R&D culture.

To have after-office-hour meetings is not good for the soul. Not good for creativity.

So anyone needs someone with more than 15 years of experience in R&D, someone who has experience in managing R&D outfit, someone with experience as CEO of ICT company? Drop me a line...

Left-Handers Lament

2005-08-18T07:23:00.000+08:00

Left-Handers Lament by Ian Radburn

Now here's the story of my life,
I've had fun but lots of strife,
For I was born left-handed, but I'm proud
To be one of the elite, right-handers we can beat
We're the 10% that stand out from the crowd!

But as a little lad, oh the problems that I had
Winding clockwork toys was just a mystery
Tying laces was a pain, couldn't get it in my brain
Everything was back-to-front it seemed to me

Chorus
We're the Cack-Handed Kings, we're the LEFTIES
You right-handers just haven't got a clue
'Cos if you'd been through what we've been through
Then maybe you would feel superior too!

At 5 I started school where I was treated like a fool
Being left-handed I stood out from the pack
And learning how to write was not a struggle - more a fight
For I had my left hand tied behind my back

"Now get it in your head" the sympathetic teacher said
"You use the right and not the Devil's side"
Those supposed men of vision caused me pain and such derision
Is it any wonder often times I cried?

We're the Gibble Fisted Friends, we're the LEFTIES (repeat chorus)

Time then came when my voice dropped
And my face was one big spot
But I was glad to see my teenage years arrive,
Because I use my left, I was different from the rest
And the girls saw me as something of a prize!

I learned some handy tricks in the back row of the flicks
It used to drive my girlfriends all berserk
For their eyes would keep apace of my right hand - just in case
And they never saw my left one go to work!

We're the Southpawed Princes, we're the LEFTIES (repeat chorus)

Well I'm married now, worst luck
But my wife has given up
Asking me to help with chores like peeling spuds,
Or trying to cut the bread, I'll get a 4 x 2" wedge
Lose three fingertips and half a pint of blood

I would love to be a dad, but we've hit a little snag
If you can help please tell us what to do
The problem simply said, is that I'm a left-hand thread
But my wife you see, now she's a right-hand .....OH, YES WE'RE THE

Scrummy-Handed Heroes, we're the LEFTIES (repeat chorus)

Now we reach today, where you stand and watch me play
And yes, I play right-handed it is true
For the very simple fact is that I've had to adapt
Something all we southpaws have to try and do

We have trouble tying ties, writing cheques out, using knives
and scissors made for use in your right hand
And when it comes to sport once again we are left short
In hockey and in polo we are banned

We're the Cuddy Wifter Winners, we're the LEFTIES (repeat chorus)

Now I've finished off my song and as you move along
Please bear in mind the things I've had to say
And please show some respect for your friends who use the left
Thanks for listening to me this Left-Handers Day.

Copyright: Ian Radburn, 2004

Happy Leftie Day

2005-08-13T23:18:00.000+08:00

I hope i am not too late to wish a Happy Leftie Day to all the southpaws out there. Today is an International Left-Handers Day. And I am one of them. Most of my children strated to use their left hand but maybe due to them spending most of the time with my wife, they are all right-handed.

The first Left-handers day was celebrated on August 13, 1976. The day was chosen because it was Friday the 13th and a way to poke fun at the superstitions that surrounded left-handed people for years.

What A Hazy Day

2005-08-12T06:21:00.000+08:00

Woke up late yesterday and felt very lethargic. Decided not to send my kid to school and let them stayed at home. On the way to the office, the visibility was very low (less than 100 meter).

My neighborhood at 8:30am 11/8/05: On the way to work

I had an outdoor lunch today at Bangi together with 20+ of my researchers. I took them to lunch to celebrate the one who got promotions. The thing is i do not know which one got the promotion and which one did not. It was so secret that the immediate boss was not in the know. But other staff sure did. So much secrecy that it renders the bosses to be ineffective in doing their jobs.

