tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228148642024-03-13T17:26:43.422+08:00chromazoecolours of lifeHLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.comBlogger218125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-45376971502775129332011-04-03T23:53:00.002+08:002011-04-04T00:00:27.023+08:00RFS<span style="font-family:verdana;">For your listening pleasure.<br /><br /><a href="http://radiofreesarawak.org/">Radio Free Sarawak.</a><br /><br /> <br /></span>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-58171036299501665652010-07-04T23:59:00.002+08:002010-07-05T00:01:00.259+08:00Young scientists<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Classics from kids:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Here are some interesting interpretations of nature from test papers and essays submitted to science and health teachers by junior high, high school, and college students around the world. Spelling has been left as is.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"When you breath, you inspire. When you do not breath, you expire."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"H2O is hot water, and CO2 is cold water"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"To collect fumes of sulphur, hold a deacon over a flame in a test tube"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"When you smell an oderless gas, it is probably carbon monoxide"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Water is composed of two gins, Oxygin and Hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin. Hydrogin is gin and water."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Three kinds of blood vessels are arteries, vanes and caterpillars."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Blood flows down one leg and up the other."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Respiration is composed of two acts, first inspiration, and then expectoration."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"The moon is a planet just like the earth, only it is even deader."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Artifical insemination is when the farmer does it to the cow instead of the bull."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Dew is formed on leaves when the sun shines down on them and makes them perspire."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"A super-saturated solution is one that holds more than it can hold."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Mushrooms always grow in damp places and so they look like umbrellas."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"The body consists of three parts- the brainium, the borax and the abominable cavity. The brainium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abominable cavity contains the bowls, of which there are five - a, e, i, o, and u."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"The pistol of a flower is its only protections agenst insects."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"The alimentary canal is located in the northern part of Indiana ."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"The skeleton is what is left after the insides have been taken out and the outsides have ben taken off. The purpose of the skeleton is something to hitch meat to."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"A permanent set of teeth consists of eight canines, eight cuspids, two molars, and eight cuspidors."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"The tides are a fight between the Earth and moon. All water tends towards the moon, because there is no water in the moon, and nature abhors a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"A fossil is an extinct animal. The older it is, the more extinct it is."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Equator: A managerie lion running around the Earth through Africa ."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Germinate: To become a naturalized German."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Liter: A nest of young puppies."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Magnet: Something you find crawling all over a dead cat."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Momentum: What you give a person when they are going away."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Planet: A body of Earth surrounded by sky."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Rhubarb: A kind of celery gone bloodshot."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Before giving a blood transfusion, find out if the blood is affirmative or negative."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"To remove dust from the eye, pull the eye down over the nose."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"For a nosebleed: Put the nose much lower then the body until the heart stops."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"For fainting: Rub the person's chest or, if a lady, rub her arm above the hand instead. Or put the head between the knees of the nearest medical doctor."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"For dog bite: put the dog away for sevral days. If he has not recovered, then kill it."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"For asphyxiation: Apply artificial respiration until the patient is dead."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"For head cold: use an agonizer to spray the nose untill it drops in your throat."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"To keep milk from turning sour: Keep it in the cow."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The beguiling ideas about science quoted here were gleaned from essays, exams, and classroom discussions. Most were from fifth and sixth graders.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"You can listen to thunder after lightening and tell how close you came to getting hit. If you don't hear it, you got hit, so never mind."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Talc is found on rocks and on babies."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> "The law of gravity says no fair jumping up without coming back down."