ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA

Release Date: 16 February 2023

Genre: Action Adventure Comedy

Director: Peyton Reed

Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors

Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne, along with Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, explore the Quantum Realm, where they interact with strange creatures and embark on an adventure that goes beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.

Cocaine Bear

Release Date: 23 February 2023

Genre: Thriller

Director: Elizabeth Banks

Cast: Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Christian Convery

An oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists, and teens converges in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound black bear goes on a murderous rampage after unintentionally ingesting cocaine.

Music is a powerful tool to convey different meanings and emotions. For Straw Lim, it’s a way to share how she sees the world. Her music carries deeper meanings and aims to spread awareness on certain issues. Read on to learn about Straw Lim and her musical inspirations.

B: Tell us about yourself.

S: Hello! I’m Straw Lim 林水草. My friends call me Jienn. I’m a singer-songwriter/multimedia designer who grew up in Kuala Lumpur, and moved to Kota Kinabalu in 2020.

B: How did you start making music?

S: When I was young I had the privilege of learning classical piano, as well as other musical instruments through exposure in the school marching band, choir, and Chinese orchestra. Songwriting somehow came naturally to me. It was an outlet for expression and a coping mechanism as an introverted teenager growing up.

B: What inspires you to make the music you make?

S: So many things in life inspire me! A standout memory was when my dad introduced Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” to me. That’s when I realised music reflects society, or challenges the status quo. My previous album, “Excursion” was heavily inspired by my backpacking travels.

B: Would you say music has the power to spread awareness towards certain issues?

S: Yes I believe so! Music has the ability to help us digest emotions, and accessing these emotions can influence our behaviour. “Sayang Kinabalu” may elicit a feeling of longing for home, and you suddenly realise you’ve been struggling with homesickness or a lack of belonging wherever you are. Another major way in which it can work is by causing different people to potentially be more open to new information, because of a shared passion. A powerful example I heard from one of my lecturers is the West Eastern Divan Orchestra, an orchestra consisting of musicians from many different countries in ongoing conflict with one another. The musicians may not agree on the geopolitics, but because they agree on Beethoven maybe they are more willing to exchange opinions.

B: What is your latest single?

S: At the time of writing this, “I Wonder”. This song was inspired by multiple events/people: A boy who played the accordion for donations at a railway in Italy, where music became a burden and a sorrow. A poor man praying in Egypt, peaceful amidst poverty. A huge nomadic family crammed into a small train cabin in Romania, whose children no longer had innocence in their eyes. A refugee living in Kuala Lumpur, who continued to serve his community even through the pandemic lockdowns. A school for stateless students in Sabah, who showed me what joy looks like. There’s a lot to unpack in this song, I’ve written most of it out, including the production process, on my blog at astrawnomi.com (shameless plug!)

B: What are your plans for the future?

S: I’m currently producing my next album consisting of 10 songs. Melina William is the producer, and we’re aiming to release it by this year. It will be a bit of my reflection on what it is to be Malaysian, and also has a song that features some lyrics written by a Bajau teenager in his own language!

B: Any specific releases that are special to you?

S: Each song is special to me and the more encouraging moments are when someone says my music has affected them in some way. I’d also like to acknowledge Anugerah Lagu Indie for listing “Hoot” in their top 200 songs of 2022.

B: Tell us about the community work you’re doing.

S: I’ve recently been involved with Sekolah Alternatif, a school run by Borneo Komrad who aim to use education for the undocumented children as a way to approach the complex social issue of these marginalised communities and poverty in Sabah. I’ve helped with teaching some basic piano, music performance preparations, and art. I’ve learned a lot by spending time with them. Significantly, understanding and knowing them for who they are, has hopefully helped me to convey a clearer picture and more awareness for those who would listen.

Physical albums are also available at Kambai Records.

