Do you know where you're going to?

"I need to talk to you"

You know it is never good when your parents say those words to you. Coupled with this line:

“I have discussed with your dad”

Okay, now i'm dead.

Gosh, they found out my dirty little secret?Well, it was just false alarm but it did drag me to the junction of life.

You see, my parents have given me a period of time to see whether this current job of mine  is worth for my future. Sadly, they see my job is taking me no way and it’s cause of worry for them.

Indeed, they woke me up and now I really do think is this I really want to do. I feel tired. I feel all worn out. The environment used to be a fun playground but lately, it is just a lair for me that I will never have a chance to get out.

I'm not sure the long three years at the same old company is making my working environment is so mundane. Or maybe PR is not really my thing. Geez, i'm not young anymore and i'm still musing over my career path.

I do wish could go back to journalism and editorial but im afraid that i don't have that flair in English.

Maybe i should hold on tight on PR line since i have three years experience which is making me a valuable asset in the market. With that experience, i could be an assistant manager or a PR manager for Pete's sake. Perhaps, i should consider to quit agency-based to in-house PR so i could be more focus.

However, whatever my choice will be, i definitely won't quit this media line. It's fun, vibrant and takes hell load of shit to make things work to look beautiful on the outside.

I do admire people who have strong direction on what they really want in their career path. For me, i still feel insecure on what i'm doing right now. The big 3 O is coming soon, and i'm still fulfill the promises that i have made for myself - (

Don't frown too much. It's Christmas. Talking about Yuletide, now i realize i don't have Christmas tree in my room this year. I'm really busy to set up a Christmas tree this year. Really, i didn't even realize Christmas is just days away.

Maybe i save it for next year. I still remember that last year, there was someone special who helped me to set up my Christmas tree. Come to think of it, it was pretty sweet experience. Alas, he is helping his partner to set up the Christmas tree now; jealous and weeping!

Every year, in fact when i was small i wanted to go to Disneyland to celebrate Christmas. Almost happened but it didn't happen for twice now; 2011 and 2012. I'm not sure who will be so kind to bring me there in 2013 and be heartless eventually by breaking the promise.

Shoudln't be complain too much, should be thankful to God that i'm still writing this entry on 22nd December 2012. I guess the Mayans have fooled us all.

Before i end my note, let me share this music video. I remember when i was really small, my mom bought me a VHS tape on Disney Christmas Sing Along Special and that's when i fell in love with Disney. My innocent intention to go to Disneyland started at tender age of five when i first started to watch the video clip below:



Merry Christmas everyone.

21 Dec, why is not the end?

Solar flare, change of poles, asteroid hits the earth, the clashbetween earth and planet Nibiru, the black hole, nuclear war, global earthquakes, enormous tsunami, global pandemic and, the list goes on.

Above is some of the well-familiar end of the world scenarios, as we know it.

The hype of apocalypse has never been so intense ever since Y2K – thanks to the Mayans. Based on the Mesoamerican Long Count calender, the 5125-year-long cycle will end on 21 December 2012. Doomsayer claims that the date marks the end of the world. Various astronomical alignments and numerological formulae will occur on that date too. Even the Hollywood made movie of it to fan 2012 craze.

Really? Does Bible foretell that the world will end on 21 December 2012?

No, though the signs are pretty much clear right now but the Bible never tells or even hints us the date of the judgement day.

The Four Horsemen of Apocalypse on Judgement Day 

In Matthew 24:3, Jesus gave prophecies of many events before his second coming. He said that there would be religious deception, wars and rumours of wars, famines, disease epidemics and earthquakes at the edge of the end. Yupe, looks like the prophecies in Bible are all coming true.

However, Jesus also said that no one will know the exact date – even Jesus doesn't know the date. Mark 13:32 reads “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father”. So the Mayans are telling us that they’re above Jesus by knowing the date?

Jesus also warns us not to be fooled by those deceptions that claim to know on His second coming (Matthew 2:4, 23-26). I guess many people have been fooled on this matter since everyone is like so obsessed on 21 December 2012.  

So what you worry about? Go back to your office and work your ass off on 21 December 2012.

I’m really intrigued what will happen if 21 December 2012 goes on as usual? I guess the Mayans will be cursed badly, premiums on “I survive 2012” will be a great sales and Hollywood will make a sequel to 2012 entitled ‘2013’ or documentary on “How Mayans fool you”.

