Nothing better to do on New Year's eve - hence made this video clip

World faces "total" financial meltdown: Bank of Spain chief

"The inter-bank (lending) market is not functioning and this is generating vicious cycles: consumers are not consuming, businessmen are not taking on workers, investors are not investing and the banks are not lending.

"There is an almost total paralysis from which no-one is escaping," he said, adding that any recovery -- pencilled in by optimists for the end of 2009 and the start of 2010 -- could be delayed if confidence is not restored.

Read more

The truth is, there is no Islamic army or terrorist group called Al Qaida

"The truth is, there is no Islamic army or terrorist group called Al Qaida. And any informed intelligence officer knows this. But there is a propaganda campaign to make the public believe in the presence of an identified entity representing the 'devil' only in order to drive the TV watcher to accept a unified international leadership for a war against terrorism. The country behind this propaganda is the US . . ."


-- Former British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook

The USS Enterprise seen on Malaysian roads?

SciFi cars in Malaysia

from Ian & Juliane's blog

Change? Obama Inner Circle Filled With Bilderbergers by Victor Thorn

Below is an overview of Obama’s top 14 selections to date. When considering their collective histories, a trend becomes clear, proving that the more things change under Obama, the more they stay the same.

1. TIMOTHY GEITHNER – TREASURY SECRETARY

Bilderberg, Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, president and CEO of Federal Reserve Bank of New York, director of policy development for IMF, member Group of Thirty (G30), employed at Kissinger & Associates, architect of the recent 2008 financial bailouts, mentored by Lawrence Summers and Robert Rubin.

2. PAUL VOLCKER – ECONOMIC RECOVERY ADVISORY BOARD

Bilderberg, Council on Foreign Relations, North American chairman of Trilateral Commission, Federal Reserve chairman during Carter and Reagan administrations, president of Federal Reserve Bank of New York, G30 member, chairman Rothschild Wolfensohn Company, key figure in the collapse of the gold standard during the Nixon administration, longtime associate of the Rockefeller family.

3. RAHM EMANUEL – CHIEF OF STAFF

Member of Israeli Defense Force, staunch Zionist, senator, Board of Directors for Freddie Mac, member of Bill Clinton’s finance campaign committee, made $16.2 million during 2.5 years as an investment banker for Wasserstein Perella. His father was a member of the Israeli Irgun terrorist group.

4. LAWRENCE SUMMERS – NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL

Bilderberg, Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, treasury secretary during Clinton administration, chief economist at World Bank, former president of Harvard University, Brookings Institute board member, huge proponent of globalization while working for the IMF, prot�g� of David Rockefeller, mentored by Robert Rubin.

5. DAVID AXELROD – SENIOR ADVISOR

Political consultant whose past clients include Sens. Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Christopher Dodd; main Obama fixer in the William Ayers and Reverend Wright scandals.

6. HILLARY CLINTON – SECRETARY OF STATE

Bilderberg, Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, clandestine CIA asset used to infiltrate the anti-war movement at Yale University and the Watergate hearings, senior partner at the Rose Law Firm, key figure in the Mena drug trafficking affair, architect of the Waco disaster, implicated in the murder/ cover-up of Vince Foster, and many other deaths.

7. JOSEPH BIDEN – VICE PRESIDENT

Bilderberg, Council on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senator since 1972, member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, current chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, strong Zionist sympathizer who recently told Rabbi Mark S. Golub of Shalom TV, “I am a Zionist. You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist.”

8. BILL RICHARDSON – COMMERCE SECRETARY

Bilderberg, Council on Foreign Relations, former U.S. congressman, chairman of the Democratic National Convention in 2004, employee of Kissinger Associates, UN ambassador, governor of New Mexico, energy secretary, major player in the Monica Lewinsky cover-up with Bilderberg luminary Vernon Jordan.

9. ROBERT GATES – DEFENSE SECRETARY

Bilderberg, Council on Foreign Relations, former CIA Director, defense secretary under President Bush, co-chaired CFR task force with Zbigniew Brzezinski, knee-deep in the Iran-Contra scandal, named in a 1999 class action lawsuit pertaining to the Mena drug trafficking affair.

10. TOM DASCHLE – HEALTH SECRETARY

Bilderberg, Council on Foreign Relations, former Senate majority leader, Citibank lackey, mentored by Robert Rubin.

11. ERIC HOLDER – ATTORNEY GENERAL

Key person in the pardon of racketeer Marc Rich, deputy attorney general under Janet Reno, facilitated the pardon of 16 Puerto Rican FALN terrorists under Bill Clinton.

12. JANET NAPOLITANO – HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR

Council on Foreign Relations, Arizona governor, attorney for Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas hearings, U.S. attorney during the Clinton administration, instrumental in the OKC cover-up, where she declared, “We’ll pursue every bit of evidence and every lead,” described as another Janet Reno, soft on illegal immigration (i.e. pro-amnesty and drivers licenses to illegals).

13. GEN. JAMES L. JONES – NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR

Bilderberg, Trilateral Commission, European supreme allied commander, special envoy for Middle-East Security during Bush administration, board of directors for Chevron and Boeing, NATO commander, member of Brent Scowcroft’s Institute for International Affairs along with Zbigniew Brzezinski, Bobby Ray Inman, Bilderberg luminary Henry Kissinger and former CIA Director John Deutch.

14. SUSAN RICE – U.N. AMBASSADOR

Council on Foreign Relations, Rhodes scholar, campaign foreign policy advisor to presidential candidates John Kerry and Michael Dukakis, member of Bill Clinton’s National Security Council and assistant secretary of state for Africa, member of the Brookings Institute (funded by the Ford Foundation and the Rockefellers), and member of the Aspen Strategy Group (teeming with Bilderberg insiders such as Richard Armitage, Brent Scowcroft, and Madeleine Albright).

Victor Thorn is a hard-hitting researcher, journalist and the author of many books on 9-11 and the New World Order. These include 9-11 Evil: The Israeli Role in 9-11 and Phantom Flight 93.