Back to haze, well it was still hazy at 2:30pm in UPM-MTDC.

UPM-MTDC at 2:30pm 11/8/05: On the way to work

After lunch I went straight to my PhD class at UIA. Today (11/8/2005) I started my class at 3:30pm (with Computer Network Security) and supposed to end with a Seminar class. Officially I do not have to take any classes except Seminar and Engineering Ethics in order to complete my PhD, but I try to structure my PhD to be similar to PhD program in US where students need to complete 30 credits and complete a Thesis before they can be called a Dr. So now I am auditing Advanced Computer Communication Network, Distributed Multimedia Systems, Computer Network Security, Seminar, and Engineering Ethics. my courseload (15 credits) is definitely more than the Masters student.

At about 5:00pm (after my Security class), we were informed that the university to be closed for the day until further notice due to haze. So I decided to go straight home. One the way home I snapped the photo below:

MRR2: View from my Car (5:20pm 11/8/05)

14th Anniversary

2005-08-08T18:14:00.000+08:00

I totally forgotten my 14th wedding anniversary on August 04, 2005 and to top it off I also forgotten my wife's birthday on August 05, 2005.

So happy belated 14th wedding anniversary to me and my wife. And happy belated wedding anniversary.

Spring Cleaning

2005-08-04T14:06:00.000+08:00

On August 01, 2005, my organization welcome our new CEO. The "mantan CEO" was "persuaded" to retire 15 months early. I hope the new CEO will bring fresh ideas to innovate the organization.

Poetry In Motion

2005-08-03T16:56:00.000+08:00

I always listen to Light & Easy FM and today, on my way to UIA for my PhD class, I heard an oldie called "Poetry In Motion" by Johnny Tillotson. Well my memory wonders to my high school days in 1980's where I used to call a schoolmate of mine (same batch but different class) "Poetry In Motion" due to her style of walking - Simply Graceful. Here is the lyrics to the song (#2 in Top 40 in 1960):

When I see my baby
What do I see ?
Poetry

Poetry in motion...

Poetry in motion
Walkin' by my side
Her lovely locomotion
Keeps my eyes open wide

Poetry in motion
See her gentle sway
A wave out on the ocean
Could never move that way
I love every movement
There's nothing I would change
She doesn't need improvement
She's much too nice to rearrange

Poetry in motion
Dancing close to me
A flower of devotion
A-swaying gracefully

Oh A-whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa
A-whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa
A-whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa
Whoa

Poetry in motion
See her gentle sway
A wave out on the ocean
Could never move that way
I love every movement
There's nothing I would change
She doesn't need improvement
She's much too nice to rearrange

Poetry in motion
All that I adore
No number-nine love potion
Could make me love her more

Oh A-whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa
A-whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa
FADE A-whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa Whoa

Writing Instruments

2005-05-14T13:49:00.000+08:00

I am now into collecting Writing Instruments (i.e., fine fountain pens, rollerball pens, ballpoint pens, and mechanical pencils). I have now in my collection Graf Von Faber-Castell (Grenadilla), Parker (Sonnet Sterling Silver), Waterman (Expert).

I am now eyeing Waterman Exception, Parket 100, Parker Doufold, Pelikan Piazza Navona Special Edition, Pelikan Souveran M805 Silver and Pelikan Toledo 900 to be added into my collection. And of course the ultimate items to be added into collection are the Namikis and Nakayas

I also collect pen pouches. Anyone to sponsor my collection?

Happy Belated Mother's Day

2005-05-09T13:00:00.000+08:00

To all Mothers out there. Happy Mother's Day. Here is a nice Poem in Besut Kelantanese dialect.

Al-Fatihah

2005-05-09T12:25:00.000+08:00

My Father

At 9:35am on May 05, 2005 I received a phone call from my brother informing me my father had difficulties breathing. I was in a meeting at the time. I had two scheduled meetings on the day and I was planning to go back to my hometown to visit my sick father on Saturday May 07, 2005.

