Shaun Ng

A whole new hot beginning!

2010-05-01T16:31:00.002+08:00

To all my blog followers (if I have any registered or non-registered), the blog will undergo a total revamp and will relocate to a web address that will be announced very soon. Stay tuned!

How do Mutual Funds benefit the clueless?

2010-02-24T16:32:00.004+08:00

After around 6 months of approaching potential clients, I'm vastly surprised by the amount of people who have not idea how mutual funds work. In regards to it, I've decided to post a brief summary of how mutual funds work and how the public can benefit from it.

Mutual funds are pools of money gathered from like-minded investors that have a mutual goal in mind - to earn more cash! After gathering a certain amount of funds, the fund manager will then invest them into equities, bonds, REITs, warrants, debentures, currencies and/or any form of investment. It will be baby-sitted by fund managers which will appropriate the funds based on market ups and downs and investor goals. To put it in a simpler way, Mutual Funds gather money from people who have no clue what to invest in and have no time to monitor their investments. They will then take that money, and invest it. At the end of the year (or month depending on how returns are calculated), returns or gains from these investments will then be distributed to the people who had put their money in the fund.

Benefit 1: Risk is spread out
Because Mutual Funds are pools of funds gathered, individual investors may not have to lose as much as putting their money in individual investments if the market goes downhill. This is because, considering the nature of how the funds were gathered (by multiple investors), the total gathered fund will also be invested in multiple investments, thus giving the investors a spread out risk. To illustrate this:-

Imagine a fund that invests in 5 different stocks named A, B, C, D and E. If Stock A, B and C went down but D and E went up, the investor who invested in the fund may still have a chance to break even. Now imagine if the investor chose to invest in only one stock, say A. If A went down, all his money will be devalued.

Benefit 2: Low cost of capital
Good stocks are expensive. Coincidentally they also give the best consistent return. But with Mutual Funds that are created specifically for blue chip stocks, investors do not need to fork out a huge sum of money to purchase many different blue chip stocks. They can just buy one fund that invests is many many many different blue chip stocks.

Benefit 3: Low cost of maintenance
Some investors may employ a method of investing called 'Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA)'. Now, every time an investor decides to top up their investment amount employing the DCA method, he/she only needs to pay 3-5% of service charge to their fund managers. On the other hand, stock brokers may charge commission based on transaction volume, withdrawals etc. Also, Mutual Funds may also give the investor the benefit of economies of scale because of the large sum of the fund where bulk discounts may be enjoyed.

Benefit 4: Low emotional cost
With mutual funds, investors do not need to wake up in cold sweat in the middle of the night worrying about their investments because they are all managed by certified professionals.

I can think of so many other benefits that will save you from premature hair loss. So tell me, if you're keen to invest but do not know how or what you need, why not try looking into Mutual Funds and see if it will work for you?

Shaun Ng
Signing Off =)

The Eighth Wonder of the World: Compounded Interest

2010-01-04T18:55:00.009+08:00

Baron Rothchild once said "I've never seen all the seven wonders of the modern world but, I know what the Eighth Wonder of the Modern World is: Compounded Interest". Many of us have come across this term 'Compounded Interest' in financial periodicals, the newspapers or even in the world wide web. However, some of us might find the explanation vague as it is normally explained in tandem with an investment strategy/plan. It is a rudimentary concept, yes. However, it is an essential concept that one should understand before delving into the world of investing. I'm sure that many of us are led to believe that compounded interest is better than fixed interest and yes, it is true! An investment that promises compounded interest is a better investment than investments that promises fixed interest. Now, if you still have that nagging feeling about finding out why compounded interest is always good news, read on!

Fixed interest based upon principal means that interest is given based on the initial capital invested. To make things clearer, if a fund promises a fixed interest rate of 5% per annum and an investor invested say $1,000.00. After a year, his investment will grow to = $1,000.00 + ($1,000.00 X 5%) = $1,050.00. In simplicity, it simply means that the investment will only pay 5% of interest based on the initial investment amount which is $1,000.00 in this context.

