Tzy Shih's Blog

Back to the future

2010-05-26T17:33:00.003+08:00

Complacency

2010-05-23T18:20:00.002+08:00

Me being quiet doesn't mean I condone what you are doing.

Go overboard and I will take you down.

No holds barred.

You know who you are.

The most expensive oil painting in the world

2010-05-23T18:18:00.001+08:00

Optimism

2010-03-08T10:12:00.000+08:00

For the teenager who is not doing dishes but is watching TV, because
that Means he is at home and not on the streets.

For the taxes that I pay, because it means that I am employed.

For the mess to clean after a party, because it means that I have been
surrounded by friends.

For the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means I have
enough to eat.

For my shadow that watches me work, because it means I am out in the
sunshine.

For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters
that need fixing, because it means I have a home.

For all the complaining I hear about the government, because it means
that we have freedom of speech.

For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot, because
it means I am capable of walking and that I have been blessed with
transportation.

For my huge heating bill, because it means I am warm.

For the lady behind me in church that sings off key, because it means
that I can hear.

For the pile of laundry and ironing, because it means I have clothes to
wear.

For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day, because it
means I have been capable of working hard.

For the alarm that goes of in the early morning hours, because it means
that I am alive.

And finally.......

For too much e-mail, because it means I have friends who are thinking
of me. -)

I wish you all have a very good day!

Back in Kuching

2009-11-16T13:19:00.003+08:00

I have finished my exams and back in Kuching!

Yay!

Very little updates from now till the end of the month. Duty calls.

Joke

2009-11-15T20:36:00.000+08:00

A preacher wanted to raise money for his church and on being told that there was a fortune in horse racing, decided to purchase one and enter it in the races.
However at the local auction, the going price for horses was so high that he ended up buying a donkey instead. He figured that since he had it, he might as well go ahead and enter it in the races. To his surprise, the donkey came in third! The next day the local paper carried this headline: PREACHER’S ASS SHOWS
The preacher was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the race again, and this time it won. The paper read: PREACHER’S ASS OUT IN FRONT
The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the preacher not to enter the donkey in another race. The paper headline read: BISHOP SCRATCHES PREACHER’S ASS
This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the preacher to get rid of the donkey. The preacher decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent. The paper headline the next day read: NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN
The Bishop fainted. He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer for $10.00. Next day the headline read: NUN PEDDLES ASS FOR $10.00
The Bishop was buried the next day.

Nice numberplate in KL

2009-11-14T20:22:00.002+08:00

Click to enlarge

Yeah, I know what you are thinking...WTF right?

Weird

2009-11-12T18:08:00.003+08:00

Starting last doesn't mean finishing last

2009-11-11T16:41:00.003+08:00

I don't follow horseraces but this particular one caught my attention.

This race was held at the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic and the horse in focus is Zenyatta, with yellow numbering and her jockey in green.

She stumbled out of the starting gate and was dead last for the better part of the race. But at the finishing straight, she had a burst of speed and became the first female horse to win the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Simply amazing.

Clandestine operation

2009-11-09T18:56:00.002+08:00

I don't know what you are trying to do but I seriously hope it backfires on you big time.

Left For Dead 2

2009-11-09T18:43:00.001+08:00

Coming to a town near you.

How to enable MMS on your iPhone 2G

2009-11-07T13:12:00.009+08:00

I got an iPhone 2G 2 days ago after being fed up with other phones. My Sony Ericsson couldn't detect my sim card and a Nokia my aunt gave me busted its charging jack after one week! The iPhone was the most reliable phone I've ever used so I decided to get one. It's not the best phone out there but I love it for its apps and intuitive user interface.

One of the annoying things about the 1st gen iPhone is its inability to send MMS.

Luckily, there's a way to overcome this.

Sinfuliphone has come out with an app to enable users to send MMS with their iPhone 2G.

Let's go through the procedure step by step.

Step 1:

Make sure you have Cydia installed. Here is a tutorial on how to install Cydia.

Step 2:

Add the source http://www.sinfuliphonerepo.com

Step 3:

Download the packages:

Select which packages fit your needs.

Details of the package

If your iPhone has firmware 3.0 or 3.0.1, download ENABLE MMS FOR 2G & 3.0 FW

If your iPhone has firmware 3.1.2, download ENABLE MMS FOR 2G & 3.1.2 FW

Step 4:

After installing the packages, REBOOT your iPhone. This means pressing down on the home and top button until the Apple icon reappears.

Step 5:

Go to Cydia again and check if the package is installed properly.

Yes, it is installed properly

Step 6:

Go to Settings>General>Network>Cellular Data Network. Scroll down and tap Reset Settings.

Step 7:

You need wifi for this step. On Safari, go to http://www.iphone-notes.de/mobileconfig

For Digi, select custom carrier and enter

Name: digi
APN: digimms
Username: mms
Password: mms

For Maxis

Name: maxis
APN: unet
Username: maxis
Password: wap

For Celcom

Name: celcom
APN: mms.celcom.net.my
Username:
Password:

Fill up the capcha and select download. A menu will come up for confirmation that you want to install these APN settings onto your iPhone. Press confirm and install.

Reboot your iPhone after the install.

Step 8:

Go to Settings>General>Network>Cellular Data Network and check that all fields are filled up.

If for some reason MMSC and MMS Proxy is not filled up, type in the following values:

Digi:
MMSC: http://mms.digi.com.my/servlets/mms
MMS Proxy: 203.092.128.160

Maxis:
MMSC: http://172.16.74.100:10021/mmsc
MMS Proxy: 202.75.133.49:80

Celcom
MMSC: http://mms.celcom.net.my
MMS Proxy: 10.128.1.242:8080

Step 9:

Now you should have a camera icon next to your message field. Click on that icon to take a photo or add pictures in your MMS! You're done!

