"I Tai Kor Mah!"

Been to the cinema lately? Seen the Digi advertisement before the movies? The one with this guy in the cinema talking loudly on the phone with a Digi Yellow Coverage Fellow 'sitting' next to him (signifying strong Digi signal while at the same time sending a message to similar inconsiderate people)?

Have you had any personal experience similar to that? Well, maybe not as bad as this. I have in so many occasions been sitting next to these kind of people. They are not only inconsiderate, they are also darn irritating with intention to spoil the movie for everyone sitting around him/her. You give a stare and they still ignore you as if it is their right to chat on the phone.

If not because the society is still quite civilised (despite the increase in crimes) and still governed by law, these people could end up having their phones thrown away or get beaten up. Other than monitoring pirates recording the whole movie, cinemas should also monitor for this even though this might not be directly related to their profits.

Photo from Star Online here.

Shocking! Just Being Near Close Obese Friends Can Make You Fat

It is true! Check out this article from Reuters via Star Online here. Come, be close to me and let me spread obesity to you. Don't worry, there are no studies done yet if reading a fat person's blog will make another fat. Below are some snippets:

Researchers who have studied "networks" of obesity think so: they found that if someone's friend becomes obese, that person's chances of becoming obese increase by more than half.

Siblings and spouses also have an influence, although a reduced one -- people whose siblings became obese were themselves 40 percent more likely to grow obese, while people whose spouses became obese were 37 percent more likely to.

*****

If someone became obese, their friends were 57 percent more likely to become obese over the 32 years, they found. If people named one another as contacts, they were 171 percent, or more than double, as likely to become obese if the other did.

The effect held for three degrees of separation. If a person became obese, their friends were more likely to become obese, but also friends of friends. It also occurred in shorter periods within the 32-year span.

*****

The findings held even if people lived 800 km apart or even further. But having an obese neighbor did not affect a person's likelihood of becoming obese -- which suggests that common environments are not to blame.

*****

"I do see this quite a bit clinically -- that an individual will come in and say, 'I have been best friends with this person since college and we just slowly gained weight together.'"

Plagiarism in the Making

My first What The Duck post. Interesting take on plagiarism:

Sylar Mind Melds

According to IMDb.com, Heroes villain Zachary Quinto is rumoured to be in final negotiations to play Spock in the upcoming Star Trek movie (2008)! From evil evil evil brain eating killer to heroic Vulcan. Hmmm...

There's Always An Excuse

Our Works Minister is amazing! He found the reason why the roof of our Parliament House is leaking: Heavy rainfall has contributed to the leakage...

He had been given RM12 million to rectify this problem of which "RM4 mil would be used for the review while the remaining RM8 mil would be used for immediate repairs."

The was the question why the roof was not repaired during the RM90 million upgrade of the Parliament House in 2005. He also has an answer, which is: At that time, there was no leaking problems and the roof was in good condition.

Source: Star Online Nation "Samy: Heavy rains contributing to Parliament House roof leak"

The Turning Point

The Turning Point
Originally uploaded by thepres6.

Check out the highly reflective water!

Mosses

I remembered when I was really small, I see my parents and grandma scrape mosses off walls and floors. Then, today, Star Online came up with such an attention grabbing topic: "Expert: Moss plays important role in flood prevention". Don't ever look down on mosses anymore! Certain species can absorb a lot of water so that erosion does not occur easily. These are not limited to those on the ground. Consider the ones growing on trees. Seems like mother nature never fails to amaze.

Besides this, certain moss species can prevent cancer and bacteria. At the end of the article, I learned that Australia and America use mosses for horticulture and fuel (?), more often than not, over-harvest the natural ones in the jungle.

Is It True? International Symbol for Marriage?

Could this be true? Is it an international symbol?Source: Best Pic Ever

Warning to MCA by Lowly UMNO Youth Leader

The sudden and uncalled for announcement made by our Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak about Malaysia being a Islamic state and never a secular state I was not going to bother to post it here, but this piece of news from opposition leader Lim Kit Siang's blog that was published on one of our local Malay daily, Berita Harian, really made my blood boil. Here is what UMNO (United Malays National Organisation, a component of Barisan Nasional, the ruling party of Malaysia) Youth Movement's leader Hishammuddin Hussein said or wrote in a warning letter to MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association, component of Barisan Nasional):

“Saya beri amaran kepada pemimpin MCA supaya berhenti membuat kenyataan sedemikian. Ingin saya tegaskan, saya bukan pemimpin naif yang akan membenarkan perkara ini berterusan. Amaran saya ialah berhenti membuat kenyataan."

