It was a nice day - bright and sunny. Besides the great food, the organisers had lined up a number of games for the kids as well as for the adults. Had a nice time.
More pictures on my Flickr page.
31 July 2007
Malaysian Coventry Society BBQ party
Last Saturday (the 28th), the Malaysian Coventry Society organised a Barbecue party at the University of Warwick campus.
It was a nice day - bright and sunny. Besides the great food, the organisers had lined up a number of games for the kids as well as for the adults. Had a nice time.
More pictures on my Flickr page.
It was a nice day - bright and sunny. Besides the great food, the organisers had lined up a number of games for the kids as well as for the adults. Had a nice time.
More pictures on my Flickr page.
28 July 2007
Some recent important World current affairs
1. Terrorism charges against Indian doctor in Australia dropped.
Terrorism charges against Indian born doctor Mohamed Haneef has been dropped and he was been freed from custody in Australia. The charges were linked to the failed bomb attacks in the UK. He is still under home detention until a decision is made regarding his immigration status.
The Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie, called the Australian federal police, the "Keystone Cops". BBC report: Haneef terrorism charges dropped
2. India's first Woman President.
Pratibha Patil became the 13th and the first lady President of India on July 25, 2007 by the Chief Justice of India K. G. Balakrishnan. She succeeds Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. She was also previously the first female governor of the state of Rajasthan.
Read the reuters report: Pratibha Patil sworn in as India's first female president.
3. Israel frees 255 Palestinian prisoners
Those released include 11 minors and six women. None of them had been convicted of directly attacking Israelis. The release was definitely a gesture of support to Abbas against rival Hamas. Read The Guardian's report: Israel Hopes Inmate Release Boosts Abbas
However, more than 10,000 Palestinians including children still remain in Israeli prisons. Read 'Israel must release more prisoners, Fatah official says.'
The Arab league might finally recognise Israel. Read the article in Forbes 'Arab League in Jerusalem for 1st Time' and Arab envoys extend 'hand of peace' to Israel.
Terrorism charges against Indian born doctor Mohamed Haneef has been dropped and he was been freed from custody in Australia. The charges were linked to the failed bomb attacks in the UK. He is still under home detention until a decision is made regarding his immigration status.
The Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie, called the Australian federal police, the "Keystone Cops". BBC report: Haneef terrorism charges dropped
2. India's first Woman President.
Pratibha Patil became the 13th and the first lady President of India on July 25, 2007 by the Chief Justice of India K. G. Balakrishnan. She succeeds Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. She was also previously the first female governor of the state of Rajasthan.
Read the reuters report: Pratibha Patil sworn in as India's first female president.
3. Israel frees 255 Palestinian prisoners
Those released include 11 minors and six women. None of them had been convicted of directly attacking Israelis. The release was definitely a gesture of support to Abbas against rival Hamas. Read The Guardian's report: Israel Hopes Inmate Release Boosts Abbas
However, more than 10,000 Palestinians including children still remain in Israeli prisons. Read 'Israel must release more prisoners, Fatah official says.'
The Arab league might finally recognise Israel. Read the article in Forbes 'Arab League in Jerusalem for 1st Time' and Arab envoys extend 'hand of peace' to Israel.
First PPP Direct offer
I was wondering why I hadn't received any PPP Direct review offers till date when other blogs less popular and with a lower PR had. I had ranted about it earlier in my SEO Expert blog. On my wife's suggestion, I lowered the minimum offer rate from $30 to $5.
As usual my wife was right. I received an offer today and best of all, the advertiser - Mac Poker, is offering me $10 (not $5) just to put up a link on my blogroll on my sidebar. However, I wonder for how long?
As usual my wife was right. I received an offer today and best of all, the advertiser - Mac Poker, is offering me $10 (not $5) just to put up a link on my blogroll on my sidebar. However, I wonder for how long?
27 July 2007
Personalised gifts for kids
We often want to show our kids we love them by giving them a unique gift- take this Personalised Cars Lunch Bag. It can be personalized with your childs full name. They would be really proud of it and it might reduce the chance of it getting lost.
The lunch bag costs $19.95 and it comes from Identity Direct.
This online store carries over over 500 products (most of which can be personalised), for the children and the whole family. Check out the site for other great gift ideas include pencils, pencil boxes, lunch boxes, labels and even clocks and placemats.
Testing the Godin LG SP90
Our friends Mozard and Nana dropped by our house today. Mozard invited me to accompany to a guitar shop in Lemington Spa - Regent Guitars, to check out a Godin electric guitar. More specifically - the Godin LG SP90. It was pouring down and I was a bit worried that the place might be flooded. A call to the shop revealed that it was ok to go there.
The shop was not as big as I had imaged it would be. Richard, the Director took us downstairs to the basement and left us there with the guitar plugged in. Mozart got down to business right away.
Took this video while he was trying it out.
Mozard has been playing the guitar since he was a kid and really know his stuff. He thought the Godin LG SP90 was great. He recently sold off his Gibson for £750/ and was looking for an affordable but good guitar to play at home. Affordable does not usually go with good, but this seems to be it.
Mozard asked me to try it out but after watching him play, I was not going to even try my "I-am-sure-would-be-painful" rendition of Amanda by Boston.
Richard told us that it's price was £449/. However, Mozard had seen it going for a mere £300 (without shipping) on an eBay shop. That's a huge difference of £149. However, he's a bit wary of buying a guitar online without trying it out first. I can understand as £300/ is still quite a lot of money. Anyway, it was an interesting experience.
The shop was not as big as I had imaged it would be. Richard, the Director took us downstairs to the basement and left us there with the guitar plugged in. Mozart got down to business right away.
Took this video while he was trying it out.
Mozard has been playing the guitar since he was a kid and really know his stuff. He thought the Godin LG SP90 was great. He recently sold off his Gibson for £750/ and was looking for an affordable but good guitar to play at home. Affordable does not usually go with good, but this seems to be it.
Mozard asked me to try it out but after watching him play, I was not going to even try my "I-am-sure-would-be-painful" rendition of Amanda by Boston.
Richard told us that it's price was £449/. However, Mozard had seen it going for a mere £300 (without shipping) on an eBay shop. That's a huge difference of £149. However, he's a bit wary of buying a guitar online without trying it out first. I can understand as £300/ is still quite a lot of money. Anyway, it was an interesting experience.
Becca's Buzz reviewed
BeccaGirl (as she calls herself) blogs at "BeccA's Buzz". There are a few questions I would like to ask her. Like why she added another blogspot in the url and why the 'A' in the title is capitalized. Her 'profile' doesn't tell me much about herself. I guess she prefers to remain anon like a lot of other bloggers.
It's a personal blogspot blog. I like the fact that she has customized the template a bit, including a banner with pictures of herself. The Google search looks a bit odd. It might look better if it''s the same colour as the background (grey) and shorten the site name
I was going through her old posts and she has been blogging for quite sometime now (since Aug. 2005). Like me, she has definitely been blogging a lot more now and I can guess the reason. ;-) Her blog's PR is still 0 and maybe joining some link exchanges might help. I hope this review does.
It's a personal blogspot blog. I like the fact that she has customized the template a bit, including a banner with pictures of herself. The Google search looks a bit odd. It might look better if it''s the same colour as the background (grey) and shorten the site name
I was going through her old posts and she has been blogging for quite sometime now (since Aug. 2005). Like me, she has definitely been blogging a lot more now and I can guess the reason. ;-) Her blog's PR is still 0 and maybe joining some link exchanges might help. I hope this review does.
26 July 2007
Aluminium kitchen cabinets
I was going through Carguygarage.com, which as the name suggests specializes in everything that has to do with a garage from cabinets and workbenches to garage floor paint and storage systems. Looking at their range of cabinets that usually go in garages, I was thinking that they would look great in the kitchen too.
The diamond plate cabinets that are made of aluminum would really be ideal as kitchen cabinets as they will not rust or corrode. It is a matter of choice and I like the way they look - gives them a stylish modern look. However, you can have them powder coated to any color of your choice if you want.
The diamond plate cabinets that are made of aluminum would really be ideal as kitchen cabinets as they will not rust or corrode. It is a matter of choice and I like the way they look - gives them a stylish modern look. However, you can have them powder coated to any color of your choice if you want.
25 July 2007
Guest in house
My daughter is now having her summer break. She won't be going back to her playgroup when the holidays are over and instead will be moving to the nursery at the same school. However, not being at school means that she has a lot of extra energy. The first day she was jumping around everywhere and I had quite a hard time controlling her. She's not that bad as compared to some other kids I have seen though.
Fortunately she has something or should I say someone to occupy her. My wife's Italian colleague Roby flew in from Kenya last week and will be staying with us till the 1st of August. Now Rahil follows her everywhere. I try my best to stop her from going into the guest room and disturbing Roby but she will slip off when I am not watching.
Kids!
Fortunately she has something or should I say someone to occupy her. My wife's Italian colleague Roby flew in from Kenya last week and will be staying with us till the 1st of August. Now Rahil follows her everywhere. I try my best to stop her from going into the guest room and disturbing Roby but she will slip off when I am not watching.
Kids!
24 July 2007
Quality furniture site
As I have mentioned several times on this blog, I have been an Ikea fan for quite sometime. However, I can feel that my taste is slowly changing. Maybe watching too many Colin and Justin interior decoration shows on TV is having it's effect. The company produces very functional furniture that you put up yourself but somehow lacks the sophistication.
