Saturday, October 29, 2011

Bangkok flood situation update - October 29 2011

This image from The Star shows the scene at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport as tourists and locals alike flee Bangkok in view of rising flood waters.

As officials step up warnings, more residents are forced to leave their homes in northern Bangkok and head for higher ground. This is the worst flooding in Thailand in 50 years.


Foreigners have been advised by their governments to stay away but if travel is necessary from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok-bound flights on MAS (Malaysia Airlines), AirAsia and Thai Airways flights from Kuala Lumpur have not been cancelled, according to MATTA (Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents).

Latest update from the Tourism Authority of Thailand is that Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport is open ad operating normally, Don Muang airport is closed. More answers can be obtained from their Flood FAQ.

Good news came in just as I'm writing this post: The Star reported that Receding floodwaters north of Bangkok have reduced the threat to the Thai capital, the prime minister said on Saturday. But a rise in coastal high tides in the Gulf of Thailand will still test the city's flood defences.


Read
- November 1 update here..
- Latest, Nov 5 update
- Bangkok flood - Pictures

Friday, October 28, 2011

Friday Frolics - What Hand Gesture Are You?

Now here is an interesting personality quiz, the Hand Gesture quiz. Nah, no middle-finger answer here, I'm sure. Take the quiz and find out the Hand Gesture that you are.



You Are an "A-OK"




Your life philosophy can be summed up as, "Whatever will be, will be."

Your greatest wish is to live each day a little better than the next.



You are naturally calm and stable. Some people would call you a rock.

You feel one with the world. You are a spiritual person, though no one who knows you would guess it.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Should you cancel your trip to Bangkok?

Latest update: Malaysians have been advised to Postpone non-essential travel to Bangkok due to the flood situation.

The Star's frontpage today reads 'Panic in Bangkok' accompanied by this image..

Captioned: Flights grounded: Thai Airways aircraft parked on the flooded tarmac at Don Muang airport in Bangkok yesterday. — The Nation / Asia News Network

Bangkok's domestic Don Muang airport has been shut down as floodwaters surged into the Thai capital.

A five-day public holiday has been declared from today in preparation for the deluge, also so that people can get to safety.

Emergency rationing has been imposed by some shops to prevent hoarding of supplies. One hypermarket restricted shoppers to one packet of rice and one tray of eggs. Toilet paper was also being rationed.

Chatuchak market will be closed this weekend. Chatuchak market is a hugely popular tourist spot where most shops are only open during weekends.

Now the question. If you have made plans to visit Bangkok with all payments made, should you cancel? Let's hear what the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok has to say.

The Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok said they are preparing for the worst although the main city centre area appears normal even as floodwaters advance into the Thai capital.

Deputy Chief of Mission Tajul Aman Mohammad said the embassy would provide shelter to Malaysians affected by the flood.

“So far, the situation in Bangkok is still okay. Some areas to the north in the city are flooded, but the main city centre area is normal and roads are passable,” Tajul Aman said in a telephone interview from Bangkok yesterday.


The embassy received many calls and e-mail from Malaysians asking if it was safe to visit Bangkok.

“We do not advise them against coming, as most of the tourist areas are okay. However, for those who come to Bangkok to play golf, we had to tell them that many golf courses located in the north of Bangkok are flooded,” he said.

There you have it, from the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok.

However, to be fair to Bangkok or rather Thailand, there are also views for proceeding with the visit.

Travelfish says don't cancel. Bangkok is wet but Thailand is open for business and the vast majority of Thailand, especially the south and northeast, is largely unaffected by the floods. Plus the airport is still open. Central Bangkok remains largely unaffected.

Thaizer posts:
In a nutshell, Bangkok airport is open, main tourist attractions are open, hotels are open and life in inner Bangkok goes on as normal. That could change, but that is the situation at this moment in time (16.00 local time October 22). He also says, Don't believe everything you read which Travelfish also said something to that effect.

While from The Times of India: City tourists drop flood-hit Bangkok from travel plans

PUNE: Thailand's worst floods in more than 50 years have made potential tourists from Pune look for destinations other than Bangkok.

