Aiman Banna Slammed For Receiving Donation From Student For Personal Crowdfund

Infamous celebrity preacher Aiman Banna is known for attracting criticism around social media for his questionable actions.

This time, the 24-year-old got slammed by netizens after receiving a donation from a “broke” student for his own personal aid fund.

For context, the religious author previously got kicked out from his own office, where he kept his stocks of books, for allegedly being unable to pay rent for 7 months. The infamous preacher took the initiative to clear out his stocks, which he kept at his house, by opening a crowdfund where people could either get the books for RM10 each or to have the books endowed for the same amount.

However, Aiman recently invited criticism from netizens after he took to his Twitter to share about a RM20 donation he received from a student who only had RM71 left in his bank account. He stated in the tweet, “A sincere RM20 from someone like them is very honourable in the sight of Allah, compared to a donation of RM2,000 from a rich millionaire.”

Netizens were outraged by this tweet as they felt that the infamous preacher shouldn’t have accepted the money, considering the other person’s situation. They also called out on the fact that he loves to flaunt around his “RM850 AirPods” on social media, which says a lot about his wealth.

They went on to accuse him of being a “penunggang agama” or a spiritual opportunist, a term used on a person who exploits spiritual ideas for their own personal gain or motives. Check out what netizens thought about the situation below:

Imagine being proud of taking money from a broke student with RM71 left in the bank account

Man rides on his religion harder than Azmin on a horse https://t.co/tVUdp9zDFT

— not typical. (@JustinTWJ) November 22, 2020

Risau betul banyak kes crowdfunding tapi tak tau hala tuju mana pergi duit tu. Lepas tu ramai yang buat crowfunding sbb satu jalan yang mudah nak dapat duit. Hurmmm https://t.co/elOzvrr6wr

— Siti Syamira (@Syemi23) November 22, 2020

Oh lord. I remember when he came to our school and kindaaaa flex on how he had 💫 Honda 💫 on such a young age.

Duh. I never like his vibes at all. https://t.co/aSwEgqfO6P

— zahra (@zahraaaaaaass) November 22, 2020

What do you think of Aiman Banna and his actions?

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


Oscar-winning Director Guilermo del Toro To Helm “Pinocchio” For Netflix

Academy award-winning director Guilermo del Toro is set to make his animated feature film directing debut with Netflix’s “Pinocchio”, a stop motion musical version of the classic children’s tale about a puppet who wish to become a real boy.

“The Shape of Water” director has always wanted to bring the classic tale to life for years, but bear in mind, Del Toro’s version will be nothing like the Disney’s version which many are familiar with as the director will be aiming for something a little more grown up, according to EW.

Mark Gustafson (Fantastic Mr Fox), Patrick McHale (Over the Garden Wall), Guy @GuyDavisART and Pinocchio himself based on a design by @GrisGrimly. Here we go… pic.twitter.com/gRDaXY8VT9

— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) October 22, 2018

“No art form has influenced my life and my work more than animation and no single character in history has had as deep of a personal connection to me as Pinocchio,” said del Toro in a statement.

“In our story, Pinocchio is an innocent soul with an uncaring father who gets lost in a world he cannot comprehend. He embarks on an extraordinary journey that leaves him with a deep understanding of his father and the real world. I’ve wanted to make this movie for as long as I can remember.”

Apart from directing, Del Toro will also be writing the script and produce the film. Production of the movie is expected to begin this fall, and the story  will be set in Italy during the 1930s.

This is not Del Toro’s 1st collaboration with Netflix. He previously worked with Netflix on its Emmy award-winning television series “Trollhunters,” the 1st instalment of the DreamWorks’ “Tales of Arcadia” trilogy.

Source: Comic Book, EW / Featured Image: Slashfilm.


#LeeHi: YG’s Adorable “Maknae” To Make Comeback Via Tablo’s HIGHGRND

Aww, the YG Entertainment “maknae” we all adore will be making a comeback soon!

Lee Hi (이하이), who shot to stardom with the release of her debut single “1.2.3.4” in 2012 after her SBS’s “K-pop Star Season 1” stint, has been quiet for more than a year. Well, save for her HI SUHYUN collaboration with iKON’s Bobby in November last year.

Apparently, she has been quiet because the cute-as-a-button 18-year-old has been busy preparing for her new album!

A YG Entertainment affiliate confirmed that Lee Hi will indeed be making her comeback, although it will be via Tablo‘s independent label HIGHGRND and not YG Entertainment.

Note: HIGHGRND was created by Tablo in order to introduce talented and individualistic artistes.

The affiliate stated, “Since CEO Yang Hyun Suk is so busy nowadays, he worried that he won’t be able to manage Lee Hi’s comeback to the best of his abilities. That’s why he trusted Tablo’s producing skills and left her to him. Tablo accepted his favor without hesitation and is currently under preparation to perfect Lee Hi’s comeback.”

Now, as most of you might already know, Yang Hyun Suk has had his hands full with BIGBANG‘s comeback, iKON‘s debut, WINNER’s comeback, and more. So he had no other choice but to flag Tablo for help.

The affiliate added, “However, this does not mean Lee Hi is not under YG exclusively or that she is a HIGHGRND artist.” and assured that she is still housed under YG Entertainment.

Hmm, now that she’s going to be releasing music under HIGHGRND, we can’t wait to see her comeback album’s concept! Do you think she’ll be taking a page out of Epik High’s book, considering the fact that she’d most likely be taking cues from Tablo?

Are you excited about Lee Hi’s comeback yet? ;)

We’ll leave you now with one of our favourite Lee Hi music videos, “It’s Over”, off her debut album, “First Love“. Enjoy:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


Guess Who’s Back, Back Again? Men In Black, Tell Your Friends!

“Men In Black III” aka “Men In Black” aka “MIB3” is a science fiction com..

..Actually, why do we even bother explaining it? You know this one. It’s the third installment of the “Men In Black” series. You might remember Men In Black II, which was released ten years ago.  The story is based on the Malibu / Marvel comic book series “The Men In Black” by Lowell Cunningham.

But the books don’t quite do the movies (as in the previous two) any justice. Not when you have two of the wittiest agents ever known to man-and-alien-kind, played by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones! And this time, the movie gets crazier because it involves not just the best gadgets (read: Neuralyzer), but also a little bit of time travel.

In a “new and inventive” storyline, Agent J (Will Smith!) finds himself needing to travel back in time to MIB’s early years (as far back as the 1960s) to stop an alien from assassinating his friends, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones). And as with all time travel elements, when you attempt to change history, you change the future too. Not just Agent K’s future.

When asked, MIB3 director Barry Sonnefeld said, “This installment will have more action, aliens, and magic than the previous two films in the franchise. The audiences will be amused, amazed, and also moved. I think if we can do all of those three things then we’ll have a really successful movie. With MIB3, it’s not only a Men In Black movie, it’s also a time travel movie.”:

[youtube id=”IyaFEBI_L24″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

”We wanted the movie to be both familiar and different. We wanted to bring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones back together again. But we also wanted something new and inventive, and that came in the time travel element.”

So, guess who’s back, back again? Men In Black, tell your friends!

The movie will be released via Sony Pictures Malaysia at a cinema near you on the 24th May 2012. For more information, visit the movie’s official website.


Fantastic Beasts 2: Who Is Aurelius Dumbledore? (Warning: Spoilers)

If you were left with a ton of questions by the end of “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”, you’re not alone. One question that we can’t seem to shake is – who in Merlin’s beard is Aurelius Dumbledore?

Well, we know that Gellert Grindelwald dropped a bombshell when he revealed that Credence Barebone isn’t just from any wizarding family but a Dumbledore! Just let that sink in again for a moment…

That being said, Grindelwald might very well be lying to convince Credence to join the dark side. He did after all lied about being Percival Graves. Credence is apparently the only person strong enough to help Grindelwald defeat Albus Dumbledore. If Credence’s Obscurus transformation is any indication, he possesses an immense amount of latent magical power.

In the “Harry Potter” books, it is revealed that Professor Dumbledore only has 1 brother (Aberforth) and 1 sister (Ariana). Now we’re led to believe that Aurelius is the long lost brother? It’s no coincidence that Aurelius and Ariana are both Obscurials. Is it possible though, that Ariana’s Obscurus had somehow been passed on to Credence?

“Why is it that everyone is forgetting that Dumbledore has an unmarried aunt, most likely I believe, from his father’s side? She could have had a child out of wedlock, resulting in a child that is also a Dumbledore! BOOM! This is the most likely theory that I devised. That is if Grindlewald isn’t lying, which is the second most likely theory. I refuse to believe that after all of these years in the world of Harry Potter that Rowling would make such a change as to just randomly decide to give Dumbledore a new brother that was never mentioned before. Brother? No. Cousin? Much more likely!” suggests commentator Carmen.

Phoenixes are also known to approach the Dumbledore family. Credence having one under his care is an exceptional case. The fact that Credence/Aurelius is family makes the drama between Dumbledore and Grindelwald much more intense and personal.


Pop Opera Group Il Divo To Bring Timeless Tour To Malaysia This October

Il Divo, the world’s leading classical crossover quartet, will be returning to Malaysia this year.

The pop opera group – consisting of members Carlos Marin (Spain), Urs Buhler (Switzerland), Sebastien Izambard (France) and David Miller (America) – will be making a pitstop on our local shores in October.

15 years ago, Il Divo was discovered and mentored by Simon Cowell. They were the first classical crossover band in history to reach the top of the US Billboard 200 list in 2005. Since then, the group has released a Christmas album, a Greatest Hits album, and 7 studio albums. They include “Il Divo” (2004), “Ancora” (2005), “Siempre” (2006), “The Promise” (2008), “Wicked Game” (2011), “A Musical Affair” (2013), and “Amor & Pasión” (2015).

In celebration of their 15th anniversary in the music business, Il Divo will be debuting their first album, “Timeless”, under music label Decca Gold/Universal Music this coming August. The 10-track record will feature a classic mix of favourite pop and traditional standards in 4 languages. Their first single, “Hola”, is a Spanish language version of Adele’s mega single, “Hello”.

The details to Il Divo’s “Timeless Tour” Live in Malaysia are as follows:

10% standard discount for GRC members via Genting Point Redemption and cash/credit card. Applicable for VIP – PS1. Tickets for children are priced at RM47 for children below 95cm.

