How Much is Your Health Worth?

"Health should not be something you wanna put a price tag on. Do whatever it takes to get into better health, not for today, tomorrow or next week. But for the years to come and the times you really wanna be in health to enjoy the sweet and precious moments." Jeffrey Ong, Lifestyle Consultant

Have you heard of people who frequently or casually say "We only live once", "Life is short", or even "We all die anyways"? I have. And I had been once of those who say it on a daily basis.

We can't tell how long we'll live, or short our straws are...
So why not take a good bet on our health and make it count?

While that maybe true, the big question is really "What if you were given a longer life than others? You couldn't die as early as you think, what then?" That question struck me over half a year ago, when I witness a family relative passed away while suffering major health complications.

We often take things for granted, especially our health, don't we? We get influenced by others who don't know the value of their own lives, and we start putting a price tag on ours. We eat cheap, work long hours, sleep less, exercise rarely and yet we expect to live healthy. You don't? Good for you then. I'm talking to the ones who don't, but complain about their health every now and then.

If you can work them all, then you'll be truly health.
But even 1/3 of that is a good start.

Everything we do, affects our health

My health coach once told me, "You can't expect to buy a gym membership, not doing anything and hoping you'll slim down or buff up. A few classes don't cut it either." Ring a bell, people?

There's lot of information online and there a number of qualified health advisors and coaches. Don't just ask for information, and store it away. Don't say it's expensive, when really what lies ahead is in the values of longevity over the next few decades.

Stop falling back into the trick of price tagging solutions and looking for the cheapest way out. WAKE UP, there is NO SHORTCUT to health. HEALTH IS NOT CHEAP. If it is, wouldn't everyone be healthy today? Wouldn't organic food be more affordable? Think about it!

It's like comparing Bata shoes to Zara shoes. Preve to Mercedes Benz. Kelisa to Mini Cooper.      (No offense to Bata, Proton or Perodua fans)

How much has surgical operations and medicine fees increased over the recent years? Would you prefer to go onto the hospital bed? Or would you like to take some preventive measures starting now?

Look it up yourself at one of a published article: Rising Pressure of Healthcare CostIt is believed that medical inflation is going at about the average of 12% per annum - High Medical Inflation Rates

What you do today - eat, live, work or sleep - doesn't affect tomorrow, the day after or next week. It might not even do anything next month. But it'll come back to you in the most unwanted circumstances through compounded effects, with interest. Look around us, especially those in the late 30s, mid 40s or early 50s. How many of them are in good shape? Ask yourself then, what condition would you like to be in when you're at 50?

Which situation would you rather be in when you're 50 and above?

My point is, being healthy takes effort, some money and a change of lifestyle. Would you place a price tag on your life? How much would your life be worth?

Here's some freebies for you, all the way from Harvard School of Public Health:
Healthy Eating Pyramid

News Print Still Going Strong

I was listening to BFM radio this morning when I heard Phillip Karuppiah (CEO of TheMalayMail) talking about some insights in regards to his company. They set to release their renewed news prints (prints and online) coming 30th January 2012. They'll be kicking off at RM1.00 per copy. I think that's a pretty fair and competitive price as compared to TheStar (selling from RM1.20 per copy).

According to Phillip, there's still a need for the prints and it won't die off that easily. Even with the online heat, hard copy is still preferred by many, especially those that goes for morning coffee. Honestly, I think that's pretty true. No matter how good things are in the Net, nothing beats good ol' school hard copy print outs. I'd still prefer to sit at a cafe browsing mags or papers, over eReading on smart devices. It may not be as quickly updated as the online content, but one thing's for sure is that what's printed stays printed, and can't be altered. And it's already printed (like duh~!) so I just need to keep a copy of it, rather than trying to find a printer when I need one.

As how print ads are still ongoing, I think newspapers regardless of which it is, will continue to stay strong, so long the content is compelling, factual, non-biased and perhaps opinionated (Personally, I think it's good to display one's perspective and views on a certain event or occasion, rather than just publishing what everyone else is publishing).

"As the world progresses digitally, the needs for analogue material keeps growing at the same time." DSLR vs Film / Polaroids, Wireless vs Wired, Email vs Post Mail, eNews vs Newspaper, & etc.