Translation:
"I am warning the MCA leaders to stop making such statements. I stress that I am not a naive leader that will allow this to continue. My warning is to stop making statements."

Hah! Warning? Warning a major component party by a youth party? One of the statements he was referring to was made by MCA Secretary-General Datuk Ong Ka Chuan that MCA has ample proof that Malaysia WAS a secular state and not an Islamic one.

Let's see if there are any replies from MCA to this keris wielding (that is another story) Hishammuddin who spoke out of his turn.

More Progress on the Shearwey Case

Previously posted on 20/07/2007 @ 2201:
Ong Chee Leong, the boyfriend of victim Shearwey's mother, Jess Teh was charged with murder of the little girl. Meanwhile, the couple were also charged with possession of cannabis. The case will be mentioned on 14 September 2007.

Update 21/07/2007:
Star Online has a longer article and photos of the accused:
And the charges:Besides that, the daily also reported that there were more than 150 very irritating people waiting outside the court to catch a glimpse of the accused. Here is part of the article:

Two housewives from Bukit Kecil, Sungai Pinang, said they woke up early and quickly finished their housework so that they could come and see what the couple looked like and how they behaved.

“We took a sapu van to get here as we don’t know how to drive,” said Wong Ah Lan, 60.

“We are busybodies,” said her neighbour who only gave her name as Yin, 47.

They met a friend, Kok Yin Lan, 56, from Pulau Betong who went there with three other women from her area.

”This is my second time here. I came today because I heard that Ying Ying’s grandparents would be present and I wanted to see what they looked like in person,” she said.

Sources:
1. Star Online Nation "Ex-karaoke lounge manager charged with Ying Ying's murder"
2. Star Online Nation "Mum, boyfriend charged over child's death"
3. Star Online Nation "Curious for look at accused"

Other related stories:
1. Missing Child
2. Missing Child Shearwey Ooi Found Dead
3. Shearwey's Arrested "Close Relative" Revealed?
4. More Media Coverage of the Shearwey Case

The Power of YouTube

YouTube founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen

Americans are making YouTube big, very big! Upcoming election candidates fear the contents in YouTube because there are numerous videos that make fun of them, some real, some not. At the same time, election candidates are making use of YouTube to broadcast their announcements, agendas and asking for inputs. YouTube members post their questions to these candidates via the free service.

Only one conclusion! Respect YouTube for what it has become!

Source: Reuters "YouTube role grows as U.S. election nears"

A Little About Americans, Chinese and Japanese

A simple study of blocks concluded that Americans are more individualistic, therefore harder to understand others, whereas the Chinese function more as a collective. Meanwhile, another
study indicated that Japanese look at the eyes of the person they talk to while the Americans look at the mouth. Hence, a Japanese talking to an American will cause some confusion and misunderstanding... :O

For an in-depth view of this, check out LiveScience "Study: Americans Don't Understand Others"

Google Reader Formatting Issues!

Is anyone facing any problems with Google Reader? Mine does not display properly anymore since yesterday. Almost like the mobile version now... only worse... I could only think of two things that might cause this on my side:

1. Google Offline plugin - it was updated automatically
2. Firefox 2.0.0.5 - it was updated yesterday

Went to the Google Reader discussion board and found a few users facing the same or similar issues. The links to these discussions are here, here, here and here.

This is very depressing. I have been relying on Google Reader to keep me updated with feeds but since yesterday, I had to login and logout and refresh and this and that to get back the proper page! FRUSTRATION!

Update 8:39pm
No more frustration! I have logged in and out three times and everything seems ok again!

Sexy Space Suits

It is coming! There is proof! Here is even a photo of it (left). Very soon astronauts can have body fitting suits to wear and not the big bulging ones that hinder mobility. Yay! But don't be too happy just yet as this is a prototype and will not be ready too soon. Maybe in about 10 years. mOh.

Source: National Geographic News "New Skintight Spacesuit Design Unveiled"

.asia

The ".asia" extension is now available for application from www.dotasia.org. DotAsia Organisation is the company assigned by regulatory body, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.