City-based travel agencies have registered a spurt of cancellations for trips to Bangkok this week, with some travellers choosing to eliminate the destination entirely from their travel itinerary.


Hope the above is helpful somewhat. The choice to cancel or not is yours, of course. Good luck with your decision.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Apple celebrates Steve Jobs' Life

Apple retail stores across the US were closed October 19 so that everyone could watch the "celebration of Steve Jobs' life" memorial held at an outdoor amphitheater at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California. The extraordinary, beautiful and moving event lasted for about 90 minutes, and employees were able to watch video of it on a live webcast. The event was not opened to the public nor the news media.

Watch Tim Cook, Bill Campbell, Jony (Jonathan) Ive, Al Gore talk about Steve. See performances by Norah Jones and Coldplay. Watch the special event, highly-recommended.

Happy Deepavali

To all Hindu readers and around the world, Best wishes for a Happy Deepavali..

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Floods in Dublin

It is not only Thailand suffering floods right now, even Dublin is seeing floods in the city and surrounding areas.

From The Star:
DUBLIN (Reuters) - Dublin was put on an emergency footing on Monday after torrential rain triggered flooding in the Irish capital suspending rail services, closing roads and leaving shops and homes under water.

The weather service said more than one month's rain had fallen in 24 hours and parts of the city were engulfed in flood waters, forcing commuters to wade home.

Dublin City Council activated its major emergency plan and sent teams out to evacuate badly hit houses and help clear the flood waters.

A number of ferries to and from Dublin were cancelled and flights were diverted from landing at the city's airport.

The rain was expected to clear later on Monday.

Here are some shots from 98fm.com. You can also refer to the site for links to transport and travel sites which have the latest updates for the morning’s commute.

Flooding outside the RDS Main Hall on the Merrion Road.

River Dodder at Ballsbridgebr

Twitter Pics from Dundrum Town Centre

Baby Alexander being brought home through the flood by a Coast Guard volunteer.

This is a video from the site showing a bus being flooded in Dublin from the canal waters.

Monday, October 24, 2011

MotoGP horror at Sepang circuit / Turkey earthquake

Just one week after the horrific crash and death of Dan Wheldon in the IndyCar championship's finale in Las Vegas, we have another fatality in a motor sport. This time, it is on our own shores.

From The Star..
SEPANG: The world of motorsports was rocked when Italian MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli was killed following a horrific crash at the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix here.

The 24-year-old Gresini Honda team rider's machine veered across the track on the second lap of the race that started at 4pm yesterday and into the path of his compatriot Valentino Rossi of Ducati and American Colin Edwards of Yamaha.

It is the first fatal crash at the Sepang International Circuit since it opened in 1999.
More..

Italian MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli lying motionless on the ground after the crash at the Sepang International Circuit on Sunday.


Seems like the world is never short of bad news. Over the weekend too, Turkey was struck by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that saw more than two hundread dead and hundreds more missing. Turkey sits atop a fault line separating three tectonic plates, the Eurasian Plate, the African Plate and the Arabian Plate.

The quake struck at 1041 GMT.



Source: The Star

Lizards in Love

This must be a new worldwide movement - lizards showing affection in public. I have seen this show of affection on four other occasions and this is the fifth, the second submission to have won The Star's RM50 prize. This one is submitted by Khoo Chin Lye. Here is the earlier pair. One pair was even spotted on a snowy ground.

Have we encroached so much onto their natural habitat and that they are protesting by taking to the streets? hmmm..

EPL Football - Manchester United vs Manchester City game

Aiyoh, that was a painful game to watch..
Enough said.

League table below in case you are interested. Btw, QPR beat Chelsea 1-0. Chelsea was down to 9 men after Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa were red-carded. Tony Fernandes must have been grinning like a Cheshire cat. Meowwwww...


Image source: Manutd.com

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Thailand flood situation and getting updates via social media

The picture above on The Star today shows sandbags being filled and laid around the Thai Parliament building in Bangkok on Sunday which is today. Thailand's capital is bracing for floods as water levels rose in some of Bangkok's northern suburbs. Over the past several weeks, flooding in many provinces has deteriorated from a bad situation to a national disaster.

