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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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Wahlberg brothers shooting reality show about Wahlburgers Posted: 17 Jan 2013 05:40 PM PST HINGHAM, Massachusetts, Jan 18 — Walhberg brothers Mark, Donnie and chef sibling Paul have begun filming on a reality TV show that will follow the entrepreneurial family as they build their burger brand — aptly named Wahlburgers. From fine dining to burgers to … reality show; it follows, from actor brother Mark Wahlberg. — AFP pic In a tweet to fans earlier this week, the restaurant put the rumours to rest and tweeted, "Film crew will be in the restaurant off and on for next 3-4 days shooting for our reality show! Stop in for some grub!" A subsequent tweet also indicates that the show will air on The History Channel and invites fans to take up the opportunity to be on TV and meet the celebrity brothers. "Stop on by for some grub! You may be on the History Channel…" After running a successful Italian fine-dining restaurant Alma Nove in Hingham, Massachusetts, chef brother Paul opened a burger joint in the same town in 2011. Burgers at the Wahlberg eatery are made from a blend of chuck brisket, short rib, and can be topped with blue cheese, caramelised onions, bacon, homemade pickles and onions, sautéed mushrooms, avocado and chili. The brothers also announced plans to expand the brand throughout the US, starting with Boston. It's not the first time celebrities have been filmed as they try to navigate the restaurant business. "Famous Food", which aired on VH1 in the US, followed D-list reality TV celebrities such as Heidi Montag of "The Hills" fame and "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Danielle Staub as they tried to open a successful restaurant in Los Angeles. — AFP/Relaxnews

Pandan chicken, anyone? Posted: 17 Jan 2013 05:00 PM PST KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18 — Any doubt that this dish originates from Asia will be wiped away once you notice the main ingredient in them, besides the chicken of course. Screwpine leaves! Commonly known as pandan leaves in Malaysia, these are quite a common sight in most South-east Asian dishes, from meat to fish and even desserts! Screwpine leaves lend a distinct, floral-like fragrance to the ingredients they accompany, and their sweet, almost rose-like flavour mingles with the natural flavours of the other ingredients. While they are available in abundance in South-east Asia, looking for them in other countries may be a little difficult. They are usually sold either dried or frozen in Asian stores, though they may even be available in paste forms at some places. The fresh leaves are much more effective at providing flavour and a stronger aroma compared to the dried ones, making them the first choice in most dishes. For this dish, the gentle flavour of the pandan leaves softens the strong taste of the chicken, resulting in appetizing bites of chicken meat that do not crowd your palate. Wrapping the chicken pieces with pandan leaves also allows the meat to be tender and flavourful when they are fried, encased in the protective embrace of the strips of these aromatic leaves. This makes them excellent appetizers, as they succeed in only teasing your tastebuds and have them ready for the main course. Or you could also serve them as delicious snacks, though you might have to make large quantities... once you try them, it's really going to be quite difficult to remember that they are just snacks. Preparation time: 4 hours (including marinading time) Cooking time: 15 minutes Serves: 4-6 400g chicken thighs, deboned, skinned and cut to bite-sized pieces ¼ tin of sweet corn kernels, water discarded 1 stalk lemongrass, smashed with the back of a knife 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon grated ginger A dash of pepper ⅟₂ teaspoon curry powder ⅟₂ cup coconut milk approximately 10 pandan leaves, washed and pat dry Vegetable oil for deep frying   1. Marinade chicken pieces with lemongrass, fish sauce, sugar, salt, grated ginger, pepper, curry powder and coconut milk in a large bowl. Marinade for 3-4 hours 2. Wrap marinaded chicken pieces with pandan leaf. Start by creating a simple knot in the middle of the leaf. Place 2 pieces of chicken pieces and a teaspoon of corn kernels. Wrap it further with the remaining part of the leaves and secure with a toothpick. 3. Using a deep wok, add vegetable oil (enough for deep frying) and place wok over high heat. 4. Deep fry wrapped chicken pieces in hot oil for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Fry in batches of 3. 5. Pat dry deep fried chicken pieces on an absorbent paper. 6. Serve immediately. Remember to remove pandan leaf before biting into chicken pieces. * For more recipes, go to www.chopstickdiner.com

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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British teenager Robson upends eighth seed Kvitova Posted: 17 Jan 2013 06:13 AM PST British tennis player Laura Robson. — Reuters pic MELBOURNE, Jan 18 — British teenager Laura Robson claimed another big grand slam scalp as she outlasted eighth-seeded Czech Petra Kvitova 2-6 6-3 11-9 in a late-night thriller at the Australian Open. The 18-year-old Robson, who beat Kim Clijsters and Li Na at last year's US Open, took advantage of 18 double faults from former Wimbledon champion Kvitova to reach the third round. "I knew it was going to be very, very tough and trying to return her serve in the first set was very, very hard," 53rd-ranked Robson told the crowd. "But I knew once I got my returns firing and a bit more confidence on my serve I could get myself back into the match and that's what I did." With temperatures still close to 90 degrees as the match moved past midnight, both players made a stack of errors but Robson recovered from 4-2 down to serve for the match at 6-5. Nerves got to her and Kvitova broke back but Robson broke again in the 19th game and then held on to set up a clash with American 19-year-old Sloane Stephens. Robson's win, combined with the progress of Heather Watson, means there are two British women in the third round in Melbourne for the first time since 1991. — Reuters

