Every angle its pretty

Trial classes started this week

2011-11-22T05:34:00.003Z

Schooling has begun and here I am, on the way home.

Jeff and the kids in theStar

2011-10-11T00:55:00.004Z

Magnus was celebrating his birthday at Jeff's place when the reporters came over. So photos and all with a very lucky person. Next thing we knew it appeared in the Sunday Star, 9 October 2011.

Life is precious, lets not waste it doing something we know is wasteful.

Malaysian History in question

2011-09-11T16:35:00.002Z

A lot of discussions on Bukit Kepong but 1 interesting article at CPI.

The Tugu Negara was to remember among many the Bukit Kepong police, will this change the Tugu Negara.

Magnus getting ipad2

2011-04-29T16:16:00.002Z

What an anniversary present!

We got the ipad2 on the day it was launched in Malaysia (29 April 2011).

XPERIA X10 is expected to have Gingerbread upgrade

2011-03-26T13:38:00.003Z

Good news from SE!

They have plans to provide upgrade to X10 to Android 2.3.3. Currently phones are at Android 2.1-update1.

Down side is that SE seems to abandon support of their own software product. Made me think that they are dropping support of innovation efforts for Android.

What? No more face recognition, no more Mediascape! Aiyooo...

All this after they abandoned the famous arc shape unlock feature. What improvement is SE supporting?

Help out Japan, now!

2011-03-16T16:31:00.003Z

With its ongoing cold weather, Japan was hit with an earth quake that today is said to have been on the scale of 9.0. Following that, the ocean created a wall that swept through as a Tsunami, leaving devastations on a very large scale. Matters did not stop there, their nuclear plants started failing and has now lead to fears of a melt down and radiation leak. I do not know if they are able to continue cooling these nuke plants, but if fuel drains and generators fail this will get worse.

Japan has been very prominent to provide support during times of crisis all over the world. This includes among the first to provide relieve efforts during the Tsunami at Acheh. I love what they stand for and have always respected the way they have worked. All the gadgets, comics and crazy fantasy stuff that drove me to wild imaginations (mospeada, robotech among others) were originated from this land.

I have so far found one organisation that the Embassy of Japan endorsed for donations, the Malaysian Red Crescent Society.

Do expect other donation drives should be taking place.

I urge everyone to contribute where you can.

Dried meat in pj

2011-01-30T02:40:00.001Z

Lunar new year or Chinese New Year is next week. Bought dried meat at following;

At 500 gm

1. Bee Cheng Hiang sold RM49

2. Wing Heong BBQ Meat sold RM36.90

I wonder what will be the difference?

HP notebook Pro

2011-01-03T03:21:00.001Z

We just received our notebook.

Will police bulying end in 2011?

2011-01-01T05:07:00.001Z

TheStar reported on 1.1.11 that police forced their way and hurt those who were demanding to see a court order on Christmas eve.

Let's hope that 2011 will change the rough and disrespect of the law by police.

Universal Studios Singapore or USS

2010-12-02T05:50:00.005Z

It was fun and the whole family enjoyed the trip to Universal Studios Singapore.

There was food and souvenior vouchers at the registration.
Hollywood Boulevardt included the Star's name on the floor. We even found a star with Woody Woodpecker's name.
Madagascar gave a great performance and everyone enjoyed the chance to get up close with the lion, hippo and PENGUINS!
Jurassic Park provided us with the chance to for a water ride and the dinosaur ride.
There was a great 4D show of Shrek in the Land of Far Far Away.
New York city gave a great feel of being there and we also had the chance to watch Spielberg's sound stage and how a hurricane was made. There was a dining place with cool classic cars.

The family got there by a cab and returned in the evening via the MRT.

Some of the stuff from USS.

Martha had a bad fall!

2010-11-07T13:03:00.001Z

Soon after her fall, she is back to playing and swimming. More photos to remind her to get up and never waddle in these set backs.

Reading in the cold.

2010-10-29T17:09:00.001Z

Photobucket - tboxmy wanted you to check this out

Lillian wedding.

2010-09-18T02:58:00.001Z

Restaurant kok thai, ipoh. Nice dinner.

Latest news

2010-09-13T12:36:00.001Z

Just saw a tragic news.

Long delay at tower regency hotel

2010-09-11T07:49:00.001Z

I am wondering if it was a mistake to book this hotel in Ipoh. We were here since 2pm but their house keeping still havent gotten to clear our room by 3.45pm.

Kids are all tired. I take that is why its a 4 star for poor service.

Idc conference

2010-08-26T06:46:00.002Z

25 aug 2010. IDC Cloud Computing Round table. Strangely they had good food during the fasting month.

Next door promotion caused much laughter.

Hotel Sri Malaysia, Penang.

2010-08-22T13:16:00.002Z

Hotel Sri Malaysia, Kepala Batas, Penang.