For more information, call +603 2718 1118 or visit their website here.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


#Spotify: Music Streaming App Denies Hacking Issue Despite Massive Username & Password Leak

According to TechCrunch, a list containing hundreds of Spotify account details, including emails, usernames, passwords, account type, and other details, were posted in a website called Pastebin on Saturday, 23rd April. The media outlet confirmed that some of the leaked account details were legit.

However, the music streaming app denies that it had been hacked and it’s “user records are secure”.

Many users confirmed that they did experience a series of strange activities happening in the past few days. Some users got kicked out of the app even in the middle of streaming music while others found that their e-mails had been changed to unknown new e-mail addresses.

“I suspected my account had been hacked last week as I saw ‘recently played’ songs that I’d never listened to, so I changed my password and logged out of all devices,” said a Spotify user to TechCrunch.

In an official follow-up statement, Spotify responded, “Spotify has not been hacked and our user records are secure. We monitor Pastebin and other sites regularly. When we find Spotify credentials, we first verify that they are authentic, and if they are, we immediately notify affected users to change their passwords.”

Hopefully the music service can speed up the process and verify the account credentials before it gets too complicated.

Spotify, a Swedish commercial music streaming, podcast, and video service that provides digital rights management, was launched in 2008.

If you’ve noticed any suspicious activities on your Spotify account, be sure to report it to Spotify!

Source: TechCrunch / Featured image: Spotify Malaysia.


MCMC Wants To Disable Controversial Game That Pits Buddha Against Jesus

A new video game titled “Fight of Gods” has stirred up controversy by pitting religious figures Jesus Christ and Gautama Buddha against each other.

Despite the growing popularity of the newly-released fighting game, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) as well as religious leaders in Malaysia have condemned the divine brawler.

“Fight of Gods” is created by Taiwanese studio Digital Crafter and published by PQube. Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak said that the controversial game not only poses as a threat to racial unity and harmony, the content is also an offence under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

As a result, there has been a request to disable download for “Fight of Gods” for Malaysian users within 24 hours. “It is in the public interest to ensure that immediate steps are taken so that such contents do not continue to harm others. Malaysians respect all cultural and religious sensitivities, and the sale and distribution of the religiously insensitive and blasphemous games must be stopped immediately,” Salleh was quoted by The Star as saying.

A description of “Fight of Gods” on gaming platform Steam reads:

“Your prayers have been answered! For the first time ever, gods, holy spirits and mythological characters from around the globe and throughout history will clash in an explosive 2D fighter where the entire world is at stake! Who will emerge victorious from the most destructive combat tournament the universe has ever witnessed?”

Besides Jesus and Buddha, other fight characters include Japanese sun goddess Amaterasu, Greek Pantheon leader Zeus, Egyptian god of death Anubis, and the Norse god Odin. Fans of the game have also requested for Prophet Muhammad to be included as a playable character. See how this could be problematic?

Do y’all think this controversial video game should be banned? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Sources: Lowyat.NET, Bernama, The Star / Featured image: Steam.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


#BreakingBad: Toys R Us Pulls Toys From Shelves Following Protest

“Breaking Bad” crystal meth dealer character Walter White may have cleverly dodged authorities during his career as a drug kingpin, but his action figure hasn’t dodged the wrath of a Florida mother.

Susan Schrivjer, a mother from Fort Myers, launched a petition in early October to have White (and other “Breaking Bad” action figures) removed from Toys R Us. The action figures include White (the chemistry teacher turned meth lord) and his assistant, Jesse Pinkman, in hazmat suits, as well as White as his gun-toting alter ego, Heisenberg.

As of last Monday morning, the Change.org request has received a tonne of signatures.

In the petition, Schrivjer, who wrote the appeal under the name “Susan Myers”, gets right to the point:

Toys R Us is well known around the world for their vast selection of toys for children of all ages. However their decision to sell a Breaking Bad doll, complete with a detachable sack of cash and a bag of meth, alongside children’s toys is a dangerous deviation from their family friendly values. That’s why I’m calling on Toys R Us to immediately stop selling the Breaking Bad doll collection in their stores and on their website.

Sony Pictures Television has recently partnered with Toys R Us to release a collection of dolls based on the characters from Breaking Bad. The show centers on the story of a high school chemistry teacher who becomes a drug kingpin in order to make ends meet. While the show may be compelling viewing for adults, its violent content and celebration of the drug trade make this collection unsuitable to be sold alongside Barbie dolls and Disney characters.

Parents and grandparents around the world shop at Toys R Us, online and in stories, with their children and should not be forced to explain why a certain toy comes with a bag of highly dangerous and illegal drugs or why someone who sells those drugs deserves to be made into an action figure.

Please sign to join me in asking Toys R Us to stop selling the Breaking Bad dolls and return to the family focused atmosphere for which they are known.

She was also interview by CNN affiliate WFTX of Fort Myers.

During the interview, Schrivjer reiterated, “Kids mimic their action figures, if you will. Do you want your child in an orange jumpsuit?”

However, she went on to add that it’s not the “Breaking Bad” show itself that she was unhappy with as she was also a fan. Schrivjer added that she thought the show was great and riveting, but she draws the line at seeing the characters in Toys R Us.

Upon hearing about the petition, “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston (the actor who played White) responded jokingly to Schrivjer’s movement:

“Florida mom petitions against Toys ‘R Us over Breaking Bad action figures.” I’m so mad, I’m burning my Florida Mom action figure in protest

— Bryan Cranston (@BryanCranston) October 20, 2014

That having said, her protest was met with over 8,000 signatures as well as a slew of negative feedback by people from all walks of life, all of whom strongly agreed with Schrivjer. One Monica Tessmer commented that the toys were inappropriate and that it wasn’t a smart move by Toys R Us to sell them. Another, named Jaime Keasler, complained that it was sick that a company would design kids toys that glorify the making of meth and sell them.

As such, Toys R Us is now pulling the dolls off its shelves.

Toys R Us told The Associated Press late Tuesday that the dolls are being removed on its website and shelves and are taking an “indefinite sabbatical”. The retailer has maintained that the dolls are sold in limited quantities in the adult action figure area of its stores.

Hmm. What do you guys think, though? Was Toys R Us being an irresponsible retailer or did people simply take the “Breaking Bad” action figures a little too seriously? Sound off in the comments box below!

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


#Namewee: Music Video For “Thai Love Song” Remake Stars South Korean Actress Clara Lee

Fess up, guys. Namewee’s (黃明志) catchy hit, “Thai Love Song” (泰國情哥), is one of your guilty pleasures.

Yesterday (21st December), the controversial singer released the remake version of the song, much to the delight of fans. In collaboration with Beijing duo Chopstick Brothers’ (筷子兄弟) Xiao Yang (肖央), the music video for “Thai Love Song 2017” features Chinese entertainers Xiao Shen Yang (小沈陽), Qiao Shan (乔杉), Chang Yuan (常遠), Alan (艾倫), as well as South Korean babe Clara Lee (클라라).

While the music video for the original track, which was released in 2013, has reached more than 11 million views on YouTube, the new remake has been viewed over 93,000 times in just 1 day.

The music video opens with Xiao Yang introducing his group as Neighbours in a typical Thai club. He then dedicates the song to Clara Lee, who is the club’s bartender/waitress. After that, the boys can be seen singing and dancing to the song passionately onstage while trying to pick up girls.

In Namewee’s post, he wrote, “‘Thai Love Song’ has become ‘Chinese Love Song’. The female lead is Korean, so this song is technically ‘Korean Love Song’. What is this cross-country love song…(Remember to watch till the end).”

For more information, hit up Namewee’s Facebook page.


Shut Up! Star Wars: The Last Jedi Is Not A Box Office Failure

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” has grossed USD $ 1.2 billion worldwide. That is an incredible feat, or so you would think. Weirdly enough, many still consider “The Last Jedi” to be a box office disappointment. Some even call it a box office failure. Initially, it seemed like the only ones spewing nonsense on Social Media, were DC fanboys, who kept comparing it to the so-called Box Office ‘success’ that is “Justice League”, and also Star Wars fans who hate the movie — “I told you this movie sucks! Look, it didn’t make money.”

Then Rob Cain of Forbes published an article, comparing “The Last Jedi” to other ‘biggest losers’ of Hollywood like “X-Men: First Class”, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”, “Jurassic Park: The Lost World”, “Ice Age: Collision Course” and “Transformers: The Last Knight”.

The article brings up an interesting fact, in that “The Last Jedi” is the biggest ever sequel-to-sequel plunge. But Cain also made a bunch of bold statements that are far too simplistic and perhaps even, inaccurate. Here’s a couple of bold ridiculous statements he made in his article:

As of right now, there are only 32 movies in the entire history of cinema that are part of the prestigious, sometimes outrageous — seriously, “Minions”? — billion-dollar club. “The Last Jedi” is currently in 13th place, with a very high possibility of it placing in the top 10 by the end of its run.

Has the meaning of the term ‘mediocrity’ changed? Nope, just checked. It hasn’t. If there are ONLY 32 movies that have grossed $US 1 billion worldwide and (currently) ONLY 12 movies have made more money than “The Last Jedi”, how is that a mediocre achievement?

There are experts who say that a movie needs to make twice its production budget before starting to see actual profits. Using that logic and assuming “The Last Jedi” has a production budget of $US 300 million (“The Force Awakens” had a production budget of $US 250 million), “The Last Jedi” has already made a $US 600 million profit. How many movies in history can brag that they’ve made that large a profit? That alone proves that the eighth episode of the Star Wars franchise isn’t box office mediocrity.

Here’s a sports analogy to counter Rob Cain’s. Imagine Manchester United buying Neymar to score 30 goals in a single Premier League season, only to see him score 50. “The Force Awakens” came and conquered. It smashed box office records. It is one of THREE movies that have grossed $US 2 billion — the other two being “Avatar” with $US 2.7 billion and “Titanic” with $US 2.1 billion.

If you expected “The Last Jedi” to make as much money as “The Force Awakens”, you’re unrealistically optimistic. “The Force Awakens” didn’t gross $US 2 billion because it’s a great movie (though that definitely helped). It grossed $US 2 billion because it had EVERYTHING going for it.

