Tassle-World!

Another Worthy Prank...

2006-12-09T01:19:00.000+08:00

This is freaking hillarious

Gesto de Amor

2006-11-13T15:44:00.000+08:00

This touching advertisement deserves a blog post :P

Scientists: Peptide speeds up metabolism

2006-10-17T17:25:00.000+08:00

ROME, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- A group of Italian scientists has found a protein that increases the metabolism of mice, preventing them from gaining weight when fed a high-fat diet.

The team at the National Research Council says that the peptide TLQP-21 could become an anti-obesity drug for humans, the news agency Ansa reported. But they warned that increasing metabolism could stress the heart and that there's a long road from mice to humans.

Anna Moles and Alessandro Bartolomucci, leaders of the research effort, said at a news conference that the results were surprising.

"The effect was unexpected because the peptide was able to prevent the first stage of obesity caused by a fat-rich diet," Bartolomucci said. "The mice that were given TLQP-21 remained the same weight whereas another set of mice that received exactly the same food began to get fat."

The results were published in the U.S. journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.

Battleship Grey

2006-10-16T18:37:00.000+08:00

Couldn't find the full length song.. so this'll have to do.. its only 1 minute +
This is a video of a day at Cambridge University, UK while the music is Battleship Grey.

Dj Tiesto - Battleship Grey (Feat Kirsty Hawkshaw)

It’s battleship grey outside
And we don’t know what we’ll be getting
All your sweet talking, raining over me
‘til my name escapes, and I'm set free

There’s a word in your eye,
But I don’t know what is to say it
And when you call me from the other side,
A sense of it starts breaking up, and its lies

I don’t know, what I’m getting,
But I’m getting something,
I don’t know, what I’m getting,
But I’m getting something

It’s battleship grey outside,
Confusion, all this is for the gods
Uncertainty, I could be bathing under artificial light
Under twilight blue, starts to mesmorize
And I tell myself that you light up my life
But its all in the mind when you cannot see in the eyes

‘cause I don’t know, what I’m getting
But I’m getting something,
I don’t know, what I’m getting
But I’m getting something

It’s battleship grey
All your sweet talking, raining over me
‘til my name escapes, and I’m set free

Scramble....

2006-10-11T20:07:00.000+08:00

This has got to be one of the cleverest
E-mails I've received in awhile.
Someone out there either has too much
spare time or is deadly at Scrabble.
(Wait till you see the last one)!

DORMITORY:
When you rearrange the letters:
DIRTY ROOM

PRESBYTERIAN:
When you rearrange the letters:
BEST IN PRAYER

ASTRONOMER:
When you rearrange the letters:
MOON STARER

DESPERATION: When you rearrange the letters:
A ROPE ENDS IT

THE EYES:!
When you rearrange the letters:
THEY SEE

GEORGE BUSH:
When you rearrange the letters:
HE BUGS GORE

THE MORSE CODE:
When you rearrange the letters:
HERE COME DOTS

SLOT MACHINES:
When you rearrange the letters:
CASH LOST IN ME

ANIMOSITY:
When you rearrange the letters:
IS NO AMITY

ELECTION RESULTS:
When you rearrange the letters:
LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS:
When you rearrange the letters:
ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S

A DECIMAL POINT:
When you rearrange the letters:
IM A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO:
When you rearrange the letters:
TWELVE PLUS ONE

AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE:

MOTHER-IN-LAW:
When you rearrange the letters:
WOMAN HITLER

Yep! Someone with waaaaaaaaaaay
too much time on their hands! (Probably a son-in-law)

Bet your friends haven't seen this one!!!
DON'T FORGET TO SHARE THIS

Woo Hoo~

2006-09-29T18:02:00.000+08:00

I was just strolling along..

When I stumbled across this..

What is the maximum file size for files I am uploading?
The maximum file size is currently 50 megabytes. If you need to upload multiple files that are each 50 MB, please upload one at a time or problems may be encountered.

What is the bandwidth limit?
Currently there is no bandwidth limit, however this is subject to change and bandwidth is monitored. If we decide a file is using too many resources it is subject to deletion. However, this is highly unlikely to happen.

How many files may I upload?
You can upload as many files to your account as you like, as long as you stay below the 500MB storage limit.

LOL ^_^
Thats like lots of music which I can upload~

Cheers~

Story of Survival: Boy Stolen From Womb

2006-09-29T16:09:00.000+08:00

By JIM SUHR
ASSOCIATED PRESS

BRIDGEPORT, Ill. (AP) -

Belting out operatic-sounding songs one moment and doing magic tricks the next, 10-year-old Eli Evans talks of becoming a comedian and football player - no stretch for the 130-pound boy who's already an accomplished ham.

"That's not him showing off," Sam Evans says, shaking his head as he watches his whirling grandson. "That's all the time."

Evans can't help but be bemused by the fifth-grader, a sweet, well-adjusted poster child of survival since the savagery that surrounded his arrival.

Eli now knows what happened Nov. 16, 1995, the day he was ripped full-term from the womb of his 28-year-old mother, who was shot and stabbed to death. Authorities say Eli's father and a woman who wanted the unborn child were among Debra Evans' killers. Eli's 10-year-old sister also was stabbed to death, as was her 7-year-old brother, whose body was found later in an alley.

Eli's brother, Jordan, who was 22 months old, was unharmed. For a time, Sam Evans says, the toddler would recite details of the butchery he witnessed, telling relatives "the bad people" made his mommy and sister bleed.

The slayings made headlines around the world and shocked even the most grizzled detectives.

Now 12, Jordan no longer remembers firsthand details. A wiry seventh-grader, he's chasing straight A's, a stronger build through weightlifting and new ways to torment his younger brother.

"I don't know if I'm raising them or they're re-raising me," says Evans, a 58-year-old Vietnam veteran, who is rearing the boys in this east-central Illinois town of 2,200. "I don't have time to grow old. I'm too busy."

The household doesn't dwell on the violence that culminated in a life prison sentence for Levern Ward, the ex-boyfriend of Evans' daughter Debra and father of Eli and Jordan. Two others were ordered executed but spared in 2003 when then-Gov. George Ryan commuted the death sentences of every condemned inmate in Illinois.

Still, Sam Evans says, his grandsons are encouraged to chat with him about their mom as they see fit - dialogue stoked in recent days with news of the horror on the other side of the state.

In East St. Louis, a pregnant woman was found slain in a weedy lot, her fetus cut from her womb. Police are investigating whether a woman charged in those deaths also drowned her dead friend's three young children, found decomposing last weekend in their apartment's washer and dryer.

Eli heard radio accounts of that grisly case, including the possibility that scissors were used to cut out the baby, who died.

"The same kind of thing happened to us, except I lived," his grandfather recalls Eli saying. "You know, grandpa, we're going to be living this the rest of our life."

They're not alone. Nine cut-from-the-womb cases have been documented since 1987 by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, with Eli and five other children among the living.

"We thank the Lord on a continual basis," Evans says.

Honoring Sam Evans' request, a reporter did not ask the boys about their mother's death, though it's clear Debra Evans isn't far from Eli's thoughts.

In his living room, Eli points to a picture on a bookcase and a decorative egg bearing the same image, then says proudly, "there's my mom, brother and sister."

Minutes later in the kitchen, he asks Evans if the killers still are on death row and is reminded about the commuted sentences.

The answer clearly doesn't sit well with the child.

"They should be on death row," Eli says, his dark eyes widening. "We stand for justice. We ARE the Evans family."

With that, he shifts gears. The self-described dog lover presses his grandfather to let him get a Rottweiler, then shows off pictures of his past pooches - a Shih Tzu named Buddy, a Rottweiler named Buster.

The next instant, he demonstrates the magic trick of suspending a magnet from his open-faced hand - carefully concealing a BB pellet between his fingers.

Eli and Jordan dote on their grandfather when he's ailing with his diabetes.

"Their biggest fear is, 'Is grandpa gonna die someday?'" Evans says. "Even though Eli never knew his family, he feels the loss and fears it happening again."

--

Sometimes... Terrible things happen... We just have to pick up whats left of us and move on..

Piccies

2006-09-27T18:14:00.000+08:00

Photos! (aka Piccies as Nicole puts it)

From Li-Ying's Farewell Party

http://cnxc323.multiply.com/photos/album/10

By Caleb Ng

Cool Candid shots ;)

Move Along

2006-09-25T17:10:00.000+08:00

The All-American Rejects - Move Along

Go ahead as you waste your days with thinking
When you fall everyone sins
Another day and you've had your fill of sinking
With the life held in your
Hands are shaking cold
These hands are meant to hold

Speak to me, when all you got to keep is strong
Move along, move along like I know you do
And even when your hope is gone
Move along, move along just to make it through
Move along
Move along

So a day when you've lost yourself completely
Could be a night when your life ends
Such a heart that will lead you to deceiving
All the pain held in your
Hands are shaking cold
Your hands are mine to hold

Speak to me, when all you got to keep is strong
Move along, move along like I know you do
And even when your hope is gone
Move along, move along just to make it through
Move along
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)

When everything is wrong we move along
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
When everything is wrong, we move along
Along, along, along

When all you got to keep is strong
Move along, move along like I know you do
And even when your hope is gone
Move along, move along just to make it through
[x3]

(Move along)
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
Right back what is wrong
We move along

Panic! At The Disco

2006-09-25T17:05:00.000+08:00

Panic! At The Disco - I Write Sins Not Tragedies

Oh, well imagine; as I'm pacing the pews in a church corridor,
and I can't help but to hear, no I can't help but to hear an exchanging of words.
"What a beautiful wedding!, What a beautiful wedding!" says a bridesmaid to a waiter.
"Ah yes, but what a shame, what a shame, the poor groom's bride is a whore."

I chimed in with a "Haven't you people ever heard of closing the god damn door?!"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of poise and rationality.
I chimed in "Haven't you people ever heard of closing the god damn door?!"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of hope.

Well in fact, well I'll look at it this way, I mean technically our marriage is saved
Well this calls for, a toast so, pour the champagne
Oh! Well in fact, well I'll look at it this way, I mean technically our marriage is saved
Well this calls for a toast, so pour the champagne, pour the champagne.

I chimed in with a "Haven't you people ever heard of closing the god damn door?!"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of poise and rationality.
I chimed in "Haven't you people ever heard of closing the god damn door?!"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of poise and rationality.

Again..

I'd chime in "Haven't you people ever heard of closing the god damn door?!" No.
It's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of poise and rationality.
I'd chime in "Haven't you people ever heard of closing the god damn door?!"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of poise and rationality.

Again..

Dj Tiesto - Ur

2006-09-21T19:03:00.000+08:00

No idea what the video is about (this aint the original video)

Dj Tiesto - Ur

Wish I was a better man
Wish I had a better plan for dealing with this
What am I
What am I to do now?

Maybe I should run away
Maybe I could run away and never be found
What am I
What am I to do?

The way that I'm feeling
The dreams when I'm dreaming
Can this really be happening
Can it really be true?

You are
My love and my life
My heart and my soul
Just trying to keep the world
From smashing crashing in

I had this dream the other night
I had this crazy dream the other night
How have I
How have I arrived here?

My heart is unladed (!?)
and my head is exhausted
Is this powerful magic
Can it really be true?

You are
My blood is in your blood
My breathe in your mouth
Just trying to keep the world
From smashing crashing in

What about us?
What about all the plans that we made?
What about all those careful plans
Just careful plans we made
An else is clear (!?)

Full of Fear
Full of Hope
Full of You

My love and my life
My heart and my soul
Just trying to keep the world
From smashing crashing in

My blood is in your blood
Just trying to keep the world
From smashing crashing in

Wolfsheim - Kein Zurück

2006-09-20T18:59:00.000+08:00

This is a great german song which I would like to share..
(I dont quite get the video though.. but what the heck, it has the music :P)

Kein Zurück

Es geht kein Weg zurück...

Weißt du noch, wie's war?
Kinderzeit... wunderbar...
Die Welt ist bunt und schön
Bis du irgendwann begreifst
Dass nicht jeder Abschied heißt
Es gibt auch ein Wiedersehen

Immer vorwärts, Schritt um Schritt...
Es geht kein Weg zurück!
Was jetzt ist, wird nie mehr ungeschehen
Die Zeit läuft uns davon
Was getan ist, ist getan
Was jetzt ist, wird nie mehr so geschehen

Es geht kein Weg zurück...
Es geht kein Weg zurück...

Ein Wort zuviel im Zorn gesagt
'N Schritt zu weit nach vorn gewagt
Schon ist es vorbei
Was auch immer jetzt getan
Was ich gesagt hab', ist gesagt
Und was wie ewig schien, ist schon Vergangenheit

Immer vorwärts, Schritt um Schritt
Es geht kein Weg zurück
Was jetzt ist, wird nie mehr ungescheh'n
Die Zeit läuft uns davon
Was getan ist, ist getan
Was jetzt ist, wird nie mehr so gescheh'n

Ach und könnt' ich doch nur ein einz'ges Mal
Die Uhren rückwärts drehen
Denn wieviel von dem, was ich heute weiß
Hätt' ich lieber nie gesehen!

Es geht kein Weg zurück...
Es geht kein Weg zurück...
Es geht kein Weg zurück...

Dein Leben dreht sich nur im Kreis
So voll von weggeworfener Zeit
Deine Träume schiebst Du endlos vor Dir her
Du willst noch leben irgendwann
Doch wenn nicht heute, wann denn dann...?
Denn irgendwann ist auch ein Traum zu lange her

Immer vorwärts, Schritt um Schritt
Es geht kein Weg zurück
Was jetzt ist, wird nie mehr ungeschehen
Die Zeit läuft uns davon
Was getan ist, ist getan
Was jetzt ist, wird nie mehr so geschehen

Gleichzeitig mit Refrain:
Ach, und könnt' ich doch nur ein einz'ges Mal
Die Uhren rückwärts drehen
Denn wie viel von dem, was ich heute weiß
Hätt' ich lieber nie gesehen!