Like what the DotAsia website says the sun rises in Asia! ASIA POWER!

First source from Star Online TechCentral "'.Asia' open for booking"

100 Dirty Eateries In Selangor

Selangor, one of the most developed states in Malaysia has got about 100 dirty eateries and these were ordered to be closed during a raid carried out by the Selangor Health Department. Notices were pasted on the walls and closed shutters of these premises to warn the public. This is under the Section 11 of the Food Act 1983 and eateries could be ordered to be shutdown for a maximum of 14 days which can be extended to another 14 days should the said premises be found not complying to the law. An official from the department said:

The operators must comply with all the recommendations before submitting their appeal to reopen their premises for business. They will be allowed to reopen only after checks and the department’s officers find that the necessary steps have been taken to improve the condition.

Source: Star Online Central "100 dirty eateries given closure order"

Triberg Waterfalls

Triberg Waterfalls
Originally uploaded by Jason's Travel Photography.

I was trying to keep my eyes open when I came to this photo. There was a feeling of refreshment. Imagine being there, taking in the cooling clean air and drinking from the fresh water... aaah!

I hope to be invited to the wedding

I hope to be invited to the wedding
Originally uploaded by Tampen.

Awwwww... I'm impressed! Such affection! :P

Once Again The Truth Is Out There

Remember them? For those of you who had been watching TV in the 90s right up to the new millennium will remember these two iconic characters. One a true believer (Fox Mulder - David Duchovny) of extra-terrestrial beings and one a skeptic (Dana Scully - Gillian Anderson). Together they went and solve the buried X-Files with some conspiracies thrown in for kicks.

Well, via Slashdot, I discovered that E! News revealed that a second movie is coming, possibly in the summer of 2008. It is also good to know that there is a high chance that this second movie will not have that disturbing government-alien conspiracy thing going on. Check out the E! News link above for more info.

Traditional and Modern Medicine Together

The Kepala Batas Hospital, Pulau Pinang, will be the first hospital in Malaysia to integrate modern and traditional medicine. It will provide herbal preparation, acupuncture and traditional massage.

This will be followed by two other hospitals later this year: Putrajaya Hospital and Pandan Hospital in Johor Baru.

More info from Star Online here.

Stolen Porsche Adds to Police Bad Name

A Porsche stolen from a car showroom in Juru was recovered a short distance later because the car ran out of fuel. It was then towed to a police station. From there, it was stolen yet again! Luckily, it was once again found some distance away! Gosh!

More info here.

Yellow Rubber Ducky Giant

Whoa! What in the world? I am a big fan of cute little yellow rubber duckies but this one is intimidating! :P Another pic from Best Pic Ever:

AirAsia Not Disabled Friendly

Would you believe it that in a world where most things are designed with the disabled in mind, AirAsia is doing just the opposite? It seems that disabled people are not allowed to board AirAsia flights unless they travel with a companion. Barrier-Free Environment and Accessible Transport Group (BEAT) coordinator Christine Lee tried booking online. When she reached the page where one would need to confirm if special assistance is required. To be precise, the sentence goes like this: Please check this box to confirm that you do not require Special Assistance. By not checking on the box, a message will pop-up asking the customer to contact AirAsia's call centre. Christine Lee then called the call centre only to be told that they do not take passengers who are completely immobile.

A disabled would also need to rent a wheelchair for RM12. I would expect such services to be provided free! Besides that, our budget airport (LCCT) near KLIA does not provide any form of transport for the disabled to board their flights.

Source: Star Online Business "Disabled protest against AirAsia's 'discriminatory' practices"

Beware of SMS Scams

Beware! This warning from Maxis:

Maxis has advised the public not to respond to SMSes informing subscribers that they had won a cash cheque from the telco.

A Maxis spokesman reminded the public to ignore such SMSes that carried foreign or unusual short codes.

A concerned reader had informed The Star of receiving an SMS that named the mobile service operator, to enhance credibility of the offer.

"I received an SMS telling me that I had won an RM11,000 cash cheque from Maxis and was even asked to log on to their website to confirm my winnings.

"In addition, a foreign 15-digit phone number was given for me to call. Out of curiosity, I called the number but quickly hung up when they asked for my bank account number," said the reader.