Its a new hotel. The free wifi in lobby was not working. After they break fast prayer suppose to fix and call me.

Will be going to AMDI, 23 Aug 2010 for my CTP programme. DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL, MAMPU will officiate the event.

Mag at clinic

2010-07-31T12:36:00.001Z

Having a fever and stomach pain. The cough seems to have flam but doc say lungs is clear.

Soo Sing Wedding

2010-06-06T14:14:00.000Z

Photos from the wedding.

Open pharmaceutical innovation | opensource.com

2010-06-03T11:03:00.000Z

The open source development model can be misunderstood by many. Some even fail to comprehend its benefits and how this can improve ones business. This model can be reflected in areas other than open source software (OSS), such as the open development model being used in pharmaceutical industry.

Once the medical giants start to open their R&D, maybe there will be a better and more affordable health care available around the globe. See Open pharmaceutical innovation | opensource.com

Martha my dear Swimming - 2

2010-05-25T12:17:00.002Z

Great progress on the swimming lessons.

Managed to exchange the marbles with stickers this time.

Here

Swimming lessons

2010-05-01T15:26:00.001Z

The 3rd day of Martha's swimming lesson.

Presentation on Business Organisation assignment

2010-04-10T10:01:00.002Z

Saw presenting for my group. Dato' is evaluating and decided on 7 out of 10 marks.

Some actually listened to the presentation.

First swimming lesson

2010-04-10T09:38:00.003Z

Martha is having her first swimming lesson at RM140 per month. Here is the Daphne and the swimming teacher.

First lesson includes:

Learning how to wear the swimming cap and goggles (so that water wont get into the eyes).
Sit by the swimming pool and kick the water.
Take some water and drip over the head.
Lay on the tummy and kick the water.
The teacher carried Martha and Daphne in the water. This was just to dip until the body.
Then the teacher (Wayne) gave Martha and Daphne a coloured stone each. After collecting 5 stones, the teacher will exchange with stickers or fridge magnet.

Car

2010-02-24T08:36:00.001Z

A dent

Valentine 2010 for my wife

2010-02-07T06:07:00.004Z

Valentines day coming around the corner and so is the Chinese New Year (Tiger year).

I will get for the wife a digital camera. Its something that she has been wanting for a while.

Happy Valentine's Day to my loving wife. All your thoughts, laughters and care (TLC) have always been an inspiration in my life!

ASP site down

2009-11-30T07:40:00.002Z

An interesting site showing .NET errors today 3PM to 3.30PM.

Putrajaya central on hari raya haji

2009-11-27T04:23:00.001Z

Client had to call up on another holiday for stuff to do. So am picking keys from the train station. All ticket machines are out of order and it seems to be poorly maintain.

Sleep is such a precious thing

2009-11-23T09:08:00.003Z

Friends, recently I had to prepare for several reports and a big conference and found myself getting lack of sleep. Sometimes only 1 to 3 hours of sleep a day and its not something I intend to continue. I can really feel irritation setting in, being sleepy at odd hours of the day.

Just as a reminder, the body needs to rebuild precious tissues and other functional stuff. How do I know if there is enough rest or sleep? Try the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and if you are rated below 10 then continue with your lifestyle otherwise, better to relook at the daily sleep pattern or see a doctor.

See

www.circlecity.co.uk
or
www.stanford.edu/~dement

Year end and MyGOSSCON 2009 dinner

2009-11-19T04:33:00.004Z

Had dinner at One Borneo Rainforest, Subang.

MyGOSSCON 2009 Conference

2009-11-19T04:23:00.006Z

Some photos from the MyGOSSCON 2009 conference.

Senator Koh Tsu Koon at the 24-Hour Web App Dev Contest

Senator Koh Tsu Koon visiting the OSCC booth.

Senator Koh Tsu Koon signing visitors book with Datuk Normah and Dr. Nor Aliah.

Halloween 09

2009-10-24T23:35:00.001Z

Party time! Dressed as scary angel.

Magnus birthday 2009

2009-10-03T12:25:00.001Z

At secret recipe.

Palindrome of the Doppleganger

2009-08-28T04:52:00.002Z

In studying about Palindrome implementation by Java, a rather suspenseful poem was found at Hunting the Muse. The Doppleganger by James A. Lindon can be read line by line either from the top of from the last line. The meaning is still maintained either ways.

Doppelganger

Entering the lonely house with my wife
I saw him for the first time
Peering furtively from behind a bush --
Blackness that moved,
A shape amid the shadows,
A momentary glimpse of gleaming eyes
Revealed in the ragged moon.
A closer look (he seemed to turn) might have
Put him to flight forever --
I dared not
(For reasons that I failed to understand),
Though I knew I should act at once.

