13..13...13

I was walking past the mental hospital the other day, and all the patients were shouting, '13....13....13'.

The fence was too high to see over, but I saw a little gap in the planks and looked through to see what was going on.

Someone poked me in the eye with a stick. Then they all started shouting

'14....14....14'....

Tags: Jokes, Funny, Humour, Mental Hospital

North-South Expressway - Usable?

Received the following write-up via the email. After reading the write-up, could frequent NSE users verify the scenario depicted below.

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Dear TV3 and the Star,

I am a frequent user of our North-South Expressway and I have this important experience to highlight and share:-

I was driving back to Penang yesterday afternoon (24 June 08) when I saw the unfortunate accident in the opposite direction involving the passenger bus that skidded and overturned at Tanjung Malim. I didn't know that the skidded bus was from hometown Penang until I watched TV3 news later in the evening and was shocked to learn that the accident took two lives.

Now, this is what I need to share:-

I am a building contractor with over twenty years of experience and I have been driving my 5 series BMW (latest generation and a dammed solid road holding car) each time I travelled to KL. Lately, the new extended 3 lanes highway had been opened up for use and since then, I have also been using it quite oftenly.

However, when I used it each time it is wet, I can really 'feel' that the new road surface is extremely slippery! To share with some of you, my car comes with a built-in traction control mechanism (skidding prevention mechanism) and you can feel it each time it is activated. Previously, I don't come across this kind of slippery feel except when I drive over a paddle of water at certain speed.

From my observation as a building contractor, the 'wearing course' of the new road surface could be too fine or too smooth and totally unsuitable for highway use! The wearing course (top premix layer) mix design for highways should be of minimum 20mm coarse aggregate mix that will give us the required bond between the surface and our tyres. Fine wearing course (14mm coarse aggregate size and below) is only suitable for normal road. (a proper test need to be carried out to determine the mix design of the wearing course).

Since the opening of the three lanes highway, I had seen cars skidding in front me or in the opposite direction and approximately 2 weeks ago, one of my friends who is also a frequent user of our NSE, came to share with me about his slippery feeling as well as the many skidded cars he had seen lately.

I am highlighting this to TV3 and the Star with the hope that a thorough investigation could be carried out immediately to find out how or what causes the bus to skid. A proper and independent test need to be carried out urgently to determine the design mix of the wearing course. This can save lives.

For those bcc recipients, please share this with all your friends. If you are using the new lanes and if it is wet, make sure you drive slowly!!!!

Regards,
Jensen Y, Penang.

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Giving a benefit of doubt to the expressway contractor, please rectify / check the situation. The company that is maintaining the expressway, PLUS, should be looking into this as well. Be pro-active, meaning - don't only act when a major accident happened at that stretch of the expressway.

Tags: North-South Expressway, TV3, Star, PLUS, Tanjung Malim, Skidding Prevention Mechanism, Built-In Traction Control Mechanism, Coarse Aggregate

World's 2nd Tallest Building

Was on leave on Thursday and needed to go to Public Bank Berhad to settle my home loan. Sent letters to them but no response at all. Forced me to go to their branch located opposite the Petronas Twin Towers.

Now, I'm waiting for Public Bank to fully execute my loan documentation in order for the loan to be disbursed to my housing developer by 5 August 2008. Thank God that the housing developer has granted me a three months' grace period for me to settle the home loan. But Public Bank is not helping me.

Two months have passed and the loan documentation is still not fully executed. What is going on with Public Bank? One week has passed after I have requested them to update me on the status but still no news.

On Monday I'll be faxing another letter to remind them. Putting up all this letters to put up a case against them in case the housing developer penalises me for late payment.

After Public Bank, I walked over to the Petronas Twin Towers. It's still the world's second tallest building right after Taiwan's Taipei 101.

When Burj Dubai is done, the Petronas Twin Towers will drop down the ranking to number three in the world.








Headed into its base which houses the KLCC Suria shopping centre. Just need to waste a bit of time while waiting for the Archidex 08 exhibition to start at 11am to be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. While in the shopping centre, I went straight to the post office in order to claim my rebate after having renewed my car's road tax two weeks ago. The thermal paper that came out from the machine reads "1062". Current number being served was 1020. Woooooooooooow! Waited for almost one hour.

All you need to do is to get a queueing number, fill in a designated form which requires your fullname / residential address / identity card number / car registration number, then wait, produce your original identity card, put your thumb print of the designated form and then the for RM625 will be handed over to you. Don't go and spend it. That's an advance payment for you to offset the hike in fuel price.

After settling the rebate, walked over to the convention centre via the underground passage. While at Archidex 08, I noticed this miniature project created by an architectural firm. Don't know whether the miniature buildings would be built or not. I have heard of this joke - Architects designed buildings where Engineers couldn't build. Don't know who's lousy in this case ..... hehe
Noticed that a number of those exhibitors were the same as those found in HomeDec '08. Nevertheless got a number of ideas in this exhibition and the total number of pamphlets that I have gotten almost broke my arm.

Another tiring day and went to Dome @ Suria KLCC to have my meal (lunch?). Good outcome anyway. Praying hard that all these housing materials' prices won't increase like mad.