Conversely, in a compounded interest scenario, during the the first year the growth will be same as the growth in a fixed interest fund. However, it is only after the subsequent years where the fun really starts! This is because interest is calculated on the current value of the fund (the total of initial investment sum and the interest earned in the previous years. Okay, this may look mind boggling so to make things clearer, lets assume the same amount was invested ($1,000.00) with a compounded interest of 5%:-

First Year
$1,000.00 + ($1,000.00 X 5%) = $1,050.00

Second Year
$1,050.00 + ($1,050.00 X 5%) = $1,102.50

Third Year
$1,102.50 + ($1,102.50 X 5%) = $1,157.63

See how the interest is calculated by totalling the initial investment amount with the interest earned in the previous period? Investments with compounded interest give returns based on the current value of your investment. Or in other words, interest upon interest! Now, lets compare between the two different interest policies:-

First Year
$1,000.00 + ($1,000.00 X 5%) = $1,050.00 <- Compounded Interest
$1,000.00 + ($1,000.00 X 5%) = $1,050.00 <- Fixed Interest

Second Year
$1,050.00 + ($1,050.00 X 5%) = $1,102.50 <- Compounded Interest
$1,050.00 + ($1,000.00 X 5%) = $1,100.00 <- Fixed Interest

Third Year
$1,102.50 + ($1,102.50 X 5%) = $1,157.63 <- Compounded Interest
$1,100.00 + ($1,000.00 X 5%) = $1,150.00 <- Fixed Interest

See the difference between both the investments? The investment that promised a compounded interest had given the investor $7.63 more. So now you finally know what compounded interest is really about, give those investments a check to see what kind of interest are they promising. Still find it difficult to understand? Drop me a comment and I will see what I can do to help.

Shaun Ng, Signing Off. =)

Zombie Cat has left for greener pastures

2009-12-07T02:36:00.003+08:00

December 4th 2009 will always be remembered by me as the last day of employment in Deloitte Malaysia. Although I've made my speech during the lovely farewell dinner organized by my audit team I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude once again. Thank you for being great colleagues!

I have now started my new job as a business development associate for a private security/law enforcement practice and so far, everything has been going smooth. I've also got my agency license from the Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia and will be dealing in Unit Trusts. So, if you ever want to know more about unit trusts and how it may work for you, do not hesitate to contact me. Likewise, if you need any private security services you know who to call =).

Shaun Ng, Signing Off. =)

PS: I'm now working on a financial model pertaining to the compounded cash value over time so tune in for more updates!

Are REIT funds an alternative to property investment?

2009-12-02T01:34:00.008+08:00

I'm pretty sure everyone has gotten the hype of investing in real estate. I'm also quite sure that some of us had been in this situation: We run home to check out potential purchases after hearing about how 'easy' it is to earn money from buying and selling properties only to be discouraged by the initial start up costs (downpayment, monthly instalments, lawyer fees etc.). The point is, good deals are everywhere, places like Ara Damansara and DesaPark City all promise good returns because they are well planned townships and have reputable developers. But how many of us can actually afford them? Allow me to illustrate briefly on what it takes to own a piece of HOT property.

Assuming your piece of property is RM470,000.00 and you plan to pay a 10% downpayment (RM47,000.00). For ease of calculation I will not include the lawyer and other miscellaneous fees. Also note that you will be paying off this loan for the maximum duration: 30 years and your interest rate imposed by the bank is 5%^ (this is hardly even close to what they're normally charging). This means, for 30 years, you will be paying RM2,271.00. Now tell me, who has an initial start up of RM47,000.00 and RM2,271.00 every month to spare? Not a whole lot of people, I say. Furthermore, investing in properties this way will not yield returns because of the borrowing costs - I will get to this in a different article in the not so distant future =).

If you want to jump into the real estate market but do not have the high initial start up capital there is actually an alternative. That alternative is REIT. REIT is the acronym for [R]eal [E]state [I]nvestment [T]rust. REITs were created because large corporations were aware that most of us do not have large initial capital. They are also aware of the risks involved should an individual investor decide to gobble up a piece of property by himself/herself only to end up having indigestion. However, when a few individual investors decide to pool their funds together, risk is spread out thinner. In summary, REIT is a fund pooled by a large amount of investors with a common goal in mind - to invest in properties. REITs invest not only in properties for capital gain but also for rental purposes eg: Starhill, The Curve and Various serviced residences.