I puzzled over it, hiding alone,
Watching the woman as she neared the gate.
He came, and I saw him crouching
Night after night.
Night after night
He came, and I saw him crouching,
Watching the woman as she neared the gate.

I puzzled over it, hiding alone --
Though I knew I should act at once,
For reasons that I failed to understand
I dared not
Put him to flight forever.

A closer look (he seemed to turn) might have
Revealed in the ragged moon.
A momentary glimpse of gleaming eyes
A shape amid the shadows,
Blackness that moved.

Peering furtively from behind a bush,
I saw him for the first time,
Entering the lonely house with my wife.

The Staight Talk - Tengku Razaleigh

2009-07-15T01:03:00.002Z

Just read an eye opener article from The Malaysian Insider(15/7/09), TheEdge(11/7/09) and National Express(11/7/09). Tengku Razaleigh shared his views with Public Relations Consultants Malaysia at “StraightTalk” on July 10, 2009, at HELP University College, Damansara, Kuala Lumpur

In case it disappear, here is a copy for my reference

Thank you for inviting me to address you. It’s a pleasure to be here, and to learn from you. You have asked me to talk about Najib’s First 100 Days, and this lecture is in a series called Straight Talk. I shall indeed speak plainly and directly.
Let me begin by disappointing you. I am not going to talk about Najib’s First 100 Days because it makes little sense to do so.
Our governments are brought to power for five year terms through general elections. The present government was constituted after March 8, 2008 and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s tenure as Prime Minister resulted from a so-called “smooth transfer of power” between the previous Prime Minister and himself that took a somewhat unsmooth twelve months to carry out. During those months, Najib took on the de facto leadership role domestically while Abdullah warmed our international ties. The first 100 days of this government went by unremarked sometime in June last year.