It had been 32 years since the last, GOOD Star Wars movie — “Return of the Jedi” hit the big screens (“Return of the Jedi” came out in 1983); it had been 10 years since we got ANY Star Wars movie at all. And whether you’re a Prequelist or not, there’s no denying that the prequels divided fans.

Eventually, Star Wars slowly faded away from the forefront of Pop culture. Everyone still knew of Star Wars, but it had turned into something of a legendary once upon a time, rather than something that is relevant right now. It had become the Muhammad Ali or The Rock, of movies. Hardcore fans still talked about the once revered BEAST. But there’s a whole generation of folk who only knew of Star Wars by name and by the tales they heard.

When Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, it got people talking again. It was mere whispers at first, but fans begin wondering and speculating and theorising. The beast is stepping into the ring once again, after 10 years. What would it be like? Will it still have the flair and gravitas it did 30 years ago?

When Disney announced a new Star Wars movie to be released in 2015 with the classic actors and characters from the original trilogy returning, fans started to get really excited. This excitement spilled over to non-fans too. Parents wanted to take their uninitiated children to watch the NEW STAR WARS movie. Then the first trailer hit. Chewie, we’re home? We lost our minds! Then came the enormous marketing campaign.

Suddenly EVERYONE was talking about Star Wars. In our minds, “The Force Awakens” became this divine piece of creation moulded by God himself. And then the movie came out. Everybody went to see it. Even if you’ve never watched a single Star Wars movie in your life, you went to see it. If news broke that Jesus Christ himself is descending the heavens to meet humans, whether you’re religious or not, wouldn’t you go and see him? That is how “The Force Awakens” grossed $US 2 billion at the global box office.

But here’s the thing. People walked into “The Force Awakens” expecting an otherworldly experience. What they got, was a movie. It may be a great movie and to some, it may even have been life-changing. But it is a movie that had absolutely no chance of reaching the expectations we had created in our minds.

“The Last Jedi” isn’t able to hit the numbers “The Force Awakens” did because the Star Wars myth has been stripped away. This isn’t Michael Jackson rising from the dead and stepping onto the stage for the FIRST TIME anymore. This is the second outing and the novelty is gone. The fact that “The Last Jedi” still managed to gross $US 1.2 billion worldwide means that even without the novelty factor, Star Wars is still relevant in pop culture, just like comic book movies are.

“The Force Awakens” was the only blockbuster movie that was released in December 2015. Among other movies released in December 2015 were “The Revenant” and “The Big Short”. But casual audiences aren’t running out to catch those. “The Force Awakens'” biggest competition was the critically shat on “Daddy’s Home”.

However, in December 2017, the star-studded “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” was released in cinemas a week after “The Last Jedi”. While “The Last Jedi” did ultimately come out victorious — “Jumanji” grossed $US 524.9 million globally — there’s no denying that “Jumanji” was very good counter-programming, especially considering its half decent critical reception.

Look at it this way. In 2015, if you already caught “The Force Awakens” but wanted to catch something with your family on Christmas or New Year, you would watch “The Force Awakens” again. But in 2017, you can take your family to watch “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” if you’ve already caught “The Last Jedi”.

Rob Cain of Forbes wrote, “Disney didn’t pay hundreds of millions for production costs and marketing to make a movie that will earn nearly 40 percent less than its predecessor.”

But does that take into account the predecessor overachieving?

That aside, the very same Forbes article does state that “among the nearly 100 major studio sequels I reviewed, 57 percent earned more than their predecessor.”

57% isn’t very high. It’s just slightly more than half. And when you look at the culturally relevant movies in the billion-dollar club, it becomes even more apparent. “Fate of the Furious” made less than “Furious 7”. “Transformers: The Last Knight” (didn’t gross $US 1 billion) made less than “Transformers: Age of Extinction”. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” made less than “The Avengers”. And if we choose to count “Captain America: Civil War” (which has most of the established Avengers in it, plus Spider-Man), it made even less than “Age of Ultron”.

The Harry Potter franchise fluctuated — “Sorcerer’s Stone” is the 33rd highest grossing movie of all time, “Chamber of Secrets” is the 51st, and “Deathly Hallows Part 2” is the EIGHTH. And do we realistically expect “Avatar 2” to make more money than “Avatar”? Nevermind, scratch that last bit. James Cameron is crazy.

This is especially true when it comes to the Star Wars franchise.

“The Last Jedi’s” 40% plunge would’ve been worrisome, if “The Force Awakens” grossed $US 1.3 billion. But “The Force Awakens” overachieved. I go back to my sports analogy. Imagine Manchester United signing Neymar to score 30 goals in a single season. Except in his first season, Neymar scores 50 goals. And in his second season, he scores 22. Would that make Neymar a failure?

Hey you! Yes you, hot stuff. Like my article? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Also, don’t forget to share it with your buds.

You can also read my article on “The Last Jedi”, the misunderstood masterpiece here.

And you can follow me here: @dedpewlsays

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


Netizens Take To Facebook To Warn Of Putrajaya District Police Headquarters Scam Phone Calls

There are scammers, and then there are scammers that try to pass off as the Royal Malaysian Police.

In the recent week or so, scores of netizens have taken to their Facebook profiles to warn their friends and families about some fake police scam calls that they’ve been receiving. From what we understand, the scammer would ring up a person and claim that he/she has been implicated in a road accident. After which, the scammer would instruct the victim/receiver to transfer money into a bank account to “settle” the case.

As seen in the screenshot above, the scammers have even gotten the “Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Putrajaya” (Putrajaya District Police Headquarters) caller ID down pat, by masking their original numbers. But the dead giveaway, it seems, is a heavily accented Chinese person attempting to speak in Bahasa Malaysia. Meanwhile, other netizens who received the same call/calls said that all they heard was a strange beep on the other end of the line.

Apparently, the calls are nothing new per se.

Early last month, Malay daily Berita Harian wrote that Putrajaya Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Rosly Hasan has received queries about the validity of the calls. While they have yet to track down the syndicate, he has since issued a statement asking the public to be wary of receiving calls from the Putrajaya District Police Headquarters caller ID.

Note: The easiest way to tell that it’s a scam is by checking the number in the calls log and comparing it with the registered phone number that can be easily found via Google. For example, in this case, the scammers’ number is +600388862222 (as seen in the screenshot above) while the Putrajaya District Police Headquarters number is+60388862222.


#Honda: Honda Malaysia Recalls 93,929 Cars Of Various Models Over 12V Battery Issue

Honda Malaysia announced today (Monday, 7th March) that they’re recalling 93,929 units comprising various models to replace the 12V battery.

Local automotive site Paul Tan quoted Honda Malaysia as saying that the recall is necessary as the 12V battery fitted to affected vehicles “does not meet Honda Malaysia’s specific requirements, and it may lead to battery damage when the engine is started.”

Honda Malaysia also stressed that there have been no injuries or accidents related to this issue reported in Malaysia, and that current selling models are not affected.

All affected customers will be notified by a letter, which would include details of the product update. After receiving the letter, Honda owners can then proceed to a Honda dealership for further inspection. Should a replacement be required, the replacement of the battery will be carried once the parts are ready.

Parts and labour charges related to this product update will be borne by Honda Malaysia.

Customers can also check their vehicle’s status by calling Honda’s toll free number 1800-88-2020 or by logging on to www.honda.com.my.

Sources: Paul Tan, The Edge / Featured image from Team-BHP.com.


Welcome Back! One Half x ilaika Has Gotten A New Makeover

Since its closure for renovation back in April, some of you coffee lovers may have been dropping by Awegallery to get your daily coffee fix. Good news y’all, One Half x ilaika has just reopened this week.

Cafe hoppers can now drop by the popular hangout spot in Taman Paramount (next to Awesome Canteen) and snap some OOTD looks for the gram. Those who have dropped by the newly-renovated cafe have nothing but nice things to say.

As soon as you walk into the cafe, you’ll be able to get a whiff of fresh pastries that are deliciously baked. Don’t forget to order a cup of coffee and enjoy the chill vibe while you’re there (provided it’s not too crowded of course).

Besides the aforementioned, One Half x ilaika has also branded itself as a lifestyle store by collaborating with several small local businesses. So if you’re keen on getting some household items or gifts, be sure to browse through the merchandise on display. Some of the homegrown products include kitchenware, cologne, clothes, candles, skincare, and more. You will also spot the cute yellow vending machine outside.

Details of One Half x ilaika are as follows:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


Hype’s Exclusive: No Matter Where We Are, #UsTheDuo Will Be There

Music works in a mysterious way. Sometimes, even the weirdest song could come out on top of a music chart. From pop to grunge to rap, music is divided into different genres and each of them would take turns to hit airwaves and emerge as the most popular music genre of the moment. What we’re trying to say is that music means different things to different people.

This is perhaps why Michael and Carissa Rae Alvarado aka Us The Duo told us during an interview that they will not stick to just creating folk-pop music, as they’re planning to switch things up a little in their upcoming album

This pair of ridiculously good-looking husband-and-wife team, who randomly met and fell in love at a music video shoot, shot to fame with their #6SecondCovers on their official Vine account. They later scored themselves a record deal with Republic Records and subsequently had their song “No Matter Where You Are” featured on last year’s animated movie, “The Book of Life“.

On Sunday night (5th July), the duo held their first Malaysian showcase at the Bentley Music Auditorium in Petaling Jaya. Not only did they serenade the crowd into a peaceful state of mind with their acoustic tune, they also took us through a journey of their relationship with their impressive musical performances. From guitar to piano to percussion, the Vine sensations played a large array of instruments.

Before leaving Malaysia for their next show in Philippines, they did a few interviews while enjoying their time here as tourists. We sat down with the married couple real quick to talk about their thoughts and feelings about the Malaysian crowd, their music, their future plans.

Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to do this interview!

How do you guys feel about Malaysia so far? I followed you guys on Snapchat and it seems like you’re having a blast trying out the local food and checking out the local landmarks.

Carissa: Definitely. It has been so much fun. It’s our first time here ever so we didn’t know what to expect, but we really love the food out here. You guys like to eat and so we fit right in. Umm, my favourite is…Wait, what is it again?

Carissa: Ah yes, roti tissue that comes with dipping sauce. It tastes so good! It’s my favourite. Also, the people here are just so warm and welcoming. We feel very welcomed and we’re just enjoying ourselves a lot.