If I were a successful business man, I am not quite sure whether I would go for plywood or fibreboard furniture that I have to put together, for my office.
On the other hand, this handsome computer desk is something that I would definitely consider. It comes from the online furniture store 'Furniture From Home', which carries a range of high quality bedroom, Living Room and Home Office Furniture among others.
Their website is quite nice and it's easy for customers to shop by room, style, or color using the advanced search on the site.
If I were a successful business man, I am not quite sure whether I would go for plywood or fibreboard furniture that I have to put together, for my office.On the other hand, this handsome computer desk is something that I would definitely consider. It comes from the online furniture store 'Furniture From Home', which carries a range of high quality bedroom, Living Room and Home Office Furniture among others.
Their website is quite nice and it's easy for customers to shop by room, style, or color using the advanced search on the site.
Asian Wild Rose reviewed
A few of the guys on my review list have asked me to hurry up with their reviews. No! Not really. A few asked politely whether their blogs have been reviewed. I must confess that I have neglected it for a while but I hope to go through the whole list before the end of this month. Unless of course some new bloggers request a review as well.
Next on my list is Tracy, a blogger from Calgary, Alberta who has a blog called "Asian Wild Rose".
It has a generic looking Word Press template with a simple but nice unique banner. I am not quite sure whether the lady pictured is her. The 'about us' page mentions "we" so there might be more than one blogger.
Lot of funny posts about everything Asian (read Chinese) in Canada and Abroad. Really enjoyed going through the blog though I would have loved more pictures. It has a great number of links on the side bar but nothing wrong with that. The blogger says
Next on my list is Tracy, a blogger from Calgary, Alberta who has a blog called "Asian Wild Rose".
It has a generic looking Word Press template with a simple but nice unique banner. I am not quite sure whether the lady pictured is her. The 'about us' page mentions "we" so there might be more than one blogger.
Lot of funny posts about everything Asian (read Chinese) in Canada and Abroad. Really enjoyed going through the blog though I would have loved more pictures. It has a great number of links on the side bar but nothing wrong with that. The blogger says
Asian men are sexy and strong and I’m glad they like ME and only ME! :)
A simple way to self-publish
Are you an aspiring author but have no idea how to go about publishing your book?
You may very well be the next JK Rowling but unfortunately convincing the various, well established publishing houses otherwise may prove to be the biggest hurdle. Even if you do convince them, they might take away most of the control over the book while giving you a paltry sum as a royalty.
You may want to consider a new way of publishing a book, by Self Publishing with AuthorHouse. This leading self-publishing company was established in 1997 and have since then has helped over 25,000 authors to self publish their book.
The best part is that you as a author retain all rights and control decisions regarding the publishing and ultimate marketing of their book. After it is published you won't even have to worry about the marketing of the book as it will available for order at more than 25,000 retail outlets worldwide, online at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, well as their own online book store.
You may very well be the next JK Rowling but unfortunately convincing the various, well established publishing houses otherwise may prove to be the biggest hurdle. Even if you do convince them, they might take away most of the control over the book while giving you a paltry sum as a royalty.
You may want to consider a new way of publishing a book, by Self Publishing with AuthorHouse. This leading self-publishing company was established in 1997 and have since then has helped over 25,000 authors to self publish their book.
The best part is that you as a author retain all rights and control decisions regarding the publishing and ultimate marketing of their book. After it is published you won't even have to worry about the marketing of the book as it will available for order at more than 25,000 retail outlets worldwide, online at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, well as their own online book store.
23 July 2007
Rowling set to start another series
For those traumatised by the end of the extremely popular Harry Potter series, don't worry!
The latest rumour on the grapevine is that Rowling is working on yet another series of books - following the adventures of Ron and Hermione as they grow up and get married. There might be a TV series on the line as well.
Tags: harry potter jk rowling ronald weasley hermione granger
The latest rumour on the grapevine is that Rowling is working on yet another series of books - following the adventures of Ron and Hermione as they grow up and get married. There might be a TV series on the line as well.
Tags: harry potter jk rowling ronald weasley hermione granger
22 July 2007
Flooding in Warwickshire
Several places in Warwickshire nearby, has been hit by severe flood after rivers broke their banks at several places. The flood is said to be one of the worst in years. Several houses have been evacuated in the area and forced to spend the night in emergency centres. Thousands of cars were stranded on the M5 and drivers as well as passengers had to spend the night in the cars.
Much of Stratford-upon-Avon town centre (birthplace of William Shakespeare) in now under water as the river Avon overflowed. Performances at the Royal Shakespeare Company's (RSC) Swan Theatre were canceled as well.
Was listening to BBC radio today morning and one caller reported that she could see people canoing on what used to be the main road outside her house.
The River Leam also burst its banks and flooded parts of the town centre in Leamington Spa.
Much of Stratford-upon-Avon town centre (birthplace of William Shakespeare) in now under water as the river Avon overflowed. Performances at the Royal Shakespeare Company's (RSC) Swan Theatre were canceled as well.
Was listening to BBC radio today morning and one caller reported that she could see people canoing on what used to be the main road outside her house.
The River Leam also burst its banks and flooded parts of the town centre in Leamington Spa.
21 July 2007
My copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Oops! I should make that OUR COPY of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (my wife wants to read it first). Drove down to the nearby Morrisons and grabbed a copy. I was quite surprised because there was so many copies left. I had expected the shelves to be half empty at least. Read my post "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows price war".
There was an elderly couple in front of me at the payment counter and they were really surprised when I told them it cost only £4.99. The husband quickly ran to the display near the entrance to grab a copy for their grandchild.
"People were queuing up for it at midnight", the lady told me. "Yeah!" I replied, "they didn't need to".
Tags: harry potter harry potter and the deathly hallows morrisons
There was an elderly couple in front of me at the payment counter and they were really surprised when I told them it cost only £4.99. The husband quickly ran to the display near the entrance to grab a copy for their grandchild.
"People were queuing up for it at midnight", the lady told me. "Yeah!" I replied, "they didn't need to".
Tags: harry potter harry potter and the deathly hallows morrisons
High defnition video communication
A few years ago, only a few companies considered video conferencing. However, due to innovations in technology and faster net connections, it is something very viable. There are several advantages - you can save on travel costs (and of course the environment by reducing your carbon footprint), hotel cots and of course no jet lag.
Companies are not the only ones that can benefit from video conferencing systems. For example if you organistion is involved in the education sector and you are thinking of installing such a system, you might want to consider LifeSize's Video Conference Equipment, which delivers high definition video resolution (1280 x 720) at 1Mbps
This high definition video communications company was founded in 2003 and has it's headquarters in Austin, Texas.
Companies are not the only ones that can benefit from video conferencing systems. For example if you organistion is involved in the education sector and you are thinking of installing such a system, you might want to consider LifeSize's Video Conference Equipment, which delivers high definition video resolution (1280 x 720) at 1Mbps
This high definition video communications company was founded in 2003 and has it's headquarters in Austin, Texas.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows price war
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)
is $17.99 on Amazon.com. On the other hand, it is £8.99 on the Amazon UK site.Compare that with what UK supermarket chain Morrisons is offering. The last Harry Potter book is only £4.99 here. No! I won't be queuing up anywhere when the clock strikes midnight. However, I will be rushing there tomorrow morning and hope that there are still some copies left. If not, my next choice will be Asda where it is going for £5.
It is still £8.87 at Tesco and Sainsbury's.
Waterstone's and Woolworths are sellingit at £8.99 per copy while it is £10.99 at WH Smith.
The price war is on in Malaysia too. According to a news report, bookstores here are protesting against hypermarkets Carrefour and Tesco, slashing the price of the book from the recommended retail price of RM109.90 to RM69.90. The four major bookstores there, namely MPH, Popular, Harris and Times announced at a press conference, that they would not sell the last Harry Potter book. Cry babies!
Updated: 22 July 2007
Tags: harry potter harry potter and the deathly hallows morrisons
20 July 2007
Drink your vegetables
I have been a vegetarian (ovo-lacto) for most of my life and I have no regrets even though a lot of people always say "Pity, you are missing out on all the tasty food". Actually I am not missing out on anything.
I find it quite strange that some people hate vegetables. This natural food contains different vitamins, minerals and others, which has so many health benefits. There are so many studies that have shown that a regular vegetable intake can prevent diseases and help in controlling your weight.
If you are one of those guys who hate eating vegetables but want the good benefits of vegetables, why not try drinking them. That's the idea behind a daily dietary supplement called "My Daily Veggies" brought out by a company called Lane Labs, LLC. This company is giving away thousands of free trial packets to promote this daily nutritional supplement. You can also get 7 day My Daily Veggies Free Sample containing a total of 14 USDA servings of whole vegetables($10.00 value). They will only charge $1.00 on your credit card for shipping and handling.
If you don't want to drink it, you can easily incorporate it into one of the recipes given on the site or your own. I might try it out too.
The first interview
Just came back after attending an interview. It is the first since we moved to the UK. Technically it is the second because I was once interviewed over the phone.
It's raining cats and dogs here today and I had to walk a bit to the place where the interview was conducted. Was able to find free parking and thankfully I had my wife's umbrella.
The interviewer was nice and we had a nice discussion about online shopping and some issues before we got down to actually talking about the job. Am a bit apprehensive as he mentioned the dreaded words I hear a lot now - "You are a bit overqualified for the job but it should be OK."