: @Straw Lim

Website : astrawnomi.com

Smartwatches these days share a very common theme with their smartphone counterparts, which are bland and generically designed. This is just generally speaking though, because there are still many companies that try to innovate and introduce something different to the market, at least in the looks market. Here we have Garmin trying to make things interesting with their Instinct Crossover (IC).

If you know Garmin, they’re one of the leading brands in the outdoor gear and tech market. From GPS devices to recently, smartwatches. Catering to the outdoorsy type, most of their smartwatches have a rugged design language. It’s the same with the IC, although they did try to tone it down a bit. Honestly however, if it weren’t for the Garmin brand slapped on the watch face, it just looks like a typical G-Shock. Other than that, what separates it from most smartwatches?

Unlike most brands, Garmin didn’t go fully digital with the IC. It still utilises an analog watch face but is complemented with a digital screen to show health related info, the weather, and notifications. Wouldn’t the watch hands interfere with the info, I hear you ask. Well, Garmin has that all sorted. Scrolling through specific info you’re looking for, the watch hands will rearrange accordingly as to not block your view. Other features include RevoDrive which helps deliver accurate timekeeping in demanding environments, safety and tracking features to let loved ones know where you are at all times, and the TracBack system to help navigate you through the same route you started with.

The IC is compatible with both Apple and Android phones, enabling smooth pairing through its Garmin Connect app. It’s able to keep a charge for up to 28 days in smartwatch mode, 20 days in GPS mode, and 71 days in battery saver mode. If it isn’t already obvious, it’s much more rugged compared to most other smartwatches, having thermal and shock resistance all while being able to be submerged up to 10 ATM. You could even customise the watch band to match your style easily with Garmin’s QuickFit system.

This is the perfect watch for a no-nonsense type of individual, however, I do have a few nitpicks. I did mention it looked a bit like a G-Shock, but personally, it isn’t “rugged-looking” enough. It’s like Garmin stopped halfway. Then there’s the screen, I get that they’re using a monochrome screen maybe to save on cost or for better battery life, but some people wouldn’t mind a bit of colour to differentiate the icons or even the mode the watch is in. That said, this is still a good watch for those bored of the ordinary smartwatch.

by Noel Jinguli Image | Various Sources

Typically when people think of motorsports, they tend to think all the glory goes to the drivers. However, behind the scenes there are a lot of people working together to make sure everything works. Not only in terms of the vehicles being raced but also the strategies to be used. These crews are what help keep the dream of winning alive, and sadly most of them are still underappreciated.

I’m certain the most obvious people that come to mind when I mentioned crews are the pit-crew. You’re not wrong, as they do get under the spotlight during critical moments of any trackday. Different types and classes of motorsports require different types and numbers of pit-crews. Formula 1, DTM, NASCAR, Formula E, and many others not only differentiate from each other by the cars but also the rules for the pit-crew.

For example, Formula 1 requires more or less 17 crew members. Yes, that many. 4 “wheel gunners” who remove the wheel nuts, 8 tyre carriers to remove and re-insert the wheels back on, 2 “jack men” who elevate and lower the car, as well a “fire extinguisher operator” and 2 stabilisers. On the other hand, NASCAR requires less members to do almost similar amounts of work.

Apart from the pit-crew, there are also the team managers and engineers to help analyse the race and cars while strategising or giving drivers orders on how to tackle the race. Orders include being aggressive to gain positions, or being passive as to conserve fuel or tyre wear. Another type of crew member that’s only found in rally is the co-driver. They are the navigators so that drivers can concentrate on keeping their eyes on the road.

Co-drivers will constantly tell the driver what type of corner and obstacles are coming up the road. It may seem easy, but they have one of the most difficult and important jobs in terms of rally racing. Having great composure providing the drivers with correct info while being tossed around in the car will take a toll on you.

There you have it. Next time you’re watching any type of racing on TV, don’t forget the people who’re working with the driver to make sure their races go as smoothly as possible. Like they say, teamwork makes the dream work.

by Noel Jinguli Image | Various Sources