Michael: I felt so the same way too. I mean, never has it been acceptable to eat 5 meals a day! *laughs* I was like, “Sure! I can get used to this.” The fans here are also overly devoted. They really appreciate the fact of us coming here. In the US, it’s a little different because we have so many artistes touring around all the time. But I imagine, in KL, it’s not as popular for artistes to always be playing, you know. So we felt very appreciated and loved. It’s making us wanting to come back already!

Aww, that’s good to know. All right, let’s talk about music. How would you describe your music style? Is it something that you guys would be sticking to for a long time, or are you guys still experimenting?

Carissa: Our music right now is folk-pop because there’s new music that we’re currently working on. We’re aspiring to switch it up a little bit. We’re definitely going to go more pop, incorporating it with some dance beats and elements. We are really fond of EDM right now and the whole phase that is going on. So we’re hoping to mix that in our upcoming album while staying true to who we are with the harmony and all those fun melodies as well.

Have you been asked to work with other people, since Carissa mentioned that you guys are into EDM?

Michael: Yeah, actually we’ve been approached by a few DJs who are kind of up-and-coming, but I think our goals are set on some bigger names. On our label (Republic Record), there’s a DJ named Tiesto. He’s very popular, especially in the US, and we would like to work with him. Also, one of our dream collaboration is with Zedd. He has that song on the radio right now with Selena Gomez (referring to “I Want You To Know“) and it sounds awesome. We’re like, “We would love to do that too!” So yeah, thats on our bucket list.

What are some of the other genres that you listen to? Do you have any guilty listening pleasures?

Carissa: One of mine would have to be hip hop music. I like rapping sometimes. I’d get into it and just have fun. I started dancing and it’s a fun genre to work out to because it pumps you up, it keeps me running. Some people wouldn’t expect it of me, but that’s a fun one.

Michael: A guilty pleasure of mine is bluegrass music because I grew up in kind of country side of the States. A lot of people play banjos and mandolins, the country-type of music. Every now and then, I’d put that on and I’ll just have the biggest smile on my face.

Carissa: *laughs* Yeah I like it. I love it. I’m open to all music genres.

Michael: I took her to a bluegrass show. She hung out with me there and she loved it.

What are your most memorable celebrity encounters during this year’s Billboard Music Awards?

Carissa: We met a lot of great people there, but one of my favoutite was being able to hug J.Lo (Jennifer Lopez) *laughs* because she’s such an awesome artiste. She can sing, she can dance, she can act. It’s very inspiring to me.

Michael: For me, I’d say Ed Sheeran. We love Ed because he’s an incredible writer. Just being able to finally meet him and take a picture was already really cool for me. Also, Pentatonix, they just came here, right? We’re actually friends with them and it’s cool to see them on red carpet. We were just like, “Hey guys! Come on, let’s hang out!” We also saw our friend Tori Kelly. She performed that night. You know, we hang out with her outside of the music awards. It was really surreal to be walking down the red carpet and we ran into her, we were like, “Oh hey, Tori! What’s up?” She was like, “OMG! So glad seeing you guys here!” That was a very proud moment.

*Source: Us The Duo’s official Facebook page

So, I heard both of you like eating and watching movies during your spare time. Who’s the bigger movie geek and why?

Carissa: I mean, I wouldn’t say that I’m a pro when it comes to actors and all the movie names. I’m the worst at that, but I love watching movies. I love Netflix right now.

Michael: You guys don’t have Netflix here, right?

Carissa: But you know what is it, right?

Michael: There’s something called iflix, if I’m not wrong.

Carissa: So yeah, we’re into Netflix. We love eating, we love going out and having nice dinners like fine dining, where we have a bunch of different courses paired with wine. It’s a passion of ours as well.

Do you guys enjoy watching the same movie genre then?

Carissa: Actually, it’s funny because it’s never been like that before. All our friends usually don’t like horror movies, but Michael and I love it. It’s funny because he also likes romantic comedies. He pretends he doesn’t watch them in front of his guy friends, but when I put on “The Notebook” (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams), he’d watch it and then he will cry. It’s awesome *laughs*.

Do you guys still get nervous onstage? Any rituals that you guys like to do before touring, recording or playing?

Michael: We get nervous from time to time, especially when it’s in a scenario we’ve never been in before. For instance, when we did our first live TV performance, oh my gosh, we were so nervous. My stomach hurts and I felt like I was going to throw up and Carissa was like, “It’s gonna be okay! We’re gonna get through this!” But generally, we do vocal warmups like some thrills and do some stretching. You know like, get warm up a little bit because if your body is loose, your singing tends to get more flowy, which is nice. We also inhale from a steamer, it’s like a hand-held steamer where we breathe hot air. We just breathe it in because it helps loosen up the vocals a little. And we usually say prayers before we go onstage, just to be thankful for being able to stand onstage. Lastly, we sometimes have a mini dance party so we bring our speakers with us then we play some super upbeat songs like “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars. It’s something we do just to get high before we go onstage. So those are our rituals.

If you guys could change the band name, would you like the band to be named differently and why?

Michael: Yeah. I think we’re going to call ourselves, “The Carissas”?

Carissa: Umm, I don’t think we would. I mean, I think that’s just who we are. We’re “Us”. It’s simple, plain, straightforward because that’s all we can be. And it’s started off as “Us” at first, but we added” The Duo” because we are on Vine and Twitter. Also because “Us” is very hard to search on Google and the US came up on the search result instead. We added “The Duo” because it’s easier for people to search for us on Google and find us. People started to recognise us from Vine and some would say like, “Oh, are you Us The Duo from Vine?” So we thought, “Okay we should just stick to Us The Duo then.”

Michael : We did talk about it though, remember? Just being called “The Alvalrados”?

Michael: Yeah, because there’s no other group named called “The Alvarados”, but there is something nice about having your band name separate from your personal name, so you can kind of separate the world. So yeah, I think we wouldn’t change our name even if we were asked us to.

Last question, what else is in the pipeline for you guys this year?

Carissa: For this year, we’re working on some new music. We’re hoping that we can get our new single by the end of the year. We’re definitely going to have a music video for that as well. We’ll just be in the studio some more to get the album finish and hopefully it’ll be coming out next summer, maybe by the end of July. So yeah, we’re really excited about it.

All right, that’s all! Thanks again for doing this interview :)

Special thanks to our friends from Universal Music Malaysia for arranging this interview. It was an honour and pleasure to meet the lovely couple and we certainly had fun chatting with them.

For more information about Us The Duo, visit their official website. Of course, don’t forget to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Vine for more timely updates and their famed half-faced videos.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


#PureBOOSTX: adidas’ Future Of Women’s Running; An Energy Boost In Every Step

For many years now, most running shoes have always been adaptations of male shoes.

But for the first time, women have something to celebrate!

adidas has teamed up with female athletes from around the world to deliver PureBOOST X, a running shoe created for women, by women.

Based on years of testing and research with women everywhere, adidas has crated a sleek, form-fitting running shoe built to meet the relentless energy of their active lifestyle.

PureBOOST X was designed with only the female athlete in mind.

Think a high performance meets high fashion running shoe for women.

The petite, adaptive silhouette of the PureBOOST X wraps the foot in style and rests it on a full-length bed of thousands of energy-infused BOOST foam capsules. The BOOST midsole provides energy in every step that will make running the best part of keeping fit.

It also features a new floating arch that provides a completely fresh look an feel. The adaptive stretch mesh of floating arch wraps underneath the mid-foot to make the foot look smaller while delivering a supportive sensation you can feel through every run.

We took the adidas PureBOOST X for a 4km run around Desa ParkCity, Kuala Lumpur last night with our friends from adidas Malaysia and dare we say that we were pleasantly surprised.

A post shared by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy)

Of course, it took some getting used to because the shoes were quite snug (keeping in mind that they were also fresh out of the box) but some breaking in should do the trick. Can your feet breathe in a pair of running shoes that are so form-fitting? Yes. The mesh upper of the shoe allows for maximum ventilation and breathability, and the material also allows for your foot to move naturally in the shoe.

The big plus is that it felt exhilarating and amazingly light, and looked awesome, and therefore is good enough motivation to keep you running. Let’s just say that a 4km “spin” with the shoes was not enough to do it justice – we already want to go back for seconds.

Oh, and we’ll definitely be taking these babies out to the fun themed runs in Malaysia this year. Thanks adidas Malaysia for having us ;)

adidas PureBOOST X is available here and in stores now, retailing at RM419.

Keep up with the adidas Energy running movement by following @adidasrunning on Twitter and Instagram using #PureBOOSTX.


We Get “Mraz”-merized

Shoes off, hat on, a mug (the same one that travels the world with him) in his hand. That’s all we saw when we first walked into the room. The journey into the city was a stressful one but all of that? It evaporated the moment we set eyes on international star Jason Mraz.

Some of you might already know his music by heart, others might’ve only heard him once or twice over the radio airwaves – but one thing’s for sure (and anyone who has heard his upbeat and poetic songs can do nothing more than just agree), Jason renders his fans completely speechless.

And that pretty much sums up our interview with him yesterday – hard to get words out and speechless in the presence of Jason Mraz. But we managed.

That mug, is that the first thing you pack when you travel?

“Do you like it? It’s been with me for about five years. I got it from a grocery store! I don’t even think about it anymore. It just goes everywhere. I’m learning how to pack less and less. I usually pack a hat or two and then I pack everything around it (laughs). I also pack my underwear in my hats so (points to his hat) there are a few in there right now.”

How has your music changed over the years?

“You know, when I first started Java Joe’s, a lot of my songs on that album are kinda abstract. I first started writing them as poetry. When I go back now I don’t even know what they’re about but they sound pretty! Because that was my goal in the beginning – to just have them to sound pretty and not worry about the language. Then as the years went on, I wanted them to continue to sound pretty but also add humour or meaning or depth. That’s really what I’ve gotten into these days. But also, I try not to overthink it. There’s still that depth but also that abstract openness that’ll allow you to just leave the planet for awhile.”

“How about being bored while being miserable? Seriously! Any time I get bored, I then realize that there’s just a lack of creativity in my life. So that’s when I turn to music or collages or paintings or gardening or something. And music is just about channeling so I just let go, open up, and see what comes out. Then suddenly I’m surprised by a melody or word or some idea that suddenly reveals itself. I’m addicted to that feeling of creating something out of nothing. I love that! It’s like a little magic trick and I love magic.”

