The Ultimate Rejection Letter

If you dont succeed at an interview TRY THIS!
----------------------------
Herbert A. Millington Chair - Search Committee
412A Clarkson Hall
Whitson University College Hill
MA 34109 USA

Dear Professor Millington,

Thank you for your letter of March 16. After careful consideration, I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer mean assistant professor position in your department.

This year I have been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusuallylarge number of rejection letters. With such a varied and promising field of candidates, it is impossible for me to accept all refusals.

Despite Whitson's outstanding qualifications and previous experience in rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet my needs at this time. Therefore, I will assume the position of assistant professor in your department this August. I look forward to seeing you then.

Best of luck in rejecting future applicants.

Sincerely,
Chris L. Jensen
Tags: Rejection Letter, Assistant Professor, Funny, Humour, Jokes

Landmine Main Reason for Pageant

Landmines are devices planted into roads, sidewalks, vehicle paths or wherever you name it in countries where wars are occuring and had occurred.

Such landmines came in various designs and could come as Blast Mines or Fragmentation Mines. When such mines blew up, it would normally destroy any object within 1m to as far as 200m away.

Lots of people have been killed worldwide and if they were not killed, they would have been maimed for the rest of their lives.

Lots of works have yet to be done to eradicate these landmines and a global network called International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) which represents over 1,100 human rights, demining, humanitarian, children's, veterans', medical, development, arms control, religious, environmental, and women's groups in over 60 countries, who work locally, nationally, regionally, and internationally to ban antipersonnel landmines.

In Angola, the government is working hand-in-hand with several local organisations and the European Union in coming up with the Miss Landmine Angola 2008 pageant (see the website on the contestant's profile).




The Miss Landmine Manifesto (in no particular order):-
* Female pride and empowerment
* Disabled pride and empowerment
* Global and local landmine awareness and information
* Challenge inferiority and/or guilt complexes that hinder creativity- historical, cultural, social, personal, African, European
* Question established concepts of physical perfection
* Challenge old and ingrown concepts of cultural cooperation
* Celebrate true beauty

The world's first Miss Landmine event is to be held in conjunction with United Nation's International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action on 4 April 2008. The winner of this event would receive a custom-made prothesis from Norway's leading manufacturer.

Reading: Angola to host landmine pageant - BBC News/Africa
Tags: Landmine, Blast Mines, Fragmentation Mines, Anti-Landmine Campaign, Angola, Miss Landmine Angola 2008, Africa, International Campaign to Ban Landmines, ICBL, International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, United Nations, European Union

Misadventure of Mr Big and RM2 Toilet Entry

'Stolen' the following photos from my friend's facebook. Khairul Anuar, found your comments amusing so I have to blog about it ...... LOL!

This is entrance to the premier paid toilet found in Suria KLCC, the shopping centre located at the base of the Petronas Twin Towers (world's second tallest building).

So he said, it must be crazy with a RM2 toilet entry fee.

His comments: the toiletwares should be silver plated and decorated with nice posters on the wall. As there were none, then this was just a normal toilet.

His comments: should have been gold plated la toilet seat. Why was still in white colour? I want my money back..nothing extraordinary..should gone for free piss instead.
His comments: Fuuh..beautiful, at last some class but where was the butler.
His comments: There were some Body Shop items.
His comments: This is what I call class but please put Harrods, Aigner or Davidoff toiletries la ... paid RM2 for this entry.
Tags: Toilet Entry Fee, Suria KLCC, Petronas Twin Tower, Premier Paid Toilet, Exclusive

Earth Hour

About Earth Hour
On March 31 2007, for one hour, Sydney made a powerful statement about the greatest contributor to global warming – coal-fired electricity – by turning off its lights. Over 2.2 million Sydney residents and over 2,100 businesses switched off, leading to a 10.2% energy reduction across the city. What began as one city taking a stand against global warming caught the attention of the world.

