September 1752

Did you know that nothing happened between 3 and 13 September 1752? In September 1752 the Julian calendar was replaced with the Gregorian calendar in Great Britain and its American colonies. The Julian calendar was 11 days behind the Gregorian calendar, so 14 September got to follow 2 September on the day of the change. The result was that between 3 and 13 September, absolutely nothing happened!

On that month, workers worked for 11 days less but were paid for the full month.

Reading: The time that nothing happened.....
Reading: Time to Take Note: The 1752 Calendar Change
Tags: Weird, September 1752, Julian Calender, Gregorian Calendar

Malaysian Mathematician

I find it most alarming that Malaysian schools teach our children the wrong things. I mean, can the children really apply what they are taught in school later in life?

For example, can you imagine a mathematics question in a recent examination as follows?

"If an egg costs fifty sen, and if you buy one-eighth of the egg, how much would you have to pay?" Who in heaven's name will want to buy one-eighth of an egg? The shopkeeper will probably think you are crazy and he will be equally stupid to break the egg and measure one-eighth for you. Yet, this is how they structure the questions in Malaysian schools.

Why not pose questions that would be more useful later in life when you go out into the world to earn your living? To help Malaysia 's Ministry of Education bet to face the realities of life, we are suggesting some questions they could use in our classrooms:-

QUESTION 1 If you drive from Kuala Lumpur to Penang along the PLUS Highway and there are four speed traps along the way, and if each speed trap would cost you RM300.00 in fines, how much in fines would you accumulate by the time you reach Penang ?

ANSWER (Choose one)

1. I would not suffer any fines as the on coming cars would flash their headlights and I would slow down before coming to the speed trap.

2. I would only need to pay a total of RM80.00 as I would pay a RM20.00 bribe at each speed trap.

3. I would not be stopped as I am an UMNO Wakil Rakyat so I am exempted from speed traps.

QUESTION 2 If your Bumiputera company is awarded a RM150 million government contract, and you make a 20% profit, how much profit would be at the end of the contract period?

ANSWER (Choose one)

1. I will not be making a 20% profit as I would have to pay the Minister 10% and UMNO 5%.

2. I would make 30% profit, which is the progress payment I receive, after which I will abandon the project and let the government call for re-tender.

3. My company will not make any profit at all as I will siphon out all the profits and show a loss to avoid paying corporate tax.

QUESTION 3 If the ruling party obtained 54% of the popular votes the last election and won 151 or 80% of the seats, and if it saw an increase of 10% in votes this election, how many more seats would it gain?

ANSWER (Choose one)

1. The ruling party will not show a 10% increase in votes, as it will stuff the ballot box with another 20% to give it a 30% vote increase.

2. The ruling party will win a ich are the newly created seats in the delineation exercise recently done.

3. The ruling party has already decided it will win 90% of the seats and the votes have nothing to do with it.

QUESTION 4 If the national petroleum company, Petronas, pays a 5% royalty to Terengganu State and if the amount paid is RM800,000,000 per year, how much should Petronas have in the bank accumulated over the last 25years?

ANSWER (Choose one)

1. Nobody is supposed to know as Petronas need not show its accounts to anyone except the Prime Minister and this information comes under the Official Secrets Act.

2. Petronas earns only 50% of its petroleum revenue from Terengganu so Petronas' total income accumulated in the banks over 25 years should be RM800 billion.

3. Petronas has nothing accumulated in the bank as all the money has spent bailing out companies and finance mega projects.

Tags: Jokes, Funny, Humor, Politics, Malaysia, Mathematics, PLUS Highway, UMNO Wakil Rakyat, Petronas, Terengganu, Ministry of Education

Flight of the Phoenix / Night at the Museum - movie review

Flight of the Phoenix – starring Dennis Quaid, Giovanni Ribisi & Jacob Vargas. An operation plant was shut down in Mongolia and Dennis was sent to pick up the crews from the site via his airplane. Midway, the plane’s engine/system gave way to the bad weather and their airplane plummeted down to the desert area. Stucked there without any communication tools and with mental torture setting in, one by one got killed. Want to know how?