Armstrong stripped of 2000 bronze, says IOC Posted: 17 Jan 2013 05:08 AM PST Reuters file picture of former cyclist Lance Armstrong. LONDON, Jan 17 — Lance Armstrong has been stripped of his 2000 Olympic Games cycling time trial bronze medal by the International Olympic Committee, continuing his spectacular fall from grace after a doping storm. "We have written asking for the return of the medal from the Sydney 2000 Games," an IOC official told Reuters on Thursday after the decision to take away the last major title won by the disgraced American. The retired Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life by the International Cycling Union (UCI) in October after several riders testified that he took drugs. The testimony came in a United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) report in which the 41-year-old's former U.S Postal team was accused of running "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen". Armstrong, a cancer survivor who founded the Livestrong Foundation, has always denied wrongdoing but is due to appear on U.S. television later on Thursday with reports saying he will confess to taking banned substances. The 2000 bronze was the only Olympic medal Armstrong ever claimed despite dominating cycling by winning the Tour from 1999 to 2005. He retired for a second time in 2011. The IOC had been preparing to make a move for the medal for months but decided at its executive board meeting in December to wait for the UCI to inform the athlete of the titles taken from him and give him the right to appeal. "Following the recent decisions of USADA and the UCI regarding the competitive cycling results of Lance Armstrong, the IOC has disqualified Armstrong from the events in which he competed at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games," the IOC said in a statement. "Namely, the men's individual road race, where he finished 13th, and the men's individual time trial, where he finished 3rd and was awarded with a bronze medal and a certificate." The IOC has asked Armstrong to return the medal and certificate to the United States Olympic Committee which should send them on to the Olympic ruling body. "The decision was taken in principle at the IOC Executive Board meeting in December, but its implementation required the expiration of the appeal deadline," the IOC said. Spaniard Abraham Olano Manzano came fourth in the Sydney time trial and the IOC official said it had yet to be decided if he would be moved up to bronze. IOC sources said, however, it was very unlikely Manzano would be promoted because the organisation preferred to leave the medal vacant as it has done with the medals of American athlete Marion Jones, also a doping offender, from the same Games. — Reuters

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

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Superyacht builders wary of landlubbers among new rich Posted: 17 Jan 2013 07:08 AM PST Reuters file pic of Steve Jobs' superyacht. LONDON, Jan 17 — The glamour, champagne-soaked launches, astronomical price tags and celebrity clients belie a mounting unease in the world of superyacht building, according to industry insiders. The billionaire financier clients of the pre-financial crisis world are fewer and the new rich of Asia with the kind of money needed to spend at least US$100 million (RM301 million) on a holiday gin palace just aren't that into boats. "The business has been going through a lot of change in the past four years," says Henk de Vries, head of shipbuilder Feadship which recently completed the 80-metre (yard) Venus motoryacht, reportedly ordered by the late Apple founder Steve Jobs and impounded in Amsterdam for unpaid bills. "Leading up to the third quarter 2008, our market was going absolutely nuts, it was bonkers. The years 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 were years I think will never come again." De Vries spoke to Reuters at a gathering of superyacht builders and designers in London's gilded Mayfair neighbourhood. The weatherbeaten faces, and tatty outdoor clothing of the London boatshow being held across town were largely absent from this event, marked by expensively cut lounge suits and designer frocks. The partygoers work in a world catering to the tastes of clients who want boats of up to 100 metres long, often equipped with helipads and submarines, with multiple suites fitted out and designed with no expense spared. Anyone thinking of buying such a vessel should budget for about US$1 million per metre of boat, according to Andrew Winch, founder of west London-based designer Andrew Winch Designs which kits out not just boats, but also private jets and homes. A superyacht buyer should also expect to spend about 10 per cent of the purchase price every year in running costs. But whereas the clientele was once dominated by Americans, followed by Europeans from countries with sea-faring traditions and cultures that aspire to yacht ownership, the financial crisis has reduced their numbers. The new rich of China and Asia do not necessarily have the same maritime traditions and many would not think of yachts when choosing luxury lifestyle accessories, which may prove a challenge. "We're all hoping and expecting the next big wave will be from China," said Espen Oeino, a Monaco based yacht designer. "I'm not so sure we will see many Chinese clients with very large yachts because it's not really in their traditions... We all expected great things coming out of Japan in the 1990s and that didn't happen." Oeino's firm Espen Oeino International is currently "very busy", he said, though business "is not as frantic as it was in 2007 and 2008." But the industry can meet these challenges, said Marcel Onkenhout, Chief Executive of boat builder Oceanco, by adjusting design to meet Asian tastes and educating the new rich about superyachts as the ultimate in luxury accessories. "We as an industry need to teach them the lifestyle," he said. Even if the new rich are persuaded to indulge a new found love of the sea, few expect an imminent return to the multi year waiting lists for superyacht orders seen before 2008. According to de Vries, during the first three quarters of 2008, up to 100 contracts for new projects were signed with around 100 companies building boats around the world. "I think what we have now is again a market with structural demand for let's say 30 to 50 yachts per year and room for maybe 30 or 40 companies to build those. We still have more than 100 so the oversupply is maybe 50 percent," he said. — Reuters