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"When they broke open molecules, they found they were only stuffed with atoms. But when they broke open atoms, they found them stuffed with explosions."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"When people run around and around in circles we say they are crazy. When planets do it we say they are orbiting."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Rainbows are just to look at, not to really understand."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"While the earth seems to be knowingly keeping its distance from the sun, it is really only centrificating."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Someday we may discover how to make magnets that can point in any direction."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">" South America has cold summers and hot winters, but somehow they still manage."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Most books now say our sun is a star. But it still knows how to change back into a sun in the daytime."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"A vibration is a motion that cannot make up its mind which way it wants to go."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"There are 26 vitamins in all, but some of the letters are yet to be discovered. Finding them all means living forever."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"There is a tremendous weight pushing down on the center of the Earth because of so much population stomping around up there these days."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Many dead animals in the past changed to fossils while others preferred to be oil."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Genetics explain why you look like your father, and if you don't, why you should."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Vacuums are nothings. We only mention them to let them know we know they're there."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Some oxygen molecules help fires burn while others help make water, so sometimes it's brother against brother."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Some people can tell what time it is by looking at the sun. But I have never been able to make out the numbers."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"We say the cause of perfume disappearing is evaporation. Evaporation gets blamed for a lot of things people forget to put the top on."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"To most people solutions mean finding the answers. But to chemists solutions are things that are still all mixed up."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"In looking at a drop of water under a microscope, we find there are twice as many H's as O's."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Clouds are high flying fogs."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"I am not sure how clouds get formed. But the clouds know how to do it, and that is the important thing."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Clouds just keep circling the Earth around and around and around. There is not much else for them to do."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Water vapor gets together in a cloud. When it is big enough to be called a drop, it does."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Humidity is the experience of looking for air and finding water."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"We keep track of the humidity in the air so we won't drown when we breathe."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Rain is often known as soft water, oppositely known as hail."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Rain is saved up in cloud banks."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"In some rocks you can find the fossil footprints of fishes."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Cyanide is so poisonous that one drop of it on a dog's tongue will kill the strongest man."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"A blizzard is when it snows sideways."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"A hurricane is a breeze of a bigly size."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"A monsoon is a French gentleman."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Thunder is a rich source of loudness."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Isotherms and isobars are even more important than their names sound."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"It is so hot in some places that the people there have to live in other places."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"The wind is like the air, only pushier."</span><br /> <br /></span> <br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-381105293713249662010-04-23T00:31:00.003+08:002010-04-23T01:48:46.569+08:00Dine in or tapau?<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >We all know that some restaurants serve "exotic" meat, i.e. protected wildlife species that are illegally hunted and sold. If you didn't already know, poaching of endangered wildlife is one of the two main causes of our natural heritage going extinct.<br /><br />Check <a href="http://makanrelaksbersukaria.blogspot.com/2010/04/reporting-dubious-restaurants-in-4.html">this</a> out for an interesting step-by-step tutorial on how to "tapau" (shut down) those restaurants that serve illegal wildlife meat.<br /> <br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-63311179729331032122010-04-22T00:58:00.003+08:002010-04-22T01:15:59.581+08:00Earth Day<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Today is Earth Day.<br /><br />What can I do to appreciate God's creation?<br /><br />The first thing I should do is to thank God for providing everything that I need here on my home planet, Earth.<br /><br />Then I must remember that I am sharing this planet with more than 6.8 billion people, and a few thousand tigers.*<br /><br />I must take only what I truly need so that others may have enough for their needs.<br /><br /> <br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >*<span style="font-size:78%;">Note: the human population continues to increase while the tiger population continues to decline unless we do something to help tigers survive and rebound.