Zhang Ziyi - Fame-Driven Scandal

In the world of entertainment, celebrities relentlessly pursue for fame and material comforts. All sorts of publicity gimmicks have been designed to zoom up popularity in the circle.

The celebrities capitalise on the voyeuristic nature of media readers and use it to their full advantage.

And there is this group of paparazzi working on encroaching on the celecrities' privacy and initimacy to satisfy the lust for voyeutism of the readers.

The market mechanism of supply and demand is at work here. Paparazzi merely act to get the supply to meet the demand. The willing supply(by celebrities, although some may detest it) and the inexhaustible demand (by readers of media) make the game go on and on with endless headlines on explosive scandals to whack the strong appetite of entertainment readers.

Zhang Ziyi is just one of them on hot pursuit for more popularity!

Zhang Ziyi's Scandalous Photos On Internet

The scandal involving the topless photos of Zhang Ziyi furiously spread on internet could be a set-up.

We may be fooled by her fiance.

Calling Far Away From Khabarovsk, Russia

Standing tall in the snow-covered Khabarovsk, Hock Lai put himself to the test of the freezing weather there. The severe coldness is stinging, making it a strong contrast with the warm condition back in Malaysia.

In a far-away land and amid freezing-point climatic condition, Hock Lai's heart remains warm with concern about Sibu. He called two nights ago to convey his New Year wishes to MAF of Sibu East District and all the brothers and sisters of MAF of The Masland Church. It was pretty touching.

Hock Lai, you have our best wishes.

Sii Tuong Ing - A Zeal-driven Notes Collector

Notes as a collector's item are more for personal interest than for pecuniary gains.

But Sii Tuong Ing is by any standard a zealot (quoting his own word) in notes collection. He has in his collection a total of 503 notes from 186 nations, all in his safe-keeping sheerly for personal satisfaction. It is a treasure to Tuong Ing, but to most others the notes are of little value since they are not tradable in our market.

I met Tuong Ing face to face in Meng Lei's office at this afternoon's tea session. He generously shared with us his zeal for notes. More than that, he told us over the year, he built up a sizable databank on global currencies. I held the printout in hand and couldn't help to feel amazed.

Tuong Ing picked up this noble interest about a year ago when he was in Cambodia where he came across numerous street money-changers. The diverse notes on display for exchange-trading aroused his interest to the extent that he grew somewhat frenzied in notes.

Tuong Ing was absolutely computer-illiterate before he set his hands on notes. He was zeal-driven to take up forced-learning in order to gain access to the sea of information on the web. After one full year of relentless research using computer, so much so that his right palm has been left with a callus, you may safely call him a semi-expert in global notes.

Tuong Ing's ambition is to publish his compiled work for sharing. Let's give him our moral support!

Hot Fashionable Calendars - Sarah Palin Is Catching Up!

Calendars are meant to give you dates of the days passing by. But they have long become an item calling for taste in artwork and printing. More than that, I noted even fashions have come into play.

Last year's shining political star in U.S. is fast to jump on the wagon to get some quick bucks. Out in the market now are pictorial calendars of Sarah Palin. I understand from the e-mail I received from the States that the just released fashionable calendars are a hot item now!

It may cause a stir, but for a frenzy to gather momentum would be unlikely!

Palin, you have my best wishes.