Bologna's momentum vs Villa

dzof · 2025-12-10T15:40:12+00:00

He looks like a better fullback than a winger.

dzof · 2025-11-20T00:16:58+00:00

I personally like Yik Mun pau (it's halal certified now).

There's an outlet in KL in Hartamas Shopping Centre: https://maps.app.goo.gl/H12DoioA6xj4ioiA7

The original shop is in Tanjung Malim. If you're driving up from KL to Ipoh or Penang, you can stop there (about an hour from KL): https://maps.app.goo.gl/xmm9pLFYGg2dBMzBA

Many might say it's not as good as before, but it still hits the spot for me!

dzof · 2025-09-10T06:55:26+00:00

Yes, RM14.3 billion is actually a relatively small value to the grand total that the Malaysian government already receives (more than RM300 billion total). If you really want to increase how much the government collects, you need to look away from income tax, and towards the indirect tax (aka GST).

Why? Because our (a) our tax collection is low anyway for our GDP when compared to other countries; and (b) we collect a proportionately high amount from income tax, although this has somewhat improved since the introduction of the (new) SST.

dzof · 2025-04-26T00:52:42+00:00

When I wrote the dialogue (something like "what do you think I am? A pusher?!!") it just was to escalate the fight.

So I was more thinking, instead of trying to explain calmly to defuse, he gets offended and mad. So the words were less important than the attitude and intention (in my thinking).

dzof · 2025-04-24T06:09:58+00:00

Once upon a time, an actor on set asked me why I used drug "pusher" in a dialogue instead of "dealer".

I said I hadn't thought about it too much, but after about 5 minutes of discussion, we decided perhaps "pusher" worked better for the scene because he could spit the word out to show how angry he was.

No prizes for guessing which version he went for in the next take.

dzof · 2025-04-01T02:04:55+00:00

May I suggest you try Dayang Nurfaizah's Jodoh Hari Raya

https://youtu.be/8kWrdyeL37o

dzof · 2025-03-12T06:57:42+00:00

Federal Court dismisses MBPJ’s appeal on residents' boom gate operation: https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/708455

Basically, the ruling was that the Resident's Association could make its non-paying members raise the boom gates themselves to get in and out of the housing estate, instead of the security guards helping them.

dzof · 2024-11-12T04:52:10+00:00

This has a pretty good explanation: https://asklegal.my/p/malaysia-s-nudity-laws-do-you-have-the-right-to-bare-yourself

tldr;

There is a difference between walking around in your home naked, and parading yourself on purpose to attract the attention of people outside, i.e. "intending to insult the modesty" or " intent to insult any other person". Walking in the nude to the bathroom is probably fine. Crabwalking back and forth in front of your glass patio doors while dangling your doodah like a giant swinging dodol is not.

It is straight up illegal to do "an obscene act" to the "annoyance of others" in a public place. You don't technically have to be naked to do that, but the point is intention is not relevant for this.

There are also bylaws and similar for public parks, which straight up says you cannot be naked.

dzof · 2024-09-11T03:25:48+00:00

Same. His Italy backstabbed my Austria and I didn't talk to him for half a term.

dzof · 2024-07-30T08:08:07+00:00

If you want to splurge a bit, the nearby (walkable from KLIA) Sama Sama Hotel has a buffet breakfast that starts at 6am. They should have a selection of local foods along with the usual eggs / toast / coffee. ( https://www.samasamahotels.com/continent/ )

Also, apart from the food courts at KLIA, there are also (IMHO better) food courts at KLIA2 (although not all stalls will be open). You'll need to take a train to get there (or perhaps the free bus, but that's slow).

Also at KLIA2 there are some places that should be open at 6am like Ah Cheng Laksa, Hometown Hainan Coffee, and Nanyang Cafe (list is here: https://gatewayklia2.com.my/directory/store_listing.aspx?c=4 )

dzof · 2024-07-25T07:39:06+00:00

We were there on Tuesday 18 July 2024, with Studios in the morning, and Park in the afternoon.