In 2008, 24 global cities will participate in Earth Hour at 8pm on March 29. Earth Hour is the highlight of a major campaign to encourage businesses, communities and individuals to take the simple steps needed to cut their emissions on an ongoing basis. It is about simple changes that will collectively make a difference – from businesses turning off their lights when their offices are empty, to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby.

It started with a question: How can we inspire people to take action on climate change?
The answer: Ask the people of Sydney to turn off their lights for one hour.

On 31 March 2007, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour. If the greenhouse reduction achieved in the Sydney CBD during Earth Hour was sustained for a year, it would be equivalent to taking 48,616 cars off the road for a year.

With Sydney icons like the Harbour Bridge and Opera House turning their lights off, and unique events such as weddings by candlelight, the world took notice. Inspired by the collective effort of millions of Sydneysiders, many major global cities are joining Earth Hour in 2008, turning a symbolic event into a global movement.

I'm in!

Reading: Asian cities prepare to kick off Earth Hour -AFP
Reading: Hour of darkness shines a light on our precious reefs - WWF
Tags: Earth Hour, Earth, Global Warming, Environment, Cut Emissions, Climate Change, Greenhouse Reduction, Energy Reduction, Global Movement, WWF

Taxi Scam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport

I have just blogged about Malaysian Style last week and on item 3, it was stated as follow:-

Lesson 3
You have no friends in Malaysia (yet) and you decide to take a cab from the airport. You'll soon realize that the one-way taxi fare is more expensive than a night's stay at most decent hotels.(this is still prevalent even though the government has said it again and again that illegal cabs wouldn't surface again)
----------------------------------------

In the newspapers lately, various complaints have been made known and are as follows:-

RM160 for taxi fare from KLIA to KL
I RECENTLY received guests from Russia who were here for the first time and immediately felt both embarrassed and angry that they had to fork out RM160 for a so called budget taxi coupon at KLIA.

I had already text them to ask for a budget taxi coupon, which they did. But somehow, my guests had to fork out RM160 for the one way trip from KLIA to Setapak, Kuala Lumpur.

In the morning traffic rush hour the following day, my guests took a cab to KLCC and it cost them RM6 because the honest taxi driver used the meter. But returning from KLCC to Setapak, they had to pay RM40 as no taxi wanted to use the meter.

This problem has been around for many years and perhaps hundreds of visitors have been cheated by taxi drivers. Why aren't the authorities able to stop this embarrassing situation at KLCC?

Don’t suspend just the licences of taxi drivers; charge them in court and blacklist them permanently.
MALU MALAYSIAN, Kuala Lumpur.
----------------------------------------

Unfair ploy to upgrade taxi at LCCT
AS A frequent traveller on AirAsia, I use the taxi service at LCCT often. I always travel from LCCT to the same place, and always with two passengers on board. Therefore, I know the exact fare that I should be charged, which is RM60.80.

That was not the case on March 21 when I wanted to buy a ticket to my usual destination, and I was told that my fare was more than RM90! When I asked the counter staff on this, they said that my luggage might be too big to fit into the Budget Taxi, and that they were charging me for the Premier Taxi.

I told them that we only had two bags and there were only two of us on board. Even if my luggage couldn’t fit into the boot, it could’ve been placed in the front seat or between the two passengers in the back seat.

After they checked the sizes of our bags and that they would fit, they let us buy the Budget Taxi ticket.

I felt that we were being forced to “upgrade” our taxi without a valid reason. The fare is RM30 higher.

We fought our case since we knew how much we should be charged. What about the others who don't know?
ALMOST SCAMMED, Kuala Lumpur.
----------------------------------------

Shame on LCCT taxi company
ON March 20, the attendant at the LCCT taxi counter refused to sell me a budget taxi coupon on the excuse that my suitcase was too big and the queue long.

I insisted on budget taxi because there were only my daughter and me sharing one suitcase and we are both quite skinny. No need to use a chopper to kill a fly, right? I also told her that queuing was my problem, not hers.

