RandomThots tries a Book Review - The Time Traveller's Wife

My eyes are red and raw and I've just finished The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Prompted by watching Benjamin Button, it was a book that Aaron said i JUST HAD TO READ and i'm so so very glad that i did.

It is possibly the most touching love story i have read. EVER. (well, i guess that's not saying much since my literary repertoire of late has included life in war-torn Sudan: What is the What by Dave Eggers, a fantasy world of a boy who lives among ghosts The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, the twisted and irony-clad life of a bomber Catch-22 by Joseph Heller and, i suppose, the closest thing to romance Marley and Me)


You may have gathered from the title that the Time Traveller's Wife is the story of a time traveller and his wife. (No duh) The catch is that he cannot control when and where he time travels and thus you can guess the backbone for a love story that really does transcend time and physicality (because i think that sounds more apt than space).

I stayed up too late too many nights not wanting to put the book down and grew extremely attached to the characters. I'm unashamed to admit that I was bawling at the end, wishing for some twist in the plot that would keep them safe forever. But i think that is the mark of a good book, no?

In any case, I think Audrey has really done an excellent job - weaving what is already a touching love story in with the rather foreign concept of time travel and balancing it with a touch of the everyday. So while the notion of a time travelling man is utterly fantastic, i think every reader can relate to it somehow.

I really do urge you to find the book and read it because I've come out of it with a new appreciation for mortality and the biting reality that time passed is not retrievable. You can't do it over again but you can do it good the one chance you have. (And don't worry, it doesn't get you all confused about how time travel works and all those abstract theories. You just have to read it and enjoy )

For the lazy, i've just found out that a movie version is due to be released this year. And it's starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams. As with all movies though, i do urge you to read the book first.

Eric Bana does look quite delectable, though.

If i did stars, i'd probably give this book all of them for sheer emotive power. But i'm quite generous. So here's a generous heaping of thanks to Aaron for sharing the book with me. I promise that's not the reason why i love the book so! (well, maybe a teensy bit)

Acapella Mania!

Uh oh!
Motown Invasion! I'm going on an acapella binge!
Man, musicians last time were UBER TALENTED. I wish i could sing barbershop style too!


Absolutely love this song! Reminds me of impromptu sing-alongs. How sweet it is. Truly!


Ooo... check out the SUPER DEEP bass. And the fros in the picture! Maybe i'll try grow a fro one day...


Kid Michael Jackson has such a sweet voice. And the 'tude from way back when!


Here's one thrown in just so you can learn how 'the BOYBAND' moves evolved. (You'd recognise some of them, Eddie). 80s bands sing-off!

Dammit i think i was born a generation (or 2) too late. Oh well, there's always Boyz II Men (in Korea?)



And Naturally 7

UhMareYeeKen Eye-Derl

Okay, i admit it.

I follow American Idol.

I would make the excuse that my parents hog our one TV and i don't have a choice, but honestly I come home knowing 6 to 8 is Idol time and I do sit there shouting criticisms at the tv. *blush*

So i watched last night's Motown episode and i am totally in Motown Mode at the moment. Gosh, how could i not have known this song before last night?

Smokey Robinson is pretty awesome. But i have to say Adam Lambert (currently my bet for Idol winner) did it... too well. Like goosebumps on my skin well. Granted i'm a sucker for the acoustic set up (guitar, percussion on what looked like a box and cello). But considering he's usually some goth looking punk, i think he tidied up really really well! Oooo...

Okay, check it out (video not available cos of copyright, but the song is awesome enough)



And i also needed to check out the original - which is awesome in its own right.



*swooon*

p.s: i've heard them over a few times and i can't decide which one i like more


'cos i can't get enough of this song. It sounds great on the piano and on Gavin deGraw. *melting melting*

Thinking with the WRONG head can get you killed!

There are some times when my keyboard falls silent (not least because I spilled iced tea on it. But Lo! It has not electrocuted me yet!)
But there are some times when gems like this appear in the newspaper, and they are either too hilarious, or in this case too disgusting, tragic AND hilarious, not to share with the world.

Old Man's Bottle Mishap Leads to his Death

A 77-year old man died when he used a BOTTLE to masturbate.
Fact check? YES 77-year old. YES he died. YES a Bottle. To masturbate.

