3rd Keongomania Awards (Movies Category)

MOVIES CATEGORY

Keongomaniac Movie Event of the YearWithout any shred of a doubt, latest Batman movie The Dark Knight deserves the highest of the Movies Category - the Keongomaniac Movie Event of the Year. This movie has already been highly tipped to receive this award, especially after Sir Heath Ledger's Oscar-worthy portrayal as The Joker. Even though his shocking death has caused a pall over The Dark Knight's premiere, it was already by itself one of the greatest film in movie history.

2007 Keongomaniac Movie Event of the Year: Dreamgirls

Keongomaniac Fantasy Epic of the YearThe fantasy genre is held in high esteem in Haz Wayne's World, thus the Keongomaniac Fantasy Epic of the Year is considered the second-highest recognition in the Movies Category. Known as "Fantasy Movie of the Year" in 2007, The Keongomaniac feels the Narnia movie series deserves an epic recognition. High King Peter of course has already won Keongomaniac Hero of the Year, making this a second win for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

2007 Keongomaniac Fantasy Movie of the Year: The Golden Compass

Keongomaniac Animated Movie of the Year
Arguably the best laugh anyone could have hoped for in a cartoon feature in 2008, Kung Fu Panda kicks it with such witty comedic precision that it deserves Keongomaniac Animated Movie of the Year (called Animation of the Year in 2007). Unforeseen circumstances have caused The Keongomaniac to miss the highly-acclaimed Wall-E, which disqualifies it for consideration. The other notable challenge would be Madagascar 2, but it did not quite make the cut.

2007 Keongomaniac Animation of the Year: TMNT (originally awarded to Ratatouille)

Keongomaniac Comedy Movie of the Year
Interestingly enough, The Keongomaniac actually watched Bedtime Stories in January 2009, which explains why it did not appear in the 2008 Movie Ratings Charts. While prior to this the understanding is that only movies watched in 2008 qualifies for 2008 Keongomania Awards. However given that the movie was indeed release in 2008, so it was no contestation. Bedtime Stories has been described as "one of the most fun experiences in modern movies" by The Keongomaniac and was awarded a full Keongomaniac Fivestars, which pales Tropic Thunder in comparison, since the latter only receive Threeandhalfstars.

2007 Keongomaniac Comedy of the Year: Hot Fuzz, Stardust

Keongomaniac Romantic-Comedy of the Year

One of the first movies watched in 2008, without doubt too, with a high Keongomaniac Fourstars rating, 27 Dresses was the Keongomaniac Romantic-Comedy of the Year, with only Made of Honor (also received Fourstars) as its competitor. Rumours has it that this win could place Katherine Heigl, who is a relative unknown in Haz Wayne's World, as a potential candidate in the proposed Haz Wayne's Fantastic Females charts.

The Keongomaniac have once imagined that the Romantic-Comedy of the Year recognition would be phased-out due to its lack of popularity. Apparently not quite so yet!

2007 Keongomaniac Romantic-Comedy of the Year: No Reservations

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3rd Keongomania Awards (Persons Category)

Celebrating the Best of 2008!

Hello and welcome to the much-anticipated 3rd KEONGOMANIA AWARDS, the most highly-prolific event in all of Haz Wayne's World! Here The Keongomaniac recognises the best of the past year in entertainment and more.

The Keongomania Awards is held every year in conjunction with the Keongomania Blog anniversary, its 3rd this time round. This year too, it is held in honour of the late Sir Heath Ledger, a week after his 1-year death anniversary.

PERSONS CATEGORY: World

Keongomaniac Person of the Year
The Honorable President Barack Obama was already named the Keongomaniac Person of the Year on the day of the presidential elections in November 2008, i.e even before he was named President. This award is the most prestigious recognition in the Persons Category, usually reserved for important pioneering figures. In 2007 it was given to Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, the first Malay to go to outer space. For 2008, it is without any doubt President Obama deserved the recognition, for being the revolutionay first non-White president of the United States of America.

2007 Keongomaniac Person of the Year: Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor (first Malay astronaut)

PERSONS CATEGORY: Entertainment

Keongomaniac Male (Artiste) of the Year
The Keongomaniac Male of the Year award this time round caused a 'subtle panic' for its lack of contenders, as compared to Female of the Year, where the royal battle between two Queens were engaged. However eventually it is agreed that Sir Heath Ledger (knighted on Feb 2008 with The Sword and Shield of the High King by The Keongomaniac a month after his untimely demise in January) would receive the honour as the Keongomaniac Male of the Year for his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight. This is to be the first of many awards for The Dark Knight. Sir Heath's honourary blue tile is filled in black as a mark of respect.