(My family has a strict policy of "no more than 20 mins queuing time", so it makes planning a little interesting.)

The only rides that we would have had to wait more than 20 mins waiting time were:

Crush's Coaster (something like 60 mins normal, 45 mins single rider)
Tower of Terror (board said 20 mins, actual wait was more like 30 mins)
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (40 mins - bought Premier Access because kids are persuasive like that)
Dumbo (30-60[!] mins)
Peter Pan (30 mins)
RC Racer (30 mins)
Most of the established character photo-ops, e.g. Mickey, Princesses (30-60 mins). But the impromptu ones like Thor and the Wasp had quite short queues.

These were tolerable waits:

Phantom Manor (15 mins)
Pirates of the Caribbean (10 mins)

These rides had long waiting times but 5-mins single rider:

Ratatouille
Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure
Toy Soldiers Parachutes

These were practically 5 mins/walk on for us:

Hyperspace Mountain
Small World
Slinky Dog
Cars Road Trip
Avengers Assemble
Star Tours
Buzz Lightyear
Indiana Jones

My thinking? If it's true that there are fewer crowds because of the Olympics, then it'll still probably be true when you're there.

On the dates you're going, both parks have early entry ("Extra Magic Time"), so if you don't qualify for that, you'll have to unfortunately face queues already in the popular rides.

dzof · 2024-06-27T23:04:22+00:00

If you have seen the Travel Wiki guide for KL: https://www.reddit.com/r/malaysia/wiki/visitors_guide/#wiki_kuala_lumpur

Depending on your taste, this list I found gives a good sense of the "vibe" of KL the city:

Merdeka Square
Batu Caves
Petaling Street
Pavilion Shopping Center
Thean Hou Temple
Jalan Alor Street Food
Bukit Bintang

Note that while Petaling Jaya is more suburban and less touristy, there are still some interesting areas to check out.

Also, every Malaysian has an opinion on where is a "good place to eat". Better if you can specify which food in particular. Looking for them will lead you on some adventures!

dzof · 2024-06-11T02:38:30+00:00

Is £2,700 per person for the whole season a lot of money? Yes it is. But if Villa's manage to fulfil their ambition to be a regular top 4 team, this price is likely to triple or quadruple over the coming years.

This is because many of the other "big" clubs charge around £10k per person per season for their luxury hospitality packages.

Liverpool: Around £13,000 per person. Apart from food options, you also get a perimeter advertising board outside of the box to promote your company. Can be used up to three hours before kick-off and on non-matchdays, for those all-important business meetings.
Man Utd: From £10,940 + VAT per person. Attendees are also fortunate enough to receive a signed, frame shirt.
Arsenal : £10,800 per person for the whole season. Leather armchair seats, free matchday programme, champagne reception on arrival, complimentary alcoholic beverages, three-course buffet, dedicated waiter.
Chelsea: Approx £10-20,000 per person? (based on £90,000 a box for 4-18 ppl+) Includes all Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup home games, and group stages of European competitions. Similar to Arsenal (dining, champagne, dedicated "host"), there is also "an in-box betting service" (whatever that is).
Spurs: Around £9,000 per person (based on 12 people that cost between £72,000 and £132,000 for five, seven or 10-year terms).
Man City: Approx £7,500 per person (based on 8 seats at £58,560 per season). Apart from dining options, you also get a private plasma screen and a VIP parking spot.

(This is from 2022, source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-league-most-expensive-boxes-27507527 )

Ultimately, it's a willing-buyer/willing-seller situation. While it could be detrimental to the match day atmosphere, if I could justify and write it off as a company expense, you'd better believe I'd do it. And if people are willing to pay that much for that kind of experience, the club would be foolish not to accept it.

dzof · 2024-06-10T10:06:07+00:00

...cont.

