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Jack Neo loses Mitsubishi endorsement deal By Han Wei Chou | Posted: 10 March 2010 1301 hrs SINGAPORE : Mitsubishi Electric Asia will no longer feature Singapore director Jack Neo in its advertising, a spokesperson for the electronics giant told Channelnewsasia.com. It has also decided not to renew its endorsement contract with Neo's production and talent management firm J Team Productions. The announcement comes after Neo's affair with 22-year-old model Wendy Chong was exposed over the weekend and speculation that J Team Productions will dissolve. "We are going to withdraw the advertisements and we won't be renewing the contracts," said the spokesperson, adding that all advertisements featuring Neo should have been pulled by Tuesday night. She declined to give any estimates about how much the endorsement deal was worth. Neo, a Cultural Medallion winner, had been endorsing Mitsubishi's StarMex air-conditioners for at least two years and was often seen in advertisements for the appliance on television and taxis. "I think we are doing the right thing by removing, dropping all the advertisements that are related with Jack Neo," said the spokesperson. Mitsubishi may have cut ties with Singapore's most successful film-maker but other advertisers that had worked with him are apparently adopting a wait-and-see attitude. Local firms Bee Cheng Hiang and Goh Joo Hin which had product placements in the beleaguered director's earlier films have reportedly declined to comment. - CNA/ha J Team may dissolve, Mark Lee to set up own company Posted: 09 March 2010 1554 hrs SINGAPORE : Singapore funnyman Mark Lee intends to set up his own production company, Huang Production Pte Ltd, in January next year after his contract with disgraced director Jack Neo's firm, J Team Productions, expires at the end of 2010, said local Chinese newspaper Lianhe Wanbao. Lee's revelation comes amidst rumours that J Team Productions may dissolve after company founder Neo's affair with 22-year-old model Wendy Chong was exposed over the weekend. Lee, 41, reportedly said that "J Team exists only in name" after this incident. He explained that J Team Productions' current leader, Neo's wife, Madam Irene Kng, had said in a recent meeting that she had a hard time caring for her four children. As a result, she was not up to the task of managing the firm's many artistes and intends to let the artistes go. Lee pointed out that it was not the artistes who were abandoning Neo, but the other way round. Like abandoned orphans, they were told to fend for themselves once their contract expires, hence his decision to start his own firm. Lee expressed that he will not be terminating his contract early but prefers to leave gracefully when it expires. He added that he will not poach talents from J Team Productions. "I don't want people to call me a traitor, but if my brothers and sisters [Lee's fellow J Team artistes] want to join my firm, I am willing to 'take them in'," he said. Apart from Lee, comedian Henry Thia and actress Tay Yin Yin's contracts will also expire at the end of the year. When contacted, Neo's manager was said to have confirmed that there were indeed a few artistes who intend to start their own firm but added that he was unclear what the rest planned to do at this point. - CNA/ha

Jack Neo has the support of his wife Xin.sg - Wednesday, March 10 The wife of disgraced filmmaker Jack Neo, 50, Mdm Irene Kng has been a sea of calm and forgiveness since news his two-year extramarital affair with a woman less than half his age surfaced over the weekend. The 46-year-old, who's been married to Neo for 27 years, has four children aged six to 19 with him. Her composed reaction shocked freelance model-actress Wendy Chong, 22, when she went to the couple's Paris Ris semi-detached home last Friday. Mdm Kng, who knew of the affair a year ago, has expressed that she had already forgiven her straying husband and will continue to support him during the scandal. She added that their family would not be affected by it. She said that she "did not care who Jack was involved with, as long as she loves him." She became aware of their affair when a family friend spotted the two together. Neo, Singapore's most commercially successful movie director and producer admitted to his infidelity a day after a Chinese evening daily broke the story last Saturday. The paper said that Chong, who has a role in Neo's film Being Human currently in cinemas, became enraged that the actor-comedian did not answer her calls last Friday. She went to his home around 3pm and waited for him to return. She told him she wanted to see his wife which he obliged by calling Mdm Kng to come downstairs, surprising Chong. The three then left to carry on the meeting at Changi Airport's Crowne Plaza hotel which allegedly lasted four hours and were subsequently joined by Chong's father and sister as well as Neo's pastor, church friend and manager. Neo's family has moved out of their Pasir Ris home temporarily to avoid media attention. He has claimed that he had been unable to end the affair with Chong because she threatened to harm herself. Chong first knew Neo when she had a small role in his Money No Enough 2. He started wooing her and a month later they had sex in his car, she revealed. During the two years they were seeing each other, she said he brought her overseas on four occasions to Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. The 1.63m tall model's father was shocked by the revelations, and was said to have momentarily thought his daughter alerted the media for fame's sake. Neo has apologized to Chong's family and sought for "a chance to live." The Cultural Medallion holder had also called his friend, Foreign Minister George Yeo, to confess his transgression. His manager Tang Wing Fai announced that Jack will meet the media "once and for all" when he has settled the matter and made peace.