NO WAY BACK

There's no way leading back...

Do you remember how it was then?
Childhood... wonderful...
The world is coloured and nice
Until you somewhen realize
That not every farewell means
There'll be another meeting

Always forward, step by step...
There's no way leading back!
And what now is will never be undone
We're running out of time
What has been done is done
What now is won't happen like this ever again

There's no way leading back...
There's no way leading back...

One word too much said in a rage
Risked one step too far
And already it's over
Now whatever I did
I said what I said
And what seemed eternal is past already

Always forward, step by step
There's no way leading back
And what now is will never be undone
We're running out of time
What has been done is done
What now is won't happen like this ever again

Oh and could I just once
Turn back the clock
'Cause how much of what I know today
I'd rather never seen!

There's no way leading back...
There's no way leading back...
There's no way leading back...

Your life only goes in a circle
So full of wasted time
You keep your dreams unfulfilled endlessly
Somewhen you want to live at last
But if not today, when then?
'Cause once even a dream is too late

Always forward, step by step
There's no way leading back
And what now is will never be undone
We're running out of time
What has been done is done
What now is won't happen like this ever again

Together with chorus:
Oh and could I just once
Turn back the clock
'Cause how much of what I know today
I'd rather never seen!

Strange Things Can Happen at U.N. Debate

2006-09-20T16:34:00.000+08:00

By NICK WADHAMS
ASSOCIATED PRESS

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -

There was the much-discussed handshake that never happened, the presentation of the coca leaf, and the case of the lonely beige chair that took center stage.

When leaders from dozens of U.N. member states suddenly find themselves crammed in the same building, strange things happen. On the first day of the annual U.N. General Assembly session, it was difficult not to feel that one was witnessing the intricate, poorly understood social rituals of a rare and exotic animal species.

The practiced U.N. protocol officers prevented any major gaffes, even when Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had to scrap his appearance because of a coup back home. And the much-anticipated run-in between U.S. President Bush and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad never materialized.

As was customary, Bush delivered the second speech of the day and co-hosted a lunch with Secretary-General Kofi Annan just before 1 p.m. Ahmadinejad didn't deliver his speech until the evening, and was not even in New York when Bush was at the U.N., according to U.S. Ambassador John Bolton.

"I honestly don't know where these stories come from," Bolton said. "It doesn't require any acrobatics to avoid a meeting and certainly I'm not aware we've been engaged in any."

There was one meeting Bush did not avoid. He shook hands warmly with his predecessor, President Bill Clinton, who was in town for his Clinton Global Initiative conference, which pushes the world's rich and powerful to act on poverty, health care and global warming.

As usual, things were running late all day, forcing some leaders to sit around and wait for everyone else. Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe had an empty chair next to him at lunch (it was supposed to have been filled by Thaksin), and was clearly not pleased to have arrived on time for Annan's lunch. Cameras caught him looking around with an annoyed look, once raising his hands in exasperation.

"I'm sorry if we've starved some of you, but that's the way we work here in this house every day, and sometimes we go without lunch," Annan told the diners.

The menu included smoked salmon and tournedos rossini, made of small beef filets, truffles and fois gras. Desert was a banana sundae.

Through the day, the background noise was the speeches that are the right of each leader attending the summit, euphemistically called a "debate." The General Assembly hall emptied out as the day turned to evening and the speeches continued, but leaders blithely ignored the 15-minute time limit and Day One didn't end until 9:22 p.m.

Outside the building, the streets were clogged with traffic but peaceful enough, as evinced by the pair of New York police officers who played chess on a magnetic board set up on the hood of a patrol car.

The United Nations, beacon of the world's aspirations for 50 weeks of the year, was transformed into Fortress U.N., with its mobile police command centers, observation posts, barricades and dozens of uniform-clad officers.

Across the street from the U.N., hundreds of protesters gathered to espouse a variety of causes, with each group separate from the others by lines of wooden sawhorses. Pakistanis and Iranians demanded their leaders resign, while Thais called for Thaksin's ouster (apparently unaware of the turmoil in Bangkok).

Diplomats waged battles of a different sort during their speeches. The most theatrical was President Evo Morales of Bolivia, who brandished a tiny coca leaf before the hall to hammer home his longtime argument that coca has many uses besides cocaine.

"It is not possible for the coca leaf to be legal for Coca-Cola but illegal for other consumers in our country and throughout the world," said Morales, who presumably did not declare the leaf to customs when he arrived in the U.S.

Then there was that strange beige chair. There it stood, looking almost lonely, next to the podium in the cavernous General Assembly hall, as the presidents spoke. When they were introduced, they would sit in the chair and wait to be formally called to the podium. Once they finished, they would sit back in the chair for a few seconds and wait to be escorted away.

"It's like the on-deck circle," said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Sitting in the chair is the right only of presidents. Once prime ministers started speaking late in the day, the chair was silently and unceremoniously taken away.

---

Associated Press reporters Paul Alexander, Anna Dolgov and Edith M. Lederer contributed to this story.

European Security Update

2006-09-20T16:33:00.000+08:00

For: Readers of Tassleworld.

The British are feeling the pinch in relation to recent bombings and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, Security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated"
or even "A Little Bit Cross." Londoners have not been "A Little Bit Cross" since the Blitz in 1940, when tea supplies all but ran out.
Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance."
The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of 1666.

Also, the French Government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." (The only two higher levels in France are "Surrender" and "Collaborate.") This rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.Also fireworks have now been banned in Paris after a recent display caused the soldiers in a nearby barracks to rush out and try to surrender to a group of Czech tourists.

It's not only the English and French that are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased its alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade Poland" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday, as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels

Note: This communication may contain privileged and confidential information intended only for the addressee named above. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author. If you have received this message

Since I'm too lazy to blog...

2006-09-19T18:16:00.000+08:00

Heres something to defer your attention to..

Albert Khor Yee Shin

Italian Lessons

2006-09-11T23:00:00.000+08:00

Italian Television
This is the hostess for an Italian afternoon t.v. talk show.

American Television
These are the hostesses for American afternoon t.v. talk shows.

To enroll in your nearest language school to learn Italian call:
800-555-ciao

Common Sense Test

2006-09-11T22:32:00.000+08:00

Below is one of my favorites and certainly worth re-posting for those who might have missed it the first time around.

1) How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?

The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door. This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.

2) How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?

Did you say, Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the refrigerator? Wrong Answer. Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions.

3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals attend except one. Which animal does not attend?

Correct Answer: The Elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there. This tests your memory. Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities.

4. There is a river you must cross but it is used by crocodiles, and you do not have a boat. How do you manage it?

Correct Answer: You jump into the river and swim across. Have you not been listening? All the crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting. This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.

According to Anderson Consulting Worldwide, around 90% of the professionals they tested got all questions wrong, but many preschoolers got several correct answers. Anderson Consulting says this conclusively disproves the theory that most professionals have the brains of a four-year-old.

Some crazy stuff in my inbox....

2006-09-08T22:12:00.000+08:00

So what do you call them? Pigers? or Tigs?

In a California zoo, a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of Triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately the cubs were born prematurely and they died shortly after birth.

The mother tiger's health suddenly started to decline and the veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter caused the tigress to fall into a depression. They thought that perhaps she would improve if she could surrogate another mother's cubs.

After checking with many other zoos across the country, there were no tiger cubs of the right age to be found. The only "orphans" to be found quickly, were a litter of weaner pigs. These were wrapped in tiger skin and placed around the mother tiger.

Would they become cubs or pork chops ?

Take a look!

Aren't they just cute or what? ^_^

Singlish~

2006-09-06T20:39:00.000+08:00

From an article a Friend sent:

Do you wonder why despite all the government's efforts to improve S'poreans' English, we still speak the way we do? If so, read on. You'll see that Singlish is so much more efficient...

> >

Use Singlish. It's so much cheaper, shorter, faster. Why do we insist on using the Queen's English, when Singlish is so much more economical and effective? Compare and see!

When going shopping ...

Britons: I'm sorry, Sir, but we don't seem to have the sweater you want in your size, but if you give me a moment, I can call the other outlets for you.

S'poreans: No Stock!

> > ---

When returning a call...

Britons: Hello, this is Mr Bean. Did anyone page for me a few moments ago?

S'poreans: Hello, who page?

> >---

When someone is in the way...

Britons : Excuse me, I'd like to get by. Would you please make way?

S'poreans: Lai, siam! or Siam, hor! or Skius!

> >---

When someone offers to pay...

Britons: Hey, put your wallet away, this drink is on me.

S'poreans: no need lah

> >---

When asking for permission...

Britons: Excuse me, but do you think it would be possible for me to enterthrough this door?

S'poreans: (while pointing at door) Can pass or Not?

> >---

When asking to be excused...

Britons: If you would excuse me for a moment, I have to go to the gents/ladies. Please carry on without me, it would only take a moment.

S'poreans: Go toilet. Buay tahan ahh.....

> >---

When entertaining...

Britons: Please make yourself right at home.

S'poreans: Don't shy lah..

> >---

When doubting someone...

Britons: I don't recall you giving me the money.

S'poreans: Got meh?

> >---

When declining an offer...

Britons: I'd prefer not to do that, if you don't mind.

S'poreans: Doe-waaaan.

> >---

When deciding on a plan of action...

Britons: What do you propose we do now that the movie's sold out & all the

restaurants are closed?

S'poreans: So how?

> >---

When disagreeing on a topic of discussion...

Britons: Err. Tom, I have to stop you there. I understand where you're coming from, but I really have to disagree with what you said about the policy.

S'poreans: Talk cock lah you!

> >---

When asking someone to lower their voice...

Britons: Excuse me, but could you please lower your voice, I'm trying to concentrate over here.

S'poreans: Eh, Tiam leh!

> >---

When asking someone if he/she knows you...

Britons: Excuse me, but I noticed you staring at me for some time. Do I know you?

S'poreans: See what see?!

> >.

What am I thinking?

2006-09-06T19:06:00.000+08:00

I dont know really...

Recently I've just started having these severe mood swings...

Sometimes I can be happy like theres no ones business...

Yet, I could be extremely depressed...

Cant possibly be stress.... For I've nothing to be stressed about..

What is it thats bothering me then?

One liners..

Spaces in between represents thought, thought before and after a line..

I've plenty of unsettled issues, but it has never affected me like so...

I'm tired... maybe.. mentally tired...

I should really settle for something less... but the question here is, would I be contented with it? I seriously doubt so..

Lets not talk about it... I'll have to deal with it when time comes... liking it or not, I've no choice.. I'll just have to prepare myself for the worst possible outcomes..

People and thier egos... I dont know, maybe I'm egoistic too.. its possible.. anything can happen.. This is like a rat race, everyone is in for themselves only and no one else, just for the glory of being the best.. I'ld like out of this anyday... but looks like I'm just stuck, neither here nor there.. Some peoples ego just seem to contradict what they deem themselves to be. Hypocrisy? could be.. They think they are so great, with a genius mindset, a perfect physique and popular amongst the rest... setting rules here and there.... These people... friendly? I think not..

Ignorance is bliss.. yes... But I'm too far away from ignorance, too much has been done and said...

But theres just more to life than it seems.. and I'm just going to live life to its fullest.... Come what may...

Music Player...

2006-09-05T20:42:00.000+08:00

Should be ok now...

Added some great club hits :D

BT - Flaming June
Audioplacid - A View from the Clouds
G and M Project - Sunday Afternoon (m.o.r.p.h. remix)
Mike Koglin - The Silence
Nitribit - Memories
Stromberg - Over the Rainforest
Trance Atlantic Airwaves - Crocketts Theme
Trancepose - Movements

Too bad my Pulsedriver - Cambodia (green court mix) is 5.17mb and would not upload into the server (max of 5mb per upload >_<) looks like I've gotta trim it tomorrow.. or whenever I feel like doing so..

Cheers!

Some Random rant..

2006-09-05T15:43:00.000+08:00

Someone is trying to copy me...

or rather, trying to match my achievements...

I feel.....iono.. just thinking its kinda wierd that someone would actually do what I did.... hmmms..

Well, to whoever it is (you know who you are ;) ) dont feel obliged to do what I've done LOL.. and if you do, dont blame me.. cause you're not me and will never be me :P

Oh yeah, one last thing (which has nothing to do with the above person what-so-ever)

the names.. Eeeee-n

not A-n (in yan)

Gracias~

Musics...

2006-09-04T18:57:00.000+08:00

My current acquired taste for music has evolved from classical music... which I used to frequently listen to other than the pop music played on the radio when I was younger..

There was a time where I was crazy about band music and orchestral musics... Then I got into soundtracks and all.. Soon after, I got hooked on to Jazz... (and stumbled across acid-jazz, Jazzanova).. Then came along the period of Linkin Park and soundtracks of Diablo and Matrix (all three movies)

Late 2004, my online gaming friends started to send me some club hits.. and got me hooked on to trance/techno music :P It all started with Dj Tiesto's Traffic, Adagio for Strings, Forever Today and Flight 643.. and also some German song such as Kein Zuruck..

My current close to 40 gb songs (yeah I know.. I tried putting them into a playlist just to see how many days of continuous music I could have... but just before 1/8 of my collection was tagged into winamp's playlist, winamp crashed >_< ) consists of a few main catagories:

Final Fantasy Sountracks - 9 gb (I have almost every single released album that has some connection to Final Fantasy) Dj Tiesto Discography - 9 gb
Cafe Del Mar Albums - 5 gb
Vangelis Albums - 4 gb
Movie soundtracks - 5 gb (Troy, Lord of the Rings, Matrix, etc..)
Misc trance/techno music - 2 gb
Misc pop songs - 3 gb (I dont specifically look for them and download them.. most of them are sent by friends or comes together when I copy thier mp3 collecition in thier players)
Musics of other genres - 2 gb

Until I find some time to revamp my music player... I'll just post the vids of the musics I like when I find them ^_^ Note: I'm thinking of creating seperate players with different playlist.. because some ppl dont take a fancy to my trance/techno collection.. eg Helen :P

ATB - Estascy

ATB - You're Not Alone

Dj Tiesto - Adagio For Strings

Dj Tiesto - Traffic

Dj Tiesto - Suburban Train

Dj Tiesto - Love Comes Again

Cheers!