WIRNING - you live in Malaysia's Smart city

The local town council (Majlis Perbandaran Sepang) had recently put up signs in Cyberjaya - warning 'smart-city' workers to park only at designated areas.

Wirning, park at the right place or we will send your tyres for grammatical alignment...

Another common sight traffic accident at Cyberjaya -- this one on 15 Nov 08

Good Video - the Money Masters - How International Bankers Gained Control of America

I think that this is a very comprehensive summary of current monetary history and problems and think that it should be shown on Prime-Time TV and perhaps to every High School or College student in the world...

Just turned 40 last month, but just look at the Things Other People Accomplished When They hit 40

John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth.

Joan Ganz Cooney founded Children's Television Workshop and became the mastermind behind "Sesame Street."

Charles Thurber patented a typewriter.

Chemist Franz Karl Achard developed a process for extracting sugar from beets.

Physicist William Sturgeon created the first electromagnet.

Jean Eugene Atget, now considered one of the greatest photographers, took up photography.

Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run.

Harriet Beecher Stowe, a mother of six who occasionally wrote for magazines, published Uncle Tom's Cabin, an antislavery novel of such force that it is generally recognized as one of the causes of the Civil War.

Earl Vickers unveiled his audio effects plug-in SFX Machine at the 1997 NAMM convention.

Some interesting stuff about the world we live in...

In Lebanon, men are legally allowed to have sex with animals, but the animals must be female.
Having sexual relations with a male animal is punishable by death.
(Like THAT makes sense.)

In Bahrain, a male doctor may legally examine a woman's genitals, but is prohibited from looking directly at them during the examination. He may only see their reflection in a mirror.
(Do they look different reversed?)

Muslims are banned from looking at the genitals of a
corpse. This also applies to undertakers. The organs of the deceased must be covered with a brick or piece of wood at all times.
(A brick??)

The penalty for masturbation in Indonesia is decapitation.
(...so they'll never know they went blind?)

There are men in Guam whose full-time job is to travel the countryside and deflower young virgins, who pay them for the privilege of having sex for the first time...
Reason: Under Guam law, it is expressly forbidden for virgins to marry.
(Let's just think for a minute; is there any job anywhere
else in the world that even comes close to this?)

In Hong Kong, a betrayed wife is legally allowed to kill her adulterous husband, but may only do so with her bare hands. The husband's lover, on the other hand, may be killed in any manner desired.
(Now this is justice!)

Topless saleswomen are legal in Liverpool, England -
but only in tropical fish stores.
(But of course!)

In Cali, Colombia, a woman may only have sex with her husband, and the first time this happens, her mother
must be in the room to witness the act.
(Makes one shudder at the thought.)

In Santa Cruz, Bolivia, it is illegal for a man to have sex with a woman and her daughter at the same time.
(I presume this was a big enough problem that they had
to pass this law?)

In Maryland, it is illegal to sell condoms from vending
machines with one exception: Prophylactics may be
dispensed from a vending machine only "in places where alcoholic beverages are sold for consumption on the premises."
(Is this a great country or what? Not as great as Guam!)

Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.
(Who volunteers for this stuff?)

Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure.
(Is that why Flipper was always smiling?)

The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.
(Hummm....I won't touch THAT one!)

The ant can lift 50 times its own weight, can pull 30
times its own weight and always falls over on its right
side when intoxicated.
(From drinking little bottles of...? Wonder how much the the govt.
paid for this relevant bit of research??)

Butterflies taste with their feet.
(Ah, geez)

An ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain.
(I know some people like that.)

Starfish don't have brains.
(I know some people like that, too)

Lessons From The Collapse Of Wall Street By James Petras

Oct 6 2008


Introduction

The ongoing collapse of the stock market and the loss of hundreds of billions of dollars managed by Wall Street investment banks illustrate the pitfalls and danger of free market capitalism facing the entire working population of the United States.

1. The near bankruptcy of Social Security The attempt by the White House and leading Republican and Democrat congresspersons as recently as 3 years ago to 'privatize' Social Security ­ essentially turning over the management and investment of trillions of dollars in Social Security funds to Wall Street ­ with the argument that private investors would earn more, would have led to the bankruptcy of the entire Social Security fund.


Privatization would have allowed the major private investment banks to speculate and leverage even riskier financial instruments with the disastrous results we are witnessing today. While private pension funds go belly up ­ Social Security continues. It is the private pensions, which have gone bankrupt ­ not the publicly managed Social Security fund, contrary to the experts and critics of Social Security. Clearly the current private debacle argues for public control and management of pension programs.

2. All the major private pension funds for public and private employees, including TIAA CREF, CALPERS and labor union pensions have lost anywhere between 23% to 30% since January and show negative growth over the past 5 years. Clearly linking pension funds to the stock market has severely reduced the living standards of retirees, forcing many to remain in the labor force into their seventies and beyond or to sink into poverty. Pensions linked to publicly funded productive activity would avoid the losses and risks embedded in investing in the stock market.

3. The bipartisan strategic decisions to convert the US into a 'service' economy as opposed to an advanced and diversified manufacturing economy is the root cause of the collapse of the US financial system and the emerging long-term recession. From the 1960s onward, the political elite adopted policies that promoted finance, real estate and insurance, the so-called FIRE sectors which raised rents, redirected subsidies, provided tax concessions and subsidies, and destroyed and displaced industry. The re-conversion of the FIRE economy back to a balanced manufacturing economy and welfare state, essential for reversing the collapse of the US economy, will require a major political upheaval.

4. The massive flight of capital from productive sectors to FIRE was accompanied by the huge surge of capital overseas, making the domestic economy over dependent on 'services', particularly volatile and risky 'financial services' and highly indebted consumers. The conversion of the US from a diversified economy to a 'FIRE' monoculture increased the probability of a general collapse if and when the financial/real estate market went under. Recovery and sustained growth can only occur with the return of a diversified economy, the retention of capital from overseas flight and large-scale, long-term public investment and incentives for the productive and social service sectors.