Welcome HOME !!!

Seems like ya tanky is moving towards FOWLR.

Go for TWIN-PEAKS aquascaping.

Excited Beckham is certain Rooney will play against Milan Reuters - Tuesday, March 9 MILAN - AC Milan midfielder David Beckham returns to Old Trafford for the first time in seven years on Wednesday and fully expects to face Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney. In-form England forward Rooney, who scored twice in United's 3-2 first leg win, is a doubt for the Champions League last-16 return match due to a knee problem. "I'm sure Rooney will play. I think he's had some problems in the last few days but he had the whole weekend to recover," former United player Beckham told Milan's TV channel on Monday. "He's a fine player and he'll want to participate in the match. Alex Ferguson will certainly use the best possible formation." Former England captain Beckham, 34, won the 1999 Champions League with United before leaving for Real Madrid in 2003 amid media reports of tension with manager Ferguson. "Alex Ferguson gives a lot of advice to players and he's one of the best football coaches. He protected his players but he made me understand when I was making a mistake," said Beckham. "If I play on Wednesday I won't be frightened but I will be excited because I played in that stadium for many years and I know what it means to be a Manchester United player. I know what it means for opponents to play there." Beckham, who started the first leg, is not sure of playing on Wednesday as Alexandre Pato, Clarence Seedorf and Gennaro Gattuso are available again for Milan. Milan striker Pato included in squad for United game Reuters - Tuesday, March 9 MILAN - AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato looks to have shaken off a thigh injury after being included in the squad Monday for Wednesday's Champions League last 16 second leg at Manchester United. The Brazilian missed Saturday's 0-0 draw at AS Roma but a club statement said he would travel to Manchester, where the Serie A side need to overturn a 3-2 first leg deficit. Pato is the key part of the three-pronged attack favoured by Milan coach Leonardo, who was forced to play strikers Marco Borriello and Klaas Jan Huntelaar as a front two at Roma. If the Brazilian is fit enough to start on the right of the trio, Dutchman Huntelaar is likely to drop to the bench with Ronaldinho and Borriello filling the other forward positions. David Beckham would have been a candidate to replace Pato but the 34-year-old is now more likely to play on the right of midfield if Leonardo decides to bring the England man back against his former club. Midfielder Mathieu Flamini played instead of substitute Beckham against Roma while Gennaro Gattuso is available at Old Trafford after a ban and Clarence Seedorf returns from a knock.

Let the TABLE do the 'TALKING'...