</span></span><br /><br /> <br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-26258272673666078982010-04-21T00:16:00.007+08:002010-04-21T00:30:46.630+08:00Wanted:<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" >DEAD, NOT ALIVE.</span><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">Most unfortunately, a dead tiger is worth more than a live tiger.<br /><br />See these <a href="http://planetofthemonyets.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-to-skin-tiger.html">pictures</a>.</span><br /><br /></span><br /></span></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-44619439633915360692010-04-20T00:00:00.007+08:002010-04-20T00:30:18.403+08:00Tiger's 13<div style="text-align: center;"> <br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSnrxrKQbKcmiJ6ejXFU7ug8eZbaOnkfcf1fefiaLcZ0k98GbYWYzCde5_mNlqns3fPyjZ0gDN8yIK2jOhWYJshFtMnljIEaE6Iln0wQkOcbgV_13JvOpMagslM8mpfmqUpQpE/s1600/783px-Tiger_map.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSnrxrKQbKcmiJ6ejXFU7ug8eZbaOnkfcf1fefiaLcZ0k98GbYWYzCde5_mNlqns3fPyjZ0gDN8yIK2jOhWYJshFtMnljIEaE6Iln0wQkOcbgV_13JvOpMagslM8mpfmqUpQpE/s400/783px-Tiger_map.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461882602659578562" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:78%;" >Figure from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tiger_map.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span><br /><br /><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">As you can see from the map above, the tiger's natural range has shrunk tremendously from what it used to be. It's still shrinking. At the present rate, Habitat loss and poaching will wipe out wild tigers forever, unless we reverse the trend.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />There are only 13 countries in the world where tigers roam in the wild. These “tiger range countries” (TRC) are:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">1. Bangladesh</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">2. Bhutan</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">3. Cambodia</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">4. China</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">5. India</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">6. Indonesia</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">7. Lao PDR</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">8. Malaysia</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">9. Myanmar</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">10. Nepal</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">11. Russia</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">12. Thailand</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">13. Vietnam.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Malaysia has an estimated 500 out of the 3,000 tigers remaining in the wild worldwide (i.e. in the TRCs). That means Malaysia hosts 1/6 or 17% of the world's wild tiger population! Imagine, one out of six tigers in the wild is found in Malaysia. What a privilege. What a responsibility.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Of course, there are many other countries where tigers are kept in captivity. But these don't count towards the natural, wild and native biodiversity. Sadly, there are more tigers in captivity than in the wild today. It is estimated that there are 5,000-10,000 tigers in captivity in the U.S.A. That's more than the total wild tiger population of the whole world!<br /><br /><br /></span></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-70152431164829463602010-04-19T22:16:00.005+08:002010-04-21T00:15:00.671+08:00TX2<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.tx2.my/home.php"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 373px; height: 94px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybGr9piyL7SmCOHggAPC91parPPFziAXK8sESo7GxrdWFxtjmAMIKL7S97OSj_vNLcrDjzomv1ghmpIqrgEy-eV1znNu4kt7Ad5OVMCSPFMqpiy76pr_c8_T7eMe9FphyphenhyphenCfu0/s400/tx2_bnr_600x160.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461852664112770210" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:78%;" >Click on the above</span><br /></div><br /> <br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-78339252579039161362010-04-19T02:59:00.013+08:002010-04-19T03:26:11.655+08:00Do or Die<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQJMubgm66hyphenhyphenLFUxryaGKWCgJKUYAhieziaVxYjFWD9Y6a2UZaoy5Ol8kVHPW7-nFq5A2prmiKGbJgi_ZhCdi8b3g0PMUb5ThqXsTGPHP3a0yFtkok4qNbLuRsCijhT5FsIm1/s1600/tiger-blogfest2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQJMubgm66hyphenhyphenLFUxryaGKWCgJKUYAhieziaVxYjFWD9Y6a2UZaoy5Ol8kVHPW7-nFq5A2prmiKGbJgi_ZhCdi8b3g0PMUb5ThqXsTGPHP3a0yFtkok4qNbLuRsCijhT5FsIm1/s400/tiger-blogfest2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461559306778598162" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Our Malayan tiger population is dwindling and dying due to entirely preventable causes. If the tiger becomes extinct, it would be our fault.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Here are some things we can do to give our tigers a fighting chance of survival in the wild:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">1. Value and cherish our national living heritage. If we don’t care whether our tigers continue to roam our forests, or end up in a cooking pot, then half the battle is already lost.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">2. Protect tiger habitats. This means maintaining large swathes of natural forest areas and not fragmenting forests into patches here and there.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">3. Stop consuming tiger products. Don't eat tiger meat, penis or bones. Don't wear tiger skin or teeth. Kill the demand for tiger products, especially in China.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">4. Protect tigers' food supply, i.e. deer and other tiger prey. If we overhunt deer, the tigers will have no food.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">5. Improve wildlife protection laws. Plug all loopholes and increase penalties for violations. Give the law more bite.