Healthy Breakfast

One of those days that I thought of a healthy breakfast. Most of the time will wallop the butter or margarine on toasted bread with chunky peanut butter on it.

I did buy one of this supposedly healthy crunchy bar (hopefully not tainted anyhow), the Nature Valley. Bought it for RM10.50 that comes with twelve crunchy granola bars of peanut butter.

This product is one of the sponsors for the PGA Tour golf tournament in the USA. They regard this food product as energy food. It was because of this branding tie up that helped me to decide in trying it.

After opening up and biting it, I don't find the crunchiness as stated on the packaging. Maybe you need to eat it fresh.

It was crunchy but you need to bite real hard to have a piece of it. Do you call that crunchie? Hehe

Disappointed with it.

Tags: Nature Valley, Peanut Butter, Energy Bar, Crunchy Granola Bars, Whole Grain, PGA Tour

The Economics of Blogging

Haven't started a blog yet? A blog was known as weblog in the early days when one of its main function was like a personal diary or to jot down important events or notes for reminder purposes. As time progresses, more people are being exposed to blogs that are hosted by a number of blog platforms.

In Taiwan, blogging is already on a different level. Of course, socio-political bloggers were there long time ago and still around but Taiwanese bloggers are going full time nowadays. Not only that, money is rolling into their bank accounts for blogging.

What do the Taiwanese bloggers do? They worked hard to promote instant food, cosmetics, 3C, travel trips and anything that can be sold. To the extent that in the recent launching of the McDonalds Taiwan new hamburger in Oct 08, there was a need to get three well-known bloggers to taste and blog about the hamburger which was not an option.

The internet advertising agency that handled the McDonalds Taiwan's new hamburger advertisement recruited hundreds of writers to blog about the hamburger to spread the news in a much faster pace.

A known Taiwanese food blogger, 迴紋針, took the opportunity to write about the hamburger but wrote a blog against the product instead. As her blog was well read, the advertising agency has to call her to revise her blog post to which she declined to do so. Personal blog, so personal comments about the hamburger.

Such marketing tactics are known as "blog marketing" or "blog economy" where it is one of the most popular jobs in a time of recession.

Interactive Communications, one of the top five communication agencies, is helping their clients to promote their products via bloggers. End results, sales was twice as much as the initial target. Why blog marketing? Reason number one is that the costs are low and the effects are directly measurable. It was estimated that there are about 200 'blogging spokesperson' campaigns every year.

In Malaysia, there is already a column in the Star newspaper reserved blogger columnist Nicole Tan who usually writes about her travels, happenings around Malaysia, internet shopping or about the blogosphere and bloggers. This is just the beginning for bloggers.

I know of a number of bloggers who are usually invited to attend product launches, events or opening of restaurants or boutiques. The bloggers do not receive payments but free trial products instead. Of course, some full time bloggers do get paid for writing about those functions. Taiwanese bloggers do get paid up to NT$10,000 per blog post. Not too sure what's the market rate in Malaysia.

The world is changing and direct marketing efforts are considering bloggers as the new media era. I have something up in my brain already and have spoken to a hotel in Kuala Lumpur in which bloggers could assist. Can't do much as I'm in Sudan right now.

Besides having a Public Relations Department, companies should be thinking of Bloggers Relations Programme in time to come. Mark my words!
(some of above info was sourced from China Times)
Tags: Weblog, Full Time Blogger, Freelance Blogger, Taiwanese Bloggers, Blog Marketing, Blog Economy, Interactive Communications, Nicole Tan, Bloggers Relations Programme, Internet Advertising Agency

Police to Race Against Other Drivers

Malaysian policemen are a lucky lot as they will have the opportunity to drive the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution on the roads in weeks to come while test drives are being conducted.

* Engine Type: 2.0-liter (1,998 cc) turbocharged inline-4, aluminum-alloy block and head (4B11)
* Valvetrain: DOHC, 16-valve with Mitsubishi Innovative Valve-timing Electronic Control (MIVEC)
* Horsepower / Torque: 291 hp @ 6,500 rpm / 300 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm

The police contingency is willing to spend millions of ringgit to purchase twenty five of such powerful racing cars. Let's see, one of this car has a price list of RM323,888. Twenty five of them will cost us, the taxpayers, RM8,097,200.

So ......... the money saved by the government in petrol subsidies will be spent in this way ... indirectly benefitting the public as policemen will be able to nab all those criminals as they can't escape this time ......... haha

Justified?

