Happy Meal to Happy Clicks

In an unexpected cross-industry collaboration, McDonald’s China and Lenovo have teamed up to create a quirky, limited-edition wireless mouse shaped entirely like a classic French-fry carton. 

Dubbed the “Fry Mark”, this eye-catching peripheral blends fast-food nostalgia with tech innovation, using a casing made from over 60% recycled plastic sourced directly from old Happy Meal toys. The initiative stems from McDonald’s China’s “Reimagine Good Things” sustainability program, which seeks to turn discarded plastic toys into functional items rather than letting them end up in landfills. 

Underneath its bright red-and-yellow shell, the device functions as a standard tech peripheral, featuring dual wireless connectivity (2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth), quiet-click buttons, three adjustable DPI settings, and a 380mAh battery. 

The package also includes a felt carrying case that cleverly unfolds into a green-tray mouse pad. Priced at 99 RMB (roughly $14) alongside 18 McDonald’s member points, the hardware generated massive consumer interest. 

Production was strictly limited to just 4,000 units, released exclusively through the McDonald’s China app and WeChat mini-program. Demand completely overshadowed supply; reports indicate that over 6,000 customers had queued up or registered for pre-orders before the sale even officially opened. 

While no official international release has been announced – leaving global fans out of luck – the Fry Mark McDonald’s mouse stands out as a clever small-batch experiment. By transforming yesterday’s playground toys into today’s desktop accessories, McDonald’s China and Lenovo have successfully turned a playful concept into a viral collectible.

Yesterday, Celtic produced a stunning late turnaround to claim a dramatic 3-2 victory over Beşiktaş JK and finally get their Europa League campaign up and running. 

The first half was entirely uneventful, ending in a 0-0 stalemate. It was "boring beyond all reasonable belief", as neither team managed a single shot on target during the opening 45 minutes. 

The Black Eagles broke the deadlock only in the 54th minute, opening the scoring on a penalty rebound following a Jordan Lotomba foul. The Hoops responded in the 62nd minute when substitute Callum Osmand equalized with a brilliant 22-yard strike on his very first touch. 

The 20-year-old then turned provider in the 78th minute, threading a perfect ball to fellow sub Camilo Durán, who rounded the goalkeeper to put his team 2-1 ahead. The Turkish side temporarily silenced the stadium by leveling the score 2-2 with a 25-yard rocket in the 85th minute. 

However, parity lasted less than two minutes as Kieran Tierney forced a dangerous deflection in the 87th minute which Durán scrambled home to seal a dramatic late winner for Celtic.

Martin O'Neill's side remain in the bottom 12 of the table, but, with four games left, they still have a chance of reaching the knockout stages.

Nobody

On Wednesday, I caught up with members of the Super Speakers Toastmasters Club over at CW Tuition Centre in Taman Kinrara, Puchong. 

It turned out to be a solo flight for the assignment speeches, but I was ready to roll! I delivered my Level 1 Ice-Breaker for the Presentation Mastery pathway, titled "Nobody". 

The speech peels back the curtain on who I really am: a quiet soul who genuinely enjoys his own company and spends most of his time alone. An autophile. 

While others dread the silence of an empty room, I welcome it as a sanctuary. For me, solitude isn't a state of lack; it is a full, vibrant landscape where my mind finally has the space to breathe. By spending so much time inhabiting this quiet world, I gradually blended into the background, until I eventually became invisible. And so, a nobody.

This marks my second time hitting the stage this week and #964 overall. 

Other meeting highlights: Stepped up as Ah-Counter. Sold a copy of Pearls. And our happiest thanks to Khalid Idris for bringing sweet relief and smiles with his legendary ice cream potong! (Mine was a durian flavor, and it was absolute bliss!) 

Here is me sharing photos of the meeting:

Tehran's Escalated Rhetoric

On Tuesday, Iran escalated its official rhetoric by unveiling a massive sign in Tehran pledging to assassinate Donald Trump. 

Towering over the bustling Enghelab Square, the display read, “We will kill Trump”, and depicted the US president behind bars with his head bowed. 

A nearby installation featured Trump alongside US Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – all portrayed with bloodied faces and tattered suits against a backdrop of worn-out American and Israeli flags.

In the busy Tajrish Square in northern Tehran, an open-air exhibition featured paintings of Trump, including one showing him with his face lying bloodied on the ground as a foot presses down on his head. 

Another depicted a bomb obscuring his face.

Nearby, a life-sized replica of a jail cell has remained on display, with an actor impersonating  Trump spending the day inside. An adjacent screen showed images of the damage caused by US strikes on Iran.

Fenerbahçe SK secured their first Champions League win of the season, defeating Liverpool 3-2 in Istanbul yesterday to end the Reds' 100% start to the competition. 

The match ignited in the 25th minute when Trey Nyoni struck a brilliant first-time volley to put Liverpool ahead. 

The advantage was short-lived, however, as the home side fought back to equalize in the 29th minute when a powerful free-kick took a massive deflection and found the back of the net. 

The sides remained deadlocked until the second half, when Alexander Isak restored Liverpool's lead in the 69th minute by skillfully squeezing a cross past the opposition goalkeeper. 

Once again, the hosts responded rapidly, capitalizing on a short corner in the 73rd minute to tap in from close range after an awkward deflection. The decisive blow arrived in the 79th minute when a looping cross from the right flank was met with a powerful header, beating Alisson to seal a dramatic victory for the home side.

Andoni Iraola should be furious with how, in both halves, his side let things slip having looked in so much control. 

And Amina Orfi of Egypt dispatched Sivasangari Subramaniam 3–0 (11–8, 11–1, 11–8) in 43 minutes during Wednesday's US Open squash quarter-finals. 😢😢😢 

It was the Malaysian's ninth defeat to the 19-year-old world champion in 12 meetings.

Nine Lives

On Monday, after a brief sabbatical – okay, a long, unauthorized hiatus – I finally returned to the Money & You Toastmasters Club at Commercial Circle Sdn Bhd, on Jalan 1/137B, 5th Mile, Old Klang Road in Kuala Lumpur. 

[I used to be a regular there. I even paid dues for an entire term, which technically makes me a lifetime alumnus in my own mind]. 😜  

A huge thank you to Chin Siew Mui for advocating for me and securing one of only two coveted speaking slots. 

I stepped up to deliver "Nine Lives", my second speech for Project 4, Level 1 under the Engaging with Humor pathway. Milestone unlocked: this marks my 963rd speech!

My speech focused on a confession: for a long time, I genuinely believed I was a cat. While it may sound bizarre, it is a recognized clinical condition known as galeanthropy. 

Convinced of my feline identity, I lived under the illusion that I had nine lives. Looking back, I shared how I spent eight of those metaphorical lives just trying to find my footing. 

Pointedly, I told my audience not to wait until they are down to their final chance to start valuing the only life they actually have. Learn from my missing eight lives, so they don't have to waste theirs. 

Now, on my ninth and "last" life, I urged them to trade the fiction of nine lives for the friction of a real one. We only get one shot – let's make sure we live it purposefully and meaningfully.

My evaluator, Kelly Chaw from Sunway Toastmasters Club, made a great point. She said I ended my speech on a serious note and that it could actually be enhanced with a bit of humour. 

Anyway, it was a good speech and a good meeting! 

As a footnote, four attendees were inspired to purchase six of my books (two Diamonds and four Pearls).