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">6. Increase enforcement of wildlife protection laws. Patrol tiger habitats. Monitor border checkpoints, especially to Thailand. Impose maximum fines and jail sentences on offenders.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">7. Eradicate corruption among enforcement officers. They should be protecting tigers, not colluding with poachers.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">8. Assist communities affected by human-tiger conflicts. Educate villagers on how to live peacefully with tigers. Compensate those who have incurred losses due to tiger attacks on them or their property.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">9. Increase the economic value of tigers alive in the wild. Promote eco-tourism and increase the existence value of tigers. The problem is that right now tigers are more valuable dead than alive.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">10. Collect a licensing fee from every person and organization that uses the word "tiger" or any picture or icon of a tiger for their commercial gain.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The tiger is our national animal. Our heritage. But today only less than 500 of them remain in the wild. As Malaysians, we need to stand up and protect our heritage. Speak to your children. Speak to your leaders. Every one of us can make a difference.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">For further information, please visit <a href="http://www.malayantiger.net/">MYCAT</a> (www.malayantiger.net), <a href="http://www.wwf.org.my/">WWF Malaysia </a>(www.wwf.org.my) and the <a href="http://www.wildlife.gov.my">Department of Wildlife & National Parks</a> (www.wildlife.gov.my).<br /><br />This blog post is made in conjunction with the Tiger Blogfest 2010 initiated by <a href="http://planetofthemonyets.blogspot.com/">Planet of the Monyets</a>.<br /><br /><br /></span></span><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-67681124417326780472010-02-20T17:52:00.005+08:002010-02-21T16:03:42.304+08:00MB vs MB<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >I've been wanting to do this for some time, but never got round to doing it until yesterday. I downloaded the Perak State Constitution and read it. OK, I didn't read all of it, since it is a lengthy document (~70 pages) filled with legal language, which tends to be convoluted in its attempt to be precise. But I did read the first half of the document, which contains the important and relevant sections that were the points of contention in the recent Zambry vs Nizar case. I wanted to read and interpret for myself the Constitution in order to examine the Federal Court's decision in Zambry's favour.<br /><br />The following are the two articles that were the main bones of contention in the court case. The bold text are those that I think are the focus of the argument.<br /><br />Article 16(6):<br />If the Mentri Besar ceases to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly, then, <span style="font-weight: bold;">unless at his request His Royal Highness dissolves the Legislative Assembly, he shall tender the resignation of the Executive Council.</span><br /><br />Article 18(2):<br />His Royal Highness may act in his discretion in the performance of the following functions (in addition to those in the performance of which he may act in his discretion under the Federal Constitution) that is to say-<br />(a) the appointment of a Mentri Besar,<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">(b) the withholding of consent to a request for the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly,</span><br />(c) the making of a request for a meeting of the Conference of Rulers concerned solely with the privileges, position, honours and dignities of Their Highnesses or religious acts, observances or ceremonies,<br />(d) any functions as head of the Muslim religion or relating to the custom of the Malays,<br />(e) the appointment of an heir or heirs, consort, Regent or Council of Regency,<br />(f) the appointment of persons to Malay customary ranks, titles, honours and dignities and the designation of the functions appertaining thereto,<br />(g) the regulation of royal courts and palaces.<br /><br /><br />Here are my comments and observations:<br /><br />1. The Federal Court judges ruled on Article 16(6) that if the MB loses the confidence of the majority of the Legislative Assembly, he <span style="font-weight: bold;">automatically </span>has to resign. Their interpretation of the phrase "</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >he shall tender the resignation" was that it is mandatory and automatic</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >, i.e. whether he likes it or not, </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >the moment he loses the confidence of the majority.<br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br />2. The Federal Court judges interpreted the Perak State Constitution purely on the letter of the law. I agree with their interpretation of Article 16(6) in this case. It's just too bad that the spirit of the law got sidelined, and the principles of democratic government could not (or, would not) be addressed by the court. Could the five judges have gone the extra mile and tempered their judgment with the overriding principle of democracy? Did they deliberately confine themselves to the narrow scope of the letter of the law? Or, were they confined by external forces?</span><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br />3. I cannot find any article or clause in the Perak State Constitution that defines how the MB's command of the "</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >confidence of the majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly" is determined. Perhaps some more learned folks out there can help me on this. The Federal Court judges said that it was not absolutely necessary for the Legislative Assembly members to cast their vote of confidence in whichever MB or party. The "confidence of the majority" could be determined by unspecified "extraneous" means. I wonder what those means are.