Please tell me if something doesn't work for you. I only tried this on Digi but others have been having successes on Maxis and Celcom as well.

Types of people

2009-11-04T13:56:00.001+08:00

Rolls Royce Spirit of Ecstasy

2009-11-04T13:10:00.000+08:00

Most of us may be familiar with the Rolls Royce hood ornament, known as the Spirit of Ecstasy. It depicts a lady bend over with flowing robes.

In interesting feature in modern Rolls Royces is that the Spirit of Ecstasy can be retracted with the push of a button. Also, during a collision or when impacted, it will automatically retract into the radiator grille.

Left4Dead Pipe bomb replica

2009-11-02T13:07:00.000+08:00

Left4Dead is a multiplayer zombie apocalypse survival game. It's a first person shooter and you can play with up to 3 other team members, hence the name, Left4Dead. This game was very popular early this year due to its unique gameplay and mulitplayer capabilities. Team members must work together to defeat the zombie hoards and get to safety. Basically, it's just a shooting fest. And these zombies are fast!

One of the weapons in the game is the pipe bomb.

This weapon is unique in a way that it attracts zombies when you toss it. This is due to the fact that it emits light and loud beeps, stuff that zombies react to. So you can just toss it into an area with a lot of scattered zombies and they will congregate around it until it blows up, sending them into zombie heaven (or hell).

This bomb is so good looking that I've decided to make one myself.

The real thing is made out of metal pipes but I couldn't find a pipe cap that big so I improvised with PVC pipes instead. The rest of the components can be found in your local electronics store.

I even framed one up in case of emergencies.

And my brother, Tzy Wen, rigged one up so it works! Except for the detonating part.

Best. Essay. Ever.

2009-11-02T08:30:00.002+08:00

I no speak-a Ingleesh

Karting at Shah Alam

2009-11-01T12:10:00.005+08:00

Around a month ago, Monash Engineering Club organized a karting event at Shah Alam. We are using 80cc 4-stroke karts, capable of going up to 60kph on the straights. The speed seems faster than that because you are sitting just inches away from the road.

There were around 18 of us. There will be 2 qualifying sessions and 2 race sessions (Mains). The top 9 qualifiers will be placed in A Main and the rest will compete in B Main.

More of the event here.

Anyway, this is the video of first few laps of the A Main race. It's a rolling start and the race begins after the green flag is waved. The safety car is the yellow kart. That's me in the red helmet and blue shirt. I led from start to finish. I guess consistency is the key to winning.

If you want to play go karts at Shah Alam, please visit citykarting for more information.

The Perfect Drift

2009-10-27T14:18:00.000+08:00

It’s all the rage in the drifting world, it’s being hailed as drifting history, the perfect drift and the the best drift ever. Instead of going in sideways, Japanese drifter M.Kawabata enters the corner rear first and keeps his Nissan Silvia S13 under control, officially rocking the drift world and the judges as well.

Thousands protest global warming

2009-10-24T21:43:00.002+08:00

Real racing

2009-10-23T00:31:00.002+08:00

This is why I like racing so much. It's not about how fast you can do, it's about how fast you dare to go. This driver annihilated everyone with his braking skills and fast cornering. Just superb driving.

Street racing are for losers.

RM42,320 for a laptop, and it's not even an Apple!

2009-10-22T23:48:00.001+08:00

And they bought 2!

Story below:

KUALA LUMPUR: Who in their right mind would pay RM42,320 for a laptop?

Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi Mara Balik Pulau in Penang not only paid the price but bought two units of the same brand – Acer Aspire-5052ANWXMI, at a whopping price of RM84,640, said the Auditor-General’s Report.

In addition, the college purchased 450 units of computer CAD with network card at RM3.45mil for 12 labs. Each 19-inch monitor costs RM8,500 while a 17-inch monitor costs RM7,500.

“A check with local companies showed that the market price for the latest model is between RM5,350 to RM6,500 each. Worse still the computers, Precision 390 Dell, that were supplied are no longer in the market,” it said.

Also purchased were 15 laser printers, Hewlet Packard P3005X, at the price of RM7,722 each when the market price was about RM5,000 per unit.

In reply, Mara said the equipment were purchased in a lump sump and there was no price breakdown for the laptops.

The price breakdown was only done after the equipment was supplied for the purpose assets record and it could not be used as a basis for reference.

“Nevertheless, Mara has created a task force and is conducting a price adjustment for all the equipment,” it said.

The report also stated that the college had paid between RM1,398 and RM2,945 for 204 teaching manuals.

“Checks found that the teaching manuals supplied were bound using comb binding. The teaching manuals obtained at a cost of RM358,476 is a waste because they were never used,” it said, adding that the supplier has been notified to provide the original version of the teaching manual in hard cover.

Mara also spent RM2.08mil buying computer software it didn’t need.

Audits also found many discrepancies in prices paid for the same equipment, including the same LCD projectors that costs RM3,500 and RM8,000 for two different laboratories.

“Swivel stools were also purchased at three different prices – RM340, RM350 and RM450 per unit and they did not even meet the agreed specifications in the agreement.

“Other swivel chairs were bought for between RM810 to RM1,050 per unit when the college had bought the same chair previously at RM336 per unit,” it said.

The report also stated that the German-Malaysian Institute which was picked as the consultant, had proposed a ceiling price of RM84.5mil for the purchase of equipment for the college while the Economic Planing Unit (EPU) fixed the price at RM127.65mil.