An Interview With a Maths Genius

2006-09-01T16:32:00.000+08:00

A Good friend of mine sent this to me.. :)

However, Robert Barrington Leigh has just passed away a week ago.. :(

Heres the interview:

An E-Conversation with a Math Olympian

Submitted by Robert Wong

Vernon Barford School

Edmonton, Alberta

Recently I was asked by the Math Council to do a write up about the double Olympic Metal winner in the 2003 International Math Olympiad and the International Physics Olympiad. Two thoughts came to mind: Where is Robert Barrington Leigh? And what kind of questions should I ask him that’s not already been asked by various news organizations? Firstly, with the help of Professor Andy Liu, I was able to get a more recent update on where about is the famous Edmontonian. Robert is now a freshman starting his first year of study of Mathematics at the University of Toronto. Thus, a face-to-face conversation with him would be difficult. Email it is. Secondly, I thought it would be best if the questions were asked from a student’s perspective. After brainstorming with my students and a collaboration with Shauna Boyce, the questions were set. The following covers our email conversation.

Q: What math topics did you have to work with in the competition?

A: The problems I solved during this year's competition -- two out of six -- concerned geometry (the usual: circles, lines, and angles) and number theory (properties of whole numbers). There was also one algebra question and two more number theories: The hardest concerned powers of prime numbers. Significantly, the International Math Olympiad (IMO) considers calculus as post-secondary material; thus I didn't feel obliged to study it! The problems chosen for the Olympiad are generally more difficult when tackled with calculus than without.

Q: How competitive was the Olympiad, and was it stressful?

A: The Olympiads are organized so as to make them as friendly as possible: we write the contest within a few days of our arrival, then try to concentrate on enjoying ourselves and making friends for the rest of the event. I particularly recall playing a card game with members of the Chinese team who seemed just as relaxed as the Canadians. Understandably though, some of us were anxious while the questions were being marked and the results posted. In addition to meeting other students, the International Olympiads are a unique opportunity to explore a new country and culture. I was particularly fortunate this year to visit Tokyo, because I do not often travel outside Canada and certainly have never left the western hemisphere. I think it's essential to have a sense of the scale and diversity of our planet, and the abstraction of mathematics might not seem to be the best field to develop such an understanding; the IMO lets students do both. In general, then, the Olympiad was not stressful -- even the 270-minute exams themselves were calmer than one might expect. If I were panicking, I would make more mistakes than usual and there would certainly be no room in my thought processes to discover solutions. Thus the exam is a mixed bag of exploration, insight, and occasionally frantic writing.

Q: What kind of recognition have you received as a result of the competition?

A: There were articles published about the Olympiads in Edmonton, Calgary, and Banff newspapers, and I was heard on an Edmonton radio show last spring.

Q: Did you spend much time outside of school working on or studying math topics?

A: Certainly: I have never been content with learning only what I am being taught officially -- and there are always contests to study for. One useful tool has been a correspondence program for high school students organized by Dr. Ed Barbeau at the U of T: every month he sends out a problem set and marks everyone's solutions. Moreover, over the past few years I have been invited to numerous math camps, which are, perhaps surprisingly, almost as much fun as they are instructive. In particular, there's the Alberta summer camp that is held alternately in Edmonton and Calgary, a corresponding national camp at the University of Western Ontario, a spring camp at Waterloo, a January camp for IMO contenders at York, and a training camp for the IMO itself in July that was held this year in Calgary and Banff. I am deeply grateful to the professors and university departments involved, and to the sponsors of each of these camps: ESSO, the Canadian Mathematical Society, and the Pacific Institute for Mathematical Sciences.

Q: What are your plans, career-wise and is math a part of that plan?

A: Most likely math will be my principal focus for decades to come. How I will manage to implement this focus in a career is not yet certain.

Q: What are you studying now?

A: I am registered for a math-physics double major (with greater emphasis on math), but I think I'll also pursue the odd computer science course. Right now, I'm taking 2nd-year math and physics plus a single first- year computer science course and a sociology seminar intended for first- year students.

Q: What were your recent accomplishments in the last three years?

A:

* Canadian Open Math Challenge - 2001 first in Alberta
* Alberta High School Math Competition - 2003 first in Alberta
* Canadian Math Olympiad - 2002 honorable mention, 2003 third
* Leonardo Da Vinci Competition - 2002 third
* Canadian Association of Physicists High School Prize Exam - 2003 first, 2002 eighth
* Chemical Institute of Canada National High School Exam - 2003 third in Alberta
* [U of T] National Biology Competition - 2003 ninth in Alberta
* International Math Olympiad - 2002 bronze award in Glasgow (22 points out of 42; tied 113th-132nd of 480 participants), 2003 bronze award in Tokyo (18 points out of 42; tied 107th-123rd place of 457 participants)
* International Physics Olympiad - 2003 silver award in Taipei (28.7 points out of 50; 38th place out of 239)
* Member of the three-person U of T team for the 2003 William Lowell Putnam competition on 6 December 2003 [a North American math competition for university students]

Q: How many articles or books have you written? Published?

A: Several years ago, two articles were published with Richard Ng and help from Prof. Andy Liu at the U of A; one was reprinted in the Journal of the ATA. I am also in the process of helping Prof. Liu to write a book of translated problems and solutions from a Hungarian math competition.

Q: What are the names of the articles or books?

A: Zigzag, Minimizing Aroma Loss. Hungarian Problem Book IV

Q: Were your parents good in math?

A: Yes, I would say that interest in math runs in the family. My father was my first math teacher and the one who could teach me best for many years.

Q: When did you start working on math problems? Age and grade

A: Sadly I don't remember that far back, but in grade 1 (age 6) I was asking my teacher for enrichment to the math curriculum. In grade 5 I wrote my first multiple-choice math contest, and in grade 6 joined a math club organized by Prof. Liu. There I discovered a "long-answer" math contest called the International Tournament of the Towns, which I enjoyed immensely despite its being slightly above my level.

Q: How many hours of math do you do in a week in elementary, junior and senior high?

A: About three -- I certainly don't remember in elementary. There are also times when I'm not expressly working on math, but I'm just thinking about a certain problem -- in the shower or what have you. But naturally, I wished I had more time for math than was available.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you have free time? Hobbies?

A: Apart from math, chatting with friends, etc., I enjoy music, in particular playing the piano, as well as cross-country skiing and running. Edmonton has a very supportive Nordic ski club of which I am glad to have been a member since elementary school. Also, I have a casual interest in computer programming -- my brother-in-law is a software developer.

Q: What kind of books do you read?

A: Like many people I must confess that I ought to be reading a much greater variety and volume of books than I do. Currently my reading agenda consists of math books -- recreational and otherwise -- and other generally science-related nonfiction, fiction, and biography.

Q: Who's your mentor in math?

A: Without doubt it's Prof. Liu, an award-winning mathematics educator working at the U of A, who in grade 11 even tutored me privately on a weekly basis. We have been in contact since grade 6 through his math club, and most recently he was the leader for the 2003 IMO team. Not only has Prof. Liu been a dedicated tutor in mathematics and personal friend, but he has also introduced me to many other young mathematicians, and crucially, showed me how rewarding a career in math can be.

Q: How do you prepare for math tests? Contests?

A: The same way as anyone else: I familiarize myself with the standard problem solving techniques, and then attempt to solve sample problems. If I get stuck on a problem, I might move on to the next, or I might look up the solution in case the same approach can be applied elsewhere. On a contest, the range of insights needed for different problems is much broader, so that knowing the solution to a particular problem is less valuable than it might be on a school test. Seeing the solutions to many sample problems is still helpful, but solving them myself is key.

Q: What are your educational goals? Career goals?

A: Learn a great deal of math and physics - I have no idea - save the world...

Q: Do you have any advice for others who want to excel in math?

A: Find others with the same goal; it's more exciting when you challenge each other to excel. There are so many good math problems on the Internet (or alternatively, in the library) that I'll never run out of them. The Canadian Math Society also has some great resources such as Dr. Barbeau's Mathematical Olympiads Correspondence Program (http://www.cms.math.ca/Competitions/MOCP/info.html), especially if you need someone to mark your solutions -- this is an important part of training.

As usual, it must be stressed that without practice, speed and creativity in math diminish over time.

Q: What would you say to people who do not like math or struggles with math?

A: Well, I certainly don't hold it against them: for my own part, while I perhaps pick up mathematical ideas faster than average there are other skills, which I find difficult and therefore unpleasant (not least arithmetic!). On the other hand, mathematics is diverse enough to allow someone to abhor one branch and appreciate the charm of another. Puzzles created by Binary Arts Inc. tend to be friendly tools for exercising the mathematical parts of one's brain without noticing it -- for example, Rush Hour.

Well.. its a great loss for mankind...

When theres too much free time...

2006-08-29T17:24:00.000+08:00

And with a computer at hand...

Heres a little story...

And some T-shirts...

And of course, A useful sign for the washroom...

There are only EIGHT planets in the Solar System..

2006-08-25T20:16:00.000+08:00

Yeaps. Its official.. as of today.. August 25, 2006

The IAU therefore resolves that "planets'' and other bodies, except satellites, in our Solar System be defined into three distinct categories in the following way:
(1) A "planet'' is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.
(2) A "dwarf planet'' is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, (c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite.
(3) All other objects, except satellites, orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as "Small Solar-System Bodies.'

That concludes that the planets in the Solar System as : Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. (Eight of them)

And that Pluto is now a Dwarf Planet... degraded from its planetary status it achieved in a few decades ago..

From New York Times :

After years of wrangling and a week of bitter debate, astronomers voted on a sweeping reclassification of the solar system. In what many of them described as a triumph of science over sentiment, Pluto was demoted to the status of a “dwarf planet.”
In the new solar system, there are eight planets, at least three dwarf planets and tens of thousands of so-called “smaller solar system bodies,” like comets and asteroids.
For now, the dwarf planets include, besides Pluto, Ceres, the largest asteroid, and an object known as UB 313, nicknamed Xena, that is larger than Pluto and, like it, orbits out beyond Neptune in a zone of icy debris known as the Kuiper Belt. But there are dozens more potential dwarf-planets known in that zone, planetary scientists say, and the number in that category could quickly swell.
In a nod to Pluto’s fans, the astronomers declared that Pluto to be the prototype for a new category of such “trans-Neptunian” objects but failed in a close vote to approve the name Plutonians for them.
“The new definition makes perfect sense in terms of the science we know,” said Alan Boss, a planetary theorist at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, adding that it doesn’t go too far in cultural terms. “We have a duty to satisfy the whole world.”
The vote completed a stunning turnaround from only a week ago when the assembled astronomers had been presented with a proposal that would included 12 planets, including Pluto, Ceres, Xena and even Pluto’s moon Charon. Dr. Boss said today’s decision spoke to the integrity of the planet-defining process. “The officers were willing to change their resolution and find something that would stand up under the highest scientific scrutiny and be approved,” he said.
Jay Pasachoff, a Williams College astronomer who favored somehow keeping Pluto a planet, said, “The spirit of the meeting was of future discovery and activity in science rather than any respect for the past.”
Mike Brown of the California Institute of Technology, who as the discoverer of Xena, had the most to lose personally from Pluto’s and Xena’s downgrading, said he was relieved. “Through this whole crazy circus-like procedure, somehow the right answer was stumbled on,” he said. “It’s been a long time coming. Science is self-correcting eventually, even when strong emotions are involved.”
It has long been clear that Pluto, discovered in 1930, stood apart from the previously discovered planets. Not only was it much smaller than them, only about 1,600 miles in diameter, smaller than the Moon, but its elongated orbit is tilted with respect to the other planets and it goes inside the orbit of Neptune part of its 248-year journey around the Sun.
Pluto makes a better match with the other ice balls that have since been discovered in the dark realms beyond Neptune, they have argued. In 2000, when the new Rose Center for Earth and Space opened at the American Museum of Natural History, Pluto was denoted in a display as a Kuiper Belt Object and not a planet.
Two years ago, the International Astronomical Union appointed a working group of astronomers to come up with a definition that would resolve this tension. The group, led by Iwan Williams of Queen Mary University in London, deadlocked. This year a new group with broader roots, led by Owen Gingerich of Harvard, took up the problem.
According to the new rules a planet meet three criteria: it must orbit the Sun, it must be big enough for gravity to squash it into a round ball, and it must have cleared other things out of the way in its orbital neighborhood. The latter measure knocks out Pluto and Xena, which orbit among the icy wrecks of the Kuiper Belt, and Ceres, which is in the asteroid belt.
Dwarf planets only have to be round.
“I think this is something we can all get used to as we find more Pluto-like objects in outer solar system,” Dr. Pasachoff said.
The final voting came from about 400 to 500 of the 2,400 astronomers who were registered at the meeting of the International Astronomical in Prague. Many of the astronomers, Dr. Pasachoff explained, had already left, thinking there would be nothing but dry resolutions to decide in the union’s final assembly.
It was hardly the first time that astronomers have rethought a planet. The asteroid Ceres was hailed as the eight planet when it was first discovered in 1801 by Giovanni Piazzi floating in the space between Mars and Jupiter. It remained a “planet” for about half a century until the discovery of more and more things like it in the same part of space led astronomers to dub them asteroids.
In the aftermath, some astronomers pointed out that the new definition only applies to our own solar system and that there was so far no such thing as an extra-solar planet.
The decision was bound to have both a cultural and economic impact on the industry of astronomical artifacts and toys, publishing and education. The World Book Encyclopedia, for example, had been holding the presses for its new 2007 edition until Pluto’s status could be clarified.
Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York, said children are flexible, when asked about the cultural impact of today’s redefinition. He said that he had not bothered to watch the International Astronomical Union’s vote in the Internet, as many astronomers did. “Counting planets is not an interesting exercise to me,” he said. “I’m happy however they choose to define it. It doesn’t really make any difference to me.”
Dr. Tyson said the continuing preoccupation with what the public and schoolchildren would think about this was a concern and a troubling precedent. “I don’t know any other science that says about its frontier, ‘I wonder what the public thinks,’ ” he said. “The frontier should move in whatever way it needs to move.”