Not only is it somewhat meaningless to talk about Najib’s First 100 days, such talk buys into a kind of political silliness that we are already too prone to. It has us imagine that the present government started work on April 2 and forget that it commenced work on March 8 last year and must be accountable for all that has been done or not done since then. It has us forget that in our system of parliamentary, constitutional democracy, governments are brought to power at general elections and must be held accountable for promises made at these elections. It leads us to forget that these promises, set out in election manifestos, are undertaken by political parties, not individuals, and are not trifles to be forgotten when there is a change of individual.
It is important that we remember these things, cultivate a more critical recollection of them, and learn to hold our leaders accountable to them, so that we are not perpetually chasing the slogan of the day, whether this be Vision 2020, Islam Hadhari or 1Malaysia. As PR Professionals, you would see my point immediately. Slogans without substance undermine trust. That substance is made up of policies that have been thought through and are followed through. That substance is concrete and provided by results we can measure.
Whether or not some of our leaders are ready for it, we are maturing as a democracy. We are beginning to evaluate our governments more by the results they deliver over time than by their rhetoric. As our increasingly well-educated and well-travelled citizens apply this standard, they force our politicians to think before they speak, and deliver before they speak again. As thinking Malaysians we should look for the policies, if any, behind the slogans. What policies are still in place and which have we abandoned? What counts as policy and who is consulted when it is made? How is a proposal formulated and specified and approved before it becomes policy, and by whom? What are the roles of party, cabinet, King and Parliament in this process? Must we know what it means before it is instituted or do we have to piece it together with guesswork? Do we even have a policy process?
The mandate Najib has taken up is the one given to Barisan Nasional under Abdullah Badawi’s leadership. BN was returned to power in the 12th General Elections on a manifesto promising Security, Peace and Prosperity. It is this manifesto against which the present administration undertook to be judged. The present government inherits projects and policies such as Islam Hadhari and Vision 2020. If these are still in place, how do they relate to each other and to 1 Malaysia? How do we evaluate the latest slogan against the fact of constitutional failure in Perak, the stench of corruption in the PKFZ project and reports of declining media freedom? What do we make of cynical political plays on racial unity against assurances that national unity is the priority?
It is not amiss to ask about continuity. We were told that the reason why we had to have a yearlong ‘transfer of power’ to replace the previous Prime Minster was so that we could have such policy continuity. The issues before the present BN government are not transformed overnight with a change of the man at the top.
Let me touch on one issue every Malaysian is concerned with: security. The present government made the right move in supporting the establishment of the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operations and Management of the Police in 2004. Responding to the recommendations of the Royal Commission, the government allocated the PDRM RM8 billion to upgrade itself under the 9th Malaysia Plan, a tripling of their allocation under the 8th Malaysia Plan.
Despite the huge extra amounts we are spending on policing, there has been no dent on our crime problem, especially in the Johor Bahru area, where it continues to make a mockery of our attempts to develop Iskandar as a destination for talent and investment. Despite spending all this money, we have just been identified as a major destination for human trafficking by the US State Department’s 2008 Human Rights Watch. We are now in the peer group of Sudan, Saudi Arabia and North Korea for human trafficking. All over the world the organized cross-border activity of human trafficking feeds on the collusion of crime syndicates and corrupt law enforcement and border security officials. Security is about more than just catching the criminals out there. It is also about the integrity of our own people and processes. It is above all about uprooting corruption and malpractice in government agencies, especially in law enforcement agencies. I wish the government were as eager to face the painful challenge of reform as to spend money. The key recommendation of the Royal Commission was the formation of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission. That has been shelved.
Royal Commissions and their findings are not to be trifled with and applied selectively. Their findings and recommendations are conveyed in a report submitted to the King, who then transmits them to the Government. Their recommendations have the status of instructions from the King. The recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Police have not been properly implemented. The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Video clip might as well not have been conducted, because its findings have been completely ignored. Both Commissions investigated matters fundamental to law and order in this country: the capability and integrity of the police and of the judiciary. No amount of money thrown at the PDRM or on installing CCTV’s can make up for what happens to our security when our law enforcers and our judges are compromised.
Two Royal Commissions undertaken under the present government unearthed deep issues in the police and the judiciary and made recommendations with the King’s authority behind them, and they have been ignored. The public may wonder if the government is committed to peace and security if it cannot or will not address institutional rot in law enforcement and the rule of law.
The reform of the police and the judiciary has been on the present government’s To Do list for more than five years.
I want to reflect now upon where we stand today and how we might move forward. We are truly at a turning point in our history. Our political landscape is marked with unprecedented uncertainty. Nobody knows what the immediate future holds for us politically. This is something very new for Malaysians. The inevitability of a strong BN government figured into all political and economic calculations and provided a kind of stability to our expectations. Now that this is gone, and perhaps gone for good, we need a new basis for long-term confidence. No matter who wins the next General Election, it is likely to be with a slim majority. Whatever uncertainty we now face is likely to persist unless some sort of tiebreaker is found which gathers the overwhelming support of the people.
We need to trust less in personalities and more in policies, look less to politics and more to principle, less to rhetoric and more to tangible outcomes, less to the government of the day and more to enduring institutions, first among which must be the Federal Constitution.
We need an unprecedented degree of openness and honesty about what our issues are and what can be done; about who we are, and where we want to go. We need straight talk rather than slogans. We need to be looking the long horizon rather than occupying ourselves with media-generated milestones.
Those of us who think about the future of Malaysia have never been so restless. The mould of our past is broken, and there is no putting it back together again, but a new mould into which to pour our efforts is not yet cast. This is a time to think new thoughts, and to be courageous in articulating them.
Such is the case not just in politics but also in how the government manages the economy. In a previous speech I argued that for our economy to escape the “middle income trap” we need to make a developmental leap involving transformative improvements in governance and a successful reform of our political system. I said the world recession is a critical opportunity for us to re-gear and re-tool the Malaysian economy because it is a challenge to take bold, imaginative measures. We must make that leap or remain stuck as low achievers who were once promising.
We are in a foundational crisis both of our politics and of our economy. In both dimensions, the set plays of the past have taken us as far as they can, and can take us no further. Politically and economically, we have arrived at the end of the road for an old way of managing things. The next step facing us is not a step but a leap, not an addition to what we have but a shift that changes the very ground we play on.
This is not the first time in our brief history as an independent nation that we have found ourselves at an impasse and come up with a ground-setting policy, a new framework, a leap into the future. The race riots of 1969 ended the political accommodation and style of the first era of our independence. Parliament was suspended and a National Operations Council put in place under the leadership of the late Tun Razak. He formed a National Consultative Council to study what needed to be done. The NCC was a non-partisan body which included everyone. It was the NCC that drafted and recommended the New Economic Policy. This was approved and implemented by the Government.
