Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Airbus A380

Airbus A380 - first flight opened to selected public, mainly reporters, travel critics, potential/existing airlines customers and cronies...hehe

Wondering which class are they showing us in this pictures.
This is definitely the Business Class. Would be very sure that the people in this section would have given a good rating. Most of the airlines would advertise how good are their First/Business classes, the sort of comfort, design, space or service available for their passengers. What about the Economy Class passengers? They didn't pay for their airfares?
The food selection should be nice especially when you are being watched on the first flight. Must keep their mouth 'shut'.
ah.........makes me sleepy now....yawnnnnn
Just as the first flight was being monitored by stakeholders, another A380 unit is being re-designed and re-decorated internally by a rich magnate. Imagine an A380 could fit in hundreds of passengers but this rich magnate was trying to cater this airplane for his entourage only.
First class furnitures & fittings! You won't feel the jet lag in this plane.
Really exclusive. Just like the Flying Palace that I was blogging about.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Energy Pod

Ever thought of taking a nap in office especially those minutes after a heavy lunch? Well, Metronaps has came out with a superb invention to allow people to be rejuvenated in a short 20 minutes powernap. It's called the EnergyPod.
Thought of getting one for your home? Forget it, get a bed instead for your house. It would be nice if the office has the EnergyPod but I guessed every colleague would be making a beeline at the EnergyPod too.
It will cost you (most probably not you) or your office a small dent, US$8,000 to own it. You won't oversleep in this EnergyPod as after 20 minutes, it will trigger a vibration and acoustic alarm.

Spiderman at the Rescue Again

What will happen if Spiderman was not around. He's in Malaysia too.

Voice Message from "Malaysian High Court"

Received this via an email where it tells us of suspicious calls from the Malaysian High Court and Malaysia's police headquarters asking for your personal banking details relating it to a scam purportedly linked to your banking accounts. Is it another scam? Or one of those Urban Legends?

Dear family members and friends,
I am writing this e-mail to warn all of you. This is what happen to me on 18th May 2007 at 10.00am. The phone rang and I answer, a voice message stated that the call is from the Malaysian High Court mentioning that i have a case to attend at the KL High Court.

Rather curious of what sort of case i have, so i press 9 to talk to the operator. The operator speaks very 'slow english' if you know what i mean. She insist that i must give her my name and ic (identity card) no. in order for her to check what sort of case i have. I hold on for a few seconds and she ask me if that is really my ic no. I confirmed and she also confirmed that i have a case to attend. She says that she will faxed the document over to Bukit Aman Police station and the officer will call me in 3 minutes.

So i hung up, through enough i received the call less than 2 minutes. He announced himself as Yeoh Long Wah from Bukit Aman police station. He ask me a lot of questions and say the criminal have use my ic detail to open bank account in Maybank and Public Bank in Negeri Sembilan.

He then ask me whether i have a bank account in Maybank and Public Bank. I told him that i have a Public Bank a/c. He says that i have to answer his questions honestly so that he can help me with my case. The questions he ask like have you lost yr ic before, did you hand over yr ic to anybody for documentaion and how much money u have in yr a/c I told him i cannot reveal the amount in my account and that i will meet him in Bukit Aman police station.

He says fine and meet him before 4pm and gave me the phone no 03-77826222. I rang my lawyer and ask for advise. She ask me to fix the appointment with the so call police on Sat or Monday since today is Friday and mosque day. I called the no 77826222 and the police answer telling me that this is not Bukit Aman police station but police station in Old Klang Road. I told the police the problem and he told me to launch a police report in Subang Jaya police station because they have been receiving a lot of these calls from people.

I went to Public Bank to freeze all my a/c for the time being. I am sharing all these with you so that you will not go through the trauma i went through.

From: Kam Yuen Chan
18/5/07
Tags: Scam, Hoax, High Court, Bukit Aman, Kam Yuen Chan, Yeoh Long Wah

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Controversial Penalty on Subway Users

With the merging of both MTR Corporation (urban mass transit railway system) and Kowloon-Canton Railway (railway service between Hong Kong and southern China), the new management for the new entity (upon merger) may issue new by-laws for commuters. Both MTR and KCRC control a large section of the public transportation. By merging these 2 transportation companies, economics of scale will benefit them.