I really hope I get it as I am itching to getting out to work again. The salary is nothing to shout about but would be a welcome addition to my PhD fund.
It's raining cats and dogs here today and I had to walk a bit to the place where the interview was conducted. Was able to find free parking and thankfully I had my wife's umbrella.
The interviewer was nice and we had a nice discussion about online shopping and some issues before we got down to actually talking about the job. Am a bit apprehensive as he mentioned the dreaded words I hear a lot now - "You are a bit overqualified for the job but it should be OK."
I really hope I get it as I am itching to getting out to work again. The salary is nothing to shout about but would be a welcome addition to my PhD fund.
Bowling shirts made in the USA
Most cloth manufacturers in the developed countries have now moved production to China, India and other countries where the cost of production is cheaper. It's simple economics. This is true of many American brands. However, there are a few survivors who still produce their clothes in America and proudly carry the 'Made in the US' label.
There are still many American customers who will buy these American-made products even though they are slightly costlier than those available in the local hypermarkets, for patriotic reasons. I guess the brand names have something to do with it too. People trusts the quality of the brands. A good example are the American-made retro bowling shirts and rockabilly shirts. they have loads of designs but the most popular shirts on the site happen to be the retro bowling shirts.
There are still many American customers who will buy these American-made products even though they are slightly costlier than those available in the local hypermarkets, for patriotic reasons. I guess the brand names have something to do with it too. People trusts the quality of the brands. A good example are the American-made retro bowling shirts and rockabilly shirts. they have loads of designs but the most popular shirts on the site happen to be the retro bowling shirts.
Hardy and family comes visiting
Our dearest friends, Hardy and Zaza and their cute son came visiting yesterday evening. This is the second time they are visiting the UK from Holland. However, this time they are here for a longer duration. Check out their blog 'Bringing up an AIdan and handling Holland'.
Fathers and sons
Fathers and sons
19 July 2007
European rail info site
When I was a kid in London, I had a very close friend called Marco. They were from Portugal and his mum used to work with my dad. We lost touch after we all left the UK for our respective home countries. I have always wanted to go to Portugal and find out what ever happened to him.
I suddenly remembered him as I was going through the Railshopper.com website and came across the Portugal Rail Pass Tickets. This site is ideal for searching for Europe rail passes, tickets and schedules.
I hate to be blunt but the site looks quite boring. The site needs more brightening up and more images might do the job. For example, night life pictures of Lisbon in the above mentioned Portugal page instead of that ugly looking train image.
I also suggest that they get rid of their amateurish looking logo and get one properly designed. Having said that, the site does have loads of useful info and visitors would probably come back for that.
I suddenly remembered him as I was going through the Railshopper.com website and came across the Portugal Rail Pass Tickets. This site is ideal for searching for Europe rail passes, tickets and schedules.
I hate to be blunt but the site looks quite boring. The site needs more brightening up and more images might do the job. For example, night life pictures of Lisbon in the above mentioned Portugal page instead of that ugly looking train image.
I also suggest that they get rid of their amateurish looking logo and get one properly designed. Having said that, the site does have loads of useful info and visitors would probably come back for that.
Blog overhaul required
Next on my list of blogs to review is Anylees' Wonderful. I don't want to be rude but I cringed when I opened the blog. The reason - it is the generic Blogger template that I hate the most. Nothing against the designer or against the blogger but light green dots is not just my thing. I am not really fond of that red colored font either as it makes it hard to read the posts. My suggestion to Anylee is to get a brand new template with a nice header.
Most of the posts are short and few are quite interesting. As I have always pointed out, longer original posts tend to get more comments. Some pictures to go with the blog would be a good idea. Yeah! This is true for my own blogs too. I keep telling myself that I should have an image to go with each post but so far ....
Most of the posts are short and few are quite interesting. As I have always pointed out, longer original posts tend to get more comments. Some pictures to go with the blog would be a good idea. Yeah! This is true for my own blogs too. I keep telling myself that I should have an image to go with each post but so far ....
Personalised gift site for kids
Some people feel that we need to give gifts to children only as a reward for something positive they did. According to them, this would teach them values and doing the right thing. However, I disagree as you can also give them gifts for no particular reason just to say "I love you!" Your child would definitely appreciate that.
Anyway, if you are looking for personalised gifts, there are a number of site where you can provide that personal touch. Personalised childrens' gifts ranging from lunch bags to clocks.
Anyway, if you are looking for personalised gifts, there are a number of site where you can provide that personal touch. Personalised childrens' gifts ranging from lunch bags to clocks.
About Elizabeth
Time for another blog review. This time it's Elizabeth's turn. She blogs at Table for five, a personal blog. By personal I mean that it doesn't have a specific theme and she blogs about almost anything (like this blog). I am not sure about other guys but I feel that these blogs are more interesting.
Why is the blog called Table for five? I am not sure but I think it represents her family - Elizabeth, her husband and the 3 kids. The only thing I didn't like about her blog layout / theme was the yellow background for the titles - on the posts as well as the sidebar. Makes it quite hard to read them. A darker colour would have been better.
Nothing much else I can complain about. The blog has great content. I love her "about" page, where she has listed 100 things about herself. Quite unique.
Why is the blog called Table for five? I am not sure but I think it represents her family - Elizabeth, her husband and the 3 kids. The only thing I didn't like about her blog layout / theme was the yellow background for the titles - on the posts as well as the sidebar. Makes it quite hard to read them. A darker colour would have been better.
Nothing much else I can complain about. The blog has great content. I love her "about" page, where she has listed 100 things about herself. Quite unique.
Design your own golf shoes
Are you fond of golf? I used to be a member of a golf club once but I was never that crazy enough to make my wife a golf widow. I would usually hit a few balls on the driving range and that was it. Went down to the green only a few times and yes, it's really addictive.
Anyway, even if you are not fond of golf, design MyJoys Coolest Pair on the Planet and you stand a chance to win a $1000 gift certificate. The winner will be the unique golf shoe design with the highest rank at the end of the contest.
All you have to do is go on over to the Golfballs.com site, design your customized pair of golf shoes and then post your pair of shoes on your blog/site. Then invite people to vote for your design.
Here's my design. I call it Pro Eccentrix. Should bring some color to the green.
Anyway, even if you are not fond of golf, design MyJoys Coolest Pair on the Planet and you stand a chance to win a $1000 gift certificate. The winner will be the unique golf shoe design with the highest rank at the end of the contest.
All you have to do is go on over to the Golfballs.com site, design your customized pair of golf shoes and then post your pair of shoes on your blog/site. Then invite people to vote for your design.
Here's my design. I call it Pro Eccentrix. Should bring some color to the green.
The Coca-Cola with Orange
Just noticed an ad for the new limited edition Coca-Cola with orange. According to the ad, it is available in 3 sizes, namely, 6 pack of 330ml cans, 500ml and 2 litre bottles. Later learnt that this particular limited edition is for release in the UK only. The drink contains 1% orange fruit from concentrate.I couldn't find it in the Tesco Metro outlet near my house.
Wonder how it tastes like.
18 July 2007
Finding a house in the US has become real easy
I just got to know about this great rental site called Rentals.com. Their listings include a variety of rentals including apartments, condos, townhomes, vacation rentals, and more. Said to be the most popular rental listing Web site, you can find a house in every American state. The site has loads of houses for rent, the choice is amazing.
I decided to give it a test run to check out houses available for rent in New York, more specifically for apartments. The search was quite easy and I quickly narrowed to the search down to apartments. There's an amazing number of choices but one that caught my eye was the luxury apartments in Kamson Community : Forest Hill Terrace. Not really sure about the area but the green vegetation outside the apartments really attracted me. I would have appreciated some pictures of the interior as well though.
If you are looking for a place to rent in the States, I definitely recommend this site.
I decided to give it a test run to check out houses available for rent in New York, more specifically for apartments. The search was quite easy and I quickly narrowed to the search down to apartments. There's an amazing number of choices but one that caught my eye was the luxury apartments in Kamson Community : Forest Hill Terrace. Not really sure about the area but the green vegetation outside the apartments really attracted me. I would have appreciated some pictures of the interior as well though.
If you are looking for a place to rent in the States, I definitely recommend this site.
17 July 2007
Sleeping princess
To get my daughter to sleep is quite easy, all I have to do is take her for a spin on the car and it won't be long before she dozes off.
Last Sunday afternoon, all of us went to the Pool Meadow bus station to see off Muz. His bus was going directly to Heathrow airport where he was catching a flight for Malaysia.
As we were leaving the house, my daughter made a very serious comment, "Mama, I don't think that I want to live here anymore", while shaking her head (meaning she want's to follow Muz back to Malaysia). I wanted to laugh but held myself as I didn't want to hurt her feelings. Unfortunately for my daughter, she again fell asleep and wasn't able to say bye to her favourite uncle. I say 'again' because she fell asleep when we went to pick him up too.
She was quite upset later when we got back home and found out that Muz had left, crying "I miss Ayah Muz".
We had a dinner party at our friend Lisa and Zur's place and she was quite reluctant to leave the house. Her mood improved considerably after she met some friends around her age (Lisa and Zur's kids).
At the dinner, I meet another avid photographer and blogger. Check out Mama Sarah's blog about life in the UK.
Last Sunday afternoon, all of us went to the Pool Meadow bus station to see off Muz. His bus was going directly to Heathrow airport where he was catching a flight for Malaysia.