One of the stucked up guy, in the last moment, provided them with a genius way of getting out from there alive. How? To re-build the airplane according to a small scale model airplane design seen in a book. In the midst of re-building, an unidentified group of travellers (with weapons) camped near their plane and the employees banded together to confront them. One obstacle after another, their plane was up and to start the plane, it required firepower. Only few rounds from the flare gun left …….. but the plane was only meant for a 2 seater passenger. How are they going to ride away?

Quite entertaining with suspense at times. You could have guessed the ending with some people dying along the way. If you have plenty of time, this is one show you can watch, otherwise forget about it and I found it absurd in the way they got out of the desert with that plane in the end. Not realistic.
Night at the Museum – starring Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney & Bill Cobbs. Before reading the whole review, I’m giving a thumbs up for the movie for the creativity and originality of it. About this guy who can’t stay in a job long enough and due to that his family kept moving house till his teenage daughter couldn't stand her dad and blasted him one day. With that incident, he was determined to get a stable job and stay at it. Was interviewed for a job as a night security guard at a nearby natural museum.

Was all alone and the graphics designers did a good job in getting various historical animals & humans to move as if it was real throughout the museum. A SHOCKED Ben found out that at midnight, all historic animals and humans figures could move. Ben has to settle a dispute between the western cowboys and Caesar's roman armies, teach the pre-historic humans about fire, learn to play 'fecth' with the T-Rex dinosaur and his adviser in his difficult hard night times was the former US President, Theodore Roosevelt.

Towards the end, Ben was able to bring all animals and humans to work together to catch a band of thieves that wanted certain magical stuff from the museum. Hilarious, unique and very entertaining.
Tags: Movie, Cinema, Review, Flight of the Phoenix, Night at the Museum, Dennis Quaid, Ben Stiller

Liquid

In the life of many people, they may require 4 types of liquid........

Milk? Soft drink? Liquor? And drips of whatever liquid while laying in bed during old age.......

Tags: Liquid, Milk, Soft Drink, Liquor, Jokes, Funny, Humor

Nasi Briyani

Nasi Briyani or Briyani Rice - rice steamed with ghee oil/some butter/spices and could be taken with meat or vegetables. But when I saw the following pictures (of Lamb Briyani Rice), my appetite for Briyani Rice dropped drastically.
Tags: Nasi Briyani, Briyani Rice, Food

Cost of a Miracle

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

"And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages," he said without waiting for a reply to his question. "Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick... and I want to buy a miracle."

"I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist. "His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?"

"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you," the pharmacist said, softening a little. "Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs."

The pharmacist's brother was a well-dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need?" "I don't know" Tess replied with her eyes welling up. "I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money." " How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.

"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to." "Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. "

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need."

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neurosurgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. That surgery," her Mom whispered. "was a real miracle.I wonder how much it would have cost?" Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost...one dollar and eleven cents, plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need. A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.
Tags: Inspiration, Miracle

Consumer Healthcare

GlaxoSmithKline Malaysia has assured the public that Ribena's content is as per its label via an official statement to Amir Mahmood Razak, a TV news anchor who enquired about it when he read about the case in New Zealand. The statement came about due to GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare in New Zealand (GSK-CH) who has accepted charges brought by the New Zealand Commerce Commission and has given undertakings to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission with regards to potentially misleading advertising statements and low levels of Vitamin C in some Ribena Ready-to-Drink products manufactured for the Australia and New Zealand markets.

More in Amir Mahmood Razak's blog and Screenshots.

Has the food/beverage production been compromised lately? Which 3rd party can verify the truthfulness on the label or those contect not listed in label to avoid consumer repercussion.