Said old man got his member stuck in the bottle and only called for help after using soapy water and, supposedly, other lubricants to try to dislodge it.
Surgeons cut the bottle below the neck to try to ease his pain, but by that time the skin around his tool had become inflamed, and the poor man could not tinkle.
Other medical complications resulted and he finally died of heart failure.

I'm not really sure if i should laugh because it's disrespectful. But i imagine to be trying that at 77, he's got to be one of those people you'd laugh at if he was 20, or someone really really lonely.

My my, Colin Farrell, what a compromising pose you have found yourself in. With a bottle no less. *snigger*

Let that be a lesson to us all, sexual experimentation past the age of 70 should be with something safe, like another human being. Or melons (but watch for scalding when you microwave them). Or pie, i guess.

Oh right, and can i also highlight that he was SINGAPOREAN? What did NS do to all their men?

6-worded Recaps

It's a ridiculously hot Monday on what is sure to be the beginning of a ridiculously long week.

Despite the lack of update, my weekend has been very busy indeed. As i did not carry a camera, this will be a brief recap, 'cos things sound so much more boring without photos.

Let's make this more fun. Seeing as I've been reading 6-word memoirs, i'll recap in six words.

Friday - Live Monty Python in Japanese guise

Went to watch Conquest of the Galaxy: Mars by Condors, which is this Japanese dance troupe that does random skits and is absurd but very entertaining humour.

Saturday - Dough slapped, bread baked, buns heavy.

My buns didn't come out as nice as the ones in the class. Bread-making attempts continue...

Sunburst Music fest: Drink, dance, Korn-in-skirt.

The lineup definitely not as awesome as John Legend and Incubus the year before, but a music fest is usually fun atmosphere. I particularly liked Naturally 7 even though I had no idea who they were. Well worth checking out!

Sunday - Rolling round in large plastic ball also known as Zorbing: Land, Sky, Land, Sky... Headache

A bunch of 18 - my bro and his friends and I jumped into a giant plastic ball (2 at a time) and rolled down a slope in Taman Tasik Titiwangsa. It gives you a bit of a headache after, but is such a cool experience! Definitely try it with water - you will appreciate what your clothes go through in the washing machine.

In other news, here's a great 6-worder that I am compelled to share:

'Lucky sperm club entrant wins life.'

~Steve Conlin

And since I am feeling some heat-induced lethargy, I thought i'd check out what movies are showing in the cinema. And then the Coming Soon listings, when i found

Bohsia: Jangan Masuk Jalan Hitam

Really? Not high on my viewing list. What will Malaysia come up with next?

And can I just gloat? Since my headache is partly caused by staying up to watch,

Liverpool has my vote to go on to win the BPL. 5-0 against Aston Villa. Watch your backs, Man U =) [Gerrard, you are a legend]

The best job in the world... is not deserved by me

So in the last week Aaron's actually updated his blog more than i have. That's pretty disgraceful seeing as he posted like 3 times last year. (-_-")

Guess i just don't have much to report. But thanks Weng Lum for bringing this to my attention!



I think he's awesome and i have no shame in saying i VOTED.
http://www.islandreefjob.com/#/Mitchell

Come on, he's cute, he's a nice guy, he can write songs, he has lots of friends who will do silly things for him and he has a nice voice. =) Although i personally want the job for myself, except i recently discovered i am scared of fish, i would definitely kowtow to him. Wouldn't be able to pull off anything the like. Check it out!

There's always a silver lining...

Well what do you know.
I think this is just an interesting article to pass by my radar.
And yes, there has been lots of rubbish in the Malaysian papers lately what with the whole comedy that is the Perak state government. But that's not my issue.

Wildlife in Chernobyl

Just a brief article about how wildlife are roaming freely in the evacuated villages surrounding Chernobyl (the world's worst nuclear plan fallout) and that in a cruel twist of irony, our misfortune may have just been the saving grace for such creatures as the lynx, some species of eagle and even wolves.

Can you imagine if and when we finally kill ourselves with our stupid war games and power struggles, that at least the animals will be free? Creepy and yet probably a deserved fate.