5. The pursuit of military-driven empire building at the expense of joint ventures and reciprocal trade agreements with countries with expanding markets, strategic energy sources and large populations and markets, created enormous budget and trade deficits and alienated potential sources of markets and strategic commodities. Trillion dollar military expenditures in pursuit of prolonged, costly colonial wars (without end), diverted funds from the application of technological advances and high-end manufacturing, which would have lowered costs and increased market competition. Equally important, by shifting from market-driven domestic expansion to overseas military-driven conquest, the entire axis of economic power shifted from industrial to financial capital. Finance capital essential to funding government budget deficits incurred through military expenditures, grew in influence ­ Wall Street replaced the steel-belt as the axes of power in Washington.

6. The ascendancy of militarism and financial capital facilitated the increase of influence of a virulent power configuration promoting the regional hegemonic interests of a colonial-militarist state specifically, a previously marginal political lobby ­ the pro-Israel-Zionist power configuration (ZPC). The military-driven empire builders saw in the ZPC a strategic ally in pursuit of their global conquests; the ZPC saw an open door to high office and multiple opportunities to promote Israel's expansionist agenda through their influence in Congressional Committees, electoral campaigns and direct White House appointments.


The ZPC surge to the top echelon of power was aided and abetted by the increase of financial support they received by members in strategic positions in the most lucrative financial institutions. The ZPC was an economic beneficiary of the speculative bubble: it was the massive infusion of financial contributions that allowed the ZPC to vastly expand the number of full-time functionaries, influence peddlers and electoral contributors that magnified their power ­ especially in promoting US Middle East wars, lopsided free trade agreements (in favor of Israel) and unquestioned backing of Israeli aggression against Lebanon, Syria and Palestine. Economic recovery is contingent on ending budget busting military imperialism. That will not happen unless there is a wholesale replacement of the political elite nurtured on the metaphysics of military-based global power.

No economic recovery is possible now or in the foreseeable future as long as the US Congress and executives provide trillion dollar bailouts to Wall Street's insolvent speculators, bankroll 700 billion dollar budgets of ever expanding war spending and while Zionist power brokers dictate US Mideast policies.

The lessons of the past tell us a great deal about what paths we should and shouldn't take.

Social Security still exists precisely because the US public rebelled and defeated its proposed handover to Wall Street and it remained a publicly run program. The financial system collapsed because the US economy 'specialized' in a single crop ­ finance ­ at the expanse of a diversified productive economy. The political system is totally discredited because it is run by a failed political elite which blatantly represents and acts on behalf of a few thousand financial oligarchs; a couple hundred militarist oligarchs and a few dozen zealous Zionist organizations.

The 'power elite' is only as powerful as it is able to manipulate, intimidate and beguile three hundred million plus US citizens into thinking that they are indispensable to their lives. The overwhelming popular rejection of the privatization of social security and the Wall Street bailout suggests that the ruling oligarchy is not invincible.

Another common sight here at the heart of Malaysia's MSC

Cyberjaya - the place to Live, Study, Work, Play and Crash around...

Touch any part of the face and one fails the interview?

This is a recent photoshot of our (Malaysia's) Prime Minister and the Deputy PM. They were at a Press conference and announcing something 'big' i.e. a major change in the governing body.

Any body language or NLP enthusiast out there incidentally reading this that can share with what touching of the nose means when answering questions?

I recall that I was told not to touch any part of my face when I went for my job interviews many many mooooons ago...

My 3 days at the Volkswagon Women's Table Tennis World Cup

My dedication as a Star Trek fan to the Fight for Freedom

My dedication as a Star Trek fan to the Fight for Freedom at the coming Malaysia's Sept 16 2008 change for freedom. Acknowledgement to Youtuber Tomba002 for using his clip and my liberty to add the lyrics.

The key is having the RIGHT MIX, not just the correct ingredients

I usually don't show my political side but this is a good article for all Malaysians to read and hence I plucked it off the currently 'banned' Malaysia Today's blogsite to share. A very good article by the infamous RPK explaining basically that in Malaysia, the key to forming the ruling government is not just the ingredients but the RIGHT MIX of ingredients (hence my title given to this must read article on Malaysia's race politics)

From Malaysia Today's THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

by Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK)

Soon after the 8 March 2008 general election, Malaysia Today mooted the possibility that Pakatan Rakyat could form the new federal government if at least 30 Barisan Nasional Members of Parliament crossed over. Another idea that Malaysia Today mooted was the formation of the ‘Unity Government’ and the eventual emergence of a two-party system in Malaysia.

The two-party system was accepted with no problems but the crossovers and Unity Government proposals were whacked to kingdom come. Some even commented that I had ‘changed’ since the election and no longer speak the way I used to. They were beginning to wonder what had happened to me and whether I was suffering from ‘battle fatigue’ and should in fact take a long rest before continuing to write again.

The ‘ailment’ I was suffering from was merely a case of realpolitik or pragmatism. Let’s face it: what can Pakatan Rakyat do with a mere 82 seats in Parliament? It does not even have enough clout to stop the federal government from sabotaging the five states under Pakatan Rakyat control. And this can be done easily enough by squeezing the five states of development money (like how they did to Terengganu in 1999) whereby, come the next election, these states will fall back into Barisan Nasional’s hands (like what happened to Terengganu in 2004).

It’s all about money. If the states get squeezed of money, then the people will re-evaluate the logic of keeping these states under Pakatan Rakyat control. See what the 2009 Budget was all about. It was about pouring money into states like Sabah and Sarawak that may be the source of the crossovers. Umno knew that Sabah and Sarawak were the most possible targets of the crossovers. So they are promising billions to these two states just to ensure that they remain in Barisan Nasional.

Barisan Nasional has 140 seats in Parliament against Pakatan Rakyat’s 82 -- which is 31 for PKR, 28 for DAP and 23 for PAS. But that is for the whole country. In Peninsular Malaysia, Pakatan Rakyat has 80 seats against Barisan Nasional’s 86. Yes, that’s right. In Peninsular Malaysia, Barisan Nasional has only six seats more than Pakatan Rakyat. If just three Barisan Nasional Members of Parliament from Peninsular Malaysia cross over, Pakatan Rakyat would have 83 seats against Barisan Nasional’s 83.