Are you still the geek from “Geek In The Pink”?

“Always. I love being on stage but I don’t always feel ‘cool’. I’m still somewhat awkward and dorky. I have a cool job but it doesn’t mean I’m cool.”

You’ve come a long and far way since we last saw you in 2009. You launched the Jason Mraz Foundation in December 2011. What inspired you to start that up?

“For years I’ve been leading my music or playing in concerts for various foundations. Music by itself can heal and change a situation but also music is a powerful fundraising tool. And then add that to worldwide success and accumulating lots of money and fame, to then traveling around and learning about incredible organizations. Behind every organization are extraordinary people and volunteers. I looked at my career and when I first started, I had friends and family who gave me a rich quality of life and made sure that I continued to be uplifted on my path. So now I’ve got this opportunity to basically set up this bank account that I can only use to help people. It was being able to make sense of fame and fortune that inspired me. It has been a real highlight. It gives me purpose and it keeps me going.”

Five words, people, five words. Jason Mraz is a sweetheart.

For more information, visit his official website.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


Circa Survive On Going Independent & Backstage Rituals

Having recently gone independent for their fourth album, “Violent Waves”, American rock band Circa Survive definitely has some stories to tell. Fortunately, they were in town recently for Livescape Asia’s Rockawayfest Showcase held at Bentley Music Auditorium. We were lucky enough to have had the opportunity to interview Circa Survive frontman Anthony Green.

What were some of the challenges that Circa Survive faced after deciding to go independent?

“It’s like any small business. You wanna keep a small overhead so that you’ll have a better chance at breaking even and eventually, making a profit. When you’re dealing with a major label, all they’re concerned about is making profit. Yet, they spend so much money – in excess, on your recording. When they’re bankrolling on your recording, they kinda feel like they can come in and whether or not you let them have a say, you’d kinda feel creatively obligated to them because they’re financially backing you. Whereas when you’re doing it yourself and you go into your friend’s studio and you’re managing the budget for your own album for..you know, very little money, and you can still make it sound like having your vision come true without having to spend the money that a major label would spend, you won’t put all that pressure on people to buy your record.”

How did that work in Circa Survive’s advantage then, going independent?

“We budget this album so that we didn’t have to go out and sell 100,000 copies to make 1,000,000 dollars back for the recording cost. Recording costs very little. And in my opinion, this is one of the best recordings that the band has ever had. So, we sacrificed zero creative, zero production value, and ended up with a better product and we were able to sell very little but still make a profit. Which is something we’ve never done!”

Do you know if your next album is going to be better than this one or do you think that you could make it better than this one?

“I think that in order to be a true artiste, you have to be in like..a perpetual state of arrival. You can’t ever think that you’ve gotten anywhere; you can’t ever think that this is the best album. This is not – it’s just the latest album. Regardless of what people say or critics say..you can’t ever think that you’ve gotten anywhere.”

Do you still get nervous when you get on stage? What are some of the rituals that you do before you get on stage?

“Every night! I tend to get very quiet for maybe an hour or two hours before we play. I’m usually just not engaging with anybody – I kinda just like to sit. Sometimes, I visualize myself already on stage and already enjoying it. You know, like I’m visualizing that it’s already happening, already going well, and I’m already feeling great about it. And that helps me put my anxiety or my nerves at rest. I also like to stare at people. I pick one or two people out in the crowd and they’ll be the only people..”

What? How do your fans react when you do that?

“They’re very weirded out by it! Very. It’s awkward – but for them, not me. I’d feel like I’m in control and they’re just like..what is he doing, why is he staring at me? (laughs)”

Were you at their Rockawayfest Showcase gig? Did you catch Anthony Green staring at you? Were you “weirded out”? Drop us your comments if you were there!

Special thanks to our awesome friends from Livescape Asia for making this interview happen, and much love to Anthony for taking time off to speak to us.


#MTVMusicEvo: 5 Perks That You Need To Know About & Make A Grab For!

Friends in Philippines, are you ready for this year’s instalment of MTV Music Evolution Manila at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds? Who’s excited about partying alongside MTV VJs Hanli Hoefer, Alan Wong, Yassi Pressman, Andre Paras, as well as OneRepublic, Far East Movement, Bebe Rexha, Apink, and more?

Before you run off to paint the town red on 24th June 2016, here are some MTV Music Evolution Manila perks that you shouldn’t miss out on! Good things we must share ;)

1. The MTV Music Evolution Manila Roadshow

An MTV Music Evolution Manila Roadshow will take place on 18th – 19th June 2016, 1pm – 6pm at Robinsons Place Ermita Midtown Atrium, Manila. This will give fans a chance to meet with MTV VJs Hanli Hoefer, Chris Schneider, Kito Romualdez and Josh Padilla. Music fans will get the last chance to score mosh pit access at MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016. A lucky few will even bag the coveted Meet & Greet passes to get up close to the stars!

2. Dance your way to mosh pit passes/an exclusive Meet & Greet

Shimmy to your favourite MTV Music Evolution Manila performers’ tracks and you might just get the chance to win exclusive Meet & Greet and mosh pit passes! Show MTV your moves and upload your most fantastic 15-second dance video with the hashtags #MTVmusicevo and #MTVBump on to Instagram. Get the chance to be selected as the winner of Meet & Greet passes with your favourite MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016 performers plus mosh pit access at the live event itself on 24th June 2016. The most exciting part is that you get the chance to have your video shown live on screen at MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016! Contest starts 8th June so head on to MTV Asia on Instagram or www.mtvmusicevo.com to find out more.

3. Win free passes when you book a MTV Music Evolution Manila GrabCar ride

Get the chance to win free MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016 passes when you avail of GrabCar Sedan services from 21- 23 June 2016. Specially marked MTV Music Evolution Manila GrabCar vehicles will be traversing the Metro on these selected dates. Keep on using GrabCar and you might just be one of the lucky few to get picked-up by specially marked MTV Music Evolution Manila GrabCar vehicles and automatically win 2 FREE passes to MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016.

4. Get discounts off your MTV Music Evolution Manila GrabCar ride

If the traffic in metro Manila is anything to go by, then the last thing you need is having to drive to the event venue. So why drive when you can hail a ride? On Friday, 24th June 2016 use the promo code MTVMUSICEVO when you book a GrabCar to or from MTV Music Evolution Manila at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds and get a PHP 50 off for 2 rides. Early birds get even bigger savings! Be one of the first 1000 passengers to book via GrabCar going to the event venue on this date and get PHP 200 off your fare when you use the promo code MTVEARLYBIRD valid for one time use only.

It’s even easier for overseas fans to catch MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016 live in the Philippines with exclusive travel deals offered on Asiatravel.com from 25th May to 21st June 2016.
Get free entry passes to the MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016 when you choose from available travel packages that include hotel accommodation, airport transfers, and flight options. What’s more, you can also get a free PHP 1000 Asiatravel discount voucher per booking for use on your next transaction.

Travel packages are available to travelers visiting Manila in the Philippines in June while stocks last. Check out
www.asiatravel.com for terms and conditions.

Note: MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016 passes are not for sale and may be won by fans who correctly answer a contest question**** on www.mtvmusicevo.com. Sponsors and partners will also be giving out passes through their own promotions.

The free-entry* event will be recorded live for global telecast under the MTV World Stage global series, to an international audience of more than 3-quarters of a billion households in over 160 countries.

*Free entry is for all who have won passes either through MTV’s game contests, or through sponsors’ marketing activities around MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016.

For more information, hit up MTV Asia’s Facebook page or follow them on Twitter.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


#LoveScams: Over 4,673 Malaysian Women Are Victims Of Online Dating Frauds

We heard it all before: he says he’s single and ready to mingle. There is a catch though, he’s currently in a bit of a predicament and all he needs is some cash and y’all can finally be together.

Do Malaysian women fall in love way too easily? According to Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, there has been a total of 4,673 cases of dating scams in the country over the past 3 years. He believes that the number may be higher as victims are usually afraid they’d be ridiculed if they came forward.

Any guesses on how much money was duped during this duration? A whopping RM182.3mil!

Last year alone, 1,769 women were conned into losing RM60.1mil, said Ahmad Zahid. “Between January and May this year, 794 cases were reported where the victims parted with RM33.4mil,” he added.

“PDRM has taken several pro-active measures to prevent this activity which has been spreading rampantly through the social media. It has been happening in many countries including ours. The suspects used the identity of fair-skinned men who are handsome and rich to deceive women,” Ahmad Zahid continued.

It may be easy to dismiss the victims of love scams as foolish and rash, but romance fraud isn’t about intelligence, they’re emotional. As psychologist Monica Whitty points out, “People fall in love very quickly online and form hyper-personal relationships. When people like this look to the web for companionship, they form emotional bonds quickly and with an abandon they might not demonstrate in the offline world.”

“Warning people never to give money to someone they haven’t met just isn’t enough any more. These scammers are so skilled that if you stay in contact – even without giving them money at first – they’ll probably find a way to get it eventually. My advice is if the person you met online won’t meet you in real life, no matter how plausible the excuse, cease contact. Find someone else. It’s the only way to stay safe,” Whitty commented.

Regardless if you’ve been a victim to these scams, or know someone who has been through it, feel free to visit Scam Survivors for more information.

Sources: The Star, Astro Awani, Daily Mail.


#Spotify: Malaysia’s Top 10 Guilty Pleasure Songs

The nation’s guiltiest pleasures playlist has been unveiled! And guess what? We are guilty as charged!

After analysing over 120,000 playlists called “Guilty Pleasures”, leading music streaming service Spotify created a playlist called, “Malaysia’s Guiltiest Pleasures”, which consists of the nation’s top 10 most streamed tracks on Spotify. The list was based on the total number of streams per track from playlists named, “Guilty Pleasures”. Wanna know what they were?

One-hit wonder, “Save Tonight” by Eagle-Eye Cherry ranked #1 in the playlist, closely followed by Phil Collins’ “Sussudio” and Swedish pop group Ace of Base’s “All That She Wants”.

In addition, Spotify identified the songs that appeared frequently in men’s and women’s playlists. Instead of calculating the number of streams, the Men’s and Women’s Guiltiest Pleasures playlists calculated the total number of times the track appeared in “Guilty Pleasures” playlists globally.