In China, two young men from Hangzhou, provincial capital of Zhejiang in eastern China, sued the Zhongcui Foodstuff Co Ltd for producing and putting on the market Coca-Cola and Sprite drinks containing the preservative sodium benzoate, which has been proved to be harmful to human health when consumed over a long period. The plaintiffs accused the manufacturers of covering up the preservative's chemical nature, thus depriving the consumer of "the right to know". The case is reported to have been accepted by a court. (source: Asia Times Onlime)

Is it the same situation in Malaysia as well? What does Malaysia's Coca Cola producer, F&N Coca-Cola, has to say about the situation in China. Personally, I do refrain from drinking carbonated soft drinks.
Tags: GlaxoSmithKline, Ribena, Malaysia, New Zealand Commerce Commission, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Vitamin C, Hangzhou, Zhongcui Foodstuff Co Ltd, China, Coca Cola, Sprite, Preservative, Sodium Benzoate, Consumer Healthcare, Health, F&N

Beijing 2008 Winners' Medals

The winners' medals for next year's Beijing 2008 have been unveiled. It's solidly filled with the JADE gemstone (6mm thick). Priceless indeed!

The design, unveiled on 27 Mar, which inculcates the jade gemstone showcased China's culture and art at the same time. Read more about the myth of jade.

Tags: Beijing 2008, Jade, Medals, China, Beijing, Sports, Olympic Games

Corporate Look

Received an email from a friend's friend's friend.............. as below:-

My client, a US Based MLM company for nutritional products is looking for National Sales Manager - Malaysia/Singapore.

Please send this to any friends who are interested.

The requirements:-
- Male, Age 35-45, corporate look, Malaysia- Speaks and write English, BM and Mandarin
- knowledge of mandarin is important.
- A good presenter and motivator to lead a team of distributors to grow the business. Team builder who develops and motivates, friendly with good people skill.
- 75% travelling within Malaysia and Singapore.

Package:
Basic: (5 figure salary) + comission
Variable Bonus - Up to 6 months based on performance
Car Allowance - RM1,500 - Rm2,500

This position is good for people in the insurance industry. Please contact me direct at 012-3741620. This position is requried to be filled urgently.

Regards
Georgia Teh
Regional Consultant
Solomann Executive Search

As for the package, it sounds reasonably good. But what the heck is CORPORATE LOOK????? The last person who delivered this email explained (after prompting from me) that it could mean:-
"Hehehehehe......three piece suit??........I dress so smart casual or just casual nowadays that i really don't know what the heck is the Corporate Look oledi."

*Update* - received another comment from a friend via phone call "you mean to say that those people who doesn't work for this company looks ugly?"

Can someone please explain how does a CORPORATE LOOK employee looks like or how should you look like?

If you are interested in the position, please give a call and if you get the job, please come back to this blog to tell us the answer. FYI, this job vacancy is not a hoax.
Tags: National Sales Manager, MLM, Job Vacancy, Funny, Humor

Dogs on Hit List

News were out that hired killers have put 2 dogs on their hit list. Why the 2 dogs?

These 2 dogs, named Lucky and Flo, were on loan from the Motion Picture Association of America. These 2 dogs are of the Labrador Retrivers breed. The dogs were trained to sniff out polycarbonates — chemicals used in the disc manufacturing process. The dogs won't be able to sniff the difference between a real or a pirated discs but at least they can sniff for discs in shipments or concealed places.

That was what they have done recently where they sniffed out 1,000,000 pirated compact disc (loaded with movies) that has a street value of RM10,000,000 (US$1 = RM3.50). 6 men were detailed as well. The raid at the office tower block was conducted based on a tip received. Usually such business ventures are owned the underworld or well-connected people. Since these 2 dogs are a threat to their business, it probably made sense to terminate them once and for all. Apparently, they have been kept in a safe place now.

* Latest update - the people behind those pirated compact discs has found a way to confuse the dogs' capabilities now by spraying a "special chemical spray” on those compact discs. And they are back in business again. Maybe both Lucky and Flo's life would be spared then.

