Simon Says....

Before the start of this season, American Idol said Simon Cowell will be softer in his judgements this time around.


The best part of watching “American Idol” for me is to listen to sly comments from the most mordant judge Simon Cowell and I can say that he has not mellowed down. Here are some from this year's show.

"You are a complete and utter drama queen. I’ve never met anyone else in my life, with the exception of Paula, who was so desperate to be famous." -- To Tatiana Del Toro

"We know you're a good singer, but I thought that was clumsy and amateurish." --To Danny Gokey

“I couldn’t wait for it to end.” - To Michael Sarvar

"The good news is, you look good. The bad news is, it was horrible, and whoever is advising you, I would fire." --To Megan Joy

"Standing now the way you are, you could be at a bus stop." --To Kris Allen

"I couldn't understand a single word. ... You could have been singing in Norwegian." --To Michael Sarver

“It's as if you were one of those girls who have to sing at a wedding and are forced to sing a song somebody's requested." --To Lil Rounds

"I thought it was absolute indulgent rubbish." --To Adam Lambert

"It was corny, and you were out of your depth." --To Jorge

"The vocals were brilliant. You are one heck of a singer. ... The dancing was hideous." --To Danny

"It's fine being artistic. Just not on this show." --To Scott

"You are beginning to become a bit boring." --To Jasmine

"You’re like a little hamster trying to be a tiger." -- to Alex Wagner-Trugman

"Nathaniel, I think you probably would." -- To Nathaniel Marshall who sang "I Would Do Anything For Love," by Meat Loaf

"You've actually got kind of a nice voice, but it was too cool for school." --To Jesse

"It was arguably one of the most atrocious performances we have ever had at this stage of the competition." --To Nick/Norman Gentle

Cricket Extras - SMS of the week

[An SMS chat on Cricket]

Brother Spin [in New Zealand]: "Just met a bloke called Mike Whitney. Says he played 12 Tests for Australia. Any amusing anecdotes?"

The Spin: "Ask him about the time he dropped Botham at Old Trafford in 1981"

Brother Spin: "Mike says f*** off"

Old man scares off burglars with a bugle!

A pensioner scared off two burglars who broke into his home with a loud blast on his bugle


Alex West, 78, hid behind a door and gave the two men a "short sharp burst" when they crept past.

The bachelor, who lives alone, keeps the homemade instrument on his pillow for "emergencies".

He said the burglars, who broke in through a downstairs window at 2.40am on Wednesday, ran off empty-handed only to be caught by Police.

Mr. West said “It's is the best burglar alarm a man can have. Now the neighbours will always know if I'm in trouble".

Point to Ponder: Burglars blown away?

The Decider Decides To Write Decision Points.

Former US President George W Bush, probably the most quoted President, who once famously called himself a “Decider” has decided to write a book about some of the decisions he made during his eight years in office, tentatively called Decision Points.

If his writing turns out to be as good as his speeches were or if he decides to include his quotes that he came up with during his tenure in this book, Decision Points will sure be an International Best Seller. Let's take a peek at some of his quotes.

Here they are:

“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.” - George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004

"One of the very difficult parts of the decision I made on the financial crisis was to use hardworking people's money to help prevent there to be a crisis." -George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Jan. 12, 2009

"In terms of the economy, look, I inherited a recession; I am ending on a recession." -George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Jan. 12, 2009

“The ambassador and the general were briefing me on the — the vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a peaceful, free world. And we will find these people and we will bring them to justice.” -George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Oct. 27, 2003.