Pop boyband One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful” took poll position for females while males put Carly Rae Jepsen’ s 2012 pop hit “Call Me Maybe” at the top of their guilty pleasures list:

But ever wondered why people feel guilty about listening to these songs?

Well, let’s just say that while people may be aware that these tracks that require little effort to listen to, they are not culturally defined as “cool”, explained Jacob Jolij, Professor in Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Groningen, Netherlands. Thus, some people felt that more complex music such as jazz or progressive rock makes stronger demands on the cognitive system.

If you are worried about being judged, fret not! Managing Director at Spotify Asia Sunita Kaur explained:

For those who aren’t quite so forthcoming with their musical tastes, there’s always Spotify’s private session function, so you can listen to power ballads to your heart’s content, without the fear of being judged.

So, there you go. Now, if you want to listen to the Spotify Malaysia’s Guilty Pleasures Playlist, go ahead! We promise we won’t judge!

So, what’s your guilty pleasure song? Let us know in the comment box below!

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


Petrol & Diesel Prices Malaysia For 4th – 10th January 2018

It’s the first week of 2018, so let’s get into the latest updates on the fuel prices.

According to our source, both petrol and diesel prices will go up starting from Thursday midnight (4th January) onwards.

The expected prices for petrol and diesel for 4th – 10th January 2018 are:

The current prices for 21st – 27th December 2017 are:

We will update the fuel prices should the official announcement differs from aforementioned prices.


Rest In Peace, Robin Gibb

Out of all the brothers (Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb), Barry was the one to write the hits, whereas Maurice was the one to hang out with the “hipsters” of their era.

Robin, on the other hand, always took on the role as the lead singer during their earlier days. While older brother Barry had a voice that was warm and gooey, Robin’s voice rung as clear as day.

The three singing brothers of the Bee Gees shot to worldwide fame during our parents’ era (late 1960s to the 1970s) with what is now known as classic hits. They sold well over 100 million albums and had six consecutive No. 1 singles from the 1970s. With hits like “Night Fever” and “Stayin’ Alive”, the Bee Gees embodied the “swag” of their time.

But the disco era only lasted that long and by the 1980s, the band’s popularity waned in the United States, one of the biggest market in the music industry, but remained strong abroad. Their brand survived it.

So it’s no surprise that when they returned in the late 1990s with songs like “Alone” and “Immortality” (recorded with Celine Dion), it immediately propelled them back to the surface of the music industry:

[youtube id=”gUuliMnJ9dg” width=”600″ height=”350″]

The Bee Gees were then inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” in 1997. They also won six Grammys.

On the 14th of August 2010, Robin Gibb was rushed so a hospital in Oxford, England after he complained of abdominal pains. He underwent an emergency surgery for a blocked intestine. He soon recovered. But less than a year later, in April 2011, he was forced by “health problems” to cancel his tour of Brazil. A few more cancellations followed suit after.

It was only in November 2011 that it was revealed that Robin has been battling cancer. In an official statement on the 22nd of January 2012, he said:

For more than 18 months, I had lived with an inflammation of the colon; then I was diagnosed with colon cancer, which spread to the liver. I have undergone chemotherapy, however, and the results – to quote my doctor – have been “spectacular”. It’s taken a toll, naturally, but the strange thing is that I’ve never felt seriously ill. I’ve mostly felt great. There have been many false claims around, which I’d like to dispel. I am not and have never been “at death’s door”. Nor do I have a team of alternative doctors working on my health. That’s not true, although I’m not averse to healthy remedies for any illness. I feel they can go together with conventional medicine. I do eat health foods and drink herbal teas made for me by Dwina, my wife and RJ’s mother. Other than that, I am under the care of Dr. Peter Harper at The London Clinic.

He was optimistic. He was hopeful. And like a true hero, he continued to fight.

On the 4th of March, he was in remission from cancer. A few weeks later, he was hospitalized for intestinal surgery.  Then came the 14th of April, when he was reportedly fighting for his life after contracting pneumonia and was in a coma. He eventually woke up but doctors later confirmed that he had advanced colorectal cancer.

His family stayed by his side until just a few hours ago, when he died due to complications of cancer and intestinal surgery. Robin Gibb was 62.

“I’d never try to be that distinctive from the Bee Gees’ sound. I’m very proud of being a Bee Gee and am always aware that I’ll be identified as a Bee Gee.”

The world loses another star – but he won’t be forgotten. Here’s thanking you for the years we grew up to the music our parents’ listened to. You will be missed, Robin. Rest in peace.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


#MTVBreaks: Win A Chance To Work On 2014 MTV #EMA In Glasgow

Sure, you’ve heard of the MTV Insider 10-day job, but have you heard of #MTVBreaks?

“We’re so excited to introduce MTV Breaks to our fans around the world,” said Georgia Arnold, Senior Vice President, Social Responsibility, Viacom International Media Networks. “Young people around the world are increasingly concerned about their futures, which is why we’re making youth employment a focus of our pro-social strategy. MTV is uniquely well-positioned to help unlock the passion and creativity of our audience by providing them with an amazing platform for their talents and connecting them with some of the best available expertise from across the creative industries.”

Launched on 23rd August 2014, MTV’s new international multi-platform campaign MTV Breaks is giving talented MTV fans around the world the chance to kick-start a career in the creative industries by offering unprecedented opportunities to work on its high-profile entertainment events.

* In Asia, the MTV Breaks campaign is open only to applicants from China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan.

MTV Breaks Promo from VIMN Comms on Vimeo.

Think you’ve got what it takes to snag the golden opportunity?

For more information on how to enter, visit their website.


#MH17: Flight Recorders Handed Over To Malaysian Rep

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak released a statement late last night to further clarify on the steps that are being taken to carry out investigations for Malaysia Airlines’ flight #MH17 crash. In his statement, he confirms that he was in contact with senior pro-Russian separatist leader Alexander Bodai and that he has agreed to hand over the 2 black boxes to a Malaysian team in Donetsk.

The prime minister said the agreement in “good faith” must now be followed by action in order to ensure the victims’ bodies are handled with respect.

As such, it has been just confirmed that MH17’s black boxes have since been handed over to the said Malaysian representatives/experts in the city of Donetsk. Both sides then signed a document, which Borodai said was a protocol to finalise the procedure. Col. Mohamed Sakri of the Malaysian National Security Council told the meeting the two black boxes were “in good condition”.

The handover came after refrigerated train cars transported the bodies of victims in Malaysia Airlines’ flight MH17 plane disaster to another eastern Ukraine city on Monday. That same afternoon, the United Nations unanimously backed a resolution calling for a “full, thorough and independent international investigation” of the disaster.

One baby step at a time for us. Stay strong, Malaysia.

For more timely and verified updates regarding MH17, please visit Malaysia Airlines’ official website and follow their Twitter account. Alternatively the family or friends may call the numbers below in their respective countries:

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and loved ones of those who were on board the MH17 flight. Here’s special Spotify playlist in remembrance of the lives that were lost.


This 13-Year-Old Girl From Sabah Is The World’s Youngest Racehorse Trainer

13-year-old Isabelle Lonjuing Sayeed from Sabah is grabbing headlines by becoming the world’s youngest racehorse trainer.

It was reported that the young Malaysian from Penampang recently managed to obtain a license as a professional trainer and stable agent.

The teenager received the recognition from The Royal Sabah Turf Club (RSTC) and she also managed to beat the record of Bailey Rogerson, who started her professional career in New Zealand at the age of sixteen. The Director of Racing at RSTC, John Gorton, granted her the license on 26th November.

Isabelle, who is the daughter of polo player Adil Ghulam, started riding since she was five-years-old at Glenora Stables in Kinarut, Sabah. The teenager stated, “I am humbled to be the youngest licensed horse trainer in the world. I know the path is not easy, but I am ready to meet the challenges ahead.”

That’s not all, she is also an accomplished polo player handicapped by the Sabah Polo Association, and is currently the captain of El Venato Polo Team, which is Sabah’s first female polo team. She also took lessons at the KL Academy of Polo with Peter Abisheganaden, who she sees as a mentor, earlier this year.

It was reported that Susan Douglas, who is her instructor, taught her about all aspects of stable and horse management, and racehorse training when she was preparing to take the trainer’s test with RSTC. Susan stated, “In addition to owning an ILS Stable Horse, Isabelle is also recognised as a race starter, obstacle tester and nutritionist, which is a tough challenge as the youngest racehorse trainer in the world.”

Isabelle is scheduled to continue her training with US champion coach Bob Baffert in the country next summer. Impressive right? She has definitely made our nation proud with her achievements and we hope that she will keep on striving.

Sources: Sabah Daily News, Utusan Borneo.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


#GuinnessAmplify: Curates − Froya Launches Debut Album “Panic Bird”

Guinness Amplify: Curates − champions more local musicians.

Guinness Amplify, the music platform championing bold Malaysian musicians made its glorious return on April 11th (Saturday) at The Bee, Publika. Following on from the success of last year’s campaign, a new side-stream of Amplify − dubbed Amplify: Curates − saw some of Malaysia’s already-established musicians invite upcoming acts to join them on stage and to share the limelight.

Taking up the mantle as Curator was Sabahan singer-songwriter Froya, who also launched her highly-anticipated album “Panic Bird” at the show. Featuring three supporting acts that were hand-picked by Froya herself, the event allowed Froya to “pay forward” the opportunity to get on stage and into the public eye.

Opening the evening was Froya’s fellow Sabahan singer-songwriter, Rozella. Her dreamlike vocals and haunting melodies won over the hearts of all those present, making it the perfect kick off to the event. Next up was none other that hippie-beach-pop trio Jumero. The trio who are also veterans of last year’s Amplify campaign played a number of fan-favourites alongside a wealth of new material from their own upcoming album. Jumero’s infectious energy got the crowd grooving and singing along to them, prepping the crowd for +2dB.

+2dB, the last of the supporting acts then took over the stage and impressed fans with a set brimming with atmospheric, otherworldly harmonies and evocative vocals. Finally, the moment that everyone was waiting for arrived. The main star of the night, Froya, took the stage to officially launch her debut album .”Panic Bird”.

Taking the crowd on a journey through the inspirations and meanings behind her album, Froya’s love and devotion for her craft shone through as she put on one of the most spectacular performances of her career. Featuring tracks written over the past 6 years, fans enjoyed specially-arranged versions of their favourites including her new single “Dawn”, alongside brand new material performed live for the first time at Amplify: Curates.