Thanks to REIT managers, we can enjoy a low initial start up capital and increased savings via economies of scale. Cost benefits include a reduced tax rate on returns (assuming you have a property rented, rental income is taxed normally whereas most REIT returns are completely tax exempt or taxed at a maximum rate of 15%*) and stamp duty exemptions. Borrowing costs are also reduced because REITs are only allowed a maximum of 50% gearing (most REITs do not even have borrowings!).

We also gain an emotional advantage where we no longer need to deal with that obnoxious tenant that calls us 3am in the morning complaining about a plumbing problem! We also do not need to worry about liquidity because REITs can be bought or sold with only a day of delay** whereas properties may take a few months to sell.

In summary, when investing in REITs, we may:-

Enjoy a peace of mind - no more calls from that tenant complaining about toilet problems
Enjoy lower risk - giving members of the public a chance to invest in properties without taking an individual risk
Enjoy lower tax rates - Returns earned are predominantly tax exempt
Potentially enjoy higher returns - Due to the large amount of the fund, quality buildings can be invested in***
Enjoy better liquidity - as REIT funds can be disposed easily and quickly in times of urgency

Shaun Ng, Signing Off. =)

^Based on the average borrowing rate of major banks in Malaysia for a 30 year housing loan
*The Star
**Depends on the engaged fund manager, may vary
***Axis REIT paid an annual dividend of 10.36% for the year ended 31.12.2006

Concept: Why fixed deposits are hell bent on making you lose wealth

2009-11-19T23:03:00.003+08:00

I've often heard of people talking about how little their fixed deposits give them which got me thinking. Why, for the love of all that is holy and pure, do they not look for a better alternative? Procrastination? Perhaps - happens to a good percentage of our population. Or is it because of something much darker and sinister in nature? Oh yes you guys got it right - RISK.

Now, lots of people out there do not understand inflation. Upon understanding inflation, one will know that keeping your money in fixed deposits is actually putting your wealth at risk. Allow me to spend some time to explain briefly about what inflation is. The current estimated inflation rate (for 2009) is 5.7%*. That means that every year, the value of our money is depreciating by 5.7%. Assuming you had RM1,000.00 worth of fixed deposits in 2009 giving you a measly 2.1% return. By 2010 your RM1,000.00 will have grown to RM1,021.00. But lo and behold! Because of inflation, your money had dropped in value by RM5.7%! That means, instead of your money growing to RM1,021.00, it actually shrunk to RM964.00 (RM1,000-[1,000.00X(5.7%-2.1%)]) by including the effects of inflation. Of course, you would not see this in your fixed deposit statements. Rather, it will be reflected on the value of your money.

Putting in it laymen terms, lets say your grandma kept 20 cents under her pillow 15 years ago. For some odd reason she kept the money 15 years ago because she knew at that time she wanted to buy a bowl of cendol 15 years later. Imagine her horror when she finds out that 15 years later, 20 cents could only buy her 1/8 of a bowl of cendol!

Having considered that fixed deposits are well...fixed. *rolleyes*. Whereby the returns are fixed in a way (very minimal fluctuations) and in a very ironic sense, fixed deposits are also 'fixed' on making us lose money in a 'fixed' sort of way, why do we not consider other forms of saving? For instance, mutual funds that will give you a chance to leverage against inflation because they are NOT fixed. Why doom yourselves to a fixed rate of wealth declination. Why not choose to invest somewhere else and gain a chance? Repent now!

*Reuters

Shaun Ng, Signing Off. =)

Concept: Why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer

2009-11-12T01:22:00.000+08:00

Being poor is not a social malady that some of us had been led to believe. It is a mindset. Being poor is doing things at all the wrong times. Doing things at all the wrong times would encompass things like buying unnecessarily and/or selling unnecessarily. In contrast, doing all the right things mean buying NECESSARILY and selling SMARTLY.

I've gotten comments from some of my readers that my entries are sometimes boring, so I've decided to spice it up a little by including some real life examples- things that we always see everyday. In explaining this, I would like you guys to meet two of my lady friends: 'Always want to glamour auntie' (referred to AWTGA hereon) and the 'chilled and relaxed auntie' (referred to CARA hereon).