"I've abandoned free market principles to save the free market system." -George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Dec. 16, 2008

“I am here to make an announcement that this Thursday, ticket counters and airplanes will fly out of Ronald Reagan Airport.” —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Oct. 3, 2001

"He was a great father before politics, a great father during politics and a great father after politics." -George W. Bush, on his father, George H.W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Nov. 12, 2008

“Wow! Brazil is big.” after being shown a map of Brazil by Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brasilia, Brazil, Nov. 6, 2005

"I'm coming as the president of a friend, and I'm coming as a sportsman." -George W. Bush, on his trip to the Olympics in China, Washington, D.C., July 30, 2008

"Amigo! Amigo!" -George W. Bush, calling out to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Spanish at the G-8 Summit, Rusutsu, Japan, July 10, 2008

"Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have helped transform 13small colonies into a great and growing nation of more than 300 people." -George W. Bush, Charlottesville, Va., July 4, 2008

"And I, unfortunately, have been to too many disasters as president." -George W. Bush, discussing flooding in the Midwest, Washington, D.C., June 17, 2008

"Your eminence, you're looking good." -George W. Bush to Pope Benedict XVI, using the title for Catholic cardinals, rather than addressing him as "your holiness," Rome, June 13, 2008

"We've got a lot of relations with countries in our neighborhood." -George W. Bush, Kranj, Slovenia, June 10, 2008

"One of the things important about history is to remember the true history." -George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 6, 2008

"Let's make sure that there is certainty during uncertain times in our economy." -George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 2, 2008

"We got plenty of money in Washington. What we need is more priority." -George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 2, 2008

"And so the fact that they purchased the machine meant somebody had to make the machine. And when somebody makes a machine, it means there are jobs at the machine-making place." -George W. Bush, Mesa, Arizona, May 27, 2008

"I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office." -George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008

"Removing Saddam Hussein was the right decision early in my presidency, it is the right decision now, and it will be the right decision ever." -George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., March 12, 2008

"And so, General, I want to thank you for your service. And I appreciate the fact that you really snatched defeat out of the jaws of those who are trying to defeat us in Iraq." --George W. Bush, to Army Gen. Ray Odierno, Washington, D.C., March 3, 2008

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? ... That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Feb. 28, 2008

"Caution Slippery Floor" sign on a carpeted area!

What a great start I had to my day today. I saw this caution sign on a dry carpeted area at my office lobby in Hong Kong. I bursted out and clicked this picture.

Drunk driver crashes, exposes pot farm.

Authorities in San Diego said a 63-year-old man suspected of drunken driving crashed his pickup truck into a neighbor's house, leaving a gaping hole and revealing a small marijuana farm inside. San Diego police got a search warrant after the Sunday afternoon crash and confiscated more than 20 pot plants from the house.

Police said no one was inside the house, and neighbors told officers the residents were gone on a ski trip. No one was injured in the crash.

Point to Ponder: Who said “drunk driving” is bad?

Songs to listen to during economic slowdown!

With the global economy in doldrums, more and more of us are starting to feel the heat. Of course, this is not the first time the world has found itself falling on hard economic times, and there are plenty of songs about tightening one's budget. Here's a list of 10 of the great folk songs to listen to during this economic slowdown.

1. "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" by EY Harburg and Jay Gooney.

This is one of the most popular songs left over from the Great Depression, and was written in 1932. The lyrics talk from the point of view of the average American worker who built the railroad and other areas of modern industry and then were discarded from their jobs after the stock market crash.

Lyrics:

They used to tell me I was building a dream.
And so I followed the mob When there was earth to plow
Or guns to bear I was always there right on the job.
They used to tell me I was building a dream
With peace and glory ahead.
Why should I be standing in line just waiting for bread?

2. "All I Want (I Don't Want Your Millions Mister)" by Jim Garland

This song seems suddenly incredibly relevant again, as it talks about difficult economic times from the point of view of the average folks who must struggle in the face of layoffs while Wall Street gets bailed out by the government. It was written by Jim Garland in the 1930s and performed by the Almanac Singers.

Lyrics:

Now, I don't want your Rolls-Royce, Mister,
I don't want your pleasure yacht.
All I want's just food for my babies;
Give to me my old job back.

3. "Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)," by Randy Newman

Randy Newman has always been a songwriter of tremendous nostalgia and foresight, and this song from his 1974 release Good Old Boys talks to the struggle of the working class during difficult economic times.