Conclusion: news print (like any other analogue materials) will inevitably continue on and will grow stronger in demand.



Enough of my thoughts, what's your take on this? Are you pro-digital news or are you still hooked up on the good newspaper prints? Share with me!

CNY Show Schedule @ Midvalley

There'll be a number of shows at MidValley for CNY 2012, from the 5th January all the way to the 29th January. You'll be seeing melodious musical, beautiful acrobatic showcases, awesome Chinese drumming and of course not forgetting the majestic Lion dance!!


Enjoy the show, snap some pictures (suitable for photogs and photo-hobbyist), and be part of the CNY celebration at MidValley!

6th (Fri)
Musical Duo - 1.00pm - South Court
Musical Duo - 7.00pm - North Court

7th (Sat)
Musical Duo - 11.30am - Centre Court
Acrobatic Lion Dance - 2.30pm - Centre Court
Talk by Wong of Feng Shui - 4.00pm - Centre Court
Musical Duo - 7.00pm - South Court
18 Season Drums - 8.00pm - Centre Court

8th (Sun)
Musical Duo - 11.30am - Centre Court
Dragon Dance - 2.30pm - Centre Court
Musical Duo - 7.00pm - North Court
Acrobatic Lion Dance - 8.00pm - Centre Court

9th (Mon)
Musical Duo - 1.00pm - Centre Court
Musical Duo - 7.00pm - South Court

10th (Tue)
Musical Duo - 1.00pm - Centre Court
Musical Duo - 7.00pm - North Court

11th (Wed)
Musical Duo - 1.00pm - Centre Court
Musical Duo - 7.00pm - South Court

12th (Thu)
Musical Duo - 1.00pm - Centre Court
Musical Duo - 7.00pm - North Court

13th (Fri)
Musical Duo - 1.00pm - Centre Court
Musical Duo - 7.00pm - South Court
18 Season Drums - 8.00pm - Centre Court

14th (Sat)
Acrobatic - 11.30am - Centre Court
Acrobatic Lion Dance - 2.30pm - Centre Court
Musical Instrument - 3.00pm - East Entrance Lobby
Talk by Wong of Feng Shui - 4.00pm - Centre Court
Acrobatic - 5.00pm - South Court
Acrobatic - 7.00pm - North Court
Dragon Dance - 8.00pm - Centre Court
Culture Dance - 8.30pm - East Entrance Lobby

15th (Sun)
Acrobatic - 11.30am - Centre Court
18 Season Drums - 2.30pm - Centre Court
Musical Instrument - 3.00pm - East Entrance Lobby
Acrobatic - 5.00pm - South Court
Acrobatic - 7.00pm - North Court
Acrobatic Lion Dance - 8.00pm - Centre Court
Culture Dance - 8.30pm - East Entrance Lobby

16th (Mon)
Musical Duo - 1.00pm - Centre Court
Musical Duo - 7.00pm - South Court

17th (Tue)
Musical Duo - 1.00pm - Centre Court
Musical Duo - 7.00pm - North Court

18th (Wed)
Musical Duo - 1.00pm - Centre Court
Musical Duo - 7.00pm - South Court

19th (Thu)
Musical Duo - 1.00pm - Centre Court
Musical Duo - 7.00pm - North Court
18 Season Drums - 8.00pm - Centre Court


20th (Fri)
Musical Duo - 1.00pm - Centre Court
18 Season Drums - 2.30pm - Centre Court
Musical Duo - 7.00pm - South Court
Acrobatic Lion Dance - 8.00pm - Centre Court

21st (Sat)
Acrobatic - 11.30am - Centre Court
Acrobatic Lion Dance - 2.30pm - Centre Court
Acrobatic - 5.00pm - South Court
Acrobatic - 7.00pm - North Court
Dragon Dance - 8.00pm - Centre Court

22nd (Sun)
Musical Duo - 11.00am - Centre Court
18 Season Drums - 2.30pm - Centre Court
Musical Quartet - 8.00pm - Centre Court

23rd (Mon)
Acrobatic Lion Dance - 2.30pm - Centre Court
Musical Quartet - 8.00pm - Centre Court