The lawmakers in Hong Kong are now worried with the new proposal as it may cause lots of Honkies to be jailed and this may 'derail' the merger plan. I think the new by-laws should be implemented in Malaysia as well but the same issue will arise - many Malaysians will be jailed/penalised as Malaysians' conduct are not as good also. What are the new by-laws like????

Here goes the list (exchange rate approx. HK$1,000 = US$130):-
* HK$5,000 plus 6 months' imprisonment for use of foul language;
* HK$5,000 plus 3 months in jail for loitering, busking or transporting pets;
* maximum fine of HK$2,000 for queue jumping;
* HK$5,000 fine and 6 months' imprisonment for unauthorized structures;
* HK$5,000 fine for the wrong use of ticket-vending machines;
* HK$5,000 fine for failure to obey directions inside a train carriage;
* HK$5,000 fine for placing feet on seats;
* HK$5,000 fine and 6 months' imprisonment for causing a fire hazard;
* HK$5,000 fine for playing a musical instrument or radio or cassette recorder;
* HK$5,000 for taking on board prohibited items;
* HK$5,000 for entering or exiting by improper means;
* HK$5,000 and 6 months' jail for soliciting for handling goods or luggage;
* HK$5,000 and 3 months' jail for displaying unauthorized materials or loitering; and
* HK$5,000 and 6 months' jail for flying objects endangering operations.

After reading the above, am I correct that lots of Malaysians will cry if such by-laws are implemented here as well. At times, people will only act properly when they know that they'll be penalised heavily otherwise who cares! The above new by-laws will require Hong Kong's lawmakers' approval before it can be implemented that will affect the general public. 6 June 2007 - the D-day for the decision.
Tags: Hong Kong, MTR Corporation, Kowloon-Canton Railway, KCRC, Urban Transport, Mass Transit Railway, Railway, Lawmakers, Economics of Scale

Broadway Parodies Lah!

Another broadyway show in store for Malaysia? Yeah, why not. This broadway performance will be staged from 24 May to 3 June. Catch it when you can at The Actors Studio, Bangsar Shopping Centre.

Malaysian Spoofs of Songs from the Musicals. With sikit pinjam konsep from the Western "Forbidden Broadway" spoofshow, The Actors Studio proudly presents "Broadway Parodies Lah!", a rich rojak of slices of Malaysian life garnished with a big splash of humour and served up on a platter of great songs. And with a hugely talented cast, fantastic Broadway style choregraphy and both live and computer sequenced musical backing, BPL is a Malaysian feast of spoofs that is sure to fill your stomachs with laughter!

Sample Song Titles:-
Chicken with the Chili on Top ("Surrey with the Fringe") / Bodoh Lah ("Do Re Mi")
Damansara ("Oklahoma!") / Hello Datin ("Hello Dolly")
The Bomoh of the Bursa ("The Phantom of the Opera") / We Must Play Golf All Day ("I Could Have Danced All Night")

Musicals Production Director and Writer: Brian McIntyre
Conceived by: Jason Cheong and Edna Tan / Executive Producer: Datuk Faridah Merican
Artistic Director: Joe Hasham / Choreography: Farah Sulaiman
Featuring: *Douglas Lim (actor, comedian - Kopitiam, Broken Bridges)
*Joanne Kam Poh Poh (veteran performer and comedienne, Broken Bridges)
*Doreen Tang (delightful voice! M! The Opera, numerous shows)
*Ho Soon Yoon (actor, singer [Broken Bridges], conductor [In The Mood])
*Sabrina Hassan (TV and stage performer - Anjung Budi, PGL)
*Kyra Dani (TV and stage actress - Each Other, Forum)
*Glamorique Arshad (veteran performer - Mikado, Stand and Deliver, Jalan Impian)
*Cheryl Tan (terrific young talent, huge voice - Six Characters in Search)
*Ivan Choong (tremendous new vocal talent)

Friday, May 25, 2007

Virtual Cops

A local county in Chengdu of China has set up a Virtual Cop Department just to monitor the citizen's daily internet access to ensure that no dissident group will go against the government or any violation of speech/write up against the constitution or too much of pornography. Below is the Dujiangyan county 's advertisement in search for Virtual Cops that will sit in front of pc monitors day in day out to catch such people. The respective cop will be known as Skynet Monitory Manager. (source: Danwei)

Dujiangyan, locatedin Dujiangyan Personnel Bureau
Dujiangyan Public Security Bureau
Notice about recruitment of professional "Skynet" monitoring managers

Work needs require the recruitment of 96 professional "Skynet" monitor manager; pertinent information is included below:-
1. Position name
Professional 'Skynet' monitoring manager, 96 individuals (10 women)

2. Recruitment scope and target
Any individuals with a vocational diploma or higher (recognized by the State Education Commission), who is a long-term resident of Dujiangyan and who fits the position requirements and the registration conditions may apply.