Some migraines tied to women’s heart risk, says study Posted: 17 Jan 2013 06:52 AM PST Women suffering migraines might have higher risks of heart attacks and blood clots. — shutterstock.com pic WASHINGTON, Jan 17 — Women who suffer from migraines accompanied by visual disturbances such as flashes of light may be at increased risk of heart attacks and blood clots, researchers said Tuesday. The study involved 27,860 women, of whom 1,435 had migraine with aura, as such disturbances are called. Over the course of the 15-year study, there were 1,030 cases of heart attack, stroke or death from a cardiovascular ailment, said the report from the American Academy of Neurology. "After high blood pressure, migraine with aura was the second strongest single contributor to risk of heart attacks and strokes," said study author Tobias Kurth. "It came ahead of diabetes, current smoking, obesity, and family history of early heart disease." Kurth, or Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and the French National Institute of Health, is also a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. The risk for migraine-plagued women with aura was three times greater than for those with migraines that lacked this disturbance, Kurth told AFP. A second study released by the same academy said women who had migraines with aura and took hormonal contraceptives were more likely to have blood clots. Both studies will be presented at the academy's annual meeting in March in San Diego, California.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

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Sex, politics and Steve Jobs highlight Sundance Film Festival Posted: 17 Jan 2013 04:24 AM PST Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt sits courtside as he attends an NBA basketball game between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles January 6, 2013. — Reuters pic LOS ANGELES, Jan 17 — Movie executives and first-time directors trudging through the snow this year at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah will find tales of pornography and sex addiction awaiting them, in a trend to show more skin at Robert Redford's annual film showcase. Showing in theaters alongside the Steve Jobs biopic "jOBS," festival goers can catch a movie about porn star Linda Lovelace, played by Amanda Seyfried in "Lovelace," and British soft porn publishing magnate Paul Raymond, played by Steve Coogan in Michael Winterbottom's "The Look of Love." "Sexuality and sexual relationships are an area that people are naturally interested in but it has been so taboo that there haven't been a lot of films that get into the complexities of it," Trevor Groth, the festival's director of programming, told Reuters. "Now those audiences are hungry for them," he added, "and filmmakers are feeling confident that there's an audience for those stories." One of the hotly anticipated premieres is comedy "Don Jon's Addiction," actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut about a porn addict who tries to change his ways. It opens tomorrow. Gordon-Levitt, who plays the title role, leads a star-studded cast including Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore, who play two women who help the porn addict become less selfish. In its 35th year, the annual Sundance Film Festival, held in the snowy streets of Park City, Utah, has become a launch pad for low-budget films and unknown stars in films that need investors. Co-founded in 1978 by actor-director Redford, this year's 119 films were culled from 12,000 submissions. The ten-day festival, starting on January 17, showcases the films in competitions and low-key premieres that serve as an antidote to Hollywood's glittering awards season. Sundance has also become a more star-studded affair. This year's roster is expected to bring A-listers such as Nicole Kidman and Jacki Weaver, who star in the mysterious thriller "Stoker," and Naomi Watts in the passionate drama "Two Mothers." Even in death, Apple CEO Steve Jobs is the festival's biggest star. The biography "jOBS, starring Ashton Kutcher as the entrepreneur, claimed the coveted spot closing the festival. It was selected in part because festival organisers wanted to take advantage of the late computer executive's enduring popularity, said Sundance director John Cooper. It didn't hurt that the film is already selling well with buyers, he added. Gordon-Levitt, 31, is no stranger to Sundance, having featured in festival entries such as "Brick" in 2005 and more recently the indie comedy "(500) Days of Summer," which went on to become a box office hit in 2009. "Sundance is more than a festival, or even an institution. It's a community," the actor said in an email. "Whether making films or watching them, Sundance folks have a deep love of cinema." The festival helped catapult the former child star into mainstream movie roles such as "The Dark Knight Rises" and "Inception." His next film is the noir thriller "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For," alongside Clive Owen and Jessica Alba. SEX SELLS AT "UPLIFTING" SUNDANCE Gordon-Levitt's "Don Jon" leads a slate of films about pornography, adult entertainment and sexual relationships. Actor James Franco, a co-star in "Lovelace," is bringing two sexually charged films - the documentary "kink," which will play in the festival's midnight slot, and S&M film "Interior. Leather Bar.," which will complete in the New Frontiers Films slot, which showcases underground films and multimedia projects. The diverse roster of films appeals to buyers, said Lia Burman, executive vice president of acquisitions at independent film company FilmDistrict. She said "In A World," actress Lake Bell's directorial debut about a vocal coach's attempt to become a star, was getting "unbelievable buzz." "Each Sundance seems to have themes and this one seems to have a more sexual coming-of-age trend ... a theme is either uplifting or challenging, and this one, it seems like they've chosen a more uplifting list," Burman told Reuters. Sex isn't just reserved for the feature film categories, as director Freida Mock's "Anita" explores the impact of Anita Hill's allegations in 1991 of sexual harassment against then-US Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Documentary directors will also use the Sundance platform to shine a spotlight on bigger social issues, such as economic inequality, a topic that organizers believe would resonate closely with Americans after last year's presidential debates. The widening income gap in America is explored by economic policy expert Robert Reich in "Inequality for All," while "99% - The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film," delves into the Occupy Wall Street movement. The documentary roster will also feature R.J. Cutler's film "The World According to Dick Cheney," which profiles the former US vice president, and Alex Gibney's "We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks," about the new era of information transparency. "All the films have a certain fearlessness to all the subjects they take on," Cooper said. "That's what we're drawn to, the originality of a story." — Reuters