24th (Tue)
Dragon Dance - 2.30pm - Centre Court
Musical Quartet - 8.00pm - Centre Court

25th (Wed)
Musical Duo - 2.30pm - Centre Court
Musical Quartet - 8.00pm - Centre Court

26th (Thu)
Musical Duo - 2.30pm - Centre Court
Musical Quartet - 8.00pm - Centre Court

27th (Fri)
18 Season Drums - 2.30pm - Centre Court
Musical Quartet - 8.00pm - Centre Court

28th (Sat)
Musical Duo - 11.30am - Centre Court
Acrobatic Lion Dance - 2.30pm - Centre Court
Musical Quartet - 8.00pm - Centre Court

29th (Sun)
18 Season Drums - 2.30pm - Centre Court
Talk by Lilian Too - 3.00pm - Centre Court
Musical Quartet - 8.00pm - Centre Court



*Events are subject to change without prior notice.

Download a copy of the show schedule here.

PORN IS NOT GLAMOROUS! GET THE FACTS RIGHT!

Porn Industry Statistics

• 36 porn stars died that we know of from HIV, suicide, homicide and drugs between 2007 and 2010.
• 66% of porn performers have Herpes, a non-curable disease.
• 2,396 cases of Chlamydia and 1,389 cases of Gonorrhea reported among performers since 2004.
• Over 100 straight and gay performers died from AIDS.
• 26 cases of HIV reported by Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation (AIM), since 2004.
• 70% of sexually transmitted infections in the porn industry occur in females according to County of Los Angeles Public Health.
• Chlamydia and Gonorrhea among performers is 10x greater than that of LA County 20-24 year olds.
• The largest group viewing online pornography is ages 12 to 17.
• More than 11 million teens regularly view porn online.
• There are 4.2 million pornographic websites, 420 million pornographic web pages, and 68 million daily search engine requests.
• 50% of men and 20% of women in the church regularly view porn.
• Of 1351 pastors surveyed, 54% had viewed Internet pornography within the last year.
• Of all known child abuse domains, 48 percent are housed in the United States.
• At the 2003 meeting of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a gathering of the nation’s divorce lawyers, attendees revealed that 58% of their divorces were a result of a spouse looking at excessive amounts of pornography online.
• Child pornography is one of the fastest growing businesses online, and the content is becoming much worse. In 2008, Internet Watch Foundation found 1,536 individual child abuse domains.
• Worldwide pornography revenue in 2006 was $97.06 billion. Of that, approximately $13 billion was in the United States.

Seconds thoughts of porn stars now? Even the religious people aren’t that holy after all (and that’s the US only). For those that think about how awesome having sexual intercourse that earns you big bucks, think again! They’ve got more worries than you’ll ever have at your comfortable desk, office or home!

Source: www.shellylubben.com

Smoking is Bad for Your Lungs, But Did You Know...

That smoking has an even bigger damage to other parts of the body? Here's something for the guys to think about! Imagine this... You with your lady, the one that you've been dreaming about all the while; both of you are getting along so well, that you've somewhat ended up on the bed (whether it's yours or hers, or somewhere else); you're both in the sensational heat of the intercourse, BUT!! somehow somewhat you're ain't there at all... Now that's the side effect of smoking!!

Turns out that human chimney you’re dating may actually be less of a stud than his healthier compatriots. It’s no secret that smoking clogs the arteries, including those that fill the penis with blood at that critical moment. This means smokers may have a harder time rising to the occasion. Bet he quits now!

Muahaha! Smokers, beware of the consequences~! Not so cool now with the huffs and puffs eh?

Read more @ www.ivillage.com

Do Men Really Think About Sex ALL the Time?

I saw this interesting write up about "Everything You've (Ladies) Wanted to Know About Guys, But Were Afraid to Ask" and decide to share a particular infamous question amongst the many ladies...

Women love throwing the whole “Men think about sex every seven seconds” in guys’ faces, but is that actually true? Not exactly. A study by the National Health and Social Life Survey said 54 percent of men think about sex every day or several times a day (compared to 19 percent of women). However, in a recent study by the Kinsey Institute of 1,009 heterosexual middle-aged and older couples in long-term (average 25 years) relationships, women are the ones who value sex the most in a relationship, while men want more cuddling, aww.