“The reason for the higher price was to speed up the process of obtaining the supplies. In the end the agreed contract was fixed at RM112.42mil. Mara had submitted a letter to the Finance Ministry to say that the figure was reasonable.

“Audit found that the agreed price for the purchase of equipment is not reasonable. This is because the approach taken by Mara did not fufill the criteria set by the Finance Ministry, which is to negotiate for the lowest price possible

You lie!

2009-10-20T22:21:00.000+08:00

Happy car is happy!

2009-10-18T22:55:00.001+08:00

P1 Wimax - Sudah Potong?

2009-10-18T21:25:00.001+08:00

Funniest Malaysian AD in recent history!

The Human Touch

2009-10-18T11:19:00.000+08:00

National Geographic does a take on Durians! And guess where they filmed it?

2009-10-17T01:34:00.000+08:00

10 cent under the microscope

2009-10-13T20:55:00.001+08:00

Take a look at your ordinary 10 cent coin. There's a congkak board at the back. Wonder how many beads there are in the congkak holes?

There are 4 on the either ends of the board.

Now you know...

Top Gear crashes Porsches

2009-10-12T20:42:00.001+08:00

One on purpose:

And one not:

What happens when you post a pic on a geek website

2009-10-12T19:49:00.004+08:00

This picture of a girl with a computer was posted on Digg.com. The following are comments that were posted on this topic:

Honey, that sweater is going to create too much static to handle RAM.

I need you to take off all your cloths and try again.

Hmmm... we upgraded the memory and still the problem persists.
Sounds to me like it's not the RAM I need access to...

*sunglasses*

...it's her frontside bus.

She's blonde. She'll need all the memory she can get.

Who upgrades ram in a sweater? enjoy your fried ram stick, chick.

And my favourite:

I'd like to RAM her if you know what I mean...

What cats are really thinking

2009-10-09T17:45:00.001+08:00

I've gotta feeling

2009-10-04T21:05:00.001+08:00

Courier: Mircosoft's Secret Tablet

2009-09-24T10:14:00.002+08:00

If Microsoft can come out with something this good, Apple better watch out.

Why It's So Hard To Make A Nuclear Bomb

2009-09-24T00:05:00.003+08:00

Everyone knows you need uranium to make a nuclear bomb and to detonate it, you need it to reach or surpass critical mass. So what is it so hard to achieve this?

The article below outlines the difficulties faced by weapon smiths to produce even a simple nuclear bomb.

Why It's So Hard To Make A Nuclear Bomb

Taylor Swift's MTV VMA performance

2009-09-17T12:15:00.001+08:00

And after she was dissed by Kanye West! Amazing singer!

Hitler finds out that Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech

2009-09-16T00:46:00.001+08:00

Amazing Roger Federer shot!

2009-09-15T16:18:00.001+08:00

My best shot ever - Roger Federer

Cat doing a front flip!

2009-09-12T15:27:00.001+08:00

Reed valve

2009-09-08T18:49:00.003+08:00

This is the reed valve from my pocketbike. It doesn't look worn though but it is bent a bit out of shape. That might cause it to not seal properly. I'll be getting a carbon fiber reed valve tomorrow and hopefully the bike will run by then. I've also made new gaskets for the cylinder head since the old one looks worn already.

New McLaren due to be announced on wednesday!

2009-09-07T23:15:00.002+08:00

It is one of the most anticipated supercars of the decade!

Tree of Life

2009-09-06T19:42:00.002+08:00

A nice documentary about the Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution. It's worth the one hour watch!

Troubleshooting a motorbike

2009-09-05T21:42:00.003+08:00

For me, one of the most enjoyable occasions when I have a motorcycle is when the bike is in pieces.

The other most enjoyable occasion is when I'm actually riding it.

Well, I can't ride a bike that's not going to start.

It all started 2 weeks ago when I decided to fix my long abandoned pocketbike. A few of my friends from uni wanted to start this hobby so I thought I will give them a taste on how it feels like to ride one.

1. It needed a new sparkplug and the fuel tank needs to be fixed. After that was done, it wouldn't start.

2.We thought the fuel mixture was wrong. Changed that and it still wouldn't start.

3. Next, I thought the spark was weak. Changed the mounting points of the ground cable and it still wouldn't start. By this time, I had taken the entire bike apart and put it back together. It started for 2 seconds. And the sparkplug came loose. Turns out that tightening the plug to finger-tight isn't enough, air was still leaking around the threads.

4. So went out and bought a spark plug wrench to tighten it. Still wouldn't start.

5. Noticed that the new sparkplug was leaking when I did a leak test. Turns out the washer ended after the thread. In other words, the washer wasn't even seated when the plug was screwed in fully. A lesson learnt for buying cheap sparkplug.

6. Bought an NGK plug and fitted perfectly. Still wouldn't start but it's close to starting.

7. There was still a leak somewhere. Turned the engine over slowly and heard a squishing sound, like that of air escaping, coming from the carburettor. The reed valves probably failed after prolonged storage.

Reed valves are the grey flat pieces on either side inside the round hole.

8. Going to order a set of carbon fiber reed valves for RM40. Hopefully the engine will run cause I'm running out of ideas already!

Car mouse

2009-09-05T17:36:00.003+08:00

It has nice blue headlights and red taillights. And if you switch off the computer, the blue headlights will remain on. Many thanks to the sweet person who gave it to me =) Looks really nice on my desk!

Nikon CLS Hack on Nikonian Academy

2009-09-04T20:40:00.001+08:00

Ya, my brother is giving the talk, so I though I'll help him out by promoting it a bit on my blog. If you are a Nikon enthusiast, you don't want to miss this!

