Mr. Haxa Does The Blogs

The Day After Tomorrow

Things that amuse me at the movie:

1. The title of the movie 'The Day After Tomorrow' was translated literally to 'Lusa'
2. Al Gore and Dick Cheney (is it?) were the President and the VP of the United States. It's like they are trying to educate Bush on Kyoto Treaty (or is it Agreement?)
3. It was snowing in Delhi, where they had the United Nations talk on global warming
4. Watch out for Finding Nemo moments in this movie. Yep, Dennis Quaid relationship with his son in this movie, Sam is 'fishily' like that Pixar box office
5. If you wonder where Bilbo (Frodo's uncle in the LOTR) went to after they left Middle Earth, he's in this movie, as a professor monitoring the Artic and Northern Hemisphere current
6. The reverse legal immigration of Americans fleeing into Mexico when the southern part of the States have to be evacuated
7. That finally, after the new Ice Age, the First World-Third World relationship becomes better.
8. There's a dog named Buddha in this movie!
9. The whole facts about this movie remind me of this Letterman Late Night show where he asked this scientist in lab caot on how did he think about the movie, he yelled "Crap!"

Mr. Suaidi's Pita Tuna

Besides being creative, I'd say that our director's touch on food is just good as the abstractions he visualizes. On a very hungry evening, as I just arrived at the studio, I looked into the fridge for anything good to eat and there were the pita breads, the tuna in the big tupperware, the salad, etc. So I took them out, and upon noticing this, Rohaizad quickly took them from me and made these very good sandwiches. Really good, i tell ya. Last weekend, he made this great pizza with vege toppings that screams fabulous food all over it. So simple, so awesome, yet so simple. Our production meetings and rehearsals have always been great with these good food, good people, and good stuff to learn.

Notes For The 23rd May '04 Weekend

Fun Stuff

1. Low Yat is a cool hip busy computer hypermarket place and got good deals at Sri Komputer. Now I have my external storage. Back-ups, Storage, Archives, etc ...
2. Brunch at Madam Kwan's at 10am on a Sunday morning, two people eating char kuey teow, nasi lemak, fried rice; is so nice since it is not crowded
3. If you ever go to Secret Recipe at Lot 10, never ever sit on the floor middle floor of the restaurants. It is a dirt trap space.
4. In life, you have got to try doing lots of meaningful things, creative, strategic, money making, and others so that you can achieve the peak of the Maslow self-actualization. Thanks to a good friend of mine who not only talk about it, but showed me the way!
5. Production meeting on a hot Sunday noon might just get hot. Well, I hope not so!

Philip Glass Einstein on the Beach, Theory Of Existence, TechTV Gossip!

Upon noticing my Yahoo Messenger status: Philip Glass Einstein on A Beach, a good friend of mine started a deep, thoughtful conversation, so profound, that it gives me a new perspective at our existence. Thankfully I don’t have to eat today as I fast, (one of the spiritual rituals that I find so peaceful and so meaningful) to have this great chat.

About Philip Glass, yes, Einstein on A Beach was one of his masterpieces. And it was an opera he created in 1976. This Saturday I will be watching VHS on the making of the opera and I will be also checking out CDs or perhaps DVD of this genius composer. That reminds me to also look out for Pat Metheny Group CDs. I have mp3’ed some of these, and they are brilliant work of the best composer and best contemporary jazz of our age that gives me the urge to get them.

Enjoy the chat transcript.

