Saturday, October 9, 2010

Nostalgic Weekend - The Surfers/October Cherries

During the late 60s and early 70s, The October Cherries were one of the most innovative local groups in Singapore and Malaysia. They have about 20 albums to their credit. They started their recording career as The Surfers, and branched out on their own as the October Cherries and Jade & Pepper in the later years.

On the recommendation of the band leader of the Surfers, the group signed with Baal Records. Their first record was distributed by EMI with "Hooray for Hazel" reaching No.1 in Singapore and Malaysia. Not happy with EMI and to avoid legal hassels, the group decided to change its name to October Cherries with recording, production and distribution moving to Baal Records in 1968.The virgin release on Baal of Cucucu Choo and Coffee Toffee Squares hit No. 1 in Brazil, Singapore and Malaysia consecutively. The Vietnam war was coming down and Bangkok was booming. Psychedelic clubs become a wave in the U.S. The Montein Hotel Group in Bangkok opens its state of the art mind-blowing disco, The An-an featuring the October Cherries. The Cherries packed in thousands to the disco.

A compilation of some of their previous hits were released on CD in 1995. It included titles like Something I Like About You, Coffee Toffee Squares, Don't Tell It To Jane, Far Away Now, Cu Cu Cu Choo, I'll Wait, All Alone Like The Deep & Lonely Sea, Felicia-Flowers For Your Grave, I Love Suzie, All Things Work Together For Good To Them That Love God, Butterfly, Please Love Me, Beautiful Sunday, Chingay, Can't Stand The Pace, I Wanna Be Loved By You, This Is A Love Song and Bad Trip. A "must-buy" for all their fans.

According to the October Cherries website, it seems that the song "Far Away Now" was later adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber to become the song "Don’t Cry for Me Argentina" in the musical "Evita"! Now how’s that for far reaching?





Wednesday, October 6, 2010

UMNO and Critical Thinking

View the video to see the anti-thesis .....

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

President Herman Van Rompuy and Najib Abdul Razak

A conversation between President Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council and Najib Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia.

President Herman: Najib, You kept on saying that Malaysia is a moderate Muslim country, but this is not the feedback I have been receiving.

Najib: What made you say so?

President Herman: From my well informed sources in Malaysia, I understand that there have been too many body-snatching cases involving the decease of non-Muslims?

Najib : Yes, but it is only natural that deceased Muslims must be buried according to Muslim rites. We don't stop Christians nor Hindus if they want to bury their dead. We fully respect their rites. Actually, I don't see any problem here. But, considering this, we are still a moderate Muslim country.

President Herman: But don't you guys show any empathy towards the grieving family? Wouldn't they be traumatised?

Najib: As a Muslim govt, our concern is only for the Muslim dead. Since the family is non-Muslim, they are disregarded in this case.

President Herman: What about the Lina Joy case? Can't a person convert to a religion of his/her choice?

Najib: No. She is a Muslim, period, from womb to tomb. But not to worry. We normally send a person like Lina Joy to a rehabilitation camp to get her to repent. Considering that, we are still a moderate Muslim country.

President Herman: Another thing, is the recent "Allah" issue. Why can't the Christians use the word since it is already an accepted practice in the Middle Eastern countries where Muslims and non-Muslims have been using the word since the dawn of Islam.

Najib: Er ... Sorry, this is Malaysia and we have our own practices here. The word is definitely out of bounds to non-Muslims, but considering this, we are still a moderate Muslim country.

President Herman: What about the natives in your Borneo states who have been using the word for centuries? Don't you think it is callous on the part of your govt just to yank it away all of a sudden? Wouldn't the natives be religiously traumatised?

Najib: Er ... not to worry. They will get over it. Our chief ministers of the two Borneo states will make sure they will be well looked after come every election.

President Herman: The Chief Minister of your Penang state recently, as part of the state welfare scheme for the elderlies, offered RM100 to each senior citizen, but this was spurned by your party as they said it was "sin" money since it was derived from a donation made by a turf club.

Najib: We have to reject this as it is against our religion to accept money from "sinful" sources, and the Chief Minister should have known better, that such an act is against our religious practice.

President Herman: Since the population of your country comprise of 40% non-Muslims, and even your former prime minister, Mahathir, said that the Chinese contributed 80% to the nation's tax, wouldn't you yourself be receiving money that is tainted as well.

Najib: This is different, because the money comes direct from tax payers.

President Herman: Okay, but where do you think the tax payer's money come from?

Najib: It doesn't matter as long as it is not directly from a "sinful" source.

Prsident Herman: Oh, I see. Since gambling is sinful which I do agree with you, then would you call for the resignation of Muslim directors in companies such as your casino company, Genting; brewery company like Guiness-Anchor or even betting outfits such as Berjaya Toto? Even a son of your former prime minister is a shareholder in San Miguel, Philippines.