2007 Keongomaniac Male (Artiste) of the Year: Justin Timberlake (Album, Futuresex/Lovesounds)

Keongomaniac Female (Artiste) of the Year
The result is out, and with no clear winner the Battle of the Queens end with a peaceful draw! Both Queen Mariah and Queen Natalie are named co-winners of the Keongomaniac Female of the Year recognition. But can 2 Queens really reign at the same time? It seems Haz Wayne's World might just be big enough for both of them. Mariah Carey rules the singing arena, while Natalie Portman remains number 1 in the movies.

Queen Mariah makes a undisputed conquest with latest album E=MC2, cementing her royal status after her previous comeback album The Emancipation of Mimi. She is set to win big this year at the Keongomania Awards, and has been tipped to win the most number of awards, which would officially rechristen year 2008 as "The Year of Mariah Carey". Other contenders are Sir Heath and The Dark Knight movie.

Queen Natalie became Queen onscreen again in 2008 in The Other Boleyn Girl, a historic movie which was given full Keongomaniac Fivestars. From Queen Amidala to the Queen of England, she also was the youngest member in the jury for the prestigious 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival in May. This has been a great honour and is a testament on how respected she is as an artiste within renowned circles.

2007 Keongomaniac Female (Artiste) of the Year: Megan Fox (Movie, Transformers)

Keongomaniac Newcomer of the YearThis is one of the new recognitions introduced in this 3rd Keongomania Awards. The Keongomaniac Newcomer of the Year is awarded to Blake Lively from the popular TV series Gossip Girl, where she is plays the hawt Serena van der Woodsen! Several critics have pointed that while the move to include a Newcomer of the Year is commendable, it makes Megan Fox, who was a newcomer in 2007 seem unworthy of taking the Keongomaniac Female of the Year title that year. The Keongomaniac nonetheless stand by the decision.

PERSONS CATEGORY: Characters

Keongomaniac Hero of the YearIn Haz Wayne's World where Superman is venerated, Batman tried to dethrone the Man of Steel with the highly-acclaimed movie The Dark Knight. This however proves to be of no avail as the honours goes to High King Peter (acted by William Moseley) in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, and yes surprisingly Clark Kent from the Smallville TV series acted by Tom Welling. Superman again steals Hero of the Year!

Peter, the eldest of the royal siblings of Narnia, has always been The Keongomaniac's favourite character in the book series, and his character has been delivered extremely well by William Moseley in the latest Prince Caspian. On the sidelines, William Moseley has been joked to be receiving The Sword and Shield of the High King knighthood (the highest honour in Haz Wayne's World), given that he portrayed the High King himself.

2008 also saw the most number of purchase for the Smallville series DVD boxset, a groundbreaking complete Season 1 to 5, which is just a shy 2 seasons away from the entire series. This contributed to Clark Kent's win as the Keongomaniac Hero of the Year. In 2007 which was The Year of Harry Potter, Harry Potter won the Hero of the Year together with Superman.

2007 Keongomaniac Hero of the Year: Harry Potter, Superman

Keongomaniac Villain of the YearPerhaps of no surprise to anyone at all, the late Sir Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker is named the Keongomaniac Villain of the Year. It is one of the early recognitions that was announced during the course of 2008. A second win for Sir Heath, and a first of many for The Dark Knight movie. Narnia gets another recognition too with a Special Mention for Italian actor Sergio Castellitto for his superb portrayal of King Miraz, the usurper uncle to the titular Prince Caspian.

2007 Keongomaniac Villain of the Year: Lord Voldemort

- end of the PERSONS CATEGORY -

That is all for the PERSONS Category. In the coming days, other categories like MOVIES, MUSIC, MUSIC, DVD etc would be released. Stay tuned!

Obama embraces his "Hussein" name

As preparation readies itself at the Capitol for the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, incoming President Barack Obama has announced that he would use his full name, which includes his middle-name Hussein, in the ceremony as of tradition.