Reasons for buying, as given by Inspector-General of Police - "to be used in high-speed car chase, especially in cases of carjacking, kidnapping and hi­­jacking. The speed of the cars would enable the police to catch up with criminals who often used modified turbo charged cars to escape."

I find that reason from the Inspector-General of Police quite disturbing.

Malaysia do not have many super highways and normally high-speed car chase happens on city roads or rural areas. If the police starts to chase after such criminals and the criminals, out of panic and desperation, will be crashing all over the place and knocking into other cars or worse still, into people. Such scenario could be seen in action-packed movies.

Don't fret, the citizens of Malaysia, as you will have a chance too by year 2010. Our national car manufacturer, Proton Holdings Berhad ("Proton"), has decided to execute a development agreement to manufacture a new motor vehicle. Both Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn Bhd (subsidiary company of Proton) and Mitsubishi Motors Corp of Japan will roll out a replacement car for the ageing Proton Waja model. The new car will be a hatchback and targetted to be on the road in year 2010.

Upon reading this, I think I'll postpone my plan in getting a new car ......... Too bad you can't speed with the new hatchback as the police will be watching you with their new racing car ............... hehehe.

And in comparison with other developed countries' police cars, I'll be proud to show off my country's future police car.
Tags: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Inspector-General of Police, Proton Holdings Berhad, Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn Bhd, Mitsubishi Motors Corp, Proton Waja, Police Car

Which Plastic Is Safer?

We have heard / read that the plastic product is not good if used too frequently or certain plastic products could withstand longer usage. How are we to differentiate?

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can leach phthalates, known male reproductive toxicants. It can be identified by code 3. One way to avoid it in the kitchen is by choosing plastic wrap made from polyethylene rather than PVC. If a box is not labeled, find a brand that is or call the manufacturer.

Polystyrene is used in Styrofoam products. It may leach styrene (a neurotoxin) when it comes into contact with hot, acidic, or fatty foods. It's marked with recycling code 6.


Polycarbonate can leach bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor associated with a long list of health concerns. Baby bottles, "sippy" cups, 5-gallon water jugs, and reusable beverage bottles are typically made out of this plastic. Products may be marked with recycling code 7 and/or the letters "PC." It’s important to note that some containers that aren’t made from polycarbonate may also be marked with a code 7 because the category also includes any plastic that doesn’t fit into the 1 to 6 recycling code categories.

The following plastics are considered safest for food storage but still not encouraged (glass and stainless steel are better options):-

Polyethylene terephthalate ethylene (PETE), code 1.



High-density polyethylene (HDPE), code 2.



Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), code 4.



Polypropylene (PP), code 5.



Here are some tips for using all plastics safely:-
* Don't microwave food in plastic containers. Chemicals are more likely to leach out when plastic is heated. "Microwaveable plastic" doesn't guarantee that chemicals won't leach. Cover foods in the microwave with wax paper or a plate. If you do use plastic wrap, then make sure it doesn't touch the food.

* Avoid putting hot foods in plastic containers. Let leftovers cool off before storing them in plastic.

* Take good care of plastics by not washing them with harsh chemicals, and dispose of scratched and worn containers. Research has shown that older, scratched items will leach more. Don't put them in the dishwasher if you want to be completely risk-averse.

Reading: Institute for Agricultural and Trade Policy
(The above posting has been extracted from Yahoo Green)
Tags: Plastic, Polyethylene, Plastic Container, Polycarbonate, Polystyrene

Watch Made Beyond Its Purpose

Nowadays, watchmakers are making watches beyond its purpose or usage. Only way to differentiate themselves from other watchmakers, each party will manufacture a watch to claim the title of the most complicated watchmaker.

Romain Jerome, a Geneva watchmaking house, has manufactured a watch that doesn't tell time. Now, why would you want to buy something that is called a watch but doesn't tell its time.

The watch is called Day&Night which has two tourbillons working in sequence, one during the 12-hour-day, and the other during the 12-hour-night. During the first twelve hours, only the Day tourbillon will move. It will stop moving after twelve hours and hand over the movement to the Night tourbillon. Selling price - US$300,000.

Just when I thought the first one was complicated, out comes another weird piece.

Manufactured by both Romain Jerome and Cabestan, only six pieces are out in the market. Wondering whether all six have been sold or still being displayed at retail shops.

This watch was made to pay homage to the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Antarctic and Arctic Oceans. The last piece, where tiny weeny parts of the Titanic ship were used, was to commemorate Titanic's shipwreck site i.e. 41° 43’ 55’’ N et 49° 56’ 45’’ W. Such a weird looking timepiece could easily fetch US$173,000.