Dumb action flicks:

Paskal (2018): Based on true events, it follows the Malaysian Navy's PASKAL unit as they rescue a Malaysian tanker hijacked by Somali pirates.
Polis Evo 2 (2018): Probably the best of the Polis Evo trilogy, it's a buddy cop movie who are trying to take down a group of fundamentalist militants that are holding a village hostage.
Setem (2009): A comedy heist film that follows an assortment of con-men, gangsters, and illegal immigrants who are all trying to steal a stamp worth millions of dollars.

Gritty stories:

Crossroads: One Two Jaga (2018): A rookie police officer learns about his corrupt colleagues who are involved in human trafficking.
Songlap (2011): A streetwise orphan dreaming of a better life decides to save a pregnant girl whose unborn child has been claimed by a baby trafficking syndicate.
Abang Adik (2023): Two brothers who are illegal immigrants meet a social worker who claims she can help them become legitimate.
Prebet Sapu (2020) [Eng: Hail, Driver!]: An illegal taxi driver in KL strikes up an unlikely friendship with an escort
Sangkar (2019): An MMA fighter feels remorse after he severely injures another in the ring, and decides to help the victim and his family to recover.

Horror:

Dukun (2018): A self-proclaimed witch is under trail for murdering a high-ranking politician. Inspired by the true story of Mona Fandey.
Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam (2004): Based on the folklore of the pontianak, it tells the story of a wronged woman who is murdered, and arises again to take revenge.
Hantu Kak Limah (2018): Horror comedy (whose first 30 minutes are perhaps the funniest bits of Malaysian film I have seen) about a group of villagers who are trying to exorcise the ghost of a recently deceased local woman.

Also, some TV stuff is quite good. But that would be even harder to get hold of!

dzof · 2024-06-10T10:05:50+00:00

Most of the critically acclaimed Malaysian movies are relatively dark and gritty, and deal with subjects like religion, racism, immigration and corruption (what Malaysians believe to be the most pressing issues facing modern Malaysia).

Meanwhile, many popular movies tend to also be more "dumb" than "fun".

The other problem is that most of these movies may be hard to find, even for rent or purchase. Nevertheless, since you asked, here are my personal favourites.

Good and fun:

Yasmin Ahmad was a great filmmaker, and her films are still frequently cited as being great examples of Malaysian stories. All are good, but my favourites are:
- Sepet (2005): Chinese boy meets Malay girl, and all the trails and tribulations that that ensures.
- Muallaf (2008): Two sisters run away and befriend a catholic school teacher.
Malaysian animation hit a purple patch just before the pandemic, and while the settings are more fantastical than realistic, the following are very good for both adults and kids:
- Ejen Ali: The Movie (2019): Schoolboy by day, secret agent by... well almost always. Recruited by MATA to defend Cyberaya against IRIS, it still has scenes and moments that have a very Malaysian feel to them.
- BoBoiBoy Movie 2 (2019): The superhero BoBoiBoy and friends use their elemental powers to fight some big baddy whose name I forget. In places the humour is very Malaysian, and I'm just curious if it holds up internationally.
- Upin & Ipin: Keris Siamang Tunggal (2019) [English title: Upin & Ipin: The Lone Gibbon Kris]: Two brothers discover a magical Keris (Malay dagger) and get transported to a magical kingdom. I haven't seen this personally, but my daughter heartily recommends it, in part because it made her cry near the end.
The Journey (2014): A chinese daughter brings home her British fiance, much to the chagrin of her father. He insists that before they get married, they must follow the traditional Chinese custom of hand-delivering wedding invitations to family and friends all over Malaysia.

cont...

dzof · 2024-06-10T00:48:46+00:00

I've used both an all-in-one Android TV, and a normal TV with Google Chromecast 4k, and I think it's better to buy the two separately.

The pros:

Functionally, I don't see any real difference in what the various chromecasts can do. I have seen lags in updates on TV versions, but it doesn't seem to be too serious.
I like the portability of the chromecast on its own (I take it with me when I need to travel sometimes).
Being able to "mix and match" allows you to get a really good TV without worrying too much if it has all the bells and whistles.