"A New Birth of Freedom"

Obama is due to be sworn-in on the 20th January 2009, just 2 days away. The theme of the inauguration would be "A New Birth of Freedom", in conjunction with the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. The ceremony is expecting a record-breaking 1.5 to 2 million crowd.

President of the United States, The Honorable Barack Hussein Obama

Obama's decision to use his full name is understood to be part of his effort in improving America's image in the world, especially in the Muslim world, where outgoing President Bush's foreign policy has made the once 'leader of the free world' extremely unpopular. He was quoted in saying:

"I think we've got a unique opportunity to reboot America's image around the world and also in the Muslim world in particular."

Obama also promised an "unrelenting" desire to "create a relationship of mutual respect and partnership in countries and with peoples of good will who want their citizens and ours to prosper together."

What's in a Name?

Prior to this during the presidential campaign, many of his opponents has used his middle name "Hussein" somewhat against him, an expression of his foreign nature. Though the middle name has always been in the offing, Barack Obama himself has decided to use it in the open for the inauguration, with a clear message of the change he is to inspire, similarly since it is tradition for the President to use all three names in the swearing-in.

Barack Obama was named the Keongomaniac Person of the Year on the day of the Presidential Elections in November 2008.
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2008 DVD List

The following is the complete list of The Keongomaniac's DVD purchases in 2008.

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2-Disc Limited Edition) DVD 10/01/08
2. Superman II: Richard Donner Cut DVD 11/01/08
3. Mariah Carey: Adventures of Mimi Concert DVD (Music) 22/01/08
4. The Brothers Grimm DVD 24/01/08
5. Casanova DVD 24/01/08
6. Closer DVD 27/01/08
7. Toy Story (10th Anniversary Edition) DVD 09/02/08
8. The Four Feathers (Special Collector’s Edition) DVD 09/02/08
9. Frasier: The Complete Final Season DVD (Boxset) 09/02/08
10. Smallville: The Complete First Season DVD (Boxset) 17/02/08
11. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie DVD 24/02/08
12. Stardust DVD 08/03/08
13. The Bodyguard (Special Edition) DVD 08/03/08
14. Sleepy Hollow DVD 08/03/08
15. The Mummy Collector’s Set (The Mummy,The Mummy Returns,The Scorpion King) DVD (Boxset) 08/03/08
16. The Last Samurai (2-Disc Widescreen Edition) DVD 12/04/08
17. Marie Antoinette DVD 12/04/08
18. Smallville: The Complete Second Season DVD (Boxset) 12/04/08
19. A Knight’s Tale (Special Edition) DVD 29/04/08
20. Memoirs of a Geisha (2-Disc Special Edition) DVD 29/04/08
21. 10 Things I Hate About You DVD 02/05/08
22. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe DVD 02/05/08
23. The Golden Compass (2-Disc Special Edition) DVD 11/05/08
24. Islam: Empire of Faith DVD 11/05/08
25. Batman Forever (2-Disc Special Edition) DVD 24/05/08
26. Troy: Director’s Cut (2-Disc Special Edition) DVD 01/06/08
27. Smallville: The Complete Third Season DVD (Boxset) 12/06/08
28. Blood Diamond (2-Disc Special Edition) DVD 21/06/08
29. The Passion of the Christ: Director Edition DVD 21/06/08
30. Toy Story 2 (All New Special Edition) DVD 04/07/08
31. Friends: The Complete Tenth Season DVD (Boxset) 13/07/08
32. Honey DVD 17/07/08
33. Shakespeare in Love DVD 17/07/08
34. Gremlins 1 + Gremlins 2 DVD 20/08/08
35. The Other Boleyn Girl DVD 20/08/08
36. Smallville: The Complete Fourth Season DVD (Boxset) 11/09/08
37. Smallville: The Complete Fifth Season DVD (Boxset) 11/09/08
38. The Forbidden Kingdom DVD 18/09/08
39. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace DVD 21/09/08
40. Anastasia DVD 26/09/08
41. Finding Nemo (2-Disc Special Edition) DVD 26/09/08
42. The Incredibles (2-Disc Special Edition) DVD 06/10/08
43. Iron Man DVD 10/10/08
44. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone DVD 13/10/08
45. The Pursuit of Happyness DVD 13/10/08
46. The Devil Wears Prada DVD 14/11/08
47. Hairspray (2-Disc Shake and Shimmy Edition) DVD 14/11/08
48. Dirty Sexy Money: The Complete First Season DVD (Boxset) 16/11/08
49. Gossip Girl: The Complete First Season DVD (Boxset) 21/11/08
50. Atonement DVD 13/12/08
51. Breakfast At Tiffany’s (The Audrey Hepburn Widescreen Collection) DVD 13/12/08
52. The Dark Knight (2-Disc Special Edition) DVD 13/12/08
53. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2-Disc Collector’s Edition) DVD 13/12/08