AWTGA is your typical bimbo, fashion victim and credit spender. She goes for the latest fashion, has 5487 pairs of shoes and 215 different bags. Their sole purpose in this world is to look glamourous and to put their bank accounts on a diminishing decline. AWTGA buys without thinking and believes in making minimum payments to their ever growing credit card debt.

CARA, on the other hand, is just as fashionable but does not have 5487 pairs of shoes and 215 different bags. She only has 2-3 pairs of shoes and 1-2 bags for every occasion. Their purpose in this world is to be aware of the future, to be enriching their wealth and buying NECESSARILY.

Now that we've understood the two ladies fairly well, which one of them do you think hold themselves together better? A good way to find out is to put them in a scenario that we see occasionally - SALES! Now, because AWTGA spends all her money every month buying everything she can get her hands on and turns out dry, she will never be able to fully take advantage of the savings she may get from a sale. This was because money was not put aside, thus, when a sale comes, she was not able to get as many things as CARA who had been putting aside money. AWTGA, being the poor wretch she already is (having a mountanious credit card debt), is becoming even poorer by spending more than CARA.

In a larger view, the same goes for businesses. Companies that are cash-rich always get the advantage of going into the fray first and emerging as winners. Companies that are not cash-rich will always be a wee bit later than others because upon identifying an opportunity, they scurry around for money and by the time they were ready (or at least thought they were), the opportunity has already come and gone.

Lets go back to the title of the post, shall we? Why the rich get richer? Because they have the competitive advantage of grabbing opportunities first and thus, making the most out of everything before the market gets saturated. Why the poor get poorer? Because they do NOT have the competitive advantage of going in first and will always be going in after market saturation, yielding minimum benefits (in AWTGA's case, NOT AT ALL!).

Ever seen something that you really like go on sale and you just don't have the juice to buy it? You get the idea. Start spending wisely! Think like the rich, Act like the rich and Live like the rich.

Shaun Ng signing off. =)

The perfect breakfast

2009-11-04T01:37:00.000+08:00

Recently I gotten into the habit of waking up early in the morning and making myself breakfast. It's actually pretty good and would like to recommend it to you guys. Well, my work starts at around 9am so normally I would wake up 2 hours earlier. Would do some light exercises which would include 1-2 sets (depending on how motivated I am =P) of 20 push ups, 20 squats and 20 sit up crunches to get the blood going. However, don't forget to do some light stretches and have a glass of milk or orange juice with high fibre contents before starting the light workout.

After a quick shower, I would make a cup of 'Ipoh White Coffee' and make some cereals topped with strawberries, kiwi fruits and grapes. Favourite cereal for me would be Nestle Honey Stars!! All these would give you the energy you need for the rest of the day and will provide you with a nice blend of vital vitamins and fibres.

Try it. =)

Signing off.

Calculating Your Estimated Capital Gains

2009-11-02T23:59:00.000+08:00

Seeing that I've been getting lots of questions from my family and friends regarding how we can calculate our capital gains/losses from investing in mutual funds, I've decided to post about 'Calculating your capital gains'. First off, there are 3 elements in the formula that we have to get ourselves familiar with.

1. NAV (Net Asset Value)
Your NAV is normally stated in your periodical statements (depending on how frequent your fund manager updates you) as the current value of your fund. It will include your principal (explained below) amount, the capital gains/interests and the reinvestments of dividends (if any).

2. P (Principal Amount Invested)
This is the total amount of money you have put in. However, it does not include any past interest gained from the fund and any dividends reinvested. Only the money you have taken out of your pocket to invest.

3. N (Number of Years)
Because interest is always stated as 'per annum' meaning yearly, N means the total number of years you have kept this fund under your portfolio. This way, we will be able to gauge how well your fund is performing compared to what I would call 'safe' investments (Fixed Deposits, Saving Accounts).

Here's the formula:-
[(NAV - P)/P]/N

I know that this may look really complicated for people who are not familiar with financial terminology but do not fret, as I will explain to the best of my abilities below. If you still do not understand or require further explanations feel free to drop a comment and I will respond asap.