Lyrics:

I know it may sound funny
But people everywhere are running out of money
We just can't make it by ourself
It is cold and the wind is blowing
We need something to keep us going
Mr. President have pity on the working man

4. "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?" by Blind Alfred Reed

This tune by the great Blind Alfred Reed was recorded in 1929, the same year as the stock market crash. The lyrics look at a time not too long ago when the average working person could afford the basic things they needed to get by. Then, in the wake of Wall Street's demise, suddenly had to struggle just to make ends meet. Sound familiar?

Lyrics:

There once was a time when everything was cheap,
But now prices nearly puts a man to sleep.
When we pay our grocery bill,
We just feel like making our will

5. "No Depression in Heaven," by AP Carter

This song, from one of folk music's most lauded family bands, was recorded originally in 1936, when the Great Depression had been affecting the country for some time. It talks about just being tired of watching the effects of hard times on their fellow man. It's a spiritual song about the promise of there being no economic hardship in the afterlife.

Lyrics:

I'm going where there's no depression,
To the lovely land that's free from care.
I'll leave this world of toil and trouble,
My home's in Heaven, I'm going there.

6. "Do Re Mi," by Woody Guthrie

"Do Re Mi" is one of many anthems by Woody Guthrie about not having enough money to get by. It tells the story of families who went to California during the Great Depression thinking there would be plenty of work and jobs, and finding instead that they wound up even further in poverty and debt.

Lyrics:

California is a garden of Eden
A paradise to live in or to see
But believe it or not, you won't find it so hot
If you ain't got the do re mi.

7. "Workin Man Blues," by Merle Haggard

Merle Haggard has always written compelling story-songs, and his "Workin Man Blues" is no exception. The song talks about having an impressive work ethic, despite the fact that working never seem to bring home enough money to make ends meet.

Lyrics:

It's a big job just gettin' by with nine kids and a wife
I been a workin' man dang near all my life
I'll be working long as my two hands are fit to use
I'll drink my beer in a tavern,
Sing a little bit of these working man blues

8. "They'll Never Keep Us Down," by Hazel Dickens

Hazel Dickens has recorded a number of songs singing from the perspective of working class struggle. "They'll Never Keep Us Down" is a determined song encouraging the working class to organize and demand fair pay for their hard work, as every day is a recession for the working class.

Lyrics:

United we stand
divided we fall
for every dime they give us
a battle must be fought

9. "Sixteen Tons," by Tennessee Ernie Ford

This classic tune by Tennessee Ernie Ford has been performed by Frankie Lane and Merle Travis, among others. It talks about the everyday plight of the working class, with lyrics that speak out about how it feels to work so hard and walk away without enough pay to support your family.

Lyrics:

You load sixteen tons an' what do you get?
Another day older deeper and debt.
St Peter don't you call me I cause can't go:
I owe my soul to the company store.

10. "The Day They Closed the Factory Down," by Harry Chapin

It doesn't always take a dip in the stock market for people to get laid off in large numbers. This song by Harry Chapin talks about the closing of a factory so that jobs could be taken to place where labor was cheaper.

Lyrics:

All their words of wisdom
won’t make you go away
The day they closed the factory down
They had nothing left to say

Will 42 get better of 41?

Before hitting my laptop’s keys today, I thought why I should write about this man when the whole world has written millions of good words about him already and are still writing. I could have easily chosen not to write yet relish another magnificent innings by recalling those wonderful shots in my mind and sharing my views on them with my friends like most fans do. But I just couldn’t hold myself. I decided to punch in the words about this genius and his never ending batting brilliance. This is what he does to people. He makes people take note of him every time he bats and he is doing that consistently for the last 20 years. I am talking about Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

Sachin Tendulkar is a “once-in-a-hundred-years-batsman” whose durability and skill have for many years uplifted Indian cricket team. Ever since he first appeared as a gifted teenager, Tendulkar has known nothing except exorbitant expectations.

Even in this test which is his 157th, the expectations from his bat was the same as it was 20 years back. He didn’t disappoint his fans and scored a ton and was still unbeaten at the time of writing this article and hopefully it helps in India winning its first test in NZ soil after 33 long years.