From National Geographic :

Pluto has been voted off the island.
The distant, ice-covered world is no longer a true planet, according to a new definition of the term voted on by scientists today.

"Whoa! Pluto's dead," said astronomer Mike Brown, of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, as he watched a Webcast of the vote. "There are finally, officially, eight planets in the solar system."
In a move that's already generating controversy and will force textbooks to be rewritten, Pluto will now be dubbed a dwarf planet.
But it's no longer part of an exclusive club, since there are more than 40 of these dwarfs, including the large asteroid Ceres and 2003 UB313, nicknamed Xena—a distant object slightly larger than Pluto discovered by Brown last year.
"We know of 44" dwarf planets so far, Brown said. "We will find hundreds. It's a very huge category."
A clear majority of researchers voted for the new definition at a meeting of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in Prague, in the Czech Republic. The IAU decides the official names of all celestial bodies.
The tough decision comes after a multiyear search for a scientific definition of the word "planet." The term never had an official meaning before.
What Is a Planet Today?
According to the new definition, a full-fledged planet is an object that orbits the sun and is large enough to have become round due to the force of its own gravity. In addition, a planet has to dominate the neighborhood around its orbit.
Pluto has been demoted because it does not dominate its neighborhood. Charon, its large "moon," is only about half the size of Pluto, while all the true planets are far larger than their moons.
In addition, bodies that dominate their neighborhoods, "sweep up" asteroids, comets, and other debris, clearing a path along their orbits. By contrast, Pluto's orbit is somewhat untidy.
The new definition of "planet" retains the sense that a true planet is something special.

"It's going to be hard to find a new planet," Brown said. "You'd have to find something the size of Mars. Finding a new planet will really mean something."
Raising the Bar
A previous proposal, unveiled last week, would have set the bar for planethood considerably lower.
The earlier proposal also required planets to be round as a result of their own gravitational force. But it did not specify that a planet has to dominate its region, and that omission would have granted planet status to a lot of bodies.
Last week's proposal would have kept Pluto as a planet. But it also would have upgraded Charon to a planet in its own right. The proposal would have made full-fledged planets of 50 or more additional objects, including Ceres and 2003 UB313.
"Astronomers, who are normally mild-mannered types, are revolting against the IAU proposal," Brown wrote on his Web site last week, soon after the initial unveiling.
In response, the IAU committee charged with composing the definition "reversed course completely, and offered up a definition that's much more scientifically palatable," said astrophysicist Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution in Washington, D.C., today.
"They reworked it and it has become a much superior definition. I think this will stand the test of time," Boss said.
Disgruntled
But for now the vote is drawing some opposition. Planetary scientist Andy Cheng said the definition is ambiguous, because it hasn't answered the question "how round is round?"
"This will be an issue in the future," Cheng said. "Dozens of objects are going to be straddling this line. The new definition is not going to help us with this."
"I'll still continue to maintain that Pluto is a planet," he said.
Owen Gingerich is an astronomer and historian at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and head of the IAU committee proposing the definition. He favored a special distinction for Pluto.
Gingerich supported a proposal to call the big eight planets classical planets—as opposed to just plain "planets"—and Pluto and the others dwarf planets, so there would be two classes of planets.
"This would have been much more sensible," Gingerich said.
The IAU members overwhelmingly rejected this idea.
"I think they voted primarily on scientific grounds and were not sensitive to the historical and cultural role that Pluto has played," Gingerich said.
The definition that won the vote is "a bit of a semantic atrocity," he added.
The definition was bound to be messy. It had to be palatable to many researchers and to address the plethora of celestial objects.
But most IAU members agreed that a line should be drawn somewhere to separate the largest bodies from what might be called the riffraff of our solar system.
(Related photos: best space wallpapers.)
Not Universal
Last week's proposed definition was meant to apply to all planets in the universe. But, faced with the difficulty of arriving at a consensus on universe-spanning criteria, the IAU committee narrowed the definition to apply only to our solar system.
Richard Conn Henry is an astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He says he never considered whether Pluto should be a planet until a few years ago.

But when the planetarium at New York City's American Museum of Natural History removed Pluto from the ranks of the planets, it got him thinking.
"This tiny thing in this oddball orbit—a planet? Give me a break!" Henry said.
"I think that, when the dust settles, people will recognize that there really are just eight planets."

So I guess that kinda sums it up... just when I got exited that there would actually be 12 planets in the system... the extras would have included Xena, Ceres, Charon (pluto's moon)

Inside Cambridge University...

2006-08-23T16:25:00.000+08:00

Cambridge University reveals shameful saga of drunken students behaving badly
by LAURA CLARK 00:23am 23rd August 2006

Scholars at one of the world's most ancient and prestigious seats of learning might be expected to conduct themselves with a little more decorum.

After all, the hallowed quadrangles of Cambridge University are meant to house the hard-working and quietly studious.

Yet newly-released college disciplinary records reveal as never before the extraordinary extent of student hi-jinx and debauchery - including brawling, theft and indecent exposure.

Dozens of undergraduates have been reprimanded in recent months for misdemeanours ranging from the silly to the bizarre and offensive.

The catalogue of misdeeds includes being drunk in the library, food-throwing, stealing wine, flooding their study room and rudeness to college porters.

Nineteen students at one college alone were banned from the dining hall for "rowdy behaviour".

Others across the historic university, founded in the 13th century, have been rapped for more serious offences such as fighting and indecent exposure.

Details of disciplinary sanctions meted out over the past two years at Cambridge were made public yesterday through the Freedom of Information Act.

Nine of the university's 31 colleges had no record of any disciplinary action against students.

But the rest disclosed lists of punishments imposed on wayward undergraduates, often to avoid bringing colleges into disrepute.

Predictably, much of the misbehaviour was alcohol-induced and flared up at formal dinners.

At Trinity Hall, three male postgraduates were fined £40 each - donated to the charity of their choice - for drunken behaviour in the library.

And at the same college, another postgraduate was ticked off for pinching wine from the dons' dining table.

Written in suitably scholarly language, his punishment required him "to make restitution of two bottles of wine, liberated from High Table after a formal meal."

In all, seven colleges have reprimanded students for bad behaviour and inebriated antics at formal hall in the last two years.

An incident of "food throwing" at Girton College resulted in two male students being banned from formal meals for the rest of term, while 19 students at Magdalene College were banned from dining in hall for "rowdy behaviour" during a meal.

And St Catharine's College has taken action over "breach of etiquette at formal hall", although it is unclear what actually happened.

Meanwhile 10 colleges were forced to punish students for rowdy parties.

A New Hall graduate student held a "noisy party" with "rudeness of guests to porters."

Five students at Pembroke College were reprimanded for playing drinking games, and one for flooding their room.

A student at Clare College had to write an apology after being caught impersonating another member of the college.

Among more serious offences, a Churchill College undergraduate was penalised in February for attacking a student from another college.

Other incidents of assault emerged at Magdalene and Trinity colleges.

Meanwhile a male Churchill undergraduate was penalised for "indecent exposure at another college, bringing this college into disrepute".

Punishments imposed by colleges included curfews, bans on drinking alcohol and confiscation of music equipment.

Other errant students were evicted from college accommodation, made to write apologies, charged additional rent, fined up to £500 or made to do "community duties".

Only two colleges had to resort to disciplinary action against students over poor academic performance.

A female student at Newnham "failed to exhibit due diligence in her studies" while a 25-year-old postgraduate at Hughes Hall failed an exam, but was acquitted of any offence due to extenuating circumstances.

St Catharine made headlines in 2001 when dons told hundreds of undergraduates to sober up and work harder to prevent tarnishing the college's academic reputation.

It followed rowdy drinking games, incidents of alcohol poisoning and general bad behaviour.

Studies have shown that Britain's young people now rank among the hardest drinkers in Europe, purchasing five million pints of alcohol a year.

Taken from Daily Mail

Interesting thoughts of the incoming Freshmen...

2006-08-23T15:27:00.000+08:00

Beloit College's Mindset List

Every year, Beloit College releases its Mindset List to give a snapshot of the world view of the incoming freshmen class. The list for the Class of 2010:

1. The Soviet Union has never existed and therefore is about as scary as the student union.

2. They have known only two presidents.

3. For most of their lives, major U.S. airlines have been bankrupt.

4. Manuel Noriega has always been in jail in the U.S.

5. They have grown up getting lost in giant retail stores known as "big boxes."

6. There has always been one Germany.

7. They have never heard anyone actually "ring it up" on a cash register.

8. They are wireless, yet always connected.

9. A stained blue dress is as famous to their generation as a third-rate burglary was to their parents'.

10. Thanks to pervasive head phones in the back seat, parents have always been able to speak freely in the front.

11. A coffee has always taken longer to make than a milkshake.

12. Smoking has never been permitted on U.S. airlines.

13. Faux fur has always been a necessary element of style.

14. The Moral Majority has never needed an organization.

15. They have never had to distinguish between the St. Louis Cardinals baseball and football teams.

16. DNA fingerprinting has always been admissible evidence in court.

17. They grew up pushing their own miniature shopping carts in the supermarket.

18. They grew up with and have outgrown faxing as a means of communication.

19. "Google" has always been a verb.

20. Text messaging is their e-mail.

21. Milli Vanilli has never had anything to say.

22. Mr. Rogers, not Walter Cronkite, has always been the most trusted man in America.

23. Bar codes have always been on everything, from library cards and snail mail to retail items.

24. Madden has always been a game, not a Super Bowl-winning coach.

25. Phantom of the Opera has always been on Broadway.

26. "Boogers" candy has always been a favorite for grossing out parents.

27. There has never been a "sky hook" in the NBA.

28. Carbon copies are oddities found in their grandparents' attics.

29. Computerized player pianos have always been tinkling in the lobby.

30. Non-denominational mega-churches have always been the fastest growing religious organizations in the U.S.

31. They grew up in minivans.

32. Reality shows have always been on television.

33. They have no idea why we needed to ask "... Can we all get along?"

34. They have always known that "In the criminal justice system the people have been represented by two separate yet equally important groups."

35. Young women's fashions have never been concerned with where the waist is.

36. They have rarely mailed anything using a stamp.

37. Brides have always worn white for a first, second, or third wedding.

38. Being techno-savvy has always been inversely proportional to age.

39. "So" as in "Sooooo New York," has always been a drawn-out adjective modifying a proper noun, which in turn modifies something else.

40. Affluent troubled teens in Southern California have always been the subjects of television series.

41. They have always been able to watch wars and revolutions live on television.

42. Ken Burns has always been producing very long documentaries on PBS.

43. They are not aware that "flock of seagulls hair" has nothing to do with birds flying into it.

44. Retin-A has always made America look less wrinkled.

45. Green tea has always been marketed for health purposes.

46. Public school officials have always had the right to censor school newspapers.

47. Small, white holiday lights have always been in style.

48. Most of them have never had the chance to eat bad airline food.

49. They have always been searching for "Waldo."

50. The really rich have regularly expressed exuberance with outlandish birthday parties.

51. Michael Moore has always been showing up uninvited.

52. They never played the game of state license plates in the car.

53. They have always preferred going out in groups as opposed to dating.

54. There have always been live organ donors.

55. They have always had access to their own credit cards.

56. They have never put their money in a "Savings & Loan."

57. Sara Lee has always made underwear.

58. Bad behavior has always been getting captured on amateur videos.

59. Disneyland has always been in Europe and Asia.

60. They never saw Bernard Shaw on CNN.

61. Beach volleyball has always been a recognized sport.

62. Acura, Lexus and Infiniti have always been luxury cars of choice.

63. Television stations have never concluded the broadcast day with the national anthem.

64. LoJack transmitters have always been finding lost cars.

65. Diane Sawyer has always been live in Prime Time.

66. Dolphin-free canned tuna has always been on sale.

67. Disposable contact lenses have always been available.

68. "Outing" has always been a threat.

69. "Oh, The Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss has always been the perfect graduation gift.

70. They have always "dissed" what they don't like.

71. The U.S. has always been studying global warming to confirm its existence.

72. Richard M. Daley has always been the Mayor of Chicago.

73. They grew up with virtual pets to feed, water, and play games with, lest they die.

74. Ringo Starr has always been clean and sober.

75. Professional athletes have always competed in the Olympics.

Taken from AP News

IDIOTS

2006-08-22T20:22:00.000+08:00

some people are just total idiots....

They are control freaks and love to tell what they want others to do/should do..

eg. IF YOU DONT LIKE A BLOG...
and A) still diss it... you're an Idiot..
B) Click X / navigate away from the blog... you're not an idiot.

And because of those people.. who thinks they are so great and what not... my friend has just moved her blog to a private server.. (GO JAS.. I support the move! :P )

To those idiots... Fuck off ^_^

Where'd You Go?.....

2006-08-22T17:39:00.000+08:00

Dedicated to all my close ones.... *hugs*

Fort Minor - Where'd You Go?