MOI-MOI luv IT !!! Benitez slams players attitude after Wigan loss AFP - Wednesday, March 10 WIGAN (AFP) - – Rafael Benitez challenged his Liverpool side to improve their attitude to stand a chance of reaching the Champions League after they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Wigan. With nine matches remaining, the Reds are a point adrift of Tottenham, but Spurs, Manchester City and Aston Villa all have games in hand as they battle it out for fourth place. Liverpool travel to Lille in the Europa League on Thursday but could trail Spurs by four points by the time they return to Premier League action against Portsmouth at Anfield on Monday. Benitez was bitterly disappointed by the manner of the loss at the DW Stadium, which was Liverpool's ninth in the Premier League this season. He was at a loss to explain why Liverpool had put in such a poor performance at a crucial stage in the campaign. And the Spaniard admitted that a repeat of that display will end their chances of reaching the Champions League. "We didn't show attitude and we were behind and after that we were working very hard but working hard without game intelligence," said Benitez. "It is hard to explain because we prepared for the game properly. We talked a lot about how to approach it. We knew how Wigan would play but there are too many things that we cannot understand. "At such a crucial moment we should do much better than that so we have to analyse why it happened. "You have to be really disappointed. You cannot be happy after a defeat in this way. "It was difficult to explain. "When you approach the game like we did tonight (Monday) you cannot win these kind of games or maybe any game. Everybody in the dressing room is really low. "We have players back now from injury but it is no good getting those players back and playing worse than before -we have to win games. "It is hard to explain because we prepared for the game properly. We talked a lot about how to approach it. We knew how Wigan would play but there are too many things that we cannot understand. "At such a crucial moment we should do much better than that so we have to analyse why it happened." After Fernando Torres hit the post for Liverpool, Hugo Rodallega scored the only goal of the game, making the most of Dirk Kuyt giving the ball away on the edge of the area. It was Wigan's first win in eight Premier League matches and their first-ever victory over the Anfield club. With a trip to fellow strugglers Bolton to come on Saturday, Wigan, who were playing on a re-laid pitch for the first time, move four points clear of the relegation zone. And manager Roberto Martinez feels that his policy of playing attractive football has been vindicated. "It was a huge win because it has been coming," said Martinez, who moved from Championship side Swansea last summer to replace Sunderland-bound Steve Bruce. "Too many times you try to judge performances by the results and we felt that we had been very close to wrapping up a good performance with a good result. "I was extremely proud of the response of the Wigan players and many people thought the new pitch would work in Liverpool's favour. "Too many people were starting to question the style of play and the way we play. "It's huge for confidence but we're far away from our aim of staying in the Premier League and giving us the chance to carry on improving and growing. "I sense it is pivotal because the last six games we've been very close and the next win was getting harder to achieve and just getting the win in the Premier League at this stage is huge."

Li Nanxing once racked up S$2m in debt, thought of suicide Posted: 08 March 2010 1226 hrs SINGAPORE: Veteran Singapore actor Li Nanxing revealed that he once indulged in gambling, drinking and even had suicidal thoughts when he could not pay off his mountain of debts, said media reports. Li told his story to a large crowd on Sunday night at an event at the church Lighthouse Evangelism where many showed up after hearing that he would be speaking. The television actor reportedly said that he racked up almost S$2 million in debt after making a bad investment decision. He explained that while he was quite popular the first nine years of his career, his career came to a virtual halt after he said he "was fine with it" when he went on stage to receive an award for his role in the 1997 drama "Rising Expectations". Li did not manage to get many roles after that incident and decided to try his hand in business, so he took out S$900,000, his entire savings from nearly a decade of acting, and opened a members-only club with his friends. "I was the largest shareholder at the time! When I finally got a chance to shoot a drama in China, I 'pre-signed' a number of cheques and left my business partners in charge of the venture," said the 45-year-old. "The six months I was in China, I only communicated with my business partner over the phone. I only found out later that the general manager was dishonest. Besides losing my S$900,000 investment, I still owed suppliers and developers S$500,000. That S$900,000 was everything I had from nearly a decade of work." Things started getting from bad to worse for the then-penniless Li. He lost his driving license for drink driving, owed S$45,000 in taxes and even had to borrow S$30,000 from loansharks to avoid losing his house after defaulting on loan repayments in 2002. Li added that at one point, he even had to scrounge for loose change to buy food. He only had something good when his pay cheque finally came in at month's end. Facing such enormous pressure, Li turned to gambling, drinking and smoking almost three packets of cigarettes a day to numb himself. However, this only served to land him deeper in debt and made him think of taking his own life. "I did not have any friends, I could not sleep... I thought of suicide, to end it all with my death," said Li who went on to describe those years as the "darkest days of [his] life". Li said it is only after he chanced upon religion that he was miraculously "saved". His business partner wanted to settle their differences out of court and offered Li S$210,000 while his creditors stopped going after him and instead went after his other two business partners. He also signed with a new management company and managed to get a number of jobs overseas. All this allowed him to clear all his debt within a year. "After that, I no longer gambled, drank or smoked. I sleep peacefully every night and have a better temperament. I am a changed man," said Li. - CNA/ha