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br />4. The only other alternative to automatic resignation is for the MB to request His Royal Highness to dissolve the Legislative Assembly and, in effect, call for fresh elections. However, Article 18(2)(b) states that His Royal Highness can refuse to dissolve the Assembly. It is noted that His Royal Highness does not have the power to directly dismiss the MB at any time.<br /><br />5. So, the MB has only two options, which are not really options at all, because he has no choice in the first, and His Royal Highness can refuse the second. Thus Nizar was removed from office, not by direct sacking by His Royal Highness, but by His Royal Highness' refusal to dissolve the Legislative Assembly.<br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >6. In the final analysis, there are two conclusions. Firstly, Pakatan Rakyat came into power in Perak by the people's choice in the March 2008 General Election. Secondly, Barisan Nasional came into power (or rather, took over) in Perak through the defection of three of the ex-Pakatan assemblymen in February 2009. That's <span style="font-style: italic;">katak</span> (frog) politics for you. Oh, I should add that some of the defections occurred under </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >dubious circumstances. You go figure.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >By the way, Article 29 says "The Legislative Assembly shall consist of fifty-two elected members." However, the current Perak Legislative Assembly consists of 28 BN, 28 Pakatan and 3 BN-friendly independent assembly members. This makes a total of 59, which is seven more than the 52 members stated in Article 29. Am I missing something here? Am I referring to an outdated version of the Constitution?<br /><br />Download a pdf copy of the Laws of the Constitution of Perak <a href="http://www.digitalibrary.my/index.php?view=article&catid=5%3Astate-statutes&id=273%3Alaws-of-the-constitution-of-perak&option=com_content&Itemid=25">here</a>.<br /><br />See a chronology of the Perak political upheaval <a href="http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newspolitic.php?id=474462">here</a>.<br /> <br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-26750077708261165722010-01-16T19:05:00.006+08:002010-01-16T19:17:55.662+08:0010 Reasons<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">10 Reasons Why I Don’t Wash My Car</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1. My car usually gets dirty again within three hours of washing. So what’s the point?</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />2. Rain can do the job.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />3. Leaving the layer of naturally deposited dirt on the car will prevent more dirt from sticking.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />4. Once in a while, if I feel that I need to give the wheels and undercarriage a wash, I’ll drive through a puddle.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />5. My car is grayish-silver in colour, which is strategically designed to mask dirt.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />6. My car never complains that it is dirty, or sticky, or uncomfortable.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> It still performs as usual.<br />7. I show love to my car in other ways, e.g. I service it at regular intervals, I brake gently, I don’t accelerate hard, I take corners slowly, etc.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />8. Car washing is a wasteful use of water, which is a precious natural resource that is better used for drinking and bathing.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />9. Car washing consumes chemicals and energy which are finite resources. These chemicals (car shampoo, detergents, polishes, etc.) are then washed into our rivers and groundwater.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />10. Washing a car merely transfers the dirt elsewhere – into the drains and rivers and ultimately to the sea. The dirt and chemicals then recirculate in our planet’s ecosystem, and we drink water from the same rivers and eat sea food from the same sea into which we dump our dirt.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />11. OK OK, I do wash my car – on average once a month when I notice that the colour has changed from silver to gray.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />If you wish to take this post seriously, just read points 8, 9 and 10.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">:)<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-36927978070496827012009-11-12T00:18:00.002+08:002009-11-12T00:25:39.431+08:00Stuff<span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >Here's something interesting about how we're impacting our world.<br /><br />Watch <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLBE5QAYXp8">this video</a>.<br /> <br /></span>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-42239346080292829312009-08-22T18:39:00.005+08:002009-08-22T18:45:54.227+08:00STOP<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMamHSX5mENZPGUakU2WNwHv-9RPKfa-fJwJG3AKFe_PaI6rQPSpAfjd331zcUJRYE5Jj02X2ErVxtisdZA3GnvDn8xWYkEuNZ1EnkQeibqqdX_QkMK5HVVVKIp8yjtAyrVOGo/s1600-h/Image197.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMamHSX5mENZPGUakU2WNwHv-9RPKfa-fJwJG3AKFe_PaI6rQPSpAfjd331zcUJRYE5Jj02X2ErVxtisdZA3GnvDn8xWYkEuNZ1EnkQeibqqdX_QkMK5HVVVKIp8yjtAyrVOGo/s400/Image197.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372736289540431682" border="0" /></a> <br /></div>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-13516834069351301462009-07-30T12:44:00.008+08:002009-07-30T14:08:33.389+08:00ICU<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I regret to announce that this blog is currently under sedation in the intensive care unit for treatment of inactivititis. Recovery is expected to take a while. In the meantime, a Loyal Commission of Inquiry will be established to determine how this blog deteriorated to its current moribund state. A full and impartial investigation will be launched, leaving no stone unturned. I hope the same will happen with the investigation into the late Teoh Beng Hock's death. It's sad to see that one critical thing that the government needs now is what it lacks: credibility.