The NEP was a twenty year programme. It had a national, and not a racial agenda to eradicate poverty and address structural inequality in the form of the identification of race with occupation. It aimed to remove a colonial era distribution of economic roles in our economy. Nowhere in its terms is any race specified, nor does it privilege one race over another. Its aim was unity.
The NEP’s redistributive measures drew on principles of social justice, not claims of racial privilege. This is an important point. The NEP was acceptable to all Malaysians because its justification was universal rather than sectarian, ethical rather than opportunistic. It appealed to Malaysians’ sense of social justice and not to any notion of racial privilege.
We were devising a time-limited policy for the day, in pursuit of a set of measurable outcomes. We were not devising a doctrine for an eternal socio-economic arrangement. Like all policies, it was formulated to solve a finite set of problems, but through an enduring concern with principles such as equity and justice. I happen to think it was the right thing for the time, and it worked in large measure.
Curiously, although the policy was formulated within the broad consensus of the NCC for a finite period, in our political consciousness it has grown into an all-encompassing and permanent framework that defines who we are. We continue to act and talk as if it is still in place. The NEP ended in 1991 when it was terminated and replaced by the New Development Policy, but eighteen years on, we are still in its hangover and speak confusingly about liberalizing it. The NEP was necessary and even visionary in 1971, but it is a crushing indictment of our lack of imagination, of the mediocrity of our leadership, that two decades after its expiry, we talk as if it is the sacrosanct centre of our socio-political arrangement, and that departures from it are big strides. The NEP is over, and we have not had the courage to tell people this. The real issue is not whether the NEP is to be continued or not, but whether we have the imagination to come up with something which better serves our values and objectives, for our own time.
Policies are limited mechanisms for solving problems. They become vehicles for abuse when they stay on past their useful life. Like political or corporate leaders who have stayed too long, policies that overrun their scope or time become entrenched in abuse, and confuse the means that they are with the ends that they were meant to serve. The NEP was formulated to serve the objective of unity. That objective is enduring, but its instrument can come up for renewal or replacement. Any organisation, let alone a country, that fails to renew a key policy over forty years in a fast-moving world is out of touch and in trouble.
There is a broad consensus in our society that while the NEP has had important successes, it has now degenerated into a vehicle for abuse and inefficiency. Neither the Malays nor the non-Malays approve of the way it now works, although there would be multiracial support for the objectives of the NEP, as originally understood. The enthusiasm with which recent reforms have been greeted in the business and international communities suggests that the NEP is viewed as an obstacle to growth. This was not what it was meant to be.
It was designed to promote a more equitable and therefore a more harmonious society. Far from obstructing growth, the stability and harmony envisaged by the NEP would were to be the basis for long term prosperity.
Over the years, however, and alongside its successes, the NEP has been systematically appropriated by a small political and business class to enrich itself and perpetuate its power. This process has corrupted our society and our politics. It has corrupted our political parties. Rent-seeking practices have choked the NEP’s original intention of seeking a more just and equitable society, and have discredited the broad nation-building enterprise which this policy was meant to serve.
Thus, while the NEP itself has expired, we live under the hangover of a policy which has been skewed from its intent. Instead of coming up with better policy tools in pursuit of the aims behind the NEP, a set of vested interests rallies to defend the mere form of the NEP and to extend its bureaucratic sway through a huge apparatus of commissions, agencies, licenses and permits while its spirit has been evacuated. In doing so they have clouded the noble aims of the NEP and racialized its originally national and universal concerns.
We must break the stranglehold of communal politics and racial policy if we want to be a place where an economy driven by ideas and skills can flourish. This is where our daunting economic and political challenges can be addressed in one stroke. We can do much better than cling to the bright ideas of forty years ago as if they were dogma, and forget our duty to come up with the bright ideas for our own time. The NEP, together with the Barisan coalition, was a workable solution for Malaysia forty years ago. But forty years ago, our population was about a third of what it is today, our economy was a fraction the size and complexity that it is now, and structured around the export of tin and rubber rather than around manufacturing, services and oil and gas. Forty years ago we were in the midst of the Cold War, and the Vietnam War raged to the north. Need I say we live in a very different world today. We need to talk to the facebook generation of young Malaysians connected to global styles and currents of thought. We face global epidemics, economic downturns and planetary climate change.
We can do much better than to cling to the outer form of an old policy. Thinking in these terms only gives us the negative policy lever of “relaxing” certain rules, when what we need is a new policy framework, with 21st century policy instruments. We have relaxed some quotas. We have left Approved Permits and our taxi licensing system intact. We have left the apparatus of the NEP, and a divisive mindset that has grown up around it, in place. Wary of well-intentioned statements with no follow-through, the business community has greeted these reforms cautiously, noting that a mountain of other reforms are needed. One banker was quoted in a recent news article as saying: “All the reforms need to go hand in hand..Why is there an exodus of talent and wealth? It is because people do not feel confident with the investment climate, security conditions and the government in Malaysia. Right now, many have lost faith in the system.”
The issues are intertwined. Our problems are systemic and rooted in the capability of the government to deliver, and the integrity of our institutions. It is clear that piecemeal “liberalization” and measure by measure reform on a politicized timetable is not going to do the job.
33.What we need is a whole new policy framework, based on a comprehensive vision that addresses root problems in security, institutional integrity, education and government capability. What we need to do is address our crisis with the bold statecraft from which the NEP itself originated, not cling to a problematic framework that does little justice to our high aspirations. The challenge of leadership is to tell the truth about our situation, no matter how unpalatable, to bring people together around that solution, and to move them to act together on that solution.
If the problem is really that we face a foundational crisis, then it is not liberalization of the NEP, or even liberalization per se that we need. From the depths of the global economic slowdown it is abundantly clear that the autonomous free market is neither equitable nor even sustainable. There is no substitute for putting our heads together and coming up with wise policy. We need a Malaysian New Deal based on the same universal concerns on which the NEP was originally formulated but designed for a new era: we must continue to eradicate poverty without regard for race or religion, and ensure that markets serve the people rather than the other way around.
Building on the desire for unity based social justice that motivated the NEP in 1971, let us assist 100% of Malaysians who need help in improving their livelihoods and educating their children. We want the full participation of all stakeholders in our economy. A fair and equitable political and economic order, founded on equal citizenship as guaranteed in our Constitution, is the only possible basis for a united Malaysia and a prerequisite of the competitive, talent-driven economy we must create if we are to make our economic leap.
If we could do this, we would restore national confidence, we would bring Malaysians together in common cause to build a country that all feel a deep sense of belonging to. We would unleash the kind of investment we need, not just of foreign capital but of the loyalty, effort and commitment of all Malaysians.
I don’t know about you. I am embarrassed that after fifty years of independence we are still talking about bringing Malaysians together. I would have wished that by now, and here tonight, we could be talking about how we can conquer new challenges together.