Panda locksmiths

2009-09-03T20:48:00.001+08:00

Conjoined twins

2009-08-26T23:58:00.000+08:00

Karting weekend

2009-08-24T18:06:00.005+08:00

This will be a placeholder for more pictures later. I have 2 reports to be submitted this week so I'm pretty busy.

I'm fastest in qualifying, but the fastest time of the day belonged to M. Syafiq with a time of 1 min 14 secs! Fastest time of this circuit in these karts is 1 min 11 secs.

The hairpin bend.

Qualifying in progress

B Main race

Aggressive overtaking maneuver.

On the chase

Future streetracers

Not a tough race but the 1st runner up almost caught up with me in the last few laps.

End of the day! 17 participants in all, pretty much a successful event. Going to do it again next semester!

High speed robot arm

2009-08-23T23:07:00.000+08:00

Oh my god, I hope they don't invent Skynet...

BMW Z4 M Coupe

2009-08-17T20:59:00.002+08:00

Futility

2009-08-14T00:45:00.001+08:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Racing weekends

2009-08-13T23:40:00.003+08:00

I've been very busy for the past week. This weekend and the next will be filled with races.

This weekend, there will be an RC race at Glenmarie. It's a 1:10 scale RC electric car open race, which means we will be up against better financed drivers. We are quite pleased with our setup but we just changed a faster reacting servo today and the car is a bit twitchy. Tomorrow, after my classes at 12noon, we will be spending the whole day at the racetracks fine-tuning the car for the race on Sunday. We don't expect much, it's just a race to gain experience and level up.

Next weekend, I'll be racing go-karts at Shah Alam. These are 80cc 4-stroke machines that can go up to 60kph. I do hope the weather will be favourable.

Pictures to come after these races =)

Lost Generation

2009-08-06T22:30:00.000+08:00

What car is the Corvette ZR-1 chasing?

2009-08-01T12:15:00.001+08:00

A few days I posted this.

Now, the answer is revealed.

It's a Lamborghini LP670-SV!

Watch the full video here.

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People

2009-08-01T12:06:00.001+08:00

You are doing it right! ;)

United Breaks Guitar

2009-07-27T15:19:00.001+08:00

United Airlines broke a guitar of a bandmember. Guy complains, United turns a blind eye. Guy writes song about it. United shares plunges 10%.

Paper beats rock

2009-07-26T13:23:00.002+08:00

Luke Surl has nice comics

What car is the Corvette ZR-1 chasing?

2009-07-25T20:35:00.002+08:00

My guess is a Lambo LP670 SV.

Find out on 31st of July!

Piranhas!

2009-07-23T22:21:00.001+08:00

One of the most impressive videos of piranhas stripping a duck to the bone.

New semester

2009-07-23T15:35:00.002+08:00

It's been almost one month since Michael Jackson's passing. News stories of the king of pop is still on the air, from court cases to strange sightings of the man himself. There's a real chance that Michael Jackson will be the next Elvis Presley.

I've just started my new semester. I'm taking 3 subjects and I'm contemplating taking a compulsory business elective. Timetable is really nice and easy. I have a 100% coursework subject so that means I only have to sit for 2 papers at the end of the year!

During the holidays, I've been busy working on a few projects. More about these in the future coz it's still top secret.

Longest total solar eclipse this century

2009-07-23T11:38:00.001+08:00

The King of Pop is no more.

2009-06-26T16:03:00.001+08:00

RIP Michael Jackson

The King of Pop is no more.

2009-06-26T16:03:00.000+08:00

RIP Michael Jackson

Financial crisis

2009-06-23T19:50:00.000+08:00

What you need to know about the ISA...

2009-06-19T23:55:00.000+08:00

...in case you get detained.

Pixar grants 10 yr old's dying wish with home viewing of UP

2009-06-19T23:21:00.002+08:00

UP is Pixar's upcoming movie about an old man who goes on an adventure with a little boy.

HUNTINGTON BEACH – Colby Curtin, a 10-year-old with a rare form of cancer, was staying alive for one thing – a movie.

From the minute Colby saw the previews to the Disney-Pixar movie Up, she was desperate to see it. Colby had been diagnosed with vascular cancer about three years ago, said her mother, Lisa Curtin, and at the beginning of this month it became apparent that she would die soon and was too ill to be moved to a theater to see the film.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Stuff you don't read in the history books

2009-06-18T23:51:00.000+08:00

Many facts have been omitted from Malaysian History textbooks.

The Massacre at Mamali on 20th November 1985 was one of them.

The people of Memali did not merely fight against plainclothes policemen or baton-wielding thugs, as is presently the case in Malaysia's reformasi protests. They confronted live bullets fired from M-16 rifles, and armoured vehicles deployed by prime minister Mahathir Mohamed, who is also the minister of home affairs. And for that, they paid with their lives.

Riz Khan of Al-Jazeera on Malaysian Opposition perties and Online-media

2009-06-17T23:48:00.002+08:00

A lot of restrictions are imposed on the people who oppose the main ruling party of Malaysia, the Barisan National. These 2 videos show how hard it is for the opposition to get their word out.

Hilarious Badawi interview with Riz Khan of Al-Jazeera

2009-06-16T23:24:00.002+08:00

Now that he's not PM anymore, we can poke fun at him.

A lot of stuff mentioned in the interview is hypocritical.
1. Indians not marginalized - what about the HINDRAF protests?
2. Free speech for opposition parties in Malaysia - temporary censorship of alternative media
3. Clean elections - very doubtful

Listen carefully, can you hear someone writing the answers to the questions on a board? Like a marker pen on paper. Also you can hear someone tearing paper at 3:57!

Also, when one of the viewers asked a question about his son-in-law, Badawi asked him to repeat the name. Man, that person is going to ISA!