Oprah’s task: Turn Armstrong audience into regular OWN viewers Posted: 16 Jan 2013 09:21 PM PST LOS ANGELES, Jan 17 — Millions of people are expected to watch Lance Armstrong confess to using performance-enhancing drugs in a two-part interview with Oprah Winfrey beginning this evening, likely giving her OWN cable network its largest audience ever. The challenge for OWN will be convincing those who tune in for the Armstrong interview to come back to the network afterwards. Comedian Michael Ian Black summed up the enormity of that task by tweeting: "Like most of America, really torn between wanting to see Lance confess and never wanting to watch OWN." OWN ranked behind Oxygen and Bravo in terms of viewer numbers in 2012. — Reuters file pic Oprah's interview with Armstrong is event programming akin to the Super Bowl or the Oscars. The wave of publicity generated by the event makes getting people to watch that one time easy. But the future success of the network, which is co-owned by Discovery Communications, will hinge on its ability to transform a portion of the audience that tunes in for the interview into regular viewers. That could enable OWN to increase both its advertising rates and the fees it charges cable operators like Comcast Corp to carry the network. "Sustaining interest on a consistent basis is the problem," said Magid and Associates TV consultant Steve Ridge. "It is much like CNN getting big numbers during a major disaster, or the Weather Channel getting heavy viewership during major weather events. The peaks quickly turn into valleys with hundreds of cable channels to choose from." OWN plans to highlight its other programming in an effort to capitalise on the Armstrong audience, said OWN President Erik Logan. The network will promote upcoming shows, including Sunday's edition of "Oprah's Next Chapter," in which Winfrey interviews actress Drew Barrymore, as well as "Our America with Lisa Ling," a documentary series that has its season premiere on Tuesday. Both nights of the Armstrong interview will also stream live to a worldwide audience on Oprah.com, another platform Winfrey uses to promote her channel's shows. They include "Welcome to Sweetie Pie's," which focuses on a family that runs a collection of soul food restaurants, and "Iyanla: Fix My Life," featuring Iyanla Vanzant, a motivational speaker who was a regular on Winfrey's syndicated show. In another bid to make its programming less reliant on Winfrey herself, OWN recently inked a deal for comedian Tyler Perry to produce shows exclusively for the network. His one-hour drama "The Haves and the Have Nots" and half-hour comedy "Love Thy Neighbor" will premiere in late May. But OWN's challenge is multiplied by the fact that, despite it being a female-skewing network, a large percentage of the audience for the Armstrong interview is expected to be male. Or, to put it another way, viewers are more likely to be from Armstrong's fan base than from Oprah's or OWN's. Logan concedes that the long-term effects of the interview won't be known for some time, but added that it will "certainly be a net positive for us." "It's a great opportunity for the network," Logan said. "We are going to showcase the programming and take advantage of it while we have the interview." Oprah is next Oprah Winfrey, who topped Forbes' highest-paid celebrity list last year, beat out newsmagazine "60 Minutes" to land the Armstrong interview, the latest in a string of high-profile sit-downs scored by the "Queen of Talk" recently. Indeed, when Winfrey, 58, left broadcast television in 2011, there was much debate about who would be the "next Oprah." Would it be Katie Couric, or Anderson Cooper, or Ellen DeGeneres? But it turns out, the next Oprah is Oprah herself. After committing herself to OWN full-time last year, ratings at the network have increased on the back of Winfrey's landing marquee interviews. Her sit-down with Whitney Houston's daughter shortly after the singer's sudden death drew 3.5 million viewers, for instance. Singer Rihanna's appearance in August 2011 grabbed 2.5 million viewers. A two-night sit-down with reality TV clan the Kardashian family brought in more than a million viewers. Last week, she got late-night host David Letterman on her couch for a therapeutic interview in which he opened up publicly for the first time about his sexual transgressions. The interview garnered 711,000 total viewers, OWN said. "There will likely not be another Oprah, as fractionalisation of viewing has made it a near impossibility to replicate," said Ridge, the Magid and Associates consultant. Problem is, the ratings pops generated from Winfrey's interviews are short-lived, and viewing afterward resets back to low levels. OWN averaged 147,000 viewers aged 25 to 54 during prime time in 2012, which is more than 30 percent higher than its first year on cable systems, according to Nielsen data provided by Horizon Media. But that still ranks behind Oxygen in 2012, which averaged 168,000 viewers in that demographic and Bravo, which averaged 475,000 viewers. But in terms of national attention, the Armstrong interview is the biggest opportunity to happen to OWN yet. If played right, it can turn around the entire network's fortunes, said Syracuse University Journalism professor Robert Thompson. Pointing to how "Queer Eye For the Straight Guy" raised Bravo's profile, Thompson said, "One big hit can make it for you. This is the kind of thing that can get people to find you and if enough people who find you come back again, this could be the start of a rally." Small wonder then that the publicity campaign around the Armstrong interview has been orchestrated for maximum exposure. From Winfrey's appearance on "CBS This Morning" on Tuesday and an online teaser clip of the interview, to airing it over two nights in prime time and streaming it online live, the network is pulling out all the stops to entice viewers. It's thought that the interview with Armstrong will attract more male viewers. — Reuters pic So far it appears to have worked — everyone from ESPN and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" to The New York Times and Buzzfeed have run pieces on the upcoming interview. "These event interviews are a way to slowly gather back the fanbase from The Oprah Winfrey Show," Thompson said. Road ahead OWN is already capitalising on the Armstrong interview by selling advertising at a premium to its usual rates, said Logan, though he did not provide specific figures. The network is giving priority to advertisers who have bought time on "Oprah's Next Chapter," which will air the interview, in the past, and those that will also commit to other shows. Ongoing OWN sponsors include General Motors Co, Target Corp, and Kellogg Co. But for OWN to leverage the Armstrong interview into lasting financial gains, it needs to boost advertising revenue and distribution fees. OWN charges cable operators one cent per subscriber per month to distribute the network, according to consulting firm SNL Kagan. But that number is expected to rise to 10 cents per subscriber by the end of this year — on par with networks Oxygen and Animal Planet — which would increase OWN's revenue from US$106.7 million (RM322.4 million) in 2012 to US$239.6 million in 2013. While one year ago OWN was going through a restructuring that included layoffs, executive departures and a reshuffling of its programming lineup, Discovery executives now predict the network will turn a profit in the second half of 2013. "OWN has begun to really find a rhythm," Discovery's chief executive, David Zaslav, told analysts on a November 6 conference call. While the answer to whether OWN can ride the Armstrong interview to sustainable gains won't be known until months after the fact, the confluence of events surrounding the network led Thompson to conclude: "Things are looking a lot more promising for OWN than they were a year ago." — Reuters