Reading: Dogs sniff out RM10mil in discs - The Star
Reading: Malaysia bounty for sniffer dogs - Yahoo News!
Reading: Lucky and Flo sniff out 1,000,000 pirate discs - MPAA
Tags: Dogs, Lucky, Flo, Motion Picture Association of America, Pirated Disc, Chemical Spray

Incident at Omdurman, Sudan

Yahoo News! reported that the widespread genocide in Darfur may spread to Khartoum, capital city of Sudan if the government violated the peace agreement signed with the Sudan Liberation Movement ("SLM"), the only armed faction from Darfur region that signed a peace deal with the government.

On Saturday, 24 Mar, 11 people were killed in Omdurman, a town which is about 40 mins from Khartoum, the place where I stay. Hmmmmmmmmmm ........ wondering when I'm going back there again. It was only a small issue on traffic violation that erupted into shootings by the Sudanese authorities or authoritarian???.

SLM leader Minni Minnawi quoted this:-
* state agents had deliberately provoked the incident in what he said was an attempt by the government to sabotage the peace process.
* what happened reveals a will to move from peace to a state of war.

Reading: Deadly gun battle in Sudanese city - Al-Jazeera
Tags: Sudan, Khartoum, Omdurman, Darfur, Sudan Liberation Movement, Minni Minnawi

Strong Ground

I really respect this houseowner for fighting for her rights in getting the right amount of compensation owing to forced relocation by the chinese government. The local authorities claimed that her compensation was way beyond the standards where she had rejected various offers.

Not only that she can't get her compensation, her house is situated in the centre of an on-going development despite her property being stucked in the centre of it. Non-construction workers were not allowed into the area and thus, she has not gone into her house lately. What's the point then.

The developer will be getting a court order to obtain their rights for a demolition to be conducted. This dispute is happening in Chongqing of China. (source: International Herald Tribune and Virtual China)

Another land dispute happened in China also but this time in Shanghai. Will you stay put in a house at a busy traffic junction.

I think this house should be on the list of every house buyer - "easy access to major roads" / "within seconds into city centre" / "walking distance to shopping centres". (source: Virtual China)

Tags: Compensation, Nail House, Chongqing, Shanghai, China, Dispute

Ghandism

Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and founder of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Non-violence, in his 9 June lecture at the University of Puerto Rico, shared the following story:-

I was 16 years old and living with my parents at the institute my grandfather had founded 18 miles outside of Durban, South Africa, in the middle of the sugar plantations. We were deep in the country and had no neighbors, so my two sisters and I would always look forward to going to town to visit friends or go to the movies.

One day, my father asked me to drive him to town for an all-day conference, and I jumped at the chance. Since I was going to town, my mother gave me a list of groceries she needed and, since I had all day in town, my father asked me to take care of several pending chores, such as getting the car serviced. When I dropped my father off that morning, he said, "I will meet you here at 5:00 p.m., and we will go home together."

After hurriedly completing my chores, I went straight to the nearest movie theatre. I got so engrossed in a John Wayne double-feature that I forgot the time. It was 5:30 before I remembered. By the time I ran to the garage and got the car and hurried to where my father was waiting for me, it was almost 6:00. He anxiously asked me, "Why were you late?"

I was so ashamed of telling him I was watching a John Wayne western movie that I said, "The car wasn't ready, so I had to wait," not realizing that he had already called the garage. When he caught me in the lie, he said: "There's something wrong in the way I brought you up that didn't give you the confidence to tell me the truth. In order to figure out where I went wrong with you, I'm going to walk home 18 miles and think about it." So, dressed in his suit and dress shoes, he began to walk home in the dark on mostly unpaved, unlit roads.