Where'd you go?
I miss you so
Seems like its been forever that you've been gone

She said somedays I feel like shit
Somedays I wanna quit and just be normal for a bit
I don't understand why you have to always be gone
I get along but your trips always feel so long
And I find myself trying to stay by the phone
'Cause your voice always helps me to not feel so alone
But I feel like an idiot, working my day around a call
And when I pick up I don't have much to say, so

I want you to know its a little fucked up that
I'm stuck here waiting, at times debatin
Telling you that I've had it with you and your career
Me and the rest of the family here singing

Where'd you go?
I miss you so
Seems like its been forever that you've been gone
Where'd you go?
I miss you so
Seems like its been forever that you've been gone
Please Come back home

You know, the place where you used to live
Used to barbeque with burgers and ribs
Used to have a little party every halloween
with candy by the pile but now
you only stop by every once in a while
Shit
I find myself just filling my time
With anything to keep the thought of you from my mind
I'm doing fine and I'm plannin' to keep it that way
You can call me if you find that you have something to say
And I'll tell you

I want you to know its a little fucked up that
I'm stuck here waiting, at times debating
Telling you that I've had it with you and your career
Me and the rest of the family here singing

Where'd you go?
I miss you so
Seems like its been forever that you've been gone
Where'd you go?
I miss you so
Seems like its been forever that you've been gone
Please Come back home

I want you to know its a little fucked up that
I'm stuck here waiting, no longer debatin'
Tired of sittin and hatin' and making these excuses
For why you're not around, and feeling sorta useless
It seems that one thing has been true all along
You don't really know what you've got till its gone
I guess I've had it with you and your career
When you come back I won't be here and you can sing it

Where'd you go?
I miss you so
Seems like its been forever that you've been gone
Where'd you go?
I miss you so
Seems like its been forever that you've been gone
Please Come back home

Please come back home
Please come back home
Please come back home
Please come back home

Interesting...

2006-08-22T14:49:00.000+08:00

Check out my classmate's blog (this one aint a nerd)

Its full of great pictures :) (ever since he got his.. erm.. 5k? idk camera.. ^_^)

Caleb Ng

Hmm....

2006-08-21T11:43:00.000+08:00

The last thing I need is someone to come up to me and go : " oooohh.. start to blog also oh....."

-.-" how lame can that get? yeaps, I've heard that from 2 persons since reviving my blog.. one from the class nerd and another from someone i hardly know... LOL

Just a reminder for those who reads my blog, this blog is for me to put down things I wanna remember... and also for my 'close friends'... eg Helen ect...

if you do not remotely identify as "close friends of ian" (eg Lim Kar Wai)
please feel free to do either one of the following steps:
- Navigate away from this page to Google.. Click Here
- Press Alt F4
- click the little cute X button on the right corner of your screen/window
- or just continue snooping around... aka be 'kay po'

Cheers~ ;)

The Influential People of My Life..

2006-08-18T00:57:00.000+08:00

Taking an emotional stroll down my history…. These are the people… who had a great influence to who I am today..

My mum,

She has taught me many things, both explicitly and indirectly, through her strength and her perseverance. She has sacrificed much for my family, always putting aside her needs and wants for the sake of our family. Countless times has she been the mediator in the quarrels we had in our family, mostly because of money. I understand Ma, that you would have given me anything I wished, had you the money to do so.

My dad,

My father, although not physically with me for many years, has also taught me many things through his actions. Although I missed his presence when he set out to earn more for the family, he taught me to be independent, to let go of things I hold dear, for the sake of my future. I had never understood the reason for him not being with me, and I have rebelled for part of me had blamed him for not being there, whenever I needed him. But now, I’ve matured, and I’ve understood the reason for him setting out. He loves us too much, to see us suffer without money, for he has gone through living most of his younger years without money, struggling to even pay for his own education. Pa, you should not blame yourself for not providing us more money, for I understand your sacrifice, and this hardship, will make me and my sister, stronger to face the challenges of the cruel world.

My sis,

My sister has also not been physically with me for the most part of my life, for she left at a young age to foreign lands. I must admit that I’ve missed the times when we were younger, where everything was of no concern to us. I have always admired her for her strength, independence and her talents. No doubt that she excels in everything she does. She was and still is my role model, although not perfect, she is definitely the best. Jie, thanks for your love and for understanding me.

Beatrix Hii

She was the top student of my primary school.. excellent in everything she does, just like my sister.. she had always maintained the top position in academics. Besides that, she had represented the state for story telling competition, both in BM and English. Talented girl.

Auntie Maureen

My tuition teacher and also a friend of my family. She has taught me many things.. both in life and in academics. Strict as she was, she had always meant the best for me… and even went out of her way just to help me out.

Gary Lim

My first senior mentor. He was just form 2 and although without much music experience, he taught me what he knew of trumpet playing… I would always remember his patience and his cheerful attitude..

Anthony Wong

My music instructor. He had revived the passion for music in me and guided me throughout my musical journey with the band. He had high hopes for me and taught me many things in regard to music and life..

Mr George Ho

He was my maths tuition teacher.. He catered his lessons based on the speed of my learning and patiently explained to me everything to quench my curiosity.. He was the one who fueled my passion for maths..

Mrs Hon

She was my chemistry teacher. The way she taught me the subject ignited my interest in chemistry. She always patiently answered my excessive questions regarding chemistry..

Desmond Tie

My best friend in secondary school. Although I am not close to him anymore due to some petty conflict which I stupidly made a big mess out of it, I will always remember the influence he had on me….

Benjamin Ling, David Tang, Danial Liu

The 3 smart PTS students in my class… through knowing them, I was able to pick up better methods for studying… besides being competitive…

Roderick Kong, Brandon Eu, Luke Teo

Seniors of my band, who had excelled throughout their secondary school lives and still continue to do so..

Arun

A new pleasant acquaintance who is also my senior in college… His humbleness and his intelligence led me to have a high respect for him.

Helen

My ahma… J although I’ve only known her for about a year, she has been a great influence in my years maturity.. She was always there when I was down, ever ready to make me feel alright again (though shamefully I must admit I didn’t do quite the same for her) and also go out of her way just to help me. I suppose she must have seen the different sides of my personality and know quite a lot about me.. despite knowing her for only a year, I believe shes the only person other than my family to know so much about me. A great friend and an excellent mentor, she influences me with her great patience, of which I have close to none (patience I mean). Thanks for being such a great friend nenek :P *hugs*

Dunno why suddenly so emo…. I just felt like listing out the people who I really felt that should be mentioned… the silent heros of my life…

Something I received in my Inbox....

2006-08-17T17:17:00.000+08:00

A true story that is too good to be true..............must read one.....

This is based on a true story.........it's very touching. U have to
read... Enjoy...

A rich businessman had a beautiful daughter,
who fell in love
with a guy who was a cleaner.

When the girl's father came to know about their love,
he did not like
it at all, and so began to protest about it.

Now it happened that the two lovers decided to leave
their homes for
a happy future. The girl's father started searching
for the two lovers
but could not find them.

At last, he accepted their love and asked them to come
back home in a
local newspaper. Her father said "If you both come
back I will allow
you to marry the guy you love, I accept that you loved
each other truly."

So in this way, their love won and they returned
home.

The couple went to town to shop for the wedding dress.
He was dressed
in white shirt that day. While he was crossing the
road to the other
side to get some drinks for his wife, a car came and
hit him and he died
on the spot. The girl lost her senses. It was only
after sometimes that
she recovered from her shocked. The funeral and
cremation was the very
next day because he had died horribly.

Two nights later, the girl's mother had a dream in
which she saw an
old lady. The old lady asked her mother to wash the
blood stains of the
guy from her daughter's dress as soon as possible. But
her mother ignored
the dream.

The next night her father had the same dream, he also
ignored it.
Then when the girl had the same dream the next night,
she woke up in fear
and told her mother about the dream. Her mother asked
her to wash the
clothes which have blood stains immediately.

She washed the stains but some remained. Next night
she again had the
same dream she again washed the stains but some still
remained.

Next night she again had the same dream and this time
the old lady
gave her a last warning to wash the blood stain, or
else something
terrible will happen. This time the girl tried her
best to wash the stains,
and the clothes nearly tore, but some stains still
remained.

She was very tired.
In the late evening the same day while she was alone
at home, someone
knocked the door. When she opened the door she saw the
same old lady
of her dream standing at her door. She got very scared
and fainted.

The old lady woke her up... and gave her a blue
object, which shocked
the girl. She asked "What is this...?"

The old lady replied...
:
:
:
:
:
;
:
:
;
:
:
;
:
:
;
:
:
;
:
:
;
:
:
:
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;

"Try DYNAMO Liquid Soap... just a dab and it will
remove all stubborn stains!!!" ...

THE heck?!
Some idiot mailed me this... -.-""""

OMG ?!

2006-08-16T18:27:00.000+08:00

erm... who would have knowned... the strict unmerciful teacher in school... would actually... have a BLOG?!?!?! wtf....

http://chriskong57.blogspot.com/

omg.. omg omg..

>_< i should stop reading blogs....

Revived

2006-08-16T18:18:00.000+08:00

Hm.. tweaked the codings abit today so that the new posts would show....

but the wordings in the main frame does not have a right padding :S (notice how this box is like shifted right instead of left...

And yet again I'm too lazy to look at the codings again to find the error... maybe some other time when I'm extremely board or something....

Note: I've gotta remove those spam from the chatter box --->

2 X 5 Card...

2006-08-15T18:22:00.000+08:00

Something my friend made for me while I was filling out the CAF form..

CHEMICAL

Able

Manangeable

Broad-Based

Resourceful

Independent

Determined

Grounded

ENGINEERING

Heh, aint all cute things impractical? :P

Youths..

2006-08-12T17:45:00.000+08:00

The new generation of Malaysians is becoming more self-centered in this recent decade. Malaysian youths these days care only for themselves, rarely lending a hand to help any other aliens. According to a recent survey conducted by private firms, an alarming percentage, 70% of students admitted that they did not give any aid when they witnessed someone in distress.

In the mad rat race to achieve only the best, teenagers these days often forget about those who are left behind or have some form of difficulty. They want to be the best in everything they do, such as academics, sports, extra curricular activities and everything else that would make them the ‘most successful’ student. But little do they know, in the midst becoming the ‘best’ they are neglecting the most important aspect of humanity – courtesy. Although many of them know about the good values, most practice them verbally only.

“Of course I would help anyone in need whenever others are in trouble,” replied Steven Tan, a student in Taylors College, when questioned about helping others. However, when asked about helping his fellow classmates out in their studies, he sheepishly replied that he had not aided them at all. “I do not see the need to, after all, the teacher is not doing a good job, and I myself have to source for my own information regarding the topics taught.” This mindset has become commonplace amongst our young generation. Once thought as a custom practiced by the Singaporeans, this attitude, which is known as kiasu-ism, is spreading among our students in secondary schools and colleges.

What has happened to the friendly, caring and helpful qualities once high praised by traveling Westerners/foreigners? In the midst of showing respect towards outsiders, we have forgotten to extend this common practice of humanity towards our fellow countrymen. In fact, in the recent report released by Reader’s Digest, Kuala Lumpur is ranked 3^rd from the bottom in the Global Courtesy Test.

Therefore arises the important question of who is to blame for this downward spiral in the morality of Malaysian youths. Often, the youths themselves are blamed by the public for this casualty, but in reality, they are the victims. In fact, “excellence in academics leads to success” is the prime emphasis of parents’ and societal teachings. The lack of role models who demonstrate courtesy further denounces its importance. Following this, courtesy takes a back role to paper qualifications and monetary standings in Malaysian society. Other than that, peer pressure also drives students to focus more on their academics and extra curricular activities, often neglecting good moral values.

Due to the expanding Malaysian economy, parents also have more responsibilities to foot. The majority, especially those living in the larger cities, focus more on their careers. To most parents, a career-oriented life is key to providing a larger income for the family. As a consequence, many leave the responsibility of educating their young to the schools and tuition centers. Spending enough ‘quality’ time with their children is no longer a priority. Many do not know what their children are up to when they are not at home, let alone concern themselves with issues of bad or unacceptable behavior.

The government too, does not giving much help in lightening the situation. In fact, the recent portrayal of national top scorers and scholarship offers forces younger students to focus even more on their academics, in order to gain ‘better’ results than their predecessors and their peers. This unhealthy obsession towards grades has lead to a sharp decline in common courtesy amongst the students. Some even refuse to help others in fear that others might do better than them.

This leads back to the question of who is really responsible? One way or the other, an integration of several causation factors contribute to the decline of common courtesy and moral values. Hence, pointing fingers would bring no positive outcomes. Instead, everyone should shake off the mindset to be Malaysia’s ‘best’ student and practice better manners. The future image of friendly and helpful global Malaysians is in the hands of the youths of the nation.

Written on 27 July 2006.....

I'm addicted to knowledge....

2006-08-10T17:39:00.000+08:00

Question: If you were entitled to anything in the world, what is the one most important thing would you give yourself ?

I would love to have more time.. as is more hours per day or some sort. Not that I dont have enough time, it's just that I would like to have the extra hours to do more reading/resourcing. I'm the type of person who would just read almost every detail in a report/article for fun. I love to have a more refined general knowledge.. in short, I wanna know everything. But that isnt quite possibile.. Just imagine the collection of 7 million books in one of the libraries in UK.. near Cambridge, goodness knows whats its name... Even if I LIVED in that library, just feeding off the books, I doubt that I'ld actually read everything finish.. and even if I do, I doubt that I'ld remember the content of the first few books I read...Sadly, yes, I'm the type of person who doesnt possess the luxury of having good memory.. I can proudly say that my time management is rather efficient.. however, I tend to let my lazy side overpower me... hence, the procrestination.. ^_^

Time is the most important thing to me because with time, everything is possible. I can do anything I want.. including being lazy.... :P But now, I've no time to be lazy.. actually, I cannot afford to be lazy.. there so many opportunities here that I cant quite catch up to them... and being lazy, I have everything to lose. Maybe, I could have more time if there wasnt such things as compulsory classes.. I seriously think they are a waste of precious time. I'ld give credit to some of the teachers for taking the responsibility of educating us students very seriously, but some take it so seriously that is almost rediculous.