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Book Talk: Mary M. Mitchell goes to the dogs with a friend Posted: 17 Jan 2013 03:54 AM PST Book Talk: Mary M. Mitchell goes to the dogs with a friend LONDON, Jan 17 — Etiquette expert and Reuters columnist Mary M. Mitchell found that using a dog as an intermediary helped to take the sting out of tricky discussions with a treasured friend. Mitchell created an email personality for her French bulldog ZsaZsa LaPooch and began sending her friend Nessa emails from the dog as a bit of fun, but then discovered during more than two years of correspondence that it was a good way to deliver difficult messages and explore emotions. The straight advice offered up by ZsaZsa in Mitchell's book "Woofs to the Wise: Learning to Lick at Life and Chew on Civility" later becomes a two-way blessing for Mitchell and Nessa, when the latter struggles to discuss the emotional side of her battle with terminal cancer. Q: Why did you write this book? A: I began the book as a lark. I finished it as a final promise to my closest friend. Q: Is this meant to be taken seriously? A: Although Woofs is often hilarious and sometimes wistful, the book carries a very important "serious" message: good relationships are the hallmark of a life and career well lived. Clear communication and kindness are at the heart of any solid relationship. Q: Have you always had a fondness for animals? A: I was never interested in having a dog around until I met ZsaZsa. At three weeks of age, she and her four siblings were set down in front of me; the other four wandered around aimlessly, whereas she trundled right over and sat on my foot. Q: What's the top lesson you have learned from ZsaZsa? A: ZsaZsa taught me to see things differently. She taught me how to play; how to live in the moment, appreciating every moment; and she taught me patience. Q: Why would you write this from a dog's point of view? A: Sometimes we have tough things to say to people, things they might not like to hear. A middleman, or in this case, a middledog, made saying tough things easier to hear, especially when humor was part of the delivery vehicle. Communication is all about the other person. If I say something to you and you are not clear on what I meant, all I've done is spoken out loud. In the case of Woofs, my friend was driving me crazy micro-managing her visit to Seattle, where I live. I used ZsaZsa to clarify that she was coming for a fun-filled vacation, not a corporate conference. Q: What's so important about civility in a dog-eat-dog world? A: Good manners grease the skids of life. Good manners will get you more tasty treats. It's that simple. Q: When did you and Nessa decide to start talking doggie? A: Once Nessa got over the shock of receiving an email from a dog, she let loose her wicked wit and began writing to ZsaZsa every day. ZsaZsa is a terrible typist, so I helped her with her responses. Nessa was, in her own words, "a highly evolved 21st century diva," so she began coaching ZZ on matters from possible careers to boyfriends. ZsaZsa, of course, rose to every occasion and immediately realized what a tremendous resource Nessa was. One storyline in the book involves ZsaZsa on a new job search. She had been a therapy dog in my husband's medical office. Four years ago he closed his practice, so ZsaZsa was out of a job. Now he teaches yoga, but that's another book... ZsaZsa sought Nessa's considerable wisdom on a number of career issues because Nessa had been a potent mentor to many, many, younger people throughout her life (although never before to a dog). Q: Did the correspondence and then book help Nessa cope with her illness? A: The book in no small way kept Nessa alive throughout her battle with pancreatic cancer. She was wholly dedicated to life, not to answering questions about her treatment. Woofs became a creative outlet for her. Nessa said things to ZsaZsa that were too hard for her to say herself. Nobody likes to feel vulnerable, especially when you are the product of a tremendously successful career and used to being in charge. Losing control was hell for Nessa, as it would be for me and I daresay for most of us. Later in the book, Nessa began asking ZsaZsa for advice with her illness, and so the career storyline came full circle, as ZsaZsa again found herself in the position of therapy dog. Finishing the book provided Nessa with a potent stimulus to keep fighting in her terminal battle. The night before she died I promised her we would get this book published; she was no longer able to talk, yet she squeezed my hand in acknowledgment. Neither of us ever lost sight of the fact that our intent for the book was to contribute all its profits to a foundation for educating middle school children in the arts. Q: The idea of manners and etiquette seems very 19th century. Is it really necessary to know where to put your fork or whether you can put your mobile phone on the table at lunch any more? A: ZsaZsa and I both believe that kindness is timeless. That is what good manners are all about. They come from the inside. They are translated through etiquette, which comes from the outside - they're the rules. Good manners create harmony and etiquette helps control chaos. Etiquette is very practical. If you think about it, rules free us. Imagine what life would be like if there were no directional street signs - car crashes everywhere. When we understand the rules, we can get where we need to go much more easily. The rules change constantly, and they are different in every culture. What matters is knowing how you are expected to behave in a given setting - peeing and pooping only in approved places, for example. And as for cell phones on the table - think about where your cell phone has been, what it's come in contact with, and whether you really want all those germs close to your meal. Q: What's the biggest change to etiquette and manners you've seen in the past 20 years? A: The computer age is absolutely the most powerful factor influencing our behavior in the past two decades. The rules of etiquette always change by virtue of the economy, they always change by virtue of industrialization, and they always change by what's going on in the workplace. For example, I doubt if 20 years ago a series of emails would have made a book. People dealt with each other much more face-to-face and by telephone. Not long ago, I actually had a company engage me to encourage its employees to walk down the hall or across the room to talk with each other rather than text and email. My hope is that many who would never pick up a conventional etiquette book, thinking that it would be too stuffy and boring, will learn a great deal about manners in a most enjoyable way by reading this book, to the benefit of humans and dogs alike. — Reuters