As we were leaving the house, my daughter made a very serious comment, "Mama, I don't think that I want to live here anymore", while shaking her head (meaning she want's to follow Muz back to Malaysia). I wanted to laugh but held myself as I didn't want to hurt her feelings. Unfortunately for my daughter, she again fell asleep and wasn't able to say bye to her favourite uncle. I say 'again' because she fell asleep when we went to pick him up too.
She was quite upset later when we got back home and found out that Muz had left, crying "I miss Ayah Muz".
We had a dinner party at our friend Lisa and Zur's place and she was quite reluctant to leave the house. Her mood improved considerably after she met some friends around her age (Lisa and Zur's kids).
At the dinner, I meet another avid photographer and blogger. Check out Mama Sarah's blog about life in the UK.
15 July 2007
Baby mammoth found in Siberia
Check out this amazing video story about a 10,000-year-old preserved baby mammoth that was unearthed in May by a reindeer herder in the Yamal-Nenets region in the northern Siberia.
Will it provide some answers to the ongoing global warming debate?
Related Link: Baby mammoth discovery unveiled
Will it provide some answers to the ongoing global warming debate?
Related Link: Baby mammoth discovery unveiled
Ayah Muz visiting
Rahil's favourite uncle Ayah Muz is here visiting. He's in Uk for a business trip and after finishing his stuff, took the bus to drop by our place.
Rahil had been eagerly waiting for him and I took her along with me when I went to fetch Muz from the Pool Meadow bus station. When I reached, I found that she had already slept. She only woke up later at home. At first she was a bit shy but then she opened up soon afterwards and would not stop talking.
Rahil had been eagerly waiting for him and I took her along with me when I went to fetch Muz from the Pool Meadow bus station. When I reached, I found that she had already slept. She only woke up later at home. At first she was a bit shy but then she opened up soon afterwards and would not stop talking.
14 July 2007
Need encouragement?
Go go on over to Kay's blog - 'Howtoencourage' for some inspiring words. As she says:
One way to brighten up the blog would be to upload some pictures along with the interesting posts. I didn't go through the whole blog but I did read all the posts under the label "Encouragement for Kids". Really interesting and I would definitely try to put her advise into practice.
You never know when a moment and a few encouraging words can impact a life.The template is quite simple and the colour scheme is pleasing. However, I would have preferred it if she had increased the contrast of the text against the background. Would make it easier to read. The links on the side bar are a bit distracting and I suggest that she reduce the font size.
One way to brighten up the blog would be to upload some pictures along with the interesting posts. I didn't go through the whole blog but I did read all the posts under the label "Encouragement for Kids". Really interesting and I would definitely try to put her advise into practice.
13 July 2007
Bloody inefficient energy company
When we first moved into our house, it already had a prepaid card meter system installed for both the electricity and gas. As we preferred to be billed, our landlord had both replaced to electronic meters. The company we signed up for is supposed to be one of the biggest in the UK and has ads running on TV all the time.A few months on I was a bit worried as we hadn't received any bill as yet. Looked up their website and called up their customer service number. Was asked to push a couple of numbers one after another and I finally got a ring tone. However after several minutes nobody answered. At that time we didn't have a house phone and I was calling from my mobile - I hung up. Emailed them asking them for a bill. Received a prompt reply and they asked me to send them my meter readings. This I did.
After a few weeks I received a letter from Siemens (their official metering partner, it seems) asking me to fill up a a small form with the meter reading and send it back to them. I was a bit concerned as the letter was addressed to "New Customer" with our address but I sent it back anyway,.
Weeks went by but still no bill arrived even though we received 2 new prepayment cards. I again sent them an email and called them up too. This time I got through and explained that I had changed to a metering system. The people at the other end were quite polite but seemed to be quite clueless to what was going on and couldn't give me any satisfying answer. Was passed around a bit but finally assured that everything will be settled.
While waiting for the bill, I had the billing changed to my name rather than my wife.
I got the shock of my life when we received TWO bills in February - one for £584.57 and another for a whooping £1,193.97 (both dated 18 of Sept. 2006). The bills were addressed to the "New Customer" but both had separate account numbers listed. Around the same time, we received 2 more prepayment cards addressed to my wife.
Of course I was worried. Remember this was in Winter and we had 2 kids with us. Just imagine what would have happened if the gas and electricity were cut off.
I called them up and after being passed around a few time finally spoke to someone who told em that there had been a mistake and if I could give them the meter reading AGAIN.
Waited for some more time but the bill still didn't come. Called them up again - got passed around and I had to explain everything all over again - that we didn't have a prepayment meter, the bill was wrong as we only moved in around the end of Sept. blah blah blah.
We finally received a bill around the end of March and another in June. All the while no body came to check the meter readings, which means that our bills were estimations.
In the end, fed up with the company and after finding out that other companies were offering much cheaper rates, we shifted to EDF energy last month.
However, the story does not end there. After we moved to the new company, we have been visited by representatives from the previous company, not once but TWICE. They wanted to change our non-existent prepayment meter to the newer version.
The difference between a developing country (for example, Malaysia) and a developed country (UK) is that they are (supposed to be) more efficient and have better customer service. That is also the same argument behind the privatization of services but it seems like they have messed up everything here in the UK. Customer service is almost non-existent even though we have a number of companies to choose from.
Give me Tenaga Nasional anytime.
updated with extra info: 18 July '07
Getting yourself pierced, get quality jewelry
Someone once asked me whether I am into body piercings. I was a bit confused as to why she asked me that question until she clarified that she had noticed that my ears had been pierced. No! I am not into body piercings and the ear piercings, well that's another story.
Anyway, I noticed that body piercings are on the rise in Malaysia, especially among the urban youth. Of course when we talk about body piercings, you also have to consider the body jewelry. There's no point if you are going to get your belly pierced and put an ugly looking stud in it.
What about this 14kt White Gold Round CZ Solitaire Navel Belly Button Ring? Now we are talking. This ring costs $49.99 (retail price $119.99) and is available from Freshtrends.com, one of the leading body jewelry sites on the net. Check out their huge range of Gold Body jewelry including tongue rings, nose rings, navel rings among other quality products. Sign up with the site to receive discounts, coupons and other news via email. They offer free shipping on domestic (US) orders above $25. They also ship internationally and it's free for orders above $40 via USPS First Class Mail.
Check out the site for their weekly offers.
Anyway, I noticed that body piercings are on the rise in Malaysia, especially among the urban youth. Of course when we talk about body piercings, you also have to consider the body jewelry. There's no point if you are going to get your belly pierced and put an ugly looking stud in it.
What about this 14kt White Gold Round CZ Solitaire Navel Belly Button Ring? Now we are talking. This ring costs $49.99 (retail price $119.99) and is available from Freshtrends.com, one of the leading body jewelry sites on the net. Check out their huge range of Gold Body jewelry including tongue rings, nose rings, navel rings among other quality products. Sign up with the site to receive discounts, coupons and other news via email. They offer free shipping on domestic (US) orders above $25. They also ship internationally and it's free for orders above $40 via USPS First Class Mail.Check out the site for their weekly offers.
12 July 2007
Are you racist?
Just answer the following 10 questions with a simple "Yes!" or "No!" and we will find out.
Group A.
In Group B, a "Yes" earns 0 point and a "No" earns you 1 points.
If you score between 5 and 3, you might be racist even though you don't realise it.
If you score 2 or less, YOU ARE RACIST.
Group A.
- Do you have a friend belonging to a different race/ ethnic group/ skin colour?
- Have you had a guest belonging to a different race/ ethnic group/ skin colour in your house for a meal/ dinner in the past 6 months?
- If you were in a position to hire someone, you would choose the candidate based on ability and qualifications rather than race/ ethnic group/ skin colour?
- Do you feel offended when people make racist jokes about race/ ethnic group/ skin colour?
- Have you cracked a joke making fun of people belonging to a different race/ ethnic group/ skin colour in the past 6 months?
- Do you think that your race/ ethnic group is genetically superior than others?
- Do you think that your race/ ethnic group is superior to others because you were chosen by God?
- Do you mind living in a neighbourhood made up of mixed ethnic groups / races?
- Have you ever discriminated against someone based on their race/ ethnic group/ skin colour in the past 6 months?
- Are you a member of any organization whose membership is restricted to a particular race/ ethnic group/ skin colour?
In Group B, a "Yes" earns 0 point and a "No" earns you 1 points.
If you score between 5 and 3, you might be racist even though you don't realise it.
If you score 2 or less, YOU ARE RACIST.
11 July 2007
Personalized prepaid card for teens
Just learnt that the PAYjr Visa Buxx card was launched today. Targeted at teens (13 and older) and of course, their parents, this reloadable prepaid allow teens to personalize them by using their own images. Teens can upload images and design their own card. This is a great idea and I bet this would be a hit with many grown ups too. Any credit card companies listening?
PAYjr is also running a card design competition. Teenagers can upload their own card designs on the site. Other people can vote for their favorite designs. The winners stands to win an Apple Macbook among other prizes. Check the site for more details.
PAYjr is also running a card design competition. Teenagers can upload their own card designs on the site. Other people can vote for their favorite designs. The winners stands to win an Apple Macbook among other prizes. Check the site for more details.
Blog review update
When I made the offer to review blogs for free, I didn't realise that I would be deluged by requests. Slowly going through them one by one as I want to do a good job.