She added that the operator on the line also stressed that she needed to have a Maybank account to cash in on her winnings.

It would always be too good to be true when something like this happens. Let's all be aware! More info on this at Star Online Techcentral.

Cute and Sleepy

Ah, what a great way to pass Monday (from Best Pic Ever)!

Mammoth from the Past Provide Possibility of Resurrection in the Future

This female baby mammoth was found in Russia. Named Lyuba, she weighs 50kg, 130cm long and is the size of a large dog. She provides the possibility of scientists one day resurrecting mammoths using her DNA.

Source: National Geographic Photo in the News

The Obvious Alternative Name for Bananas

From Best Pic Ever:

KL Looks Nice at Night

Some interesting night photos of Kuala Lumpur from Star Online "KL by night":

Malaysia-China Bridge Building Deal

On one hand, the signing of the RM2.7 billion loan to build 2nd Pulau Pinang bridge seemed like a great way to further strengthen economic and friendship ties with China. It is the biggest loan that China had ever given for a single project to a foreign country. Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop: With this project, we are literally building a bridge with China.

On the other hand, the building of this 23km bridge (17km of it will be in water) beginning November this year and completing by 2011 will put us deeper in debt. The loan will carry an interest of 3% per annum for 20 years. Parties of this agreement: The Malaysian Government, China's Exim Bank and Bank Pembangunan (Malaysia) Bhd. Construction will be by UEM Group Bhd and JV Consortium of China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and UEM Construction.

Hopefully, being a major catalyst for economic growth and investment in the Northern Corridor the cost of this bridge will be worth it. Whatever the outcome, at least we will have South East Asia's longest bridge when it is completed.

Source: Star Online "Penang Bridge loan deal signed"

Update (5:34pm):
For an interesting read on what opposition DAP leader Lim Kit Siang thinks of a past project awarded to UEM and also about the current Pulau Pinang 2nd bridge, click here.

Caring for Alzheimer's Patients

Check out wikiHow for "How to Deal With Alzheimer's As a Caregiver". Meanwhile, here is a quick list of the points discussed:

1. Understand the disease and stages of progression.
2. Seek medical treatment.
3. Plan ahead.
4. Create a safe environment.
5. Create a supportive environment.
6. Anticipate behavior and personality changes.
7. Share memories.
8. Share laughter as much as possible.
9. Maintain yourself.
10. Provide appropriate health care.
11. Enlist help from professionals.
12. Don't forget to care for yourself.
13. Start coping with anticipatory grief.
14. Don't try to correct their beliefs too often.
15. Show patience like you have never had to. <<< Courtesy of booker
    

More Reasons for NEP to Stay

Our Prime Minister (widely regarded as passive, sleepy and lately, not knowing much) has just given more excuses to retain the New Ecomonic Policy (NEP) stating that "... many fail to appreciate the spirit behind the policy":

"The objective to disassociate race from occupation or social standing is critical in ensuring the long-term unity and cohesion of our country.''

"The expansion of an educated and multiethnic middle class, thanks to affirmative action policies, had mitigated the risk of mass unrest but great disparities in income and social mobility still exist between ethnic groups.''

"Whereas this may be just another issue in other countries, ethnic-based disparity strikes at the heart of national unity for Malaysia.''

Link: Star Online Business "PM says NEP still needed"

World's Most Populous

The Top 10:

Rank	Country	Population
1.	China	1,321,851,888
2.	India	1,129,866,154
3.	United States	301,139,947
4.	Indonesia	234,693,997
5.	Brazil	190,010,647
6.	Pakistan	169,270,617
7.	Bangladesh	150,448,339
8.	Russia	141,377,752
9.	Nigeria	135,031,164
10.	Japan	127,467,972

And Malaysia is at number 46 with 24,821,286 people.

Source: Fact Monster "World's 50 Most Populous Countries: 2007"

The Great Harry Potter Secret

This is a first for me: Every staff from Wal-Mart pledged that they will not reveal contents of the upcoming final Harry Potter novel. They all pledged to do that. Some Wal-Marts will even hand out ear plugs for their customers so that they will not accidentally overhear other people discuss about the novel. Wal-Mart is also encouraging others to make the same pledge. Go ahead, make the pledge so that you won't spoil the excitement. Click on the link below.

