Friday, July 27, 2007

From blogger to wordpress

I have moved my blog to Wordpress. My new address is http://suziemclean.wordpress.com

Do visit my new home. I'm still keeping this page though. Because I am not sure if I will be permanently in Wordpress. I'm fickle like that :P

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

If it's not bleach, then what?

So the miniature killer is a girl. A very disturbed girl.

With the mystery of the miniature killer solved, comes the conclusion of Season 7 of CSI: Crime Scene Investigations. But now I have more questions than before. If it's not about bleach (the CSI team thought the killings were triggered by the pungent smelling cleaning agent), then what is it all about?

I think I got the part about what makes her kill. She can't stand it when it is about the "other girl".

When she was small, she pushed her little sister off the tree house (and to her death) because their father seemed to dote more on the little sister. But what has her jealousy got to do with Izzy Delancy (the ageing rocker who died in his kitchen) and the rest - like the couple in the place with lots of chicken coups; the psychologist who suffered from Parkinsons (or some other illness) and the old lady who collects shopping coupons?

I know someone on the Net will be able to explain this, if he or she hasn't already done that. But I don't know how to begin searching for the answers. Typing "how did the miniature killer choose her victims" just leads to search results of people posing the same question!

So if anyone out there can explain to me the connection between all the killings, you know where to reach me!

Update:

Most of my questions were answered by wikipedia here. Wikipedia is a lifesaver, dude! At least now I know what is the connection between the murders and also the possible triggers for the murders. But if Grissom says that the killings weren't triggered by bleach, then what did?

Thanks wiki but I still have some questions unanswered. And yeah, I am still open to anyone who wants to discuss the finale of Season 7 with me.

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Tuesday, July 24, 2007

And your point is?

First up, I re-read my post on britney and I think I sounded so eksyen. True, I have lost a little weight but I don't look like I can get on the cover of Sports Illustrated just yet :P

I shouldn't have said that she looks gross. She just looks "untoned".

If I may, I'd also like to quickly comment on the whole cheap HP books vs regular-priced HP books. If you're not familiar with the issue, read about it here.

I'm so glad that two book lovers whom I know don't have a problem with the hypermarkets selling the books for cheap. I understand that the big bookstores are trying to make a point but as a book lover myself, I am all for cheaper books.

Frankly, I couldn't care less if the hypermarkets were just "riding" on the pre-order promotions which the bookstores had planned months before the release of the book or not. All I know is that we all have a choice: buy the cheaper version or get the regular-priced one.

But if there was anything I learnt from my first commerce/economics class in school years ago, it is to buy something that is value for money.

No matter how you argue the issue, (like the argument below, taken from here),

I am as disappointed as the next Malaysian with book prices. Yes they are expensive. I am an avid collector and my room is a single huge library filled with books which have cost me an arm and a leg. But we have to face facts. Books are expensive but it doesn't mean we don't have a choice. A release of a hardcover book is a sales tactic, making use of the fact that there will be an instant number of readers who cannot wait to read a new book and would be willing to pay a higher amount to be the first to have the privilege. Books also come in paperback editions which usually arrive anytime between 6 months to a year, if you can stand the wait. So consumers can't be saying that bookstores are being unfair. RM109.90 too high? Hang tight and wait for a cheaper edition, prices will and have fallen as previous books sales have proven. Book 6 of the Harry Potter is now going for RM29.90 at Borders and there are often the warehouse and clearance sales, where one can get a bargain. Other try renting it at book rental huts or hunt for second hand editions at places such as the Big Book Store, Payless Books or other second hand outlets. So no complains there? Patience is a virtue if you cannot afford it.

logic will tell you to buy the RM69 book.

Here is my retort to the line in bold: Why wait for sale when you can get something for cheaper during non-sale period?