High-flying ‘millenial’ women don’t live to work, says book Posted: 17 Jan 2013 02:10 AM PST LONDON, Jan 17 — Giant corporations will have to consign the alpha male office culture to the paper shredder if they want to hang on to today's high-flying 20- and 30-somethings, particularly women. The world's top firms will struggle to inspire the "millennial" generation with a reward culture based on endless hours in the office and networking built around heavy drinking and macho sports, according to business professor Elisabeth Kelan. The senior lecturer at King's College London argues in her new book "Rising Stars" that 21st century graduates of both genders aren't willing to devote themselves entirely to any one firm in a world where changing jobs every two or three years is the norm. "The millennial generation - both men and women - don't want to live their entire life to work," Kelan said. "This is more pronounced for women because the long-hours work culture is not conducive to children. As a result, women often leave their jobs way before they actually want children." Kelan's research shows that while women make up about 50 percent of entry level jobs, most organisations say only a third of their middle-management and 10 percent of top management are women. This is partly because the women high-fliers in Kelan's book, who are lawyers, consultants, bankers, corporate executives, get disillusioned when men rise through the ranks faster than they do. Some, fed up with long hours and little leisure time, decide to opt for something different - maybe consider starting their own businesses instead. Others decide to go to business school to do an MBA to help give them a leg up the management ladder. But even here they find the environment is testosterone-driven. Kelan gives the example of Iara, who works at an investment bank, but decides to do an MBA to help her career move ahead. She loves the MBA programme, but notices that women account for only about a quarter of her group. She finds most of the activities on the course are designed for men and feels that in effect she is learning how to be "an honorary man." Outside the classroom, it is no different. The dominant culture is "heavy drinking and extreme sports." Light bulb Some companies are trying to break the mold. Aviva, the British insurance company, where women already make up 20 per cent of its senior leaders, developed a reciprocal mentoring programme, in which a group of women and one gay man with leadership potential were mentored by the 11 members of the company's executive committee. "This led to many 'light bulb' moments," Kelan said, where the executives realised their own privilege in having got to the top and why others might struggle to do the same. The tone from the top, she says, is important in reshaping the organisation to allow diverse people to take leading roles. The drive to get more women into corporate boardrooms could play a part in changing the "tone." Norway, which introduced quotas for women directors in 2003, provides an interesting test case. Although it's not easy to assess how women affect the traditional male corporate culture inside the boardroom. "It is quite complex," said Morten Huse, Professor at BI Norwegian Business School, who said a lot of existing research into this area was related to financial performance using quite basic models where it was not easy to see variations resulting from women's contributions. "One core element we need to understand is how women make contributions inside the boardroom," said Huse, who is also a professor at the University of Witten/Herdecke in Germany. Huse said research did show that if there were just one or two women they would tend to adapt to the existing boardroom culture while there was a big change if the number of women reached "critical mass." "In Norway, we see that the traditional roles of independent directors are changing," said Huse. His research identifies three types of independent directors at Norwegian companies - directors with some links to the company - known as insiders, directors with links to investors and true independents with no relationships to insiders. He said that since the introduction of gender balance rules in Norway it was women who often replaced "true independents." "So women have taken away much of the old boys' network." Kelan has also looked at the Norwegian experience. "I was sceptical of the women on boards initiative. We looked at Norway and did find that the more women are on boards the more likely the chairman is a woman or the CEO is a woman. So it does show that there is an increase in women taking leadership positions as a result of quotas." Elisabeth Kelan's book "Rising Stars - Developing Millennial Women as Leaders" is published by Palgrave Macmillan. — Reuters