Source: Reuters Blogs "Wal-Mart guarding Harry's secret" and the Wal-Mart pledge

More About The Media

Courteney Cox was at Britain's The Sun tabloid to research for her upcoming role as some editor for a drama called Dirt. Nevermind about that. This is the purpose for my post:

She says, "(An editor) said, 'Courteney, do you want to see what you've been doing for the past couple of weeks while you've been in Europe?' Then he showed me pictures from the week before, when I had been in Sardinia, pictures of when I left the London hotel I was staying in half an hour before, pictures of me in my car, pictures of me arriving at The Sun. Even a shot of me opening the door to The Sun five minutes earlier."

There is really no freedom being a celebrity!

From IMDb.com's article here.

More Media Coverage of the Shearwey Case

Read about the media swarming Shearwey's father as he arrived at the Pulau Pinang airport here. Also read about neighbours' reports of the remanded couple's quarrels the past few weeks here.

Shearwey's Arrested "Close Relative" Revealed?

Star Online Nation dropped hints about Shearwey Ooi's "close relative" that police reportedly arrested to "help" with investigations. The relative is a woman aged 28 and and her boyfriend aged 29 are arrested. The woman is getting a divorce from her businessman husband whom is returning from China.

Based on this, one could not help comparing Shearwey's mother with this relative. The mother is also 28, getting a divorce from her husband who is in China (source: Star Online "Over 1,000 MCA members help search for missing child"). Also, a friend read it in Sin Chew, a Chinese language daily, that verified that Shearwey's mom was indeed arrested.

Nothing could be more painful to learn that a mother would harm her own child. Hope all will come clear soon.

Previously on this blog:
Missing Child
Missing Child Shearwey Ooi Found Dead

The Shower

Doesn't matter if Jennifer Aniston brushes her teeth while in the shower. The only thing that matters from this IMDb.com article is her statement "Every two minutes in the shower uses as much water as a person in Africa uses for everything in their life for a whole day."

Hope this will prompt all of us to feel differently the next time we shower in comfort...

Missing Child Shearwey Ooi Found Dead

Update from an earlier post, the missing girl has been found dead. Her charred remains were found near a tombstone at a cemetery in Paya Terubong about 7pm. A relative and her boyfriend were arrested to facilitate investigations. This is inhuman and I hope whoever that did this will get justice.

Source: Star Online Nation "Missing girl found dead"

At Last There Was Rain

After almost two weeks of hot and humid weather and the occasional haze, it rained here in my area in Petaling Jaya. I heard that Kuala Lumpur and Klang rained, too! I walked out of the house about 30 minutes ago and I was greeted with cool, fresh air. Aaah! I could sleep well tonight!

Say No to Bottled Mineral Water

Interesting facts and figures from Star Online Opinions "Bottled water is not so eco-friendly":

Bottled water is one of the world’s fastest-growing commercial beverages. The United States remains the largest consumer of bottled water, with some of the prized brands, such as Fiji Water, coming from distant corners of the world.

... the consumption of bottled water more than doubled between 2000 and 2005. Major bottled water companies now employ hundreds of thousands of technicians, workers and salespeople. One company claims that each of its three state-of-the-art assembly lines churns out 800 bottles every minute.

According to Worldwatch Institute, undue extraction of natural mineral or spring water to produce bottled water threatens local streams and groundwater. Plastic bottles, most of them not recycled, create unnatural waste.

At the same time, the production and shipping of bottled water consume a lot of fossil fuel. The cost of producing bottled water is some 10,000 times more than tap water, higher than drilling for fossil fuels, according to some experts.

All New Seven Wonders of the World

And they are all selected in a democratic way through the website here: http://www.new7wonders.com/. Check out the results in this link here. The new 7 wonders are:

Chichén Itzá, Mexico:

Christ Redeemer, Brazil:

The Great Wall, China:

Machu Picchu, Peru:

Petra, Jordan:

The Roman Colloseum, Italy:

The Taj Mahal, India:

Missing Child

Please help to look for this missing child. Her name is Shearwey Ooi Ying Ying and she was missing when her mother (pictured with Shearwey below) left her standing by the car while she went to pay her parking ticket about 100m away. Shearwey went missing on Friday at about 8:15am at Bayan Baru hawker centre in Pulau Pinang. Shearwey was wearing pyjamas with teddy bear prints and pink slippers.Click on the link from Star Online Nation here for more details.