Anyway, the bookstores which were planning to boycott the book have agreed on the below (taken from this blog):

MPH, Times, Popular and Harris bookstores are happy to have reached an agreed solution with Penguin Books Malaysia & Singapore with regard to the sale of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and will resume sale of the said book at the recommended retail price of RM109.90 fixed by Penguin Books Malaysia & Singapore with immediate effect. As a goodwill gesture to customers, all 4 bookstore chains have decided to accord customers with the following offer for the purchase of said title: (i) 20% discount for all customers with any purchase; and (ii) 25% for loyalty card members. For loyal customers with pre-orders, please refer to the respective bookstores for more details.
So, now, what happened to the point that they were trying to make?

All this hoopla makes me want to go to the nearest hypermarket and get the dang book and let it collect dust on my book shelve like the rest of the unread HP books :P

I have a point to make too, you know! :P


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Monday, July 23, 2007

I'm so mean


britney, originally uploaded by Suzi3ana.

This is Britney Spears after two kids, in her bikini, having fun. It should be perfectly alright, right?

But why do I think that she looks... er.. gross? I know, it's such a mean thing to say. But maybe I'm not used to seeing Britney like this. She looks too real, like me. I swear my thighs and butt looked just like her in this picture before I started exercising.

All I can think of is that celebs shouldn't look like this. But why shouldn't they? We're always complaining about how celebs look too thin, unreal. Now that Britney looks like me at 65kg, I'm still complaining.

A year ago, I would have applauded tis picture and say, "See, even Britney thinks it's cool to have a jiggly butt."

Now that I have begun exercising regularly, my idea of "real" bodies are the ones sculpted by regular sessions of cardio, strength, maybe some yogalates and a healthy diet.

It doesn't look like Britney has been doing any of those.

Anyway, why am I so worried? She's got tons of money, she can lose all the weight in a matter of weeks under the supervision of a personal trainer and dietician.

I bet in two months, she'll be back in her old clothes. Make that new, skinny clothes.

Flickr

This is a test post from flickr, a fancy photo sharing thing.

The unmentionables

Reading this article SHOCKING PUNISHMENT: Cold, dirty penalty over sanitary pad in the newspaper today throws me right back to my secondary school days.

I attended a girl's school from early to mid 90s. Once in a while, the issue of sanitary pads being left - accidentally or not - in the toilet would creep up. Once that happens, trust that it will be announced during the school assembly the following day.

But I have never once come across such a punishment. Perhaps my school was not close to any river or drain big enough to fit the entire school hohoho :P

At that time, I always wondered who would be stupid enough to try and flush the dang thing into the toilet. But in the case of the said pad in Sibu, it was left on or near the toilet bowl and not yet flushed. So it could be just a case of an absentminded teenage girl who accidentally forgot to clean up after using the toilet. Teenagers can be irritating like that. :)

Someone in the discussion board said that after the unthinkable punishment, the offence is no longer important. I agree that the warden went too far but at least no girl in her right mind will EVER forget to clean up after herself AGAIN.

I say, a dip in dirty water is better than a surprise visit by some bloodthirsty creature in the night who's counting on feasting on forgotten pads in quiet loos.

Ok, that's the supersticious me talking there. I'm sorry, I listen to too many ghost stories and I will always remember the one about a girl who stayed in a hostel and bumped into a nenek kebayan sort of creature in the toilet. Turns out, someone didn't clean and dispose of their pads properly.

It probably never happened but it scares me all the same.

Probably the warden should've told them this story instead hehehe :P

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Friday, July 20, 2007

58kg again

Gosh... penatnya hari ni.

I had two appointments in the morning before 12pm in two separate locations - near bukit tunku and serdang. Dang!

But I was lucky. I managed to arrive at the first location 15 minutes before the 9am appointment and I got a ride to go to the next one from the person whom I was to interview. Plus, I was treated to a nice buffet lunch at a hotel near serdang. Again, I am very lucky.

I just wish I wasn't so tired. I also wish I had brought my gym clothes so that I could work off the sluggish feeling. But I didn't have any clean track bottoms anymore. I swear I have washed them but I just couldn't find them.

As I couldn't find inspiration to work, I decided to surf the Net to find inspiration to exercise next week. The success stories I read on the Net are so inspiring. I am no way near as heavy as these people where when they started exercising, so technically I should have fewer problems reaching my ideal weight and body shape. But it's so hardlah!