The ‘main players’ in Barisan Nasional are Umno (79 seats), MCA (15 seats), MIC (3 seats) and Gerakan (2 seats). But 13 of Umno’s seats are in Sabah. Therefore, in Peninsular Malaysia, Umno has only 66 seats against MCA’s, MIC’s and Gerakan’s 20 (Total 86 for Barisan Nasional versus Pakatan Rakyat’s 80).

Sabah and Sarawak are definitely the Kingmakers. And the fact that, by law, 25% of the Parliament seats must come from Sabah and Sarawak means they shall always be the Kingmakers. And this is even more so now since, in Peninsular Malaysia, Barisan Nasional’s and Pakatan Rakyat’s seats are almost split 50:50. In fact, in Peninsular Malaysia, Pakatan Rakyat garnered more votes than Barisan Nasional (51% versus 49%). Only when you add the votes from Sabah and Sarawak are the percentages reversed.

The King of Kings would be PBB, Taib Mahmud’s party in Sarawak, which has 14 seats. This is followed by Umno in Sabah, which has 13 seats. SUPP and PRS, both in Sarawak, have six seats each. UPKO in Sabah and SPDP in Sarawak have four seats each -- followed by PBS in Sabah (3 seats), SAPP in Sabah (2 seats) and PBRS and LDP, both in Sabah, with one seat each.

The bottom line is, there are 56 Parliament seats in Sabah and Sarawak. Umno controls 13 and the opposition (DAP) two. The balance 41 are controlled by the component members of Barisan Nasional East Malaysia. If you regard the 13 Umno Sabah seats as ‘component member’ seats, then the total ‘hostile’ seats in East Malaysia (within Barisan Nasional) would be 54. Add the 20 from MCA, MIC and Gerakan, then Pakatan Rakyat would now have 74 seats to fish from.

And 30 seats are all Pakatan Rakyat needs. So 74 are plenty. And that is assuming the 66 Umno seats in Peninsular Malaysia remain with Barisan Nasional and do not cross over.

But there would be a problem if none of the 79 Umno Members of Parliament cross over. Pakatan Rakyat has 43 Malay Members of Parliament opposed to 39 non-Malays. That is okay because then Umno can’t say that the non-Malays control the opposition. But if 30 non-Malay Members of Parliament cross over to Pakatan Rakyat, and they get to form the new federal government, then it would be 69 non-Malays opposed to only 43 Malays.

Herein lies the problem and that is why there is a delay in Pakatan Rakyat forming the new federal government. Anwar Ibrahim does have his 30. In fact, it is more than 30. But Anwar has to be very careful in maintaining the ‘balance’. He can’t afford to form the new federal government with 69 or more non-Malay Members of Parliament and only 43 Malays. Umno would go to town with this and it will ‘prove’ what Umno has been saying these last many months: that the non-Malays have grabbed political power and the Malays have lost political power.

Yes, this is the song Umno has been singing since the 8 March 2008 general election. Malay political power had eroded, argues Umno. And once the 30 or more non-Malay Members of Parliament cross over and Pakatan Rakyat forms the new federal government, the Malays will lose political power.

In an Umno Johor Convention a couple of months ago, they spoke about how they regret giving citizenship to the immigrants on 31 August 1957. Now that these immigrants have been granted citizenship, they have demonstrated ingratitude by voting for the opposition. These immigrants should never have been given citizenship, argued speaker after speaker. And Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah were guests of honour in this Convention.

You could see Tengku Razaleigh cringe, as if in great pain, on hearing this. He knew that Barisan Nasional suffered its most humiliating performance on 8 March 2008 because of exactly this. Such statements are not going to help. It will just make matters worse.

Umno played the race card to the hilt in the run-up to the recent general election. And it is still doing so until now, as the Umno Bukit Bendera Division Chief has shown. They still refer to Malaysian-born Chinese and Indians as immigrants. They still call the Chinese and Indians ungrateful squatters. They still ask the Chinese and Indians to go back to China and India, though all these people were born in Malaysia and not in any other country.

In a PPP Convention in Melaka, held before the 8 March 2008 general election, the Umno Vice-President and Chief Minister told the 1,000 or so Indians that Umno does not need the non-Malays. They do not even need Sabah and Sarawak, said Ali Rustam. Umno has ruled Malaysia for 50 years without the non-Malays, or the people from Sabah and Sarawak, and they can continue to do so another 50.

Ali Rustam was not asked to apologise. Neither was the Umno Bukit Bendera Umno Chief, who Abdullah Badawi said did not really mean what he said. But if I were to say something like that, the police would be in front of my house the very next day and I would be hauled into court and charged for sedition within 24 hours. That would be how swift the police would act in the event I said even 10% of what the Umno leaders say.

And this will be what will trigger the crossovers. The Barisan Nasional Members of Parliament will join Pakatan Rakyat to form the new federal government because of such talk. Umno has no respect for the non-Malays. Umno thinks all it needs to do is to bribe Sabah and Sarawak with more development funds and they will remain the loyal running dogs of Barisan Nasional. Umno knows that the Parliament seats in Peninsular Malaysia are split almost 50:50. So all they need to do is to bribe Sabah and Sarawak and the 54 seats in East Malaysia will remain in Barisan Nasional and Umno will subsequently remain in power.

Umno also knows that by just getting at least 30 Members of Parliament from Sabah and Sarawak, or even the 20 from MCA, MIC and Gerakan, to cross over is not enough. That would give Pakatan Rakyat a 43-Malay versus 69-non-Malay federal government. This will be exactly what Umno wants. Then they can play up the ‘Malays have lost political power’ race card. And then the May 13 Version 2 would become a reality.