LOL!

Note: this happened before the March General Elections in 2008, which saw the Barisan National losing their 2/3rd majority in Parliament. And he dared say that he's not worried about the Indians wanting to deny BN their 2/3rd majority. See what happens when you are ignorant?

What a bumbling idiot! Thank goodness he's gone!

LOL

2009-06-12T15:18:00.003+08:00

If she was a bell on a tower, I wish I was the bellboy, so I can bang her every hour.

- anonymous Youtube commenter on Ivanka Trump, daughter of Donald Trump.

Creative and clever advertisements

2009-06-08T22:48:00.004+08:00

Some of the best examples of commercial advertisement thought up by creative marketing agencies. Taken from this site (more examples on the site).

WWF - How tough is one hour without light?

Wonderbra - You have 918915 friend requests

Nikon S60 Camera - Detects up to 12 faces

Indonesian Teen Model Escapes From Malaysian Prince

2009-06-04T00:02:00.002+08:00

Those of you following the mainstream news will come across a news story 2 or 3 days ago about an Indonesian model, who escaped from her husband, who happened to be a prince of Kelantan. What you don't (or can't) read about is her side of the story.

Tales of sexual abuse, torture and kidnapping makes this seem like a plot out of a horror movie. Except that it's real. Most of you would probably be disgusted that this kind of atrocities still happen in a "developing" country like Malaysia. The bottom line is, people in power can get away with anything. I don't know how big the feedback from the international community will be but don't bet on this story being followed up by the media in Malaysia.

Taken from Asia Sentinel

After a dramatic escape from her Malaysian prince husband over the weekend, 17-year-old Indonesian-American model Manohara Odelia Pinot said she had been abused, tortured and subjected to sexual abuse in the prince's Kelantan redoubt, and that neither the Malaysian or Indonesian authorities bothered to help her.

Accompanied by her mother, Manohara told a packed press conference that she had escaped from the Royal Plaza Hotel in Singapore after she and her 31-year-old husband, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry had accompanied Fakhry's father, Sultan Ismail Petra Shah II, to Singapore after the latter had a heart attack.

Her escape to Indonesia, she said, was through the assistance of the United States and Indonesian Embassies in Singapore as well as the Singapore police.

"Their guards tried to catch me but they were afraid of having their action recorded by the escalator's camera that would leave their tracks, so they let me go," she said when asked how she could escape from the supervision of the Kelantan Sultan's guards.

After her arrival in Jakarta, Manohara and her mother, Daisy Fajarina, took to Indonesian television to tell a horrific tale of intimidation and torture including having her breasts sliced with a razor, forced drug injections and other abuse. The local media had a field day, running the press conference continually throughout Sunday. The media circus, however, didn't make it to Malaysia, where the story was studiously ignored by the mainstream press, which is controlled by the major political parties of the national coalition. The independent website Malaysiakini ran the story, carefully noting claims that Fajarina had attempted to extort RM600,000 from the prince.
"We are owned by a political party. We are not a foreign newspaper," said a reporter for one of Malaysia's English-language dailies. "Do you want us to get into trouble with the party? Do you want us to get into trouble with the palace?"
The jet-setting teen model, named one of Indonesia's "most precious people" by a fashion magazine, met her husband when she was only 16 at a gala dinner thrown by then-deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Her story was a dramatic counterpoint to the prince's claims in Malaysia earlier this month she was happily married and that her mother was demanding money from him.

A spokesman denied the story of Manohara's escape, saying Prince Fakhry had decided to divorce her. For her part, Manohara on Monday threatened to sue the prince.
"I am still traumatized by all that happened and it has left an impact on me," she told the press conference, accompanied by her mother, her sister Dewi Sri Asih and a staff member of the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore.

The plight of Manohara and her wrecked fairy-tale marriage raises grim questions for the Malaysian government, which refused to grant Fajarina and her second daughter a visa to visit the country to attempt to rescue Manohara. The mother claimed Manohara had been kidnapped in Saudi Arabia after a February visit to the Muslim holy land to and hustled back to Malaysia aboard a private jet, leaving the mother standing on the tarmac.

The refusal of the Malaysian immigration department to allow the two into the country again raises questions of the disappearance of the immigration records of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu and her two companions after she was murdered in 2006 by two of Najib's bodyguards.

It is also the latest blow to the credibility of Malaysia's sultans, who have been the subject of years of reports of abuse of the public purse and refusal to accept accountability. Many have been repeatedly accused of demanding that the states they rule pay huge gambling debts run up in casinos in London.

At one point in the 1980s, the Sultan of Johor was accused of beating a golf caddy to death with a golf club. He was also not brought to justice for shooting a trespasser on his property. Then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad accused the sultans, among other things, of giving away parts of the country to the British, oppressing the people, breaking civil and criminal laws, misusing the money and property of the government and pressuring government officials. , asking in 1993 that the body strip them of their immunity before the law. Mahathir used the incident in a parliamentary move to limit the sultans' prerogatives

It also poses problems for the United Malays National Organisation, which over the last six months has tied itself closely to the sultans. In a squabble over the dissolution of the legislature on the state of Perak, UMNO has made criticism of the sultans a bone of contention with the opposition, accusing them in effect of insulting the ethnic Malays' birthright, with UMNO membhers filing more than 100 police complaints against an opposition lawyer who filed suit against the Sultan of Perak. The sordid revelations now attached to the Kelantan royal house make it difficult to justify the sultans' immunity from criticism.

Manohara, in her press conference, called attention to other 'Manoharas' who got 'locked up' in Malaysia,presumably by other royal families.