Tags: HomeDec '08, Home Decoration, Home Renovation, Archidex '08, Architect, Suria KLCC, KLCC, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Petronas Twin Towers, Public Bank Berhad, Dome, Taipei 101, Burj Dubai

Changes Begin With Buying Nothing

Malaysia's Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations ("FOMCA") has decided to come up with a change of lifestyle programme that will help Malaysians to counter the effects of high inflation in the country.

Of course, the present government will still say that the present rate of inflation is around 3%. How stupid is that.

FOMCA's efforts in getting Malaysians to spend wisely is much appreciated. They would be organising a "Buy Nothing Day!" on 16 July 2008.

I find this programme not useful at all. Will by not buying anything help a Malaysian to have a better life? If this programme goes through and promoted effectively, it will cause the nation's shopowners and businessowners to suffer.

Instead of not buying anything at all, FOMCA should provide guidance on spending for the right amount of stuff when required instead of buying without control.

Reading: FOMCA declares 'Buy Nothing Day' on July 16 - Star
Tags: FOMCA, Change Begins With Me, Malaysia, Buy Nothing Day

Seeking Blood Donation for Type A+

Hi Everyone,

Thanks a lot for your kind efforts to locate type A+ blood for my father in-law's heart operation next Tuesday. If you have other friends who may want to volunteer, please spread the word and please find details as below:-

* Donor will have to go Subang Jaya Medical Centre ("SJMC") twice; first time for a test to check compatability (please go anytime before next Mon 12pm) and secondly on the morning of the operation.

* If you pass the blood test, actual donation will be next conducted next Tuesday morning 8-9am. Please be there early as procedures shall take about 15 minutes.

You may park your car in the hospital and inform the guard that you are there for blood donation for a heart operation (no charge). Mention patient's name, Khoo Siong Sing.

The blood bank is located on the 5th floor, Outpatient Centre, SJMC (Tel : 56391575)

Thanks to all,
Sharon Ong (not related to Johnny Ong but this request is REAL!)
Tags: Subang Jaya Medical Centre, SJMC, Outpatient Centre, A+ Blood, Khoo Siong Sing

Students Caught in Politics

How many of you has attended school reunion parties before? I haven't. Not that I don't have any friends from my previous schools, just that each time the function was held, it clashed with prior appointments. Anyway, not that it was a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig function, just a few of them that I have been in contact with ............ hehe

Imagine that you have been invited to a school reunion and you were supposed to give a speech. Just when the actual day was getting nearer, you have been told not to attend the function. Reason given was the students who had been organising the function have been threatened. What? Threatened? Gangsters controlling the school? What happened?

This was the case for Hannah Yeoh, the state assemblyman for Subang. She was invited to her former school's (of SMK Subang Utama) prefects' reunion that was to be held at a venue outside of the school premise. Present and past prefects were invited. She was to grace the event. Then out of a sudden, she was told that she has been barred from attending.

School prefects were warned not to allow her to attend. By whom? By teachers of the same school. What has gotten into the brains of these teachers? The teachers are so caring that they do not want their school's students to be corrupted at a young age? Maybe, maybe not.

One reason could be due to the function which comes under the school's prefects. Even though it was held outside of the school's premise, the school's name is being used. Unless of course, this was a private function, solely borne by the past and present prefects. Only then it's different story.

In that case, if we see any other 'politicians' involved in any functions involving school students, we will highlight it to proof that there was biasness against Hannah Yeoh. You know which group of 'politicians' I'm referring to.

I'm sure the students would be very confused by all this rulings or threats. You mean to say that all students are not supposed to deal with any politicians in their schooling years?

Or the school teachers received threats too from even higher authorities?

Reading: Banned From School Reunion? - Tony Pua

Related post - Opposition MPs Cannot Officiate School Functions
Tags: Hannah Yeoh, School Reunion, Prefects' Reunion, SMK Subang Utama, Malaysian Politics

Profit at the Expense of Consumers

To some people, smoking is fun and it brings that machoness or confidence to the smoker. Some are caught on it due to it being a habit. Some smoke as they are addicted to cigarettes. Some smoke when they can't handle work or personal pressures.

In the first place, when and how were you introduced to cigarettes?

Cigarette producing companies have to think of various ways to promote their cigarette brands worldwide and through means that won't incur public scorn. Various sporting venues have decided to do away with cigarette sponsorships due to respective countries' health laws. Stricter health laws have restricted public advertisements too.

In Africa, it seems that British American Tobacco was cited to have broken some marketing code when promoting their cigarette brands. They did their advertisements via indirect methods in Nigeria, Malawi and Mauritius:-

* providing sponsorship for a music event
* celebrities appearing at the music event wearing Embassy and Pall Mall branded goods
* painted shops the same colour as Matinee, one of their leading brands
* distributed to shops to make it easier for them to sell single cigarettes
* produced single cigarettes and showing the price of a single cigarette

In Malaysia, friends who have attended music events in Kuala Lumpur told me cigarette companies do distribute cigarettes freely to young teens at the music events. Not the small time cigarette companies mind you. They want you to be addicted to their cigarettes, that's the game.

Reading: Tobacco giant 'breaks youth code' - BBC News/Africa
Tags: Cigarette, Health, Tobacco, BAT, British American Tobacco, Cigarette Advertisement