To whom it may concern

I'm seriously considering printing out a few copies and carrying it around. Maybe change the "To whom it may concern" bit to "To the driver of _____________"

The antics of the boss who doesn't understand the concept of "day off"

5.40pm, the day before: Email
"Please don't share any of our documents without permission. They are P&C."

5.50pm, the day before: Email
"Set up meeting for next week."

6.15pm, the day before: Email
"Please answer my calls and take messages."

D-DAY
8.38am: Phone call
"Set up meeting, clarify issues with people."

9.13am: SMS
"Contact this person."

9.49am: Phone call (response to missed call by me)
"What happened?"

11.00am: Back in office

11.02am: Email
"I'll do it"

11.03 - 11.30am: Discussion

11.47am: Leaves office

In short

BBC: Homing crocodiles defy relocation
By Phil Mercer BBC News, Sydney

Three homesick crocodiles in Australia have shocked experts by returning hundreds of kilometres back to their homes after being relocated.

Homing crocodiles. Fun!

BBC: Shetty questioned over Gere kiss

Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty has been questioned in India over her public kiss with Hollywood actor Richard Gere.

The 32-year-old was stopped at Mumbai Airport by officials who had no record of a court ruling that overturned a ban on her leaving the country.

Get over it.

Reuters: Nine die in Myanmar protest crackdown
Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:32pm EDT
By Aung Hla Tun

YANGON (Reuters) - Troops cleared protesters from the streets of central Yangon on Thursday, giving them 10 minutes to leave or be shot before chasing them through the city, firing into crowds and beating people.

State television admitted nine people were killed in actions which stung an outraged Association of South East Asian Nations, one of the few international groupings which has isolated Myanmar as a member, into expressing its "revulsion".

Reuters: Sudan's floods claim 150 lives, $300 mln lost
Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:43am EDT

KHARTOUM, Sept 27 (Reuters) - The worst floods in living memory in Sudan have killed 150 people, made hundreds of thousands homeless and cost the country an estimated $300 million in damages, a Sudanese official said on Thursday.

Heavy and early winter rains have caused flash floods and forced rivers to burst their banks in Africa's largest country, which has been recovering from decades of multiple civil wars. Most people live along river banks in the mostly desert country.

"We have about 73,000 houses completely destroyed and 29,000 partially destroyed," said Hamadallah Adam Ali, head of Sudan's civil defence authority.He said 150 people had been killed and 302 injured by the flooding, with 42,000 livestock lost.

I'm sorry. I really am. And in the bigger scheme of things, the flood story in which so many died was a footnote in the International News page. Such is the life of those born into poverty.

It's Friday

So, in CIMB, we have a High Performance Culture (HPC), which means we're not allowed to say "Thank god it's Friday". Instead, we're supposed to say "Thank god it's Monday". Right.

Anyway, today, my boss is on leave. He evidently doesn't know what "on leave" means, because he called me at 8.38am to ask me to do several things, which is all well and good because I have absolutely nothing to do today. Then he asks me to keep him updated through SMS or email, because he has remote access to his email. What kind of leave is that? Pfft.

So I have absolutely nothing to do today, because my boss is on leave, 1 Haslina is on annual leave, and the other members of the unit are away at a meeting. Therefore, this Haslina (dubbed "Lin", or sometimes "Haslina A.") is the sole representative of the unit left at the office. Fun.

What does that mean? That means that I'll probably go over the daily average of 4 posts today. Try and keep up with me, people.

Today, September 28, 2007 (Friday), is:

1. The 15th day of Ramadhan, marking the midway point of puasa (yey \o/)
2. The last working day of the month, meaning next week I (maybe) have to start coming in at 6.30am (suck)
3. Friday (yey \o/)
4. The day the F1 starts at the Fuji Speedway, Japan for the first time in over 20 years (yey \o/)

That is all.

Aren't you glad you're not in China?

Reuters: China bans "sexual sounds" on airwaves
Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:31am EDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has banned "sexually provocative sounds" on television and pulled the plug on a show reconstructing infamous crimes by women ahead of a major Communist Party meeting next month.

BBC: China slaps curbs on talent shows
23rd September 2007

China has ordered strict curbs on Pop Idol-style TV shows, the country's state media has reported.

The curbs include a ban on public voting via the internet, telephone or by text messages.

The rules also say participants must be healthy and mature, while hosts of the reality TV programmes should not flirt with each other or be nasty.

BBC: China bans 'sexy' advertisements
26th September 2007

China's broadcasting watchdog has banned all "sexually suggestive" advertising on television and radio, state media has reported.

Adverts for products like sex-related health supplements and sex toys will be prohibited, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television said.

"Vulgar" adverts for things like breast enhancements and female underwear will also be banned, Sarft said.

The watchdog said the move was taken as the adverts were "socially corrupting".

BBC: China bans 'vulgar' talent show
17th August 2007

TV talent shows have attracted thousands of fans in China. A Chinese TV talent programme has been banned by the state's broadcasting watchdog for being vulgar".

The First Heartthrob, a Pop Idol-style competition, was accused of catering to "the low-grade interests of a minority" and cancelled with immediate effect.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (Sarft) added that the show lacked social responsibility.

Interesting.