The night came to an end with Froya thanks her fans for their continued support. She also urged the crowd to raise their glasses of Guinness in a toast to the extraordinary talent of Malaysian musicians whose creative boldness inspires others to make their own bold choices in life.

More photos from the event can be seen below:

We’ll leave you now with the official music video of Froya’s “Dawn”.

Froya’s debut album ‘Panic Bird’ is now available on CD and digital download, priced at RM25.

For more information, check out Froya’s official website. Also, for more information on Guinness Amplify: Curates, hit up its website.


#YeZi: Warm Yourselves Up With A Premium Coconut-Based Steamboat Session

There’s no better way to warm yourselves up than having a steamboat session on a cold, rainy day. The practice of steamboat is believed to be originated from Mongolia before it spreaded to China and other parts of Asian countries. In Japan, they call it “shabu shabu” while the rest of the world call it “hot pot”, which is the literal translation of “火鍋 (huo guo)”.

Call it whatever you want, but the most important thing about steamboat is its delicious broth and the wide selection of fresh ingredients. A typical steamboat session usually sees the diners gathering around a dining table and dipping a wide range of raw food including thinly sliced meats, seafood, and vegetables into a pot of boiling broth. Plain, clear stocks made mainly from pork ribs and chicken are usually used as the soup base while the cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce.

We don’t even know who started the steamboat trend in Malaysia, but it is truly a blessing for those of us who enjoy having a hot steamboat meal for dinner or supper. For the past few years, a number of steamboat joints have mushroomed all over Klang Valley and it showed no signs of stopping. Case in point, a new steamboat restaurant that boasts to be “a premium specialty steamboat restaurant”.

The restaurant is called “Ye Zi”, which means coconut in Mandarin. It is easy to understand why they’ve decided to name the restaurant after our favourite tropical fruit because its signature broth is a sweet and aromatic coconut-based soup. Ye Zi’s co-owner Katrina Wong told us that her partner and herself decided to introduce the coconut-based soup in Malaysia because they loved the taste of the soup when they first tried it in China. Since the soup is not available in most of the steamboat joints in Klang Valley yet, Katrina thinks it’s time for Malaysians to get a taste of the delicious yet healthy broth.

There are 5 choices of broth available at Ye Zi and the options range from the Taiwanese beef soup to the rice wine soup to the mushroom soup. The signature here is, of course, the coconut-based soup that’s studded with bamboo fungus and water chestnut. We didn’t have the chance to try the other soups, but we were impressed by its refreshing coconut-based soup because unlike the ordinary chicken soup or pork rib soup, it left us yearning for more as we couldn’t stop drinking the soup.

Before we dipped the raw food into the huge bubbling pot of hot soup, Katrina ordered some side dishes for us to keep hunger pangs at bay. The first dish we tried was a delightful dish of spicy fried century eggs. It came with an appetiser of a bowl of jellyfish cut into thin strips. For someone who doesn’t really like century eggs (read: me), the dish was surprisingly good and considered acceptable for our taste buds.

We were then served with other side dishes including deep fried chicken wrapped with screw pine leaves and bacon-wrapped chicken. They were pleasantly appetising as the taste lingered in the mouth even after a while.

Katrina told us that the cooked food would taste much better with their homemade dipping sauce, which was mixed with chilli, garlic, and a bit of lime sauce. Even though it was slightly spicy, we thought it was perfect for the steamboat meal.

While waiting for the soup to boil, Katrina prepared a variety of homemade fish balls including pepper cheese ball, signature mushroom chicken ball, squid ball, and so on. Among all the raw food, the signature coconut dumpling is one of the must-try dishes at Ye Zi.

Not to mention, patrons should definitely order the premium sliced beef and lamb here because they were so thinly sliced that it required very little effort for us to chew on them. Katrina ensured that the ingredients are prepared fresh daily by the service crew so that patrons don’t have to worry about the freshness of the ingredients.

Also, trust her when she says they only serve homemade ingredients because the steamboat meal includes fish paste contained in a cone-shaped plastic tube. It allowed us to have some fun with our food as we squeezed the fish paste noodles into the hot piping soup.

A post shared by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy)

Although we felt bloated from all the good food we had at Ye Zi, we decided to wrap up our feast with the restaurant’s signature dessert – special coconut ice cream. The restaurant borrowed the concept from the Thai street-food treat aka the infamous coconut ice cream in Thailand, especially in Chatuchak area.

The ice cream is made up of coconut milk instead of cow’s milk, but it lacked the basic toppings such as roasted peanuts, sweet corn, and coconut husk. However, that didn’t stop us from finishing it because the flavour is fairly rich and the texture is very smooth as well.

Overall, it was a very satisfying meal, but we need to go back again to try the other dishes that are served in different broths. We must say, it is best to go in a group so that everyone can get their fair share of Ye Zi’s steamboat goodness.

Special thanks to The Roof for arranging the food tasting session for us.

For more information, hit up Ye Zi’s official Facebook page or Instagram.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


Sumptuous Erotica’s Alvin & Vivian, BUSTED!

24-year-old Alvin Tan Jye Yee and his 23-year-old girlfriend, Vivian Lee has sparked an outrage when sexually explicit videos and pictures of them were discovered recently.

But unlike any other “Oops. My laptop was stolen and they were leaked without my permission!” cases, these were taken and posted willingly by both individuals.

Alvin, who has a National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Law ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship, met Vivian, a Multimedia University (MMU) graduate via Facebook. They initially uploaded intimate pictures (with certain “parts” edited out) on Facebook. The pictures, of course, were red flagged. So they decided to start a blog in September – aptly named, “Sumptuous Erotica”.

It was the same time that their “fooling around with pictures and videos” got a little bit more serious. (Source)

Sumptuous Erotica was filled with full-on pornographic material, as though they were amateur porn stars. Some self-made pictures displaying the couple’s naked bodies together and individually while videos containing their fetishes/roleplaying (read: Alvin as rapist and Vivian as victim) were uploaded. Shockingly, Alvin even encouraged their blog’s readers to “rate” their photos and urged them to share/repost their images.

Sure, for them, it was super exciting. However, it all blew up in their faces when Alvin posted Sumptuous Erotica’s address on a public forum. From 1,000 page views per day, it skyrocketed to about 20,000 page views per day.

It sparked a controversy and now, Alvin has landed himself into hot (and not in the sexual way) soup because not only was he forced to take down the blog, NUS’ Board of Discipline (BOD) have taken the case into investigation. One NUS spokesperson said of the case, “All NUS students are expected to conduct themselves in a responsible manner and should not be associated with offensive behaviour. Any student found in breach of the University’s Code of Student Conduct will be disciplined”.

This basically means he could be expelled and dealt with legally, despite the fact that he’s not Singaporean. He could be denied entry into Singapore or both Alvin and Vivian could be prosecuted for breaching the Films Act on the grounds of obscenity for their videos. (Source)

Vivian, however, has jumped to her boyfriend’s, their blog’s, and their relationship’s defense by saying that they couldn’t care less about what the public thinks of this. She has since moved in with Alvin.

Yes, we know, it sounds like this was all just a huge cry for attention. But Alvin might’ve just gotten more than he bargained for:

[youtube id=”VpVCpXffo9A” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Just yesterday, Alvin attended a hearing with the National University of Singapore (NUS) disciplinary board, which started at 2:30pm. He has since apologized for hurting the education hub’s image with “Sumptuous Erotica”. The 24-year-old law student who is on an Asean scholarship was with give NUS disciplinary board members for one-and-a-half hours. Yet, when it was all over, he was still unsure if they would penalize him for his raunchy actions.

“I have no idea what the outcome is going to be as they just noted down what I said. The hearing was more of a clarification session about things I had allegedly said and claims about me. I feel there wasn’t much space for me to present my case and I can only expect the worst case scenario and learn how to deal with it”, he told journalists who had been waiting at the university’s lobby.

Alvin will know within the next on week whether he will be expelled from NUS.


Pop Over To CELINE’s Exquisite Pop-Up Store @ Pavilion KL, Cause You Gotta!

A cocoon of Parisian luxury has ‘popped up’ in the middle of Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, and seductively beckons to all with discerning tastes.

From now until 14th May, 2023, luxury lifestyle brand CELINE invites you to its exclusive pop-up store – located at Level 2, Centre Court, Pavilion KL – which showcases the magic of the quintessentially Parisian label’s leather, travel, home, Haute Parfumerie and candle collections.

Honouring CELINE’s iconic Triomphe line, the pop-up is replete with a range of women’s leather accessories available in seasonal colours and models; as well as its timeless Triomphe Canvas; and eyewear collections.

Designed by the brand’s Image Director, the celebrated Hedi Slimane, the pop-up store’s interior is similar to that of Maison CELINE’s first perfume boutique, located at Rue Saint-Honore, Paris.

The decor features marble and traditional Parisian architecture, reflecting an aura of luxury and elegance, reminiscent of the glorious past of France to the present. Amber perfumes in square glass bottles contrast with polished black lacquer caps arranged in a high staircase, like a work of art. Talk about IG-worthy!

Ravish your sense of smell with CELINE’s unisex fragrance line, which offers 11 sophisticated scents for all hours of the day. The fragrances flirt with gender identity by combining masculine and feminine traits. Day scents include: Parade, Saint-German-Des-Pres, Cologne Francaise, Dan Paris, La Peau Nue, Eau De Californie, Bois Dormant, Rimbaud; while night scents comprise: Reptile, Black Tie & Nightclubbing.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


CONTEST: MTV World Stage 2012 Tickets Giveaway!

Want to catch teenage heartthrob Justin Bieber, Korean superstar Jay Park, mesmerizing girl group KARA and Malaysia’s very own pop princess Mizz Nina LIVE at MTV World Stage 2012?

Just think “TWISTED” and you and a friend could be rocking out at Surf Beach @ Sunway Lagoon come 14th July 2012 (Saturday).

Our friends at Twisties thinks that “Life’s Better Twisted” and wants to get YOU out of your chair and into the crowd! All you have to do is caption the following photo in the most TWISTED and creative way possible in 25 words or less:

If you’re TWISTED enough, you and a friend could be partying like rock stars at the MTV World Stage thanks to Twisties!