I couldn't leave him, so for five-and-a-half hours I drove behind him, watching my father go through this agony for a stupid lie that I uttered. I decided then and there that I was never going to lie again. I often think about that episode and wonder, if he had punished me the way we punish our children, whether I would have learned a lesson at all. I don't think so. I would have suffered the punishment and gone on doing the same thing. But this single non-violent action was so powerful that it is still as if it happened yesterday. That is the power of non-violence.
Tags: Arun Ghandi, Mahatma Ghandi, M.K. Gandhi Institute for Non-violence, University of Puerto Rico, Durban, South Africa, Inspiration, Non-violence, John Wayne

Perfect Husband

Several men are in the changing room of a golf club. A mobile phone on a bench rings and a man engages the hands free speaker-function and began to talk. Everyone else in the room stops to listen.

MAN: "Hello"
WOMAN: "Darling, it's me. Are you at the club?"
MAN: "Yes"
WOMAN: "I am at the shopping centre and found this beautiful leather coat. It's only 3,000. Is it OK if I buy it?"
MAN: "Sure...go ahead if you like it that much."
WOMAN: "I also stopped by the Mercedes dealership and saw the new 2005 models. I saw one I really liked."
MAN: "How much?"
WOMAN: "300,000"
MAN: "OK, but for that price I want it with all the options."
WOMAN: "Great! Oh, and one more thing ... The house I wanted last year is back on the market. They're asking 850,000"
MAN: "Well, then go ahead and give them an offer of 900,000. They will probably take it. If not, we can go the extra 50 thousand. It really is a pretty good price."
WOMAN: "OK. I'll see you later! I love you so much!!"
MAN: "Bye! I love you, too."

The man hangs up. The other men in the changing room are staring at him in astonishment, mouths agape.....He smiles and asks: "Anyone knows whose phone is this? "
Tags: Jokes, Funny, Humor, Husband

Negotiation

Tags: Baby Blues, Cartoon, Funny, Humor, Jokes

Royal Family Member Being Investigated

Extracted from Star newspaper
Kuala Lumpur: A member of a royal family is being investigated for allegedly assaulting a woman recently. Initial investigations showed that the woman, in her 20s, was beaten up after she supposedly two-timed the prince.

The woman, who claimed that she had earlier tried to lodge a police report in the state, was forced to report the matter to the Federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman as no one in the state wanted to accept her report.

It has also been learnt that a married narcotics police officer, supposedly involved with the woman, was transferred within 24 hours to Sarawak to carry out desk duties.
The prince has also lodged a police report.

Police have begun investigations into the case and are said to be in the process of recording statements from witnesses.

Another case of whom you know or who you are in Malaysia. In future, better check whether that lady you target is anybody's mistress / girlfriend / wife before you even think of anything. Malaysia Boleh!

Reading: The prince, the lady and the policeman - Susan Loone
Reading: The prince, the lady and the policeman (2) -Susan Loone
Tags: Royal Family, Prince, Investigation, Bukit Aman, Malaysia, Police

Most Expensive Private Island

Keen to have your own santuary of peace, where you can do whatever you like on that piece of land without getting any approvals from the authorities?

I received this piece of news that an island which is one of the Fijian islands is up for sale. Just an email won't make you believe it but when a real estate company has been appointed to sell it that means it's real. Luxury Real Estate, a Washington based company, is the appointed broker to sell off the island.

The island is called Vatu Vara or also known as "Hat Island" because of similar hat shape. An island which is 2 miles in diameter.
It's highest peak is about 1,030 feet and it has a beautiful aquamarine lagoon of pure tropical paradise.

If buy this island, you won't be alone as you will have a superstar neighbour as well. Mel Gibson's private island, Mayo Island, is about 32km east of this island.
One of the closest island is Monu Riki island which was the location for Tom Hank’s “Cast Away”.
Price tag of Vatu Vara: US$75,000,000. More details in Luxury Real Estate.
Tags: Island, Real Estate, Fiji, Most Expensive, Private Island, Luxury Real Estate, Vatu Vara, Hat Island

World's Most Expensive Handbag

After blogging about Louis Vutton's similarity of its handbag design with those found almost anywhere, Louis Vutton ("LV") has an ultimate handbag, the Louis Vutton Tribute Patchwork Handbag, that would be the ultimate collection as well.