3. Basic conditions for the candidate
(a) Possess PRC citizenship and a citizen's political rights;
(b) Support CPC leaders; love socialism;
(c) Respect the law, have an upright character, dedicated to work, and possessed of a spirit of serving the people;
(d) Men must be at least 1.68 meters tall; women at least 1.55 meters. In good health with all five senses; no communicable diseases; not hard of hearing; no internal hemorrhoids; age between 20 and 30; unassisted vision at least 4.8;
(e) Must know Mandarin, be able to use a calculator;
(f) Individuals who fit any of the following may not apply:-
i. Been subject to criminal punishment, public security penalties, reform through labor, or juvenile discipline;
ii. Been subject to administrative discipline or who have had their status revoked;
iii. Currently the subject of an unresolved criminal investigation;
iv. Immoral, or have engaged in improper acts such as hooliganism or peeping;
v. Have a close relative, or a distant relative who has been a major life influence, who has been sentenced to death or who has engaged in overseas activities to topple the government;
vi. Have a close relative, or a distant relative who has been a major life influence, who is the subject of an unresolved criminal investigation.

4. Registration and review of qualifications
(a) Registration time and placeRegistration time: 2007/04/16-20; place: PSB reception room
(b) Registration materialsApplicants must bring their residential ID card, their household registration, their diploma, unemployment card, discharge certificate (original), two photos (bare-headed 1 cm) to the designated place at the designated time and must fill in the Contractual Professional "Skynet" Monitoring Manager Qualification Inspection Form (two copies) for review.

5. Tests and administrative review
(a) Recruits should come to the registration location on 24 April 2007 to confirm their review status and obtain a test certificate.
(b) Computer exam will be held on 25 April 2007.
(c) Culture exam will be held on 28 April 2007.
(d) Physical checkup will be held on 8 May 2007.
(e) Interview will be held in one session on 11 May 2007.
(f) Group inspection will be held on 16 May 2007.
(g) Interviews, administrative review, and test results will be announced on 21 May 2007.

6. Contract signing
(a) For candidates who pass review by the administrators, the test, and the interview, a contract will be signed between the employer and the recruit.
(b) The probationary contract will last three months. At the end of the three month probation, satisfactory recruits will sign a formal employment contract. If within the probationary period there are violations, the employer may refuse the offer contingent on the specific situation.
(c) The contract comes in three copies and is prepared by the municipal personnel bureau. The contract lasts for one year; at the end of the contract period the employer will determine on the basis of work conditions whether to extend the contract; should the employer decide not to extend the contract, or should the employee wish to resign, then things will be handled according to the contract stipulations. Disputes will be resolved according to state law and relevant departmental regulations.

7. Salary and benefits (interesting part!)
Monthly salary; retirement, medical, and unemployment insurance (according to relevant national regulations, paid by the employer).
Salary: wages contingent on performance assessment; holiday and overtime wages; uniform fees.
Total: 1,300 per person per month. [96 x 1,300 x 12 mths = 1,497,600 yuan per county. If China was to implement this in all their 2,000 counties, it would cost China 1,497,600 x 2,000 = 2,995,200,000 yuan (equivalent to abt US$440.0 million) per annum]

For the latest information, please inquire at the Dujiangyan Municipal Personnel Bureau and Public Security Bureau: Tel: 87110896, 87112383, 87132216
2007.04.13 (seals of Dujiangyan Personnel Bureau, Dujiangyan Public Security Bureau)
Tags: China, Chengdu, Dujiangyan, Virtual Cop, Dujiangyan Personnel Bureau, Dujiangyan Public Security Bureau

Pattaya International Fireworks Festival

Pattaya is definitely firing up its presence internationally. Covid19 has hit many nations really hard and Pattaya wasn't exempted from ...