Now i am just thinking i hope those animals don't develop cancer.

Some things look better in 2-D

So i found this website, Pixeloo and the author does really great illustrations and Photoshop manipulation! She decided to bring some of our fave characters to (real) life and honestly, the results are a bit disconcerting. Check it out:

Real Mario - really looks like an Italian plumber

Jessica Rabbit - *wolf whistles!*
Real Stewie - is creepy! Plus imagine giving birth to that child. Ouch!

Real Homer - i think he's staring... Do'h!

Malaysian Masculinity Moderately Mighty

Okay, i read this and thought, SO GOING ON THE BLOG.

The article in it's entirety: Malaysians Not So Hot in Bedroom


The highlights:

• Two out of three Malaysian men and three out of four women are not satisfied with their sex lives
• Malaysians are ranked sixth among 13 countries but, if it’s any consolation, Singaporeans fared worse. They are in eighth spot.
• India topped the list with 70% of the respondents saying they were satisfied with their sex lives while Japan reported the lowest sexual satisfaction rate at 10%
  

“The survey links the level of erection hardness to sexual satisfaction for men.” said Dr King during a roundtable discussion at a hotel here yesterday.
The level of erection hardness is measured in a scale of one to four using the Erection Hardness Score (EHS) developed by the European Association of Urology.
“Level one is like tofu where the male organ is large but not hard, level two is similar to a peeled banana where it’s not hard enough for penetration, level three is like an unpeeled banana where it’s hard enough for penetration but not completely, and level four is similar to a cucumber where it’s completely hard and fully rigid,” explained Dr King.

• 40% of Malaysian men reported that they experienced erection below grade four
• “We found that greater sexual satisfaction is strongly associated with greater satisfaction with life overall. Generally, men and women who are highly satisfied with their sex life have a more positive outlook on their relationships and life.

Points to Ponder:

What? India has better sex than we do? Well, Aaron's justification was that there are more people and less things to do. So, do the people? The great sex and crap sex will eventually average out.

Japan seems a sexually dissatisfied bunch. Maybe they set their standards too high. All that kinky hentai gotta leave you wanting...

Ha ha. Take that, Singapore!

There is an ERECTION HARDNESS SCORE!?!?! Okay, i find that hilarious. Especially in the use of foodstuff for descriptions. "Oh, darn. Today's a tofu day... Worse than yesterday's Peeled Banana. When can i get a CUCUMBER? I guess i should work past Unpeeled Banana first."

Also, why is there no Lubrication Score? Discriminatory!! Sexist!!

40% of Malaysian men are below grade 4. Malaysian male readers, take comfort in knowing you're not alone.

And finally, happy person = great sex! So be happy and you shall reap your reward.

But what if good sex makes you happy, and you can't have good sex til you're happy.. and you can't be happy until you have good sex.. and... Argh! Chicken and egg!!

Gah! Not the Museum Too!!!!

Oh wow..
So it's not just the National Planetarium that has a problem..
Curious to see what the National Museum is like (about 10 years after i last visited), i thought i'd check out their website first. The place as i remember it was dark, dank and pretty lousy and, giving them the benefit of the doubt, i thought they might have improved!
Well, their website is currently being upgraded but the Department of Museums website has the following entry:

Pending (I think this refers to a Malay word)

Pending is belt head which weared by Malay society together with official cloth in a official council. Man category wearing together with sarung or sampin. It also weared by women category in a official council.

Cik Siti Wan Kembang is Malay women which wearing Pending around 15th century. Collection most Pending around 15th century. Collection most pending gold which have found from Malay royal family. Art results which delicate on Pending gold which enough impress is results from gold craftsman hand job on that time. Have also belt head which closely same function had be made by Chinese gold craftsman for Society
Peranakan Chinese at Melaka, Penang Island and Singapore.

Oh dear lord it's atrocious!

By the way, can you see the school teacher in me coming out? I'd shatter the government's self-esteem if they were in my class...

Befuddlement

I couldn't help but bring attention to this news article in which the culprit seems to be affected by split personality disorder.

The founder and CEO of a Muslim TV station based in New York, one with the mission to 'show Muslims in a more positive light' was arrested and charged for beheading his wife.