True that! Guys are getting more sentimental, and girls are more... straight-to-the-point? What's your say on it? =D


Read More @ www.ivillage.com

Inspiration, Aspiration, Motivation, & Realization

Came across these 4 words before? Do you know that these 4 words are interrelated? In fact, you'll actually find them to be interchangeable at some time. In order to complete a milestone, accomplish a goal, achieve the desired results, stand at the peak of success and etc., one would require to understand these 4 terms. They are what defines one's journey or path from one end to the other. Without either or any of them, one would either be stuck halfway or one would have never gone far beyond the few steps taken.

What do you aspire to be?
What inspires you?
What motivates you?
What made you realize it? / How do you realize it?

Between Inspiration and Aspiration, some find it hard to tell apart from one another. While others are just not bothered about what they are. One day, you'd be asked "What are your aspirations in life?" or "What are your life's inspiration?", or both. What and how would you answer?

Between Inspiration and Motivation, many wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two due to they both share in common. "Aren't they the same thing?" The answer is Yes and No. Logically looking at how it has been used interchangeably, they simply mean the desire/force to do something. But are they really the same?

Between Aspiration and Realization, it's pretty easy to determine eh? Simply because one is To-Be/To-Do and the other is Been or Be-ing/Done or Do-ing. Sounds easy? So have you realized your aspiration? If you're reading this, most likely it's a "Hahaha, I'm on the way!" or "Errr, still looking around". If your answer's the former or somewhat similar, then "Congratulations! I'll see ya at the finishing line! We'll cheers to that!" But if your answer's the latter, I'd suggest you to wake up from your fantasy / dreamy world to reality that you've got bills to pay, people to take of care, and that you better start picking up the pace! So, which answer have you?

Alright, enough of the trivial questions (I'd be glad if it wasn't) and let's go into the real deal here. We'll be going through a series of definition (No it's not going to be from the Oxford dictionary. Rather it'll be from experience.) based on situations that we're mostly familiar with.

Inspiration:
Ever feel the need to rush / run to the toilet just because your stomach had a pinch in the inside? No, that's not inspiration. Inspiration's something (usually a solid reason) that one going on doing something that's different from usual. For example, a young lad who wants to be a fire fighter, after seeing a heroic fireman saving an old lady from a burning building. That heroic fireman, or that heroic action is the inspiration for the lad's journey on being a fire fighter. It's the kick-start factor, that usually leads to a long-term path towards that the specific something (goal).

Motivation:
Same definition as Inspiration? No. As compared to Inspiration, Motivation would mostly be the reason as to why one would continue doing something (after a period of time). Motivation may get one started in working up something, but unlike Inspiration, it requires one to "re-visit" (or "repeat") it, otherwise, it'll just "burn out" or (fade-away). In other words, Motivation is what keeps one's Inspiration "alive", and without Inspiration, Motivation doesn't have much affect on the things you do. A good scenario is which I'd come across before. When back in junior school, music captured my attention and I was inspired to take up music and make it a career path. Appearance of celebrities like Wang Lee Hom (a big fan of his), Christina Aguilera (love her voice), and etc, motivated me to practice the pieces and score sheets. Then, I found friends who are great in guitars, keyboards, and drums, and it pull me more into spending time on practicing music. In time, I was transferred to another school, and had lesser and lesser time to meet up with the gang. And so I practice lesser and lesser. Before I knew it, I'd let go of the acoustic guitar (it's kept away) and celebrities on TV just became people on TV. So what I'm trying to say is that good friends (motivating factor) or the lack of enthusiasm in music (another motivating factor), the inspiration of going into the music industry just "dies" off.

