Cheers! To A Blissful Marriage...

Wonder never ceases.

Every now and again, you get these things in the newspapers and magazines. In the internet, it's all over the place. Everywhere.

You get experts tell you how to keep your man. Always this would have to lead to sex, sex and sex. Pleasing your man is a major factor in this scheme of things. So if you know how to please your man, he's yours for keeps.

Of course, this marriage thing. How to have a long blissful marriage.

I take all the advice with a sackful of salt.

Easier said than done.

I was reading The Star this morning, and THIS caught my eye.

10 tips for a blissful relationship.

I'll republish it here:

See whether the tips are familiar and whether they're easier said than done.

1. Learn the gentle art of cooperation. Related to wanting to be right, competition in a marriage is corrosive - it eats away at all the good stuff.

2.If you are going to compete, compete together to have the very best marriage you can have.

3. Talk about the important stuff. Most couples spend more time planning a vacation than they do planning for their relationship. Create a relationship vision by asking: "If we could have it exactly like we want, how would it be?" Build from there. If you get stuck, ask or hire someone to help.

4. Forgive as much or more than you would like to be forgiven. Sometimes forgiveness is a gift you give yourself, especially when you do not feel like it. Forgiveness can release you from the pain of the offense.

5. Celebrate what you want to see more of. Appreciation can go a long way.

7. Don't be a Darren Stevens. In the old sitcom "Bewitched," Samantha merely had to wiggle her nose to make incredible things happen. Darren was always trying to get her to stop using her magical powers.

Even as a little kid, I thought the guy was nuts. He could have had anything he wanted. Instead he tried to get Sam to stifle her gifts. Encourage your partner in her gifts.

8. Check out your communication. While it's easy for two people to talk to each other, sometimes it is more difficult to really communicate with each other. Practice these two sentences: "What I think you're saying is . . . did I miss anything?" and "Please, tell me what you think I just said."

9. Take responsibility for your contributions to the struggle. We've yet to see a relationship problem that didn't have two sets of fingerprints all over it. Yet, we tend to focus on what the other person is doing. "If only you would . . . .,then everything would be OK."

One of the quickest paths to frustration and failure is to try to change someone else. Take responsibility to change your contribution to the problem, whether it's what you are doing and/or how you respond to what your partner is doing.

10. Don't assume that just because you are married, you know how to be married. Pay attention to what works for other couples. Read all you can. Go to seminars. Everybody needs a coach. Find one. It's a lot less expensive than divorce, financially and emotionally.

You know... when you think about, these tips definitely are helpful. Then again, it's not something you don't already know.
It's just that we go through life without thinking in our heads "ok, I'll do this because this will make my marriage work".

Oh. Whatever. Maybe one day, I'll come out with my own manual.

Meow!

What The F****!!

Read This report (NST, Friday, Sept 23 2011).
KOTA BARU: An 18-year-old student who gave birth out of wedlock at her religious school in Tumpat last month will be charged at the Syariah Court here.

Kelantan Syariah prosecution chief Che Hashim Derahman said the student was expected to be charged next month.

She is expected to be charged under Section 16 of the Syariah Criminal Code 1985 of the Kelantan Syariah Enactment.

The enactment states that it is an offence for Muslims to get pregnant out of marriage in the state.

The decision to charge her was taken after an investigation into her case was completed last week.

"I have already sent the investigation papers for further action. This was done after taking statements from the student and her partner," said Tumpat religious officer Naim Mohd Ghazali.

Naim said under the enactment, those found guilty could face a fine of RM3,000 or a jail term of up to two years, or both.

It was reported that the student, from Pasir Pekan near here, gave birth to a baby boy at her school toilet after complaining of stomach ache about 10am on Aug 22.

The girl and her newborn baby were later sent for observation at Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital here.

Following the incident, the school principal lodged a police report.

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I'm not a Kelantanese. Neither am I with the Kelantan government.

I am dismayed by the girl's predicament. Is there no humanity in these Muslims?

Sure. Fire me with the "In Islam...." argument.

And I repeat -- is there no kindness? No compassion?

My next question: WHAT ABOUT THE FATHER OF THE CHILD?

The Syariah doesn't deal with that? Or not yet....

Terrible "Toddlers&Tiaras"...

Watching "Toddlers & Tiaras" makes me cringe.

To be honest, I don't, by design, tune into the program. Only sometimes that I hit the channel. I watch for just a few minutes. The few minutes that I have caught it, have turned my belly cold.

Besides the fact that I think their moms are really bad bad parents by any standards, and the kids are seriously spoilt, I think it is disgusting to get little girls all made up looking so tarty and so "adult".

It is sickening. It is not cute.

I don't know what the creators of the series are thinking. I don't know what the program is supposed to impart.

I don't think it has any intelligent agenda or design.

It is one of the most terrible things to see on TV.

Malaysia's Billionaires...

I don't know how they list all these billionaires, here or anywhere else. Didn't it use to be "millionaires"?

As far as I can remember, the mega rich bracket in this country has always been dominated by the Chinese and a few Indians. The Malays only came into the picture after the NEP. Don't count the royals. They're a different category.

So everytime, foreigners who think they know more about Malaysia than I do, tell me that the Chinese and the Indians are second-class citizens, I tell them that they should go f... a spider!

Come on. The richest people, the tycoons in Malaysia have always been Chinamen. Robert Kuok, Genting Highlands owner and his family, the bank owners, the car (toyota, honda whatever) companies' owners and so forth.

Then came, Ananda Krishna.

The Melayu.... very very few. And the Malays are not complaining.

And those big houses in upscale housing areas...go count. Ninety percent belong to rich Malaysian Chinese.

Businesses in Lot 10, Gardens, Pavilion, Suria KLCC, Bangsar Village, Eastern Mall...?????

So you see.

I am proud of our billionaires.

So don't tell a different story.

Here's the billionaires' story. (from the NST)

A Malaysian Business (Feb 16 issue) survey reveals the band of Malaysia's 40 richest tycoons. And yes, they live in a different world.

The magazine said the combined wealth of Malaysia's 40 richest tycoons has risen by more than 30 per cent, spurred by the bullish stock market and an expanding economy.

They were worth RM206.27 billion as at Jan 21, compared with RM156.7 billion a year ago.

It says there are more billionaires this year -- 27 of them, an increase of five from last year.

Robert Kuok, who returned to the sugar business last year, still tops the list at RM50.04 billion and telecommunications tycoon T. Ananda Krishnan remains in second place with RM45.78 billion.

Public Bank's Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow moved to the third place with a fortune estimated at RM12.77 billion while fourth is IOI Corporation Bhd's Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng who is worth RM12.74 billion.

Genting Group's Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, unchanged at No. 5, has RM10.89 billion while Hong Leong Group's Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan takes the sixth spot with RM10.75 billion, up from RM7.09 billion previously.

In seventh place is Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary of the Albukhary Foundation, whose flagship is the DRB-Hicom Group. He is valued at RM8.84 billion.

Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong's widow, Puan Sri Lee Kim Hua, unchanged at number eight, has RM7.43 billion while Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King of the Rimbunan Hijau Group returns at No. 9 with RM4.77 billion.

Singapore-domiciled Ong Beng Seng claims the 10th spot, with his wealth doubled to RM3.98 billion, going past Berjaya Group's Tan Sri Vincent Tan who drops two rungs to No. 12.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's son, Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir, of Kencana Petroleum, is ranked 19th with RM1.665 billion.- NST