Etihad Airplane Crashed!

With recession setting in, many countries have to cut down on training or war exercise. To avoid any ridicule from the citizens, air force armies in the world may just have to resort to mock trainings.

What to do? Hopefully this two fighter pilots will adapt to the real sky when required.


Airlines are trying to cut cost in whatever form. As a result, aircraft crews may not be trained properly to handle a sophisticated aircraft.

News leaked out in year Nov 2007 from the state of the art Airbus Technical Aircraft-on-ground Centre (AIRTAC) in Toulouse, France - the brand spanking new Airbus 340-600, the largest passenger airplane ever built, sat in its hangar in Toulouse, France without a single hour of airtime. Enter the Arab flight crew of Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT) on 15 November 2007 to conduct pre-delivery tests on the ground, such as engine run-ups, prior to delivery to Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi.

The ADAT crew taxied the A340-600 to the run-up area. Then they took all four engines to take-off power with a virtually empty aircraft. Not having read the run-up manuals, they had no clue just how light an empty A340-600 really is.

The take-off warning horn was blaring away in the cockpit because they had all 4 engines at full power. The aircraft computers thought they were trying to take-off but it had not been configured properly (flaps/slats, etc.). Then one of the ADAT crew decided to pull the circuit breaker on the Ground Proximity Sensor to silence the alarm.

This fooled the aircraft into thinking it was in the air.

The computers automatically released all the brakes and set the aircraft rocketing forward. The ADAT crew had no idea that this is a safety feature so that pilots can't land with the brakes on.

Not one member of the seven-man Arab crew was smart enough to throttle back the engines from their max power20setting, so the $200 million brand-new aircraft crashed into a blast barrier, totalling it.

The extent of injuries to the crew is unknown, for there has been a news blackout in the major media in France and elsewhere. Coverage of the story was deemed insulting to Arabs. Finally, the photos are starting to leak out.....

Realising the big effect on the airline, Etihad Airways has set out new year resolutions for year 2008.

The new year resolutions paid off really well and it shows. Just for year 2008, major travel / airline awards poured in for them.

Hahahahahahaha ......... caught you! Every part of this blog post is real including the air crash except for the main story depicting how it happened.

You have to read this piece of news - Etihad says Toulouse crash will not slow route growth - Gulf News to understand the real story.

Tags: Air Force, Airbus 340-600, AIRTAC, Airbus Technical Aircraft-on-ground Centre, Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies, ADAT, Abu Dhabi, Toulouse, France, Ground Proximity Sensor, Arab, Travel Award, Airline Award

State Governments Hiring Bloggers

When I first started my blog way back at end June 2006, it was due to 'boring' time being stucked in Sudan. Lots of time to think but can't do much. So, out came a blog of mine.

I started to inform my friends that I have a blog too ......... (told them excitedly as if I was amongst the first bloggers) ...........

Some questioned me as to what I'll be writing in my blog as it's like a personal diary. Some said that I will get bored along the way. Some asked sarcastically on whether I was trying to emulate Jeff Ooi .......... dig up dirt swept under the carpet.

The blogosphere is growing really fast. The blogs somehow bloomed further during the run-up to Malaysia's twelfth general election held in Mar 2008. Lots of people got hooked up with bloggers' postings.

Blogging is not going to end and neither will I get bored with it. How can I get bored with it when the state of Pahang and Perak are getting themselves involved too. The respective state governments are hiring bloggers to make right the misconceptions made believed by respective opposition parties / mainstream media (who's always bias towards the present government).

In Pahang (ruled by the present ruling party in the government), the state will hire three bloggers who have retired. They'll be provided with paid allowances, computers and internet access in their homes. If these three are successful, more bloggers will be sourced. Pensioners / retirees - hear this - email your cv to Pahang's Information, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin (a state assemblyman of Lanchang).
Reading: Pahang govt recruits pensioners as bloggers - Star

In Perak (ruled by the opposition party), has up the challenge against Pahang's move. They have co-ordinated with the Perak Blogger Association to engage with twenty six bloggers. Tried to google for this association but to no avail. Is this association for real or just to show off to Pahang? Where to send your cv if you are interested? You could try your luck with Anuar Hashim, press secretary of the Perak Chief Minister.
Reading: Perak sets up blogger secretariat - Edge Daily

