Provider

Just remembered this song introduced by a close friend.  Top reasons why I love it:

1- The rap song that tells the realities of life and the meaning of true love

2- Beautiful melody and I love the bridge when Pharrell is talking about hope in the future (even as an angel)

3- Travis Barker – only because he is my favourite drummer of all times

4- True enough as one of the highest rated comments – “God bless all of us in the working class.  This is our anthem.”

5- All the adorable kids with the peace signs at the end of the video..

and i missed it…

This was a new version of another club called the Funky Buddha that I visited before in Berkeley Street, Mayfair.  Remembered this place because one of my friends got so pissed drunk that night.  The next thing he remembered was he was sleeping by the dirty-wet-full of piss road side somewhere in the middle of nowhere of Central London in his Armani suit, all pockets emptied.  Nonetheless, clubbing in those posh clubs remained his routine activities whilst in London repeating year after year in LSE.  Think he was just delaying the stay there without having the responsibility of working.  Perhaps he was the smart one!

Buddha Bar goes bust as City curbs lavish spending Jonathan Prynn, Consumer Business Editor Jonathan Prynn, Consumer Business Editor 19.05.

The Buddha Bar, one of London’s most lavish restaurant openings of recent years, has fallen victim to the downturn in City spending. Administrators to the Victoria Embankment establishment, favoured by stars such as Lady Gaga and Lionel Richie, told 80 staff on Monday they had lost their jobs. It opened in August 2008 – just before the collapse of Lehman Brothers – specialising in Asian food and featured an 18-foot high Buddha figure in the dining room. However, it has struggled to stem losses in the post-Lehmans austerity era of lower bonuses and less conspicuous consumption. One industry source said: “Essentially it opened just as the downturn started, it was the victim of bad timing. Also they thought they would get more of a City crowd than they did.” Furious staff spoke of how the administrators from accountants Baker Tilly moved in on Monday and told them they had half an hour to clear belongings before the premises were handed over to a security company. At a meeting yesterday, employees learned they would not be paid for this month and would have to claim wages as unsecured creditors. Deputy general manager Ginger Zerbetto said there was also anger over the whereabouts of the staff tips pool or “tronc”. He said: “We spoke to the administrator and we told him there was £46,000 in it and he said he didn’t know anything about it.” Mr Zerbetto said the restaurant had been trading well with up to 1,000 people on a Saturday night. Buddha Bar is run as a franchise with branches in Paris, New York, Las Vegas, Sharm el Sheikh and Dubai. Its backers include London property tycoon Simon Halabi, who was reported to be declared bankrupt in the High Court last month. One waitress said: “People are very angry. Many have got to pay the rent on Friday and they don’t know where they are going to get the money from. The administrators said it could take up to a year to get any money back.” She said staff typically made between £600 and £800 a fortnight topped up from the tronc. No one from the administrators or Mr Halabi’s office was available for comment.

Kick Ass vs Losers

Both are pound-for-pound two of the best films out right now being adapted from some fun, violent, and vulgar comic book sources. For the most part, they’re pretty even in terms of how well they are constructed, but which one has better appeal. Let’s compare which one will win the battle.

-Based on the comic book by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.
-Features an absolutely tremendous Nicolas Cage
-Chloe G. Moretz’s Hit Girl is a huge fan favorite
-Satirizes comic book films in general, and the culture
-Expertly filmed action scenes

-Colorful, likable array of characters
-Features a show stealing Chris Evans

-Zoe Saldana

-Witty one-liners

-Never slows down

Personally, The Losers really is just a slightly more likable film. Keyword there is likable, as pound-for-pound neither film is better than the other. Yes, Kick-Ass does have better action which gives it points, but it does get lost with scenes not involving Big Daddy, Hit Girl, or even Frank D’Amico. Not saying those scenes are bad, but they don’t a candle to everything else in the movie. True, The Losers does have something similar in the form of Chris Evans’ Jensen, it never lets up on its pace and knows exactly what it wants to be. The only wish is that the action could have been filmed better, which would have really made it go over. Instead, it’ll have to settle for being a fun romp at the theaters.

Really, at the end of the day, these two films make for a solid double feature and really play off of the others weaknesses well. While Kick-Ass might be the one you hang with for a day, The Losers is that cool, slightly off character at the end of the bar who guarantees non-stop fun.

Clubs in London (for memory sake)

I don’t go clubbing that often but the few times that I have been there; there’s definitely something to remember.  Personally, the clubs listed are my top favourites in London and perhaps I would include those outside of London in my other posts.  The clubs that I visited during my travels.