What I have to read/do... Research more on ChemEng, read up profiles of Chem Engineers, plan a better essay.. find someone to oversee my research.. think up a more creative and beneficial research project for the Intel Competition, really STUDY Chem and Phys and Maths for AS.. read up 3 books for thinking skills, complete my UCAS and CAF application.. finish reading Newsweek and australian readers digest.. read 100 Times essays, research more on Cambridge, get past year papers.. do other board's past year papers.. think up something for Rotaract club....

hmm.. ^_^ thats why I would like those extra hours :P

Cheers

2005-12-20T21:51:00.000+08:00

OK.. erm.. whats there to update about my life? well.. my whole family returned yesterday, yeaps my father and my sister.. first time in 3 years my family is together...

but as usual, every joy has its sorrows..

My father, the sole bread winner of the family, is well... in between jobs (as politicians put it)

so yeah.. more budgeting to be done now.. Yeay!

Been A week...

2005-12-10T04:32:00.000+08:00

Ok, its been a week.... a week of freedom, and sadly yes, I'm already bored..

Decided to start playing the online game that I used to play like 4/5 months ago... and now its taking up most of my time LOL.. so yeah, I've been doing nothing except playing that game....

Oh yeah, I went to apply for my mykad today.. I had problems with verifying my thumbprints, the computer registered and said that my right thumbprint was only compatible... somehow, my left thumb could not be verified... how odd..

According to the officer-in-charge, this does happen, but rarely. They do not know why the system was not able to verify my current left thumb print with the one I had when I was 12.. They said it could be because of a system error last time.. other than that, they are clueless. Also, another officer-in-charge stated that it when this happens, it mainly occurs amongst the ranks of the army and policemen... hmmm

Oh.. and another person said that perhaps my palms are too smooth.... -.-"

Nothing much to blog about this week, except that I've returned to my nocturnal self, and sleeping in the afternoon..

Boredom~

2005-12-04T21:33:00.000+08:00

Our of boredom, I decided to post this.. LOLS!

Click
here for standalone player

Download Windows Media Player Here

Whats with Malaysia?

2005-12-04T19:15:00.000+08:00

We, Malaysians, pride ourselfs with the equality and racial harmony in our country. Yet, why do such issues still arise in our community?

Quote from The Malay Mail:

“When I returned 30 minutes later, Khairul was still not treated. I had an argument with the hospital staff and when his condition worsened, they took him into the operation theatre.

“He was only treated an hour after he was taken to the hospital.”

Now.. Whats with this issue?

Do we value money more than lives?

Are we turning into a non-caring society?

Quote from The Star:

She had a fractured skull and was bleeding profusely when she was rushed to the hospital after the 2pm incident on Tuesday.

Lim was still clutching her handbag when she was found on Lorong Air Putih 6 here. Her relatives claimed she was lying on the ground for 20 minutes before a couple came to her aid.

“We have people milling around an injured woman but no one did anything,” he lamented.

“The first person on the scene should have called the ambulance or sent the woman to the hospital.”

This infuriates me.. In fact, I had initially planned to blog about this a few days ago, but I was too angry to do so.

Khairul was not treated because the person who sent him, couldn't deposit the RM5000 required by the STUPID private hospital.. Seriously, how many people have 5000 in thier pockets everytime they walk around? If they do, wouldn't that encourage snatch thieves and robbers alike?

Just because Khairul's savior was unable to fork out the money, he was not saved in time...

Hippocrates Oath:

... I will keep this Oath and this stipulation- to reckon him who taught me this Art equally dear to me as my parents, to share my substance with him, and relieve his necessities if required; to look upon his offspring in the same footing as my own brothers, and to teach them this art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation; and that by precept, lecture, and every other mode of instruction, I will impart a knowledge of the Art to my own sons, and those of my teachers, and to disciples bound by a stipulation and oath according to the law of medicine, but to none others. I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous....

Oh? Whats that we see? Well, ofcourse, now the greed for money overshadows these things. Sad..

Now, on the selfish side, If the hospital had treated him, they would still get paid one way or another, because if Khairul was poor, his family could still get fund from somewhere, either through loans or charity... and of course, the hospital's reputation would either stay or go up, instead of plunging because of this issue... well, Khairul's family would be grateful to the hospital for saving thier son, and also since they are well off, some way or another, the hospital's reputation would increase... Oh well, lets just say that hospital.. wait its not even fitting to call it a hospital.. is blinded by their greed for fast cash and let go of another opportunity.. STUPID!!

On the other hand, why was the woman left there to bleed by the public? Are they afraid to be connected to the incident? Have they done something wrong previously? COWARDS!

Ok. done venting.. Cheers! :D

A Day's Journey

2005-12-03T22:55:00.000+08:00

Well, the 'day' sorta started about 9am, when Ben woke up and messaged me :) of course, what I meant by 'day' is because it was another sleepless night..

Ben showed his 'parrot-style' hair and proceeded to ask me out on a date... lols ok, just going out ;) however, unfortunately, the trip was only affirmed at 11.30, meaning he came around 12pm, skipping breakfast..

So, the first meal of the day was.... Penang Fried Kueh Tiaw made in Kuching..(somehow, its never the same eating a 'local' food elsewhere... best to eat it at Penang)

After erm, breakfast/lunch, we decided to drop by Ivor's house.. this is how it looks like :D

Then, It started to rain as we went bowling.. ofcourse I lost miserably to Ben in 3 straight sets.
After much reading in Times Bookstore at Parkson, we just walked around in the city, this is at the erm, junction, crossing over from Crown Plaza to Tun Jugah.. where we window shopped for clothes.. lols
*edit: thats ben infront of the many cat statues in Kuching.. McDonalds in on the right.. and behind it, the tall brown building is Tun Jugah.. :)*

This is the end/begining of the Kuching Waterfront, opposite Crown Plaza.. Yeah there are some people fishing here :P

A picture of the Sarawak River...
*edit: See that little tower on the left? well, thats infront of the Astana, which we were walking towards.. btw, thats also opposite the court house :P*

On the other side of the river lies Fort Magareta~~

And then, further down the road is.. Astana... which is also the Police Museum..

At the end of the Walk, just before the market.. theres a wall, with the story of the Mousedeer and the Crocodile on it :) aka. Sang Kancil dengan Buaya...

Opposite the wall, is a small fort.. :) This is me standing infront of it.. Boy, do I look dark..
*edit: oh, if you go straight up in this picture, the left side is the 'path' of the Water Front, the right side is the road, with the shop houses in the picture below*

On the right of the last picture, or rather opposite the end/beginning of Kuching Waterfront, is the Tourism Board... It used to be the old Kuching Court house.. This is the Charles Brooke Memorial..

As we crossed the road to the other side, this is how the building looks like.. Left, Center and Right.

This is the middle part of the courthouse... (Ben was hiding behind the pole on the right :P)

Oh, just one of those many cats you can find anywhere in Kuching :P

On the otherside of the courthouse, theres an Inida Street :) Heres the entrance... Taken from the courthouse
*edit: this is a good place to shop for cheap clothings and other stuff :)*

This is the building opposite the Kuching Post Office..
*edit: the bus-like thing on the right is actually a touristy thingy.. its like a bus, but with no windows.. just big gaping holes.. so the tourists can 'see' Kuching.. however, if it rains.. too bad for you :P*

Another building opposite the post office, on the same side as the courthouse.. I believe this used to be some sorta lookout house or smth..
*edit: the building on the right, behind the lookout house.. is also one of the 'old' buildings that are behind restored*

As we leave the courthouse... I turned back and snapped this picture.. I had my fair share of stories about this entrance :P

Oooh.. a corner view of the Post office...

Yeaps, it was building during the White Rajah's era... :)

As we walked back following the side of the road next to the Water Front, there are tons of shop houses on the right hand side as you can see :) Its sorta like a 'China Town'..

Oh.. heres a tiled-map of Kuching.. found along the path of the Water Front :)
*edit: there are many erm.. tiles along the Water Front that will contain information about Kuching's history*

And after our 'date', Ben dropped me off at Sarawak Club.. Guess who I met at the library there? Its the bright JPA scholar! Daphne Chong! yeaps, she was studying :) we went to have dinner.. and this is a pic of her posing infront of her erm.. healthy salad :P
*edit: To all the eligible bachelors... Shes 18 on 4th Dec! :P*

Then she gave me a lift home :)

Thus.. ends my day~~ :P

*edit 4th dec: oops.. accidentally saved it as draft instead of publishing it.. lol*

Hence Starts the Application Proccess!

2005-12-03T03:28:00.000+08:00

Whats there in store for me after SPM? More work... filling in applications and writing the required essays >_<

Do you recognize each one? Yeah, the YALE is very obvious.. LOLS
The top is from YEA..
Second row, from left: University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Northwestern University.
Third row, from left: Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Last row, from left: California Institute of Technology, Stanford University(yeah the words are covered by some sticker thingy), Saint Louis University - Madrid Campus.

Here are a few awards I would give these universities:
Best envelope:
University of Pennsylvania.. The envelope was sorta like some paper+cloth kinda thing.. has a good feel to it.. but tough to open! (can you see the cloth like thing sticking out on the right corner? and the 'lines' on the envelope are the strands of the cloth..)

Simplest Design cover:
Yale.. its blue in color with large white YALE on one side, and your address in a box on the other.. together with a bulldog....

Most Eccentric Design cover + envelope:
MIT.. Look at thier choice for the pictures....

Cheapest Application sent:
Caltech.. using a normal envelope with a brochure telling applicants to go online and apply through there... theres a downloadable form too..

Heaviest Application:
Columbia.. 2 thick booklets with glossy paper and another separate application booklet..(the blue booklet has Application printed in white.. I guess it was a little too bright :P)

Earliest Sent application:
IIT.. It came in JUNE! LOLS wasnt event expecting it..

Thickest Booklet:
Stanford... look at the thickness of that booklet!! Its almost as thick as some monthly magazine thingy..

:/
boy oh boy... the stress is on to produce good essays.. >_<

Life after SPM~

2005-12-02T23:15:00.000+08:00

Well.... Gotta start clearing up the mess I've made through out the whole year.. plus, I need to put these books which I'm no longer using anymore into boxes so they can be donated/sold to some people :) Yay for Recycling~!

This is how the floor looks like before I started.. (it's not as messy as just before SPM, because I cluster books together by subject for each test, then upon returning home from the test, I empty my backpack into the little brown box (which you can see a corner of it near the red bag on the left side).
In the big backpack (with a little green ribbon, and it on the left hand side), are my SAT II books, which I brought with me to SG.. In front of it is a dark blue bag, my official school bag! (its really sturdy! Its the only bag that hasnt majorly ripped because the contents were too heavy) The two piles of books infront of the couch are Chemistry and Biology books, of course, they were the two last major subjects ;) On the couch are music sheets, and some stuff left there which was piled up over the year.. and the bag on the right bottom corner is my backpack which I use for exams and some outings.. (yes it is in a very bad shape now with rips here and there.. lols..)

Heres how the floor looks midway through my cleaning up... You can see the little box clearer now ;)

The bigger box in the previous picture contained these.... and were dumped out on the floor..

The final result, two boxes on the left containing books and notes, one small pile of lined and graph paper.. another pile of STPM books borrowed for my SAT II tests.. and yes, you can finally sit on the couch :D

Stuffed some stuff into the brown cabinet, piled up the music and orchestra files.. and placed the tons of half ripped bags on top of it..

There, wasn't so hard now was it? :D I can clean up a mess as fast as I make it.. LOLS.. Guess which room is now messy? Its my work place.... ;) Actually, it wasnt so neat at all to start of with.. yeaps, its the computer/library room.. bits and pieces of paper/notes around, and the application letters all on the floor ;)

The LAST day of EXAMS!

2005-12-02T11:52:00.000+08:00

Some pictures from the morning before the last paper~

Heres the three musketeers.. waiting for action to arrive.. and yes, Ivor was studying for EST

Everyone looks away while the guy behind dances~

A throng of people in the alley, chatting away, oblivious to others... oops, Haziq caught me snapping at them

Danial smiling at Edward (refused to be shown in the pic).. while Brendan telling Wee Lee about the latest techniques to use a hair brush..

These people here are deeply immersed in a conversation about EST papers.... from MRSM, MARA, Perak..

Heres a shot from the corridor outside our exam classes..(Form 6 was using the auditorium for STPM).. as you can see, Chen is pointing a finger accusingly at Bryan Pei.. trying to remind him that the next paper was a Multiple question EST paper, and it is not going to be that easy.. OH as you can see, the two teachers incharge of the two exam classes on this corridor.. the handsome male was my in charge of my class.. (hes very kind unlike the other one.. ) .. and the other teacher, was nicknamed Bitch-Witch because of her sarcasm and naggy commands.. (pity the guys in the other class)

And SPM ends~!!!! Heres a picture of the exam class... all void of students now :)
(those papers stuck to the table contains the information of each candidate and the papers they registered for).. guess which table is mine! :P

And so.. ends our high-school life~ Adios!

"8,000 people die of AIDS every single day"

2005-12-01T18:29:00.000+08:00

Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.
1st December..... Its World AIDs Day!

Have you worn a ribbon today?

When approached, people here would go: "Why wear it? I don't want to have anything to do with AIDS." " I doesn't go with my clothes." " Wearing it doesn't mean I truely care about AIDs. Its something that we practice from a daily basis, not just by wearing it now, being such a hypocrite." "I don't want to wear it, my friends will laugh at me."

Yes, no doubt that we should practice prevention of getting AIDs everyday, and today is the day we should show that we care!