Parents Beware!

Does this title from Star Online grab your attention: Children's vision not as good as adults, so keep them away from roads. Well, if it does, please take precautions and make sure you do not let your children wander off into roads by themselves! Here are some clippings from the article:

Children's field of vision is just one-third that of adults. That's enough reason to keep them away from roads, says Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) director-general Prof Dr Radin Umar.

“Children below 10 have problems judging the speed of vehicles and distance, as well as the direction of sounds because of their brain development,” he said.

Children also tended to assume that drivers in the car could see them when they were trying to cross a road.

Based on 2005 figures, about 20% out of the 876 cases of pedestrian deaths involved children aged between six and 10.

Some 50% of pedestrian deaths were children aged 16 and below.

Not Another Burp!

Ok, tonight is not the night to enjoy burps. Had a devastating dinner just now. Had this pancake burger meal (@ Paddington Pancakes in The Curve) by some name "Beef and Hash Burger" or something like that (it's got spicy corned beef). I was hungry at first, so I quickly gobbled up about half of it. Slowly, I realised that it was way too spicy. Then the beef was starting to be difficult to swallow... so people, I do not recommend this. It's number 508 in the menu.

No, no, no, don't get me wrong. I am not trying to discourage your visits to this place. It is just that particular item. In fact, my friends had others and they all looked fantastic.

Luckily, there was time before we went to watch Transformers. We had a donut each @ Big Apple Donuts and Coffee. That helped to ease the suffering (but we were disappointed that the Belgian Dark Chocolate and Green Tea flavoured ones were sold out, though the newly launched Double Chocolate that I had wasn't too bad at all)... until I had my first burp... the dinner taste came back all over again...

Cute Little Red Pandas

Here are two cute cubs of the lesser known panda species but just as endangered, red panda (from National Geographic Week In Photos):

The Power of One Sen

The one sen coin is very powerful. It is not the weak copper coin that most people will not even bother to pick up if found on the floor. By law (Section 24 of the Central Bank of Malaysia Act), all traders have to accept up to a maximum of 200 one sen coins or RM2. So consumers, go ahead, pay for your RM2 or less items with lots of one sen coins.

Likewise, we consumers would have to accept one sen coins up to a maximum of RM2 in value from traders, too.

There is no escape, no refusal. It is the law.

Sources:

1. Star Online "Paying with one-sen coins is okay – up to RM2"
2. Star Online "Accept one-sen coins, urge traders"
   

Portraits of Women

Check this out! A video posted in YouTube showcasing the many portraits of women throughout the history of art! Shown in a really cool morphing way...

Link: Women In Art via Drawn!

Men Talk Just As Much As Women

Unbelievable? But it is true, said a study led by psychologist Matthias Mehl of the University of Arizona:

"The data suggest that women spoke on average 16,215 words and men 15,669 words over an assumed period of, on average, 17 waking hours."

Other interesting findings are:

"Men talk more about technology, work, money. They also use more numbers," he said.

"Women talk more about fashion and about relationships."

And a amusing yet real comment:

"Sometimes you find a stream of words but people don't say very much."

"You just talk and talk and talk."

Link: Reuters "Which is the chatty sex? Turns out both are"

For Single Females and Males

From Star Online City Watch for all the singles still in search for a partner:

CUPID Space Wanita MCA will open a registration counter for computer matching service at Level 6, Wisma MCA of Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, on Saturday and Sunday and also July 14 and 15 between 11am and 3pm. It is open to single Malaysian Chinese aged 25 to 50 for male and between 25 and 45 years old for female, with High School qualification and above. Those interested should bring along a photocopy of their NRIC, a passport size photo and a 3R size photo for Commissioner for Oaths declaration. The fee is RM50. For details, call 012-240 1802 or 03-7726 2266 or visit wanita.mca.org.my

The Ship That Reminds Me of Jack Sparrow

Doesn't this remind you of the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie? A ship in the desert? Just like Jack's Black Pearl? Well, that one was in a better condition, though... another cool picture (photo?) from Best Pic Ever:

Fireworks vs. Lightning?