psychdragon_2000: Einstein on the beach? counting crows song?
haxa: philip glass piece
haxa: it was an opera someone told me
psychdragon_2000: who's that?
psychdragon_2000: okay. sound anything like the counting crows song?haxa: never heard of the countring crows's song, ... philip glass is a composer
haxa: wah ... kewl goatee with guitar
psychdragon_2000: hmm... i'll have to listen to it then. how old is this piece?
haxa: 1976
psychdragon_2000: i see.
psychdragon_2000: that's the year you were born.
haxa: http://www.philipglass.com/einstein.html
haxa: so memorable ... hehehe
psychdragon_2000: the counting crows song actually reminds me of the theories of harun yahya. the perception of matter.
psychdragon_2000: heard of it?
haxa: have not .. what it is about?
psychdragon_2000: hold on to your seat. what i tell you might change your outlook on life as you know it.
psychdragon_2000: in your opinion, how do we perceive the world?
haxa: wah ... tell lah
psychdragon_2000: we use our five major senses right?
haxa: yes
psychdragon_2000: sight, sound, taste, smell and touch.
haxa: yes ... 5 of them
haxa: got some more to it, is it?
psychdragon_2000: what do we use to do these?
psychdragon_2000: do we see with our eyes?
psychdragon_2000: do we hear with our ears?
haxa: using our organs
psychdragon_2000: we use our organs to send signals directly to the brain.
psychdragon_2000: what we see in our eyes are processed by a small and dark corner at the back of the brain which interprets it as sight.
psychdragon_2000: betul tak?
haxa: world <-- senses <--- organs <-- brain
haxa: yes
haxa: u are right
psychdragon_2000: so we don't really "see" with our eyes right?
psychdragon_2000: same goes for sound, touch, taste, etc.
psychdragon_2000: now, remember "the matrix"?
haxa: hehhe... the study of visual system is always amazing
psychdragon_2000: what is real?
psychdragon_2000: is it what you touch, see, taste and smell?
psychdragon_2000: what is real to you is what your brain interprets as real.
psychdragon_2000: and so far the only way we believe that to be real is by believeing that we have eyes, ears, arms etc.
haxa: because those are tangibles
psychdragon_2000: rukun iman does not state "percaya kepada mata" and such, right?
psychdragon_2000: those are tangibles which we believe to be tangible.
haxa: and to believe that those perception of reality through brain processing .... it's exactly the same as in the "percaya pada yang ghaib .." in the opening of Al-Baqarah
psychdragon_2000: now, say for instance we are able to mimic the same electronic signals sent by the organs to the brain.
haxa: that'd be a great achievement
psychdragon_2000: true. but let's just assume it's possible.
haxa: sounds like economics
haxa: let's assume ...
psychdragon_2000: theoretically, what is real to the brain now?
haxa: the signals
psychdragon_2000: right.
psychdragon_2000: what if i were to tell you that we don't exist?
psychdragon_2000: not in physical form that is.
psychdragon_2000: but purely as a soul.
haxa: you mean our soul, consciousness?
psychdragon_2000: yes. According to harun yahya. it has been proven even by modern science that matter may not even be as real as the soul.
psychdragon_2000: when i'm talking to you physically, shaking hands etc. it's our brains communicating using the "outside world" as a tool for communication, just like we use the internet to chat like this.
psychdragon_2000: a line in the counting crows song goes "if everything is nothing then are we anything?"
haxa: and whoever creates internet must be brilliant
psychdragon_2000: it refers to Einstein’s atomic theory.
haxa: yes ... "are we anything"?
haxa: how do u relate to Einstein atomic theory?
psychdragon_2000: in the end when we look at everything to a molecular state.
psychdragon_2000: we only get vacuum.
psychdragon_2000: what is matter? a collection of substances.
psychdragon_2000: what are substances? a collection of atoms.
psychdragon_2000: what are atoms? a collection of molecules.
psychdragon_2000: what are molecules? basically, protons, neutrons and electrons right?
haxa: yes
psychdragon_2000: but protons neutrons and electrons have no mass.
haxa: got level of energy under those protons, neutrons and electrons
psychdragon_2000: they might have weight.
psychdragon_2000: right.
psychdragon_2000: but in the end, it's vacuum.
psychdragon_2000: try looking at this website: www.harunyahya.com
psychdragon_2000: a lot of interesting theories there.
psychdragon_2000: nobody has ever got to rebuttle his theories.
haxa: lemme check
psychdragon_2000: I believe "Alam Ghaib" can be somewhat theorized using this theory.
psychdragon_2000: alam ghaib might be the absolute real world.
psychdragon_2000: and since we're trapped in the physical world with nothing to depend on but our five senses, how do we know that colour, sound, or even oxygen exists?
psychdragon_2000: and since it has also been said that Allah can create anything out of nothing. this could be the explanation.
psychdragon_2000: what do you think?
haxa: all makes sense and strenghten our faith
psychdragon_2000: a multiverse may exist.
psychdragon_2000: and since time itself is also a perception, what's to say that everything is happening at the same moment? the moment you were born, the moment you take your first steps, the moment you go to school, the moment you die. it could all be the same moment if that moment ever existed.
haxa: yep... what if it never exist. we could never be here
psychdragon_2000: yup.
psychdragon_2000: i think it's a very interesting discussion.
psychdragon_2000: looked at the site?
haxa: and we could go on and on about it
haxa: yes
haxa: some very good resources there
psychdragon_2000: yeah. and i'm amazed at how we can actually connect everything together.
psychdragon_2000: i believe someone did say that to understand the world around you, you must first understand the world within you.
psychdragon_2000: i recommend you read "the little man in the tower"
haxa: yes, we don't understand ourselves, ... could never understand and appreciate others
haxa: nanti i baca
psychdragon_2000: yup. not asking you to read now.
psychdragon_2000: maybe print and baca later kat rumah ke.
haxa: ok .. heheh ... i'll save it
psychdragon_2000: so, the outside world may actually be inside us.
psychdragon_2000: something you might want to put in your blog.
haxa: i will talk about this chat
haxa: hehe
psychdragon_2000: hmm... bila baca balik the chat, nampak cam interview lak.
haxa: that's why
haxa: like Big Thinker on TechTV
haxa: heheh
psychdragon_2000:
psychdragon_2000: oh, did you know, all the staff of techTV have been given 60days notice?
haxa: really?
psychdragon_2000: yup.
haxa: are they going bankrupt?
psychdragon_2000: comcast bought over and fired everyone.
haxa: wah ... crazy
haxa: it's gonna be huge anyway
haxa: with comcast coming in
psychdragon_2000: yup. but i don't think it would do us any good.
haxa: well, we'll see
haxa: maybe comcast got different direction
psychdragon_2000: comcast is more of a business pro org.
haxa: eh, u don't mind i put this chat transcript on my blogs for today's posting?
psychdragon_2000: for us techies, we prefer the stuff techTV shows us.
psychdragon_2000: nope. no prob.