Now, some of you might be asking, "So, a motivation can also be an inspiration?". Not really, it's not like smoking where your friends tell you to smoke, you tried and you get addicted to it. No, motivation and addiction is on two separate pages. If your friend ask you to do voluntary work, and you obliged to it (well, I'll be damn sure that you'll agree to it if you're a guy and the person who ask you is a HOT girl, or the other opposite gender around), that's the Motivation there, the charms. But hey, if the voluntary work is cleaning up after elderlies at the old folk's home, would you continue on? Some say 'Yes', some say 'No'. I bet the 'Yes' is due to the Motivation there. But if I take away the motivating factor there, would you still continue? If your answer is 'No', then you should know what's the difference between Motivation and Inspiration. If your answer is 'Yes', well then, I believe you've found your inspiration that made you continue on. Another scenario is Studying with "Benefits" (Motivation factor) at the end. Unless you want to be the next Einstein or Plato, I believe there's nobody who'd like to do academic studies, BUT you'd do it if you were paid for it, or if you were promised an XBOX, iPhone, Alienware or a Burberry accessory. Take the Motivation factor away and voila, you stop studying like a machine without electrical power.

In short, without Motivation, Inspiration can still get you going on, but perhaps at a slower rate to reach where you're targeting. But if there was no Inspiration to begin with, and you lost your Motivation along the way, you'll immediately stop what you're doing.

Aspiration:
"I want to be the world's greatest Formula 1 racer!" Heard of that? Yeah, then the next thing you hear, especially back then, when it was a trend everywhere... engines roaring, tires screeching, and then BAAAAANNNGGG!!! Well, that's not my point. What I meant was the person you want to be, that's Aspiration. And yes, Aspiration is a synonym to Ambition. So, have you gotten the answer to the first question I asked?

Realization:
This word here is a little tricky, as the meaning tend to change strongly depending what phase/stage/situation you are at. If you're at the beginning (or in the midst) of something, Realization simply means you've gain awareness or you're fully aware of a fact that determines the direction, the goals, or your understanding of the plan. However, if you're at the middle or at the end of something, it simple means you're doing (realizing) your work, or you've completed (realized) the designated work. So Realization covers from the act of gaining awareness, to make it real and keeping it real. A good example of understanding what I meant would be, "Have you realized it?" could you referring to "Have you noticed it?" or "Have you done it?"


Understanding these doesn't necessarily means that you're done with it, or that you've achieved something great. That goes with saying, "You've only successfully understood what was told. Doesn't mean you're at success." This only provides you with mere understanding and how to distinguish them. However, making full use of this knowledge will bring you somewhere greater than you think - Kick start your Aspiration with Inspiration, with the support of Motivation, in order to achieve Realization in whatever you do or plan.

I wish you success in whatever you do.

"Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm"
-Sir Winston Churchill-

Instant Messaging Tools Increase Productivity

Back a few weeks ago, I received an email from Ms Chew from Webershandwick. What's the email about? Well apparently it's in regards of a press release by Windows Live survey revealing the use of Instant Messenger (IM).

KUALA LUMPUR, November 12, 2009 — A recent poll conducted by Microsoft’s Windows Live showed that people in Southeast Asia use Instant Messenger (IM) programs for just about everything, from communicating with colleagues, gossiping, asking people on dates, and even resigning from their jobs.

According to the online survey of over 1,400 people in Southeast Asia, 94 per cent of respondents use Instant Messenger to communicate socially, whilst 54 per cent also use it at work.

“Typing out an IM is much faster than sending an email or picking up the phone. IM is a much easier tool to use to speak with colleagues, bosses and even clients, and it allows me to send documents and discuss specific visuals in real-time,” said Mr. Kelvin Khoo, Steel Trader.

As I read the press release, I learnt that indeed IM has grown into a vast communication tools used in offices, colleges or even in public areas. Because IM not only allows quick communications, it also allows file transfer and document sharing within the network, thus increasing employee efficiency (in the context of academic performance, it increases the productivity of students when doing their assignment or research)

Now here's another question:
Are Southeast Asians more romantic on Messenger?

An overwhelming number of people in Southeast Asia (86.5%) surveyed said that they would use Instant Messenger to ask someone out on a date, whilst a small number (6.8%) even said they would propose online. Interestingly, whilst most people think it’s acceptable to ask someone out online, only a third of respondents (33.3%) would actually break up with someone over IM.

“Being on Instant Messenger or even SMS gives you the chance to say things you would hesitate to say during face to face conversations. It’s easier to flirt or ask someone out, as they can’t really see how nervous you are on the other end” said Mr. Tan.