In words, it would simply mean dividing the net of your NAV less P against P. This will show you how much in monetary value you have gained so far. (Ie: NAV = $10,000.00, P = $8,000.00. So, the net of NAV less P would be =$10,000.00 - $8,000.00 = $2,000.00.) We will then divide this with P. By doing this, we will be able to know how much in percentage we have gained with the total amount of money we have invested so far. (Ie: $2,000.00/$8,000.00 = 0.25 = 25%). Now, assuming that you have had this fund active for 5 years, this will simply mean that your N = 5. So, 25%/5 = 5% p.a. The 5% tells you that your fund had yielded a 5% return per year.

Hope that this helps. =)

Work sucks!

2009-02-18T13:45:00.000+08:00

Seeing that I have nothing better to do right now, I decided to post some random nonsense on this blog.

Wishlist 11.12.2008

2008-12-11T15:38:00.000+08:00

I never understood why I post wishlists. They're such a waste of cyberspace and time. Perhaps sometimes feel I can get closer to my wishes by documenting them down and updating once in a while. Or maybe I'm too lazy to discuss about something useful? Lolz anyway, here goes:-

1. Life: More time
2. Vehicles: Suzuki Hayabusa
3. Mobile Phones: Sony Ericsson C902i
4. Games: Resistance

Interesting, if I remember correctly, having more time was also in my previous wishlist. As I grow older I find that time is no longer a luxury and there are far too many things to do. Guess its really high time to start prioritising a little more.

Bali 2008 post #2

2008-11-18T19:59:00.000+08:00

Streets of Kuta City, Bali, Indonesia. Looks awfully similar to our own Bintang Walk in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Another shot of Kuta City some 600 metres away from the first shot. The Bali bombing monument is that white thingie in the background. Note: All their taxis are Toyota Vioses!

A 'DOH~' moment. Very true though, the whole of Bali seem to be crawling with tourists. The only locals seen around the area are the people that work there.

Bali 2008 post #1

2008-11-18T19:06:00.000+08:00

Being the village boy that I am - correction - that I was, this first trip outside of the country was really exciting for me. After planning for 2 months, I decided to head to Bali, Indonesia. It was a satisfying 5 days 4 nights visit - made even more satisfying because I had the company of my beloved princess. Yes guys, I am attached now and I think I'm the happiest man in the world right now but that a different story altogether. Here are some of the beautiful shots taken during our stay with a cheap-ass lumix semi professional camera along with some brief explanations:-

A shot of the carvings found at the uluwatu hindu temple entrance. Was trying to make the shot as artsy as humanly possible.

A shot of the 'pagodas' scattered all around the kelasdaton hindu temple.

The flames of hate and anger

2008-10-16T23:12:00.000+08:00

Hello blog! It's been a rather long time since I last posted but do not fret, as here I am posting once again. A minor update in my life: I got mugged and lost my RM1,800.00 (at the time it was purchased) mobile. Thankfully, nothing happened to my well-being. So, a word of advice to everyone reading this: DO NOT FUCKING WALK ALONE AT NIGHT OTHERWISE YOU MIGHT GET YOURSELF MUGGED BY USELESS FUCKERS WHO GOT NO FUCKING BETTER THINGS TO DO. Lolz, that was a mouthful of 'FUCK's. I wished that I was holding a shotgun at the time it happened. There could be a chance that those bastards would get their melons blasted into oblivion.

How lucky can one get?

2008-08-05T17:06:00.001+08:00

A picture says a thousand words...a million words rather.

PS3 babeh~!!

2008-06-30T01:12:00.000+08:00

Finally, the long wait is over. After 2 agonizing years with the 3 red rings of death, this is the moment of truth. Playstation 3! *jumping around laughing hysterically* *clears throat* This here is a picture of the box prior to unwrapping. Unlike the Xbox 360, the PS3 is huge thanks to its big fans and heatsinks (something that the 360 lacks horribly). Although I've just become a proud owner of a PS3, I've yet to see how reliable it really is. Been through many and I mean MANY forums and reviews and the only problem this baby here has are the lens (as with any Sony product). Hopefully, the Playstation 3 will live up to its predecessors by being the longest serving and most reliable console in the market.