Given below is the list of blogs I still have to review:
Thanks,
Given below is the list of blogs I still have to review:
http://howtoencourage.blogspot.com/http://table4five.net/http://anylee-anylee.blogspot.com/http://www.asianwildrose.ca/http://beccagirlblogspot.blogspot.com/http://harrymcfryinvestigates.blogspot.com/http://chatbugkaren.com/myroad/http://ryansqueerbent.blogspot.com/http://www.mythailanddiary.com/http://www.mylittletribe.com/- http://www.investorblogger.com/
- http://afrogtokiss.net/
http://wireblissmei.blogspot.com/- http://waitingforcoffee.blogspot.com/
http://www.imbloggingthat.com/http://chickpealove.com/blog- http://firetruckpony.blogspot.com/ (Can't review because it's only for invited viewers)
http://www.preyanka.com/- http://wolfsperspective2.blogspot.com/
- http://enjoydeals.blogspot.com
- http://www.realitytvfan.org/
- http://infinitelycrazy.blogspot.com/
- http://jokingblog.blogspot.com/
- http://growingasmallbusiness
.blogspot.com/ - http://randomtopic.dakotablogs.com/
Thanks,
10 July 2007
Just Jayme reviewed
I am going through the blog reviews one by one on a "first come, first serve" basis and I don't know how, but I somehow missed Jayme who blogs at Just Jayme. Sorry about that.
Her blog template is proof that a blogspot blog doesn't have to have the boring generic template. I would have liked it if her font was a little bigger. From my informal research I have found that small fonts might turn away a lot of people, especially those with bad eyesight. As I have mentioned earlier, all we have to do is hit the 'Ctrl and +' key but a lot of people are obviously not aware of that. She has a lot of nice pics on her Flickr page and she should put some of them up on her blog. As they say, a picture says a thousand words.
She's been blogging for almost the same time as me, since June 2003. It's a personal blog and she blogs about her husband of 7 years, her daughter and life in general. Much like mine. It's a nice blog and I am wondering why the PR is only 2. Jayme probably needs to do some social networking and marketing her blog. Getting her blog reviewed is a step in the right direction.
Her blog template is proof that a blogspot blog doesn't have to have the boring generic template. I would have liked it if her font was a little bigger. From my informal research I have found that small fonts might turn away a lot of people, especially those with bad eyesight. As I have mentioned earlier, all we have to do is hit the 'Ctrl and +' key but a lot of people are obviously not aware of that. She has a lot of nice pics on her Flickr page and she should put some of them up on her blog. As they say, a picture says a thousand words.
She's been blogging for almost the same time as me, since June 2003. It's a personal blog and she blogs about her husband of 7 years, her daughter and life in general. Much like mine. It's a nice blog and I am wondering why the PR is only 2. Jayme probably needs to do some social networking and marketing her blog. Getting her blog reviewed is a step in the right direction.
Would you like a Hardwood Floor
Most houses over here in the UK (at least those I have gone to) have carpeted rooms. I guess it is the floor covering of choice for the majority of people here. Not surprising considering the cold winter months. However I definitely prefer a Hardwood Floor. The link gives some great tips to consider before going for hardwood flooring.
I guess it's just a matter of preference. I like to see the polished grains on the polished wood floorings and the feel as I walk barefooted. They somehow convey feeling of warmth and sophistication. They are definitely easier to clean and do not trap dust like carpets do. I was watching this home renovation program on TV and thinking to myself "what a pity", when the owner decided to carpet over the great looking wooden floor.
I guess it's just a matter of preference. I like to see the polished grains on the polished wood floorings and the feel as I walk barefooted. They somehow convey feeling of warmth and sophistication. They are definitely easier to clean and do not trap dust like carpets do. I was watching this home renovation program on TV and thinking to myself "what a pity", when the owner decided to carpet over the great looking wooden floor.
Slightly Mordant reviewed
Next on the blog review list is Michael's blog - Slightly Mordant. As the title of the blog suggest, a lot of the posts are sarcastic and witty. Take the post 'Kids and guns have some sense!' - I totally agree with him when he says "Having children is a big responsibly as is owning firearms." However, not all the posts are negative - take the post 'I love my life I love my wife'. Am sure the wife was really please with that one.
The blog template is nothing to shout about - it's the generic Minima. However I think you will agree with me when I say that the Blog banner looks interesting. This is one the few non-commercial blogs, among all those that I have reviewed so far. Somehow feels refreshing to see no sponsored posts and no ads - not that I am going to revert back. Nice blog.
The blog template is nothing to shout about - it's the generic Minima. However I think you will agree with me when I say that the Blog banner looks interesting. This is one the few non-commercial blogs, among all those that I have reviewed so far. Somehow feels refreshing to see no sponsored posts and no ads - not that I am going to revert back. Nice blog.
09 July 2007
Hitz FM's Morning crew parodies the Pussycat Dolls
JJ and Rudy parodies the Pussycat Dolls' song 'Don Cha'.
Is your boyfriend hot like me?
FYI, they make up the Morning Crew on Hitz FM, a Malaysian radio station.
Got this clip via 'At's Perspective'.
Is your boyfriend hot like me?
FYI, they make up the Morning Crew on Hitz FM, a Malaysian radio station.
Got this clip via 'At's Perspective'.
Shawn Knight pwn3d
If you are into putting your computer together and other computer hardware stuff, you will like Shawn's blog - Shawn-knight.net He also runs Ocia.net - a hardware review site.
The former blog, which was started in January this year, is more personal. There are a lot of things I like about the site. First of all, the constructive comments. Noticed something strange for "an up-and-coming, hopeful dot com mogul" (his own words) - ads are totally absent from the blog. Not even Google ads. Wonder how he plans to make money. I also felt that there's too much grey on the site. other than that the site is awesome.
First of all he has a great banner. I have considered copying it for one of my blogs. Of all the categories, even though I enjoy the tech related posts - especially the computer upgrades, I like the "daily ownage" posts the most. Some great stuff - will leave you grinning.
Go and check out his site.
The former blog, which was started in January this year, is more personal. There are a lot of things I like about the site. First of all, the constructive comments. Noticed something strange for "an up-and-coming, hopeful dot com mogul" (his own words) - ads are totally absent from the blog. Not even Google ads. Wonder how he plans to make money. I also felt that there's too much grey on the site. other than that the site is awesome.
First of all he has a great banner. I have considered copying it for one of my blogs. Of all the categories, even though I enjoy the tech related posts - especially the computer upgrades, I like the "daily ownage" posts the most. Some great stuff - will leave you grinning.
Go and check out his site.
08 July 2007
Life in the UK - an update
Today's 07-07-07. Nothing special but there's Live Earth going on as well as Wimbledon finals.
A few of my old friends back in Malaysia have been complaining that I have not been blogging about myself for quite sometime now. It's quite true but the fact is that I have nothing interesting happening in my life right now to blog about.
No! I still haven't started my PhD. I plan to do so this year when the next session starts at the University of Warwick. My wife has completed her upgrading and won't be attending any more classes. The only thing worrying me right now are the rumours that they are planning to increase the fees this year. The total fees alone are more than the cost of our apartment in Damansara, Malaysia.
No! Unlike what a lot of people seem to think, I am not sponsored by the Government of Malaysia. I resigned from my comfortable Government job last year to follow my wife here in the UK. That's why I get annoyed with a lot of Malaysian students who keep on complaining about the Malaysian Government at every chance they get, when they ARE SPONSORED BY the Malaysian Government. With all the work I am doing, trying to promote Malaysia here among the British and other foreigners, I sometimes feel that the Govt. should be sponsoring ME instead of all these ungrateful guys.
No! I haven't got a job as yet. I am either not qualified enough for the top positions and too qualified for the lower positions. The only options open to me now are working as a cleaner or in a factory doing hard manual labour. I have applied for jobs with a number of companies around here, including Ikea. In the meantime, I am blogging full time trying to 'cari duit' (searching for money). I am earning a bit but not enough to pay for my PhD fees. So right now we are surviving mostly on my wife's scholarship, which is just enough but we have to forgo the luxuries we were used to in Malaysia, including eating out and buying branded stuff.
Will blog more about myself when I have positive things to say.
A few of my old friends back in Malaysia have been complaining that I have not been blogging about myself for quite sometime now. It's quite true but the fact is that I have nothing interesting happening in my life right now to blog about.
No! I still haven't started my PhD. I plan to do so this year when the next session starts at the University of Warwick. My wife has completed her upgrading and won't be attending any more classes. The only thing worrying me right now are the rumours that they are planning to increase the fees this year. The total fees alone are more than the cost of our apartment in Damansara, Malaysia.
No! Unlike what a lot of people seem to think, I am not sponsored by the Government of Malaysia. I resigned from my comfortable Government job last year to follow my wife here in the UK. That's why I get annoyed with a lot of Malaysian students who keep on complaining about the Malaysian Government at every chance they get, when they ARE SPONSORED BY the Malaysian Government. With all the work I am doing, trying to promote Malaysia here among the British and other foreigners, I sometimes feel that the Govt. should be sponsoring ME instead of all these ungrateful guys.