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Bekas pegawai JPN pertahan beri IC kepada pendatang tanpa dokumen Posted: 17 Jan 2013 02:33 AM PST KOTA KINABALU, 17 Jan — Bekas pegawai Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN) hari ini mempertahankan tindakannya memberi kad pengenalan biru kepada pendatang tanpa dokumen, menegaskan penduduk di pendalaman turut tidak mempunyai dokumen. Bekas pengarah JPN Sabah Datuk Abdul Rauf Sani memberi tahu inkuiri Suruhanjaya Di Raja berkenaan pendatang haram hari ini bahawa kebanyakannya yang tinggal di kawasan pendalaman Sabah seperti Kampung Buaian, Terian dan Ulu Pensiangan tidak mempunyai surat beranak. "Status mereka seperti pendatang," kata Rauf kepada RCI hari ini. "Apa bezanya mereka dan pendatang haram? Kesemua mereka tidak mempunyai dokumen," tambahnya. MENYUSUL LAGI

Dr M pertahan beri kewarganegaraan kepada pendatang Sabah, bertegas ikut undang-undang Posted: 17 Jan 2013 02:23 AM PST Dr M pertahan beri kewarganegaraan kepada pendatang Sabah, bertegas ikut undang-undang Bekas Perdana Menter Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad berucap di forum anjuran Sinar Harian pada 17 Jan 2013. — Gambar Oleh Choo Choy May SHAH ALAM, 17 Jan — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad mempertahankan pemberian status warganegara kepada warga asing di Sabah dan menegaskan ia dilakukan kerana mereka berhak dan dilaksanakan mengikut lunas undang-undang, kata bekas perdana menteri itu semasa disoal wartawan pada sidang media di Wisma Karangkraf. Mahathir berkata selagi seseorang individu tersebut memenuhi syarat seperti fasih bertutur dalam bahasa Melayu dan menetap di Malaysia mereka berhak untuk mendapat status sebagai rakyat Malaysia. "Semasa saya jadi perdana menteri, memanglah saya berkuasa menentukan pelaksanaan dasar kerajaan. "Kerajaan menerima warga asing jadi warganegara jika memenuhi syarat tertentu, malahan mereka yang berada disana bukan satu dua hari tetapi sudah 20-30 tahun dan mereka bercakap bahasa Melayu berhak jadi rakyat Malaysia," kata Mahathir semasa memberi maklum balas terhadap kenyataan saksi inkuiri Suruhanjaya Di Raja (RCI) berkenaan pendatang haram yang mengatakan pentadbirannya terlibat dalam pemberikan kad pengenalan di Sabah pada 1993-1994. Mahathir walaubagaimanapun mengakui terdapat pihak yang tidak senang dengan langkah pemberian kewarganegaraan tersebut tetapi menyatakan langkah tersebut dilakukan mengikut undang-undang. "Jadi, masalahnya ialah apabila ada orang tidak senang bila ada yang jadi rakyat Malaysia walaupun individu tersebut sudah lama menetap di Malaysia, itu yang timbul masalah. "Saya akui saya bagi (kewarganegaraan), di zaman pentadbiran saya ada diberikan," tambah Mahathir. MENYUSUL LAGI