What a journey this man has had. He became a public property at 16. He still has no place to hide. Every time he leaves his home it is an appearance; he loves his swanky cars but can drive only in the dead of night. He is god fearing but can only visit the temple in the middle of the night when his city sleeps. These difficulties have never hindered his game. He has remained on top of his game despite this abnormal and insane lifestyle.

For most part of yesterday and this morning, what we got to see at Seddon Park was a vintage Sachin. He scored his 42nd test hundred in his 157th test and in the process of this fantastic innings, shots came from his blade as if it came from a young batsman who was making his arrival. Not for a moment he appeared lazy. Those cover drives and those powerful cuts had his signature all over them. Those flicks off the pads and those elegant off side punches on the back-foot reflected his class. That sumptuous back-foot cover drive for four to bring up his half century yesterday is the shot I will cherish for a long time to come.

Dravid missed out yesterday again in converting his 66 into what could have been a classy hundred. That said, during this innings, he proved that the cement in “The wall” is still strong. Dravid brought up his 54th Test fifty soon after Tendulkar's arrival, cracking his 10th boundary before a superb Iain O'Brien delivery dissected his bat and pad to give him the sound of timber.

Will this 42nd ton from the genius get better of India’s 41 year-old series win drought in NZ? Well I guess we will have to wait and see in the hope that Sachin’s hundred proves vital in ending what has already been a really long wait for the Indian Cricket Team.

Beat the heat.

Summer is setting in and with the effects of global warming; we could see an increase in temperature this year. People travelling to or living in countries known to hit higher temperatures must be careful and take note of how to recognize and handle a heat stroke.

Also called sunstroke, heat stroke is a very serious, life threatening condition. Learn how to recognize it and to handle it.


Here's How:

If someone's body temperature reaches 105 degrees, they could have heat stroke.

If a person has heat stroke, the person probably isn't sweating much.

If a person has heat stroke, the skin will be hot and red.

If a person has heat stroke, the person may be dizzy or nauseous.

If a person has heat stroke, his/her pulse may be rapid.

Apply cool water or apply cold packs to the person's body to lower the temperature.

If the person is conscious, provide small sips of salt water.

Do not give any drugs, alcohol or caffeine to the person. Take the person to a nearest doctor.

To prevent heat stroke, wear light, loose fitting clothes and a hat in the sun.

To prevent heat stroke, drink a lot of water (even if you don't feel thirsty).

To prevent heat stroke, take in a little more salt than usual with meals. This helps retain water.

Survivors to tie knot.

The Chinese Government is to pay for a group wedding of 40 survivors who lost spouses in last year’s deadly Sichuan earthquake to help create new families. Ten of the 40 people to wed will be public officials.

Point to Ponder: Family Planning??

Recession Beater!

As seen outside a Hong Kong Bar.

“Wash Dog” for the Watch Dog!

A coin-operated self-service dog-washing machine ("self" meaning the dog's owner, not the dog) has been introduced in a half-dozen carwashes in the United States recently, at $10 for 10 minutes. The "K9000" is a 3-foot-high, walk-in shower area (or push-in, for reluctant dogs) with an open top, has six separate wash cycles, conditioner and flea-and-tick options, and adjustable water pressure and dryer settings.

Point to Ponder: Homeless dogs, it’s time to find owners. Isn’t it?

Order Order! (but nothing is in order)

A state-of-the-judiciary report recently by Chief Justice AP Shah of the High Court in Delhi, India, estimated that the backlog of cases in the country's notoriously sluggish legal system would take up to "466 years" to clear. Shah acknowledged that progress had been made since 2007, with 56,000 cases cleared, at an average time of five minutes per case, but that systemic problems remained, among them corruption, the complexity of laws and the low quality of judicial personnel. (One property case from the 1950s was not resolved until the mid-1990s.)

Your honour, when is the next hearing please?

Writing a Nation!