The handbag comprise samples of 15 different Louis Vuitton handbags from the LV spring/summer and cruise lines, all of them rolled into one. Willing to pay as much as £23,484 (US$45,352) for a signature handbag?

The issue is any handbag is good enough to keep your personal stuff but why need to purchase one which is this expensive. (source: Luxist and Daily Mail)
Tags: Louis Vutton, LV, Handbag, Lifestyle, Luxury, Most Expensive

Naked Body Scanner

If you are travelling in USA, you might have to go through the body scanners in airports in their attempt to dampen the terrorists' ulterior motives in hijacking or exploding the airplanes mid-air. The Phoenix airport has started the usage of the body scanner and soon to be followed by both the Los Angeles and New York airports.

How will you look like on the screen while you are being scanned? TOTALLY NAKED of course but graphically only.

Transportation Security Administration ("TSA") has employed the backscatter x-ray machine to scan for ceramic knives, plastic guns, liquid explosives and drugs too where metal scanners could not detect. TSA is trying to modify the machine so that the sensitive body parts would be blurred and person who monitors the monitor screen could not see the actual person being scanned. Or the personnel manning the x-ray machine would not have access to the monitor screen. These personnels would communicate via phones if further searches were required.

The ACLU and the Electronic Privacy Information Center are both disputing the usage of this machine stating that it breaches privacy at the highest level and of course, exposure of your body as well.

Reading: Feds Want See-Through Security - CBS News

Reading: Digital Penetration - Slate

Tags: Travel, USA, Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York, Airport, Backscatter X-Ray, Transportation Security Administration, ACLU, Electronic Privacy Information Center, Naked

Nice Pets

I am sure you have heard of many kidnapping cases, especially those poor oil related foreign workers in Nigeria, that had happened this last few years (for the record, 60 foreign workers have been kidnapped just this year alone). Now the locals have gotten a new business idea for the foreigners. They have wild pets for rent to act as a protector. Can you imagine having a spotted hyena as your pet/protector who will be laughing every now and then ....... hehehehe I have a friend who has worked in Nigeria before and certain employers don't take chances on the security as they will hire mercenaries to protect their employees. Read that? Mercenaries! This people are not the army or police but armed people who are for hired.

Tags: Nigeria, Kidnap, Pets, Spotted Hyena, Weird, Mercenaries

50th Wedding Anniversary

A rabbi learned that two members of his congregation would soon be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

The rabbi asked the husband, Ralph, to take a few minutes and share some insight into how he managed to live with the same woman all these years. The husband replied, "Well, I treated her with respect, spent money on her, but mostly I took her traveling on special occasions."

The rabbi inquired, "Trips to where?"

"For our 25th anniversary, I took her to Beijing, China."

The rabbi said, "What a terrific example you are to all husbands, Ralph! Tell me, what are you going to do for your wife on your 50th anniversary?"

Ralph replied, "I'm going to go get her."
Tags: Wedding Anniversary, Rabbi, Husband, Wife, Beijing, China, Jokes, Funny, Humor

Grand Canyon Skywalk

The Grand Canyon Skywalk has a soft opening ceremony lately and will be opened to the public on 28 Mar 07. The public could have a scenic view of the great Grand Canyon around it and which is also about 4,000 feet above the rock bottom of the canyon. Being one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the USA government is developing certain areas for tourism purposes.

For US$25 plus other fees, up to 120 people at a time will be able to look down to the canyon floor.
This particular piece of Skywalk was built on Hualapai Indian Revervation land, which has been allowed by the tribe itself. After considering the fact that a third of the tribe's 2,200 members are still living in poverty, the tribal government decided it needs the tourism dollars.
Construction crews spent two years building the walkway. They drilled steel anchors 46 feet into the limestone rim to hold the deck in place.