When reading the article, I actually liked the statistics. It's rather interesting to read on... Moreover, it's useful not only for my own benefits, but also to my friends. Alright, I'll show you some statistics, and see whether or not you agree on it.

When people in Southeast Asia aren’t busy flirting or asking others out online, they use Instant Messaging tools for functional purposes, such as making plans (52%), confirming what to eat for dinner (42%) and exchanging documents (60.5%).

• 31.8% of respondents said they have typed furiously on their IM just to look busy at work
• Only 46.9% of respondents are actually busy when their online status says they are. The rest of the time, they’re either trying to look busy, trying to avoid talking to someone or just aren’t in the mood for chat.
• 54.1% of respondents use Instant Messenger to talk to their potential love interests, whilst only 18.4 per cent use Instant Messenger to talk to their spouse or partners.
• A small group of respondents (6.8%) think it is perfectly acceptable to propose via Instant Messenger.
• 7% of respondents would resign from their jobs or fire someone from their jobs over IM.
• The majority of respondents (75%) use Instant Messenger as it helps them save on their phone bills.

So what do you think of IM now?

Gigapixel

Not a new technology whatsoever, but what it is about a digital image that contains more than a billion pixels (1 thousand Mega pixels). I found a site that is very much dealing with gigapixel photograhy, which is Gigapixel Photography Inc.

Seriously, it's something so awesome, I don't think there's a word to describe it. Take a look for yourself on what they have to show in their gallery:

• Concrete Pour
• Garibaldi Park Snowshoe
• Rose Marry
• Vancouver Yaletown Condos

Do check them out!
To find out more about what gigapixel is or what they do, visit here.

Easter Play: Paroimia @ FGA Church, KL

Two Fridays ago, I attended an Easter Play called Paroimia at FGA Church, KL. The invitation was from both my family and Samantha. At first I was reluctant to go, because I'm not really a fan of church stuffs. The reason I went, was because of Samantha and WaiHong (whom I persuaded to go) and Chris (last minute decision to go). But at last I was glad I went there. The play was fantastic - so much energy and passion poured into the play. I'd say they even be good enough to set up a play in KLPAC if they could afford it!

They were studying the showlist...

That's my friend too, Macarios =)

Yesh, a sticker which acts as a visitor pass =)

He appeared during the opening of the show,
and also in the middle of the show..
He's got a good voice to act as a screamer.. =P

This is the scene where the Evil side appears,
and mocks the Good side..

Yeah, he looks good, but he ain't..
He persuades people to only have fun and
forget everything else..
A good role played by this guy..

I think her casting name is Emilia, if not mistaken..
She plays a sweet and innocent girl,
but was led into trouble by her curiosity
and naive-nature.
She fits the character perfectly..

The prince was to requested to give up fame and title,
as a sacrificial to save the people in suffer..
He was reluctant at first, but with proper
reasoning, he soon stepped down willingly..

This is where the Prince was seated earlier..

This is one of the last parts of the play..
All sorts of stunts and gestures were portrayed.
I couldn't catch the last part.. =(

At the end, all the casting crew appeared to the crowd,
to receive their honourable applause.. =P
The guy 3rd from the top right is the director..
Seriously he is brilliant and creative..
Love this play!

Wasn't me, but everyone else in the crowd who were watching..
Everyone there, LOVES IT!

The whole play was absolutely brilliant. Instead of bringing out the old stories that most of us would have probably heard, they came out with an interesting fresh scenes acted out by the youths of FGA church. Though they're young, but they were all very professional. It was really a great job well done in sending an easter message to everyone who attended that night. =)

P/s: I apologize for the noisy pictures. BabyShanon couldn't handle high ISO that well. Pictures were taken in ISO400 & ISO800, f2.8 & f3.2, shutter ranging from 1/5 to 60, non with flash.

What Can You Do With This?

This is some crazy shit lens I tell you..

Some brief information

Lense Name: Sigma 200-500mm f2.8 EX DG
Weight: 35 Pounds (~11.4kg)
Focal length: 1000mm with 2x extender
Price: $24,000 (~RM91.2k)

A user had to take shots from 15-30 meters away from a fashion photography *blink blink*

This is some whacked up lense I tell you, but if I ever had one, I'd probably snap pictures 24/7 or zoom into the apartment down the street, to see what's showing on TV... or then again, I'd probably just frame it up and get stoned by staring at it every single minute, cause it would be my priced-possession-that-led-me-into-bankruptcy-wtf *grins*


Source: juzaphoto & juzaphoto

Downgrading is Expensive!