Really looking forward to read what this group of 'state bloggers' are going to post in their respective blogs. Or they just blog hop to scrutinise and report to police on malicious / defamation blogs? Ain't the blogosphere getting interesting day by day?
Tags: Blog, Blogosphere, Blogger, Personal Diary, Pahang, Perak, Blogger Secretariat, Perak Blogger Association

Turkish Meal in Sudan

Was a bit tired to cook and we opt to eat out. Thought of this Turkish restaurant by the name of Aspawa Restaurant which is about seven minutes' drive from our home.

At 8.14pm, the external temperature was still at 31 degree celcius. But cool wind has started to blow and winter is setting in.

They have ceiling fans and air-conds (more of air blower) but you won't feel the cold effect. The owners are from Turkey and you could the son's (in 40s) sitting at the cashier counter (more of stucked at the seat). He'll be taking down the orders so that he could record the amount for each table. Not that it was packed but that's the boss.


His father would be chatting away with his friend at another table, enjoying life. We were baffled as to how this Turkish family has landed in Sudan, which is quite far. They have managed to settle down here and opened up a eatery.

Their menu showing the the kind of food that a Turkish restaurant may serve.

Prost Chicken??? What's that? BTW, it's roast chicken and the price for one whole chicken is 30 Sudanese Pound. Yeah, that's a solid US$15 for one chicken. Out of stock anyway.

We ordered two Grill Chicken Half - 15 Sudanese Pound.

Simple setting in the restaurant ..... just like a restaurant in a small town back home. Over four years of travelling to Sudan, this restaurant has not changed at all.

Our meals came about fifteen minutes later and we ordered a mixed salad too, Sudanese style of course. This salad is to eaten by dipping your bread into it.

Solid grill ................ right into the bone ........ became Charcoal Chicken now. This is Sudan, just thank God that there is reasonable food here.

Total cost for the dinner for two guys - 36 Sudanese Pound (US$18).
Tags: Aspawa Restaurant, Turkish Restaurant, Prost Chicken, Roast Chicken, Grill Chicken, Charcoal Chicken, Mixed Salad

Chinese Goods Not Good

My favourite pork luncheon meat brand the is Ma Ling brand and Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority has detected cancer-causing antibiotic in samples taken for lab test.

Shanghai Ma Ling B2 pork luncheon meat was found to have traces of nitrofurans. This nitrofurans is fed to pigs to treat illnesses and is carcinogenic / cancer causing too. My ............. the diehard fans of this Ma Ling ........ to comfort you on the health scare ....... you won't suffer anything unless you have consumed this luncheon meat regularly, sufficient amount and on long term basis. Otherwise, you are safe.

For Singaporeans, they have to look for alternative brands as Ma Ling has been banned since Aug 2007. I can still see it in Malaysia stores .......... Malaysia's stocks are special made?

Then, next item detected with extraordinary item is the Pai Fong Wan (also known as the Double Swan Brand Pai FongWan by Hua Tai Trading Co.).

Singapore's Ministry of Health managed to detect the said proprietary medicine containing mercury exceeding the permissible limit of 0.5 ppm.


I have seen my parents taking this medicine long time ago. They are still well. I think the mercury made them stronger ... haha. Not too sure whether such medicine is found in Malaysia.

Excessive consumption of this medicine could lead to complications such as abdominal pain, vomiting, bloody diarrhoea and fatal convulsions.

Reading: No luncheon meat? No can do - Asia One

Tags: Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority, Shanghai Maling, Nitrofurans, Pig, Pork Luncheon Meat, Pai Fong Wan, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Double Swan Brand Pai Fong Wan

Rich Sudanese's Property

On the way to a meeting, we noticed a mobile concrete pump vehicle was pumping wet concrete up to the 2nd floor of a building that is being constructed nearby our home.

They could be constructing a low rise flat there but to use a concrete pump vehicle is really exclusive.