There are many impatient people. They want Anwar to take over and form the new federal government today. They want at least 30 Members of Parliament from Sabah and Sarawak to cross over now. They want Anwar to tell Umno to go to hell. But he can’t do that. He needs Umno. Well, at least he needs some of those from Umno. He needs at least 15 to 20 Umno Members of Parliament to join another 15 to 20 non-Malay Members of Parliament to cross over so that he can form the new federal government with the right racial balance. Then Umno can’t say that the Malays have lost political power. And Umno also can’t use this to fan the sentiments of the Malays and trigger another race riot the likes of what happened on 13 May 1969.

This is not just about kicking Barisan Nasional out. This is not just about forming a new Pakatan Rakyat federal government. This is also about maintaining the peace, stability and harmony between the many races and about denying Umno the opportunity to turn this whole thing into a race issue.

And Anwar, of all people, knows this. And that is why he is taking his time about it and is covering all the bases before making his move. We want Malaysia to move forward into 2009. We do not want to return to 1969. This is the crux of the matter.

Hunt for the bad England

http://treasurehuntingmalaysia.blogspot.com/2008/09/hunt-for-bad-england.html

Ah, want to swear, must know how to swear nicely...

Acknowledgement: Haniff's blog Thanks.

Found this on the net lately. With this skill, Malaysian mat-rempit can go home (balik)

http://view.break.com/535445 - Watch more free videos

Thoroughly enjoyed myself forming a table tennis team playing at Prima Ave's annual friendly tourney

Enjoy my video production of my team mate Kong playing against Chua (DHL) at this year's Prima Avenue (Cyberjaya) table tennis friendly tourney which lasted 1+ months attracting 11 teams.

A good video. Enjoy.

It's been a while I haven't posted anything ...

So, a friend of mine said, well - post something... keep the blog active & alive...

Well, thanks, good advice. Hence a reminder here of what may be loosely defined as the definition of a blog...
Enjoy!

A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world.
Your blog is whatever you want it to be. There are millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and there are no real rules.

In simple terms, a blog is a web site, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis. New stuff shows up at the top, so your visitors can read what's new. Then they comment on it or link to it or email you. Or not.

Since Blogger was launched in 1999, blogs have reshaped the web, impacted politics, shaken up journalism, and enabled millions of people to have a voice and connect with others.
And we're pretty sure the whole deal is just getting started.

A blog gives you your own voice on the web. It's a place to collect and share things that you find interesting— whether it's your political commentary, a personal diary, or links to web sites you want to remember.

Many people use a blog just to organize their own thoughts, while others command influential, worldwide audiences of thousands. Professional and amateur journalists use blogs to publish breaking news, while personal journalers reveal inner thoughts.

Whatever you have to say, Blogger can help you say it.

Blogger Comments let anyone, anywhere, offer feedback on your posts. You can choose whether you want to allow comments on a post-by-post basis, and you can delete any comments you don't like.

Did he really faint or did he just pretend?

Riker's 1st ever sports participation-July5 08. He's the bunny sportman

Watch all of my video edits from my participation in a reality TV series. Enjoy!

A friend of mine sent me this. My subject for it will be "Why Italian food in the Mid-East taste funny"

Thanks Ephrem

2000 plus unique visitors at my Treasure Hunting blog since mid April 08

Happy and grateful that I've been graced by 2000+ visitors to my treasure hunting blog since I started tracking it from the mid of April this year.

Grateful & thankful to all my visitors. Hope it's been entertaining & will continue to be so... and hope this blog is occasionally worth your visit too.

Sharing a friend's initiative on shopping smart

Yau Hoh Tang in a recent email shared that a group of his friends have set up community websites that compile prices of Malaysian grocery items from various hypermarkets. Their aim is to provide some price indication as to which hypermarket gives the best value.

Check it out here at the Tips on Smart Savings Blog -- run by "a team of 2 'smart' mothers - Jane & Sally"

Kids and the influence of movies

This picture paints many words - movies and their influence on kids.

Brand NEW @ 39% discount. Logitec X-540 5.1 surround system speakers

Brand NEW @ 39% discount. Logitec X-540 5.1 surround system speakers http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakers_audio/home_pc_speakers/devices/234&cl=roeu,en

Won at a recent gaming competition. Still in ribbon wrap and fully warrantied.

Retails at RM399 Nett. Selling at RM250.00 only.

FREE courier for COD anywhere in Klang Valley SMS or call 012 3106022 anytime
See other listings:
http://www.facebook.com/marketplace/listing.php?classified_id=22425660063&ref=save

http://www.lelong.com.my/Auc/List/DetailSale.asp?ProductID=15597612

A website on How To's - join for free and contribute all kinds of how to's

Weird...From an episode of Heroes. The date is this Sat!!

Weird...

Was just watching an episode from Heroes just now and it was this scene.

It's 13 June 2008 now, and the scene showed this, meaning and meant for tomorrow!

Weird or what?!

Oil shortage a myth

By Steve Connor, Science Editor
Monday, 9 June 2008

There is more than twice as much oil in the ground as major producers say, according to a former industry adviser who claims there is widespread misunderstanding of the way proven reserves are calculated.

Although it is widely assumed that the world has reached a point where oil production has peaked and proven reserves have sunk to roughly half of original amounts, this idea is based on flawed thinking, said Richard Pike, a former oil industry man who is now chief executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Current estimates suggest there are 1,200 billion barrels of proven global reserves, but the industry's internal figures suggest this amounts to less than half of what actually exists.

The misconception has helped boost oil prices to an all-time high, sending jitters through the market and prompting calls for oil-producing nations to increase supply to push down costs.

Flying into Japan for a summit two days after prices reached a record $139 a barrel, energy ministers from the G8 countries yesterday discussed an action plan to ease the crisis.

Explaining why the published estimates of proven global reserves are less than half the true amount, Dr Pike said there was anecdotal evidence that big oil producers were glad to go along with under-reporting of proven reserves to help maintain oil's high price. "Part of the oil industry is perfectly familiar with the way oil reserves are underestimated, but the decision makers in both the companies and the countries are not exposed to the reasons why proven oil reserves are bigger than they are said to be," he said.