My new wife in all her 'boxless' glory. Amazingly, the PS3 is really well built. Regardless, I wouldn't throw her across my room for no reason. After plugging her into my crappy non-HD telly I wasted no time to play Racedriver: GRID. To my surprise, the images looked so much sharper than my Xbox 360. Colors were more profound and loading was quicker (I may be biased here..HAHAH). And of course, unlike the Xbox 360 which will produce a hideous whirring sound whenever you play it, the PS3 produces an almost sonic hum - sweetness. Anyway, time to go play again...

The Ass Bun and New Clothes.

2008-06-25T00:02:00.000+08:00

Last saturday was my aunt's birthday and we were all treated to a nice dinner in a chinese restaurant. Food was great except for the obnoxious waitress whom I swear she only knows two words in the english language: 1. excuse 2. me. Anyway, towards the end of the dinner came dessert. To my horror, we were served with mini baboon asses. Just kidding, they are buns filled with 'kaya' but shaped to look like a peach. I believe it carries the meaning of longevity and good health. Oh yeah, it actually came with a 'tail' but I bit it off before snapping the picture. While taking the picture, I couldn't help but notice the bun was somehow 'sweating' under the dim restaurant lamps, giving it a sexy silhouette. To my left, my younger cousin's body was shaking uncontrollably from extreme laughter.

It's been almost a week since I last saw my tarantula and I was wondering if it died. Armed with my tweezers and a steel chopstick I dug the substrate and found an exoskeleton. The little fucker molted! It's now twice the size from when I first got him/her (at this moment, it is still androgeneous). Now the little spider is crawling around happily in his new outfit.

Bummer!

2008-06-15T23:50:00.000+08:00

You know when sometimes you are set on getting something but in the end it does not turn out the way you want it to be? The feeling sucks eh? Anyway, this was what happened to me a while back when I was playing Lego: Star Wars on my Xbox 360, it crapped out yet again - the infamous 3 red lights of death. I had just spent around RM500 to get it fixed the last time and it was barely a month ago. Needless to say, I rushed it to the shop that repaired it. It was on the way home when I thought maybe I should get a PS3. Armed with all the information I could gather from the numerous forums I was set on getting a PS3 if my Xbox 360 was beyond repair (honestly, I was praying for that - i needed a reason to cough out RM2,000.00). A little over a week later, the technician called me and told me that the 360 was fine, it had just needed a firmware update.

... Now what do I do? Fuck it, I'm getting it anyway.

The quest for food. The Burger Liberators.

2008-05-20T01:14:00.000+08:00

A few days back I watched Harold and Kumar goes to white castle. That really brought back memories as I remember a time when white castle was available in Malaysia. I can't exactly remember how a slyder tastes like but yeah, I still remember the ad. Well, after watching the movie I felt the sudden urge to stuff a burger in my mouth so I dragged my two of my best friends along to Burger King - I was fucking sick of McDonalds.

Ever since that fateful night with the double mushroom burger, we have vowed to go on a quest in search of the best fast food in Malaysia. We've also decided to call ourselves The Burger Liberators and so far we have sampled the burgers from A&W, Burger King and McDonalds and pitted their best burgers to a fight till death!

McDonalds (Leisure Mall, Cheras) - BigMac
Beef patty was too thin and flavorless. Cheese tastes dry and rubbery. Vegetables fall all over the place and it was kinda hard to put them in your mouth (maybe we had small mouths). Same old fries nothing special. It was not that bad except for the stingy servings and plasticky fries. We gave it a 6/10.

Burger King (Sri Hartamas) - Whooper
Generously thick beef patties and thick creamy cheese came with it. Lots of mayo also gave it a really satisfying bite (with sauces squirting in all directions). Bread was a little too fluffy to our liking though. Great servings and lots of sauce! We gave it a 8/10 as having free refills is absolutely killer!

A&W (Amcorp Mall, PJ) - Mozza Burger
Similar servings to Burger King except that it was served cold during our liberation. We've decided to give it another try on another day. Lots of pickles and they even put in slices of crunchy jerky. Healthy amounts of juicy lettuce and lots of Mayo. We gave it a 8/10 because it was served a little cold.

Next stop: Carl's Juniors (Midvalley, KL). At the next stop we will include pictures. This is such a crap post HAHAHAHA

bummer...