Thailand's 'Red Shirts' kick off decisive week AFP - Monday, March 8 BANGKOK (AFP) – Around 3,000 supporters of Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra demonstrated on Sunday a week ahead of a crucial mass anti-government protest. The so-called "Red Shirts" say they expect hundreds of thousands of people, mostly the rural poor, to gather in Bangkok on March 14 -- just over two weeks after a court seized 1.4 billion dollars of the deposed tycoon's fortune. In an attempt to motivate protesters, who resent what they see as an elitist and undemocratic government, Red Shirt leaders have planned meetings throughout the week in central, northern and western Thailand. On Sunday senior members of the movement met the rank-and-file in Rayong, a major industrial hub near Bangkok, where police said 3,000 Reds had gathered peacefully by 9:00 pm (1400 GMT) and were expected to disperse at midnight. Around 1,300 provincial security staff were overseeing the gathering. Next weekend's rally promises to be the biggest since last April, when up to 100,000 Reds protested against current prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, and ensuing riots left two people dead and derailed a major Asian summit. The Reds have held a string of protests since another court decision removed Thaksin's allies from government and brought Abhisit to power in December 2008, after a blockade of Bangkok's airports by rival, royalist "Yellow Shirts". Thaksin was toppled in a coup in 2006 and is living in exile, mainly in Dubai, to avoid a two-year jail sentence for graft imposed in absentia. He has vowed to fight the confiscation of his wealth. "I would like to urge those who love democracy, justice, equality, and those who think that I have been bullied without mercy and humanity, to join the rally," Thaksin wrote on Saturday on Twitter. The country remains deeply divided between the largely Thaksin-loving Reds and the Yellows, who view Thaksin as corrupt and are backed by the Bangkok-based elites of the palace, military and bureaucracy. Around 200 mainly taxi-driving Reds besieged a Bangkok police station late Saturday after the arrest of Phornwat Thongthanaboon, a Thaksin supporter accused of posting a YouTube video warning of violence after the court ruling. Police also said Sunday they had arrested a 23-year-old male student linked to the Reds, in connection with one of two grenade explosions directed at branches of the country's biggest bank on the day after the verdict. Abhisit, who plans to push ahead with a trip to Australia from March 13 to 17, told local media that intelligence reports indicated the possibility of a sabotage next weekend, although organisers say the rallies will be peaceful. "Our aim is to topple the government, to force them to make a choice between suppressing us and stepping down," Red Shirt leader Jaran Ditsatapichai told reporters earlier this week. But the number of supporters they actually draw to Bangkok will be crucial in deciding whether the Reds have any chance of pushing out the government before Thailand's next elections, due in December 2011. Paul Chambers, a Thailand expert at Germany's Heidelberg University, said the demonstration and its ability to match last year's turn-out will be a "crucial event to prove whether their cause will persevere." "Whether these numbers reach higher than 100,000 will be a good measure of their continuing political potential," Chambers added. The Red Shirts said earlier this week that they expected anywhere between 400,000 and 600,000, with many coming from Thaksin's stronghold in the northeast in thousands of buses and pick-up trucks. The Reds' success will also depend on building support among Bangkok's traditionally pro-Yellow Shirt middle class, and in the ranks of Thailand's powerful army, which so far has backed Abhisit. The government is deploying extra troops and police, setting up checkpoints around the country to look for weapons and says it may impose harsh security laws if the protests become violent.