It is really costly in hiring such vehicle. That must be a rich Sudanese's property. Of course it's much faster by employing such vehicle as the pumping rate is so much faster compared to bringing the wet concrete up to the designated floor by human strength.

If the construction was done properly without any delay, money saved in using concrete pumps far outweighs the cost of hiring the pump.

In the city itself, lots of low rise flats or apartments are being constructed to meet the influx of foreigners. It's not cheap renting a flat or apartment that normally comes semi-furnished, ranging from US$2,000 to US$4,000 per month. And you need to pay one year of rental in advance. Unless you are good in negotiation, you could request for six months rental instead.

I got myself a mobile phone line under Zain Prepaid. Cost me 10 Sudanese Pound that comes with a free 5 Sudanese Pound calling time.

Tags: Low Rise Flat, Apartment, Mobile Concrete Pump Vehicle, Prepaid Line, Zain Prepaid

Legal Method in Earning Extra

A man went to his lawyer and told him, "My neighbour owes me $500 and he doesn't want to pay up. What should I do?"

"Do you have any proof?", asked the lawyer. "Nope," replied the man.

"Okay, then write him a letter asking him for the $1,000 he owes you," said the lawyer. "But it's only $500!" replied the man.

"Precisely, that's what he will reply and we will have the proof we need," said the lawyer.

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The professor of a Contract Law class asked one of his better students, "If you were to give someone an orange, how would you go about it?" The student replied, "Here's an orange." The professor was outraged. "No! No! Think like a lawyer!"

The student then replied, "Ok. I will tell him - "I hereby give and convey to you all and singular, my estate and interests, rights, claim, title and advantages of and in, said orange, together with all its rind, juice, pulp and seeds, and all rights and advantages with full power to bite, cut, freeze and otherwise eat, the same, or give the same away with and without the pulp, juice, rind and
seeds, anything herein before and hereinafter or in any deed, or deeds, instruments of whatever nature or kind whatsoever to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding.

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A dog ran into a butcher shop and grabbed a roast off the counter. Fortunately, the butcher recognised the dog as belonging to a neighbour of his. The neighbour happened to be a lawyer.

Incensed at the theft, the butcher called up his neighbour and said, "Hey, if your dog stole a roast from my butcher shop, would you be liable for the cost of the meat?" The lawyer replied, "Of course, how much was the roast?" "$7.98."

A few days later the butcher received a cheque in the mail for $7.98. Attached to it was an invoice that read: 'Legal Consultation Service: $150'.

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The lawyer's son wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, so he went to law school. He graduated with Honours, and then went home to join his father's legal firm.

At the end of his first day at work he rushed into his father's office, and said, "Father, you know what, in one day I managed to solve the accident case that you've been working on for 10 years!"

His father responded: " You idiot, we lived on the funding of that case for 10 years!"
Tags: Lawyer, Contract Law, Funny, Humour, Jokes, Legal Firm, Legal Consultation Service

Defiled Packaged Drinking Water in Malaysia

All I can say is Malaysia's food and drinks are not that safe as compared to the China situation.

It was reported in Star newspaper that inspections were conducted at various companies involved in packaged drinking water business and the results were as follows:-

* 8 companies - licence cancelled for not meeting requirements
* 15 companies - licence suspended for 1 month
* 12 companies - unlicensed
* 3 companies - issued closure notices for unsatisfactory cleanliness level

This is not just unsatisfactory but this is very ALARMING!

Worse still, the Health Ministry do not disclose any of the companies' names and kept it under the carpet. Why can't the ministry disclose those companies that don't follow the requirements that have been set. They have already breached the requirements and the public has the right to know what's safe for consumption. By naming them, it will make the whole industry to buck up and be on their toes in the future.

The companies knew from day one that in order to produce such packaged drinking water, certain requirements must be followed but yet they ran foul of it.

Is the Health Ministry scared of some of those directors, like being members of certain political parties? Or being paid off to shut up?

This is no joke when those companies were meted with those punishments under the Food Regulations 1985 and Food Act 1983.

This is Malaysia. They wait for someone to die first before they mete out any heavier penalty or punishment.
Tags: Health Ministry, Packaged Drinking Water, Malaysia, Food Regulations 1985, Food Act 1983