Entrepreneurship 3rd Seminar

2009-07-05T04:49:00.003Z

Finally I am having the chance to write on the MIT class.

Its Entrepreneurship class on a Sunday and we are learning on leadership. There are 13 people. When leaders have too many customer/decisions to make, they tend to consider the Pareto Principles (20-80). The Pareto principle (also known as the 80-20 rule, the law of the vital few, and the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.

The Devil Wears Prada

2009-04-29T14:49:00.002Z

Finally watch the show!

It is so very fast paced but with breaks at correct intervals. Hope I can catch the ending another time.

After a demo of fashion clothings, Andie Sachs (Annie Hattaway) is given the explanation on how her boss, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) does her work.

"You still don't get it do you? Her opinion is the only one that matters."

Mit class 2009

2009-04-26T11:26:00.001Z

Mates from my first semester at Oum.

B'day Celebration

2009-03-18T16:41:00.001Z

At office, celebrated Jacob b'day. He will be replace with Moey as the Centre Manager.

Buffet at JW Marriot Hotel

2009-02-21T13:43:00.002Z

Today we sent to JW Marriot Hotel for a SPA treatment. I have not taken her out for a SPA for such a long time. Though the place was under renovation and the hotel room was being used, she said that it was great.

This is followed by a buffet lunch at Terrace Cafe hat came to RM 103.00 that included Sarawak Laksa (Yummy). The Terrace Cafe staff was generally fun and the children felt at ease. The guitar musicians walked from table to table with rather good rendition of English and Malay songs.

Normally the girl would be scared of clowns but my wife convinced her that this was a clown to make balloon toys. Sure enough the clown knew how to handle her rather nervous self. Finally she asked for a pink poodle and a aeroplane for the brother.

The clown making the aeroplane.

Valentine Day 2009

2009-02-15T14:35:00.003Z

The Valentine day celebration have been around in Malaysia for such a long time. Its a good time to spend the extra effort to show how much I love someone special.

Yes, prices of flowers can triple or more in price but that is part of commercialism. So, I left out the flowers and spent on a SPA at Sri Dewi.

My Muslim friends explained that they cant celebrate cause it if a Christian celebration and that it leads to sinful activities. See The New Straits Times on "

Valentine's Day 'haram in Islam'

Meeting at MAMPU

2009-02-09T14:13:00.001Z

Staying at promenade at rm170. There is nice small mall within walking distance. But window faces an apartment.

Boss cny 09

2009-01-31T10:12:00.001Z

Lunch at Padi, Cyberjaya

2009-01-13T06:51:00.003Z

Just had lunch at Padi, Cyberjaya with office mates. Its about 3 mins drive from MDEC.

Had root beer float and Macau fried rice at RM14.20. I cant eat like this everyday, will be broke soon.

Disney carpet from Gaint

2009-01-10T15:06:00.002Z

At rm35.90 this is really nice. Even the boy is enjoying the feel and colours. I do not if this will be a source of allergy, will wait and see.

These things should be made to print the material type. No washing instructions!

Oum Exit

2009-01-10T03:34:00.001Z

Post registration at Oum this is the exit. Makes you wonder how its going to end in the end.

Happy with e71

2009-01-09T05:20:00.001Z

Happy with being able to type using a full keyboard. This is while at lunch in dengkil.

K810i close up in the dark.

2009-01-06T16:44:00.001Z

It is really a cool phone. Here is a shot taken in a dimly lit room at about 4 inch dist. Notice that the backlit screen is clear while focus is good overall.

New year 2009

2009-01-03T11:23:00.001Z

Was at Sime darby medical. Mum admitted since 31 dec. Today +ve dengue. But i am down with bad flu.