The Star reported that a total of 356 people have been killed since July 25 and at least 113,000 have moved to more than 1,700 makeshift shelters. The labour ministry estimates about 650,000 industrial workers do not have an income. Take a look at how bad the flood situation is.

Sad state, wouldn't you agree? The all-pervasive social media are once again playing an important role in Thailand’s current flood crisis. Government officials, journalists, citizen reporters, relief organizations and volunteers have been kept abreast of local developments by real-time exchanges on Twitter, Facebook and others.

The Thai government has set up an official website, floodthailand.net, to provide up-to-date information on the current situation and to list emergency telephone numbers. It also allows people to post messages seeking help by filling in details of what they need and where they are.
The Information and Communications Technology Ministry has set up an official Twitter account to keep track of the flood disaster at @FloodThailand, offering up-to-date information and details of government assistance.

Besides the website, the government has set up a call centre with an emergency number 1111. The centre helps to keep the Twitter community informed with instant messages at @gcc_1111.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has a presence on Twitter at @bangkokgovernor and @bkk_best, and is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bkk.best. It uses the channels to monitor the flood situation and communicate directly with BMA staff and others. It also provides a regularly updated flood report at dds.bangkok.go.th/m.

Other sources of communication:

A private-sector group called Thai Flood has been founded by Internet pioneer and founder of Kapook.com, Poramate Minsiri. It has become one of the main sources of up-to-the-minute information on flooding across the country.

The group also helps to coordinate the relief efforts of other parties. While thaiflood.com is the information centre, the group communicates with its volunteers and the others via social networks at facebook.com/thaiflood and at twitter.com/thaiflood (@thaiflood and #thaiflood).

SiamArsa is another important group of volunteers helping flood victims. With wide networks on both Facebook (facebook.com/siamarsa) and Twitter (@siamarsa), the group of volunteers operates efficiently through the social media.

A group of volunteers from the Thammasat University Students’ Union are simply called AorMorTor. They mainly offer assistance through a Twitter account (@Aormortor), helping to keep people informed about relief plans and facilities being prepared for flood victims by the university. The group also uses Facebook (facebook.com/thammasatsu) as a channel for instant communication.

Many government organisations, especially those involved directly with the flooding, such as the Provincial Electric Authority (PEA), use both Facebook and Twitter. The PEA uses the social networks not only to monitor the flooding and provide assistance, but also to learn where it should cut off electricity services to severely affected areas. It has a Facebook channel at facebook.com/Provincial.Electricity.Authority and its Twitter channel at @pea_Thailand.

The Royal Irrigation Department is also actively using social media in the flood crisis. It regularly updates its services and assistance available via both Facebook (facebook.com/raorukcholpratan) and Twitter (@PR_RID). The department uses the social media along with its main website at www.rid.go.th.
(Source: The Star)

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Doximity - A Network for Physicians

Always wary of patient privacy and data security, medical communications is a big problem for doctors. Not anymore, with the introduction of Doximity.

Doximity is a network for physicians, sort of like a Facebook or LinkedIn for doctors only. It is a free communication platform for healthcare professionals across the United States. The application is available on the Web, iPhone, iPad and devices running on Android, Google's operating system.

As a member, you will get to connect with over 567,000 US physician colleagues in 87 specialties as well as being able to connect with former or current medical school classmates and residents.

For instance, you are looking to connect with Eric Brown MD, all you need do is to key in his name, his specialty, languages spoken, clinical interests and you would have access to his contact information. Members can also exchange HIPAA-secure messages, send faxes, share private phone lists, back lines and pagers with physician colleagues you select and confirm.

Basically, Doximity helps physicians connect with convenience and stay current with the latest treatment guidelines and medical news in your specialty. Information on the site is secure and encrypted with 256-bit Advance Encryption Standard. Sign-up is 100% free and takes just 1 minute to join. Probably the medical establishment has long needed an application like Doximity. Start making your workday a little easier, sign up today. For an overview, check out the video below.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Insights into Libya

Other than knowing where Libya is and that their former leader had died, there isn't much I know about the country, that according to Wikipedia holds the largest proven oil reserves in Africa (followed by Nigeria and Algeria) as of January 2007.