That's not to say that I don't try, though. I do. When I workout, I pay attention to my heart rate and try to reach at least 150. One of the gym instructors said that for weight management for those my age, I should maintain hr of 138. That's too little, frankly. I wouldn't feel challenged if I keep my hr any lower than 150. At 150 or 160, I am panting, sure, but that's alright. At least, it makes me sweat. If I keep it at 138, I bet you I can wear my gym clothes to the gym for two days, honest, because I won't be perspiring.

My hr reached 180 on the elliptical machine on Wednesday, which is a first time for me. After the 30-minute cardio (on the treadmill and elliptical), I did another 40 mins or so of some yoga poses for the entire body that I memorised. I was pretty knackered after that!

Oh, before I went to shower, I weighed myself and I am back to 58 kgs. That's weird considering that I have not been going to the gym regularly since coming back from Sabah.

Anyway, I did the same routine yesterday and left the gym feeling tired but satisfied.

Too bad I can't go today. Oh well... life doesn't revolve around the gym. Besides, there is always next week.

I'm still not in the mood to write so I had better make some phone calls for my appointments next week. Later!


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Wednesday, July 18, 2007

What a loser, what a jerk!

You may be wondering who this post is meant for. Don't worry, it's not directed at any of my friends. It's meant for a loser-jerk whom I have the misfortune of knowing.

If you know me well, I am not one to label people. But I have christened him a loser-jerk for these reasons:

*he wants to tell someone off over the phone but he is too broke to make the call. So he gave the person a missed call to get them to call him back

*he wants to beat up someone but he doesn't have the car nor the money for the gas to drive to the person's home

*he wants to pound someone who gave not just him but his stupid pet a roof over their heads when he was low on dough. Then he left his cat at this person's residence for close to a month without even bothering about who is going to feed it or clean after it. He eventually picked it up but didn't bother to pay the person in cash or in kind

So if I were loser-jerk, I would think twice about hurling abuse at someone - without whom - you wouldn't even have a job. I would think twice about hurting someone who lent you that important piece of paper which helps you get jobs because you never finished school.

If I were you, LOSER, I'd just shut up, keep my fist to myself, put my hands to better use and be more grateful for whatever that I have in life. I wouldn't worry too much about others and would channel my aggression towards my so-called musical career and try to make some money for a change.

So until and unless you change your stinky attitude, you'll just be LOSER-JERK for the rest of your life.

Now, take this 10 cent coin and pegi main jauh-jauh.


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Dexter and Deedee

Dexter now has a new friend. We bought another roborovski hamster, this time from a pet shop in section nine and a female hamster. We've decided to name her Deedee, as in Dexter's sister in Dexter's Laboratory. And of course, Dexter was also named after the main cartoon character.

Along with Deedee, we bought a bigger cage with a much bigger mill and a plastic tunnel thingy outside of the cage for the two of them to climb up to the second storey of the cage. On the second floor, there is a big ball-like mill for them to exercise to their hearts content.

Initially, we had concerns about introducing the two robo's together. What if they start fighting and biting each other to death? Next to Deedee, Dexter seems so small. Their sizes are actually similar to the cartoon characters :) Deedee, the older sister is a lot taller and bigger in the show too.

But to our relief, the two started becoming friends - well, at least friendlier - after 20 minutes of running around looking all panicky. Deedee, although a little timid, seems to be calmer. Dexter seemed so menggelabah, I was so afraid that he'd have a heart attack or something!

But now they are alright. When they need some privacy and space, they will each occupy the different floors. When I woke up this morning, Dexter was curled up like a ball - sleeping - on the top floor while Deedee was running around on the ground floor. I think it works well for the both of them.

I've never been fond of keeping pets in a cage but I have to say, watching them go about their business/day in the cage is calming. It's the same effect you get watching little fish swimming along in an aquarium. Although I still prefer cats as pets because they are responsive, hamsters - especially robos - make good, gentle pets too. I have to say that they are way easier to manage than cats. Just spray them with a special spray available in most pet shops to keep their fur clean and their poops don't smell up the whole house!