No! I haven't got a job as yet. I am either not qualified enough for the top positions and too qualified for the lower positions. The only options open to me now are working as a cleaner or in a factory doing hard manual labour. I have applied for jobs with a number of companies around here, including Ikea. In the meantime, I am blogging full time trying to 'cari duit' (searching for money). I am earning a bit but not enough to pay for my PhD fees. So right now we are surviving mostly on my wife's scholarship, which is just enough but we have to forgo the luxuries we were used to in Malaysia, including eating out and buying branded stuff.
Will blog more about myself when I have positive things to say.
07 July 2007
Asia Petroleum Hub commencement of works ceremony
As promised in my previous post, here are some exclusive pictures from the commencement of works ceremony.
What you won't read in the newspapers. Apparently there was a bit of drama on the day of the ceremony (5th July). In the morning at about 9.30 am a strong storm started and blew off some of smaller tents that had been put up on the island. The generator went off and everything was in big mess. However the storm suddenly let up around 11 am and everything went off as planned.
Haji Abdul Rashid Mohd Isa Al-Qadiry, the Executive Chairman of APH
Prime Minister of Malaysia YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmah Badawi
The official press release:
Asia Petroleum Hub Set to Place Malaysia in the Global Petroleum Trading Market
Pulau Petroliam Johor, Thursday, 5th July 2007 - The highly anticipated Asia Petroleum Hub (APH) project was officially named today with the honorable Prime Minister of Malaysia YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmah Badawi performing the commencement of works ceremony witnessed by Johor Menteri Besar YAB Dato’ Haji Abdul Ghani Othman , Minister of Transport YB Dato Seri Chan Kong Choy and other luminaries.
This RM1.4 billion project sited on a 100-acre (approx. 40 ha) reclaimed island near Tanjung Pelepas is being developed by homegrown KIC Oil & Gas (KIC), which holds a 90% stake and the remaining 10% is held by Trek Perintis Sdn. Bhd., a government-approved strategic financial investor. KIC is the largest independent terminal operator as well as a major bunker player in Malaysia.
APH, targeted for completion in 2009, will be an integrated facility with multiple jetties capable of handling all sizes of vessels from 1,000 dead weight tonnes (DWT) coastal tankers to 350,000 DWT Ultra Large Crude Carriers as well as accommodate over 3,000 vessels calling at the terminal annually. The terminal is designed to handle over 30 million tons of petroleum products and is expected to achieve a turnover exceeding RM200 million annually.
In the first 5 years, in is anticipated that the value created from APH will be RM1.1 billion from storage revenues alone. In addition, the value of oil stored will be in excess of RM100 billion and the value of physical and paper trading generated from the Hub will be over RM1 trillion.
The Hub is essential in meeting the demands for petroleum storage and blending requirements which presently relies on foreign facilities. It provides the much needed option for additional strategic storage of petroleum products on Malaysian soil.
The IDR will receive a massive boost from the project. The Hub will be a natural pillar of the Logistics sector and the IDR will reap various benefits from the spin-off effects of the Hub. This will help ensure the IDR not only takes off on a firm footing but grows from strength to strength.
Tuan Haji Abdul Rashid Mohd Isa Al-Qadiry, the Executive Chairman of APH said, “The Hub will not only put Malaysia at the heart of the global petroleum market and contribute significantly to the country’s GDP but will help to spur the economic growth of the State of Johor as it provides a spectrum of socio-economic benefits through the increase of business activities that will bring about job creation and improved infrastructure”.
He added, “One of APH’s mission is to reduce the cost of landed petroleum products in Malaysia by eliminating double-handling charges as shipments will be made directly from source to the Hub.
The entire cost of this project is undertaken by APH and funded via equity and project financing provided by a local bank.
As part of its CSR initiatives, APH is firm in its support of the Environmental Protection Zone which houses the mangrove conservation area.
APH will be managed by KIC Oil Terminals Sdn Bhd. which also manages KIC’s oil terminals in Port Tanjung Pelepas and West Port. Once completed APH is poised to complement Singapore, currently the world’s largest trans-shipment for petroleum products.
The project team comprises of ZAQ Construction Sdn Bhd who is the managing contractor entrusted with the completion of the project, Mott MacDonald Ltd, Nam Fatt Corporation Bhd., Kencana Petroleum Bhd., Muhibbah Engineering Bhd., and Qi-PMC Sdn Bhd.
About The KIC Group
KIC Group of Companies is currently the largest independent terminal operator in Malaysia with a total storage and production capacity of 522,000 cbm. Through their Floating Oil Processing Terminal, Kadriah I, which is anchored just outside Port Tanjung Pelepas and another land based terminal based in West Port, Port Klang, KIC currently caters to the bunker needs of the country’s two busiest ports. In the last three years KIC has handled 19 million metric tones (MT) of cargo and has successfully turned around the utilization of storage facilities at Westport from 300,000 MT to 3 million MT, transforming it from a domestic petroleum depot to an international petroleum terminal.
The company was founded by Tuan Haji Abdul Rashid Mohd Isa Al-Qadiry and Faidzan Hassan Al-Qadiry, who are also the major shareholders.
Tags: kic petroleum asia petroleum hub abdul rashid mohd isa al-qadiry faidzan hassan al-qadiry kadriah I
What you won't read in the newspapers. Apparently there was a bit of drama on the day of the ceremony (5th July). In the morning at about 9.30 am a strong storm started and blew off some of smaller tents that had been put up on the island. The generator went off and everything was in big mess. However the storm suddenly let up around 11 am and everything went off as planned.
Haji Abdul Rashid Mohd Isa Al-Qadiry, the Executive Chairman of APH
Prime Minister of Malaysia YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmah Badawi
The official press release:
Asia Petroleum Hub Set to Place Malaysia in the Global Petroleum Trading Market
Pulau Petroliam Johor, Thursday, 5th July 2007 - The highly anticipated Asia Petroleum Hub (APH) project was officially named today with the honorable Prime Minister of Malaysia YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmah Badawi performing the commencement of works ceremony witnessed by Johor Menteri Besar YAB Dato’ Haji Abdul Ghani Othman , Minister of Transport YB Dato Seri Chan Kong Choy and other luminaries.
This RM1.4 billion project sited on a 100-acre (approx. 40 ha) reclaimed island near Tanjung Pelepas is being developed by homegrown KIC Oil & Gas (KIC), which holds a 90% stake and the remaining 10% is held by Trek Perintis Sdn. Bhd., a government-approved strategic financial investor. KIC is the largest independent terminal operator as well as a major bunker player in Malaysia.
APH, targeted for completion in 2009, will be an integrated facility with multiple jetties capable of handling all sizes of vessels from 1,000 dead weight tonnes (DWT) coastal tankers to 350,000 DWT Ultra Large Crude Carriers as well as accommodate over 3,000 vessels calling at the terminal annually. The terminal is designed to handle over 30 million tons of petroleum products and is expected to achieve a turnover exceeding RM200 million annually.
In the first 5 years, in is anticipated that the value created from APH will be RM1.1 billion from storage revenues alone. In addition, the value of oil stored will be in excess of RM100 billion and the value of physical and paper trading generated from the Hub will be over RM1 trillion.
The Hub is essential in meeting the demands for petroleum storage and blending requirements which presently relies on foreign facilities. It provides the much needed option for additional strategic storage of petroleum products on Malaysian soil.
The IDR will receive a massive boost from the project. The Hub will be a natural pillar of the Logistics sector and the IDR will reap various benefits from the spin-off effects of the Hub. This will help ensure the IDR not only takes off on a firm footing but grows from strength to strength.
Tuan Haji Abdul Rashid Mohd Isa Al-Qadiry, the Executive Chairman of APH said, “The Hub will not only put Malaysia at the heart of the global petroleum market and contribute significantly to the country’s GDP but will help to spur the economic growth of the State of Johor as it provides a spectrum of socio-economic benefits through the increase of business activities that will bring about job creation and improved infrastructure”.
He added, “One of APH’s mission is to reduce the cost of landed petroleum products in Malaysia by eliminating double-handling charges as shipments will be made directly from source to the Hub.
The entire cost of this project is undertaken by APH and funded via equity and project financing provided by a local bank.
As part of its CSR initiatives, APH is firm in its support of the Environmental Protection Zone which houses the mangrove conservation area.
APH will be managed by KIC Oil Terminals Sdn Bhd. which also manages KIC’s oil terminals in Port Tanjung Pelepas and West Port. Once completed APH is poised to complement Singapore, currently the world’s largest trans-shipment for petroleum products.
The project team comprises of ZAQ Construction Sdn Bhd who is the managing contractor entrusted with the completion of the project, Mott MacDonald Ltd, Nam Fatt Corporation Bhd., Kencana Petroleum Bhd., Muhibbah Engineering Bhd., and Qi-PMC Sdn Bhd.
About The KIC Group
KIC Group of Companies is currently the largest independent terminal operator in Malaysia with a total storage and production capacity of 522,000 cbm. Through their Floating Oil Processing Terminal, Kadriah I, which is anchored just outside Port Tanjung Pelepas and another land based terminal based in West Port, Port Klang, KIC currently caters to the bunker needs of the country’s two busiest ports. In the last three years KIC has handled 19 million metric tones (MT) of cargo and has successfully turned around the utilization of storage facilities at Westport from 300,000 MT to 3 million MT, transforming it from a domestic petroleum depot to an international petroleum terminal.
The company was founded by Tuan Haji Abdul Rashid Mohd Isa Al-Qadiry and Faidzan Hassan Al-Qadiry, who are also the major shareholders.