But she insisted we took a premier taxi costing over RM90 to Kuala Lumpur. On learning that both taxi counters belong to the same company, we took the bus to KL Sentral and from there, a budget taxi – a Proton Saga, same as those in LCCT – to hotel. It was a comfortable ride.

The total cost? RM30, plus a little more time. Shame on you LCCT taxi company!
REFUSED TO BE CONNED,Kota Kinabalu.
----------------------------------------

My own experience - I don't opt for the premier taxi at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) when I come back from overseas trip. I travel alone usually so the budget taxi is just nice for me. BUT!

Yeah big BUT .............. if you were not careful with the girls at the airport taxi counter just after the customs checkpoint at the arrival door, you could be duped. The company managing the airport taxi may sue me for putting this up but I'm only highlighting what happened to me just like those complainants that wrote to Star newspaper.

Each time when you approach the counter, they would wish you and then ask for your destination. For sure they would tell you the price of the premier taxi first. If you were not careful and pay for it and subsequently boarded that taxi, there goes your money. You would have thought that was the only taxi available in the airport not knowing that budget taxis were available too.

If you were used to their first offer, you could answer back - "please give me the budget taxi". Without questioning and haggling you any further, they would print out the budget taxi coupon, you pay for it and off you go.

From what I witness on many occasions, when a foreigner approaches the airport taxi counter, the girls at the counter would definitely sound very sweet and say "Afternoon sir, where is your destination please".

Foreigner would respond "Hotel so and so at Kuala Lumpur". Straightaway the counter girl would print out a ticket for the premier taxi without informing the foreigner of the budget taxi option. You call this a sales gimmick or keeping quiet on options or plain cheating or Caveat Emptor?

The operator could say that "Well, the customers never ask any questions or for any other cheaper options".

Where are the authorities? Which authority in the first place? Well, at this point various authority would be passing the buck here and there. All this are happening right at the first step (for the foreigner) into our country.

Related post:-
* Malaysian Style
Tags: Malaysian Style, Taxi, Cab, Airport Taxi Scam, Airport Taxi, Airport Limo, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, KLIA, LCCT, Disputes

Investment in Facebook

Facebook - don't know what it is?

About Facebook - Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet.

Lots of my friends have it and I got an account too. I don't fiddle with it but just read what other people are doing in their life. This blog of mine is good enough. The facebook is just to maintain contact with friends or their whereabouts.

And if you think that Facebook is nothing or not interesting, read the following:-

* Microsoft has invested US$240M in Facebook's equities during Oct 2007. (source: Microsoft)

* Yesterday, Li Ka Shing, Hong Kong's richest billionaire, has invested US$120M in Facebook's equities via his foundation company. (source: Reuters)
Tags: Facebook, Microsoft, Li Ka Shing, Li Ka Shing Foundation

TATA, New Owner of Jaguar and Land Rover

Tata Motors Ltd ("Tata"), an Indian based company, has emerged as one of the frontrunners in the motor industry by purchasing the

Jaguar and

Land Rover marquees



from the previous owner, Ford Motor Company ("Ford") at a price of US$2.3 billion, less than half of what Ford paid for 8 years back.

In January 2008, Tata has launched the world's cheapest car also known as the People' Car - Nano in India to capture India's low income market segment which comprise hundreds of millions of people.

Will this affect Jaguar and Land Rover's luxury brand name by associating it with the world's cheapest car in the same stable?

Ford has no choice but to let go of this two luxury brands due to financial constraints and easier to sell off compared to other brands in its stable. The 15,300 workers employed under this two luxury brands would be shivering now, not knowing what would be in store for them.

With USA heading into recession, will there be more fire sale of other luxury brands of any industry to foreign-based companies.

Reading: Ford sells Jaguar, Land Rover to Tata - BusinessWeek
Tags: Ford, Tata Motors Ltd, Tata, Jaguar, Land Rover, People's Car, Nano, India, Motor Industry, Motor Vehicle, Car