An email I received piqued my interest about the country and the life there. I am neutral here but if the contents of the email are true, one wonders if the former leader is such a bad ruler to his people afterall. I quote from the email:

"The media has successfully painted Gaddafi as a hard-core dictator, tyrant whatever you want to call him. However, the media as usual has also failed to show the kind, giving Gaddafi we never heard of. Gaddafi unlike most dictators I will refrain from naming them has managed to show his humane side, the very side we dream of seeing in other dictators who just talk and talk.

I consider Libyans lucky to a certain extent and one wonders with the new democratic rule they cry for will it improve or worsen life for them. Yes, Gaddafi has spent millions of Libya`s money on personal ventures but is the average Libyan poor? We know others who take a country and destroy it until you feel like there is no hope of restoring this country… looting some prefer to call it. Did Gaddafi loot Libya in any way?

Now let us get to the unknown facts about the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi:


1. There is no electricity bill in Libya; electricity is free for all its citizens.

2. There is no interest on loans, banks in Libya are state-owned and loans given to all its citizens at 0% interest by law.

3. Home considered a human right in Libya – Gaddafi vowed that his parents would not get a house until everyone in Libya had a home. Gaddafi’s father has died while him, his wife and his mother are still living in a tent.

4.. All newlyweds in Libya receive $60,000 Dinar (US$50,000) by the government to buy their first apartment so to help start up the family.

Traditional wedding in Tripoli, Libya

5. Education and medical treatments are free in Libya. Before Gaddafi only 25% of Libyans are literate. Today the figure is 83%.

6. Should Libyans want to take up farming career, they would receive farming land, a farming house, equipments, seeds and livestock to kick-start their farms – all for free.

7. If Libyans cannot find the education or medical facilities they need in Libya, the government funds them to go abroad for it – not only free but they get US$2,300/mth accommodation and car allowance.

8. In Libyan, if a Libyan buys a car, the government subsidized 50% of the price.

9. The price of petrol in Libya is $0.14 per liter.

10. Libya has no external debt and its reserves amount to $150 billion – now frozen globally.

11. If a Libyan is unable to get employment after graduation the state would pay the average salary of the profession as if he or she is employed until employment is found.

12. A portion of Libyan oil sale is, credited directly to the bank accounts of all Libyan citizens.

13. A mother who gave birth to a child receive US$5,000

14. 40 loaves of bread in Libya costs $ 0.15

15. 25% of Libyans have a university degree

16. Gaddafi carried out the world’s largest irrigation project, known as the Great Man-Made River project, to make water readily available throughout the desert country.

Which other dictator has done much good to his people besides."

End of quote..
..

Not sure if the above is all true but at least some of them have got to be otherwise there won't be someone writing about it. Perhaps a Libyan reading this would be able to shed some light? To further substantiate, the following is from Wikipedia which spells out some of the things covered above.

After coming to power, the RCC government (Libyan Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) headed by Gaddafi) initiated a process of directing funds toward providing education, healthcare and housing for all. The reforms, though not entirely effective, had had their effect. Public education in the country is free and primary education is compulsory for both boys and girls. Medical care is also available to the public at no cost but providing housing for all is a task the RCC government has not been able to complete yet. Under Gaddafi, per capita income in the country rose to more than US $11,000, the fifth highest in Africa.

Petrol is cheap or at least used to be back in as recently as 2008. Read the forum here.

More about Libya..

Prehistoric Libyan rock paintings in Tadrart Acacus reveal a Sahara once lush in vegetation and wildlife.

Tens of thousands of years ago, the Sahara desert, which now covers roughly 90% of Libya, was lush with green vegetation. It was home to lakes, forests, diverse wildlife and a temperate Mediterranean climate.

Libya is a predominantly desert country. Up to 90% of the land area is covered in desert.