Last of all, you definitely require the Indian tribe's blessing as you are trespassing their ancestors' land. (source: AP via Yahoo News!)

Previous postings on this: Glass Bridge Skywalk at Grand Canyon and Grand Canyon Skywalk.

Tags: Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon Skywalk, Glass Bridge, Seven Natural Wonders of the World, Hualapai Indian Revervation, Tourism, Travel, USA

80% Malaysians Studying Law in UK

UK Immigration Officer: Purpose of visit?

Visitor: I'm here to study law, sir.

Officer: You know, you must have a lot of lawyers in Malaysia.

Visitor: Why do you say that?

Officer: Well, i've been here for a good twenty years, and I'd say 80% of Malaysians I see here say they're here to read law.

Visitor: Oh, really? That's really something I never knew. Hard to believe in fact.

Officer: Just you watch, then. You just stand here until the next Malaysian comes along, and I'll bet he's here to read law.

*Visitor waits for 5 mins, Ah Chong from Malaysia comes to immigration counter*

Officer: Mr. Ah Chong, purpose of visit?

Ah Chong: Study lorr...
Tags: Jokes, Funny, Humor, Immigration, Law, Lawyer, Malaysia, United Kingdom

Why Man Utd Will Be EPL Champion?

Why Manchester United will be the English Premier League's 2006/2007 Champion? Just look at the pictures, that were taken during the Thaipusam festival in January 2007. Sorry to disappointment other EPL teams' fans but with such dedication in carrying a kavadi bearing Manchester United's emblem, divine help is definitely helping Manchester United all the way. Treble dream again?

Tags: Manchester United, English Premier League, Football, Thaipusam

Talent Wasted

Internal bickering in the Selangor Badminton Association, where 2 groups of people were jostling for party post, caused those under-12 years old badminton players to be left out in the coming national schools championship. These junior badminton players were champions in their respective categories in recent concluded state championship (of Selangor). By virtue of being champions they could have represented the state of Selangor against the other states in Malaysia.

If these junior badminton players were able to produce excellent results in the coming national schools championship, they would be drafted into the Bukit Jalil Sports School, an elite school for outstanding sportsmen/women, where training programmes (and studies as well) would be developed to nurture those national champions to represent Malaysia in future sporting events. Unfortunately, this has to happen.

Hoping for more repeats of Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong's feats in the future? Maybe still able to but not from the state of Selangor.

Another sports down the drain - the state of Malaysian football. It has dropped down the world rankings (no.154) terribly. Personally, I view that the management team of each state football team is the main problem. How much does a State Chief Minister or a royal family member knows about football? And yet they meddle with the management of the football team. Some of them had been the head of the management as long as they have been around/alive. From insider news, there is even racial quota on players (representing each major race in Malaysia) for each state team.

And yet some officials dare mention that Arsenal has agreed to train with the Malaysian football team if the Malaysian was based at the disputed Sports Academy in London.
Tags: Selangor Badminton Association, Badminton, Sports, Bukit Jalil Sports School, Malaysia, Koo Kien Keat, Tan Boon Heong, Football, Chief Minister, Arsenal, Sports Academy

Infant Massage?

An article in the Star newspaper today entitled "Miracle baby is two years old" stated that infant massage that was practised by the mother on the little baby when her chance of survival was slim encouraged the baby to grow healthily.

I met a medical doctor on Sunday who had been practising for the last few decades. He said that this new development has not been taught before in medical stream. And he said jokingly that in future, people will develop a new technique called "unborn baby massage". I think it may materialise as well as the Medicinenet's website has a topic on Bonding With Baby Before Birth already.

From the Childbirth's website on What Is Infant Massage?, what has been explained was infant massage was related to touching by the parents that would generate bonding which aids growth and development. So, it's no big deal after all. Every parents have been doing that all this while.