The Surprise Juices at Sri Murni, SS2

I just discovered this eating joint in SS2. Sri Murni is so crowded almost every other night we hang out there for late night dinner after production meetings. And I wonder what MPPJ (the municipal will do to the scary very nearby outside chairs and tables that are too close to cars and motorists). Anyhow. this place has so many specialties, with some innovative refreshing names like

a. Roti Beckham
b. Nasi Lemak Goreng
c. The Surprises drink as shown in the pictures
d. The Cheese Nan with the condensed milk, and many more.

And I have been fascinated with the Surpise Juices for they have come out in different flavors and there are just so many surprises as you sipping this full juice served in I suppose mayonaise bottle. Anyway, I feel bloated after I finished my Honeydew Surprise last night. Was so sinful, so thick, and true to its name, so full of surprises!

Well, hopefully when I go for sugar level check, I won't get Surprises, la!

I Love The Starbucks Experience!

Cafes with wi-fi connection are so hot these days. And for that matter, I love Starbucks for all the quality time I spent there and for all the nice people I met. It is interesting enough that we click on the yahoogroups, the blogsphere, etc; but getting acquianted with strangers at these cafes when suddenly you feel need to share the power plugs, or take turns charging your power hungry Pentium 4 machine, or perhaps it was so crowded you need to share the other half of the table, or when there was some connection problem you ask the others whether they are having the same problem, or they come to you asking for something, like I was once asked to help with the Centrino connection. So, I have made some wonderful friends and exchanged business cards for future references.