<br /><br />On another note, I was in Tioman three weeks ago, and I saw more impressive sea creatures while snorkelling than while diving*. I was pleasantly surprised that the house reef just off the beach at the southern end of Salang bay hosted bumphead parrotfish, a moray eel and some razorfish, which are creatures we normally see only when diving at less accessible sites. There was a turtle too, but I was most pleased to see the small school of five bumphead parrotfish, each about one metre long. They hung around the reef in usually in the late afternoon and allowed us close encounters. We went snorkelling on Monday afternoon, Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, and all three times we saw the bumphead parrotfish. The only other times I've ever seen bumphead parrotfish were while diving at Perhentian and Sipadan. I guess I'll have to change my impression of Tioman. I previously assumed that since Tioman was getting very developed and well-visited, the nearshore marine environment would have deteriorated and become rather lifeless. So I was proven wrong, apparently.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">*[ We dived at Chebeh and Malang Rock. Chebeh had nice swim-through passages under the boulders, plus colourful sea fans and nudibranchs. I caught a glimpse of a blacktip shark at Malang Rock but the visibility was too poor for us to spot any whale sharks. :P ]<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">But, I must still say, the conditions on land are not very appealing. The little river flowing to the sea at Salang is filled with untreated or minimally treated wastewater from restaurant kitchens and chalet bathrooms. The river bed is mucky with an awful black colour, and there's a foul odour at certain times. It's only because of the incoming and outgoing tides flushing the river mouth that the river doesn't become more dirty. At high tide the river stops flowing and the icky water acculumates. Then at low tide, the river drains out to the sea, taking with it all the dirty water. The next high tide brings in (relatively) clear sea water. But that just means that the yucky river water is being diluted into the sea. Well, the river condition is not THAT bad (not like the Klang River), but it's certainly not befitting of a tropical marine park island. It gets worse during weekends and peak tourist seasons when more visitors result in more dinner plates washed and toilets flushed.<br /><br />In the bigger picture, there's some sort of trade-off. If visitors want cheap accommodation and food, then I suppose the operators won't be able to afford the investment in proper wastewater treatment systems. But I'm not sure if the chalet operators are earning lucrative incomes or scraping by with the minimum. Some visitors would say that they are already paying so much for their spartan chalet and restaurant food on the island. Well, price is relative, but is value relative too? Would you be willing to pay more for your visit if you knew that the money is used to take care of the wastes that you generate? There's no free lunch, and no free toilet flush either.<br /><br />Indah Water is planning to build a proper extended aeration activated sludge centralized sewage treatment plant at Salang and Tekek. The <a href="http://gis.doe.gov.my/eia2/Upload_folder/Ex_Sum/IndahWaterKonsortiumSdnBhdES-Apr2008.pdf">EIA</a> was approved in July 2008, but I'm not sure when the project will start and be completed. Let's hope that the project will do good and not cause more damage, or become a white elephant (new species on the island). Indah Water will probably be charging the chalet and restaurant operators for sewerage fees... and I wonder if the operators will pay the fees or even connect their sewerage pipes to the treatment plant in the first place. Do you pay your Indah Water bills?<br /><br /></span></span>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-22411277700767165572009-05-23T23:02:00.008+08:002009-05-23T23:31:08.954+08:00met⋅a⋅mor⋅pho⋅sis<div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Which one are you?</span><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGv9EsXZnU8rMCyXp6QPcGXSRu-LPKM23q3zsfUv0w3yy9upxf8HWXBjxf-6HoC-8c5ZXDcXYvUSz9p93aD5n0r3ZqxFZ2tfdfiJtpVG1I6-h-bTLEPBgvF59LDY9GfStOQbxm/s1600-h/Metamorphosis_frog_Meyers.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGv9EsXZnU8rMCyXp6QPcGXSRu-LPKM23q3zsfUv0w3yy9upxf8HWXBjxf-6HoC-8c5ZXDcXYvUSz9p93aD5n0r3ZqxFZ2tfdfiJtpVG1I6-h-bTLEPBgvF59LDY9GfStOQbxm/s400/Metamorphosis_frog_Meyers.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339037728291038370" border="0" /></a><div> <input name="book" value="Dictionary" type="hidden"> <input name="quer" value="metamorphosis" type="hidden"> <input name="jump" type="hidden"> <input name="list" value="va:1,0,0,0|metamorphosis=99704319" type="hidden"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:78%;" ><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Metamorphosis_frog_Meyers.png">Image source</a></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Another nice image <a href="http://www.science-art.com/image.asp?id=1475&m=71">here</a></span></span><br /> <br /></div>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-2864009980813016922009-04-12T00:19:00.008+08:002009-06-10T23:27:07.363+08:00Resurrection Sunday<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I love this song.<br /><br /><br /><object style="font-family: verdana;" width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jqZ_saaJkmU&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jqZ_saaJkmU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></span></span><span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">LOVE CRUCIFIED AROSE</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Scribbling in the Sand: The Best of Michael Card (2002)</span></span><br /><br />Long ago, He blessed the earth<br />Born older than the years<br />And in the stall, a cross He saw<br />Through the first of many tears<br />A life of homeless wandering<br />Cast out in sorrow's way<br />The Shepherd seeking for the lost<br />His life the price He'd pay<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Love crucified arose</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Risen One in splendor</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Jehovah's soul-defender</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Has won the victory!