The Arch of Septimius Severus at Leptis Magna. The patronage of Roman emperor Septimus Severus allowed the city to become one of the most prominent in Roman Africa. Leptis Magna is widely considered to be one of the best preserved Roman archaeological sites in the world.

Temple of Zeus in Cyrene. Libya has a number of World Heritage Sites from the ancient Greek and Roman eras, which are popular tourist destinations.

Coastline of Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city. With the longest Mediterranean coastline among African nations, Libya's mostly unspoilt beaches are a social gathering place.

Oil is the major resource of Libya.

Libya's population includes 1.7 million students, over 270,000 of whom study at the tertiary level. Basic education in Libya is free for all citizens, and compulsory to secondary level. The literacy rate is the highest in North Africa; over 82% of the population can read and write.

By far the predominant religion in Libya is Islam with 97% of the population associating with the faith. The vast majority of Libyan Muslims adhere to Sunni Islam.

As for Contemporary travel in Libya, the most common form of public transport between cities is the bus, but many people travel by automobile. There are no railway services in Libya.

Libyan cuisine is generally simple, and is very similar to Sahara cuisine. In many undeveloped areas and small towns, restaurants may be nonexistent, and food stores may be the only source to obtain food products. Some common Libyan foods include couscous, bazeen, which is a type of unsweetened cake, and shurba, which is soup. Libyan restaurants may serve international cuisine, or may serve simpler fare such as lamb, chicken, vegetable stew, potatoes and macaroni. Alcohol consumption is illegal in the entire country.

The source of the above is here on Wikipedia. If you would like to know more, visit the site.

Frankly, I feel sorry for the man. May he rest in peace.

Friday Frolics - What Would You Say in French?

Don't speak French? Here is a sure way you would say at least a French word. Take the quiz to find out what it is.



You Should Say "Magnifique"



If you were to visit Paris, you'd be inspired by the art and the fashion. Everything would seem "magnifique" to you.

You would enjoy just exploring all of the side streets and little shops. You would love finding quirky, hidden treasures.


Paris might inspire you to revamp your style or possibly even become an artist yourself.

No matter what, you'd be likely to come back with a huge suitcase packed full of the "magnifique" items you found!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Muammar Gaddafi is dead

'What did I ever do to you?': What Gaddafi said as he begged for his life

- Libyan prime minister confirms that former dictator is dead
- Gaddafi tried to flee in a convoy hit by American drone
- Vehicles were also shelled by Nato fighter jets...
... before being driven back to his compound in Sirte
- Gaddafi in final attempt to flee before final push by rebels
- 'Found in a hole' wearing military-style clothing, shouting 'Don't shoot'
- Rebel forces executed him in front of a baying mob
- His body was paraded through the streets of the city
More details and pictures on Dailymail.co.uk

Related articles:
- Gaddafi killed in hometown, Libya eyes future - Reuters
- Muammar Gaddafi is dead, NTC says - live coverage - Guardian

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Malaysian politics at its lowest?

I read with disgust this article from The Star about an allegation against the son of an Opposition party leader who is the Chief Minister of Penang, the state that has done wonders ever since the Opposition took charge after they won the last General Election in 2008.

Here is the story..Lim: Finish me off, but leave my children out of this

Politics is dirty, we all know that, but to attack the politician targetting his/her family members especially children is despicable.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Some Interesting Videos

Good morning and a happy Monday! I would like to share a few short videos this morning. The first two, which in real life, almost all of us would never get to experience in person. Enjoy all of them!

Flying At 35000ft., Passing Between Three Airliners
COCKPIT VIEW...


View from inside Jenson Button's racing car. Jenson Excited – Ever wondered what goes through Jenson’s mind when he’s driving?


If you are a Trekkie or a Star Wars fan, you will like this one..LEGO StarWars


Here's one for the techies..Samsung GALAXY Note – Samsung GALAXY Note is a new type of smartphone, borne of consumer insights and innovation.


If you have been to a video arcade, you would identify with this. How do you choose? – A mother and her son in a supermarket buying/choosing their fish with a device that is normally used at fun fairs to catch prizes.