Yesterday, after meeting some members in the theatre production team that I involved in, I met this person who owns a resort in Sabah, yay! vacation! Two weeks ago Abedib passed me some valuable life and business wisdoms during one of our chat sessions at Starbucks. Even our palmx gatherings are held at Starbucks (normally), but too bad that the KL Sentral Starbucks doesn't have any connection yet. I also happen to meet this chap who had earlier involved in the same industry as I do. And we had fun exchanging stories, making remarks, and bashing people. And in a neighboorhood Starbucks, I thought the people there are becoming friendly to me. Well, good repeating business for them, I suppose. I also had the chance to exchange notes before I went to an interview session.

And Starbucks also reminds me of our late great blogger, Allahyarham Johan Ismail. The evening after we concluded a seminar we decided that we could hang out at the Starbucks down the road, and I was enthralled with all the advises he gave me on the industry. It had never come across my mind that it was the last time I ever met him. And the next morning, I was told that he had left us forever.

And at times, I just remain quiet while I download some files, watching some TV shows, chatting on Yahoo! Messenger, reading some research materials or news, or perhaps, updating my blogs like I am doing right now. What more fun to enjoy all these than to do them with the black coffee, the , the Nantucket juices, the hot chocolcate, the frappuccinos, the sandwiches, the lasagna, the salad, or the sinful cakes and pastries.

In all, technology adoption has come to a different meaning today. Ubiquitous computing has integrated and assimilated into our lives and changing the way we live and work. I better wire up my home with fat & fast internet line, have it all wireless, and host a wi-fi party soon :-) Or perhaps one day, I would love to become a wi-fi philantrophy in my neighborhood.

DBP: We Love The Stor Teater

secebis kisah, tiada tandingan

lautan dalam lagi ditempuhi,
bukan hanya sepurnama lama,
kenangan indah pahat di ingatan,
kelmarin semalam untuk selamanya,

satu sore jelajahi kota,
tiga arah tiga tujuan,
perkenal baru, perjelas lampau,

kerna lama tak temui,
erti hidup sebegini,

secebis kisah, tiada tandingan.

To a dear friend

Wishing your Earthly journey safe and sound,
Hoping that we find a point of return in time,
Praying for good and graciousness be with us,
Anticipating that this is not as good as it gets.

Consumerism - My Experience Today

1. Went to Nando's for the chicken and corn, well, they change the chicken, and was out of the corn. Darn! The thing with food is never change your classic products!
2. Looked for the May 2004 Vanity Fair at Kinokuniya, and as always, they don't have it. Darn! Gonna have to look for this in Singapore!
3. Browsed through any new interesting clothing collections, disappointingly, nothing refreshing. Boring! Catalog shopping? Nah!
4. Bought tickets at the Putra ticket machine, well, "Wang Kertas Tidak Diterima". Darn! And saw this guy went mad when his Touch 'n' Go card didn't work. What is wrong, people!!!, and
5. In one of the headlines in the business news today, EPF employee contribution to revert to 11%. Oh, hello! Has the government gone broke now? Bad move, eh, to cut people spending and expenditure at the time when we need expansion? Policy!

Thank goodness, as I realized and discovered of this pattern of Google started to get better as they went public; the IPO was followed with releases of two great products, the revival of long awaited updates at blogger.com and the one that got Cat's (TechTV) good review, the Google Mail, https://gmail.google.com/ with 1000 Mb (1Gb storage) and those really cool keyboard hot keys to compose and do other things on your e-mail.

As this place becoming profit oriented to keep shareholders like Time Warner happy, BETA version of Froggle, the shopping product/service just got launched. Anyway, too early to tell all. Nevertheless, I am excited that this somewhat will test my understanding of Efficient Market Hypothesis better.

Another thing is that, as Google goes public, the product quality of competing providers like Yahoo will sure to be raised. Ultimately, we the consumer got all these free cool great products! The bad thing is, as things got better, we might become less motivated to learn how to create them. Or perhaps, you might be motivated to learn more. Haha, enough for today. Later ;-)