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.
09 July 2007
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