Apparently she had filed for divorce and was forcing him out of their home, which in some part of his brain he took to mean BEHEAD HER.

I think there's probably more to the story, but i think it's a sad kind of irony that a man trying to cure people of their misconceptions goes and commits such a heinous crime. Beheading somehow sounds so much more vindictive and violent than murder.

But let that be a lesson to you, noone's a saint.

I'll pause this game so our love never ends... <3

As a belated tribute to Valentine's Day, I think this is a really really sweet song!

For those many 401 nights stuck to the controllers and for those of us who can't really express ourselves outside of video games...

The Mario Kart Love Song

His voice is actually really good! So Sweeeet....

Alternate Dating Ideas - The National Planetarium

Following on from the previous post, you may have guessed I was researching the Planetarium because i actually intended to go there. So i did, and without further ado, i present to you the Planetarium Report.

The Planetarium would have been disappointing if i had any expectations of it (fortunately no) but it was particularly disappointing because:

a) the English was actually WORSE than the website

Hi, this the awful translation to keep Malaysia look crap

On Earth, we goes school to get knowledge to keep us in job

b) it took 20 minutes to slowly walk around as most of the place was under renovation

Well, i should at least get some photos out of it...

There's a cool anti-grav machine! Too bad noone was manning it so i don't know if it's still working

c) our astronomical pride *shakes head* Malaysia's contribution to the space age:

A batik shirt with Saturn on it! *gasp*
Freezer packed rendang tok and chicken satay! Incredible!

Vacuum sealed Malaysian made cookies, preserved ginger sweets, dehydrated mango and fried tempeh! Amazing!

By the way, can you note the disdain I feel about what i think is a really costly waste of resources? We spent billions of ringgit and committed goodness knows how much more in defence deals just so we could send a space tourist up. Fortunately, he shared his food with his fellow astronauts, just so they could sample our fare and realise what generous people we are.

Well, the upside being the Planetarium has free admission so I guess if nothing more, at least it was cold and indoors, away from the scorching hot sun. With that, we went outside to look for the 'Ancient Astrology garden'

The stairway leading to the main entrance is actually quite pretty... Note the Islamic architecture

Okay, i'm allowed one mushy pic, right? And yes, i realise this is the baju that makes me look naked

I think this was in the aforementioned garden. Regardless, it is a beautiful scuplture of space and time (with Arabic numerals) A pity noone really knows it's here!

This freaky little creature was around the fountain probably as an example of what alien life could look like. Personally, I was scared. And i can only imagine what nightmares children will get from it

Do i want to be an angkasawan? Lots of government money that could be spent on welfare and education poured on me under the pretense that I will help science and technology in Malaysia? Hell yeah!

That's the Dilly-o, yo. At least you feel me, Galileo (i think). Yeah.

Grammar Nazi - Yaaaaaah!!

This is on the NATIONAL PLANETARIUM MALAYSIA website.
Under Fun Learning.
Because at some point in time, all of us have asked:

Mummy, why does the sky blue?

And you still wonder why I am frustrated with the education system of this country?

p.s: i could've written a better answer than that in secondary school. It is easier to be scattered?!?!

What to do when you meet a Faulty Traffic Light

Isn't it appalling that you can trawl the internet and not find a single thing that tells you where to complain when you have a faulty traffic light?
When you aren't looking, you will notice some lights with little signs beneath them giving you a toll-free number to call in case 'traffic light rosak'.

Well, you can't find it online.

Obviously I plagiarised this from This is Broken who stole it off some guy's Flickr. But it's of a traffic light sculpture somewhere in Canary Wharf. Confusingawesomeness!

Normally, I don't think i'm such a concerned and conscientious citizen but the faulty traffic light in question was right outside my house which is right next to a school, and while flashing yellow lights would be alright, lights that were permanently stuck at either green or red posed quite a hazard when crossing a particular road would always entail running red lights.


In any case, WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU MEET A FAULTY TRAFFIC LIGHT IN KL:


You could, like me, trudge the internet to find that it is neither under the jurisdiction of the PDRM (Polis Diraja Malaysia/Police) or JKR (Jabatan Kerja Raya/Public Works)... and to have a complaint lodged with JKR passed on to DBKL (Dewan Bandaraya/City Hall). Or you could call the Mix.fm traffic people (which was, by the way, answered by a very polite and kinda sexy-voiced guy) and ask them WHAT DO I DO?