It happens everywhere, everyday. As a student, one would always try to be 'popular', or 'cool'. However, to thier shallow knowledge, many students would scoff at the notion of wearing a red ribbon.. what more to say about wearing them?

Yet, in Asia, kids as young as eight years old get infected with AIDs (no, not through thier parents). Of course, we blame the paedophiles... However, there will always be some slutty characters around... kids these days are not that innocent anymore..

From CNN.com:

'Education has to start very young'
In Vietnam, U.S. Ambassador Michael
Marine said Wednesday more emphasis must be placed on making sure the message
reaches children to keep the disease from spreading into the general population.
"I think that education has to start very young," he said.
So far, the
disease in Vietnam remains largely concentrated in high-risk groups, such as
injecting drug users and sex workers, but health workers fear the virus will
eventually spread to the general population and result in a major epidemic.
"It's certainly not sufficient to focus on HIV/AIDS one day a year," Marine
said. "It's something that should be in the forefront of people's minds all the
time."

While Singapore is promoting the usage of condoms on World Aids Day, what is Malaysia doing? The talk of sex or anything related to it is still a taboo in most communities, if it were to be talked about, you'll find that the discussions will mostly be only amongst people of the same age, aka students only. Seriously, how many Malaysian parents really talk to thier children about sex? On a recent survey conducted, less that 10% actually educate thier young about sex. 19% Thinks that thier children should already know about it from friends and schools. 48% Do not talk about anything related to sex to thier children... why? because its awkward and doesn't seem fitting.. and the rest? they could not be bothered about it. Now, don't blame anyone else when your kids get AIDs.

Hmm.. speaking of which, the world still blames the gays for transmitting this disease... It was true back then, but in a recent study, it has shown that its the heterosexuals that actually are in higher risk of being infected and also infecting others.. its because most of them do not go for checkups for any sexually transmitted diseases. The gay community are well aware of these STDs and they do take precautions against them where as the heterosexuals are more laxed about it.. especially the usage of condoms..

What can I do to support World AIDS Day?
There are many ways in which
you can support World AIDS Day. For example:
-Raise awareness of HIV and AIDS
in your area
-Wear a red ribbon and ask others to do the same
-Protect
yourself and your partners - this is the first and best way to stop the spread
of HIV
-If you are worried - get tested.

At school or work, you can support World AIDS Day by:
-Having a
dressing up, down or fancy dress day
-Putting up some posters (see below) -
get people talking
-Selling red ribbons
-Organising a creative
writing/poster campaign
-Setting up a debate or a quiz - there're lots of
ideas for topics on our site
-Cooking an international meal or having a cake
sale
-Arranging a sponsored three-legged race or balloon release
-Getting your friends, family, colleagues or pupils to express their
feelings and expand their knowledge about AIDS
-Using your imagination!

:D

Oh, Do try out this quiz on AIDs :)
http://www.avert.org/wadquiz.htm

Get a virtual ribbon to show your support!

Insomnia?

2005-12-01T05:58:00.000+08:00

I'm starting to wonder if I'm really suffering from Insomnia.. so far, I have been awake for more than 48 hours... cant seem to sleep? Sigh.. Trying to go back and get some sleep..Hopefully theres no more tossing and turnings in bed trying to force myself to sleep -.-"

Oh yeah, I revamped the whole blog, sorta removed the flash player for awhile.. Gonna change it to a slimmer version.. and I'm considering posting a weekly blog solely on music and uploading some samples of music.. When I get up later, I'm gonna upload The Incredibles Official Sound Track.

Nites.. or rather.. Morning...

There we go!

2005-11-29T00:19:00.000+08:00

Heres a proof how relaxed we were in class.. yes the teacher was still around, but dunno doing what..

Oh, can you guess which one is me? ;)

oh. Erm, yeah, I havent worn the school tie nor the name tag for the whole year.. couldnt be bothered.. its just too troublesome..

And for a special Students-only activity.. During exams, we get to decorate our own black board :D

The procces of scribbling some other form of jibberish on the board...

The creator, Benjamin Ling, and his creation... the grafittied Black board for Biology

And of course, for Moral Studies & Islamic Studies, we were taught to be racial-harmonious... So here we go.. ;)

Heres how the black board was decorated for chemistry.. with the puns all inserted :)

And after Chemistry, before Physics paper.. theres bound to be some scribbles regarding physics formulas or theories on the board.. the one on the far right was writen by our infamous Ivor Yong

Physics was slightly milder, due to being rapted by some jealous teachers of our wonderous graffitied black board...

Whilst waiting for the teacher to come in for the next paper... This is just how the situation in the class is like..

Not your average Malaysian school life eh?? Afterall, its a boys school.. where things happen differently. ;)

SAT Subject Tests Results out...

2005-11-26T22:21:00.000+08:00

Chemistry 780
Mathematics Level 2 800
Physics 760

Phys looks kinda bad, didnt actually thought that I would score that low :/ was expecting 800 or at least 780.

Appreciation...

2005-11-26T05:40:00.000+08:00

My Brother....

I cried for my brother 6 times......

I was born in a secluded village of a mountain. Days by days my parents plowed the yellow dry soil with their backs facing the sky.

I have a younger brother, 3 years younger than me. Once, to buy a handkerchief which all girls around me seemed to have, I stole 50 cents from my father's drawer. Father known about it right away.

He made my younger brother and me kneeled against the wall, with a bamboo stick in his hand.
"Who stole the money?" he asked.

I was stunned, too afraid to talk. Father didn't hear any of us admit, so he said, "Fine, if nobody wants to admit, you two should be beaten!"

He lifted up the bamboo stick.

Suddenly, my younger brother gripped father's hand and said," Dad, I was the one who did it!"

The long stick smacked on my brother's back repeatedly.

Father was so angry that he kept on whipped my brother until he lost his breath.

After that, he sat down on our stone bed and scolded my brother, "You have learnt to steal from your own house now, what other embarrassing things you will do in the future?? You should be beaten to death! You shameless thief!"

That night, mother and I hugged my brother. His body full of injuries, but he didn't shed a single tear.

In the middle of the night, all of sudden I cried out loudly.

My brother covered my mouth with his little hand and said, " Sis, now don't cry anymore. Everything has happened."

I still hate myself for didn't have enough courage to admit what I had done.

Years gone by, but the incident still looked like it just happened yesterday.

I will never forget my brother's expression when he protected me.

That year, my brother was 8 years old; I was 11 years old.

When my brother was in his last year of his lower secondary school, he was accepted in an upper secondary school in the central. At the same time, I was accepted into a province's university.

That night, father squatted in the yard, smoking, packet by packet.

I could hear him said, "Both our children have good results? very good results?"

Mother wiped off her tears and sighed," What is the use? How can we possibly finance both of them?"

At that time, my brother walked out, he stood in front of father and said,"Dad, I don't want to continue my study anymore, I have read enough books."

Father swung his hand and slapped brother on his face.

"Why do you have a spirit so damn weak? Even if it means I have to beg for money on the streets, I will sen! d you two to school until you both finish your study!"

And then, he started to knock on every house in the village to borrow money. I stuck out my hand as soft as I can to my brother's swollen face, and said, "A boy has to continue his study; If not, he will not be able to leave this depths of poverty."

Me, on the other hand, had decided not to further my study to university.

Who knows on the next day, before dawn, my brother left the house with a few pieces of worn-out clothes and a few dry beans. He sneaked to the side of my bed and left a note on my pillow; "Sis, get into an university is not easy. I will go find a job and send money to you."

I held the note while sitting on my bed, and cried until I lost my voice.

That year, my brother was 17 years old; I was 20 years old. With the money father borrowed from the whole village, and money my brother earned from carrying cement on his back at construction site,finally, I managed to get to the third year of my study in the university.

One day, I was studying in my room, when my roommate came in and told me,"There's a villager wait for you outside!"

Why is there a villager looking for me? I walked out, and saw my brother from afar, His whole body is dirty, covered by dust, cement and sands.

I asked him, "Why don't you tell my roommate that you are my brother?"

He replied with a smile," Look at my appearance. What will they think if they know that I am your brother?,Don't they laugh at you?"

I felt so touched, and tears filled my eyes. I swept away dusts from my brother's body. And said with a lump in my throat, " I don't care of what people say! You are my brother no matter what your appearance is?"

From his pocket, he took out a butterfly hair clip. He wore it on me, and said, "I saw all the girls in town are wearing it. So, I think you should also have one."

I could not hold back myself anymore. I pulled my brother into my arms and cried and cried.

That year, my brother was 20 years old; I was 23 years old.

The first time I brought my boyfriend home, the broken window had been repaired.And it looked so clean inside the house.

After, my boyfriend went home, I danced like a small girl in front of my mother, "Mom, you don't have to spend so many time cleaning the house!"

But she said with a smile," It was your brother who went home early to clean the house. Didn't you see the wound on his hand? He was injured while replacing the window." I went into my brother's small bedroom.

Looking at his thin face, I felt like there are hundreds of needle pricked in my heart.

I put some ointment on his wound and bandaged it, "Does it hurt? " I asked him.

"No, it doesn't hurt. You know, when I was working in the construction site, stones falling on my feet all the time. Even that could not stop me from working and?"

In the middle of the sentence, he stopped. I turned my back on him and tears rolling down my face.

That year, my brother was 23 years old; I was 26 years old.

After I got married, I lived in the city. Lots of time my husband invited my parents to come and live with us, but they didn't want.

They said, once they left the village,they didn't know what to do.

My brother also didn't agree, he said, "Sis, you just taking care of your parents-in-law. I will take care of mom and dad here."

My husband became the director of his factory. We wanted my brother to get the job as the manager in the department of maintenance. But my brother rejected the offer. He insisted on starting to work as a reparation worker.

One day, my brother was on the top of a ladder repairing a cable, when he got electrocuted, and was sent to the hospital.

My husband and I visited him. Looked at the white gypsum on his leg, I grumbled,"Why did you reject to be a manager? Manager will not do something dangerous like this. Look at you now, such a serious injury. Why you didn't want to listen to us?"

With a serious expression on his face, he defended on his decision, "Think of brother-in-law?he just became the director, and I almost uneducated. If I became the manager, what kind of rumors will fly around?"

My husband's eyes filled up with tears, and then I said, "But you lack in education also because of me!" "Why talking about the past?" My brother held my hand.

That year, he was 26 years old and I was 29 years old. My brother was 30years old when he married a farmer girl from the village.

In his wedding reception, the master of ceremonies asked him, "Who is the one you respect and love the most?"
Without thinking, he answered," My sister." He continued by telling a story I could not even remember.

"When I was in primary school, the school was in different village.

Everyday, my sister and I walked for 2 hours to go school and go home.

One day, I lost one of my pair of gloves. My sister gave me one of hers.
She only wore one glove and walked for so far. When we got home, her hand was so trembled because of the weather that was so cold that she could not even hold her chopsticks. From that day on, I swore that as long as I live, I would take care of my sister and be good to her."

Applause filled up the room. All guests turned their attentions to me.

Words were so hard to come out from my mouth, "In my whole life, the one I would like to thank the most is my brother," And in this happy occasion,in front of the crowd, tears rolling down my face again.

Love and care for the one you love every single days of your life. You may think what you did is just a small deed, but to that someone, it may mean a lot.

Please give comment. Thank you

A Good day

2005-11-24T05:25:00.000+08:00

Todays paper was Matematik Tambahan (Additional Mathematics).
Paper 1 was fairly easy, and it seems that I have gotten every question correct when I compared my answers with my friends. There were some tricky questions that if you didnt read the question properly, you are bound to make false assumptions.
Paper 2 wasnt hard at all! I must say our school papers were much much much more harder. And, this is the first time I've ever attempted to complete every single question, even the question on the last chapter of Form 5, Pengaturcaraan Linear. I've never studied that topic, and never did a single question on it. But today, I was feeling a little adventurousome :P I mean, this is the last time I am going to sit for this paper, so, why not do something that I have never done before? Afterall, its fun! :)

The 4 hours gap between the 2 papers was filled with 1 chapter of biology and more gobbles at Club. A bunch of other students brought thier friends along and studied? in the Media room. And oh.. Helen and her sister, Annie called me up today.. twice actually.. once around 11am to confirm some answer, and the second time just before her.. erm run/jog? I would say, walk :P

Returned home, came online.. and got really bored.. so, I went to sleep.. LOLS! This is so going to make me fatten up.. w00t! Decided to check the computer again, was about 11.30pm.. Beatrix and Edward was on, so was Ben and Helen as usual, Helen seemed to have some trouble with her connectivity... Ben introduced me to a flash game.. its really cool! You should try it out too!

The newest version of Macromedia Flash Player is required to view this page.

Macromedia Shockwave Player is required to view this page.

Good fun! Key to play this game is to have some patience, thinking skils and skillful mouse clicking! :)

Playlist Today: Diablo Soundtrack, Enigma

Tuesday Night~

2005-11-23T01:28:00.000+08:00

Well, Looks like I've achieved pretty much what I've targeted, albeit napping for 1/2 hours after the last blog. LOLS! And I've yet again failed to achieve my target of sleeping early... :(

I indulged into my late night supper at 12.30 which consisted of Fritto Misto and three deep fried chicken wings. I'm being such a glutton lately, even after a heavy proper meal -.-"

Oh and my earphones are not really functioning well anymore :'( Sigh, Looks like I've gotta go get a new pair of earphone soon.

Its a wonder how things can mysteriously hide from you when you need them, then reappear again at times least expected.. I cant find my Sasbadi Add Math book.. :/

Time to erm... sleep? and get up again tomorrow.. Nighty~

A Subject that I'm glad to LET GO.

2005-11-22T20:06:00.000+08:00

So, Thus ends another day of SPM... 6 subjects down.. More to come!