Mao's grandson asks: 'Comrade, where's my car?' AFP - Saturday, March 6 BEIJING (AFP) - – The grandson of Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong lost his bearings Friday at the symbolic heart of the nation his grandfather founded and had to rely on aides to rescue him from a press pack. Mao Xinyu, who holds the rank of senior colonel in the People's Liberation Army, was mobbed by journalists upon leaving the opening session of China's rubber-stamp parliament in Beijing. Mao, 40, refused to answer reporters' questions as two emergency response personnel in bright orange jumpsuits and white helmets pushed journalists aside while escorting him out of the Great Hall of the People, venue for the session. But his escape from the press was delayed as he was unable to find his car in a parking area next to Tiananmen Square just a few hundred metres from where his grandfather's embalmed body rests in a huge mausoleum. After several frantic minutes avoiding journalists and searching for his car, a group of military aides came running up to take him away. "Where is the car?" Mao was heard asking the aides. "It is at the north gate," an aide said. "Well, where are we?" Mao responded. "You are at the east gate," an aide said. Unscripted media encounters by Chinese officials and political figures are extremely rare in China, where the Communist Party strictly controls access to information. The heavy-set Mao, who bears a resemblance to his grandfather, currently works as a researcher at China's Academy of Military Sciences. He has written several books including "My Grandfather Mao Zedong." The National People's Congress, China's parliament, opened its annual 10-day gathering on Friday. It is widely viewed as a rubber-stamp body that exists to endorse the directives of the ruling Communist Party. Mao is a delegate to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a body that in theory "advises" the main congress on political matters. The two assemblies' sessions run concurrently.

Model exposes affair with S'pore director Jack Neo Posted: 07 March 2010 1427 hrs SINGAPORE : Singapore director Jack Neo should take some lessons from his latest film "Being Human" - you reap what you sow. The filmmaker's life has been thrown into chaos after his two-year affair with 22-year-old model Wendy Chong was exposed. Chong, who plays the sister-in-law of actor Mark Lee's character in "Being Human", turned up at the director's home on Friday and demanded to speak to his wife. She told a local Chinese daily that she was upset that Neo, 50, did not answer her phone calls and decided to confront him at his Pasir Ris home. When he finally came home at about 3pm, he returned Chong's calls and agreed to let her in to speak to his wife, Irene Kng. Chong said she was shocked by Kng's reaction to the affair. Kng, 46, appeared "calm" and told her that she "did not care who Jack was involved with as she was content that she loved him". As Neo's children and maid were home, the three headed to a restaurant at Changi Airport's Crowne Plaza hotel where they were joined by Chong's father and sister, as well as Neo's manager, pastor and friend. There, Neo admitted to the affair and apologised to Chong's father who was shocked by the affair. He said both parties were "rash" and the affair was a mistake. Chong and Neo met when she landed a bit part in his film "Money No Enough 2". The model said Neo had initiated the relationship by asking for a number and then invited her to watch him film a movie. He also took her on trips to Malaysia, Taiwan and Indonesia. She added that she did not get together with the director for fame and thought they "would only be together for three months" but her love for him grew deeper. Neo confessed that he had let his wife down but could not end the affair as Chong had threatened to harm herself. Kng who was not surprised that Chong had turned up at their home revealed that had already known about the affair but did not confront her husband and instead chose to forgive him. She said she learnt about it a year ago after friends saw Neo and Chong together. The couple who have been married for 27 years have four children - three boys and a girl aged between seven and 19. - CNA/il