Tags: kic petroleum asia petroleum hub abdul rashid mohd isa al-qadiry faidzan hassan al-qadiry kadriah I
Mrs. Rugged reviewed
Just went through Mandi's (aka Mrs. Rugged) personal blog - 'The Official Mrs. Rugged'.
Nice template and I like the fact that her blog is not cluttered with ads. However, the font might be a bit too small for some people with bad eyesight Of course all I had to do was hit Ctrl+ to enlarge the font on my browser.
I am not sure why, but she has 3 different blog rolls on the side bar. Might be better to consolidate them into one. Couldn't find a link to my blog though. hint! hint! It might also be a good idea to provide a link to the home page from individual posts.
Mandi is also part of the "I follow movement", so go on over to her blog and leave your comments.
Nice template and I like the fact that her blog is not cluttered with ads. However, the font might be a bit too small for some people with bad eyesight Of course all I had to do was hit Ctrl+ to enlarge the font on my browser.
I am not sure why, but she has 3 different blog rolls on the side bar. Might be better to consolidate them into one. Couldn't find a link to my blog though. hint! hint! It might also be a good idea to provide a link to the home page from individual posts.
Mandi is also part of the "I follow movement", so go on over to her blog and leave your comments.
06 July 2007
World’s largest petroleum terminal
Some of you may recall that I had blogged about "Malaysia as South East Asian oil hub" a few months back.
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today launched the groundbreaking ceremony of the Asia Petroleum Hub (APH). This 1.0 million cubic-meter storage terminal would be located on a 40 ha man-made island, in Tanjung Bin, Pontian, Johor.
The Government of Malaysia has invested RM100mil in the RM1.4bil terminal.
Scheduled to be completed in 2009, APH is being developed by a consortium led by the KIC Group of companies. It would be able to handle 30 million tonnes of petroleum products and accommodate 3,000 vessels annually when completed.
Come back for some exclusive pictures.
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today launched the groundbreaking ceremony of the Asia Petroleum Hub (APH). This 1.0 million cubic-meter storage terminal would be located on a 40 ha man-made island, in Tanjung Bin, Pontian, Johor.
The Government of Malaysia has invested RM100mil in the RM1.4bil terminal.
Scheduled to be completed in 2009, APH is being developed by a consortium led by the KIC Group of companies. It would be able to handle 30 million tonnes of petroleum products and accommodate 3,000 vessels annually when completed.
Come back for some exclusive pictures.
05 July 2007
Dreaming of the Caribbean
I didn't have much knowledge about the Caribbean before. My sister's mother-in-law bought a holiday home over there and was telling me of the wonderful sunny beaches there. This led me to do some research and I was amazed to learn that the there are some 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cays in the area.
There is also more to the place than just bright sun and white sandy beaches. There are more than thirty major islands to choose from in the Caribbean. Each with it's unique culture and attraction. They have something for everyone. As for me, when people used to mention the Caribbean, the first thought that comes to mind is always reggae music and the place where it was born - Jamaica. Though I mostly prefer rock ballads, I love reggae music too and have always wanted to visit the place Bob Marley was born. Jamaica is also the home of several other different musical genres such as ska, dancehall and ragga among others. Would definitely love to visit Jamaica and experience the musical culture there.
Another place I would love to visit in the area has to be Aruba, which has a totally different history and culture than the other islands. Even the vegetation is totally different with desert landscapes as compared to other tropical Islands int he area. What attracted me was the Island's slogan of "One Happy Island."
There is also more to the place than just bright sun and white sandy beaches. There are more than thirty major islands to choose from in the Caribbean. Each with it's unique culture and attraction. They have something for everyone. As for me, when people used to mention the Caribbean, the first thought that comes to mind is always reggae music and the place where it was born - Jamaica. Though I mostly prefer rock ballads, I love reggae music too and have always wanted to visit the place Bob Marley was born. Jamaica is also the home of several other different musical genres such as ska, dancehall and ragga among others. Would definitely love to visit Jamaica and experience the musical culture there.
Another place I would love to visit in the area has to be Aruba, which has a totally different history and culture than the other islands. Even the vegetation is totally different with desert landscapes as compared to other tropical Islands int he area. What attracted me was the Island's slogan of "One Happy Island."
04 July 2007
Alan Johnston released
Put on the TV this morning to hear some wonderful news. BBC correspondent Alan Johnston has finally been released after being held in captivity in the Gaza strip for 114 days.
It is ironic but the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas was key in securing his release. 45 years old Johnston was the only remaining Western journalist in the Gaza strip and he was abducted on 12 March by the Army of Islam a militant group there.
Hamas took control in Gaza by force last month and they slowly closed down on the group. There was relief that Alan was released without any military action and he was unharmed.
I am happy that I can finally take down the button on my side bar calling for his release.
Related links:
- Johnston free after 'appalling' ordeal
- Hamas role in Johnston's release
Tags: alan johnston bbc gaza hamas palestinian
It is ironic but the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas was key in securing his release. 45 years old Johnston was the only remaining Western journalist in the Gaza strip and he was abducted on 12 March by the Army of Islam a militant group there.
Hamas took control in Gaza by force last month and they slowly closed down on the group. There was relief that Alan was released without any military action and he was unharmed.
I am happy that I can finally take down the button on my side bar calling for his release.
Related links:
- Johnston free after 'appalling' ordeal
- Hamas role in Johnston's release
Tags: alan johnston bbc gaza hamas palestinian
Lost in Thailand
Finally got to review Matt's blog "The Lost Boy". Matt is a "farang", a British expat currently working as the desk editor for a local newspaper in Phuket, Thailand. His blog is really cool and the first thing you will notice is of course the great banner.
I really like reading his humorous posts. Nearly fell off my chair when I read this post: Cooped up Paris will lead chickens to salvation. He has got a nice writing style and it's no wonder as he's been writing for various magazines and newspapers for quite sometime now.
Matt wanted some constructive criticism to make his blog better. However, I couldn't find anything to criticise maybe except for only one thing - I would have loved to see more pictures.
One list I would like to see, not only on his blog but on others' too, is a list of the most popular posts.
Check out Matt's blog to get the latest on everything Thai.
I really like reading his humorous posts. Nearly fell off my chair when I read this post: Cooped up Paris will lead chickens to salvation. He has got a nice writing style and it's no wonder as he's been writing for various magazines and newspapers for quite sometime now.
Matt wanted some constructive criticism to make his blog better. However, I couldn't find anything to criticise maybe except for only one thing - I would have loved to see more pictures.
One list I would like to see, not only on his blog but on others' too, is a list of the most popular posts.
Check out Matt's blog to get the latest on everything Thai.
03 July 2007
Booking Indian hotels online
The last time I ever visited India was in 2005 for a conference in Delhi. My wife was there with me and we wanted to mix pleasure with work, so we planned our itinerary in such a way that we would be able to do some sightseeing - including a visit to the famous Taj Mahal. A visit to North India won't be complete without a visit to this romantic tourist destination.
The problem we faced was trying to find an affordable accommodation. You should be aware that Indian hotels often have separate charges for Indians (paying in rupees) and foreigners (paying in US $). The difference can be several times higher.
We were interested in the Bed and Breakfast type hotels so that we had more money to spend on shopping. Searching on the net for a suitable hotel near the conference venue proved to be a formidable task and we finally gave in an choose the 5 star (and costlier) hotel suggested by the organisers. It was not that near either and was somewhere in the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of Delhi. Later learnt that there were several much cheaper yet comparable (if not better) hotels in the area. However, most of them don't have a website and you can't deal with them directly.
Anyway, if you want to book Indian hotels, Inasra.com is an excellent site. This online hotel booking site had 35000 listed Hotel Rooms all over India (when I last checked). The company is based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and was set up in August 2005.
The home page is very neat uncluttered unlike other hotel directories I have visited. It seems like every body is going for the Google look now. Not that I am complaining. However, don't let the simple looking interface fool you as this site is clearly high tech as I found out.
Searching for a hotel starts by choosing an Indian city and the the duration you are planning to say there (from and to). They will then give you a list of hotels which you can then filter by ticking a number of choices such as, whether they have a doctor on call, the star of the hotel, food preference and so on. Unlike other Indian hotel directories I have visited, they do list hotels not affiliated with them. However, we have to make the bookings ourselves. That's great.
I have a good knowledge of India and noticed that a few cities I have been to were missing. Maybe I guess these places are a bit of the beaten track. This site is clearly targeted at foreigners as all the prices are listed in US $. They might be cheaper for Indians. A currency exchange calculator would have been a welcome addition so that people in countries other than the US could find out the rates in their own currency. It would be nice to have a link from the hotel names to the details page.
Other than these minor details, this is a really useful and informative site and I would definitely visit it again when I pay a visit to India again.
The problem we faced was trying to find an affordable accommodation. You should be aware that Indian hotels often have separate charges for Indians (paying in rupees) and foreigners (paying in US $). The difference can be several times higher.
We were interested in the Bed and Breakfast type hotels so that we had more money to spend on shopping. Searching on the net for a suitable hotel near the conference venue proved to be a formidable task and we finally gave in an choose the 5 star (and costlier) hotel suggested by the organisers. It was not that near either and was somewhere in the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of Delhi. Later learnt that there were several much cheaper yet comparable (if not better) hotels in the area. However, most of them don't have a website and you can't deal with them directly.