Be safe everyone and repent yourself. 

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Humble Visit at Istana Negara Lama

Remember the wedding of the century last year between Prince William and Kate Middleton?

The world was so fascinated by it. Even the Malaysians glued to the television to watch the live telecast on the fateful day April 29, 2011. We are pretty hooked up with the royalty or even its scandals in UK, aren’t we?We even know the names, at least three or four family members of Queen Elizabeth II. What if we switch it up to our local Malaysian sultanate history and background, do we know them much? 

Your silence speaks for yourself.

Be a proud Malaysian by visiting Istana Negara Lama (the former official residence for the King) in conjunction with its Raja Kita (Our King) Exhibition which for the first time, the royal ground will be open up for public visit. 

I even took time off from my busy schedule to make a trip at Istana Lama. It was a very good experience indeed to learn about our Sultans and Kings in Malaysia and to boost your pride and love for this nation.

Stands along 13 acre, the palace was originally a double-storey mansion which called The Big House which owned by a local Chinese millionaire, Chan Wing in 1928.It served as the official residence for the Japanese Governor during Japanese occupation as well as the palace of His Majesty the Sultan of Selangor.

                                      

When Malaysia achieved its independence in 1957, the residence was converted to the official palace of the sovereign Yang di-Pertuan Agong ever since.

Only the Balairong Seri (the throne room) is open for public in which the King used for official and customary function. Yes, this is the hall which you watched in TV during the live telecast of the previous King installation ceremony, the oath taking ceremony of the new appointment of the new Prime Minister and new federal government. 

The exhibition also gives you the extensive information on 14 Kings who ruled Malaysia before. Really, reading each and every story of our former Kings and current King, His Majesty Tuanku Abdul Halim has made me so humble.

Some of the official items and even personal items on display:

Kalung Diraja (Royal Necklace) and Gandik Diraja (Royal Diraja)of the current Queen

Royal Headgear (Solek Dendam Tak Sudah) - a black songket embroiled with gold thread)

The throne

Conferment medals

The kissing of the Keris is one of the customary at the installation of the King

The Royal Oath

The driving licenses of current Queen

Visiting information:

• Open from 9 am to 5 pm
• Admission fee: RM 2 for Malaysians and RM 5 for Foreigners
• Address: Istana Negara Lama, Jalan Istana, 50566 Kuala Lumpur

Please note the exhibition only  until 31 December 2012. Hopefully, it will be extended.

Key security trends in 2012; predicts core threats for 2013

Kaspersky Lab’s experts outlined key security trends of 2012 and presented their views on the core threats of 2013. The most notable predictions for the next year include the continued rise of targeted attacks, cyber-espionage and nation-state cyber-attacks, the evolving role of hacktivism, the development of controversial “legal” surveillance tools and the increase in cybercriminal attacks targeting cloud-based services.

Quick Facts

·       Important cyber security stories of 2012:

o   Sophisticated malware targeting Mac OS X

o   Explosive growth of Android threats

o   Flame and Gauss as the sign of continued state-sponsored cyber warfare operations

o   Notable password leaks from popular web services, such as LinkedIn and Dropbox

o   Theft of Adobe certificates

o   New 0-day vulnerabilities in Java and other popular software

o   Attacks on network devices (namely DSL routers)

o   DNSChanger shutdown

o   Destructive Shamoon and Wiper malwares

o   Madi cyber-espionage campaign

·       Predictions for 2013

o   Continued rise of targeted attacks

o   Ongoing march of “hacktivism”

o   More nation-state sponsored cyber-attacks

o   Government-backed use of “legal” surveillance tools in cyberspace

o   Attacks on cloud-based infrastructure

o   Deterioration of digital privacy

o   Continued problems with online trust and digital authorities

o   Continued rise of Mac OS X malware and mobile malware

o   Vulnerabilities and exploits continue to be key attack methods for cybercriminals