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Guess what? )post meant for Monday night)

We got a pet roborovski hamster yesterday and we named him Dexter. He's the cutest!

Roborovski hamsters are very small, not at all like your regular hamster. They live in Gobi Desert and they are very fast on their feet. If they get loose, it's a nightmare to find them under your furniture. Best of all, they almost always never bite. That's one of the reasons why we got him.

My husband has always been talking about getting our own pet. His favourite pet is a toss between monkeys and hamsters. Since it's not that easy to get a monkey, we settled for a dwarf hamster. Right now, Dexter is probably sitting in his little cage, running on his little mill and enjoying the darkness and emptiness of our bedroom (we placed him on the table beside our bed). Kesian dia tinggal sorang-sorang :(

But we made sure that he had plenty to eat and drink before we left for work this morning. But I have this fear that he doesn't know how to suckle the water from the water container. Just before we left, I noticed him getting a little quiet, probably all set to go to sleep.

Since we just got him yesterday, Dexter is not friendly with us yet. But roborovskis are apparently very sociable with people, once they are used to us. We were told to feed it by hand for it to get used to us (or rather our smell). I'll try that tonight.

There is only one thing I am not loving about Dexter right now. That is he loves to kick his bedding with his hind leg out of the cage. Semak ok!

Well, that is my problem, not his. I just have to put old newspaper under his cage.


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Saturday, July 14, 2007

Bad luck? So the drama

Looks like there will not be an ipod for me... yet.

I got No 3 for the solo category.. or should I say catergory.. as the word is spelt on the d1g1 envelope which I got as part of the prize for the d1g1-NpC karaoke competition. The envelope contained a letter which said that my the cheque for my RM400 cash prize will be delivered to me later. I also got a 6070 nokia phone and a trophy. Not bad eh?

Former colleague K1na got 2nd place. She did Fran's Aku Seorang Pendatang very well. I on the other hand didn't sing my song well enough. I think I had an out of body experience because I hardly remember what happened on stage except that the performance went by so fast. It was almost as if I didn't have any control of what was going on.

Anyway, after I finished my performance, I pretty much knew that I had screwed up my chance of winning 1st place that anyone remotely better than me would easily beat me.

But to be honest, I didn't expect to be beaten by the guy who won first place (who shall remain anonymous). I mean, seriously, he got first place? He is not even good. In fact, I was surprised he made it to the finals.

If anyone really deserved the top spot, it would be that chinese guy who went down on his knees. His performance was a little theatrical, I have to admit, but he told a story through his song. Alas, the juries chose mr tv guy for reasons only they and god know.

Do you think the results were read backwards? Which means I got first spot and therefore am the rightful owner of the ipod nano? Hah! I wish!

Well, juries' decision is final, as they say.

I guess I should have seen the signs from the moment I realised that my karaoke vcd was not in my bag. I found it at home near the washing machine. Then, I wanted to get my eyebrows done and only managed to find a shop which offered such services after three tries. After that, when I wanted to pick up my dress, I realised that the laundromat's front door was closed. Apparently, they close every alternate Fridays. But luckily I saw the owner closing the back door. When we were finding my dress, turns out that they haven't ironed it. I sent it to be dry-cleaned on the 11th. The dress was delivered to me at about 6pm. Then, we I got to d1g1's office, I discovered I had just started my monthly when I went to the toilet and I didn't have a pad with me. So, I did what some girls would do when they're stuck in such a situation: use toilet tissue. Gross I know but desperate times call for desperate measure!

The only time I was lucky all day was when I went to get my hair done. I didn't have to wait at all - apparently, the crowd had lessen just a few minutes before I arrived. I guess I should count my blessings and consider myself lucky for winning 3rd place. I mean, I got to the finals beating 20 over soloists and I am the third best solo singer out of 10 people. Not bad lah....

Well, hope the 14th of July brings better luck my way.

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