Dr Pike's assessment does not include unexplored oilfields, those yet to be discovered or those deemed too uneconomic to exploit.

The environmental implications of his analysis, based on more than 30 years inside the industry, will alarm environmentalists who have exploited the concept of peak oil to press the urgency of the need to find greener alternatives.

"The bad news is that by underestimating proven oil reserves we have been lulled into a false sense of security in terms of environmental issues, because it suggests we will have to find alternatives to fossil fuels in a few decades," said Dr Pike. "We should not be surprised if oil dominates well into the twenty-second century. It highlights a major error in energy and environmental planning – we are dramatically underestimating the challenge facing us," he said.

Proven oil reserves are likely to be far larger than reported because of the way the capacity of oilfields is estimated and how those estimates are added to form the proven reserves of a company or a country. Companies add the estimated capacity of oil fields in a simple arithmetic manner to get proven oil reserves. This gives a deliberately conservative total deemed suitable for shareholders who do not want proven reserves hyped, Dr Pike said.

However, mathematically it is more accurate to add the proven oil capacity of individual fields in a probabilistic manner based on the bell-shaped statistical curve used to estimate the proven, probable and possible reserves of each field. This way, the final capacity is typically more than twice that of simple, arithmetic addition, Dr Pike said. "The same also goes for natural gas because these fields are being estimated in much the same way. The world is understating the environmental challenge and appears unprepared for the difficult compromises that will have to be made."

Jeremy Leggett, author of Half Gone, a book on peak oil, is not convinced that Dr Pike is right. "The flow rates from the existing projects are the key. Capacity coming on stream falls fast beyond 2011," Dr Leggett said. "On top of that, if the big old fields begin collapsing, the descent in supply will hit the world very hard."

Why the Oil Price Is High - By Paul Craig Roberts

Sharing this article with those that really want deeper insights than just what's happening locally around us.

11/06/08
How to explain the oil price? Why is it so high? Are we running out? Are supplies disrupted, or is the high price a reflection of oil company greed or OPEC greed. Are Chavez and the Saudis conspiring against the US?

In my opinion, the two biggest factors in oil’s high price are the weakness in the US dollar’s exchange value and the liquidity that the Federal Reserve is pumping out.

The dollar is weak because of large trade and budget deficits, the closing of which is beyond American political will. As abuse wears out the US dollar’s reserve currency role, sellers demand more dollars as a hedge against its declining exchange value and ultimate loss of reserve currency status.

In an effort to forestall a serious recession and further crises in derivative instruments, the Federal Reserve is pouring out liquidity that is financing speculation in oil futures contracts. Hedge funds and investment banks are restoring their impaired capital structures with profits made by speculating in highly leveraged oil future contracts, just as real estate speculators flipping contracts pushed up home prices. The oil futures bubble, too, will pop, hopefully before new derivatives are created on the basis of high oil prices.

There are other factors affecting the price of oil. The prospect of an Israeli/US attack on Iran has increased current demand in order to build stocks against disruption. No one knows the consequence of such an ill-conceived act of aggression, and the uncertainty pushes up the price of oil as the entire Middle East could be engulfed in conflagration. However, storage facilities are limited, and the impact on price of larger inventories has a limit.

Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi recently stated, “There is no justification for the current rise in prices.” What the minister means is that there are no shortages or supply disruptions. He means no real reasons as distinct from speculative or psychological reasons.

The run up in oil price coincides with a period of heightened US and Israeli military aggression in the Middle East. However, the biggest jump has been in the last 18 months.

When Bush invaded Iraq in 2003, the average price of oil that year was about $27 per barrel, or about $31 in inflation adjusted 2007 dollars. The price rose another $10 in 2004 to an average annual price of $42 (in 2007 dollars), another $12 in 2005, $7 in 2006, and $4 in 2007 to $65. But in the last few months the price has more than doubled to about $135. It is difficult to explain a $70 jump in price in terms other than speculation.

Oil prices have been high in the past. Until 2008, the record monthly oil price was $104 in December 1979 (measured in December 2007 dollars). As recently as 1998 the real price of oil was lower than in 1946 when the nominal price of oil was $1.63 per barrel. During the Bush regime, the price of oil in 2007 dollars has risen from $27 to approximately $135. (see http://inflationdata.com/inflation/Inflation_Rate/Historical_Oil_Prices_Table.asp )

Possibly, the rise in the oil price was held down, prior to the recent jump, by expectations that Democrats would eventually end the conflict and restrain Israel in the interest of Middle East peace and justice for the Palestinians. Now that Obama has pledged allegiance to AIPAC and adopted Bush’s position toward Iran, the high oil price could be a forecast that US/Israeli policy is likely to result in substantial supply disruptions. Still, the recent Israeli statements that an attack on Iran was “inevitable” only jumped the oil price about $8.

Perhaps more difficult to understand than the high price of oil is the low US long term interest rates. US interest rates are actually below the rate of inflation, to say nothing of the imperiled exchange value of the dollar. Economists who assume rational participants in rational markets cannot explain why lenders would indefinitely accept interest rates below the rate of inflation.

Of course, Americans don’t get real inflation numbers from their government and have not since the Consumer Price Index was rigged during the Clinton administration to hold down Social Security payments by denying retirees their full cost of living adjustments. According to statistician John Williams ( www.shadowstats.com ), using the pre-Clinton era measure of the CPI produces a current CPI of about 7.5%.

Understating inflation makes real GDP growth appear higher. If inflation were properly measured, the US has probably experienced no real GDP growth in the 21st century.

Williams reports that for decades political administrations have fiddled with the inflation and employment numbers to make themselves look slightly better. The cumulative effect has been to deprive these measurements of veracity. If I understand Williams, today both inflation and unemployment rates, as originally measured, are around 12%.

By pumping out money in an effort to forestall recession and paper over balance sheet problems, the Federal Reserve is driving up commodity and food prices in general. Yet American real incomes are not growing. Even without jobs offshoring, US economic policy has put the bulk of the population on a path to lower living standards.

