Coolcat's Jottings

In spite of all the efforts of some blog readers who inserted in some suggestive words like Everlast U-n-d-e-r-w-e-a-r in their comments and all those spammers persistently trying to advertise their miraculous blue pill, my blog managed to emerge unscathed from those defaming attempts.

I'm proud to announce that my blog is certified as G, honest to goodness wan!

The desserts chef and staff certainly outdid themselves with this humourous depiction of one of our bosses. Everyone who saw it couldn't help laughing out loud - including bossie himself. Every detail - down to the three strands of hair - truly describes numerous cute facets of our boss. Happy birthday, bossie!

80%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

I don't believe I scored this high on the Blog Addict test. Higher than even Sunflower whom I got this from - and I think she blogs more than I do.

Someone tell me that I'm not an addict and not in denial!

I am 58% Addicted to Coffee

Now, this one is quite on the low side. 58% hardly counts for coffee addiction in my books. Strange test results indeed. Which brings a point home - do we really need tests (and innacurate ones at that!) to tell us what we already know?

I finally watched Die Hard 4.0 with some chums today and got a start when the hero hacker's face appeared. He looked awfully familiar. Could he be the famous Mac guy from the popular Mac vs PC video ads?

Consumed with the need to have my suspicions confirmed, I turned to the dude on my right, "Psssst! Have you seen the Mac vs PC ads before?"

"Huh? Wazzat? Never saw that before in my life wor," was his answer. "Why are you asking?"

"Aiyo, never mind lar."

I looked at the two girls next to me doubtfully but decided to ask them anyway. As suspected, their eyes were blank when I mentioned the name of the ad.

I gave up and decided to settle down to enjoy the movie. As time passed on, I grew more and more convinced that the hacker was indeed the Mac guy. Funny how he looked so cool and his voice sounded so sexy over the ads. In Die Hard 4.0, he just looked awfully green and gawky next to the very much cooler and hunky (though bald) Bruce Willis. But of course, quite a few guys would look cool and suave standing next to the awkward and yet pompous PC guy.

But man, the Mac guy can act. And the movie was so funny and filled with loads of action. This is my first ever Die Hard movie - I've never watched the other three before this. It was the 4.0 and all things techy which attracted me to catch this on the big screen. And to see the Mac guy there was such an unexpected treat!

Justin Long, you rawk man! Hope to see more of you in other kick-ass famous flicks outside those Mac ads

Photo credits:

Die Hard 4.0 site

Mac video ads site

It's just so sad to read of this piece of news at LKS's blog:

It is most heart-rending to read of the account of Hashidee Murshin Hassim, 29, a childhood friend of Captain Nor Azlan Termuzi, of how the pilot in the fatal crash had a "fear of flying Nuri".

Azlan, who had been a pilot for 11 years, had been flying the Nuri on the Sungai Besi-Kuantan route for the past two years.

The New Straits Times in its report "Captain feared flying Nuri" quoted Hashidee as saying that Azlan had told him that "he would rather drive a truck to Kuantan, because he felt safer".

According to the NST report:

For each flight, Hashidee said, Azlan would always rely on the assurances given to him by the helicopter technician.

"He was even thinking of quitting the force, but his contract with them was the only thing that stopped him as he would have to fork out RM49,000 for breaching it," he said.

"Everytime he flew the Nuri he would call to tell me that he was taking off and upon reaching Kuantan, he would call me again."

"This time, he never called me back."

It reminded me of that girl who died because of severe work-related stress. She felt chained to the job because if she had forfeited her work-contract, she would have to pay a hefty penalty. She died a few days after blogging about this:

I just feel like I'm carrying a heavy baggage of few hundred kilos & I'll start to feel really weak & dizzy. Doc just said I'm really stressed out. sigh..... what should I do? Quit? or continue this ultra-super stressful job? I've got a contract of 6 mths to fulfill... 3 months to commit. If I quit now, I've got to pay back 1 mth's salary. Not worth it. If i quit after May, it won't be so bad. But I don't know if my health can tolerate til then. My mom's really worried & I can't do much to get less worried. Cos my focus was to earn lots of $. I really thought I was able to do everything, that I can be supergirl as well, but my health is worsening at a fast rate. Vitamin M(oney) isn't gonna cure my health. Just yesterday, I received an email from my job agency saying that a contract staff who's working in HP as well, passed away from heart attack, leaving his wife & kids... deja vu? coincidental? a warning sign? I dunno. I don't wanna end up dead for the sake of dough. The moral of the story is don't ever fall in love with your company or your job.

Two people who died in the cause of work. Two people who felt bound to their contracts despite the knowledge that their jobs may be bad for their health and well-being.

If they could do it all over again, would they willingly part with RM49k and a one-month's salary penalty? To their loved ones I'm sure, that's just a small price to pay - if only they can remain a little longer on this earth. For we can always find a way to get money but we have only just this one life to live. My heart and prayers goes out to their loved ones.

Photo credits