The political unrest, suicide bombings, increased terrorist activities; safe heavens for radicals, jehad, talibanisation etc are very few topics that hit one’s mind when we speak of Pakistan today. For a long time now these are the things we hear and get to see about Pakistan on television news channels or get to read when we thumb down pages of international newspapers or magazines. Pakistan definitely is in the news for all wrong reasons.

What certainly is going good for Pakistan although is their literary scene. Yes, the literary field is safe under the hands of three excellent Pakistani writers in Mohammed Hanif, Nadeem Aslam and Daniyal Mueenuddin among many other writers.

I pick these three gentlemen in particular, as they are young, bold and certainly someone who could rebuild the image of Pakistan with some great writing.

Mohammed Hanif and Daniyal Mueenuddin have one thing in common. They both have come back to Pakistan after living outside of Pakistan for many years.

Mohammed Hanif was born in Okara, Pakistan. After leaving the Pakistan Air Force Academy to pursue a career in journalism, he worked for Newsline, India Today, and The Washington Post. He has written plays for the stage and screen, including a critically acclaimed BBC drama and the feature film The Long Night. Hanif is a graduate of University of East Anglia’s creative writing programme. He lived in London for 11 years and has written many columns for Gaurdian regularly while working for BBC. He is currently head of BBC’s Urdu Service and lives in Karachi. His first novel A case of Exploding Mangoes has become a huge hit and was long listed for The Man Booker. I met him and had a great conversation when he was here in Hong Kong early this week for the ongoing The Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival. Hanif mentioned that he is currently working on his second book.

Daniyal Mueenuddin was brought up in Lahore, Pakistan and Elroy, Wisconsin. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Yale Law School, his stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Granta, Zoetrope, and The Best American Short Stories 2008, selected by Salman Rushdie. For a number of years he practiced law in New York. He now lives on a farm in Pakistan’s southern Punjab.

Nadeem Aslam continues to live in London. His latest novel is The Wasted Vigil, published in 2008, its title derived from a painting with the same title by a Pakistani artist.

Lets all hope that these gentlemen through their writing influence the rebuilding of what seems to be a battered country.

Treating Monkey as a Donkey proves fatal for owner.

A monkey who was forced to climb trees by his owner took revenge by killing him with a coconut.

Monkey had its day when it fired the missile from the top of a tree after becoming frustrated with his tiring labour.

Leilit Janchoom, 48, had employed the monkey to pick coconuts which he could then sell for around 4p each.

The animal – named Brother Kwan – found the work tedious and strenuous but the cruel owner refused to let him rest, beating him if he refused to climb trees.

It is believed that the monkey eventually snapped, and targeted his owner from a high branch with a coconut.

Mr. Janchoom, from the province of Nakorn Sri Thammarat in Thailand, died on the spot after being struck by the coconut according to local news reports.

Point to Ponder: Is there a management lesson for employers in this story?

Happy days are back to Punter and Co!

When Australia beat SA in the second test at Durban yesterday to lead the test series 2-0, they not only won against SA but they also won a battle against a barrage of cricket writers who wrote them off, fans who ridiculed them and millions of opponents worldwide and especially in India who laughed loud at their plight.

They have played a blend of cricket in the last fortnight only they know how to play. Remember, cricket writers around the world questioned Australians about their supremacy after they lost series in India, lost series at home against SA and performed badly against NZ at home. No one was fancying a 2-0 result in the first two tests against SA before they set foot in SA for 3 tests, 2 T20's and 5 ODIs grueling tour after such a bad run and when the chips were down.

I did ask a question in one of my pieces last month on whether their supremacy is over. Ponting and Co didn’t take much time to answer me and whoever questioned them. They are back where they belong after clinching this test series against SA. Only champion side knows how to come back and that is exactly what the Aussies showed.

SA showed their inconsistency by disappointing cricket followers with such an awful performance, a performance which lacked skill, mental toughness and everything that is needed in playing good competitive cricket and challenging a side who were coming back hard at them with their wounds still afresh.