The crisis that looms for the US is the loss of world currency role. Once the dollar loses that role, the US government will not be able to finance its operations by borrowing abroad, and foreigners will cease to finance the massive US trade deficit. This crisis will eliminate the US as a world power.

Paul Craig Roberts a former Assistant Secretary of the US Treasury and former associate editor of the Wall Street Journal, has been reporting shocking cases of prosecutorial abuse for two decades.

No fuel price hike until it's USD200 per barrel - Thanks. Sure!

Can't keep consistent for more than 3 days! Thanks.

What subsidy?

1 barrel is approximately 160 litres x RM2.70 = RM 432 or USD 135

On 1 hand, we are paying the full cost of 1 barrel of crude oil with RM2.70 per litre but on the other hand the crude oil only produces 46% of fuel.

Also since we are buying back fuel after we sell off our crude oil, there isn't much loss in the fact, if it was 1 for 1 trade off, it would be a break even.

For instance
Malaysia sells crude oil per barrel at USD130 and buys back fuel per barrel at USD135
This means that we would have to sell 2 barrels of crude oil to buy back 1 barrel of fuel...

The brain teaser part is when the governmnt sells it back to us at the fuel station making lots of money they yet dare say that they are giving us SUBSIDIES???

Today goes down in history -- a RM1.00 per litre price increase for my diesel SUV...

6:15pm Petronas Cyberjaya 11:31pm Shell Putrajaya


11:42pm still in Queue at Shell Putrajaya



Just a little below 1/2 tank before filling up, and Police presence everywhere at most if not all fuel stations.



And my last fill of diesel at RM1.58 per litre. At 12:00 midnight, barely 7 hours after news of a hike in fuel prices, the price per litre had increased RM1.00 per litre of diesel from RM1.58 to RM2.58. A lot of Malaysian do not understand why the increase had to be so immediate - i.e. a short 7 hours of warning to the public is more than premature, it borders on as if the increase is made to shock everyone, leaving people no time to react, or in this case, get to pumps quickly enough.

Huge traffic crawls emerged from 6pm till 12midnight on the day of the 4th of June.

And here is some sharing from the many news I read about Malaysia and fuel.

First of all these are some facts that are poorly if not at all, revealed to Malaysia's people.

1. Malaysia is a nett exporter of crude oil. The Malaysian government had consistently and blatantly publisize that they are on the people's side by subsidizing on fuel, to be a bit more exact, RM56 billion annually.

Now this is disinformation because this so called ‘subsidy’ is actually the additional income that the government would have, could have (call it whatever you wanna) obtained extra or "earned" if it had exported all of our crude oil production.

2. The lie is that there is no escalating out of control cost that the government say that they are bearing for the people. And the government also does not lose any money "subsidizing" its people because it is Malaysia's own explored crude oil we are talking about and and we are hence not paying anything to anyone (at least significantly) for our own oil supply.

3. In essence, the so called removing of fuel subsidies is basically forcing the people to bear the cost of the country's own resources that were if otherwise would have been sold at international prices - at a much higher price and for obscene profits for the oil companies (read Petronas et all); profits unheard of in the history of oil exploration and trade in the world.

4. Now most of Malaysia's people (except for those 'connected' with and to a particular dialect/race/religion) will suffer because of this sudden hike, especially the lower income. Poverty has no skin colour.

Quoting someone similiarly in-the-know "The hike in oil prices has not caused hardships to our government. On the contrary it has already earned record profits for Petronas. And now our government is going to squeeze even more profits by squeezing the rakyat. Put it bluntly, the Barisan Nasional government will get filthy rich at the expense of the rakyat."


Video clip edition of the experience for posterity.

I won the bid!!! Make it so.

This is what I had bid for which will SOON be on my car!

Today marks the death of my old faithful 5 year old 3Com wireless router

On 23rd May 2008, 5.30pm marks the day and time my faithful 5 year old 3Com wireless router model 3CRWE52196 died.

First, it showed a steady Amber ! exclamation mark - but the speed was still fantastic. As a matter of fact, one of the fastest I've ever experienced. Then, my wife complaint that she couldn't connect to the internet via her wireless notebook.

Checked the router and it looked ok except for that steady amber ! LED. Then without warning, my Ethernet wired connection failed too. Port 3 was dead. Strange - ethernet ports rarely fail individually... Tried port 4, works.

Checked the internal configuration - all looks ok - then even port 4 failed and soon, all the LEDs on the router blinked for its last time.

Funny. What crossed my mind was how it was blazing fast just before it died; making my mind think of stories people share of how 'active' and 'energetic' some people suddenly become just hours or even minutes before they pass away... (haven't heard of this?)

Anyway it was hot to the touch, and even more so the power adapter. No more blinking LED, nothing; just lot's of heat.

I lamented to my wife saying it had served me well for 5 years almost non-stop (as my computers are almost always connected to the internet 24/7)

Had to get a replacement immediately; how can we live without the Internet!

Jumped into my car, drove for 30mins towards the city and reached Mines Shopping Centre. To cut a long story short, here is my new Wireless router and of course it's a fantastic replacement at only RM145.00.


Nonetheless, this is still a special posting in memory of my old faithful 3Com; may its Ports rest and its LEDs finally be still.

my FIRST Star Trek toy when I was 10 ... seems almost yesterday

This was my FIRST Star Trek toy when I was 10 years old. Today I see it again at ebay - exactly the same except that I remember the shuttle was also white not red ...

But, as I turned the 'bridge section" at the top, I can still see the photon torpedoes firing out from the bow...

And soon, some news about one of my life-long dreams to own NCC-1701

What if someone were to tell you that MSG (i.e. Ajinomoto) added to food could cause brain damage in your children...

Art by David Dees.
Article from the book 'Excitotoxins - The Taste That Kills'By Dr. Russell Blaylock, MD

Hidden Sources Of MSG In Foods

From the book 'Excitotoxins - The Taste That Kills
By Dr. Russell Blaylock, MD3-6-3


What if someone were to tell you that a chemical (MSG) added to food could cause brain damage in your children, and that this chemical could effect how your children's nervous systems formed during development so that in later years they may have learning or emotional difficulties?