Where: Attica 24 Kingly Street, Oxford Circus, London, W1B 5QP

What: Tucked away on a tiny Soho street sits Attica, London’s temple of the impenetrable velvet rope, where fashion goddess Donatella Versace recently gathered several hundred of her devotees. Access is invitation-only to this low-ceilinged, L-shaped sanctuary of chic that designer Matt Rawlinson has infused with disco spirit: Black walls, black floors, black leather Mies van der Rohe-style couches, and small cube tables lit from within. The bar, covered in Italian white onyx, spans the entire length of the club, where a DJ presides over the tiny dance floor under a glittering mirrored ball. Booths large enough for thirty are separated by glass walls, enabling guests to keep their eyes out for the likes of Robert De Niro, Hugh Grant, Kate Hudson and Kate Winslet.

Why: First clubbing experience and first clubbing event organised for LSESU MC

Where: Cafe de Paris 3 Coventry Street, London, W1D 6BL

What: Café De Paris is all about dazzling glamour and opulence. The venue contains three separate bars in addition to the mezzanine and main dance floor—the Red Bar, the Blue Bar and the Fantasy Rooms (VIP area).
The musical output varies depending on the night but Café pioneers the concept of a credible commercial music policy—from disco house to funk to hip hop to big beat..

Why: First night experience of intoxication

Where: Chinawhite 6 Air Street, London, W1B 5AA

What: Located in Fitzrovia, Chinawhite is London’s most prestigious luxury members club.Long considered a pioneer in its field, Chinawhite combines it’s formidable heritage with a brand new distinct, progressive and modern approach. Inspired by Londons earliest clubs dating back to the 1920’s that entertained ‘outsiders and misfits’ Chinawhite is set to be a melting pot of creatives and independent thinkers. Likewise, the new Chinawhite guest is not defined by wealth but by a desire to exist outside of the ordinary and guests will come to the club to meet other like-minded people.

Why: Got onto a guest list, one hour before leaving the house.  Most spontaneous clubbing event that turned out to be so much fun.

Where: Pangaea 85 Piccadilly, London, W1J 7NB

What: This new addition to the London party circuit located in the heart of Mayfair is available for private functions daytime & evenings seven days a week. The venue offers a glamorous & exotic experience with sensual prints adorning the walls & flickering candles illuminating animal skulls & spears. Revellers party in the VIP booths & low banquette seating. With the new presence of Sumosan restaurant at the venue, an eclectic menu of both authentic & modern Japanese dishes is available. Sushi, sashimi & ‘Japanese tapas’ are served alongside a selection of flavoured cocktails.

Why: Felt posh with great music and great company of uni friends from my batch

Where: Tantra 62 Kingly Street, London, W1R 5LR

What: On the lips of clublands glitterati in Ibiza, St. Tropez, Paris and New York the buzz is all about TANTRA at 62 Kingly Street in Londons W1. The club is a breath of fresh air to partygoers around the world who want a taste of the next club sensation.

Those international playboys and playgirls make Tantra their first pit stop bringing pleasure, glitz and glamour back to the West End. Trend setting design gives the environment an ambience of intimacy and chicness.

Tantra fills a much cried out for gap in the club scene for those who are tired of the predictable nights out in London Tantra is a dream come true. Think of a MTV pop video come to life… flashes of bright colourful lights, boudoirs, pumping music, beautiful men and women and style.  The club offers those who live life to the max, a place in London where they can truly indulge and get a taste of paradise.

Why: The bed is just like from a club featured in SATC the series…How cool is that?

Star Business 3 May 2010/ Bernama 1 May 2010 – (NEM LSE talk 30/04/10)

NEM structural reform needed for M’sia to remain competitive (Starbiz)

KUALA LUMPUR: The structural reform agenda under the New Economic Model (NEM) is timely for Malaysia to remain competitive and achieve its goal of becoming a high income nation, said London School of Economics (LSE) & Political Science economics professor and council member of Malaysia’s National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC), Prof Danny Quah.

“Since the Asian financial crisis in 1997, we have had a malperforming economy and if we fail to carry out the reforms within the next five years (under the NEM) our weakenesses will continue to affect us,” he said in his talk “Malaysia’s New Economic Model: The Next Steps” organised by the LSE Alumni Society of Malaysia on Friday.

The talk was part of a series of public lectures aimed at bringing together leading figures from the worlds of government, business and civil association in Malaysia to discuss and examine the challenges that the latest economic and political development presents.