"Sexual abuse and sexual harassment were like a daily routine for me, and he did that every time I did not want to have sexual intercourse," she said. "I could never think a normal man could do such things."
After the story blew up in April, Manohara was photographed smiling and at ease at a ceremony in Malaysia. However, she said, she was constantly guarded and spent most of her time in her bedroom in the palace.

"Every time I went out for events, they forced me to smile and would torture me if I did not do what they said," she said. She said she had tried to escape, but was caught by royal family staff and injected with drugs that made her vomit blood. "I was injected twice," she said.

When confirming a reporter's question about whether her husband had cut her nipples, she was reluctant to give details. "Yes it is true. Some parts of my body were cut by a razor," Manohara said.

Manohara said she had secretly called the Singapore police on Saturday night requesting help.
Police responded, she told the press conference, and confronted the royal family, telling them they couldn't prevent the girl from leaving, according to Teuku Faizasyah, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta. He said police then called the US and Indonesian embassies for assistance.

"After Manohara was secured by the Singaporean police, our embassy staff in Singapore processed all her documents at the hotel within only four hours from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Sunday so she could go back to Indonesia immediately," Teuku said.

Manohara confirmed that the police had helped her escape. "The police told Fakhry that he would be held in jail if he did not let me go. No one could force me against my will in Singapore and I knew I had a chance to escape here," she said, adding that she wanted a divorce and would file a police report against her estranged husband.

Manohara also claimed that Indonesian Ambassador for Malaysia Da'i Bachtiar had previously lied about her condition. "They made it worse by telling lies, saying that I was fine while I was suffering in Kelantan," she said, adding that no media in Malaysia had reported on her plight.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied allegations that its embassy in Malaysia had lied.

Britain's Got Talent - Contestant break-down

2009-06-02T16:17:00.002+08:00

Watch it here!

And make your own conclusions on whether she's spoilt for crying so that adults will bow to her demands or dumb for forgetting the lyrics to one of the easiest children song, Edelweiss

Britain's Got Talent - Susan Boyle didn't win

2009-05-31T18:53:00.003+08:00

Everyone expected her to win. She was the favorite even since her first audition.

Instead the dance troupe, Diversity, walked away with 100,000 pound prize money.

And here's Susan Boyle's final performance

Read the coverage of the final here (with videos).

Total Eclipse of the Heart: Literal Video Version

2009-05-31T14:44:00.000+08:00

The lyrics reflect the video, literally. Haven't laughed so much in ages!

The Master and his Donkey

2009-05-29T00:40:00.000+08:00

Many years ago, in a dry arid spell of weather, an elderly donkey was shuffling around looking for moist areas of vegetation to supplement his water intake requirements. The donkey had been part of a herd but the others had been sold. Now, he was over thirty years old, but had learned the art of self sufficiency because his Master wasn't wealthy and the small property that he farmed and worked on had only meagre amounts of water supply available. He looked towards the bottom of the dry well but as he leaned forward his footing slipped and he tumbled into the abyss, landing without leg injury luckily, thirty feet down.

The animal brayed loudly and got back to his feet, looking for a way of getting back to the surface. It was no use to try climbing, so the donkey waited patiently for his Master. He used the intervening time, THINKING.

Many hours later, surprised to see that the old donkey was otherwise unhurt, his Master tried to think of a way to extract the unfortunate beast. Ultimately the man decided that this task was impossible and turned to a few of his younger, fitter neighbours, for their advice. Despite all their combined efforts and different ideas, their ropes all broke and their plans failed. Sadly, the miserable donkey was unable to be retrieved from the bottom of the well by economic means, in their view. Fortunately, unlike a horse, a donkey never panics.

It was decided that the donkey was getting too old for working and of course the dried out well was totally useless. The men were all equally perplexed as they discussed the solution. One bright spark suggested that they kill two birds with one stone as it were, by digging a new well and thus burying the helpless donkey under the freshly excavated material, ultimately putting the trapped animal out of it's misery by suffocating it. It seemed like there was no alternative solution so, recognising the need for a new well, the donkey's Master reluctantly agreed with his neighbours and began digging.

After raining many shovelfuls of dirt and stones down the well, over the top of the noisy donkey, the braying finally stopped and the men carried on with their digging in peace. The only sound came from the grunting and cursing, as they continued with their efforts to locate a fresh water source that would benefit the entire neighbourhood.

Later on in the day, one man thought of a much better way of digging a well. By manufacturing a crude auger and hitching up the donkey onto a revolving yoke, This would drive the drill into the earth. Although a far better option than hand digging, his bright idea had come to pass far too late. They really should have put more effort into saving his hard working friend, the donkey, initially.

Tears ran down the farmers cheek. As the friends dug further into the ground, he kept thinking about how his faithful old workmate, and how he must have felt about being buried alive. He shut his mind to this, working even harder than the younger men, ensuring that his donkey's carcass would be completely buried by the time they finished digging, mostly trying to ease his conscience.

All the men assumed that the distressed animal must have died, by the time they stopped for their dinner and a well earned rest. They made arrangements to finish their work the next day. There was an enormous pile of dirt which had fallen short of the old well but the tired old farmer volunteered to transfer the excess dirt into the disused well, on his own, while his helpful neighbours trudged their way back home.

With a heavy heart he worked his way toward the old well, shovelling the rest of the dirt ahead of him, as he moved closer toward the edge of the dried out well. It would take years of hard labour, like this, to save up enough money to purchase another donkey.

The tired farmer staggered to the edge and threw in the last shovelful of dirt, wiping the sweat from his forehead and cursing his misfortunes.