</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Love crucified arose</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And the grave became a place of hope</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">For the heart that sin and sorrow broke</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Is beating once again!</span><br /><br />Throughout Your life, You felt the weight<br />Of what You'd come to give<br />To drink for us that crimson cup<br />So we might really live<br />At last, the time to love and die -<br />The dark appointed day<br />That one forsaken moment when<br />Your Father turned His face away<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Love crucified arose</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The One who lived and died for me</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Was Satan's nail-pierced casualty</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Now He's breathing once again!</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Love crucified arose</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And the grave became a place of hope</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">For the heart that sin and sorrow broke</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Is beating once again!</span></span><br /><br /></span>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-84056729754040069242009-04-10T11:10:00.002+08:002009-04-10T11:15:18.913+08:00TGIF<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Today is Good Friday.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">But thanks be to God!<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 Corinthians 15:55-57<br /> <br /></span></span></span>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-27994723453936183722009-04-06T20:58:00.005+08:002009-06-10T23:27:40.810+08:00Passion.CoM<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >This is the Passion week. Here's a reenactment of <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%2015:21&version=31">Simon of Cyrene</a>'s experience, as imagined by Ray Boltz...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/S_L0AXVU5Ks&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/S_L0AXVU5Ks&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />CoM = Christ our Messiah<br /><br /><br /></span>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-43118190633155716492009-04-03T19:31:00.004+08:002009-05-04T13:14:33.699+08:00Diver Identification 101<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I don't know of any diving courses that teach this. I haven't seen it in any syllabus. I'm talking about diver identification underwater. How do you recognize your buddies and fellow divers while you're all underwater? You can't talk, obviously, and you can't hear very well. You can hear sounds but they're all muffled and you can't locate the direction of the sound source. One of the most dreaded sounds is the drone of a ship or the buzz of an outboard motor overhead. You don't know where it is coming from, how near it is, whether it is headed your direction, whether it's going to pass over you, whether it's going to hit you as you ascend... it's definitely not a nice feeling to be hit by a boat propeller. It's like, see you in heaven, and make sure you get there (but it's already too late to do anything about it at that time anyway).<br /><br />Anyway, I was just making the point that it's really difficult to communicate by sound, and impossible to speak unless you have those funky underwater radio communication systems. It doesn't help that tank bangers and shakers sound the same. So when you hear a sound and look around, how do you recognize your buddies? It's important to know who is who so that you know where your buddies are, if anyone is lost, or just so that you can "talk" to the right person.<br /><br />Thus divers rely on visual communication such as hand signs. And to identify my buddies, I look for visual cues and identification features as follows:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Bubbles</span><br /><br />The #1 telltale sign of a diver is the bubbles, which can be seen from far away. This is the first step, to identify that a diver is present. Bubbles reflect light, and stand out as silvery trails rising upward against the backdrop of blue or green or whatever colour the water is. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The only problem is when visibility is bad, then you have to really strain your eyes to spot the bubbles.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">It's easy to spot a diver once you trace the source of bubbles. Even if there is a visual obstruction in between the other diver and you, such as a boulder or coral outcrop, you can still see the bubbles rising above the obstruction. Another thing about bubbles is that they are the only way to spot a diver from above water, unless the water is so clear that you can see to the bottom.<br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Bubbles tell you that a diver is there, but it's almost impossible to tell who that diver is, unless you know that diver's bubble pattern! Like I said, it's almost impossible, so to identify a diver you need more definitive clues...</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />2. Tank<br /><br /></span>Scuba tanks are big and usually bright yellow, or shiny aluminium. So they're really useful for spotting a diver from afar, such as in situations when I have lagged behind the group to play with a cuttlefish and I need to locate my buddies to regroup. I know, diving mantra #1 is to always dive with a buddy, but sometimes the buddy wanders away, or I linger while the buddy moves on. Ah, well. Just look for the bright, shiny tank. Sometimes the dive operator has different colour tanks, so I can identify who's who by matching the tank to the diver, but I would need to remember before the dive who is using which type of tank. For example, Diver A = yellow tank, Diver B = silver tank, Diver C = yellow tank with badly peeled off paint, Diver D = silver tank with sticker, etc. The problem is, usually the tanks are changed for each dive, so you have to recalibrate the ID before a dive. But if the tanks are all the same colour, then, too bad.