The non-DVD list:

1. Thriller 25 (Michael Jackson) CD 08/03/08
2. Superman: Doomsday VCD 30/03/08
3. E = MC2 (Mariah Carey) Limited Deluxe Edition CD 12/04/08
4. The Essential Michael Jackson CD 11/05/08

Basic Statistics:

TOTAL SPENDING: $1418.80
AVERAGE PER MONTH: $120 (Round-off figure)
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Keongomaniac Movie Ratings of 2008

Presenting the complied list of movie ratings for the past year of 2008.



6 movies were awarded full Fivestars during the course of 2008. Fivestars recipient are described as "exceptionally good" and "satisfying on many levels". The Dark Knight was 2008's Keongomaniac Movie Event of the Year, the highest recognition in the movies category. The inclusion of The Incredible Hulk has surprised many, though reports have it that The Keongomaniac was impressed with its unique exposition story-telling method.




The bulk of the movies watched in 2008 were given Fourstars. These movies are generally entertaining movies that have lived up to its expectations.



Threeandhalfstars are given to movies which deserves more the Three but not enough to make it to Four. It is believed that this is the only 'in-between' stars available, since "Twoandhalfstars" has not been given yet, and any movies deemed below Threestars are usually given Onestar.



Movies given Threestars are the lower-end of the "pass" criteria, but fortunately not bad enough to get the boot. Usually redeemed because seen as still having an effort.



Despite being the first movie watched in 2008, this movie is now the only one to have walked in the movies hall of shame for receiving Onestar, a sheer pity mark so as not to get any stars at all.
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2009 is "Twenty-Oh-Nine"!

Hello and wishing a very Happy 2009 to one and all! Wait a moment, did you just pronounced it as "two-thousand-and-nine"? In this first blog article of the year, and in the spirit and joy of the new year, allow me to correct this most widely-used mistake.

Correct Pronunciation
Contrary to popular usage, 2009 is actually pronounced "twenty-oh-nine", (the same goes for years 2001 - 2008). Similarly, year 2000 is not pronounced "two-thousand" but instead should be said the year "twenty hundred". This convention is based on the fact that year 1900 is pronounced "nineteen-hundred", same goes for say, 1909 is pronounced "nineteen-oh-nine" and so on and so forth. In the article 21st century, Wikipedia states the following:

Regarding pronunciation of 21st century years, academics suggest that since former years such as 1805 and 1905 were commonly pronounced as "eighteen oh" or "nineteen oh" five, the year 2005 should naturally have been pronounced as "twenty oh-five".^[6] A less common variation would have been "twenty nought-five". Many experts agree that majority usage of "two thousand (and) X" is a result of influences from the Y2K hype, as well as the way "2001" was pronounced in the influential 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Many people, ranging from linguistic and academic experts to Internet bloggers, predict that the "twenty X" pronunciation method will eventually prevail, but a time frame as to when this change will occur often differs. The year 2010 is suggested by many,^[7][8] and the Vancouver Olympics, taking place in 2010, is being officially referred to by Vancouver 2010 as "the twenty-ten olympics", while 2011^[6] and 2013 are popular as well. The latest timeframes for change are usually placed at 2020.^[6]

While common media like the TV still uses "two-thousand-and-nine", Channel NewsAsia has been noted to use the "twenty-oh-nine" format.

2000 is NOT the start of the new Millennium
Next year we will be rid of the "oh" in our year with 2010. Hopefully we will stop saying "two-thousand-and-ten", because honestly, is that not more mouthful than "twenty-ten"? This kind of common mistake, used globally no kidding, reminds me of the great mistake when people call year 2000 the new millennium, i.e also the start of the 21st century. Academics generally agree that 2001 is the first year of this 21st century, not 2000. If you remember your early studies in History too, any teacher would concur.

First picture of the year. Introducing the sister! Okay enough gap, happy 2009 all! Twenty-oh-nine that is. XOXO!
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