Francophones, unite! French-Language Week returns in March

Parlez-vous français? Uh, what? Don't understand? Okay, maybe you can help yourself to lesson or two at the 15th French-Language Week, coming your way this March. Read more

Federal Court: Zambry "lawful" MB of Perak; woman spends 200K baht on Doraemon doll; 12-year-old NY girl cuffed for doodling desk!

TUESDAY! We brave Kris Allen fangirls and Pakatan Rakyat supporters to bring you the news!

• The Federal Court has ruled that the BN's Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir is the lawful MB of Perak - notwithstanding the fact that BN's majority in the state was never achieved through an election. What happened to democracy, Judiciary? [The Malaysian Insider]
• Wholehearted-sentimentality filter: a Thai woman spent 200,000 baht for an elaborate Thai Buddhist funeral for her stuff Doraemon doll! She must've really loved that doll. [CNN Go]
• Google's planning a Facebook-like news feed for your Gchat contacts on Gmail! The social media wars continue. [Wall Street Journal]
• A Chinese dad chains his toddler son to a tree, not out of cruelty, but of fear that the child may disappear. Tens of thousands of kids go missing in China every year. [Guardian]
• Mounting-overreactions filter: a 12-year-old schoolgirl in Queens was handcuffed for doodling on her desk. [NY Daily News]
• An excellent illustrated guide to gestures -- and their meanings -- around the world. [Guardian]
• BTW: hipster puppies. [hipster puppies]

(Photo from hipster puppies) Read more

TAPAU: The Music, The Road, A Camera

This could be the year we get intimate with local indie musicians, if Ahmad Faris had his way. Leaving his desk job to do his own thing, Faris initiated IkanPaos Collective - a platform for better TV content in Malaysia and TAPAU: The Music, The Road, A Camera is their first project. Read more

Interview: Malaysia according to Namewee

Wee Meng Chee, better known to Malaysians as Namewee, is a figure of controversy. He became famous for Negarakuku, a love song to Malaysia that nevertheless highlighted racial frustrations. He got into trouble for Fuck TNB, a video reaction to an unannounced power cut and Tenaga Nasional's subsequent indifference. We talk to him about music, illegal VCDs and media hype.

Oranges, yee sang and a beast: Myths and facts about Chinese New Year!

We love celebrating Chinese New Year, but do we really know how it really started? Here's a little story to the celebration steeped in history! Read more

Kris Allen live in KL! (the press conference)

Kris Allen -- mostly famous for beating out the more fabulous Adam Lambert in American Idol Season 8 -- is here to meet shrill fans. Also to perform -- at 8pm, 8 February 2010, in The Gardens @ Mid Valley's ballroom. More mugs of (and non-plussed-ness towards) the budding star after the cut! Read more

Ku Li: "M'sia a democracy in name only"; Moral guardians wail on no-panties campaign; Sinatra's "My Way" kills in the Philippines!

It's Monday: the sun is out -- and it's sweltering. You're in the office, freezing. Par the course, then.

• Tell it like it is, brother! UMNO maverick Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah says that Malaysia is a "democracy existing in name, but grievously compromised in substance, reality and fact". [The Malaysian Insider]
• Sodomy II: court-bound opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim moves to disqualify the trial judge for bias, as Justice Mohamad Zabidin Md Diah failed to do anything about Utusan Malaysia's sensationalist headlines last week. [Malaysiakini]
• Demonstrations-culture filter: Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has banned buffaloes and other animals from street protests. Apparently, he's been likened to the 'big and stupid' creature. [The Straits Times]
• Things falling apart: an ancient tribal language from the Andaman Islands has just died. Boa Sr, the last fluent speaker of Bo, a tongue with a 65,000-year history, just passed away. [Guardian]
• Sinatra can kill you in the Philippines. Singing "My Way" often leads to knifings, apparently. Things are so bad that many karaoke bars have taken the song off their lists. [New York Times]
• V-Day is nigh. A Toronto restaurant is actively encouraging people to do the dirty in their bathrooms. Health officials say: "No problem. Just don't screw in the kitchen." [Newser]
• Moral-police filter: the Secretariat Against Social Ills Penang (UNGGAS) is protesting a "No Panties" campaign, currently gaining popularity in local universities. Oh, come on. Where's the love? [The Star]

(Photo from popartuk.com) Read more

Beat the heat with ais kacang, cendol and 8 other thirst quenchers!

The afternoons are sweltering hot and al fresco lunches cause us to sweat buckets! So, here are 10 of our favourite thirst quenchers to chill out with! Read more

Sony World Photography Awards Global Tour 2009/2010 is here in KL!

Be inspired by the winning shots of the Sony World Photography Awards Global Tour 2009/2010. The images are breathtaking, and you can view the exhibition and take part in the programmes at GALERI PETRONAS. Read more

Saiful: "Anwar bought me pants!"; Facebook's 6th birthday!; top 6 Downfall Hitler rant parodies!

Thank god it's -- damn, still got the whole day to work though. Sux. Have some news.