But the International Association of Infant Massage has developed a course to produce Certified Infant Massage Instructors that will train parents and caregivers to massage their babies.

Is this Infant Massage a new medical breakthrough or some practise being commercialised to a larger extent throughout the whole world now?
Tags: Medical Breakthrough, Health, Infant Massage, International Association of Infant Massage, Certified Infant Massage Instructors, Bonding, Parents

Pangkor Laut Resort (IV)

This is Emerald Bay, on the other side of the private island. The sand here is just like the talcum or baby powder, really soft.

We got here via the internal transportation arranged by the resort. Just a phone call, either a van or a 4WD will pick us up to our preferred destination. Excellent service.
Behind was the Chapman's Bar where food/drinks could be ordered. We took our lunch here as well.
The whole stretch of the beach was filled with deck chairs for the resort customers. We were there at 11am plus and it was empty.
The crowd only came after 12noon, maybe after their lunch.
Most westerners were having a nice time sun-bathing at this beautiful and quiet serene beach.
Small waves coming into the beach. Very calm and peaceful place that you could stay here for the whole day. The bar was serving everyone cold water with a dash of lemonade. As long as your cup is empty, they will serve you another cup. Extreme pampering!!
Sunset was setting in. Stayed till 4pm and went back to the swimming pool area.
This was the fully air-conditioned toilet that was just beside the Chapman's Bar. The resort really did ensure that you would enjoy the facilities there.

The surrounding area of the beach area. Well kept.
A fully equipped gym near the swimming pool.
Took this picture while walking along the jetty to board our ferry.
Last picture before departing.
At first I thought the open air ferry was our transport. To our relieve, the same fully air-conditioned private ferry arrived right behind.
About 20 plus persons departed together and we need not worry about our luggage the moment they took it away from our villa when we checked out. We only need to collect our luggage
at the Pangkor Laut Resort's office in Lumut.

Tags: Pangkor Laut Resort, Malaysia, Travel, Leisure, Holiday, Lifestyle

Malaysia vs. Indonesian Blogger

Not exactly the whole nation but Malaysia's Ministry of Tourism against Nila Tanzil from Indonesia. She was sent to Malaysia under her employer's name, SCTV, who was invited to send representatives to cover Malaysia's tourism activities during the Visit Malaysia Year 2007.

Thereafter, upon her return to Indonesia she put up some comments in her blog (seems to have been edited now) which were deemed unfavourable by Malaysia's Ministry of Tourism who put up a protest. Nila has been suspended until further notice due to that. And in an indiret manner, Nila was referred to as a liar by the Malaysia's Minister of Tourism, Tengku Adnan. There goes the war of words.

Even Indonesian websites have picked up this on-going battle of words:-
* Nila Tanzil: Mana yang Tak Benar? - DetikINET
* Menteri Malaysia Cap Blogger Indonesia Tukang Kibul - DetikINET

Reading: Ku Nan blooper: Backlash in Indonesia - Screenshots
Reading: Malaysia Tourism Board Disappointing - Maverick Indonesia (got Nila's picture from here)

If you say the wrong things (deemed wrong usually) as a blogger, no matter how far you are, you won't escape. It seems that people nowadays can't take constructive criticisms. A shot in the foot for the Visit Malaysia Year 2007 as well.

At this moment, Indonesia is aiming for at least 1,000,000 Malaysian tourists to visit Indonesia this year out of a Malaysia population of approximately 24,800,000 (which represents 4%). Based on Malaysia's Ministry of Tourism's database for year 2006, only 1,217,024 Indonesians visited (the legal ones, of course) Malaysia out of an approximate population of about 234,600,000 (which represents 0.52%). Can Malaysia match Indonesia's 4% target as well which works out to about 9,284,000 Indonesian tourists?
Tags: Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia, Visit Malaysia Year 2007, Nila Tanzil, SCTV, Indonesia, Tengku Adnan, DetikINET, Tourist