Or you could read this blog post and I can give you the number that I got off the helpful Mix.fm dude, which is for:


ITIS (Integrated Transport Information System) although I have no idea why, seeing as they seem to be a traffic report type of setup


Main number: 03-8947 4002 (didn't pick up)
Second number: 03-8947 4342 (picked up this one)


So I don't know whether it was my call that did the trick and I don't know if it was because I wrote to DBKL or I called into ITIS (which is part of DBKL) but lo and behold, the lights were fixed by the time I got home. Joy!

The only problem was, it was raining so heavily that part of my neighbourhood was flooded and cars were stalled on the road. Boo!


Rain 1 - KL Urban Planners 0

Now be good and report any faulty traffic lights you see! You could be preventing a nasty accident! (or at least reducing the number of irritated drivers who are angry you aren't running red lights)

Quick Causes for Finger Crossing

Ceasefire. Yay!
Obama's Inauguration. Double Yay!

Now to hope that our hopes for both aren't dashed...

*fingers crossed*

Blinded by Self-proclaimed Righteousness

I have to confess I'm not brave enough to take a firm stand on the Palestine-Israel matter because there are always two sides to a story. However, in this recent war, I have to say that while Hamas is not totally blameless for firing rockets into Israel, it is similarly unjustifiable that Israel, in self-defence, can continue firing far more advanced weaponry into a largely innocent population.

To me, it seems the equivalent of a secondary school kid beating up a primary school child who was throwing rather painful stones at him. Sure the child needs to learn to stop, but so does the older kid.

Anyway, while I am still afraid to pledge my allegiance, I am leaning ever so slightly to the Palestinian side and I find this posting from Fawaz on Facebook a pretty good justification why:

Rule #1: In the Middle East, it is always the Palestinians that attack first, and it's always Israel who defends itself. This is called "retaliation".
Rule #2: The Palestinians are not allowed to kill Israelis. This is called "terrorism".
Rule #3: Israel has the right to kill Palestinian civilians; this is called "self-defense", or "collateral damage".
Rule #4: When Israel kills too many Palestinian civilians, the Western world calls for restraint. This is called the "reaction of the international community".
Rule #5: Palestinians do not have the right to capture Israeli military, not even 1 or 2.
Rule #6 : Israel has the right to capture as many Palestinians as they want (around 10,000 to date being held without trial). There is no limit; there is no need for proof of guilt or trial. All that is needed is the magic word: "terrorism".
Rule #7: When you say "Hamas", always be sure to add "supported by Hezbo-Allah, Syria and Iran".
Rule #8: When you say " Israel", never say "supported by the USA, the UK, European countries and even some Arab regimes", for people (God forbid) might believe this is not an equal conflict.
Rule #9: When it comes to Israel, don't mention the words "occupied territories", "UN resolutions", "Geneva conventions". T his could distress the audience of Fox, CNN, etc.
Rule #10: Israelis speak better English than Arabs. This is why we let them speak out as much as possible, so that they can explain rules 1 through 9. This is called "neutral journalism".
Rule #11: If you don't agree with these rules or if you favor the Palestinian side over the Israeli side, you must be a very dangerous anti-Semite. You may even have to make a public apology if you express your honest opinion.THIS IS CALLED: DEMOCRACY!!

And also, because I was shocked to find that sites exist where people are so blinded by the need to CRUSH THE INFIDEL HAMAS that they would make comments like this:

At 9:03 AM, Daniel434 said...
If Israel knows for sure that they are there (very high ranking Hamas leaders), then Israel must take the step neccessary to protect itself from a violent agressor that threatens the Apple of God's eye every day -- meaning, drop a ten ton bomb on the hospital or whatever it takes.The problem is, what if Israel leaflets the hospital and Hamas leadership flees? Hamas has seen what Israel did to another high ranking officer, leaflets and then boom. This time they might flee. While I would prefer them to leaflet and have the innocent wounded leave, I wonder if it is too risky. Like NormanF said, it is time to decapitate Hamas.Oh, and screw public/world opinion.