• Day Three of the grand Anwar Sodomy II trial! The big thing today: Saiful alleges that Anwar bought him pants! Shock! Horror! [Malaysiakini]
• Meanwhile, with their numero uno in court, PKR engages in some infighting. Sheesh, guys. Cannot maintain, ke? [The Malaysian Insider]
• And, if you are in need of apparel-based appearance assistance, Giraffe Shoes is a Malaysian invention designed to make you seem up to 10cm taller, invisibly. If only Napoleon had these things - European history would've been (marginally) less bloody. [Giraffe Shoes]
• We-missed-this-yesterday filter: that little social networking site, Facebook, turned 6 on 4 February! It was originally "thefacebook", and intended only for Harvard students. Then, in 2006, it opened its services to anyone over 13, and the rest is history. [Mashable]
• Meanwhile, in Internetland, US teenagers are losing interest in blogging. "People don't find reading that fun." Depressing. [BBC News]
• Indonesian horror flick Hantu Puncak Datang Bulan, about a menstruating ghost, runs afoul of the Indonesian Ulema Council. Naturally. [The Straits Times]
• An op-ed about the Downfall Hitler rant video meme - with a list of the top 6 vids. Here's our very own Number 7: the MACC Downfall Parody. [Guardian]

(Photo from Men's Wearhouse) Read more

Earn Karma brownie points with ruumzcauses!

ruumzcauses is the latest venture into the world of good-doers, and they've made it incredibly easy and convenient for people to make a donation, just buy a Virtual Heart and the rest is done! Here's what it's all about. Read more

For the love of Japanese food

Good Japanese food can come at a hefty price, especially since most of the dishes contain raw seafood that have to be fresh. At For Goodness Saké , you can get a good meal for two, for only RM60. Now, that's not bad at all! Read more

Saiful: "Anwar: 'Can I **** you?' "; Miley Cyrus's 9-year-old sis poses with stripper pole!; Hubble spots weird comet!

THURSDAY! Now that this fact is out of the way, here's the news:

• Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial trudges along. Yesterday, accuser Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan said that Anwar had asked him: "Can I **** you today?" This is what we'd like to know: what the hell is "****", eh? [The Malaysian Insider]
• Meanwhile, court proceedings took a break today to visit Unit 11-5-1, Desa Damansara Condominiums -- the site of the alleged rear-end conquest. [Malaysiakini]
• PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak says that Datuk Nasir Safar's resignation should be taken as a lesson to be more "racially sensitive". But why did he employ the guy in the first place? [The Malaysian Insider]
• Not everyone's being racially sensitive. Check out this scary Facebook group, who are in support of Nasir's statements. Sakit kepala. [Facebook]
• We aren't the only country with scary people. An iPhone app, allowing users to download speeches by former Italian Fascist Benito Mussolini is the most popular iPhone download in Italy. It's now been withdrawn. [BBC News]
• A guy in his late 20s, recently out of love, tries to off himself with anti-fungal medicine. Ouch. He must have been dumped pretty badly. [Harian Metro]
• Miley Cyrus's 9-year-old sister Noah Cyrus is featured in an ad campaign for a lingerie line for children. It's got kids posing around a stripper pole. Um, weird. {Boing Boing]
• OMG, ALIENS! The interplanetary Hubble Space Telescope recently spotted a "comet-like" object with odd traits. [Newser]
• Ooh, pretty: illustrations from a Soviet-era children's picture-book! [The Rumpus]

(Photo from New York Daily News) Read more

Do you support the right for all Malaysians to refer to each other as 'macha'?

If you are a Facebook addict, and enjoying scouring through scores of the network's groups, chances are you've come across "We support the right for all Malaysians to refer to each other as 'macha' ". The group currently has 9,000 members.

We got in touch with founder The Lord Panda - of the satire shock band The Panda Head Curry? - to find out the reasons behind this macha business.

  Read more

Najib's aide to resign over derogatory remarks; lots of Avatar in Oscar nominations; Jakarta builds protest park!

Happy Hump Day, kekawan! Insomniacal KLue brings you today's serving of news-ish stories from around the wide web:

• PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak's aide, Datuk Nasir Safar, is to resign, after he called ethnically Indian and Chinese Malaysians "pendatang", who came here as beggars and/or prostitutes. [Malaysiakini]
• What does that mean for 1Malaysia, eh Najib? "Nasir cannot be considered a maverick speaking out of turn or a fringe minority within Umno." [The Malaysian Insider]
• Meanwhile, The Star is going to break into the Bahasa Malaysia newspaper market with Mingguan Star, a weekly distributed free with every copy of The Sunday Star. [The Malaysian Insider]
• A cop is being investigated for allegedly holding a woman as his sex slave for 10 years. Here's the weird thing though: the guy is still on active duty! WTF? [The Star]
• The 2010 Academy Awards nominations! Lots of Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, and Up in the Air. Not sure if we want James Cameron's big thing to win, though ... [MSN]
• Jakarta, recognising that protests are part of its democratic life, is building a park dedicated to hosting street demonstrations. [The Straits Times]
• Discworld writer and Alzheimer's sufferer Terry Pratchett argues in favour of "assisted death": "I would like to die peacefully before the disease takes me over ... My life, my death, my choice." [guardian.co.uk]
• Busted! A bank adviser has been caught "assessing" lingerie shots of Aussie model Miranda Kerr, on live television. [The Australian]
• Advances-in-religion filter: new churches like "Xtreme Ministries" combine faith with mixed martial arts. "Jesus was a fighter." Basically, it's Fight Club with prayer. [Newser]
• The diary of Josef Mengele, the Nazis' genocidal, mad-doctor-ish "Angel of Death", is now up for sale. [Daily Telegraph]
• Don't know if want: to the tune of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face", a chubby Chinese kid sings a Chinese New Year song, whilst lying on a bed of ang pao. [CNN Go]