This watch really makes sense to me now. You see the hour arm at last. François-Paul Journe's La Sonnerie Souveraine but surprisingly this watch has a grand sonnerie, or full strike, which sounds the hours and quarters at each quarter, and a petite sonnerie which sounds only the hour at the hour and the quarters at the quarters. It also has an extremely complicated minute repeater.

Selling price - US$544,000. This is crazy!







So by looking at those prices, I definitely can't afford any of it and can only dream about it. Even if I could have afford it, I may not put US$500,000 on my hand. Why? Because not many people will know what kind of brand are those .......... hehe

My aim is much lower - the Oris Williams F1 Team Chronograph 2008. Nothing unique on this model but it's an automatic winding chronograph that is big in size, 45mm in diameter.

Wondering what's the price in Malaysia?

The joke is that people on the street won't be able to differentiate whether your watch is originally authentic or not. Some friends mentioned that buying a fake one is just as good. The only thing you want to know is ............. simple ............. the time, that was the main purpose.

Reading: Watchmakers pushing the limits - International Herald Tribune
Tags: Watch, Watchmaker, Geneva Watchmaking House, Swiss Made, Swiss Watch, Romain Jerome, Day&Night, Titanic-DNA by Cabestan, Cabestan, François-Paul Journe, La Sonnerie Souveraine, Oris, Oris Williams F1 Team Chronograph 2008

Project Gift a Kid

Bloggers in Malaysia are again at the forefront, this time in Kuala Lumpur itself. I'm proud to blog about this project brought up by AllMalaysian Bloggers Project team who is assisting Rotaract Club of Kuala Lumpur in bringing gifts to underprivileged kids.

The Rotaract Club of Kuala Lumpur is sourcing for funds to purchase back-to-school materials, school books, stationery, uniforms for underprivileged kids who are 6 to 15 years old for the coming school year.

The project is called Project Gift A Kid. Primarily, kids from:-

* Rumah WAKE 1 (a home for HIV+ children and their affected siblings under the Pertubuhan Wanita dan Kesihatan Kuala Lumpur); and

* Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil) Cheras (many of the children come from the surrounding low-cost flats and squatter areas and most cannot afford school uniforms let alone school fees) will benefit in this project.

High cost of living has hit many Malaysian families. If you have been voicing your dissatisfaction against the government for not managing or controlling the country's inflation, this is the time where you can do something.

It's Christmas season again and a time of giving. Why not bring a smile to the school kids. Let them have hope in their studies and you could be sponsoring a kid that will bring glory to Malaysia in the future.

Browse through the Project Gift A Kid blog and find out how you can sponsor as little as RM10 or up to RM150. Your grand dinner at top restaurant would have cost more than that easily. Why not sacrifice that one good meal to allow a kid to study for a whole year.

As for Malaysian bloggers, you could play a big role too. You could help out by blogging out loud to the world and letting people from all walks of life to contribute to this project. In addition to that, each blogger who blog about this project will indirectly sponsor one kid to go for a movie at the courtesy of United International Pictures ("UIP").

Sponsorship method:-

* Get in touch with Kavita (016-259 3818), Anu (016-254 6995) or Sumitra (012-246 9109) or email rotaract_kl@yahoo.com.sg to get a sponsorship form(s).

* All payments can be made via cash or cheque written to “ROTARACT CLUB OF KUALA LUMPUR” to the people listed above.

* Closing date for sponsorships is December 25, 2008.

Or,

* Return the sponsorship form(s) to Star Publications (M) Bhd between Dec 15 and 18, at the following address - Menara Star, Phileo Damansara II, 15 Jalan 16/11, 46350, Petaling Jaya.

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In blogging for the above, bloggers will be rewarded with a chance to win something for their efforts. Take a look at the UIP Caption Contest. For the contest, I chose to blog about the Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging movie.

Four kids were watching their friend's moves, who lost in a bet, who had to dress up in a fruit dressing walking through the town market.

Older folks was talking about her dressing and flashlights from cameras and camera phone nearly blinded her eyesight.

At the end of the day, she is convinced that the controversial yoga will clear her mind of from those laughing, jeering and the embarassment that she went through.

Tags: Project Gift A Kid, AMBP, AllMalaysian Bloggers Project, Rotaract Club of Kuala Lumpur, Rumah WAKE 1, Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil) Cheras, Universal International Pictures, UIP, UIP Caption Contest, Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging

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