2008-05-17T01:59:00.000+08:00

Tonight was a particularly happy night for me as the whole advisory pool was treated to italian food at 'Italianese' in the gardens, mid valley city. Food was great, I should've took some pictures of the carbonara, or maybe the giant green mussels - excellento! Anyway, they had some games after the food and somehow I got betrayed by the people and got dragged out as one of the participants. The game was to use every thing that you had on you to create the longest line in one minute and then keeping all of them back in another minute. Well, I won and they gave me a RM50 (equivalent to 15 USD) cash voucher. The bummer was...I FUCKING left it at the restaurant! ARGH.

Wishlist 14.05.2008

2008-05-14T17:33:00.000+08:00

Actually, I've always dreamed about having something that is nigh impossible from time to time. So I've decided to compile an up-to-date wishlist for everyone to share. Who knows? Someone out there just might have that extra money to give...and make an idiot like me happy.

Wishlist 2008

1. Time
We only have one shot at life. Just. One. Shot. No inserting coins and hitting the continue button to have another go. I really wished I had more time so I could do the things that I really enjoy doing. 24 hours a day just isn't enough. Crap.

2. X2 My salary
That'll really help a lot in creating that stock-market provision fund that was never really created (lol). As with all the other provisions that I had planned to provide. ie: gaming rig provision, road tax provision etc.

3. The dark powers from the deep and fiery pits of hell
The one thing that I really wish for is that wildfire that engulfs me from within when I'm set on achieving something. I think the fire has somehow...shall we say eluded me. I remember going from zero to hero back in highschool when I really liked this girl and decided to prove myself academically. Man, I really kicked ass and life was so much more colorful when you have something to fight and strive for. It's getting a tad bit boring now and I want it back! I know that fire is still around...waiting to be unleashed once more in this cruel and unsuspecting world. *evil laugh*

The beast is BACK! Along with a nostalgic flavour.

2008-05-07T00:12:00.000+08:00

A while back I sent my 360 for repairs. Finally, after 2 months I received a call from the shop telling me that it was ready for collection. This is a shot of the 360 placed on its rightful throne (my computer table). What you see on my screen is a intro video of Condemned 2: Bloodshot - an absolutely brutal first person shooter game where you play as Thomas Ethan, the main character who successfully solved the murders of the first game (Condemned: Criminal Origins) but later found out towards the end of the game that it was not really solved - can't really tell how the poor bugger felt when that happened . Must have been a total bummer. Anyway, he reappears in the sequel as a burned out version of his former self. Most probably kicking himself in the balls too much for the mistakes he did in the first game. But guess what? The bad guy is back! More murders! And this time Mr. Bad Guy gives him more clues as to why he kills people. Eer..I don't really know what happens next because I have not finished the game yet. Undoubtedly one of the most disturbing titles for the Xbox 360. No fucking regrets, Ha! A small sideline - if you noticed, my gear is mostly black with blue lights...the Xbox 360 somehow looks 'sesat' with its white enclosure and green light. Nevertheless, I think I love it more than jacking off. If only it was not soooo problem ridden.

While I was waiting for my 360 in the shop, I stumbled upon this rare gem. Come on, who does n't remember Icewind Dale? The best part was, it only cost RM 49. Without second thoughts, I immediately snatched it off the shelf. Ah... installing game really made me recall those times when games like Xcom: Apocalypse, Quest for Glory, Earthsiege and Doom were hot. But it mostly reminded me of Fallout and Fallout 2. Obviously, it was the intro credits. Fuck, where can I get Fallout boxed sets? Really miss Arroyo, Sulik, Mutants and the Power Armor. But hey, I bet nobody could've forgotten about the infamous 'EEERRRAAAAGGHHH' when you shoot someone in point blank range with a minigun. Damn! :)

The meaning of life.