Last one - about quitting smoking and running a marathon

Sunday, October 16, 2011

KL Chinatown Jalan Sultan Mural

This is a follow-up post to the earlier post, Preserving Kuala Lumpur Chinatown heritage with a Mural.

Wish I was able to be at Chinatown on Saturday to witness this Jalan Sultan mural in the making. It used to be a sad, dilapidated wall along the Jalan Sultan stretch here. In fact, the site here used to be a funeral parlour for many decades if not a century, which probably accounts for the plot being left alone even after it has stopped operating as one.

The group of 60 artists and well-wishers on Saturday transformed the location into something artistic and bright at the same time playing a part in preserving Chinatown's heritage which dates back to the Yap Ah Loy era of the mid-1800s.

Here is a glimpse of some of the many artworks adorning the wall. These are video-shots picked up from the video below.

Video to watch..



Visitors to yesterday's event also got to go on a heritage walk that took them to historic sites in Chinatown, including the Petaling Street gateway and Lee Lam Thye market.

More..Mural project gives Jalan Sultan colourful facelift, The Star

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Preserving Kuala Lumpur Chinatown heritage with a Mural



If you are planning on going downtown to Chinatown this morning, you might want to drop by Jalan Sultan to witness history in the making or rather an activity on Chinatown heritage preservation.

In the wake of intended acquisition for the MRT project and the need to preserve century-old buildings in Jalan Sultan, The Star, in partnership with Dulux, is joining forces with a group of 50 artists on an art installation. Amongst the artists are Sharifah Zuriah, Syed Thajudeen, Tew Nai Tong and Philip Wong.

Their canvas will be the wall, near the carpark on Lot 49, Jalan Sultan, which was exposed since the demolition of six pre-war shophouses including the iconic Chik Sin Thong funeral parlour about 15 years ago.

The artists will start to paint from 9am. Members of the public are welcome to see them at work and to support the cause. Several sessions of heritage walks around Chinatown have been arranged, but participation is only on a first-come-first-served basis.

This badly-weathered wall will be the canvas for the artists today. Inset shows a worker engaged by Dulux painting the wall for the Jalan Sultan mural.


Source: The Star


Related article:
KL Chinatown Jalan Sultan Mural
.
.

Apple's iPhone draws hordes again

TOKYO/LONDON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters): Apple Inc's new iPhone debuted with a splash around the globe, spurring thousands to queue around city blocks and snap up the last gadget unveiled during co-founder Steve Jobs' life.

It has been reported that the number of units pre-ordered for the iPhone 4S far outnumbered that of its predecessor, the iPhone 4. TIME magazine has captured the frenzy at some Apple Stores as the phone goes on sale - the queues, the enthusiasm, the elation. All pictures here are borrowed from Time.com

London, Oct. 13, 2011
Fans wait outside the Apple Store on Regent Street in London on Oct. 13, 2011, for the launch of the iPhone 4S.


London, Oct. 14, 2011
Apple fans queue up for the debut of the iPhone 4S at the Apple Store in Covent Garden in central London on Oct. 14, 2011.


Tokyo, Oct. 14, 2011
A man wearing a mask of Apple founder Steve Jobs stands in line in front of an Apple Store in Tokyo to buy an iPhone 4S on Oct. 14, 2011.


London, Oct. 14, 2011
An Apple fan poses with all the iPhone 4S mobile phones she bought at the Apple Store on Regent Street in central London on Oct. 14, 2011.


London, Oct. 14, 2011
Luke Peters holds the new iPhone 4S outside the Apple Store in Covent Garden, London, on Oct. 14, 2011.


London, Oct. 14, 2011
Carmen Shippy, far left, the first person in line to buy the newly released iPhone 4S at an Apple Store in Clarendon, Va., high-fives staff as she leaves the store on Oct. 14, 2011.


Are you contemplating getting one too?

Friday, October 14, 2011

Friday Frolics - The Sky Inspiration Test

Lately, with less of the haze in the air, the blue is back to the skies and the white fluffy clouds in tandem too.