The same guy continued on:

At 10:11 AM, Daniel434 said...
I know Carl has made these clear many times with meticulous research and evidence but I also want to share what one of my favorite seminary and pastor teacher (Kenny Rhodes-SermonAudiodotcom) said:"The 'Palestinian' people are not an ethnic group, they are not a people, they are not an indigenous people. They are descendants from other arabs in that area with absolutely no history of being in that land and they have no claim to the land of Israel. It has always been Israel's land since God gave it to Israel and ordered Yaakov to conquer the Canaanites. There is no such thing as a 'Palestinian' people."So, there you have it from a very good Christian man, too bad not all my brethren think the same, but we are getting there. I hope that statement shuts up the mouth of any who would disparaging comments here in favor of the carpetbaggers.

Gosh that last comment just pisses me off for too many reasons! I have highlighted in red what i think to be nonsense statements. Now i know i will be criticised for my non God-fearing ways but I have a real problem with 'God gave it to Israel'.

First of all, Christianity, Islam and Judaism are practically one and the same. They share the same characters, much of the same teachings and arguably the same holy book just in different cultural context. So, my take is, God gave it to one of the faiths, he inadvertently gave it to the others that sprung from it.
He gave it to the the Jews... whose faith formed the basis of Christianity (modified Judaism for the Roman context) ... who shares too many similarities with Islam to not have had a hand in its creation too.
Religion and God-given rights aside, the only thing that has ever been able to decide the matter of territory is how much gunpower you have.

My second gripe. To say that there is no such thing as a Palestinian people is like saying there is no such thing as an American people. Or to hit closer to home, a Malaysian people. "Oh, they've only lived there for centuries. That doesn't make them Palestinian."
Okay, even in the bible, the people of Israel were from somewhere else. And then the UN created Israel AGAIN, 50 years ago. Israel has no greater claim to existence than Palestine or any other country for that matter!

I guess one of my biggest problems with religion is that all too often instead of being a promoter of good, it becomes a justification for misguided actions.

I welcome opinions and insights. After all, who am i to decide a decades-old problem?

Love (Nearly) Triumphs in Prepubescent Elopement

Gah! This is just the CUTEST thing!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/05/german-children-elope-mika-annabel

German lovers, Anna-Bell and Mika (5 and 6 years old respectively) were picked up on the way to the airport where they wanted to catch a flight to Africe to get married!
So enthusiastic were they that on top of their summer clothes and swimming outfits, they even brought along Mika's sister to be a witness at the wedding.

*sigh* What a wonderful thing young love is!

And thank goodness nothing bad happened to them on the way.

I can't help but feel so happy for their innocence. And slightly skeptical at the back of my mind - you kids don't know what it's like having in-laws, being tainted by class, behaviour, religion, belief, money, aspirations...

But throw that all away, why can't we all just be in love again?

The Wheels on the Atheist Bus go Round and Round...

You gotta love London because they can get away with things like the Atheist bus....

If that's their motto then I am beginning to suspect I am atheist... (although i like to think not in such a 'Terminator' vehemently anti-religion sort of way)

This article will tell you a bit more about why the Atheist bus exists, and why Londoners could raise a whopping 140,000 pounds to fund this campaign as response to religious slogans on buses that condemn non-believers to damnation. I suspect that the first ad that triggered it all off was this one:

Because i did like the founder of the Atheist Bus campaign, and i clicked onto the Jesussaid website, and i found out what will happen to the heathen non-believer (Kaafir!) such as myself:

He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16b-18).

What are the consequences if you reject the answer?

God’s wrath includes the prospect of eternal punishment – it is appointed to men to die once and then comes the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). You will rise from the dead and will face the Judge and know that you rejected His kind and merciful answer. You will be condemned to everlasting separation from God and then you spend all eternity in torment in hell.(!!!) Jesus spoke about this as a lake of fire which was prepared for the devil and all his angels (demonic spirits) (Matthew 25: 41).

Gah! It all sounds like biased treatment at the moment. If you believe in me, I won't judge you (therefore it doesn't matter what you do?) and if you don't believe in me, you're doomed (therefore it doesn't matter what you do?)... What happened to kind and merciful?