Next Rarity Stop...Lipogramma evides Rare Fish | The Lipogramma Basslets The Lipogramma genus is a small group of 8 Basslets that are relatively unknown by most aquarists due to their deep water homes. Like Prognathodes aya, these are rare and beautiful fish from the Western Atlantic. •L. evides •L. flavescens •L. trilineatum •L. klayi •L. anabantoides •L. regia/regium •L. robinsi •L. roseum The Banded Basslet (Lipogramma evides) is a deep water species that is unlikely to make it’s way to the US market. This is a sought after fish by the top collectors in Asia and with a price tag of $3,000USD the few that are collected will likely continue going there. Lipogramma evides is found between 40 and +350m deep making it a difficult fish to collect. Most often this fish inhabits waters deeper than 100m. The specimen shown below was capture at 130m! [Photo via Koji Wada] Not wanting to needle the fish, the acclimation was a slow one taking 3 days in total to bring it to the surface. The first day the fish was brought from 130m to 70m, the second from 70m to 30m and the third 30m to the surface. After that it was on it’s way to Japan where is quickly sold for $3K. The metallic blue in it’s fins is not captured well here, but it’s a beautiful and subtle touch to it’s otherwise black and white body. During this trip the extremely rare Lipogramma flavescens was also collected with the same acclimation procedure. For those of you who attended Koji Wada’s presentation at MACNA saw this fish, that unfortunately did not acclimate well to the pressure changes and lived only one night in captivity. L. flavescens generally inhabits waters of 180-300m deep. If and when available expect to see it go for 3 times as much as L. evides, ~$10K. The Bicolor Basslet (Lipogramma klayi) is occasionally overlooked as an overpriced Gramma loreto… which it certainly is not! A more vibrant coloration, smaller size, and missing black dot separate this fish which is found at +45m occupying reef slopes and walls. Although still a rare fish, it pops up in the trade now and then. This specimen was collected at 130m in Curacao. The Threeline Basslet (Lipogramma trilineatum) also occasionally pops up. A beautiful fish, but less desirable to some than L. klayi. Charles Delbeek states L. klayi and L. trilineatum adapt well to aquarium life, but can be very shy at first: Once acclimated to the tank and their tankmates, they will show themselves more frequently, eventually spending a great deal of time in the open (Thresher, 1980). Lipogramma klayi tend to be aggressive among themselves and should not be kept in large groups in small aquariums (Thresher, 1980). Being planktonic feeders, they will eat almost anything and are quite hardy. The Lipogrammas are a unique group of deepwater fish that many do not know about. L. klayi has quickly become a favorite of mine and is always welcome in the glassbox! A special thanks to Koji Wada for sharing his stories and photos on L. evides and L. flavescens.

Kudos to REBORN !!! Lipogramma klayi Pair Captured on Film Lipogramma klayi is one of the most coveted species in the Lipogramma genus and the greater Basslet family. So how about a pair? Shown here is a pair of L. klayi that made their way to Singapore shop Reborn Aquarium. The fish were collected by Forrest Young’s Dynasty Marine crew in Curacao, at depths of nearly 300 ft. The cost and risk of this trip translates to a fish that is rarely seen and fetches a price north of $1,500. This is believe to be one of the first videos of L. klayi on internet, let alone a pair. A special thanks to Elvin for sending us this clip and the photos shown above. Enjoy.

Gonna be superb for this 'mysterious' guest !

Have a GREAT WEEKEND !!!

Have ACANs will Travel !

Hopefully up to 1 inch.

WARM-UP Session...Shhhhhh

HINT: Belong to the Family Gobiidae

What a fruitful day !...Sneaky PICs of a splendid RARE find...wanna make a guess folks ???

Give MOI a good SCRATCH baby...Oooohhhh Yeah !!! SHIOK !!!

LEMON-TREE blooms for U & MOI... I wonder howI wonder why Yesterday you told me 'bout the blue blue sky And all that I can see, and all that I can see, and all that I can see Is just a Yellow LEMON-TREE

WOW !...can ta-pao some of ya yummy 'loot' from U boh ???

Colors Fantastico !!!