(Photo from The Boston Phoenix) Read more

Fedde Le Grand will be rockin' Ministry of Sound - EUPHORIA, and you can win free tickets here!

International clubbing sensation Fedde Le Grand will be bringing the house down in Ministry of Sound - EUPHORIA, and you can win tickets to party all night long with the maestro. Will you be there? Read more

Carry a flute and vase to chase away ghosts? This and 9 other ways to ward off demons!

We love ghost stories even though they scare us shitless. Trading tales of horror during school hours was one way to pass the time. Here are ten ways to ward off them evil spirits, whether you believe in them or not!

(Photo by Johnny McGeorge) Read more

Anwar sodomy trial redux!; Ricky Gervais: "irresponsible people? Sterilise them!"; Somali pirates on Haiti: "We wanna help out too!"

We battle weird technical difficulties and horrible broadband connections to bring you the news:

• Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's 2nd sodomy trial begins today. Needless to say, there's a lot riding on this case. [The Malaysian insider]
• Anwar's lawyers plan to subpoena PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak and consort Rosmah Mansor, apparently. Court observers include diplomats from the United States, European Union, Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. The world is watching. [The Malaysian Insider]
• Meanwhile, online new analysis repository The Nut Graph kicks off its MP Watch project. Find out whether former PM Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had anything to say about secularism, freedom of information, or the separation of powers. [The Nut Graph]
• An interview with the 5 bloggers behind the nominations for the Bloggies' Best Blog in Asia award! Singaporean Leslie Tay: "This is the first time I've heard about the Bloggies." [CNN Go]
• Brit comedian Ricky Gervais says that irresponsible people should be sterilised before they are allowed to spawn. [Daily Mail]
• Really-bad-movies filter: nominations for the 30th Annual Razzie Awards have been announced! [Razzies]
• Everyone wants to help out in Haiti, it seems. Somali pirates, saying that the US and Europe have "no moral authority" to control the in-flow of aid, pledge to donate their piratical booty to the quake relief efforts. [Newser]
• Abuse-of-language filter: a supermarket labels a sausage snack as "ambient". Hijinks ensue. [The Straits Times]

(Photo from News One)

  Read more

Editorial Interns Wanted!

We've got proposition for you, dear reader. Our work is never done/no rest for the wicked, so Mothership KLue is currently looking for interns to help us out, from 1 March 2010 onwards. Come on, you know you want to. Read more

Lady Gaga and Beyonce win at Grammies; Hisham: "We are watching you!"; Star Wars re-released in 3D?

Monday, Monday, Monday. This Monday's not so tedious, though, because it's:

• Federal Territories Day! One of the few days on which Selangor people get jeles of them Wilayah Persekutuan people. There were fireworks last night! [New Straits Times]
• Also, just now, the 2010 Grammy Awards! Looks like it's a ladies' night, with Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift winning big. [CBC News]
• Big Bro Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein says that the Home Ministry will continue monitoring blogs and websites that touch on "race, religion and the institution of Malay rulers". Just shut down the Internet lah, then. Sheesh. [Bernama]
• Trouble in UMNO Youth. The moderate-sounding Khairy Jamaluddin's authority within the youth wing he leads is shaky: he's not right-wing enough, he's not close to the PM -- most importantly, he can't give out contracts. [The Malaysian Insider]
• The Selangor branch of Datuk Ibrahim Ali's extreme-right PERKASA group was launched last Saturday. SCARY. [The Malaysian Insider]
• Also last Saturday, but cool, was Tongue in Chic's Chic POP Street Market. WOOT! [Tongue in Chic]
• KL City Hall is upgrading the Panggung Anniversary, in the Lake Gardens! [New Straits Times]
• Visual artist Michael Landy turns a gallery in a "rubbish bin" for art. [BBC News]
• Lefty Noam Chomsky-esque intellectual Howard Zinn passes. [The Salt Lake Tribune]
• Avatar-mania continues. George Lucas is planning to re-release all six films in his Star Wars opus, in 3D. Why la? [guardian.co.uk]
• A list of 18 songs with ambiguous/euphemistic lyrics. "I want it that way." "I feel it all!" "And it stoned me." Uh, what you singing about lah. [BlackBook]

(Photo from Daily Galaxy) Read more