Maybe that explains why there have been so many religious crusades and wars for God and what not. 'Cos the final accountant closes one eye when it comes to people who know him? Pardon me, but i still have issues with religions that invoke fear rather than cultivate good.

*sigh*

Anyway, I hope this isn't seen as a giant stab in the side of monotheistic religion. See it like this (following paragraph from aforelinked article):

The theology thinktank Theos welcomed the campaign, saying it was a "great way" to get people thinking about God. "The posters will encourage people to consider the most important question we will ever face in our lives. The slogan itself is a great discussion starter. Telling someone 'there's probably no God' is a bit like telling them they've probably remembered to lock their door. It creates the doubt that they might not have."

And, to cap it all off, a slogan taken up by The American Humanist Association on their bus advertising campaign that speaks to my heart:

Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake!

Religious Revelations - Taoism

Now our brush with Taoism in Penang was much briefer owing to the packed crowds of tourists that not only filled 7 hours worth of cable cars by 11 am but also seemed to be at every turn of the tiny tiny streets in Penang.

~~~~An aside from my story as I expound my thoughts on Taoism. Now this whole Goddess of Mercy thing... Curiously, I've always had a statue in my house since I can remember. But what do i know about her? Nothing! People who pray to her claim to be Buddhists. While the traditional rites associated with offerings, altars, observing vegetarian days, etc etc are very much Taoist. So Buddhist? Taoist? I think particularly in Malaysia we've developed a hybrid of them both. Where you just 'follow what your parents did' and the lines between Taoist tradition and Buddhist religion became very much blurred indeed. Buddhism for me, though, is a belief in yourself and not in a higher power, so to me (if i understand correctly), Goddess of Mercy = Taoist; Belief in self = Buddhist. Okay, carry on now~~~

So, no cable car ride up Penang hill but we did stop by the foothills where there was *cue cheesy Batman music here* the Bat Cave Temple!!

Right, there were maybe 40 bats in this low 'cave' (dark room that may have once been a cave) behind a temple that had the mandatory altar and little pools by the side with STATUES of tortoises. The patrons of the temple were pouring water on the tortoise statues' backs, either bemused young children fascinated by tortoises or worn-looking adults, praying for luck, fortune or health. [Is it just me or is it really sad that not only is there an artificial bat cave there but they don't even have real tortoises anymore. *sigh* All the old-worldly charm sort of dissipated...]

The other temple we visited was the Goddess of Mercy (Kuan Yin) temple and merciful as the goddess may be, her embodiment on earth was much more lavish and capitalistic than she may have desired.

As we stepped into the temple hall itself, a quarter of the space was taken up by a makeshift shop selling paper money, incense, candles, CDs with recorded chants and goodness knows what other matter of tacky 'religious articles'.
Right outside the hall, one could pay a fee to donate a roof tile to the construction of a new wing of the temple. Your name of course inscribed on the tile so your kind donation would be forever remembered.
The statues of Chinese zodiac animals that lined the path into the temple looked innocent enough - little children clambering on them and posing for photos. And then the realisation that each animal had a coinbank-like slot. Of course the animals would only favour those that provided for them in some manner.
And I haven't even come to the matter of the gift shop right next to the parking lot. A gift shop? With mugs, fans, tacky handmade items from Thailand and Indonesia, animals made of coconut husks, childrens' toys from some rundown factory in China, cutlery, table mats, jewellery, keychains... The array of mind-bogglingly unreligious items was enough to drive you crazy!
So off we ran into the car, glad to escape this hub of commercialism when a sign greeted us at the exit:

We are currently building the largest bronze statue of the Goddess of
Mercy. One of its kind and of unique architecture. Support our efforts by
donating generously to the temple.

A quick dash down the slope as it dawned upon me that Chinese may be Buddhist, Taoist, Christian or even Muslim... But as far as I have been able to observe, To be Chinese is to be Capitalistic. To be Capitalistic, is to squeeeeeze money out of ANYONE at ANY CHANCE POSSIBLE (be it under the guise of religion or community)

*sigh* and still the search for an acceptable devotion continues....