At 4:00pm the same day, I received another call, informing me that my father has passed away. He passed away at 3:30pm on 05/05/05. At that time I was attending a technical talk at my office and I immediately left the office for home. The impact of the passing of my father only hit me about half-an-hour after receiving the news. During my journey home, I could not contain my emotion that I cried alone in my car along the way from my office to my house. My sadness was compounded when I received another call informing me that his relative planned to bury him after Isya' prayer on the same day. My siblings and I definitely could not make it in time for the burial service. I always have this idea that, we, the five sons (I am his third son) will together carry our father's remains to the grave. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be.

During my juorney home, I encountered many unexpected event (which I considered as God's test) where my car broke down along the way and had to stay overnight in Gua Musang.

My father was 84 year-old when he passed away and he has been sick for the last 3 weeks. I got to visit him when he was sick and I was planning to visit him every week thereafter. It was not meant to be. At least I knew God loved him and not make him suffer for long. I pray to God so that he will be placed among the good Muslims in Heaven. Amen.

God is On My Side

2005-04-25T18:03:00.000+08:00

Well ... today my organization held a "Sehari Bersama CEO".

Guess what? I won one of the lucky draw prizes. It is a way for God to show to the whole company that I was there.

I guessed, God will always be on the side of the Right. Even if he (I meant "me") is considered by some as a "heretic"...

Attending Training

2005-04-25T14:47:00.000+08:00

I am attending training on Expert Forecasting System by Dr. Ilkka Karanta from April 25 until April 29, 2005. One of his papers is here

For My Wife

2005-04-22T14:26:00.000+08:00

i carry your heart with me
by ee cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

A Blue Woman With Sticking Out Breasts Hanging

2005-04-21T19:36:00.000+08:00

A Blue Woman With Sticking Out Breasts Hanging
by E. E. Cummings

a blue woman with sticking out breasts hanging
clothes. On the line. not so old
for the mother of twelve undershirts(we are told
by is it Bishop Taylor who needs hanging

that marriage is a sure cure for masturbation).

A dirty wind,twitches the,clothes which are clean
—this is twilight,
a little puppy hopping between
skipping
children
(It is the consummation
of day,the hour)she says to me you big fool
she says i says to her i says Sally
i says
the

mmmoon,begins to,drool

softly,in the hot alley,

a nigger’s voice feels curiously cool
(suddenly-Lights go!on,by schedule

Decided to Take Kipling's Advice

2005-04-21T11:37:00.000+08:00

After the goin-ons in the office I decided to take Kipling's advice:

If by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

My Commitment Was Questioned...

2005-04-15T15:16:00.000+08:00

Yesterday late evening(April 14, 2005), my boss called me to his room and he informed me that in the Management Meeting, the CEO questioned my committment. My boss told me that he defended me and "cover" for me.

Today, I checked with others present in the meeting, they were unanimous that my boss did not explain to the CEO about my predicament. One of the Management Team members told me the comment made was "He rarely present during functions which I attended and always has the excuse of sick wife, sick children, he himself sick, but when it come to golf he always present").

The thing is I got food poisoning and could not give an unofficial briefing at one of the workshop conducted by one of the project teams under my program.

It seemed that I was charged, tried,and punished without giving me a chance to defend myself. The minutes of meeting will be a permanent record as long as the company is in existance. The charges against me was so vague that it has to be coming from complaints from one of my "boys" who tried to save his skin.

The point is I do not need defending and I do not need covering. What I need is for my boss to tell the truth.

In this case should I request for a meeting with the Top Management to highlight to him how this subsidiary is being managed? What do you think guys?