Recipe for Fish soup noodles

2008-12-29T17:48:00.003Z

Ingredients:
2 fish tail bones. Length of each is about 6 inches and with some meat.
2 tea spoon (tsp) salt.
black pepper powder.
1 clove of garlic.
1 inch of young ginger.
2 hand full of Noodle (bee hoon) strands.
green leafy vegetable of your choice. Cut into small slice.
12 medium sized meat balls.

Method:

Rub 1 tsp salt into fish bones and a dash of black pepper powder.
Rinse then soak the noodle for an hour in cold water.
Bring water to a slow boil, then add fish bones, garlic and ginger. Leave for about 30 mins in small fire (just bubbling a little). Remove the fish with bones.
Add the meat balls and leave to boil until it floats (5 mins).
Add the noodle and vegetables into the slow boiling soup. Add remainder of salt to your taste.
Stir for another 3 mins.
Serves 2 - 3 persons.

Its yummy!

Walking tall

2008-12-28T16:36:00.002Z

What does it take to get a toddler to start walking?

Playing timang-timang will encourage their legs to kick and build the muscles.
Keep the feet without socks and shoes.
Have the toddler try to reach objects that would require effort to stand up.
Let the toddler decide when is the right time!
I found that around the 1 year old age is best to place the toddlers against the wall or other support like people, sofa and other soft objects.

Tongue accident

2008-12-07T13:06:00.002Z

Yesterday Magnus was screaming and I found blood spot on the ground. His tongue was bleeding with what looks like a puncture wound. The girl was standing next to him looking guilty.

Hugged him.
Took his small towel, soaked in cold water and let him chew on it. He held it in his mouth on his own. Its a form of cold compress.
Blood stopped but he is happy biting on the towel.

The mum took Martha aside.

Comforted her. Martha was standing very still when the accident occured.
Asked her to tell what happen. Took her some time to admit that she caused the accident.
Much later that night took both the kids to look for stars and they were hugging each other again. She was having nightmares and crying later on.

Martha loves climbing.

2008-12-05T10:53:00.002Z

Its a dangerous thing but Martha love climbing and playing with the wild animals.

Magnus can now walk steadily. Really fun having them having fun and keeping things cheerful.

Playing Fire truck

2008-11-22T06:33:00.001Z

At 1u today to exchange a faulty water bottle from jusco. playing with truck at old wing.

Installing an alarm of CCTV?

2008-11-16T07:43:00.003Z

Should you spend on a home alarm or CCTV? Just had discussions on which of the two to install for my home.

Alarm

First line of defence is the Steel grill and Wooden door. Second line is the screaming loud alarm from the doors opening.
Addition of a central monitoring service, if there is an intruder calls to the owner or security guard is made and hopefully someone can come over to stop the intruder.

Cons to an Alarm

No evidence of the intruder for the police to work with.

CCTV

After an intruder have broken in, you have visual evidence. This may help the police to find that person.
Addition to a CCTV, the Internet allows the owner continuous remote monitoring, if Internet access is available and time provides.

Cons to the CCTV

Rely too much on Internet connection. Very dependent on Phone line and electricity.
Intruder may steal the CCTV or recording device if exposed.
Home stuff is already stolen, will need to top up the CCTV with an insurance.
Internet hackers may hack into the camera output.

Conclusion
You decide on whats best but I have made my decision.

Martha and olpc

2008-11-13T15:23:00.001Z

The olpc can now have access internet games with sound. When power gets low Martha knows how to plug the power.

Martha at FOSS.my

2008-11-09T14:00:00.003Z

It was a challenge to go to FOSS.my 2008 cause of the many other obligations. Still I made it with Martha for the afternoon sessions.

Martha dragged me up the stage when she heard that Pia was giving out a laptop for those with a 10sec pitch on why they should have the laptop. It an OLPC laptop.

Martha answer: Because I want it.

See:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sumardi/3012682894/

The skies

2008-10-17T15:34:00.005Z

Its been raining in the evenings. Most of the time, Orion is very prominent in the skies standing with his two dogs Canis Major (bottom left) and Canis Minor (top right). Orion can be used to find all the other stars. Here is my rendition of the stars.

The Orion and his dogs

Orion: Betelgeuse is red (top left shoulder), Bellatrix (top right shoulder), rigel is bright white (bottom right knee). Orion holds his bow on the right pointing to strike Taurus.
Canis Minor: Two stars. Procyon is just below Gemini.
Canis Major (dog star): Sirius is the brightest star.

The graphic is taken from the free encyclodedia Wikipedia and is under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.

The Twins
Rigel through Betelgeuse will point to the Gemini. Its shaped as the twin sons of Zeus.

Gemini: Pollux is the brighter orange (head of the left and bent line) and Castor (head of the straighter line).