Today I took the Pendidikan Moral paper.. or Moral Studies.
American Friend (AF) : What's that?
Me : Ermm.. It covers the topics of being good and stuff, basically theres a list of moral values and its definations to memorize.
AF : Whaa? They test you on that? How do they do it? Do they have an examiner judging you personally in school as in your habits and what not?
Me : Uhh.. no. Its like a written test, where it actually tests your ability to write about good things in life. Actually, its more about your ability to bullshit your way through, making it seem that you are such a good person in life. It really is as long as you know abit about the good things aka dont break the rules etc. and a few general knowledge facts, you can score pretty high on the test, even though one has a stuck-up, spoilt, hot tempered, rude attitude.
AF : They really test things like those in.. er... Malaysia?
Me : Yeaps, trust me, most of the stuff that we are tested are in the typical 'asian' style, where everything is about your brains - the abilty to memorize stuff and structure them into a nice format.
AF : Oh ok.

Yeaps. Thats just a summary of our Moral subject. I heard its suppose to instill a sense of morality in the students plus racial tolerance plus loyality to the country... Uh.. more like bullshit. Maybe it works for a small fraction, but the rest? No comment ;) We'll just see when the results are out.

About the paper itself today, there were 8 structured questions and 3 essays (pick 2). Usually, during school exams, I would have taken a longer time to finish the paper, approx 30 minutes to choose 2 essays and write time. Today, I had a full hour to mull through the topics and pick what I wanted to write. I guess its because the questions that were asked today, were in a boarder context and more about general knowledge compared to our school exams which were more focused on the text books and the applications of the 36 moral values.

Example school paper:
(paragraph about a situation where a filial son)
a. Based on the text above, list out 2 moral values, other than the one listed in (c), practiced by the son (2 marks)
b. Explain the definition of the moral values listed above (4 marks)
c. In what ways does it show the family has the moral value of (some moral value). (2 marks)
d. What are the other activities where the family can spend more time together? (2 marks)

well, today's paper was:
(paragraph about 2 Malaysians that glorified the Malaysian name in the international arena)
a. List 2 moral values practiced by the Malaysians in the text above. (2 marks)
b. Give the definition of one of the moral values that you have listed. (2 marks)
c. What are the achievements of those 2 Malaysians internationally? (2 marks)
d. Some general knowledge question thats worth 4 marks.. will get back to that when I remember it.

Yeah, compare that with the school's question. -.-"

Ok.. enough about that. I went back to club after that paper, sat in the Media Room for awhile, watching some cartoons... and in came this paikia-looking man.. ok not that bad, but has that bad-boy look.. the nonchalant look.. his kid was sitting happily on one of the bar-like stools watching tv.. Zackery I think his name was. He just sit in an armchair, pulled another chair near him, called his son and used that 'finger' signal thing to come foward and sit in the next chair.. The son was like "but I want to sit here.." He then went in a gruff voice "Zackery.." and amazingly the son said "Ok, ok" and gave an audible but not too loud sigh.. mind you, he was just a kid in primary school I think, and that move didnt quite dampen his cheery mood to watch tv. About this man, he wore sunglasses, the head-hugging/wrapping type, had some sort of short spikey hair (thus the bad-boy look).

The wife came in later.... and.... DEJA VU! she looked like Helen.. in some ways.. (ok, she was also big sized, but slimmer than our Helen.. but her face.. seems quite similar!) She also had this cheery mood around her, and seems to be just into cartoons as her kid was.. even to the extent of laughing to some of Sabrina the Animated Series and some cartoon called Totally Spies? but.. it seems that the man doesnt care much about her? She has this erm, loving look to her husband, but at the same time, a sorta frightened or intimidated look towards him too.. (erm, dont ask me how I know, I just sorta sensed it).. Even when she leaned over his chair to get a packet of Tim Tams from a basket on the right of him (she was seated on the left), she moved slowly, as if fearful of disturbing the man's nap, then in the process of erecting her body, she slowly looked and checked on the man, seeing if he was awake or angry at her? With that, a thought popped up in my mind: Would Helen marry a type of man like that? I mean, according to her blogs, she seems to like hunky men? (he was abit toned I would say) Would she stand real abuse from her man? I dont know, time will tell...

Enough pondering over trivial matters... Time to dig into Biology books!

What a morning!

2005-11-22T10:31:00.000+08:00

Helen says: I can't Help it if I look like a punching bag!

Well then, lets compare and see....

Helen Su

Punching bag with props

Similar? Definitely! Why Helen, You do look like a punching bag! :P

What did I do this morning? Nothing, Stayed in bed and heard more about Helen's morning instead. LOLS. Looks like she decided to skip breakfast because she felt guilty ..

Plans for the day:
-go club, take some form of breakfast/lunch
-revise moral
-start biology
-blog about my day
-rant about moral
-have fun
-sleep early

Yeaps, so I'm off then! Btw: the punching bag looks much slimmer.. ROFL

Procrastination, aint I just good at that?

2005-11-22T01:30:00.000+08:00

What a waste of a day -.-" What did I do today? Nothing.. Totally Nothing at all! Heres what I did today:
10.00 am : Woken up by the noisy Helen LOL
10.30 am : Went downstairs, turned on the monitor of comp and light and 2nd speakers
11.00 am : Decided to try and access some websites.... it was loading excruciatingly slow... uh.. mmm getting tired... uh... hmmmm
11.30 am : Oh the cushions on the floor seems so much more comfier than this chair... *down I go on to the floor*
11.35 am : Oblivious to the world
1.00 pm : Woke up. Uhh whats going on? Wheres mum? Oh, she went out..
1.02 pm : Moved blog from Myspace to Blogspot due to stupid restrictions.. as the page was loading... *walks to the living room*
1.30 pm : Hmm... the weather seems rather cooling... Im so going to Club now... Oh but the couch seems so soft and inviting..
1.35 pm : *lies down on the couch.. positioning myself into a comfortable position*
1.40 pm : Oblivious to the world again.
4.30 pm : Oh? Its raining? Bleh... *walks to the computer again*
4.35 pm : Rummage through my mp3 collections
5.00 pm : Decided to play Hoobastank.. and Decides to customize Tassle-World
8.00 pm : Finally sorted out some stuff on my blog and then went to play piano
8.30 pm : Got bored with piano, Looked for Ben or Helen online... Nopes.. not on..
8.35 pm : Logged on to games.yahoo.com and decided to play a few games there..
10.00 pm : Oh here comes Ben....
10.30 pm : oooo Here comes Helen..
10.45 pm : Decided to take breakfast/lunch/dinner ( I slept almost the whole day remember?)
11.00 pm : Tempted Helen's sibblings to get some food.. in the process also tempted Ben to get hungry :P
11.30 pm : Fiddled around with my blog... then off to play Graffiti!
1.30 am : Oh, Time for me to call it a day.. tomorrow's paper is SPM Moral -.-" yes, trust me, all the high scorers have very good moral values in life -.-"

There we go.. I basically achieved nothing today... Bah What a waste! Its so not going to happen tomorrow... until the day Bio ends (actually, after bio I'm supposed to study for.. erm.. EST.. YES... STUDY EST... but.. how? idk... we'll see ;) will keep ya all informed about the study for EST.. LOLS)

oh, on a side note.. theres nothing wrong with blogging in the middle of SPM... -.-"

Thought before heading to bed at 3.25 am :
Money with No Brains gets one somewhere.
No Money with No Brains gets one no where.
Money with Brains gets one everywhere.
Money with Half-Brains gets you stuck in the middle where you can see everything but you just cannot get there as fast as those with Money and No Brains.

Where am I headed? Screw it all.

Messing around :P

2005-11-21T18:23:00.000+08:00

Alrights, I messed around abit with my layout and stuff.. Gotta learn more about css and do the following:
-Change fonts to my liking
-Change my Headers
-Change my page title
-Add a Chat box
-smoothen the edges of the boxes
-customize my layout and my links
-add music list box like in MySpace
-add a flash music player playing snippets of my music
-figure out why my custom-made bullets wont show :@

Monday Morning~

2005-11-21T11:17:00.000+08:00

GooD morning world. Nothings changed over the night except for the fact that the sun is up now..

I woke up because of Helen's insistant voice and the really noisy background of the hawker center that she went for breakfast, and she passed the phone to her bro -.-" Say, they all woke up at 9, then went to breakfast at 10.. eating Fried Kueh Tiaw and what not.. Bluek. I probably could do that, but my tummy needs to wake up, at least about 2 hours a so, fit for school days where we get up at 6.30 or 7 and having break at 9.30/9.50.

Talking about Monday, wheres the Monday blues? I'm surely not feeling it. In fact I've never had that feeling before.. maybe only after a holiday or something, but yeh, its always mixed with tons of other emotions. Like Rojak.

To recap my SPM papers that has passed:
Bahasa Melayu 1 (Malay Language 1)
Quite ok, wide scope of topics to write, eventually I chose to write about the role of a family in the makings of a child's attitude.. talk about all the idioms you can put in! First time ever I've used so many idioms in a Malay essay, even to the extent of 'stealing' an idiom from another question (the idiom was part of that question)

Bahasa Melayu 2 (Malay Language 2)
Can you talk about horrible in the extreme form? I didnt knew that it could take that long to finish the whole paper! Remarks from friends say that its excruciatingly tough and many couldnt finish it. I would attest to that last part though. Normally in school exams, in about 1 hour, I should be started on Question 3. But in SPM, when I finished Question 2(b), 1 hour and 15 minutes have passed! Gosh the questions were surely long-winded and requires lots of stuff, just for miniscule marks. The truely hard parts was in Quesiton 3. Section (a) of that question, forming a sentence with the words given to define the meaning of the word, wasn't as hard as the vocabulary the school exam used to kill us. The hard part was about finding and correcting the mistakes in the sentence, part (b) and (c). The idioms were abit tricky.. and to my dismay, I sorta created my own idioms, eg. Ibarat burung dalam sangkar, mata melayang, badan terkurung; I wrote: seperti burung terkurung, mata melayang, badan terkurung. -.-" The questions based on novel was a little bit new to all of us. 4(a) was about 2 best events that happened in the novel that we read and (b) was about comparing a place each in 2 novels. Didn't really knew what the questions require, thus I wrote tons of junk.

Sejarah 1 (History 1)
The questions were straight to the point and not twisted in anyways like the questions were done in our school exams. Finished the whole thing in about 20 minutes into the exams and then rechecked my paper over and over again... also trying to peek at the answers of my neighbours LOL! but ofcourse, the latter plan utterly failed as I could hardly see anything from my area.. and so far, while checking answers with friends, I seen to have gotten all the questions right.. *crosses fingers*

Sejarah 2 (History 2)
OMG! This was the worst paper so far! Picture us boys in the classroom, and an examiner in front. "You may now start work on your papers" says the examiner. *everyone turns the page over*
:o :o :o
*everyone stares in shock at the first question.. looking at all the sub quesitons.*
*decides to skip the first question and move on to the second question..... which turned out to be equally tough*
*continue to stare at the first question*
*forces an answer out*
*scribble down bullshit into the paper*
Yeaps, that was the scenario from the exam hall during the start of the test. The essay section was much easier as the scope of each question was wide! But as usual, I knew how to answer half of the 5 questions that were listed. We were supposed to choose 3, but I wrote all five. Who knows, maybe in the other 2 questions that I know less about, the marks for my bullshit may be higher! ^_^ *crosses fingers and toes*

BI 1 (English Language 1)
OK! This proves how sucky our Malaysian standard of english... Hello, its already MCQ.. and the questions were such that one could close one eye while doing them.. no wonder we all have to take IELTS and TOEFL to go overseas to study..

BI 2 (English Language 2)
RIGHT...... Is that called comprehension or primary-school 'spot the answer' ? The text was very simple, no hard vocabularies at all, and in short paragraphs. Yet the question points out where for find the answers, considering thats the only part in the whole text to find it -.-" I've done harder comprehensions while in primary school...... and about the novel, I had too much time to do it. So, I ended up ranting on for 2 pages and alittle bit on a third page. Left the hall 30 minutes before the paper was due to end... to study for the SEJ 2 that was up next

MAT 1 (Mathematics 1)
MCQ, and as a side effect of taking SAT IIs, I ended up doing the whole in the english side. Reason was, the BM questions were on the left, while the english ones were on the right, and by placing the question booklet on the left side of the table, so I can blacken the answers on the answer script on my right, I could only see the english questions as the left side of the booklet folded downwards at the side of the table -.-" Did the paper multiple times like all other MCQ papers...

MAT 2 (Mathematics 2)
Resisted the urge to answer the questions in English. The questions weren't that tough. As usual, wasted lots of time perfecting the curves of my graphs, and completed every single question on the paper.

Fizik 1 (Physics 1)
MCQ wasnt as hard as school exams as it doesnt require long steps of calculation just to get the answer for a single question. Basically what was tested was more of the concept of physics and thier definations. Had a few funny questions here and there, but that was just about it.

Fizik 2 (Physics 2)
The structured questions weren't that tough but still, very general and quite vague, thus leading me to writing 4 lines of answers on the 2 lines provided (the additional 2 lines were below those 2 given lines). Essay questions part B and C according to my friends were rather easy as thier tuition teacher have given them an exercise that was similar. We were supposed to pick one questions each from those 2 sections, but I answered 1 question from B and both questions in C.

Fizik 3 (Physics 3)
Oh, the structure part, the graph that we were supposed to draw was slightly wierd as only 1 or none of the plotted points touched the straight line. And for the essay section, I answered both questions.. I'm a tad worried as they only placed a 'Question:.....' part in the begining, kinda signalling that we were only supposed to answer 1 question... I hope they check both of my essays and grade them accordingly and choose the best out of both :) ^_^ *crosses fingers again*

Random rant:
notice at the login page of gmail, under Don't throw anything away.
That ticker is totally fake.. the numbers repeat themselves after some time -.-"

This picture totally discribes my mood right now: