Thursday, January 31, 2008

Lunch at Fong Lye Taiwan Restaurant


Went to lunch with colleagues at Fong Lye Taiwan Restaurant located at The Garden, Mid Valley today. I ordered the Sweet Corn Cream Soup which looks like those famous pie dishes sold at Dome Cafe. The potion is not as big as those at Dome Cafe but it is quite filling. I can really taste the corn in it. And it's a mixture of sweet and salty taste added with a touch of creamy texture. There is some crab stick slices and some other stuff like fish cakes in it too. It taste quite good but a little too salty to my liking. The price? Oh, it's RM9.80. I think it's a little too expensive for this dish.

Today is the last day of work for me before I go for a long break in the comming Chinese New Year holiday. I would be away from work for 11 days starting tomorow (not a very long break after all). But I do not have holidays plan. I guess this Chinese New Year holidays would be just like the usuals where me and my family would go visit my grandma's house for a few days. Thinking of being away from work for a good 11 days is enough to make me happy....

Domain Registration

PayLessDomains.com.au provides an affordable price for domain registration. Their domain name registration provisions are choices of .com, .com.au, .net, .net.au, .co.nz, .co.uk and many more. There are not many domain registration providers who are able to provide such many choices with such an affordable price range. To show their commitments to their clients, they offers 24/7 customer support, free email hosting, free URL forwarding, free management tools, free domain name parking, free member account, free renewal reminders and fast domain approval.

Besides being expert in providing low priced domain name registration, PayLessDomains.com.au also specialize in email hosting, domain hosting, affordable web hosting and SSL Security Certificates. All these are very convenient to bloggers and business owners a like; just like shopping for everything you need under one roof. You do not need to worry about the complication during registration because the registration process is easy at PayLessDomains.com.au and it's free.

If you already has an existing domain, you can transfer it to PayLessDomains for free too. Benefits of transfer that they provides includes hassle-free contact updates, guaranteed online real-time registration, 24/7 email or fax support, friendly personalized service and competitive prices. For further information and to know their service agreements, please log on to their website to find out more.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Perfect revenge?

Jennifer's wedding day was fast approaching. Nothing could dampen her excitement -- not even her parents' nasty divorce. Her mother had found the PERFECT dress to wear and would be the best dressed mother-of-the-bride ever!

A week later, Jennifer was horrified to learn that her father's new young wife had bought the exact same dress as her mother! Jennifer asked her step-mom to exchange it, but she refused. "Absolutely not. I look like a million bucks in this dress, and I'm wearing it," she replied.

Jennifer told her mother who graciously said, "Never mind sweetheart, I'll get another dress. After all, it's your special day."

A few days later, they went shopping and did find another gorgeous dress.
When they stopped for lunch, Jennifer asked her mother, "Aren't you going to return the other dress? You really don't have another occasion where you could wear it." Her mother just smiled and replied, "Of course I do, dear. I'm wearing it to the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding."


NOW I ASK YOU - IS THERE A WOMAN OUT THERE, ANYWHERE, WHO WOULDN'T ENJOY THIS STORY?

However, the above is just a story. In real life, there may be many women or men who support such a revengeful act. It may seem smart at that time but can you be sure that your decision to take revenge in your own hands justifies how badly you were being treated? No, we as human being do not have the upper hand to measure justice. Taking revenge by our own hands may seems right or just when the situation arise, and you may not care about whether your revenge justifies others demeanor against you or not, but this will promote bad seed in your heart and this is definitely not good at all. It is best to handle every situation with love.

19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.
Romans 12:19 (NIV)

Low priced eyeglasses


I once had a friend who worked in an optical shop. I remembered him mentioning to me that a frame for glasses could be sold for price above 100% from its manufacturing price. This is true and it is what all consumers have to pay for a pair of glasses when you buy it from any optical shop. The good news is you can purchase low priced frames from ZenniOptical.com. The secret to their low prices is because they sell their own manufactured frames directly to consumers, without middleman and no advertising budget. Zenni Optical: Sell Rx Glasses $8 with case!

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Love your heart

I have always loved having Campbell soup as my breakfast, lunch, dinner or even as a snack meal. Their soup is healthy and delicious. I have also tried creating my own recipe with Campbell soup. Instead of the traditional Macaroni & Cheese, I have even tried using the Campbell Mushroom Soup as my macaroni source base, after it is done just sprinkle some shredded Mozzarella Cheese on top of it and it’s ready to be eaten. It’s really simple and doesn’t take up a lot of time to prepare the dish. You should try it! Oh, not to forget their Prego Italian Sauce which comes in many flavors to suits everyone’s taste buds for their choice of pasta sauce. My favorite pasta is spaghetti of course. Who doesn’t like spaghetti? Even kids love them. It’s a cooking heaven for mommies because spaghetti meals are easy to make. With Prego Italian Sauce (any flavor you like), cooking is made a lot easier. Those who do not really know how to cook can rely on this magic sauce and make everyone enjoy their meal, like me.

Having said much about Campbell and its products, they have launched a Campbell’s Go Red campaign for fighting woman heart disease in America. It is sad to say that too few people know that heart disease is the #1 killer of American women and men. But we should not be ignorant of the fact that heart disease is largely preventable. How can heart disease be preventable? That’s the goal of this Campbell’s Go Red campaign to equip women with knowledge and tool to protect their health and reduce their risks of contacting heart disease. In fact, we should all know about it and share it with everyone we know and help protect our loved ones, family and friends from contacting this deadly disease.

Toni Braxton, a very famous singer has joined in the movement of this Campbell’s Go Red campaign. I knew her through one of her famous song titled “Un-break my Heart”. She was also one of the heart disease survivors who has shared her story and tips on heart disease prevention and how you could help up in this campaign. She will be wearing a Lisa Perry’s designed red dress for the American Heart Month in February and we get to pick the dress by voting one out for the three designed dresses. Campbell will donate $1 to American Heart Association for each vote cast.



Here’s what we all can do to help spread the word about this important campaign and fight heart disease:

  • Vote for your favorite Lisa Perry dress
  • Buy one of the Art of the Heart designer t-shirt
  • Look for healthier alternative food and drinks such as those of Campbell’s products.
  • Learn more about heart disease and how to reduce your risk
  • Encourage others to get involved



Many people in the world have issues with their heart in some way. Its important to know more about heart health and to bad habits like smoking. There is a lot of doctors you can find to get the best best medical advice is to know more about having and keeping your heart healthy.

Hotels – Online booking

Discover the ancient civilization of Rome, and their famous buildings, unique architecture statues and buildings. Rome is a city that is rich in history and well known of its fallen Empire. Their history is widely spoken off and largely written and well recorded. Those who are not a fan of history will still be fascinated by the Roman civilization and its architectural designs. Rome is definitely a great place to visit for a holiday and has educational benefits for young and old a like. Booking for hotels in Rome could be done online at EasyToBook.com

You will find online booking for hotels in any destination of tour choice is made a lot easier at EasyToBook.com. They have up to date information and have a list of almost all the hotels at Rome, Barcelona, Prague, Amsterdam, London, Dublin, New York and many more. You can also browse through all quality accommodations matching your own personal budget. Besides allowing you to make hotels booking online, the website also provide you with the additional information on tourist attraction places at your selected destination too. This will make your holiday planning a lot easier.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Yummy raisins

I had a busy time during office hour lunch time today. Went to two banks to pay off my credit card bills and I wasted most of my time queuing up at the counter at one of the bank. This particular bank usually doesn’t have much customers waiting at the counters so this time it was quite unusual. Probably many people wanted to get their money changed for “ang pow” money to be given during Chinese New Year.

After my banking session, I went to buy some food for my lunch to be eaten in the office. No time to eat out today. Went to Jusco to buy egg sandwiches and a packet of ready-to-eat potatoes wedges. Wow! It was really filling; I shouldn’t have bought so much food when I was hungry. And I also bought these value buy raisins for Jojo. The price for the 3 packets of raisins is only RM2.99 (normal price for 1 packet is around RM1.60).


Apparently, Jojo likes to eat raisins. She will jump and spin around with some small barking whenever she sees us opens the fridge to take out the box of raisins. This has become quite an occasional treat for her. And she will gallop down those few pieces of raisins we gave her, like a hungry wolf. The last pack of raisins at home has long gone. So, I think today she’ll be very happy when I bring home these newly bought raisins.

Real Estate - Colorado, Denver, Dallas

The State of Colorado in the United States of America is well known of its Rocky Mountains, contains 51 peaks that are 14,000 feet or higher elevation. The Colorado Rockies are snow-covered only in the winter; most of its snow melts by mid-August with the exception of a few small glaciers. This makes a breath taking view that you do not want to miss and tourist flock to this place just to see the magnificent Rocky Mountains.

The Colorado state’s economy is diversified and is notable for its concentration of scientific research and high-technology industries. Other industries include food processing, transportation equipment, machinery, chemical products, minerals and tourism. This can be a good place to stay and find good job opportunities. If you prefer a much more city environment, you can look into Denver, the capital and most populous city of Colorado. Denver is known to be home to “Wall Street of the West”. For more information, you may look at Colorado real estate and Denver real estate.

Another place good to look for investment or stay is the city of Dallas, the third largest city in Texas and the ninth largest in the United States. It is famous of its shopping malls. The Dallas metorplex has more shopping centers per capita than any other United States city of metro, and is also home to the second shopping center in the United States, Highland Park Village (1931). The Preston Hollow area of North Dallas city is also home to 12 billionaires, placing it 9th worldwide cities with the most billionaires. This makes Dallas real estate among to top choice for investment.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Weirdest Animal - Part 2

Click here to see Weirdest Animal - Part 1


Axolotl

The Axolotl (or ajolote) (Ambystoma mexicanum) is the best-known of the Mexican neotenic mole salamanders belonging to the Tiger Salamander complex. Larvae of this species fail to undergo metamorphosis, so the adults remain aquatic and gilled. The species originates from the lake underlying Mexico City . Axolotls are used extensively in scientific research due to their ability to regenerate most body parts, ease of breeding, and large embryos. They are commonly kept as pets in the United States , Great Britain , Australia , Japan (where they are sold under the name Wooper Rooper, and other countries. Axolotls should not be confused with waterdogs, the larval stage of the closely related Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum and Ambystoma mavortium), which is widespread in much of North America which also occasionally become neotenic, nor with mudpuppies (Necturus spp.), fully aquatic salamanders which are unrelated to the axolotl but which bear a superficial resemblance.

Aye-aye

The Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is a strepsirrhine native to Madagascar that combines rodent-like teeth with a long, thin middle finger to fill the same ecological niche as a woodpecker. It is the world's largest nocturnal primate, and is characterized by its unique method of finding food; it taps on trees to find grubs, then gnaws holes in the wood and inserts its elongated middle finger to pull the grubs out. Daubentonia is the only genus in the family Daubentoniidae and infraorder Chiromyiformes. The Aye-aye is the only extant member of the genus (although it is currently an endangered species); a second species (Daubentonia robusta) was exterminated over the last few centuries.

Alpaca

The Alpaca (Vicugna pacos) is a domesticated species of South American camelid developed from the wild alpacas. It resembles a sheep in appearance, but is larger and has a long erect neck as well as coming in many colors, whereas sheep are generally bred to be white and black.
Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of Ecuador, southern Peru , northern Bolivia , and northern Chile at an altitude of 3500 to 5000 meters above sea-level, throughout the year. Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas, and unlike them are not used as beasts of burden but are valued only for their fiber. Alpacas only have fleece fibers, not woolen fibers, used for making knitted and woven items much as sheeps wool is. These items include blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, a wide variety of textiles and ponchos in South America , and sweaters, socks and coats in other parts of the world. The fiber comes in more than 52 natural colors as classified in Peru , 12 as classified in Australia and 22 as classified in America .

Tarsier

Tarsiers are prosimian primates of the genus Tarsius, a monotypic genus in the family Tarsiidae, which is itself the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes. The phylogenetic position of extant tarsiers within the order Primates has been debated for much of the past century, and tarsiers have alternately been classified with strepsirrhine primates in the suborder Prosimii, or as the sister group to the simians (=Anthropoidea) in the infraorder Haplorrhini. Analysis of SINE insertions, a type of macromutation to the DNA, is argued to offer very persuasive evidence for the monophyly of Haplorrhini, where other lines of evidence, such as DNA sequence data, had remained ambiguous. Thus, some systematists argue that the debate is conclusively settled in favor of a monophyletic Haplorrhini.
Tarsiers have enormous eyes and long feet. Their feet have extremely elongated tarsus bones, which is how they got their name. They are primarily insectivorous, and catch insects by jumping at them. They are also known to prey on birds and snakes. As they jump from tree to tree, tarsiers can catch even birds in motion. Gestation takes about six months, and tarsiers give birth to single offspring. All tarsier species are nocturnal in their habits, but like many nocturnal organisms some individuals may show more or less activity during the daytime. Unlike many nocturnal animals, however, tarsiers lack a light-reflecting area (tapetum lucidum) of the eye.

Dumbo Octopus

The octopuses of the genus Grimpoteuthis are sometimes nicknamed "Dumbo octopuses" from the ear-like fins protruding from the top of their "heads" (actually bodies), resembling the ears of Walt Disney's flying elephant. They are benthic creatures, living at extreme depths, and are some of the rarest of the Octopoda species.

Frill-necked Lizard

The Frill-necked Lizard, or Frilled Lizard also known as the Frilled Dragon, (Chlamydosaurus kingii) is so called because of the large ruff of skin which usually lies folded back against its head and neck. The neck frill is supported by long spines of cartilage, and when the lizard is frightened, it gapes its mouth showing a bright pink or yellow lining, and the frill flares out, displaying bright orange and red scales. The frill may also aid in thermoregulation.
They may grow up to one metre in total length. They often walk quadrupedally when on the ground. When frightened they begin to run on all-fours and then accelerate onto the hind-legs. In Australia , the frill-necked lizard is also known as the "bicycle lizard" because of this behaviour. Males are significantly larger than females both as juveniles and when mature. The frill of the Australian frilled dragon is used to frighten off potential predators - as well as hissing and lunging. If this fails to ward off the threat, the lizard flees bipedally to a nearby tree where it climbs to the top and relies on camouflage to keep it hidden.

Narwhal

The Narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is an Arctic species of cetacean. It is a creature rarely found south of latitude 70°N. It is one of two species of white whale in the Monodontidae family (the other is the beluga whale). It is possibly also related to the Irrawaddy dolphin. The English name narwhal is derived from the Dutch name narwal which in turn comes from the Danish narhval which is based on the Old Norse word nar, meaning "corpse." This is a reference to the animal's colour. The narwhal is also commonly known as the Moon Whale. In some parts of the world, the Narwhal is colloquially referred to as a "reamfish."

Sucker-footed Bat

The Madagascar Sucker-footed Bat, Old World Sucker-footed Bat, or Sucker-footed Bat (Myzopoda aurita and Myzopoda schliemanni) is a species of bat in the Myzopodidae family.

Pygmy Marmoset

The Pygmy Marmoset (Callithrix (Cebuella) pygmaea) is a monkey native to the rainforest canopies of western Brazil , southeastern Colombia , eastern Ecuador , and eastern Peru . It is one of the smallest primates, with its body length ranging from 14-16 cm (excluding the 15-20 cm tail) and the smallest monkey. Males weigh around 140 g (5 ounces), and females only 120 g ( 4.2 ounces).
TDespite its name, the Pygmy Marmoset is somewhat different from the typical marmosets classified in genus Callithrix. As such, it is accorded its own subgenus, which was formerly recognized as its own genus, Cebuella.
TThe Pygmy Marmoset has a tawny coat, and a ringed tail that can be as long as its body. Their claws are specially adapted for climbing trees, a trait unique to the species. They are omnivorous, feeding on fruit, leaves, insects, and sometimes even small reptiles. Much of their diet, however, comes from tapping trees for sap. Up to two-thirds of their time is spent gouging tree bark to reach the gummy sap. The Pygmy Marmoset has specialized incisors for gouging holes in bark. Unfortunately, because of its small size, and its swift movements, it is very hard to observe in the wild. In captivity, the Pygmy Marmoset can live up to 11 years.

Blobfish

The blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus) is a fish that inhabits the deep waters off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania . Due to the inaccessibility of its habitat, it is rarely seen by humans.
Blobfish are found at depths where the pressure is several dozens of times higher than at sea level, which would likely make gas bladders inefficient. To remain buoyant, the flesh of the blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows the fish to float above the sea floor without expending energy on swimming.. The relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats by in front it.

Platypus

The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia , including Tasmania . Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. It is the sole living representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record.
The bizarre appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed mammal baffled naturalists when it was first discovered, with some considering it an elaborate fraud. It is one of the few venomous mammals; the male Platypus has a spur on the hind foot which delivers a poison capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unique features of the Platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology and a recognizable and iconic symbol of Australia ; it has appeared as a mascot at national events and is featured on the reverse of the Australian 20 cent coin.
Until the early 20th century it was hunted for its fur, but it is now protected throughout its range. Although captive breeding programs have had only limited success and the Platypus is vulnerable to the effects of pollution, it is not under any immediate threat.

Shoebill

The Shoebill, Balaeniceps rex also known as Whalehead is a very large bird related to the storks. It derives its name from its massive shoe-shaped bill.
The Shoebill is a very large bird, averaging 1.2 m (4 ft) tall, 5..6 kg (12.3 lbs) and 2.33 m (7.7 ft) across the wings. The adult is mainly grey, the juveniles are browner. It lives in tropical east Africa, in large swamps from Sudan to Zambia .
The Shoebill was added rather recently to the ornithological lists; the species was only discovered in the 19th century when some skins were brought to Europe . It was not until years later that live specimens reached the scientific community. The bird was known to both ancient Egyptians and Arabs however. There exist Egyptian images depicting the Shoebill while the Arabs referred to the bird as abu markub, which means one with a shoe. Clearly, this refers to the striking bill.

Yeti Crab

Kiwa hirsuta is a crustacean discovered in 2005 in the South Pacific Ocean . This decapod, which is approximately 15 cm (6 inches) long, is notable for the quantity of silky blond setae (resembling fur) covering its pereiopods (thoracic legs, including claws). Its discoverers dubbed it the "yeti lobster" or "yeti crab"[2].
K. hirsuta was discovered in March 2005 by a group organised by Robert Vrijenhoek of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in Monterey , California , using the submarine DSV Alvin, operating from RV Atlantis[3]. The discovery was announced on the 7th of March, 2006. It was found 1,500 km (900 miles) south of Easter Island in the South Pacific, at a depth of 2,200 m (7,200 feet), living on hydrothermal vents along the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge[4]. Based on both morphology and molecular data, the species was deemed to form a new genus and family (Kiwaidae). The animal has strongly reduced eyes that lack pigment, and is thought to be blind.
The 'hairy' pincers contain filamentous bacteria, which the creature may use to detoxify poisonous minerals from the water emitted by the hydrothermal vents where it lives. Alternatively, it may feed on the bacteria, although it is thought to be a general carnivore[2]. Its diet also consists of green algae and small shrimp.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Lighting and Lamps

Are you looking for some specific type of light fixtures for your home? You may be surprise how easy and convenient to shop for it online. Farreys.com offers an extensive range of lightings and lamps for indoor and outdoor usage. Whether you are buying it online or just wanted to browse through the designs to obtain ideas to enlighten your house, Farreys.com provides you the ease of getting the information you needed.

Using their website search engine, you can easily search for lighting products and light features. To save time browsing through their wide range of products, you may search by style, brand, type, finish and price range at the search engine provided. Fancy having traditional style chandeliers for your home from top manufacturers at the lowest price? Whether it is traditional or contemporary designs, you can find the style you want at Farreys.com website.

With proper lightings, you can enhance the look of your home and its ambience. Do also have a look at a wide range of home lighting, lighting fixtures, bathroom light fixtures, kitchen light fixtures, or ceiling light fixtures at Farreys.com

Dishwasher

Not many of us could afford a dishwasher here. I hate washing the dishes. But I am stilling living with my mom, so my mom would do most of the dish washing whenever I skip doing it. It’s not a good thing to have my mom do all the housework, I know. Sorry, I am just plain lazy in terms of doing housework. Thank goodness we hired two house cleaners to help up in cleaning the house every Saturday weekend. Compare to doing it ourselves, we had more housework being done but with a price to pay of course.

When I have my own home in the future, I do wish to own a dishwasher if that is possible. I heard that LG dishwasher is not a bad choice. That of course, I should probably consider buying a house which has a reasonable space to fit my LG dishwasher. It will definitely save me a lot of time and I can avoid most of the dish washing chores which I hate.

Why I prefer LG dishwasher is because I like their stylish design and great features. Better features come with a higher price of course, which all brands does. And I saw some pretty good customer reviews and ranking on wize.com

Web hosting guide


Finding a suitable web hosting package can be a frustrating experience. There are lots of web hosting providers who advertised their services with catchy offers and promises to their potential customers. For instance, is there really such thing as unlimited bandwidth/ space? It is very important for everyone to do some own research before signing up to such web hosting package for your personal or business site. Whether you have already signed up or you are looking for a suitable web host, you can go to web hosting choice to find out more.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

The apple of my eye

I have been waiting to post about this for so long. Now that I have my new camera phone, it was easy to snap a memorable picture when ever I like.

This is Jojo, the apple of my eye. It has been so long since I last posted about her. We had just celebrated her 2nd birthday about a month ago. She’s 2 years old now. I could still remember how small she is when we had her at age 3 months old. That is just how time flies. She’s a bit bigger in size now but still consider as very small. I think it’s already her maximum growth. She won’t be growing any bigger now. The only major difference that we would be seeing is her fur coat colour changing. I heard a friend of mine who has the same dog breed mention to me that this breed will change colour over time. Indeed, it is true! Jojo’s fur was really dark all over when she was a puppy and it gradually turns lighter when she grows. I am fascinated by the many different colours she has now.

Although she an Australian Silky Terrier, she has a naturally curly fur. Probably puppies and the young have some sort of curly fur and it will be straighten up when they grow older later. Well, I’m not sure… I check out pictures of the same breed over the internet and saw that all of them have straight silky smooth fur. Don’t tell me they do re-bonding too!? Hahaha…. Anyway, Jojo does have a silky looking coat especially at her back and I love her just the way she is.




(Left pic) Jojo as a puppy - 3 months old. Look at how dark her fur is...
(Right pic) Jojo at 6 months old. Fur was longer and she looks chubby because of it.

This is now - at 2 years old. This picture taken right after I groom her after her bath. After patiently trains her for so long, she now enjoys having me comb her fur nicely (with all the sweet talk and praising how pretty she is of course!)

This is how she bahaves everytime I comes home. She want's lots of pampering, hugs and kisses. Like people to scratch-scratch her belly.

When she sees me wake up in the morning, she wants more pampering, hugs and kisses. Also cannot miss out the belly scratching comfort which is a need each time she lies down cutely on her back. Notice her smile here? That's how happy and "cunning" she looks when she wants something and she gets it.

Grown-up financial commitments

Since I graduated college and venture to the outside world as any other ordinary young working adults, I have dreaded this phase of live where I have to begin to take responsibilities in managing my own financial means. When I was young, I had always looked forward to the time where I could work and earn my own living so that I could buy whatever I wanted without asking for anyone’s consent. Isn’t this what most of us quietly wish for when we were kids? To be able to buy anything without needing to ask our parent’s for money? Well, when that time around came, it was just a short blissful period of time where I could actually enjoy my hard earn money freely without having anything to worry about. That is because life back then wasn’t as demanding and complicated as I grow older.

So, as we grows older, I believe we all go through such phase in live where we need to apply some sort of financial loans to accommodate our ever increasing demand in life. Car loan for example, is a very common type of loans we all have to apply for when purchasing a car. Same as home loans when it is time to purchase your own house especially for the newly weds. These add on to our responsibility in life when we have some form of financial commitments. Well, unless you are extremely rich then you might not have to borrow any form of financial loans at all.

Another type of financial commitments which we all commonly have is credit cards. No matter where your financial standing is, we all do have credit cards, don’t we? These small rectangle cards are just so convenient to bring along everywhere without having the need to have a bulk lots of cash around. So, credit cards too, add on to our existing financial commitments on top of other small personal ones. And having a credit card is not always a pleasure. Well, it’s a pleasure to spend it but not when you need to pay up the credit card balance. It is very important to manage our financial commitments carefully and wisely. If you have failed before, it is always not too late to change and start over just as long as you have the determination to change to have a better live for you or your family.

Shopping for best buy items

We all love to look through the best buy items whenever we go shopping isn’t it? Well, there’s a place on the internet where you could also browse through best buy items. The website is called SaveBuckets. It helps you find great deals on anything! Using their search engines and website features, it is easy to find anything that you wanted and all search results items with its best price information will be displayed in a click of a mouse button.

SaveBuckets also provides you the additional information and tips on how to choose and buy. From the main page of the website, just click on the “How to choose and buy” link located at the lower left side of the page and you will be taken to a list of items page. From there you could select the item that you are looking for and the buying guide will be available to you. For example, if you are looking for mp3 players, the mp3 player buying guide will be displayed including tips on how to choose, which type to look out for, how much music can you store, battery life considerations, how to choose it’s accessories, and also whether you need to buy an extended warranty for the mp3 player.

The website is user-friendly and it is easy to compare prices by searching through its extensive range of categories. If you have your own desired price which is not available yet on the website, you just need to let them know your desired price at the “My Price” box on any product page, and they will e-mail you if the product becomes available at your price range. Shopping in SaveBuckets could save you a lot of money.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Wine health benefits

Are you a wine lover? Here’s good news for you. Study shows that drinking wines either red wine or white wine poses some health benefits. But red wines gets the better verdict because of its higher contents of antioxidant from healing power of resveratrol contains in red grape skins. However, there were news that winemaker world wide are altering the production process of white wine to increase its health benefits.

Here are some of the recent studies about the benefits of wine:

  • Anti-aging effects in red grape skins (Harvard Medical School in Boston, 2004)

  • Improved lung function from antioxidants in white wine (American Thoracic Society, 2002)

  • Coronary heart disease reduced (University of California, Davis, 1995)

  • Healthier blood vessels in elderly (University of Ferrara in Italy, 2004)

  • Ulcer-causing bacteria reduced (American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2003)

  • Cancer cells killed by protein in red grape skins (University of Virginia Health System, 2004)

  • Arteries kept clean by polyphenols in red grape skins (William Harvey Research Institute, 2002)

  • Decreased ovarian cancer risk (The Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia, 2004)

  • Stronger bones (Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit, St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, 2004)

  • Lower risk of stroke (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2001)

  • Lower risk of heart attack for men with high blood pressure (Worcester Medical Center in Massachusetts, 2004)

Most of these studies promote drinking in moderation. Drinking in moderation is the key to obtain the health benefits of wine drinking. Too much wine per day or per week lead to negative effects, that increases your chance of contacting a life threatening illness. Therefore, the amount of wine you drink matters tremendously. So, how much is considered safe and effective? It is recommended that men take no more than 2 drinks per day and women take no more than 1 drink per day.

"One drink" is defined as a 5-ounce glass of red or white wine, 12 ounces of regular beer (1 bottle), or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Will I live to 100 years old?

67%Living to 100 Years Old

Created here by Settlement Quotes


I took this fun quiz to fill up my spare time. The title of the quiz interest me. It is a very short and simple quiz with just 11 questions to be answered. Answer options are all objective such as yes or not answers. It is nothing serious and it is fun! There are a few other kind of quizzes such as "What SuperHero Are You?", "What is Your Blog Rated?", "Are You Addicted to money?", and many others. Go try it out for yourself and you can post it on your blog too.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Lunch at Purple Cain



Today's lunch with my fellow colleague at Purple Cain restaurant, The Gardens Mid Valley. There were 7 of us, we ordered some dishes and some soups. Have you seen soup being served in small tea pot and pour out to the tea cup? Yup! Exactly like serving tea. This it my first time having soup being served in this manner.

*** This post was published from my new phone Sony Ericsson K550i. Happy that it works fine on my first try out.

Help at home

Being a housewife is not an easy job. Unless you have a maid or two to help up with the housework, it is quite impossible to clean up the whole house in one day. Well, but that also depending on how big the house is. As a housewife does not always a bead of roses where by you could have an uncountable amount of time to do your own things, go shopping or indulge in your favorite past time hobby. Most housewives especially those with kids will find that their 24 hours time a day is not enough.

Working wives definitely complains that they do not have the time to do most of the housework but you may be surprise that that could happen to a full-time housewives too. Therefore it is always great to have a very understanding husband who could help up with some of the housework or by surprising their wife with useful and thoughtful gifts. Buying some household items such as hoover vacuum cleaners is a great way to show how much the husband love their wife and appreciate everything the wife does for the family. Hoover vacuum cleaners is a high quality vacuum cleaner that most people loves it.

Online shopping for household items is a smart way to begin with. Browse for dozens of items information and compare prices could be done swiftly at the comfort of your own home. You can start by browsing through wize.com who not only offers an extensive range of great products including hoover vacuum cleaners, and there are also customers reviews that could help you decide what’s best to buy.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Sexual harassment on public places

I read with interest on yesterday’s newspaper article regarding the trauma that many female passengers has to go through dealing with sexual harassment on the commuter trains. Sexual harassment not only happens in quiet secluded area but also out in the open crowded places. Reading those real life stories told from women who has experienced such a sickening encounter while they were aboard on the commuter train sends a shivers down my spine because I often take to LRT train to work too. And those station and scenario mention on the newspaper is exactly what I experience whenever I took the LRT train to work during the rush hours. You can read the full story here http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/1/16/central/19999361&sec=central

Reading the newspaper article brought back many of my own personal trauma with similar experience. My first encounter when I was 15 years old aboard the public bus heading home from school and the buses were usually packed like sardines. In the bus, I was sitting on the outside and a man standing beside me was really annoying. He was practically leaning his “middle down” area against my shoulder. As the bus was so packed while moving and stopping, he took the advantage of pretending he has no space to stand and have to lean against me. And of course I can feel his damn thing #$%@.... Well, you can imagine the rest! I wasn’t even wearing anything protruding as I was in my school uniform. The whole journey was a nightmare not forgetting I was shocked that my sleeves were wet after that. This is not the one and only such experience that I had. I remembered I had a few more other similar encounter, sometimes when I was standing aboard the public buses. I wanted to shout out when it happened but somehow being so young and innocent, my timid self held me back. I guess many of us does that too. We just ignore whatever happened and try to forget about it ever happen to us.

After my very first bad experience, I got myself some preparation. I know I wouldn’t be shouting if those things happen again because I was afraid of embarrassment. So I strategize myself. If it happens while I was sitting down in the bus, I will get out my scissors and sort of play with the scissors hoping that the pervert gets the message. Well, it works! My scissors sent out the message loud and clear! Hence, it was avoided many times that way. If I was standing, I would purposely step on the pervert’s foot as hard as I could or I use my elbow to knock on him. But most of the time I use my school bag as a shield which usually worked.

Then there is a time where I was aboard an empty bus with just a male passenger in it. He was a perverted psycho who sits on my left across the place where I was sitting. What he did was he totally unzip his pants and took out……. (you know what). And he was practically m***********g there while looking at me. It was day time and he wasn’t even afraid that someone might see. I pretended I did not saw anything and was praying so hard that he would not come over to have a sit with me! Thank goodness it was not long until other passenger aboard the bus later on. Another incident happened when I was walking home from the bus stop after school. There was this well-dressed man in a car suddenly stop by, his window down, pretended to ask me for directions but he spoke softly so I had to walk nearer to be able to hear what he was asking. Unsuspecting anything amiss, I walk closer so to be able to hear clearly what he was asking but OMG I was shocked to have to saw what I mustn’t saw and no wonder his right index finger keep on pointing down to his steering wheel while he pretended asking for direction, but his intention was to asking me to look there. I quickly ran and open my house gate and lock it and ran inside. The psycho man drove off. I was traumatized and could still remember the satisfaction look he had when he saw how shocked I was. I also felt really angry even now I am still angry when I recall back all those bad experience I had.

Thinking back all this makes me sick. It is so sickening and disgusting that I sometimes had nightmares about it. And those entire incidents happened to me during my schooling years. Thank God I have not encountered such pervert during my trip to work using the LRT train. Well, at least I have yet to experience it on the LRT train and I really hope that I won’t have to. There is a lot of psycho man out there preying on girls, especially young schooling girls. I am sure many others have had quite a similar bad experience as me or many who are lucky enough to not experience it, but have heard it happen to someone they know.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Bad Credit Offers

No one wanted to become a “bad credit” consumers. However, this incidence rate has become increasing over the years in the U.S. There is a website called BadCreditOffers.com who provides resources to help people with bad credit to get back on their feet financially. The website allow visitor to be able to do comparison on the bad credit loans offers from major providers. So, for U.S citizen who has a bad credit history, getting the next home loan could be obtainable after all. What more? If payments are made on time they can rebuilt their credit and can have a better financial future.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Hide and Sick?

“I once live a healthy normal life. It was also not too long ago that I finally got my Degree. Doing the things I love to do, traveling to unknown places, trying out all kinds of foods, planning for the future, having dreams and aspirations and spending my life together with the love of my life. These are among the many things that I could do in this life. When I met the love of my life, we were so in love and we still are until this very day. There seems to be nothing that could come between us because we both believe in love to be the most important thing in life. I really believe love is the greatest of all things and I should protect the love that I have. Until that one faithful day, everything seems to falls apart….

After I had a few series of mild black out session which I had kept secret from anyone, I went to see the doctor one day and it turns out that I had cancer. It had been such a shock to me that I could not brought myself to tell anyone about it. Flashes of my life with my love came tumbling down. It is sad to imagine that I would be gone from this world just like that. Sadder even, to see that my love will have to go on living without me. Our once promising future together, to get married and grow old together will not come true. How could I tell my love that I would be living? Perhaps I shall make my love hate me now so that seeing me go will make the pain become more bearable.”
The above scenario sounds familiar isn’t it? I have watched many movies and television series which has those sort of story line where a loving couple’s life together became a living hell when either one of them contacted a life threatening illness. Some will pain stackingly inform their life partner and some will leave their love and hide away before their love partner sees how much they suffer with the illness.

I have been trying to imagine what if this kind of situation happens to me. What would I do? Will I still be with my love, and try to live the remaining days together as meaningful as it can be? Or will I find excuses to leave him without him know the truth and hide away to die alone? I could not come up with a solid answer or decision. Perhaps, this decision can only be answered when it is really happening to me. Kind of scary when I think of this. But I believe everything happens, happens for a reason and God has plan for all of us. And God’s plan is always good. It is up to us, how we see it and where our perspective is.

Holiday getaway

It has been 4 years since the time I actually went out for a holiday getaway. It was a pretty long time ago, I must say. I stayed at a nice beach resort at a famous local holiday destination here. It was a 3 days 2 nights free and easy holiday package where I had spent most of my holiday time there sprawling on the beach lounge chair, listening to the ocean waves, smelling the fresh sea waters and watching the sun set. But I did not have the chance to watch the sun rise though, because I could not wake up so early in the morning.

All in all, I really did have a wonderful holiday experience back then. It was nice to be able to escape the busy and mundane city life once in a while. I had dreamed on going for a holiday somewhere further out of the country. Perhaps to a beach somewhere in Mexico? All Inclusive Cancun holiday retreat seems appealing to me.

Monday, January 14, 2008

PR up again

I have just accidentally stumbled upon my blog Google PR. Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! My blog site has now gone from PR 2 to PR 3. Wow! I did not expect that it can go to PR 3 this soon. Since my previous great news discovery about my blog site Google PR, I was happy with just a PR 2. I am not sure when exactly Google did the PR update again. My guess it was just a few days ago. Well, I am not that particular about my PR now as I used to be. Just happy about this blessing which came to me unexpectedly.....

Friday, January 11, 2008

Professional VS My-Own brownies

Two days ago I was given a box of chocolate brownies free from company’s expense because to celebrate FIAP HQ achievement. As we all know, Secret Recipe is very famous of their cakes. But I do not fancy cakes. So, I opted for brownies when order was taken. Chocolate flavour preferred. I did not go and buy it myself of course. Manager went and bought it and I even kept declining the free food choices given and came up with my own choice. Hahaha…. I felt a little bit too over fussy when I came to think about it.

Co-incidentally yesterday was a public holiday and I had already planed to make my own chocolate brownies at home. With the professionally made brownies from Secret Recipe that I got the day before, I still go along with the plan of making my own brownies with walnuts. This is the second time that I have made my own following the Lowfat Fudgy Brownies recipe. The first time was two weeks ago for my mom’s birthday. According to the recipe, it makes 36 servings and 2 inch thick but it came out to 16 servings and 1 inch thick when I done it. I wonder where went wrong. Those who tasted it said it was nice and asked me to make it again. So, yesterday evening I began baking after I had finished up eating those from Secret Recipe. What’s the outcome?

Secret Recipe brownies –Heavenly delicious!

My-own brownies - Almost yuckies! And I thought second attempt would be better than the first. I am still figuring out what went wrong. Anyway, thank God it was still edible.

I can’t remember since when I started to like the taste of chocolate brownies. But I remember reading the facts that brownie generally have lesser sugar, lower carbohydrate and lower in fat compare to the usual whatever flavour cake that we eat. This is also one of the reasons why I eat brownies and not cakes. Cakes are just too creamy for my liking.

Weight management & healthy living

After two weeks from the week of Christmas, I am still feasting. Well, sort of. Hence my attempt to start eating healthy again after that has failed. So, hopefully I could really start doing it now but I still keeping an easy going attitude towards what I eat. Occasional junk foods and late night snack is still very much my habit. I am most concern of my over eating habit during normal meals. After attended many functions and celebrations, my internal digestive system seems to be able to take in more food than the usual. But eating uncontrollably is dangerous in the long run.

Those who has serious weight problem should consider taking the safest, proven weight-loss surgery called the LAP-BAND System such as the one offered by houston weight loss. It’s a simple surgery that is completely life time reversible and adjustable. In conclusion, we should have good weight management for a better health and healthy living.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

New Year Resolution Tag

I have read quite a number of bloggers did this tag on their blog and wondered whether it will be pass down to me sooner or later. And now this tag has travell down to me from Lemonjude. So, writing this tag is not that hard as I have already prepared my answers. Scroll down to see mine!

*Start Copy Here*
When it comes to New Year’s Resolutions we seem to fall into four categories: 1) quite serious about them, 2) be flippant about them, 3) do it because we feel pressured to, or 4) do not do them.

So, the purpose of this little game is to let us know which category you are in. Copy from “*Start Copy Here*” through “*End Copy Here*” and post it. Before “*End Copy Here*” tell us who you are, your site(s) (with link) and your New Year’s Resolution, or not.

Then tag as many others as you like, from one to your entire blogroll, your choice. If you like, create an intro paragraph to your post that also acknowledges who tagged you.


NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS:
Juliana – Juliana’s Site - My New Year’s resolutions are looking for a part time job, keep blogging, and learn to cook and bake.

Michelle - Rusin Roundup - 1. Learn to be happier and accept myself for who I am, 2. Is to lose about 25 lbs., and 3. Is to stop smoking.

Karen - Grow Rich Along With Me - My resolution for next year is to achieve $3K per month passive income by the end of 2008.

Mel - Attitude, the Ultimate Power & Complain Complain Complain - “I don’t need no stinking resolutions.” I never hold to them anyway so why frustrate myself by starting them now.

Sandee - Comedy Plus - I don’t need no stinking resolutions either. Years and years ago I did them because everyone else did, but not once did I follow through. Why set yourself up for failure?

Lynda - lynda’s loft - My resolution is to see resolve to that which needs resolution. Like Mel and Sandee, I feel that resolutions give us more stress, however, being a person who sets goals each year, isn’t that the same thing as a resolution??? Goals vs. resolutions? Goals are more general and allow for more time to complete them, a resolution requires a mind-set and immediate action, which is not always feasible… Well, that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it…

Amelia - Amel’s Realm - This is a list of my New Year’s Resolution:1. Health: Continue exercising twice a week, eat enough veggies and fruit, have enough rest, take vitamin C regularly and women’s multivitamin during my period.2. Spiritual: Improve my Daily Bread reading routine and my prayer life and learn more from God’s Word.3. Financial: Continue to make money online (my goal is getting €100 per month at least), be more creative in writing posts, and save most of the money.4. General Life: Continue to learn Finnish AND practice it as best and often as I can, try out more baking and cooking recipes, continue to maintain and share positive thoughts, continue to learn to control my thoughts, continue to learn to catch myself before I start complaining and count my blessings instead, continue to stop and cherish all the little moments in life that oftentimes go unnoticed, and continue to feed my inner child and last but not least, continue to ENJOY my life thoroughly.

Trinity - Rooms of My Heart : My New Year’s resolutions in simple and fast way will be blog less and spend more time with my children and read more good books. I want to start studying about global warming and blog it…

Max - MAX - My New Year’s resolutions are to dedicate more time to my friends; to finally be able to read “Der Spiegel” in German; to be calm when organizing my marriage; to go one last time to my favourite club and dance the night away; and continue to be happy!

Eric - Speedcat Hollydale - I love chicken. Problem is that I really never get to have enough chicken! My New Year’s resolution is to enact “Chicken Tuesday”. On this day I will eat only chicken, blog about chicken, and promote chickens all over the world. (hormone free) Join me, won’t you?

Marzie - Mariuca & Mariuca’s Perfume Gallery - My resolution for 2008 is to enjoy a healthier lifestyle and to expand my Perfume Collection.

Sindi- Life Is A Roller Coaster - My resolution is to complain less, pray more and be a little more thankful for what I have.

Judy - Sugar Queen’s Dream - My New Year’s resolution is:To take better care of my health.To eat better, well at least 3 meals a day, I’m lucky these days if I stop for one meal a day….To help make the world a better place to live, I love the human race, but think there’s always room for change.To be generous until it hurts.To live each day as if it’s my last.To make a book of our personal family recipes and traditions for each of my 3 my children, so that the traditions and family cooking can be passed on in my family line long after I’m gone and finally…….To help more with the local Human society, Animals like little kids can not fend for themselves so it’s up to each of us to take care of our pets and to step in and care for all animals…..I hope that through me I can encourage my Children to be better adults and in turn to raise the Children they have or will have, to be good people with good, sound & solid values…. Peace!

Adrian - First Time Dad - My New Year’s Resolution for 2008 is to be a better father…now I don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions because I never keep them but this one I better keep! Happy New Year to one and all!

Colin - Life - New Years Resolution? No way…Better to achieve more throughout the year rather than pander to the whims of a one day ‘wishful thought’

Mauro - 1 Million Love Messages - My resolution for next year are: 1. Change my job (maybe work online). I’m really unhappy in the actual one. 2. Dedicate more time to my family and girlfriend… maybe start to get ready for our wedding 3. Work hard in 1 Million Love Messages and reach 2500 Love messages (or more) in the end of 2008.

MidgetManOfSteel - Mental Poo - To get out of dealing with people who I have no desire in helping at the job I’m doing…catch the eye of someone who can see that I can write and be funny…and get my own ticket to happiness from my humor….and a Ferrari. While I’m doing this, I resolve to get a Ferrari.

Stacy - My Thoughts - My New Year’s Resolution for 2008 - Is to be more understanding to my children and to other people, Not to curse at others while I am driving, try to eat right and exercise, try to volunteer in my community, and to believe more in my spiritual side.

Jason - DatCurious.com & DatMoney.com - Although, I normally don’t do New Year’s Resolutions (because I find it as an excuse to actually do something I should’ve already been doing), this year I will plan on giving back to the blogging community, especially my audience. I’m not sure how I will do it yet, but I definitely will.

Kesa - Little Aussie Cynic - My New Years Resolution is the standard….. to finally get off the smokes and to loose 8kg…. both which are possible just difficult…..Happy New Year to you and yours….Aussie

Ann - A Nice Place in the Sun - “To let the rest of my life begin as soon as possible.”

Wen - Little Paces - I want to sleep early to reduce my haggard and tired complexion. To blog better than last year and hopefully can save money from paid post so that we can immigrate to Australia. To spend more time with my children. To be able to bake.

Slavemom - Slavery Bliss - I’d like to have better control of my temper, be more organised and maintain my exercise regime.

Lemonjude - Memoirs.:*CRoSs mY hEARt*:. - Spend more time with Terry to teach him what is wrong, what is right, maintain a healthy body and also try to slim down more. Spend more time in prayer and reading Bible. Continue my passion in writing more good stuff in blog.

Amidrin - Faith, Hope, Love. Greatest of these is Love - No newly created new year resolution. Just going to use the same goals as before which I have yet to achieve it.

*End Copy Here*

I am passing this tag to Everlyn and firethorn.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Belated Christmas post


Paper clip holder…. This is the Christmas gift that I got from the gift exchange session held by my company department 2 weeks ago. It’s so cute! I am quite glad that I got this instead of chocolates or other kind of gifts which can be eaten…. At least I could keep it as a decoration if I do not use it. This Happy Beans paper clip holder now happily inhabits my office desk.

(Newly edited: The cute little head actually can move like spring if you lightly knock on it.)

*** Picture taken by my new phone camera. I am happy with the picture quality so far.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Neighbor's Wedding Dinner ~~@ 6th Jan 2008

I attended another wedding dinner yesterday night. It was my neighbor’s son’s wedding. This neighbor of mine, consist of a family of three is a very close friend of my family. We called them Aunty Tan, Uncle Tan and their only son Ah Boy. When me and my sister were schooling in primary school, we both will go to their house everyday for lunch before the school bus come and pick us up to school. Uncle Tan is a business man who manages his own business. Aunty Tan is a housewife therefore she always offered my mom to help look after us while my mom is working. It was better than being “dump” at the babysitter as it used to be because having Aunty Tan look after us, we get to be at our own home all the time. Since they only have an only son, they intended to adopt me as their god-daughter. But I refused at that time because I was too young to understand what that means.

Okay, back to talking about the wedding dinner. The venue is in the town area around 20 minutes drive from my house if there is no traffic jams. There stated on the invitation card, guest arrival 6.30pm and dinner starts at 7pm sharp. But due to the normal Malaysian time bad habit, most of the guest arrived late hence the actual dinner started around 8.30pm. This is the thing that I hate the most when attending dinner. No matter how much effort the host made to make sure dinner did not start too late, most of the guest always does not comply. Yesterday was a 10 course Chinese dinner so I can see the waiters and waitresses were rushing through serving one dish after another due to the lateness. But overall the event were being organized very well.

Unlike the normal Chinese wedding dinner, we had Yee Sang dish which were usually being served during Chinese New Year. But I guessed, it was because Chinese New Year is about to arrive hence they incorporate that dish in to the menu. So, the first dish was Yee Sang.

My first Yee Sang dish of year 2008.




I love this bunny bun (one of the desert being served at the end)

The dinner ended around 10.30pm. My stomach were so full that I felt like it was going to burst! For the past 2 weeks I have been eating a lot – for Christmas, New Year, Mom’s birthday and a wedding dinner. Oh dear! I think I must have put on a lot of weight now. I do not even dare to weight myself to find out how much the scale had gone up. So, for me now it is going to be diet time first then weight later.

*** The above are among the first picture taken with my new phone. I am still experimenting and trying to figure out how to use this new phone hence there's some blur and some clear pictures being taken.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Finally got my new phone!

I have finally went and bought my dream phone today. Yippy!!! After waited for almost a year, I have finally put into action of buying it now. I am so happy. I have waited for the price to go down but it doesn’t seem to go any further down anymore unless there is a newer version of this model that comes out in the market. And I do not want a second-hand phone. I want it new. So, after much patience and anticipation, I have now bought it, fully paid with cash. There goes all my remaining small amount of bonus salary that I got from December 2007 income. *Sob~Sob~ But I am happy that I got my dream phone now.

From now on I can freely take pictures whenever I like and post it on my blog. That’s the reason I chose a phone with Cyber-Shot feature that gives mobile imaging that’s just as good as digital camera. With this phone, I can even take the picture and send it straight to my blog. And I can even edit the picture on my mobile if it needed some editing. I do not need any other features like 3G or better mega pixel phone. I feel it’s a waste to have bought something that you do not use it. So, this Sony Ericsson K550i model is the best option for me. This is the best gift that I have bought for myself after so many years.

The Rubber Boy

Yikes!!! That looks painful........ Look at David Hasselhoff's expression.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Weirdest Animal - Part 1

Sun Bear

The Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus) is a bear found primarily in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia . The Sun Bear stands approximately 4 ft (1.2 m) in length, making it the smallest member in the bear family. It is often called the dog bear because of its small stature. It has a 2 in (5 cm) tail and on average weighs less than 145 lb (65 kg). Males tend to be slightly larger than females. Unlike other bears, the Sun Bear's fur is short and sleek. This adaptation is probably due to the lowland climates it inhabits. Dark black or brown-black fur covers its body, except on the chest where there is a pale orange-yellow marking in the shape of a horseshoe. Similar colored fur can be found around the muzzle and the eyes. This distinct marking gives the sun bear its name.

Komondor Dog

Females are 27 inches (69cm) at the withers. Male Komondorok are a minimum of 28 inches at the withers, but many are over 30 inches tall, making this one of the larger common breeds of dog. The body is not overly coarse or heavy, however, and people unfamiliar with the breed are often surprised by how quick and agile the dogs are. Its long, thick, strikingly corded white coat (the heaviest amount of fur in the canine world) resembles dreadlocks or a mop. The puppy coat is soft and fluffy. However, the coat is wavy and tends to curl as the puppy matures. A fully mature coat is formed naturally from the soft undercoat and the coarser outer coat combining to form tassels, or cords. Some help is needed in separating the cords so the dog does not turn into one large matted mess. The length of the cords increases with time as the coat grows. Shedding is very minimal with this breed, contrary to what one might think (once cords are fully formed). The only substantial shedding occurs as a puppy before the dreadlocks fully form. The Komondor is born with only a white coat, unlike the similar-looking Puli, which is usually white, black or sometimes grayish. However, a working Komondor's coat may be discolored by the elements, and may appear off-white if not washed regularly.

Angora Rabbit

The Angora rabbit is a variety of domestic rabbit bred for its long, soft hair. The Angora is one of the oldest types of domestic rabbit, originating in Ankara , Turkey , along with the Angora cat and Angora goat. The rabbits were popular pets with French royalty in the mid 1700s, and spread to other parts of Europe by the end of the century. They first appeared in the United States in the early 1900s. They are bred largely for their long wool, which may be removed by shearing or plucking (gently pulling loose wool). There are many individual breeds of Angora rabbits, four of which are ARBA recognized. Such breeds include, French, German, Giant, English, Satin, Chinese, Swiss, Finnish, to name a few.

Red Panda

The Red Panda, Ailurus fulgens ("shining cat," from a Latinized form of the Greek, ailouros, "cat," and the participial form of the Latin fulgere, "to shine") is a mostly herbivorous mammal, slightly larger than a domestic cat (55 cm long). The Red Panda has semi-retractile claws and, like the Giant Panda, has a "false thumb" which is really an extension of the wrist bone. Thick fur on the soles of the feet offers protection from cold and hides scent glands. The Red Panda is native to the Himalayas in Nepal and southern China . The word panda is derived from Nepalese word "ponya" which means bamboo and plants eating animals in Nepal .

Sloth

Sloths are medium-sized mammals that live in Central and South America belonging to the families Megalonychidae and Bradypodidae, part of the order Pilosa. Most scientists call these two families the Folivora suborder, while some call it Phyllophaga. Sloths are omnivores. They may eat insects, small lizards and carrion, but their diet consists mostly of buds, tender shoots, and leaves. Sloths have made extraordinary adaptations to an arboreal browsing lifestyle. Leaves, their main food source, provide very little energy or nutrition and do not digest easily: sloths have very large, specialized, slow-acting stomachs with multiple compartments in which symbiotic bacteria break down the tough leaves. As much as two-thirds of a well-fed sloth's body-weight consists of the contents of its stomach, and the digestive process can take as long as a month or more to complete. Even so, leaves provide little energy, and sloths deal with this by a range of economy measures: they have very low metabolic rates (less than half of that expected for a creature of their size), and maintain low body temperatures when active (30 to 34 degrees Celsius or 86 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit), and still lower temperatures when resting. Sloths mainly live in Cecropia trees.

Emperor Tamarin

The Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator) is a tamarin allegedly named for its similarity with the German emperor Wilhelm II. The name was first intended as a joke, but has become the official scientific name. This tamarin lives in the southwest Amazon Basin , in east Peru , north Bolivia and in the west Brazilian states of Acre and Amazonas. The fur of the Emperor Tamarin is predominantly grey colored, with yellowish speckles on its chest. The hands and feet are black and the tail is brown. Outstanding is its long, white mustache, which extends to both sides beyond the shoulders. The animal reaches a length of 24 to 26 cm, plus a 35 cm long tail. It weighs approximately 300 to 400 g. This primate inhabits tropical rain forests, living deep in the forest and also in open tree-covered areas. It is a diurnal animal, spending the majority of its days in the trees with quick, safe movements and broad jumps among the limbs.

White-faced Saki Monkey

The White-faced Saki (Pithecia pithecia), also known as the Guianan Saki and the Golden-faced Saki, is a species of saki monkey, a type of New World monkey, found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. This monkey mostly feed on fruits, but also nuts, seeds, and insects.

Tapir

Tapirs are large browsing mammals, roughly pig-like in shape, with short, prehensile snouts. They inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia . All four species of tapir are classified as endangered or vulnerable. Their closest relatives are the other odd-toed ungulates, horses and rhinoceroses.

Hagfish

Hagfish are marine craniates of the class Myxini, also known as Hyperotreti. Despite their name, there is some debate about whether they are strictly fish (as there is for lampreys), since they belong to a much more primitive lineage than any other group that is commonly defined fish (Chondrichthyes and Osteichthyes). Their unusual feeding habits and slime-producing capabilities have led members of the scientific and popular media to dub the hagfish as the most "disgusting" of all sea creatures. Hagfish are long, vermiform and can exude copious quantities of a sticky slime or mucus (from which the typical species Myxine glutinosa was named). When captured and held by the tail, they escape by secreting the fibrous slime, which turns into a thick and sticky gel when combined with water, and then cleaning off by tying themselves in an overhand knot which works its way from the head to the tail of the animal, scraping off the slime as it goes. Some authorities conjecture that this singular behavior may assist them in extricating themselves from the jaws of predatory fish. However, the "sliming" also seems to act as a distraction to predators, and free-swimming hagfish are seen to "slime" when agitated and will later clear the mucus off by way of the same travelling-knot behavior.

Star-nosed Mole

The Star-nosed Mole (Condylura cristata) is a small North American mole found in eastern Canada and the north-eastern United States . It is the only member of the tribe Condylurini and the genus Condylura. It lives in wet lowland areas and eats small invertebrates, aquatic insects, worms and molluscs. It is a good swimmer and can forage along the bottoms of streams and ponds. Like other moles, this animal digs shallow surface tunnels for foraging; often, these tunnels exit underwater. It is active day and night and remains active in winter, when it has been observed tunnelling through the snow and swimming in ice-covered streams. Little is known about the social behavior of the species, but it is suspected that it is colonial.
The Star-nosed Mole is covered in thick blackish brown water-repellent fur and has large scaled feet and a long thick tail, which appears to function as a fat storage reserve for the spring breeding season. Adults are 15 to 20 cm in length, weigh about 55 g, and have 44 teeth. The mole's most distinctive feature is a circle of 22 mobile, pink, fleshy tentacles at the end of the snout. These are used to identify food by touch, such as worms, insects and crustaceans.

Proboscis Monkey

Nasalis larvatus also known as Long-nosed Monkey is a reddish-brown arboreal Old World monkey. It is the only species in monotypic genus Nasalis. The most distinctive trait of this monkey is the male's large protruding nose. The purpose of the large nose is unclear, but it has been suggested that it is a result of sexual selection. The female Proboscis Monkey prefers big-nosed male s, thus propagating the trait. Males are much larger than females, reaching 72 cm (28 inches) in length, with an up to 75 cm tail, and weighing up to 24 kg (53 pounds). Females are up to 60 cm long, weighing up to 12 kg (26 lb). The Proboscis Monkey also has a large belly, as a result of its diet. Its digestive system is divided into several parts, with distinctive gut flora, which help in digesting leaves. This digestive process releases a lot of gas, resulting in the monkey's "bloated" bellies. A side-effect of this unique digestive system is that it is unable to digest ripe fruit, unlike most other simians. The diet consists mainly of fruits, seeds and leaves.

Pink Fairy Armadillo

The Pink Fairy Armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus) or Pichiciego is the smallest species of armadillo (mammals of the family Dasypodidae, mostly known for having a bony armor shell). It is approximately 90-115 mm long excluding the tail, and is pale rose or pink in color. It is found in central Argentina where it inhabits dry grasslands and sandy plains with thorn bushes and cacti. It has the ability to bury itself completely in a matter of seconds if frightened.
The Pink Fairy Armadillo burrows small holes near ant colonies in dry dirt. It feeds mainly on ants and ant larvae near its burrow. Occasionally it feeds on worms, snails, insects and larvae, or various plant and root material.