Sky-watching is an interesting activity, at least to me, whenever I get the chance. Let's do a Sky Inspiration Test this week. See what it says about your personality.



Beginnings Inspire You



You are independent and original. You are highly inventive and creative.

You love undertaking new and interesting projects. You have lots of ideas.


You have a delightful and colorful inner world. People would be stunned if they could see inside your head.

You aren't afraid of failure. Tomorrow is always another beginning.

If your Priority is a Reward Credit Card

Interesting email received yesterday. I quote:

"MEN are all the same - no matter what species!"


"AND WOMEN’S REACTION IS THE SAME; NO MATTER WHAT SPECIES THE MAN IS… YOU CAN SEE HER EXCITEMENT. HEE! HEE! HEE! HEE!"

Does it mean that everything is created equal? Of course not! A colleague was talking about how unattractive the card redemption gifts are from her credit card issuer. I tend to agree that some card issuers provide better options. The moral of the story is before you apply for a credit card, it would be to your advantage to do a good filter so that you end up with the best Mastercard or Visa reward card if your priority is rewards redemption.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Bhutan Royal Wedding

Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck marries, commoner and student, Jetsun Pema, during their wedding ceremony at the sacred monastery fortress Dzong in the old capital of Punakha, Bhutan, on 13 October 2011. Thirty-one-year-old Oxford-educated King Wangchuck, was crowned in 2008 at the start of democracy. - EPA - 13 October, 2011

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (left) and his bride Jetsun Pema take part in a purification ceremony at the Punkaha Dzong during their wedding ceremony in Bhutan's ancient capital Punakha October 13, 2011. -REUTERS/Adrees Latif - 13 October, 2011

Congratulations to the royal couple.


Source: The Star

6.2-magnitude earthquake strikes Bali

I just read about a 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Bali, shaking buildings and sending tourists running out of hotels. There were no immediate reports of any casualties.

A technician just finished changing my printer cartridge when my colleague's email came in about the quake. A funny thought came to mind. Would people also rescue the printer cartridge in an emergency if such an item is a rare commodity? Silly me but then again, it makes sense to save printers ink cartridges if your livelihood depends on them. Wouldn't you agree?

Back to the quake, the epicentre of the quake was about 100 miles (160km) southwest of the island's capital Denpasar, according to the U.S. geological survey.

Endro Tjahjono, head of information at Bali's meteorology agency, said there was no tsunami potential and no reports of aftershocks. Cracks appeared in the walls and glass lobby windows of his office in the southern town of Kuta, and some top floor ceilings fell off, he said.

Indonesia is on the Pacific's "Rim of Fire" and gets regular earthquakes.


Source: The Star

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Crestor side effects and lawsuit

There is really no cure-all for every ailment. A medication that relieves symptoms for one ailment may on the other hand cause side effects resulting in other discomfort or other serious consequences.

Crestor, for instance, has been prescribed for people with high LDL cholesterol, high total cholesterol, and triglycerides. In February 2010, the US FDA also approved Crestor to prevent cardiovascular events.

Crestor Rosuvastatin was also sold under the trade name R2 and has been scientifically linked to serious side effects such as heart attacks and heart failure. Other side effects include cardiomyopathy (deterioration of the myocardium), rhabdomyolysis (breakdown of muscle fibers), and ventricular dysfunction.

If you have been injured by Crestor and are looking for help in filing a Crestor lawsuit, at O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath, their attorneys understand that your cardiovascular injuries may not be your fault – instead, possibly a dangerous side effect of Crestor. Their experience and expertise in handling such cases together with their highly trained staff, make them uniquely well-equipped to handle even the most complex products liability claims.

Gumby and Friends on Google doodle

Google today pays tribute to Art Clokey turning 90 if he were to be alive today. Art was the creator of Gumby, the green clay figure.

Google’s home page features a unique interactive stop motion clay doodle created by the Clokey Productions Premavision studios. The doodle features some of Clokey's characters popping out from balls of clay.

A few short Gumby videos for your viewing pleasure.. Enjoy!






And a Montage