I am doubtless Ricky Ponting will cherish this win for the rest of his life and may be regard this series win as one of the hallmarks of his career as this win also made Aussies retain the number one ranking.

Punter and co, go enjoy and rest for some more time on the throne that belonged to you for a long time.

Its time to scream Go Aussie Go!

The Phantom Cheapo strikes again!

Brothers exchange same birthday card since 1973.

Darryl and Dan Culberson didn't have to wait for the latest recession to become frugal. The brothers have been saving money every year with a friendly game of one-upmanship when it comes to being cheap, exchanging the same birthday card since 1973. The tradition started when, in lieu of a present, 62-year-old Darryl sent his older brother a card of a masked bandit on a motorcycle with the caption, "The Phantom Cheapo strikes again!"

Darryl calls his 68-year-old brother "the cheapest person I've ever met."

Not to be outdone, Dan decided to send the card back when it was his brother's birthday.

So for 36 years, Darryl has sent the card in January to Dan in Boulder, and he sends it back to Darryl in Colorado Springs in March.

The card has yellowed over the years, and the greetings now run along the back cover, one concise greeting after another. The card is held together with tape.

With the brothers running out of room to write greetings, Dan jokes one of them will have to break down and buy a new card soon.

Point to Ponder: Can anything get cheaper than this?

Two different short cuts – Same result.

Beijing: A 20-year-old migrant farmer, identified as Guo visiting the Great Wall was mauled to death by a Siberian tiger after trying to take a shortcut through a wildlife reserve.

The farmer and two companions from Xingtai, Heibei province, had visited a remote part of the Great Wall on Saturday. On their way home, the farmers ignored warning signs and climbed over three fences, including a meter-high electric fence, to enter Badaling Wild Animal World, a four- square-kilometer breeding ground that has more than 10000 wild animals.

As soon as Guo jumped down from the fence into the park, one tiger instantly pounced on him and bit him in the throat, police explained to Beijing Times. The other two farmers escaped and alerted the authorities.

Paris: A commuter train hit a group of football fans walking on rails in a Paris suburb, killing two brothers and injuring 11. The Lille fans took a short cut along the railway tracks after watching their team beat champions Lyon at the Stade de France.

Quote to remember: “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going – Beverly Sills”.

The Rodfather!

What I realized last night was that we've hit an era of pop culture where the rock icons who launched in the '60s are now in their 60s.

Rod Stewart, who played last night at Asia World Arena, Hong Kong, is a bit more mortal. Mind you, he looks amazing for 64. His blonde hair still spikes up and he can still squeeze himself into a tight pair of jeans and make the ladies scream. And he did.

He didn’t even lack in the "wow" department -- the voice. It sounded raspy and worn as always, as if he gargled with Scotch before he sang each song. Hitting the stage with "Some guys have all the luck", he just took control of the night straight away.

He had a lot of help on that department though. At one point he joked, that he was offering "real value for your money up here." Indeed. He introduced his 21 year old daughter Ruby Stewart who sang “Son of a preacher Man” in one of the many mini quick breaks that he took. He had an elaborate stage with a highlander plaid curtain, a big screen and huge space to play. His band, decked out in matching suits, featured two drummers, two guitarists, two keyboard players, bass and three lively backup singers of whom one was pregnant. The band also had a totally hot female sax player who had men drool at her and a hot female violinist who made men sway to her tunes.

He wooed the crowd with classics “Downtrain train”, “Do ya think I ‘m sexy”, “Hot Legs”, “I don’t want to talk about it”, “Have I told you lately” and "Tonight's the Night before making some girls shed their tears to “The First Cut is the Deepest”.

The arena crowd was responsive, and, for the most part, was going wild over this spectacle. He managed to hype them up at the end with a classy “Maggie May” and a smooth finish with “I am sailing”.

It was a great evening and at the very end, everyone had the “Reason to believe” that Rod Stewart is still “The Rodfather” of what he is good at.

PC's hit the road in Hong Kong, the hi-tec city.