What if there was scientific evidence that these chemicals could permanently damage a critical part of the brain known to control hormones so that later in life your child might have endocrine problems? How would you feel?

Suppose evidence was presented to you strongly suggesting that the artificial sweetener in your diet soft drink may cause brain tumors to develop, and that the number of brain tumors reported since the introduction of this widespread introduction of this artificial sweetener has risen dramatically? Would that affect your decision to drink these products and especially to allow your children to drink them? What if you could be shown overwhelming evidence that one of the main ingredients in this sweetener (aspartate) could cause the same brain lesions as MSG? Would that affect your buying decisions?

And finally, what if it could be demonstrated that all of these types of chemicals, called excitotoxins, could possibly aggravate or even precipitate many of today's epidemic neurodegenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, ALS, and Alzheimer's disease? Would you be concerned if you knew that these excitotoxin food additives are a particular risk if you have diabetes, or have ever had a stroke, brain injury, brain tumor, seizure, or have suffered from hypertension, meningitis, or viral encephalitis?

Would you also be upset to learn that many of the brain lesions caused by these products in your children are irreversible and can result from a SINGLE exposure of these products in sufficient concentration?

How would you feel when you learn the food industry hides and disguises these excitotoxin additives (MSG and Aspartate) so they can't be recognized? Incredulous? Enraged? The fact is many foods are labeled as having "No MSG" but in fact not only contain MSG but also are laced with other excitotoxins of equal potency and danger.

All of the above are true. And all of these well known brain toxins are poured into our food and drink by the thousands of tons to boost sales. These additives have NO OTHER purpose other than to enhance to TASTE of food and the SWEETNESS of various diet products.


Hidden Sources Of MSG

As discussed previously, the glutamate (MSG) manufacturers and the processed food industries are always on a quest to disguise the MSG added to food. Below is a partial list of the most common names for disguised MSG. Remember also that the powerful excitotoxins, aspartate and L-cystine, are frequently added to foods and according to FDA rules require NO LABELING AT ALL.


* Food Additives that ALWAYS contain MSG *

Monosodium Glutamate
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed Protein
Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
Plant Protein Extract
Sodium Caseinate
Calcium Caseinate
Yeast Extract
Textured Protein (Including TVP)
Autolyzed Yeast
Hydrolyzed Oat Flour
Corn Oil

* Food Additives That FREQUENTLY Contain MSG *

Malt Extract
Malt Flavoring
Bouillon
Broth
Stock
Flavoring
Natural Flavors/Flavoring
Natural Beef Or Chicken Flavoring
Seasoning
Spices

* Food Additives That MAY Contain MSG Or Excitotoxins *

Carrageenan
Enzymes
Soy Protein Concentrate
Soy Protein Isolate
Whey Protein Concentrate

Also: Protease Enzymes of various sources can release excitotoxin amino acids from food proteins.


Aspartame - An Intense Source Of Excitotoxins
Aspartame is a sweetener made from two amino acids, phenylalanine and the excitotoxin aspartate. It should be avoided at all costs. Aspartame complaints accounts for approximately 70% of ALL complaints to the FDA. It is implicated in everything from blindness to headaches to convulsions. Sold under dozens of brand names such as NutraSweet and Equal, aspartame breaks down within 20 minutes at room temperature into several primary toxic and dangerous ingredients:

1. DKP (diketopiperazine) (When ingested, converts to a near duplicate of
a powerful brain tumor causing agent)
2. Formic Acid (ant venom)
3. Formaldehyde (embalming fluid)
4. Methanol (causes blindness...extremely dangerous substance)

Common Examples:
Diet soft drinks, sugar free gums, sugar free Kool Aid, Crystal Light, childrens' medications, and thousands of other products claiming to be 'low calorie', 'diet', or 'sugar free'.

A Final Note...
Dr. Blaylock recounted a meeting with a senior executive in the food additive industry who told him point blank that these excitotoxins are going to be in our food no matter how many name changes are necessary...

This week's Streaming Audio 24/7 from the Power of Prophecy program by Texe Marrs

This week's Streaming Audio 24/7 from the Power of Prophecy program by Texe Marrs
Everyone Will Go Hungry (may require WinAmp for audio streaming)

Any other fool - Patti Austin & Sadao Watanabe

Another of my favourites when growing up. Brings back lots of memories each time it's played...

A clip from you tube I video edited as part of a simple exercise in Video Manipulation

Another specially memorable one for me, from Carly Simon

I heard this on Lite FM in the wee hours of this morning ...

For me, it was also one of my favourites when I was in Singapore 18+ years back. Now, I get the chance to Youtube, and video customise it to add its lyrics. Enjoy.

One of my most favourite songs when I was young

This song is particularly of significance because when I was a young policeman in big city Singapore, though I lived with a distant relative, I still felt lonely.

The radio back then was my truest companion and there was a radio station from Batam (Indonesia) that I listened to each night without fail. It is something like the Lite FM 105.7 we have today in Malaysia.

Anyway, one of the songs that most brought me to tears was this song by Carly Simon - My Romance.

And here it is, after 18 years or so, found it on You Tube and used my video editor to customise it a bit here and there...

Riker and McQueen

Riker is engrossed in watching McQueen race... the part where he ties the race with his tongue...

Shots of Riker - N73 camera phone

Xindi

A scream, a yawn or just need more air?

A grin, a big ugly smile or pain?


Acting?


More acting?

Vulcan

Some unnamed alien species?

Romulan likely


Squid-like creature?

Definately Vulcan

First page of this fresh proto(typing) blog

OK - this is as fresh as it gets.

Nowadays, it's so easy to create a blog - in just under 2mins, one has somewhat of a spot in cyberspace, free.

This blog is about everything and nothing. I already have an existing one but because I don't want to mess with it too much - especially it's design layout, I thought that I'd best just create a new one as a testing ground, hence the name of this blog - protoproto2.