STUPID Drivers

2005-04-03T22:38:00.000+08:00

This morning, when I was on my way to my golf game with Prof. JJ Hwang from Kunsan National University, Korea, I was stucked in the traffic jam. It was very unusual for the road that I took (Middle Ring Road 2 - MRRII) to jam on Sunday morning. I switched on the radio and I heard an announcement about the cause of the jam. It was a fatal accident involving 3 cars near Flamingo Hotel, Ampang.

After came back from my golf game, I received an email meant for my wife informing about her friend who is in the hospital due to road accident. Yeap.. she was involved in the fatal accident which I mentioned above. It seemed that the driver of Proton Wira from Cheras direction towards Gombak lost control of the car and the car literally flew and hit my wife's friend Merc from the opposite direction. The driver and the passenger of the Proton Wira died instantly. My wife's friend and the family were considered lucky and excaped with a broken leg and a son with pieces of glass embedded in his face.

While stuck in the jam, I cursed the driver who caused the accident and took others lives. "Even in death still caused others misery".

UPDATE:
The Merz's driver was the CFO of Celcom.

Bye, Bye Mat Skodeng Squad

2005-03-26T16:18:00.000+08:00

At last, Malacca's Mat Skodeng Squad (Peeping Tom Squad which consists of the members of 4B Youth - meant to police the morality of the public) has been directed to disband by the Malaysian Cabinet. At least someone in Cabinet has some common sense. BRAVO...

I remember when I was a student in USA, a group of Malaysian students who considered themselves as religious, setup a team which went around to other Malaysian students' appartment to peep and check on their sexual or close-proximity activities. At least in USA we can depend oh the police to catch these peeping toms...

STUPID Members of Parliament

2005-03-24T09:47:00.000+08:00

STUPID and WASTING TAXPAYERS' MONEY...

Datuk Rosli Mat Hassan (BN - Dungun)

In the New Straits Times dated March 23, 2005, The ruling party BN's MP from Dungun, Datuk Rosli Mat Hassan wanted the advertisement on courtesy to be withdrawn as it did not accurately reflect what an educated Malay man was like. His call was supported by an MP from my state. Mohd Alwi Che Ahmad (BN - Ketereh).

Please Mr. MPs, do not waste my tax money on trivial issues. We elected you to debate more important issues than a TV commercial.

UnemployABLE Malaysian Graduates

2005-03-22T11:40:00.000+08:00

In the New Sunday Times date March 20, 2005 Abdul Razak Ahmad wrote about unemployable Malaysian graduates. In his article, at last we start to recognize the problem is more on the quality of the graduates produced. "Soft-skills" such as ability to communicate effectively, and analyze and solve problems efficiently has been pinpointed as the culprit of the unemployable graduates.

We in the private sector knew this long time ago. We have been shouting about the quality of the graduates for the last many years.

Producing straight-A's students at SPM level is not enough. Let us take the latest SPM's Best Student performance who achieved 17A1's. At least 3 subjects were redundant for example Tasawur Islam is actually part of Islamic Studies, English for Science & Technology is part of English subject, and Basic Science is already covered under Biology, Physics and Chemistry.

Are we a nation which only loves for big numbers regardless of quality?

To Hell With Indonesia

2005-03-10T20:54:00.000+08:00

I was never comfortable with hiring Indonesians to fill up vacancies in Malaysian job markets. I was never comfortable with special treatment given to Indonesians eventhough these people broke Malaysian laws by being in the country illegally. And I was never comfortable for verbal instruction given by my employer to recruit more Indonesians professionals.

Illegal immigrant from Indonesia hiding in Selangor singing "Indonesia Raya". See here for context.

To hell with them. Malay has a saying for this kind of situation "Bagai melepas anjing tersepit di pagar" (meaning "like releasing a dog from a trap, at the end it turns and bites us").

What a Hectic Few Days

2005-03-08T16:05:00.000+08:00

My weekend was ruined. My third daughter (child number 4) suddenly fell ill on Saturday March 5, 2005 and we had to admit her at the Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital for observation. She has very high fever and had to take blood samples to rule out dengue fever.