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Being decent does not get you brownie points Posted: 16 Jan 2013 03:48 PM PST JAN 17 — "Mr Van Doren, I am happy that you made the statement, but I cannot agree with most of my colleagues who commended you for telling the truth, because I don't think an adult of your intelligence ought to be commended for telling the truth." Steve Derounian, speaking as a member of a congressional sub-committee hearing, could have as easily been speaking about the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, its self-aggrandisement that #KL112 (the largest rally in Stadium Merdeka in living memory) was their doing and then the various people who have congratulated BN for finally allowing the democratic principle to assemble. The New York Republican's statement still remains universally relevant. He was clean-shaven and dotted his Ts Charles Van Doren was a contestant in a US TV quiz show in the late 1950s. The academic was from a learned and cultured family, so it was hardly awkward to accept that he was able to answer the show's trivia questions.  If anyone could answer random, difficult and contextual questions, someone like him would be the one. And he did, he went on a winning streak, something like "Slumdog Millionaire" without the Mumbai gangsters. However, he was cheating. Van Doren, other contestants, the TV show's production team and countless others were indeed in a conspiracy to dupe the general public — staging performances to match the expectations of viewers. The producers and studio liked Van Doren, because he was a good fit, a genuinely good guy, so they did the obvious — give him the question and answers early so that he would not lose. They felt good was best served by manipulation. Still, cheating is not the centrepiece of my column today. It is about life-long cheaters seeking credit for doing the right thing. It is about the series of denials made by those accused of cheating, in the quiz scandal, leading to a congressional hearing. Because only then, when all the eyes were on him and an escape no more possible from the truth, did Van Doren admit to being part of the sham. But he was able to explain his own complicity in the matter by layered statements. He gave a lengthy explanation on how one thing led to another, that at all times he was trying to be noble and had everyone's interest at heart. Which is why so many of the congressional sub-committee members lauded Van Doren's "clear intentions" before Derounian spoke. Good job, BN! Now I turn my attention to the folks in BN and those singing praises of the permission granted for the rally in Stadium Merdeka. Firstly, the laws changed last year have been a result of decades of opposition from many notable Malaysians. They only decided to retire some laws and replace them with laws with questionable elements, like the high fine when the police rule your assembly of being illegal. They did it because not doing it was not an option anymore. In the lead-up to the rally, the stadium management did not engage the organisers. Mind you, this is a stadium largely unused all year round, and it might be in the interest of the administrators to roll the red carpet when external parties enquire. They agreed late. The police did not liaise with the organisers to see how best to ensure the least amount of inconvenience to the public. The announcement that there would be no riot police only came very late. There was widespread effort to warn the public not to participate through the media. Government servants were threatened with disciplinary action if they attended. University students were told early not to attend. The tertiary institutions later issued statements that none of their students were in any Kebangkitan Rakyat KL112. They even got external speakers into their campuses late last year to educate the undergraduates about the sins of rallies. The mainstream media undermined the value of the rally and after all that, after the dust settled somewhat, they are claiming they were the architects of everything meaningful out of the event. Soon, the prime minister will tell foreign audiences that it is BN's studiously erected transformations despite the meandering and negligent behaviours of the opposition groups that allowed #KL112 to transpire. Maybe it might be harsh to judge the general public's concession that BN has changed postures. I have to be careful here. Some of my friends have felt slighted that I had a go at them for commending the government after long last allowing an opposition-related rally without police intervention. They feel surely when such an obdurate force is willing to shift a centimetre it is not the time to begrudge them. There is merit, but when you factor these guys had to be dragged kicking and screaming at every junction and that they have not initiated any freedoms on their own accord, then the merit is thin and fragile as glazed sugar. The new Van Doren So, in a continuing public relations blitz BN is rewriting contemporary history. I am glad that there are changes, I never enjoyed being tear-gassed and hunted down around the streets of Kuala Lumpur by my police officers. And as much as BN wants to hold aloft its new attitude, it was behind my tear-gassing and chasing me down alleys for standing up for my democratic rights. So readers, you have to forgive me if I am to paraphrase Congressman Derounian: "I am happy BN allowed the rally, but bloody hell, I'm not about to give them an 'A' in modern governance."   * This is the personal opinion of the columnist.

A sense of humanity Posted: 16 Jan 2013 03:41 PM PST JAN 17 — Imagine this. A man of mixed Caucasian and Malaysian Chinese parentage, owning up to no religion, close friends with people of all races, religions and walks of life, whose passing is feted, not mourned by the rainbow of humanity that is Malaysia. A man who had no titles, no fancy designations, not a lot of money but the force of whose charm, intellect and generosity was such that he was unforgettable to practically all who knew him. All of us at some point have met people with such strength of character that they make us forget for a time our prejudices, beliefs and entrenched positions to bask in the glow of somebody that is completely open, non-judgemental, opinionated yet flexible. But they are a shrinking minority. In the cacophony of shrill voices that lay down edicts on matters best left between people and their gods, politicians who seem to have lost all sense of propriety and an increasingly polarised citizenry that only accepts the black or white of "for us or against us", civilised discourse is increasingly hard to come by. We talk a lot at each other, but very little with each other. The outlook is truly bleak when the education system seems to be hell bent on taking the country backwards, when all the races feel cheated by the way education and employment opportunities are distributed, when religious grouses top the headlines and the best talents feel compelled to leave the country. Yet hope springs eternal in the human breast. Hope that those of us who remember a gentler, more empathetic time will try and pass on those values to those under our care, hope that at least in some instances our common humanity will triumph over narrow partisan interests, hope that a spiritual nation will learn to live and let live, and hope that Malaysia can rediscover a sense of shared destiny, where co-operation wins over supremacy of one over the other. Life can be cruel, short and unforgiving and very often not worth the effort, but sometimes all it takes is one heart-warming story to uplift us, inspire us and help to make a difference to us and others. People who live on in our memories are those who understood the value of relationships in an uncertain, ephemeral world. People who had the time, empathy and a willingness to listen, people who understood the difference between what is important and what is urgent. Leading a full life does not necessarily come at the expense of others, and does not need the crutches of arrogance and bigotry. Maybe a little bit of humility and self-doubt is the key to a life worth celebrating. Here's to Steven Loong who truly exemplified what it means to live life to the fullest. * This is the personal opinion of the columnist.

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