o   Wide deployment of Ransomware and cryptoextortion malware

Key Predictions Overview

Targeted attacks on businesses have only become a prevalent threat within the last two years. Kaspersky Lab expects the amount of targeted attacks, with the purpose of cyber-espionage, to continue in 2013 and beyond, becoming the most significant threat for businesses. Another trend that will likely impact companies and governments is the continued rise of “hacktivism” and its concomitant politically-motivated cyber-attacks. State-sponsored cyber warfare will undoubtedly continue in 2013. In fact, during 2012, Kaspersky Lab discovered three new major malicious programs that were used in cyber warfare operations: Flame,  Gauss and miniFlame. While Flame was the largest and most sophisticated of the cyber-espionage programs, its longevity was its most prominent characteristic. Being at least a five-year-old project, Flame was an example of a complex malicious program that could exist undetected for an extended amount of time while collecting massive amounts of data and sensitive information from its victims. Kaspersky Lab’s experts expect more countries to develop their own cyber programs for the purposes of cyber-espionage and cyber-sabotage. These attacks will affect not only government institutions, but also businesses and critical infrastructure facilities. In 2012 an on-going debate took place on whether or not governments should develop and use specific surveillance software to monitor suspects in criminal investigations. Kaspersky Lab predicts that 2013 will build on this issue as governments create or purchase additional monitoring tools to enhance the surveillance of individuals, which will extend beyond wiretapping phones to enabling secret access to targeted mobile devices. Government-backed surveillance tools in the cyber environment will most likely continue to evolve, as law-enforcement agencies try to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. At the same time, controversial issues about civil liberties and consumer privacy associated with the tools will also continue to be raised. Development of social networks, and, unfortunately, new threats that affect both consumers and businesses have drastically changed the perception of online privacy and trust. As consumers understand that a significant portion of their personal data is handed over to online services, the question is whether or not they trust them. Such confidence has already been shaken following the wake of major password leaks from some of the most popular web services such as Dropbox and LinkedIn. The value of personal data – for both cybercriminals and legitimate businesses – is destined to grow significantly in the near future. 2012 has been the year of the explosive growth of mobile malware, with cybercriminals’ primary focus being the Android platform, as it was the most popular and widely used. In 2013 we are likely to see a new alarming trend – the use of vulnerabilities to extend “drive-by download” attacks on mobile devices. This means that personal and corporate data stored on smartphones and tablets will be targeted as frequently as it is targeted on traditional computers. For the same reasons (rising popularity), new sophisticated attacks will be performed against owners of Apple devices as well. As vulnerabilities in mobile devices become an increasing threat for users, computer application and program vulnerabilities will continue to be exploited on PCs. Kaspersky Lab named 2012 the year of Java vulnerabilities, and in 2013 Java will continue to be exploited by cybercriminals on a massive scale. However, although Java will continue to be a target for exploits, the importance of Adobe Flash and Adobe Reader as malware gateways will decrease as the latest versions include automated update systems for patching security vulnerabilities.

Miss you the most at Christmas time

It’s December, it’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year.

 Yes, I do love Christmas and I do believe you share the same sentiment with me. Deck the halls with festive ornaments, hang the star upon the highest bough, wrapping the Christmas gifts for the loved ones, the evergreen Christmas carols and the other good old Christmas customaries that have been practiced for many many centuries.

It’s rather strange for me this year as I don’t feel the Christmas excitement at all. I don’t even have Christmas tree this year. Maybe I’m too occupied with my work or maybe this year I don’t have any date for Christmas.

To be honest, for past two years, I had a perfect Christmas since I had my ex-partners to celebrate with me. Really, Valentine is no way near to Christmas. The ambience of 25^th December is far more romantic and sentimental compared to 14^th February.  Maybe Christmas revives my childhood memories immensely so the sentimental feeling in December is really overwhelming.

But this year, I don’t even play my favourite Christmas carols. What’s wrong with me? Has Christmas gone away from me?

I’m not sure it has gone away or maybe ive grown up so the sick realistic world has consumed my innocent Christmas sentimental values. One thing for certain, as Christmas is near, my thoughts will naturally recall those empty promises made by my ex partners, two of them in fact.  They nonchalantly promised me to make my childhood dream come true during Christmas but casually, they are also the ones who broke the promise. Wise men said that don’t break a child’s dream or else it will haunt them forever, I guess now it’s a fear for me if someone gives me that promise during Christmas. Oh well, promises made to be broken right?

My friends have been asking me what my plan is for Christmas this year. Let me see my calendar, oh look, it’s blank!

Actually, I do wish that very someone could celebrate the eve with me but I know it sounds pessimistic, a guy like me, everything I wish for will never come true.

Since my Christmas wish this year will remain as a wish only, so on the eve, I just gaze out the window and feel the December wind blows and remembering when you were mine. I miss you.