My wife and I had to stay in the hospital together with her and our youngest daughter and had to leave the other 3 (also sick) at home to fend for themselves (technically I have my mother with them but she is now unreliable due to old age).

Note: Just got back from the hospital (Mar. 8, 2005 7:57pm). My daughter has been discharged from the hospital about one hour ago.

Rational - Architect (iNTp)

2005-03-08T15:42:00.000+08:00

I took the Keirsey Test today and guess what? I am an Architect (i.e., Phlegmatic "NT"). Which a rare breed considering only about 5% - 7% of the world population are considered Rationals- Phlegmatics (about 8-10% are Idealists- Cholerics, about 40% are Artisans- Sanguines, and about 40-45% are Guardians- Melancholics).

I am in a good company of Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Abraham Lincoln, and Steve Wozniak - just to name a few.

"To me it suffices to wonder at these secrets and to attempt humbly to grasp with my mind a mere image of the lofty structure of all that there is." - Albert Einstein a Rational Architect

Note: The result contradicts the Personality Profile test done which classify me as "Powerful Choleric" (i.e., Idealist "NF" according to Keirsey). The contradiction must be due to influence of my learned skills on my personality. Either I am a Rationals or Idealists, I am still in the rare group.

Texts below are taken from here (By Danielle Poirier):
Rodin's Thinker is introverted. Here these thinkers ponder the apparent chaos of the world in order to extract from it the universal truths and principles that can be counted on. These principles, once extracted, will provide the logical structure on which to build strategies.

They have a finely nuanced ability to analyse situations, find root causes and foresee consequences. They distrust action taken too quickly without the necessary investigation. They are usually levelheaded, objective, impersonal yet intensely involved in problem solving. They are fiercely independent, seeking input and comments from a chosen few. When reporting to others, they need to establish credibility first: their own and that of the person they are reporting to. If the gap in knowledge and expertise is too great and their own proficiency dismissed, belittled or ignored, they will lose interest and motivation.

They are less interested in running the world as they are in understanding it. They are curious and capable of explaining complex political, economic or technological problems, taking great pleasure in explaining all the factors and intricacies. They are rigorous with their thoughts and analysis, choosing the exact words that convey precisely what is meant. They may spend a lot of time defining words, concepts and systems in order to define a problematic solution.

They are armchair detectives, scientists and philosophers, spending most of their time in quiet reflection to ponder truth, and solve mysteries. They may tend to neglect social requirements and responsibilities, finding many relationships to be too superficial to be of much interest.

After JAWI now JAIP

2005-03-02T16:23:00.000+08:00

After JAWI made a blunder for overzealously detained Muslims for indecent exposure at Zouk, now Taiping Religious Department (JAIPerak) has joined the crowd by wrongfully arresting a non-Muslim transvestite, Ravi Varma Nambiar. He/She(?) has lodged a police report on his wrongful arrest. (The Star, 2 March 2005)

Another black-eye for "The Defender of The Faith". Yo! you have done a great dis-service to Islam.

Student-Athletes

2005-03-02T11:08:00.000+08:00

Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato' Seri Najib announced a few days ago that student-athletes will be given 10% exemption on their credit hours for graduation. Is this the right decision?

In my opinion, this is wrong. Why not we learn from the American Universities such as my alma mater University of Miami, where instead of giving exemptions these student-athletes were given extra coaching in their studies? I used to be in the same class with these jocks (baseball players, football players) and they did the same assignment, the same examinations, and the same deadlines. And they were performers not only on the field but also in class.

Abang Haji, oh.. Abang Haji

2005-02-28T19:59:00.000+08:00

Is this the same Abang Haji from Mediface Technologies. It has his signature written all over this websites, www.usahaniaga.net and www.worxout.com

Anyone want to dig further?

Only In My Mind

2005-02-28T15:04:00.000+08:00

Only in my mind