Najib: No it is not necessary since these directors need to earn to maintain their lifestyles. If they were forced to resign, then the bumiputra stake in the nation's economy would drop to less than 5%. We can't have that, can we since our current goal is to reach 30%.

President Herman: Even if it means involving in "sinful" business?

Najib: Now you see why I am having a real headache managing a multi-racial, multi-religious country. But considering this, we are still a moderate Muslim country.

President Herman: Recently, your party and some Muslim NGOs associated with your party, kicked up a row about one opposition member, a non-Muslim lady, for stepping into a mosque, when all she did was to hand over a cheque as part of a charity drive to a mosque in conjunction with the Ramadhan celebration.

Najib: Yes, as a non-Muslim, she should not have done that. It is not permissible in Islam for a non-Muslim to step into a mosque.

President Herman: But one non-Muslim female member from your governing coalition did the same thing at one mosque not so long ago.

President Herman: That's right, but she wore loose clothing, whereas the lady from the opposition party wore a tight dress similar to that of the Singapore Airline air stewardess. We can't have that, can we? She is a Malaysian so how can she be promoting Singapore? This is so unpatriotic. But considering this, we are still a moderate Muslim country.

President Herman: I tell you what, Najib. Don't call us, we'll call you. Have a good day.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Monday Humour

HOW TO START A FIGHT

One year, I decided to buy my mother-in-law a cemetery plot as a
Christmas gift...
The next year, I didn't buy her a gift.
When she asked me why, I replied,
"Well, you still haven't used the gift I bought you last year!"
And that's how the fight started.....
________________________________

My wife and I were watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire while we were in
bed.
I turned to her and said, 'Do you want to have Sex?'
'No,' she answered. I then said,
'Is that your final answer?'
She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying, 'Yes..'
So I said, "Then I'd like to phone a friend."
And that's when the fight started...
________________________________

I took my wife to a restaurant.
The waiter, for some reason, took my order first.
"I'll have the rump steak, rare, please."
He said, "Aren't you worried about the mad cow?"
"Nah, she can order for herself."
And that's when the fight started.....
________________________________

My wife and I were sitting at a table at her high school reunion, and she
kept staring at a drunken man swigging his drink as he sat alone at a nearby
table.
I asked her, "Do you know him?"
"Yes", she sighed,
"He's my old boyfriend.... I understand he took to drinking right after we
split up those many years ago, and I hear he hasn't been sober since."
"My God!" I said, "Who would think a person could go on celebrating that
long?"
And then the fight started...
________________________________

When our lawn mower broke and wouldn't run, my wife kept hinting to me
that I should get it fixed. But, somehow I always had something else to
take care of first, the shed, the boat, making beer.. Always something more
important to me. Finally she thought of a clever way to make her point.
When I arrived home one day, I found her seated in the tall grass, busily
snipping away with a tiny pair of sewing scissors. I watched silently for
a short time and then went into the house.. I was gone only a minute, and
when I came out again I handed her a toothbrush. I said, "When you finish
cutting the grass, you might as well sweep the driveway."
The doctors say I will walk again, but I will always have a limp.
________________________________

My wife sat down next to me as I was flipping channels.
She asked, "What's on TV?"
I said, "Dust."
And then the fight started...
________________________________

Saturday morning I got up early, quietly dressed, made my lunch, and
slipped quietly into the garage. I hooked up the boat up to the van, and
proceeded to back out into a torrential downpour. The wind was blowing 50
mph , so I pulled back into the garage, turned on the radio, and discovered that the
weather would be bad all day. I went back into the house, quietly
undressed, and slipped back into bed.. I cuddled up to my wife's back, now
with a different anticipation, and whispered, "The weather out there is terrible."
My loving wife of 5 years replied, "And, can you believe my stupid husband
is out fishing in that?"
And that's how the fight started...
________________________________

My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary.
She said, "I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 150 in about 3
seconds."
I bought her a bathroom scale.
And then the fight started......
________________________________

After retiring, I went to the Social Security office to apply for Social
Security.
The woman behind the counter asked me for my driver's License to verify my
age.
I looked in my pockets and realized I had left my wallet at home.
I told the woman that I was very sorry, but I would have to go home and come
back later.
The woman said, 'Unbutton your shirt'.
So I opened my shirt revealing my curly silver hair.
She said, 'That silver hair on your chest is proof enough for me' and she
processed my Social Security application.
When I got home, I excitedly told my wife about my experience at the Social
Security office...
She said, 'You should have dropped your pants. You might have gotten
disability, too.'
And then the fight started.
________________________________

My wife was standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror.
She was not happy with what she saw and said to me,
"I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly.
I really need you to pay me a compliment.'
I replied, "Your eyesight's damn near perfect."
And then the fight started........