I was running through some research online, when I happen to stumble upon some news articles that wrote about Operating Systems. Here's what it is about:

Everyone's almost familiar with the term Windows Vista Operating System. Vista's the IN thing now, and XP's being almost obselete. But not so fast, I guess... According to some sources, XP Operating System will still continue on (being distributed) until next year (2010).. But it's gonna cost you to downgrade. Who'd ever thought that downgrading from Vista to XP would be even near the term expensive?

Here's something that'll show you the price

of a simple downgrade...

Feast your eyes people:

ain't it crazy??

I can buy like extra few laptops with that price!

Source: Gizmodo & Gizmodo

ITunes can be made Harmful?!!

ITunes can be used to Design, Manufacture or 

Produce Nuclear, Chemical or Biological Weapons??!!

Now I've seen it all...

What next? 

Windows Media Player, Real Media, Winamp??

Source: Gizmodo

From Short to SHORTER..

Today as I was checking some stuffs online, I came across something very interesting. Not just any URL shrinker, but a shrinker that shrinks URL way more shorter than TinyURL.com

So what's new?
Tinyarro.ws !!

So let's take a look at the difference between these two:

1. When tested with TinyURL, my blog link becomes http://tinyurl.com/ao54mh

Total characters (including http://) is 25 in length.
Characters here are in the form of alphanumeric.

2. When tested with Tinyarro.ws, my blog link becomes http://➡.ws/趴

(because of Blogger.com's limitation, please kindly copy the URL and paste it into the address bar to check it out)

Total characters (including http://) is 6 in length.
Characters here are in the form of alpha-symbols.

What's best about Tinyarro.ws, is that it's also free and there's no need for any sign up.. =) Also you can select your "arrow" symbol. I find it quite interesting. Another fascinating feature is that it allows you have a short preview (splashpage) of the real destinated URL that you're forwarded to. At the same time, it provides a short link from TinyURL.com, just in case if you're not too familiar with it.. =D

Only drawback of Tinyarro.ws, is that there is a chance of anyone ending up with a "horny turtle" symbol.. LOL!

TRY IT TODAY!
And make the best of it =P

New Course + Subjects

The world as we know has come to an era, where a new generation of nations have arised - The world of filled with bloggers: bloggers of different ages, culture, background, from almost all parts of the world..

I recon educational institutions should start

a Blogging course!

Why? How will it benefit the people? Well, let's see. Since people (young and old) today (I'm assuming mostly) like to go online, following the current trend, the latest news, online SHOPPING, and READ BLOGS, as they are more attractive, colorful, so why not open an opportunity for the young one to learn more on how to blog, how to write properly, and allow them to see for themselves what are the beneficial blogs and what are not. *grins*

What subjects could possibly be included?

Hmm, I gave it some thought *coughs*

and helped name some of the modules:

Blogitecture,

Blog Engineering,

Blog Management,

Applied Blogging,

Intelligent Blogging,

TechBlog Entrepreneurship,

Bloggership,

Hey, it may sound complicated but look at the current world we are in, ain't things complicated as it is? If they put in something interesting like blogging stuffs, heck I'm pretty sure they would be more students than rascals.n *rolls eyes*

The cost for such things may not come in cheap, but if it's truly an educational, would the "cost" of producing brighter, and advantagous bloggers who could not only, by then build, manage, or write, but also get involved in advertisements, socializing, and build international relationships. *looks far into the future* (fuiyo!)

Wouldn't that be more realistic?

Since the outcome would be very obvious?

*grins*

Using DownThemAll (Add-ons) on Mozilla Firefox

Having hard time downloading stuffs? Don't know where to get a free download accelerator? Well, here's something I can suggest for you. It's legal, it's free, it accelerates downloading, and it's integrated in your browser (only Mozilla Firefox).