The farmer looked down, to ascertain how much more room was available for landfill, inside what had certainly become his donkey's grave. He saw, to his amazement, that his old friend was still alive. Each time a fresh shovel load of dirt had landed on top of him the donkey shook his entire body, shaking himself clean, and then trampled the excess dirt beneath him. He had a quiet determined look in his eyes but the farmer could see that the donkey bore him no ill will. Now the animal was only a matter of a few feet away from obtaining his freedom, or was he? He still had the same Master, after all.

The moral of the story is:
People will always shovel dirt on you. [All manner of dirt normally.] The most important lesson to be learned is to rise above it and never give in to your initial reactions. Chucking dirt back is never useful and can only lead to further heartbreak.

Beauty is nothing without brains

2009-05-27T14:49:00.000+08:00

Blondes, take note.

Cutest thing you will see today

2009-05-26T17:59:00.002+08:00

Animal can tell right from wrong

2009-05-26T00:03:00.002+08:00

Now, you can't call a person with low morals an animal!

Animals possess a sense of morality that allows them to tell the difference between right and wrong, according to a controversial new book.

I'm blogging Beverly-style haha! Exams coming up next month so won't be blogging often. Not like I do anyway.

World's Greatest Illusions

2009-05-14T17:49:00.000+08:00

Here!

Comic

2009-05-13T17:21:00.001+08:00

Choices, choices

2009-05-12T00:11:00.000+08:00

Who wants to be Lady Gaga

2009-05-10T16:29:00.002+08:00

This is a seriously good make-up tutorial for girls who wants to look like Lady Gaga, complete with the bleached blond wig.

She does look like Lady Gaga after the makeup, maybe even better.

Car in elevator

2009-05-07T13:27:00.003+08:00

Sometimes, you wonder how people get cars into upper floors of a building.

Using an elevator, of course.

Here, the new Porsche Panamera, a four door sedan, is hoisted from the ground floor to the 94th floor of the Shanghai World Financial Centre using an elevator.

Angels on the Moon - Thriving Ivory

2009-05-05T00:28:00.001+08:00

2 reasons to watch Transformers 2

2009-05-02T01:23:00.003+08:00

and

Lady Gaga explains Poker Face

2009-05-01T23:21:00.001+08:00

Yes, Jasmine Sia, this is for you.

Kawasaki ZXR250

2009-05-01T03:38:00.007+08:00

I fell in love with this bike the first time I heard it rev up. It has a four cylinder four stroke engine, which makes it a really smooth bike to ride.

Sure, the bike might be 10 years old but it still has a modern style to it. It is one of the entry level sportsbike with full fairings.

Known affectionately as the "baby ninja", it derived its styling cues from its bigger brother, the ZXR750 (not the ZXR700, thanks virtualmystic for the heads up).

How fast is it? Let's just say, in a race with a Ferrari, the bike would probably win.

Specifications
Engine	4-stroke In-line four cylinder, DOHC, Liquid cooled, 16-Valve
Redline range	From 18.000 to 20.000 rpm
Displacement	249 cc
Starting	Electric
Bore x stroke	49.0 * 33.1 mm
Compression_ratio	12.2:1
Carburetion	(4) Keihin CVK D30
Ignition	TCBI
Spark_plug	NGK CR9E or ND U27ESR-N
Transmission	6-speed, Constant mesh, Return shift
Clutch	Wet, Multi-disc, Manual, Cable-actuated
Frame	Perimeter, pressed aluminium
Rake/trail	24 degrees or rake and 85 mm of trail
Suspension, front	Inverted telescopic
Suspension, rear	Uni-trak, Swing arm
Wheelbase	35.5 in (1.360 mm)
Wheel travel, front	4.7 in (120 mm)
Wheel travel, rear	4.4 in (113 mm)
Tire, front	110/70R17 54H
Tire, rear	140/60R18 64H
Brakes, front	Dual disk, Double caliper
Brakes, rear	Single disk, Single caliper
Overall length	78.7 in (2000 mm)
Overall width	27.0 in (685 mm)
Overall height	42.9 in (1090 mm)
Ground clearance	5.1 in (141 mm)
Seat height	28.9 in (735 mm)
Weight dry	311 lb (141 kg)
Minimum turning radius	9.5 ft(2.9 m)
Fuel capacity	3.4 US gal (15 L)
Reserve fuel capacity	0.78 US gal (3 L)
Fuel type	Min 91 Research / 87 avg. octane unleaded
Oil capacity	2.6 L
Oil type	SE or SF class, SAE 10W40
Performance stats
0-60 mph (0-100 km/h)	3.8 s
Maximum speed	136 mph
Max power	45 hp (33.6 kW) @ 16000 rpm
Max Torque	18.07 ft·lbf (24.5 Nm) @ 11500 rpm
Fuel Efficiency	7l / 100 km @ 100 km/h

3 day weekend

2009-04-30T20:54:00.000+08:00

Yay for labour day =)

Swine flu

2009-04-28T17:22:00.002+08:00

A deadly flu has emerged in Mexico and has spread to the US. Over 149 people have died in Mexico but no fatalities in the US yet. Known as the swine flu, it spreads through the air and no one is naturally immune to it.

Here's what you need to know to protect yourself:

What is swine influenza?

It is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A strains of the influenza virus. It regularly causes high flu outbreaks in pigs but with low death rates. There are four main sub-types of the virus, but the most recent isolated influenza viruses from pigs have been H1N1 viruses.

How does it spread?

Swine flu viruses do not typically infect humans though they do occur through close proximity or contact with infected pigs or contaminated areas. Cases of human-to-human spread have been documented.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms are similar to those of regular flu:
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Runny nose
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Lack of appetite
- Vomiting and diarrhoea in some cases.

How common is swine flu infection in humans?

