邱旭泉

Friday, November 14, 2008

Of mouses and National Anthems

1. 
I recently bought myself a new mouse called the Samsung Ultra Slim Mouse 8.0 for RM40, and well, I shall just let the pictures do the talking for now ok? :)

The Samsung Ultra Slim Mouse 8.0 looks just like an MP3 player,

As you can see above, the round shape thingy is where the buttons are, there is a button to the middle where it is the main left click button, then if you press to the right side of the circular thing it becomes the right click, in any web browsers, if you click on the bottom of the circular thing it moves the page one page back and vice versa if you click the top. If you click on the left side of the circular thing with your mouse cursor on any webpage link, it opens the link on a new window or tab(for those using google chrome, maxthon or so on). If you move the circular thing around(just like moving your fingers around the navigational pad on an iPod Nano) it allows you to scroll up or scroll down depending on the side you move it around.

As you can see, the Samsung Ultra Slim Mouse 8.0 is even smaller than my hand.

The Samsung Ultra Slim Mouse 8.0

The mouse uses a USB connection to connect to the pc, so you wont find any problem using it.


In with the new and out with the old(or in with the slim and out with the fat).


2.
I recently learnt in my uni that our national anthem was really and originally not an original composition. Of course before attending this class i knew that the tune for this song was originally a song called Terang Bulan which was then adopted into a Hawaiian song called Mamula Moon. Many people say the origins of the Negaraku`s tune was from the hawaiian song, but it was actually originated from a french song called "La Rosalie" which was then adopted to the song "Terang Bulan" where the song Terang Bulan was a popular tune in the 1920-1930s while the "Mamula Moon" song was first recorded in 1947 only. Well here`s the story. 

"The Perak State Anthem was first composed during the reign of Sultan Idris Murshdul'adzam Shah (1887-1816), who he visited London to attend the Coronation of Queen Victoria in 1888.

Upon arrival in London, the Queen's representative approached Raja Mansur, the Aide-de-camp to His Royal Highness for the note of the Perak State Anthem so that it could be played when the Sultan arrived at all official ceremonies at the Queen's palace.

But in 1888, Perak as yet had no State Anthem.  However, thinking that it would be undignified and embarrassing to say so, Raja Mansur judiciously informed the Queen's Representative that he had not brought the note along but that he could hum the tune if someone could take down the notes.  The tune he hummed and whistled was none other than the popular tune of the people of Perak at that time, the "Terang Bulan". And so it was that a favourite tune of the people because the Perak State Anthem played for the first time as such at the Coronation of Queen Victoria in London"(quotation from http://sultan.perak.gov.my/english/lagu.htm)

"The tune of Terang Bulan was adopted as Mamula Moon song by Felix Mendelssohn & His Hawaiian Serenaders in their album Paradise Isle in 1947."(Quotation from wikipedia on "Terang Bulan" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terang_Bulan)

"The Chief Minister and Minister for Home Affairs of the then Federation of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman settled with Terang Bulan as the National Anthem of the Federation, on account of its "traditional flavour". The name was changed to Negaraku, the lyrics were changed and popular replays of the songs in cabarets and parties were ceased as it is now proscribed by statute. When Malaysia was formed the song remains as the country's national anthem." (Quotation from wikipedia on "Terang Bulan" under the column of "Adoptation as Malaysian National Anthem" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terang_Bulan)

Quite a funny story if you hear it. Lol. In short, the sultan of Perak was embarrassed to tell the Queen of England that his state doesn`t have a national anthem, so he thinks of the first tune in his head and hums it to her. Then after going back to Perak, he quickly made it the Perak state anthem. Few years down the road, the National Government likes the tune to the Perak state anthem, and decides to make it the national anthem.

Below are youtube links to video recordings of the two songs, one "Terang Bulan" and the other "Mamula Moon".

1.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADTGyzE0WK0 - Terang Bulan
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPcNnHEsFM0 - Mamula Moon

Well, after pointing these points out, you might ask, so what? lol. Well.. this just shows piracy lived in Malaysia even before cd`s and dvd`s were created. LOL. =p

well.. I better stop now or not ISA will be visiting me soon. lol.


3.
I`ll be going to Penang with my friends this coming Tuesday(18th November 2008) till Friday(21st November 2008). More updates on that when I get back :D


That`s all then,
Cheerios ;)

posted by Mattster at 1:55 PM

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