Get your Mozilla Firefox here

What is this thing? It's called the DownThemAll!, the first and only add-on that is integrated into Firefox. It allows certain file downloads to pause and resume, and also multiple downloads at one go with just a simple configuration. DownThemAll! is user friendly too, so even if you're totally new to it, you will be able to use it.

Below are some guides on how to get it, and how to use it.

1. First of all, go to the menu bar of the Firefox and select Tools>Add-ons


2. Then, a pop-up appear. Select the "Get Add-ons" tab and either search for the add-on call "DownThemAll!" or click "Browse All Add-ons"


3. At the page you can search for it, and then click on "Add to Firefox"


4. A pop up will notify you of it, just wait for the "Install Now" button to be available, then click on it.


5. Allow it to install by itself. The speed of the installation depends entirely of your connection. Note: Make sure you're not loading a video, or downloading any other files at the same time.

6. Then restart Firefox once installation is completed.


7. To be on the safe side, check again whether or not it has been installed by going to Tools>Add-ons under the "Extensions" tab


8. Right-click on the desired download materials (works on most materials), and you'll find two extra menus there.


9. Select "Save link with DownThemAll!" and a pop-up appears. Browse your desired download-to location and then click "Start"


10. Another window will appear, showing you the progress of the download. At the same time, if permitted, you can pause and resume the downloading, or download other materials at the same time, using the same method (start from 7)


Hope this helps you on downloading files faster. =)


More info:
DownThemAll! (Mozilla.org) via DownThemAll.net

Twitter!

I'm pretty sure many people have heard of Twitter. To those don't know what Twitter is, I'll just briefly explain it. Twitter is a social networking and mini blogging service that allows anyone that uses it to do instant messaging with limited length of text (≈140 characters). In terms of social networking, updates of messages can be seen by everyone you're linked to. In terms of mini blogging, well it allow users to blog up short messages, for example, current situation, current status, current location, current event, etc. Also, Twitter can be used in a way that friends can leave a message for another so that they can see them the moment they're on it.

In short, Twitter answers the frequent question: What are you doing?

All that are needed:
#1 register yourself (and your blog, if you have),
#2 add/find your friends, and
#3 start writing.



There is the mobile version of Twitter, normally for those who are in need of quick access and quick post

It's easy to use, simple interface and it's FREE!

I've seen so many of my friends using it, so recently I decided to use it for myself, and hey it's really good *thumbs-up!* but to make it better, I gotta start adding friends into it. Not only I can write short messages, I can follow any of my friends messages.. Then I wouldn't be left out.. *winks* =P


Find out more about Twitter.

RWP @ KL Central

Last Saturday, there was a Read While Waiting Project (RWP) at KL Central, ongoing where there were quite a lot of supporters who attended it. What is this about? Well the project's name tells it, to get people reading while waiting, regardless of the location, time, and environment; as long as you're waiting, it is encouraged to pull out any reading materials and start reading.

So let's see how it went...

Met new friends there.. Am Happy! =D


is me!


Joshua Ong



Thomas Yap


Supporters (believe me, there's more than this)
there were 3 spots, and this is 1 of them..


some reading newpapers


some brought their novels


our spot @ front of KFC


Zain, the person who spearheaded the RWP


even after the event, people continued reading..
*claps!* good job guys!


Book lovers!


And we all went back after that...
Both Joshua and I went back by train..
but we're going to different destinations,
therefore, different platforms..

so from across the platform..
*psst, he didn't know*


he got snapped!

Read more on:
RandomActs
ReadKL
JoshuaOng

Fuel Price Dropped! Quick Fill Up now!

Remember when the fuel prices went up to RM2.70 not too long ago?

click here if you don't know
*will whoop your butt if you're a Malaysian and don't know*

Well the PM has decided to pull it (petrol) down a few days back,
by 15 sens, to RM2.55/Litre and diesel down to RM2.50/Litre.

A scheme?
Scheme to win the people's heart (before the election) or not,

YA BETTER START FUELING UP NOW...
Before they change their minds...

Haha.. just joking on this part..
*winks*

Btw, it was stated that "they" will be revising on the fuel price
every month... So they might be an increase again soon..

So whatcha doing there now??
QUICK, Go tapao (translate: pack) a few gallons
of fuel and safe keep it..

News from here, here and here.