In the past reports of about one human swine flu virus infection had been received every one to two years in the United States. From December 2005 till February 2009, 12 cases have been reported.

Has this strain of flu been seen before?

No. Flu mutates constantly, so it is common for new strains to emerge. Pigs can also be infected with both human and avian influenza, and the current circulating swine flu strain appears to contain genetic elements from all three.

Can swine flu be treated with antiviral drugs and flu vaccine?

The swine flu is resistant to two common drugs – Amantadine and Rimantadine. The H1N1 swine flu viruses are very different from human H1N1 viruses. Therefore, vaccines for human seasonal flu would not provide protection. However, a “seed vaccine” has been specifically tailored to this swine flu and will be manufactured if officials deem it necessary.

Can people catch swine flu by eating pork?

No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 70ºC and above kills the swine flu virus.

How long is someone with swine flu considered contagious?

People with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic; possibly for up to seven days following the onset of the illness. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.

What can I do to protect myself from the swine flu?

There is no vaccine available right now to protect against the swine flu.

However, you can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza by:

- Covering your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue or handkerchief when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the waste basket after you use it.

- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also helpful

- Try to avoid close contact with sick people. - If you get sick with influenza, stay at home and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

- Consult your nearest healthcare facility if you think you have any of the symptoms.

Which countries have had cases of the swine flu?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed human cases of swine flu in Mexico, the United States, Canada and Spain. Only Mexico has reported deaths from the new strain.

Are there any travel restrictions or advisories for Malaysians?

The Health Ministry on April 27 advised Malaysians against travelling to certain places in the United States, Mexico and Canada which have been affected by the swine flu.

What precautions are in place in Malaysia?

- The Health Ministry’s operations room in Putrajaya has started a 24-hour monitoring of the situation. The public can call 03-8881 0200/300 for enquiries.

- Those returning from Latin American countries and found to have flu-like symptoms will be quarantined.

- Health Ministry officials are conducting health screenings on passengers arriving from the United States.

- Thermal scanners will be placed at international airports to speed up the screening process for swine flu.

- Public and private medical practitioners have been instructed to report to the district health office any patient with influenza-like illnesses or severe pneumonia symptoms and who had travelled to the affected countries after April 17.

- Owners of the 797 pig farms nationwide have been ordered to immediately contact the nearest Veterinary Services Department office or the Animal Disease Control Centre if their workers or animals show symptoms linked to the swine flu.

Where can I get more information?

For more information, go to the Health Ministry (www.moh.gov.my) or call the Ministry's hotline at (03) 8881-0200/300.

Useful Links:
World Health Organization: www.who.int
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov
Homeland Security Department: www.dhs.gov
WHO swine flu page: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html

Let's hope this will not escalate to a worldwide pandemic. The last flu pandemic, a Hong Kong flu outbreak in 1968, killed about one million people around the world.

MTV Cribs - Russell Peters

2009-04-25T12:20:00.001+08:00

He's loaded!

Billion Dollar Man - The Lewis Hamilton Story

2009-04-14T15:25:00.003+08:00

This blog is in danger of becoming a vlog but I have to post this up. It's the incredible story of Lewis Hamilton's rise to fame. It's one hour long but worth every minute. The story of how one guy beat all the odds to become Formula 1's hottest sensation.

Cat picks favourite food

2009-04-13T16:29:00.000+08:00

On the count of 3,

1, 2, 3....Awwwwww.....

Why DJ Tiesto is the best DJ in the world

2009-04-13T16:19:00.001+08:00

What guys love

2009-04-10T22:25:00.000+08:00

Did you know

2009-03-29T22:17:00.000+08:00

Do you like fast facts? Do you like getting your mind blown?

Then watch this!

Hitler breaks his Nissan GTR's transmission

2009-03-21T15:11:00.002+08:00

The Nissan GTR has a flaw. It's transmission breaks if the driver uses the launch control repeatedly over a short period of time.

Apparently, Hitler didn't know...

Sarawak on Al-Jazeera

2009-03-21T13:24:00.002+08:00

Al-Jazeera recently did a feature on the link between Sarawak's numerous lucrative projects and companies owned directly or indirectly by Sarawak's Chief Minister, Taib Mahmud and his family. Among these is the new Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) building, which is awarded to CMS, a company controlled by the Chief Minister's family.

Here's what Al-Jazeera has to say about the new plans to build 12 new hydroelectrical dams in Sarawak:

The Malaysian state of Sarawak plans to build 12 new hydro-electric dams along the state's waterways, saying the projects will create jobs, provide cheap renewable energy and meet the demands of future industrialisation.

The dams are supposed to push the total generating capacity in the state to 7,000MW by 2020, an increase of more than 600 per cent from the current capacity.

There are plans to expand the aluminium-smelting industry in the state which will need the planned output.

But critics question the sustainability of the project.

Best Prank in the World

2009-03-05T15:16:00.000+08:00

Watch it here

Irony

2009-02-21T18:12:00.003+08:00

For those who don't know the meaning of the word, "irony", it is used to describe materials made out of iron.

For example:

That car is very irony.

The bar used to support the crane rusts because it is irony.

The Macintosh Story

2009-02-14T16:57:00.002+08:00

Part 1:

Part 2:

A very young Bill Gates got a cameo in this documentary! Also, at the end, when Steve Jobs mentioned about Sony's Walkman, little did he know that his very own brainchild, the iPod, would totally eclipse the Walkman in the future.

A truly amazing blast from the past.

Amazing bird fishes like a human

2009-02-08T12:22:00.002+08:00

Of course it is not using a fishing rod, but the way the bird tricks the fish using pieces of bread means that world domination is just a few steps away.