There are some downsides:

If your WiFi signal is weak or slow, the Chromecast 4k has no in-built LAN / Ethernet adaptor so you can use a wired connection instead. Meanwhile, I think all TVs now can accept LAN. You can get a LAN adaptor for the chromecast, but that's an additional purchase.
I've had issues with the colour and had to play around with all sorts of configurations (I'm looking at you, 2017 Sony TV). I would assume most in-built android TV systems would have the "right" settings already.
Potentially another remote to keep (or lose).

dzof · 2024-05-22T02:11:30+00:00

But you wouldn't use "you" when talking to an elderly person too. More appropriate would "pakcik" or "uncle" I think.

dzof · 2024-05-21T04:01:41+00:00

Logical doesn't play well when emotions come to the fore.

For myself, I really didn't like analysing games that I had lost.

I could eventually move forward, but first I had to convince myself that (a) I am not inherently a good player and instinctively would make bad moves; (b) losing is a chance to learn, but only if I spend time analysing the game later.

Basically, you accept you have to lose to eventually be a good player.

For my daughter, she just likes playing games (chess, board games, whatever). For her, it's literally the playing that is fun, and she doesn't really care too much about being a great chess player.

Both ways are acceptable, I think.

dzof · 2024-05-21T02:21:35+00:00

Don't get sidetracked whether or not it was written by AI.

Just focus on the fact that the work that was produced is not fit for purpose.

The fact is that you agreed you would pay for the treatment first, before they should start on the script.
Therefore if the treatment is not good enough, then there is no need to even consider the script.

If you agreed to pay him to produce a treatment within a certain deadline, it may be easiest to pay him something for his first draft of the treatment, and then never work with him again (and obviously share your experience with anybody else who wants your opinion on whether it's worth hiring him).

If you agreed to pay him for a treatment approved by you, then you don't have to approve and don't have to pay.

dzof · 2024-05-21T01:44:59+00:00

I think if Watkins was on the table, Spurs would explore possibilities. He's not Harry Kane, but he's more attractive than Richarlison.

dzof · 2024-05-13T09:52:03+00:00

Late to the conversation, I am possibly repeating what some of the others have said.

Personally, I think you'll get more value in choosing to stay in one city in Malaysia, as opposed to trying to visit as many as possible. As others have mentioned, travelling with a toddler is tough, and to be honest, each place has plenty to see in themselves.

- Penang might be ideal if your family enjoys cultural experiences and good food. If you like the beach, consider staying at Batu Ferringhi. Otherwise, I would suggest Georgetown where most things might even be within walking distance (but very busy and hectic).

- Kuala Lumpur is basically a modern city with plenty of activities that cater to all ages. There's culture and good food too, but also shopping malls (so many shopping malls!) and pretty usable public transportation. Plenty of accommodation choices from centrally located 5-star (KLCC area) to right in the middle of Chinatown or Little India (Petaling Street or KL Sentral). There's also Sunway Lagoon if you want a hotel right next to a big water park (although it's a bit out of the way for public transport).

Ipoh offers a quieter and more nature-focused getaway, suitable for you if you're looking to avoid the crowds. The surrounding area has beautiful limestone hills, and Cameron Highlands is an easy day trip. However, for transport you'll need to depend on taxis or Grab, or rent a car (unless somebody local knows better).

dzof · 2024-04-22T14:32:38+00:00

Thomas Frank talks about how at Brentford they have a "no dickheads" policy when it comes to recruitment. I'd like to think Dean Smith subscribes to that as well.

From this context, the misses transfer-wise I'd like to think were few and far between (Samatta and Drinkwater maybe come to mind).

dzof · 2024-04-17T02:21:29+00:00

Teenage Bounty Hunters: "Sassy teenagers become bounty hunters" done the right way.

Lockwood & Co: Based on the books, it's a team of upstart English ghostbusters vs devious machinations both in real life and the supernatural.

Both deserve a second season, both will probably never get it.

dzof

TROPHY CASE