Computerized Road Marking on Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong.




Jobs and Gates, is there an Marketing opportunity here?

Is domination also love?

If love is the answer, could you rephrase the question. - Lily Tomlin

Most men end up complaining about their partners of opposite sex to their friends when they feel they are dominated by them even though they are of younger age or of same age. They feel their lives have changed and someone all of a sudden is controlling them. Well, this is not at all strange and it is very common with any men anywhere in this world.

Now picture this. What happens if the female partner is older than the male by a few years? Can the man have any say in the relationship? A few tough ones will but most wont.

Let’s take the situation to another level. What if the woman is 28 years older than the man in a relation?

Yes, I am talking about the pop icon Madonna and her new beau Jesus Luz. While it’s great for her to go around with someone named Jesus, will he survive longer even though he is Son of God?

Let’s hope he won’t start singing Mama don’t preach…

Want to Smile? Get ready to pay… :(

A Russian operator of mobile advertising, Superfon, registered “Smiley”(Smiley is a stylized representation of a smiling human face, commonly represented as a yellow circle (or sphere) with two dots representing eyes and a half circle representing the mouth) as its trademark. Now the company intends to charge everyone who uses its trademark in its commercial advertising.


Smileys have become extremely popular all over the world for their ability to help people express their simple emotions online. Superfon registered the winking smiley – ;-) - at the Russian Patent Agency, Rospatent. Other smileys - :-), ;) and :) - are considered similar to the registered winking smiley and thus should not be used in commercial purposes.

Author’s Tip: Stop smiling. LOL instead.

Sped away and jailed!

A 47-year-old British motorcyclist was jailed for six months for speeding at 195kph with his 14-year-old son riding pillion. Robert Bennett was also banned from driving for 18 months. Bennett, a cleaning supervisor from Barnstaple in southwest England, who is divorced from the son’s mother, admitted driving dangerously on his 1300cc Suzuki after picking up the boy from his ex-wife. He said his bike’s top speed is 322kph.

Point to Ponder: Sped away from (ex)wife or was speeding for thrill?

Rob, will you stop partying?

You: Yo you got some cash in your wallet that I can borrow?

Your Friend: Yeah, how much do you need?

You: Gimme 20 million dollars.

Your Friend: Thats all. Take it.

Have you ever had this conversation with your friend? People in Zimbabwe often does.

It might sound funny borrowing millions of dollars from your mate but certainly doesn’t feel good as this reflects how bad the country’s economy is and this can happen only when you get hit by an inflation of 2.5m percent. People of Zimbabwe are carrying millions in their wallets but still are worthless as their currency means nothing and this is the current state of Zimbabwe.



One-after-the-one bad reforms and most notably, banning ownership of farm lands by whites by the then dictator Robert Mugabe has landed Zimbabwe in this worst state.

Now to set things right, New Zimbabwe PM and Mugabe rival Morgan Tsvangirai has appealed to the international community for US $5 billion loan to re-stabilize the Zimbabwean economy.

Instead of helping the new government in its efforts to re-build the battered country, Robert Mugabe is partying. Yes, despite a collapsed economy, food shortages and an out-of-control cholera epidemic in his country of Zimbabwe, Marxist dictator Robert Mugabe threw a lavish, US $250,000 party to celebrate his 85th birthday that included an 85 kilo (187 pound) cake.

The party, put together by Mugabe henchmen from his political party Zanu-PF, was held in Mugabe’s hometown of Chinhoyi, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) outside of the capital, Harare.

“The country might be having problems, but we need to have a day to honor the sacrifices the president has made for this country,” said Patrick Zhuwawo, Mugabe’s nephew.

100 animals were slaughtered for the birthday party, which included school children and banners reading “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number”.

New Zimbabwe PM and Mugabe rival Morgan Tsvangirai was reportedly invited, but opted instead to visit an intensive care clinic tending to cholera victims that needs US $30,000 to continue the operations.

No doubt Robert Mugabe is getting old. But when will he be wise?