INDIEpendent Fest in Penang. In Celebration of Merdeka

Merdeka is this Sunday. Besides appreciating what happened 51 years ago, how far we've come, and how we're doing so far... it also means a day off on Monday. Time to paste that Malaysian flag sticker on the bumper of my Datsun...

This flag flies upright

And while there'll be a parade around The Esplanade and partying along Gurney Drive, meanwhile some of my friends are organizing an arts exhibition...

Their way of celebrating our Independence Day, is with an INDIEpendence Day. Two days actually...

Click The Image Above For More Details On Who's Playing

I think I'm gonna check it out. Would be a good place to test out my new SLR camera...

Apparently Uglymen and the Damn Dirty Apes will be playing. Hope Pedram does his space-rock stuff this time...

Aside from a bunch of indie/alt bands jamming, there's gonna be some film screenings, workshops, and exhibitions by artists, poets, and photographers (including blogger Susan Loone).


More info can be obtained from the horses mouth...

http://indiependentfest.blogspot.com/

http://www.indiegoat.com/posts/213/indiependent-fest-updates/

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This Election Is Made Of Win And LOLz

Yes, we all know what happened. Brother Anwar Bin Ibrahim totally kicked ass in yesterday's by-election. Despite the lower number of people coming out to vote, he won decisively with a majority of over 15,500 votes. Thats more than his wife who scored a 13,300 vote majority in March. At last Mrs. Anwar Ibrahim can take a well-deserved rest, while her husband gives BN/UMNO hell.


As for Khairy J, he has failed in his goal to "bury Anwar".

Like Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev who said "We Will Bury You!" to Western Europe & the United States... Khairy will probably later bang his shoe on the table in Parliament.

"We Will Bury You!!"

The next few weeks will be interesting. I wonder if Dr. Mahathir is presently shopping for real estate overseas... preferably in a country that doesn't have an extradition treaty with us.

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The Worst Examples Of Celebrity Merchandising

Most famous artistes, singers, actors, entertainers, etc. are in it for one thing... money. Their main goal is to make as much cash as their fame allows for. Once past the top of their career, its downhill from there... and into the land of washed-up has-beens and sideshow product endorsements.

So, its important for them to use their image to create more side income and publicity aside from that singing, acting, or whatever that they're primarily well known for. After all, those expensive bungalows, luxury cars, nice clothes, and that jet-set lifestyle are rather costly to maintain. Thats why you find celebrity endorsed products on the market that cost much more than the normal thing.

And sometimes, you get endorsed stuff that are so laughable, you start wondering if:

... the marketing team & publicist should be shot
... that celeb is in debt
... that celeb has absolutely no shame in pimping himself/herself out

Here's some of the worst I've seen on the market...


1. Rihanna's Umbrella

No, not that popular overplayed song. Rihanna's management actually came out with a line of umbrellas to capitalize upon that successful song with the annoying chorus of " 'ella... 'ella... 'ella... eh.. eh... oh... oh...". Its long off the charts now, but everytime I tune into FlyFM or MixFm I still hear it being played at least once. Why don't they put on "Shut Up & Drive" instead, which is a better Rihanna song?



I guess nobody wanted to pay U$20 (about RM65) for a simple umbrella with the word RIHANNA stiched into it. Even at a half-price discount, I bet no one wants to be caught dead in the middle of a rainstorm with such a thing. That would invite a barrage of laughter from folks passing by, and possibly even gunfire...



2. The U2 iPod

Sometime in mid-2004, at an Apple board meeting...

Steve Jobs: Ok boys, we're releasing the new fourth generation iPod in October! Any more ideas to make more money and increase our stock price!?

Apple Executive: I've got one. The U2 iPod.

Steve Jobs: Ummmm... ok. Please explain.

Exec: Its just a 4th-Generation 20GB iPod. Its $50 more than a plain 4th-Gen 20GB iPod.

Steve Jobs: And the difference is....?

Exec: Its got autographs of U2 etched at the back. Also, its a different color.

Steve Jobs: Will it have U2's songs preloaded into it? Will it eliminate poverty from Third World nations?

Exec: No. Like I said, just the autographs and color.

Steve Jobs: I doubt this will...

Exec: Its $50 more. Fans will buy it.

Steve Jobs: Ok then! Approved!

Exec: I'll get Bono on the line...




And that's how the Special Edition U2 iPod was born. Does not save Africans from famine, AIDS and warfare.



3. Mawi Mineral Water

"I want to live like a superstar. To me... the biggest superstar in the world is.. M.Nasir"

~ Mawi, Akedemi Fantasia winner
(MixFM radio interview)

To make the best of your 15-minutes of fame as a reality show winner, you should come out with your own line of bottled water. Then you can achieve the superstar lifestyle.

Fortunately, Jaclyn Victor never came out with her own brand of tampons...



4. Steven Seagal's Lightning Bolt Energy Drink

Confucius (Kung-Fu Tze) says... a picture tells a thousand words *.

It also generates a thousand tonnes of laughter:




If you think that was Photoshopped... here's a picture taken at a store...




They even have their own website!

"Asian Experience Energy Drink"?! What the hell is that?! Hm... lets see... Cordyceps, Yerba Mate, Guarana, Goji Berry, Ginseng, Green Tea, Ginko Biloba, and Polisweet.

Looks like Steven Seagal with his wise-sifu knowledge tossed a bunch of herbs in a blender and pressed the button. The result was a drink of "untold natural power" that will give you the "Asian Experience". From several user reviews, I believe this is the same "experience" you get from eating at a dirty foodstall in Georgetown's Chulia Street.



* - Not actually said by Confucius himself. That's confusing...

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