Winners stand a chance to receive ONE PAIR of regular passes to MTV World Stage 2012 and four packs of “Spicy Sausage” and “Honey BBQ Wings” flavoured Twisties.

We have FIVE pairs of tickets up for grabs, so hurry up and email your entries with the subject line “Twisties @ MTV World Stage” to TwistiesMTVWorldStage@gmail.com by 9th July 2012 (Monday).

Don’t forget to include the following information with your entry:


#DisneySide: Your Fave Disney Characters Surprise Shoppers & Melt Hearts

If you’re ever feeling cold, some good ol’ Disney will warm you right up!

For people who live in the Northeast of the United States e.g. Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, etc., every winter may seem never-ending as the Northeastern region is often in the grips of low temperatures during the season. In the past month, Walt Disney World Resort decided to share a little magic to help keep the winter a little bit warmer by sending their trusty “Disney Side” troopers over to a mall in cold Long Island, New York.

When we say trusty “Disney Side” troopers, we really mean Mickey Mouse and his pals.

A Disney team set up opaque windows at the “Umbra Penumbra Magic Shop” at the Westfield Sunrise Centre in Massapequa. Then, some unsuspecting shoppers who walked past the windows like any other simple, everyday event found themselves being shadowed by the all-star Disney characters team aka Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, and more. We weren’t there to see it for ourselves but fortunately, there were hidden cameras to capture the truly heart-warming moments.

This would thaw even the coldest of winters or hearts:

How about that? We bet you didn’t know that Mickey Mouse had such slick dance moves! Don’t pretend that it didn’t make you smile ;)

The hidden-camera stunt was set up as part of Disney’s “Disney Side” ad campaign.

Meanwhile, here are some other smile-worthy Disney-related posts that you need to check out:


2013 Juno Awards Nominees Announced!

Carly Rae Jepsen is about to go head-to-head against the very person who discovered her, Justin Bieber. Both artistes will compete in four major categories that they were nominated for at this year’s Juno Awards aka Canada’s biggest night of music. They‘re both up for the artist, album, pop album, and fan choice awards.

Carly Rae Jepsen, who has five nominations in total, will also be performing during the Juno Awards broadcast, as well as Michael Buble. Other multi-nominees include Billy Talent, Hedley, Leonard Cohen, Marianas Trench, Metric and Rush. And these key ones:

Nelly Furtado, “The Spirit Indestructible”

The 2013 Juno Awards will take place on 21st April 2013 (Sunday) at the Brandt Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan.

For more information, visit their official website.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


The Great Big “Django Unchained” Hoax

So many people have benefited from Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained”. The viewers, the Quentin fans, the celebrities who got to work with Quentin, and Quentin himself (read: awards and award nominations). Oh no wait, one other person has benefited from the whole “Django Unchained” fame – thenimbus.

Who is “thenimbus”? Whoever he/she is, a post went up on his/her Tumblr stating that “Django Unchained” actor, Ato Essandoh (who plays D’Artagnan in the film) died “in the line of duty” during the production of the film. How?

Torn apart alive by dogs? Sure sounds like one of the worst ways to die. Anyone who has encountered the post above must’ve tried real hard to battle between feeling sorry for Ato plus the entire cast and crew of “Django Unchained” and applauding the actor for being so dedicated to his job.

The best part of it is Ato Essandoh tweeted, seemingly from “beyond the grave” to uh, “clarify” the situation:

Yes, guys. Of course it was a hoax. But a hoax that went viral (it was reblogged over tens of thousands of times) within hours of it going up on that Tumblr.

thenimbus, owner of the Tumblr and person who created the hoax then put up another post to apologize to Quentin Tarantino, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Ato Essandoh for the hoax. He/she also made it a point to not apologize to anyone else who were offended by it, claiming that it was just harmless sarcasm and a social experiment:

No, none of it was real. It was completely fake. What a surprise!

Ato Essandoh is very much alive and well. I take full responsibility for the post and I’d like to take this oppertinity to apologize to Quentin Tarantino, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Ato Essandoh. I truly admire all of your work tremendously and loved Django to death, pun intended. Thanks for being good sports. ♥

However, I’m not going to apologize to those who were offended by this, and I will explain why in this post.

I made that image as a social experiment to prove how gullible people can be on the internet, and in this case Tumblr. The image was created in the vein of the popular “did you know” bloggers, many who often post erroneous information to begin with, in about ten minutes using Adobe Photoshop. This also wasn’t a racist thing; because of the actual well known incident with DiCaprio injuring his hand, I felt that it would be more of a reason for people to do their research to see if it was really true, but unfortunately many chose to just immediately accept the post as fact. It was intended to cause an uproar from people who didn’t do their research, in turn, letting them make fun of themselves for our own amusement. Ignorant bloggers that repost something shocking for the sheer amazement of the it without fact checking the very validity of the thing that they are reblogging are very unfortunate souls indeed. I pity them greatly.

The level of credulousness on the internet nowadays is absolutely appalling. Literally anyone with an internet connection can easily search the net for articles. Seriously now. It’s 2013, not 1995. We have amazing internet searches like Google, plenty of reputable news sites like CNN, and many fact checking sites like Snopes for us to utilize. Whoever doesn’t use these free vast resources is just plain lazy. For instance, remember when I mentioned that “Tarantino later said in a groundbreaking interview with Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes”? Mike Wallace retired from 60 minutes in 2006 and died last year. I mean, hell, the tags I put were right there, “If you fell for this you are most likely a gullible child” and ”Mike Wallace died in 2012”.

Also, the very concept of an actor signing his life away for a film is so unrealistic and downright stupid, that the only place you’d hear it other than from me would be from a parody news source like The Onion, and they do this shit all the damn time without any uproar. It’s a flat out obvious parody. So I misinformed the public, so what? Advertisers do it for a living. It’s our obligation as intelligent users of the internet to dig into things like this and prove them false, as well as prove ourselves to not be accepting lemmings. Sure, no one deserves to be falsely accused of murder, but this wasn’t accusation that had any credibility whatsoever, save for a Tumblr-grade official design. In other words, if you fell for it, it’s completely your fault for not looking into it.

In short, what I did was nothing more than harmless sarcasm, and whoever believed it or got offended by it are individuals that either mindlessly believe everything they read on the net without doing research, ignorant doofs who actually believe that something like this could happen, social justice zealous who live to be powder kegs for offense, or are just too young to understand that movies aren’t actually real.

Uh, at the very least Ato Essandoh played along, no?


M101 Skywheel: World’s 1st Ferris Wheel Skyscraper To Debut In 2021

Behold KL-ites, a futuristic iconic attraction is set to debut in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and it’s call the M101 Skywheel.

Design by Studio F.A. Porsche, M101 Skywheel will put Malaysia on the map as the first to feature the world’s tallest 60-metres span Ferris’ wheel. It will sit between two high-level buildings, giving an unobscured view of the Kuala Lumpur City skyline like no other.

The new sky-scrapper will follow in the footsteps of our very own Wall Street building. aka Tun Razak Exchange (TRX), KLCC and KL Tower. By the looks of it, M101 Skywheel will bare some resemblance to the London Eye and Singapore Flyer. In addition to the Skywheel that will sit atop the 53rd floor, M101 Skywheel will also include other record-breaking features.

According to their official website, M101 Skywheel will be:

“M101 is championing property tourism as our core business strategy. Instead of building just another integrated development, we are building a branded development that fits the market’s needs, and further elevate Malaysia’s tourism industry,” M101 Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Seth Yap was quoted as saying.

As per Property Guru, M101 Skywheel is located adjacent to Setia Sky Residences, along Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz. Some of the most iconic landmarks nearby include the National Library, the National Art Gallery, the National Blood Centre, the National Heart Institution (IJN), and more.

There are varying claims that say that the upcoming sky-scraper will launch in 2020, which will be converged with the MRT station in 2022. However, The Star reported that M101 Skywheel is only headed for completion by 2021.

You can visit Studio F.A. Porsche and M101 for more of its amazing visuals.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


#YG: Epik High To Form An Independent Hiphop Sub-Label

A new independent hiphop label is set to hit the Korean music scene and it will be headed by none other than Tablo, the leader of Epik High.

It was recently reported that the hiphop trio will be launching an independent hiphop sub-label under their current management company YG Entertainment.

CEO and founder of YG Entertainment Yang Hyun Suk expressed his regret for not being able to fulfill his hiphop artistes’ wishes in the past.

Be it 1TYM or Jinusean, YG’s roots have always been hip hop. YG feels deeply indebted but on the other hand grateful to all of the artists doing hip hop in this country.

Thus, he decided to support Epik High’s decision to launch a new label spearheaded by Tablo. It is a fitting position for Tablo as the CEO believes that he is a multi-talented rapper, lyricist, and producer, and the one with the strong understanding of the underground hip hop scene.

It’s no secret that Epik High will want to establish their own label as Tablo previously talked about it during an interview with Fuse TV.

Regarding the trio’s decision to establish a new sub-label, Hyun Suk said:

We will do our best to support the establishment of this hip hop label so that it can become a good opportunity to all underground hip hop artists.

What do you think of the new sub-label? Are you excited to find out what they have in store for you? Share your thoughts in the comments box below.


Watch James Corden, Jeffrey Tambor, & John Boyega’s Hilarious “The Boy Is Mine” Parody

James Corden never fails to make us laugh.

The television host recently made a parody of Brandy and Monica’s 1998 hit, “The Boy Is Mine”, with comedian Jeffrey Tambor and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” actor John Boyega. But instead of using the original title, the “The Late Late Show” remake is called “The Boyega Is Mine”.

In the hilarious music video, Corden and Tambor are seen fighting over Boyega’s love. The clip starts with Corden, who is dressed in a silky silver pyjama, calling Tambor on the phone, saying, “I just want to let you know that he’s mine.”

The 2 men sing, “You need to give it up/ I’ve had about enough/ It’s not hard to see, John Boyega is mine/ I’m sorry that you seem to be confused/ But he belongs to me/ The Boyega is mine!”

Compare the remake to the original video below:

In case you didn’t know, “The Boy Is Mine” was nominated for 3 awards at the 1999 Grammys, winning Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Moreover, Brandy and Monica’s video received 2 nominations at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards: Video of the Year and Best R&B Video.

Which is your favourite video? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.