Anyway, if you want to book Indian hotels, Inasra.com is an excellent site. This online hotel booking site had 35000 listed Hotel Rooms all over India (when I last checked). The company is based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and was set up in August 2005.
The home page is very neat uncluttered unlike other hotel directories I have visited. It seems like every body is going for the Google look now. Not that I am complaining. However, don't let the simple looking interface fool you as this site is clearly high tech as I found out.
Searching for a hotel starts by choosing an Indian city and the the duration you are planning to say there (from and to). They will then give you a list of hotels which you can then filter by ticking a number of choices such as, whether they have a doctor on call, the star of the hotel, food preference and so on. Unlike other Indian hotel directories I have visited, they do list hotels not affiliated with them. However, we have to make the bookings ourselves. That's great.
I have a good knowledge of India and noticed that a few cities I have been to were missing. Maybe I guess these places are a bit of the beaten track. This site is clearly targeted at foreigners as all the prices are listed in US $. They might be cheaper for Indians. A currency exchange calculator would have been a welcome addition so that people in countries other than the US could find out the rates in their own currency. It would be nice to have a link from the hotel names to the details page.
Other than these minor details, this is a really useful and informative site and I would definitely visit it again when I pay a visit to India again.
Betshopboy reviewed
If you read a lot of blogs like I do, you will notice that a lot of bloggers have an online alter ego and I guess I am no exception. I recently got to know Singaporean blogger Cheewee Ng who goes by the online name "BetShopBoy". He blogs at "I Thought, Therefore I Blog".
His blog is using the no frill, purely functional DownRight Blogger Theme v3.0 created by Thur Broeders. I like simple templates like that. He could have personalised it a bit though.
Most of the posts are technical but not too much. Found a lot of them to be interesting and useful - like "Personalize Your Blog Posts - Add a Signature", for example. Noticed a few spelling and grammatical errors but it happens to me too.
Another great blog with great original content.
His blog is using the no frill, purely functional DownRight Blogger Theme v3.0 created by Thur Broeders. I like simple templates like that. He could have personalised it a bit though.
Most of the posts are technical but not too much. Found a lot of them to be interesting and useful - like "Personalize Your Blog Posts - Add a Signature", for example. Noticed a few spelling and grammatical errors but it happens to me too.
Another great blog with great original content.
Get those termites before they get you
My in-laws had been using one of their bed rooms as a store for quite sometime. One day they decide that they needed that extra room and started clearing it. When they opened up the built in closet, they found out that a huge colony of termites had decided to make it their home. They had completely destroyed the inside of the closet as well as the contents. My wife's leather jacket was half eaten as well most of the old clothes inside.
They had to spend a bit to get rid of the pests and repair the damage. Fortunately, it was not that bad.
I guess the signs of termites were there even though we had ignored it. For example, there were mud-looking material on the wooden surfaces as well as holes. To find out how to get rid of termite, refer to the 'Termites guide'.
However, I just wish they would get rid of that awful red background. Makes it really hard to read the information. Really informative and contains everything you needed to know about termite infestation and their control.
They had to spend a bit to get rid of the pests and repair the damage. Fortunately, it was not that bad.
I guess the signs of termites were there even though we had ignored it. For example, there were mud-looking material on the wooden surfaces as well as holes. To find out how to get rid of termite, refer to the 'Termites guide'.
However, I just wish they would get rid of that awful red background. Makes it really hard to read the information. Really informative and contains everything you needed to know about termite infestation and their control.
Doctors or killers
I was shocked when I learnt today that two of the suspected arrested by police over the latest terror attacks in the UK are doctors.
While Dr Mohammed Asha, 26, worked as a junior doctor at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, another doctor, Dr Bilal Abdulla, worked as a locum at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley.
Wonder what they were thinking when they took the Hippocratic Oath.
Or maybe they took the hypocrite oath.
While Dr Mohammed Asha, 26, worked as a junior doctor at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, another doctor, Dr Bilal Abdulla, worked as a locum at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley.
Wonder what they were thinking when they took the Hippocratic Oath.
Never to do deliberate harm to anyone for anyone else's interest.
Or maybe they took the hypocrite oath.
02 July 2007
With geek friends and java forums
A lot of guys are really surprised when I reveal the fact that I don't have an IT background and most will exclaim "But how come you know a lot of the technical stuff?"
I guess it's all about interest and this interest was what lead me to specialize in web related technology and e-commerce. However, I have to admit, I am less inclined toward the programming details and more onto the managerial side of this field. The only IT related training I had was when I did a short certificate course in Informatics in Malaysia. We even had to do Java programming and to be honest I was quite lost. Was really thankful I had some friends who were experts in Java programming.
Talking about Java - I was having coffee with some of my IT friends and they were discussing Hibernate - an open source solution for the Java language. From what I could gather, it is used in developing databases. Suddenly they asked me my opinion. I didn't want to bluff and honestly told them I have no idea what they were all talking about. Like usual, some of them were quite shocked to learn that I do not have an IT background.
Anyway, if you are into Java programming, join the Java forums. Registration is quite fast and it's totally free. Besides discussion on various Java topics, the forum also carries info regarding books as well as job listings. I am not sure but they claim to be the largest Java community.
I guess it's all about interest and this interest was what lead me to specialize in web related technology and e-commerce. However, I have to admit, I am less inclined toward the programming details and more onto the managerial side of this field. The only IT related training I had was when I did a short certificate course in Informatics in Malaysia. We even had to do Java programming and to be honest I was quite lost. Was really thankful I had some friends who were experts in Java programming.
Talking about Java - I was having coffee with some of my IT friends and they were discussing Hibernate - an open source solution for the Java language. From what I could gather, it is used in developing databases. Suddenly they asked me my opinion. I didn't want to bluff and honestly told them I have no idea what they were all talking about. Like usual, some of them were quite shocked to learn that I do not have an IT background.
Anyway, if you are into Java programming, join the Java forums. Registration is quite fast and it's totally free. Besides discussion on various Java topics, the forum also carries info regarding books as well as job listings. I am not sure but they claim to be the largest Java community.
Getting it on with Steven
Just finished going through Steve's blog "Get your blog on!". Steve is a former model and Chippendale dancer.
Regarding the look of the site, as I have mentioned several times, I am not really fond of black backgrounds. Nothing wrong with that. It's just a matter of preference. However, some of the colors he uses (for example, red and purple) for highlighting some sentences or words might not really follow the web design guidelines. Some people may find it hard to read them.
Having said that, even if you have a great looking site, people won't come back if your content is lousy. That is one thing this blog is not. Steve's posts are humorous and interesting. You can judge this even without going through the posts,from the fact that it's Google Page Rank is 3 even though it is only four months old. I know of several people who have been blogging for more than a year and still stuck at 0.
Regarding the look of the site, as I have mentioned several times, I am not really fond of black backgrounds. Nothing wrong with that. It's just a matter of preference. However, some of the colors he uses (for example, red and purple) for highlighting some sentences or words might not really follow the web design guidelines. Some people may find it hard to read them.
Having said that, even if you have a great looking site, people won't come back if your content is lousy. That is one thing this blog is not. Steve's posts are humorous and interesting. You can judge this even without going through the posts,from the fact that it's Google Page Rank is 3 even though it is only four months old. I know of several people who have been blogging for more than a year and still stuck at 0.
01 July 2007
Making learning fun with Pokemon
Mention maths or science and most kids will start complaining. I may be wrong but I guess one of the reasons is that teachers don't try to make these subjects fun to learn.
The Pokemon Learning League on the other hand, takes a fun approach to education. Based on the popular kid's cartoon show - Pokemon, this educational website is targeted at 8-12 year olds. It was designed by experienced educators and comprises of standards-based, interactive animated lessons in Science, Math, Language Arts and Life Skills topics in a unique interactive way for children in grades 3-6.
Right now they are offered on a subscription basis in both homes and schools. The great news is that you can sign up with the website for month's free trial.
FYI, Pokémon Learning League is a division of Pokémon USA, Inc. It won the 2007 Association of Educational Publishers award for Best Science web site. More features and content will be added to the site every week.
It's a dog's life
Was going through "Tip Tail", a blog about four dogs. Never thought that a blog about dogs would be interesting but as I found out, blogger Cynthia has a way with words. Kept me occupied.
It's not every time I say this, but I couldn't find any thing to criticise on the blog. I guess the only thing I can say about the blog is that images of Lucy and Angel are missing.
Maybe what the blog needs is more advertising and links to bring in more dog lovers. Hopefully it will get a higher PR in the future.
I like the top banner and the way that the blogger has personalized the referral buttons in keeping with the blog's orange colour theme. For example take a look at her "You comment, I follow" and the PerPerPost Direct button.
One of the requirements of my doing a blog review was a a link to either this blog or to my SEO expert blog, however I couldn't find any. Have gone ahead with the blog review anyway.
It's not every time I say this, but I couldn't find any thing to criticise on the blog. I guess the only thing I can say about the blog is that images of Lucy and Angel are missing.
Maybe what the blog needs is more advertising and links to bring in more dog lovers. Hopefully it will get a higher PR in the future.
I like the top banner and the way that the blogger has personalized the referral buttons in keeping with the blog's orange colour theme. For example take a look at her "You comment, I follow" and the PerPerPost Direct button.
One of the requirements of my doing a blog review was a a link to either this blog or to my SEO expert blog, however I couldn't find any. Have gone ahead with the blog review anyway.
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