Wow! Real or not, this is one cool one! From Best Pic Ever (click on the image for a larger version and a cooler feel):

Dodo Bird = approx. Fat Pigeons

Complete Dodo bird skeletons were found in a cave and scientists hope that enough DNA was preserved together which they can use to analyse for more clues about this extinct bird. Meanwhile, some years back, scientists managed to find out that these birds are sort of like fat pigeons with the limited DNA they had from another specimen. Hopefully, more interesting info will come forward from the new discovery.

Source: National Geographic News "Dodo Skeleton Found on Island, May Yield Extinct Bird's DNA"

The Fi Fai Fu Fum Was Here

The giant from fairytale Jack and the Beanstalk was here (I really love Best Pic Ever! Great site with amusing photos!):

No Mistakes In This Game...

This is how you can turn a childhood game into a form of extreme sports (from Best Pic Ever "Deadly hopscotch"):

sunflowers

sunflowers
Originally uploaded by marcomagrini.

Sunflowers through the lens! I know of a particular person that likes sunflowers a lot and therefore would like to dedicate this wonderful photo from marcomagrini to this person. :D

NO! Digg Banned "Weird Asia News"!

This could not be! I have been reading Weird Asia News for some time now and it's been consistently interesting! Sun Tzu, just to let you know, you have a fan here!

The Dedicated Teacher

This is something worth highlighting. I got this article from Weird Asia News titled "World's Smallest School". 61-year old Li Yongchun has been teaching at a school in Dasu village in the Longjing region, some where in China for over 25 years. He was there when the school had more than 400 students up until the year 2,000 when the school was shutdown. But even now, he continued to teach with only one student whose parents could not afford to send her for boarding school. He is capable of teaching her Chinese, Mathematics, Korean, History, Geography and PE. Mr. Li will retire in another 6 months. It is also worth mentioning that the city education bureau will be sending another teacher to replace Mr. Li...

Water Disruption

I'm on a blogging spree today! In this post, I would like to highlight to my friends and of course to you who are reading my blog about water disruption in these areas (from Star Online City Watch):

Kuala Selangor, Shah Alam, Klang and Taman Puchong Utama 8, 9 and 10. The cut will start from 9pm tonight to 5am tomorrow to facilitate upgrading works in the area. For details call Puspel at 1-800-88-5252 or send an SMS by typing PUSPEL space followed by complaints/ enquiries and send to 39222 or visit www.syabas.com.my.

Donuts! Donuts! DONUTS!

These delicious most often with a hole in the middle 'guys' are driving me nuts! Only last week my buddies and I were talking about going to this new place for a 'yumcha' session and today, Star Online got a whole article on it! It's a sign! Guys, we must go there this weekend! Could Big Apple Donuts and Coffee beat Dunkin' Donuts? All will be known this weekend! To make things more exciting, we hope to catch Transformers before or after the donuts. :D

The Prime Minister Who Came With The Wrong Tie

There was the Prime Minister's Department's monthly gathering and staff attending the gathering were supposed to be wearing red ties or scarves with yellow spots (couldn't imagine how interesting this would look) but the prime minister himself attended with the wrong tie and was still able to joke about it (Star Online Nation "It is a 'red tie' affair at the PM's Department"):

"I am sorry but I actually chose the wrong tie. This is what happens when you don't listen to your wife.

"This morning, my wife pointed out the tie to me and I was thinking, why did she chose a red tie with yellow spots on it?

"I thought (the corporate tie) must be the one with batik design so I took this one."

I guess you can say that we really have a prime minister with a good sense of humour.

Putting Out My Fire

Is this photo editing? What do you think? From Best Pic Ever:

Bored of the Normal Kind of Watermelons?

Here is the OTHER kind! Selling for approximately USD$200/JPY¥25,000, these cubic watermelons are grown in patented cubic containers... From Weird Asia News:

The Amazon River

It is now unofficially the longest river in the world, longer than the current official longest Nile River in Africa. It is 4,225 miles (6,800 kilometers) to The Nile's 4,160 miles (6,695 kilometers).

Source: National Geographic News "Amazon Longer Than Nile River, Scientists Say"

Also, the Amazon River (now flowing from West to East) used to flow from East to West (Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean)! What an interesting long river!

Source: National Geographic News "Amazon River Once Flowed Other Way, Study Says"