In the talk, Quah said despite being one of only 13 countries achieving an annual growth over 7% in the last 25 years, Malaysia was yet to fall within the high-income group of countries.

“Without the NEM, we would be overtaken by our competitors, such as Vietnam and Indonesia and Malaysia will fall within the bottom-income group of countries,” he added.

He also applauded the Prime Minister for implementing the NEM, arguing it was a move in the right direction.

“I am impressed with the political leadership, its need for strategic reform initiatives and that change is needed. The Prime Minister is constantly talking about how the market needs to be merit-based and there is more need for transparency.”

Quah joked that the NEM helped “bring Hulu Selangor back to the Federal Government.”

To a question from a participant on the impact of the political problems in Thailand, and its impact on Asean, Quah said: “I hope Thailand will return to political stability soon as it would benefit the whole of Asean.”

Meanwhile Bernama reported that Quah said the NEAC was currently studying cutting the rate of corporate and individual income taxes, and moving towards a broad-based tax system such as goods and services tax (GST). “One of the proposals we are considering is lowering the taxes by one percentage point every year for the next three to five years,” said Quah. “We might begin by replacing the current service tax with GST which will exclude food and basic necessities,” Quah said, according to Bernama.

He said the study on possible tax cuts was done – despite some political opposition amid shrinking government revenue – as it encourages people to save and make investment. “Other countries have discovered that this (tax cut) is the best way,” he said.

Meanwhile, corporate figure Datuk Azman Yahya said the Government understood the structural problem in the economy and was trying to rectify them, the Bernama report said.

The Government has the ability to articulate sensitive issues and they are brave to focus on needs based and not race based.

NEAC Looking At Tax Cuts

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By: Ramjit

–>

KUALA LUMPUR, May 1 (Bernama) — The National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC) is currently studying cutting the rate of corporate and individual income taxes, and moving towards a broad-based tax system such as goods and services tax (GST).

“One of the proposals we are considering is lowering the taxes by one percentage point every year for the next three to five years,” said NEAC member Prof Danny Quah who is also Head of Economic Department of London School of Economics (LSE).

“We might begin by replacing the current service tax with GST which will exlude food and basic necessities,” he told reporters after a talk at the LSE Alumni Malaysia Public Lecture on Malaysia’s New Economic Model here Friday night.

He said the study on possible tax cuts was done despite some political opposition amid shrinking government revenue as it encourages people to save and make investment.

“Other countries have discovered that this (tax cut) is the best way,” he said.

During his talks, Quah said that although there were pessimists and sceptics on the New Economic Model, the government had a strong will to ensure its materialisation.

“I am impressed to see the government is committed to go forward,” he said, adding that he believed the government would continue the economic reform.

He noted that the government was focusing on the weak and vulnerable and the merit-based reform.

He said the New Economic Model would add value to existing sectors and increase productivity. “We can no longer do this the old way if we want to go forward,” he said.

— BERNAMA

Stupid for you

cute girl, beautiful song, working to perfection…

NTRO: E-E7-A-Am (2x)


VERSE: 
E              E7
 It's not everyday
A              Am                E
 That I find a person quite like you
               E7
 Perfect every way
A                    Am
 I finally found the nerve to confess 


CHORUS: 
           F#m          G#m
 that it's you - that I want
         A
 I don't care if I act a fool
         B
 I would damn near beg for you
      F#m          G#m
 Put aside, all my pride
          A
 So don't keep me hanging here
            B(pause)
 Cause this girl is falling stupid for you... 


E-E7-A-Am (2x)
Oh, oh stupid for you... 


VERSE: 
E                    E7
 The proper thing to do 
A             Am                  E
 Is for me to act like a lady and wait
                           E7
 For you to make the first move
A                         Am
 But I don't think you're getting the point


CHORUS: 
           F#m          G#m
 that it's you - that I want
         A
 I don't care if I act a fool
         B
 I would damn near beg for you
      F#m          G#m
 Put aside, all my pride
          A
 So don't keep me hanging here
            B
 Cause this girl is falling stupid for you... 

F#m-G#m-A-B (2x)
Oh, oh stupid for you... 


BRIDGE: F#m-G#m-A-B (2x)
 F#m             G#m
 Why's it always feel like I am
 A                 B
 Chasing love when nothing's there
     F#m            G#m                A       B(pause)
 And here I go just making the same mistakes... 

 I've fallen stupid for you... 

E-E7-A-Am (2x)
Oh, oh stupid for you..