2008-05-03T01:31:00.000+08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, i present to you the meaning of life! Hellboy!!!! A while back I was always thinking of collecting the whole lot of Mike Mignola's stuff (the fucker's a genius by the way) and these 4 graphic novels kickstarted it. Anyway, today's blog isn't really about hellboy although I love HB down to the deepest darkest reaches of my soul. I just felt like bragging HAHAHA. The real discussion begins here: Drink to get drunk or to enjoy? I just came back from a birthday party and the birthday boy got so wasted he couldn't walk straight let alone think straight. He was harassing all the girls and caused quite a ruckus. A few of the guys actually had to restrain him and needless to say, we sent the girls back. Now tell me, is it worth getting drunk just for the sake of 'having a good time'? Take heed that only YOU are having a good time but not the others. I got really ticked off myself and left. AND I PAID FOR THE DAMN VIP ROOM! There is no way in hell that I was going to babysit a fully grown drunk adult. Anyway, that'll be the last time I'm going to join a party like that even if it costs me my bear gang membership. What is this bear gang? I'll get to that when I'm not that sleepy. Goodnight! Just wanted to let some air out.

the goal never changes, only the plan.

2008-04-26T02:56:00.000+08:00

hello again! it has been a tough week, got really tied up with work and finally, the tasty weekend is here. You guys know how every time before you go to bed you would HAVE to do something as a closure for the day? Well, some people might not have to do it but I NEED to do it before I can get a good night's rest. Tonight, I've decided to write something on my blog. First off, lets start with the new friends i got at home. The Cobalt Blue Tarantula and the Imperial Scorpion that arrived were babies so I've decided not to upload any pictures of them for the time being. As you might have guessed, the babies can't really hunt food when their tummy alarm rings. They feel really vulnerable without their moms around as moms would normally carry their young around on their backs while hunting for food to feed them. So how would I feed them you may ask? I chop up mealworms to manageable sizes so that they can put them into their tiny mandibles. Which reminds me, I think some house lizard found the mealworm stash that I had carefully hid under a bookshelf and ate the whole lot of them - bastards! Anyway, they are healthy and active - the scorpion runs around a lot and the tarantula was seen busy digging a burrow. The picture you see on the left is my brother's venezuelan bottlebrush taratula (the same one that was in the picture I posted previously). It molted recently and as you can see, it's sporting a new outfit! Colors are more pronounced but the poor thing had a bad molt. One of its limbs was not pulled out properly during the molt and it resulted in a ugly looking stump. Don't worry though, it'll heal at the next molt! Can't wait for my pets to grow up.

I've also recently found out about the Warhammer 40k boardgame. Pictured here are some of the play pieces that you would use in a game. Think of it as chess with uber cool chess pieces and more rules. But it doesn't just stop there, your play pieces have to be assembled and painted on your own, allowing you to customize their colors and poses. You can even customize their weapons by getting separate bits. So some of your play pieces can be seen holding a minigun or a rocket launcher. There are two play pieces in the picture on the left (well, 9 actually but you get what i mean). They're both Chaos Space Marines but they're from different chapters of the race. Think of them as different regiments in the UK SAS. The one on the left are from the chapter: Plagued Ones - as evidently seen in the picture they are green and this particular guy grew a horn (that white bit on his head). The one on the left is a member of the Black Legion. I guess the color of his suit points that out hahah. Each chapter has their own special abilities but i think I'm not gonna go into detail tonight. Maybe when I own an army and understand more I might just write up something about them.

The picture you see here is a girl that I'm in love with. She used to be a guy. I'm serious! Her name is nong poy and she's one of the most beautiful transvestites in the world. Which brings me to this; if you fell in love with this girl this HOT and she suddenly tells you that she used to be a guy. What would you do? Personally, if it happened to me, I seriously wouldn't know what to do. Actually, this picture was circularized in my company's email by a female colleague. I couldn't believe that she used to be a guy (come on, she's fucking hot ok?) so I did some research over the internet and found out that it was true. She went through a sex change operation when she was 17 and voila, transformed into the girl of my dreams. Over the week, I did some deep reasoning and came up with a thinking that gender and sex are two different things. Gender is what you are underneath your body and sex is what you see from the outside. Meaning that even if she used to be a guy (only on the outside) and now even changed the outside to be coherent with what she is inside would it still be ok to love her? I'm seriously confused. But theres one thing that I know for sure. She is my new benchmark for a potential candidate and if there are any girls out there that don't look like her can fuck off. Serious.

money, dawg!

2008-04-15T00:46:00.000+08:00

hello again. checked my bank account today and oh boy the bank balance is well..shall we say not to my liking. Looks like I'm eating dead crows this month. Maybe i should think about writing something more constructive from now on.. well, we were just getting warmed up now are we not?