The Bull
When Zeus transform into the white bull or taurus, he manages to abduct Princess Europa. It looks like a "V" shape, the apex being the horn ends.

Taurus: Aldebaran is the brighter star near the apex.

The charioteer
This is a pentagon with the apex pointing to Orion head. The charioteer comes to Orion aid when Orion is blinded. to its right is Perseus.

Auriga: Capella is the bright yellow star (top right).

Perseus marries princess Andromeda
A hero who attacked the snake headed Medusa then married Andromeda. It looks like an upside down "y". Perseus covers a large area in the sky. Andromeda is seen as 3 stars in almost a straight line pointing to Pegasus at its bottom right. Pegasus is a winged horse where the square body is most prominent. Pegasus is formed from the blood of Medusa when she was slain. Pegasus head is looking down to the water or Aquarius which is in shape of the water symbol. The pisces is to the left of Aquarius and Capricorn on the right.

Pisces is the Aphrodite and her son Eros transformed into a fish. They are tied together so that they do not get separated.

Perseus: Mirfak is the brightest star (the neck), Algol is the shorter of the "y" ends (the right hip).
Andromeda: Mirach doesnt seem much different among the 3 stars and is at the bottom of the line.
Pegasus: four prominent stars. Top right is the wing.
Aquarius: Looks like a spread out "M" with the shape of the water symbol.
Pisces: A large "V" or two fishes with their tails tied together.
Capricorn: A large horn like shape. The apex triangle points downwards.

Further north

Cassiopea: Above Pegasus. Almost flattened "W" pointing to north and Ursa Minor.
Ursa Minor: The little bear have 7 stars and the tail is the Polaris. They are also known as the 7 Hesperides sisters where Hercules was to steal the apples. The bear also represent Arcas, son of Callisto (his mum) who was thrown to the skies along with Callisto so that he did not accidentally kill his mother. Since he did not know the bear was his mother.
Ursa Major: The great bear (the spoon) have 7 stars. Dubhe is the edge of the spoon. When Merak lines up with Dubhe it points to the Polaris. One of the beautiful nymph named Callisto was turned into a bear after being raped.

Links
http://calgary.rasc.ca/downloads/index.htm

Magnus having a flu

2008-10-17T14:24:00.004Z

Magnus is having running nose. Doctor decided to give antibiotic cause the sis is also having a bad flu.
The sister is waiting at the pet store.
Finally at home, everyone is falling asleep.

Magnus 1st Bday

2008-10-06T15:17:00.003Z

Celebrated Magnus 1st Bday at home.

Grandpa makes Magnus laugh.

Magnus getting ready to blow the cake.

Magnus 2Kg Fresh Butter Chocolate cake getting the cut.

The next day Magnus can stand on his own!

Linux Desktop

2008-09-30T09:47:00.002Z

My Ubuntu Linux Desktop in the Office. The open applications are the terminal, nautilus file browser and Thunderbird.

Breakfast at sri kembangan

2008-09-27T01:14:00.001Z

This is a shop where i had chicken sar hor fun and tea for total rm450. Was home simple style also smooth noodles

Pasar payang

2008-08-26T05:00:00.001Z

Lots of batik in terengganu but mostly kaften (far left selling rm 10) and cloth.

Mummy graduated!

2008-08-24T16:00:00.000Z

Congratulations on graduating! Family shot at home.

Graduation 23 aug 2008 at PWTC

2008-08-24T11:03:00.003Z

Congratulations love!

Nasi kandar spring

2008-08-15T13:21:00.001Z

Last 3 nights we have been eating here cause dad have been late home.

Just done breakfast

2008-08-14T23:13:00.000Z

After a good breakfast magnus can now start waving and laughing

Before breakfast

2008-08-14T22:58:00.001Z

Magnus just got up and needed his thumb snack. Mummy with magnus just before feeding him breakfast.

Laughing at a joke

2008-08-09T18:00:00.001Z

Mummy made some baby joke that made magnus smile and laugh.

Olympic 2008 have started

2008-08-09T17:54:00.001Z

Martha is seeing the papers and is excited about the games.

Martha takes photo of dad

2008-08-09T17:16:00.001Z

Just after olympic games started Martha took this photo with the se 810i

Martha draw daddy

2008-08-06T05:45:00.001Z

Martha first drawing of daddy with colour pencil

Playing in crib

2008-07-31T23:08:00.001Z

Having tea at home

2008-07-01T08:56:00.001Z

Martha and magnus having tea.

Look! Spider

2008-06-22T01:46:00.001Z

On the way to market and we saw a small spider

Look! Spider

2008-06-22T01:44:00.001Z

On the way to market and we saw a small spider

Lady in action

2008-06-21T15:09:00.001Z

Still not sleeping

Cool phone

2008-06-17T16:08:00.001Z

The themes are great