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Fins</span><br /><br />Fins are really useful identification clues. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">As there are many brands and models of fins on the market, usually each diver would have a different type. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Fins are also very visible from far especially as many types of fins are brightly coloured and have distinctive patterns, except the black ones. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I find this one of the most useful identifying features. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I usually look for the fins first. A positive ID of the fins and wetsuit (below) is usually enough to </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">identify who's who. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Wetsuit</span><br /><br />The wetsuit is useful for identifying a diver as wetsuits come in different patterns, designs and colours. The designs on the legs and arms are the most visible, so I look out for them too while looking at the fins. Some wetsuits are full length, some are shorties. Wetsuits are visible from far as they cover most of the body of the diver.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> But if everyone is wearing similar wetsuits, e.g. they're all rented from the same operator, or if everyone is wearing black, then you'll have to look for other ID features. Some divers wear beanies over their head. Some wear sleeveless vests.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Some divers don't wear wetsuits.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. BC & Regulator<br /></span><br />It's easy to identify a diver based on the buoyancy compensator (BC) a.k.a. buoyancy compensating device (BCD). BC's are visible from far, and have different designs, patterns and colours. The problem is when divers have the same model of BC, or similar looking BCs, as is often the case with rented equipment.<br /><br />Another identifying feature is the regulator, but this is not so obvious because it is rather small. You could also look at the arrangement of the hoses, e.g. how the octopus is attached, the colour of the octopus hose (yellow or black?), whether the pressure gauge is clipped on or dangling below and leaving a trail of destruction as it drags over the corals. (In such cases you should swim over and politely help the diver to tuck or clip the gauge to their BC. If he/she refuses, turn off his/her air. Haha. Just kidding.)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>6. Mask / Snorkel</span><br /><br />This is a bit harder to use as an identifying feature because you can't really see the mask until up close, in which case you would already be able to see the diver. But if the diver has a snorkel attached to the mask, then it's a pretty conspicuous item visible from far. It also helps that snorkels tend to be brightly coloured.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Other Gear</span><br /><br />Some divers wear gloves. Many wear dive computers nowadays. You can also look for other clipped-on gear, like the reel, or sausage, or torchlight, or pointer, or any other device. A photographer will be carrying a camera, so you know who he/she is. If there is a whole group of photographers, then you gotta figure out which camera belongs to whom. It's pretty easy as cameras and their flashguns are big, chunky items. Yea, you know for sure that a photographer is around when you see a flash firing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8. Personal Traits and Habits</span><br /><br />What I mean is, each diver has his/her own characteristic diving traits and habits. It's like, on land you recognize a person's body shape, or a person's gait, or the way he sits, or the way she folds her arms, or the usual hangouts of a person. Same thing underwater. Look at the diver's body shape (I shall not comment on this, except to say that divers look different from fish). Each diver also has his/her own style of diving. Some divers like to zip around here and there. Some like to move slowly. Some look like they're lost. Some look like they know where they're going. Some lead. Some just follow. Some hover horizontally. Some hover vertically (I notice that it is generally easier for ladies to maintain a horizontal hovering position while motionless). Some like to swim close to the bottom, while yet others like to </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">hover above everyone else, like a helicopter mothership.</span></span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Photographers will usually be glued to one spot for a while, or be crowding around one poor little creature at the bottom, or nowhere to be seen. Photographers also tend to get left behind, so if someone is missing, it's probably the photographer.</span></span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Thus you can tell who is who by observing where they are. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">You can also watch out for a diver's fin kick pattern. Some fin hard, some fin slow. Some use the frog-style kick, some use the up-down kick. Usually beginners will use their hands and arms a lot, but as you get more experienced you hardly use your arms.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. Anything Else</span><br /><br />Whatever you can find. Anything unique.<br /><br /><br />In short, use a combination of the above to differentiate and identify each diver. Happy diving, and appreciate your uniqueness. :)<br /><br /></span></span>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-45231577395279931852009-03-25T23:20:00.009+08:002009-05-04T13:15:07.974+08:009 Island<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Sunrise over the Straits of Malacca...</span></span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKXaO7eidGi4yYxGJqTSRrVDCOZcwD34r3OWyxXlcBZC2RSQREca4SAA7oGnnuDveRb9TQMPFAbzU3HMRbCm9axnPysAcHocgAgtlasOyDLs1OaXsvlr3x2YvqbBPxKcOSWX1/s1600-h/DSC_6760.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKXaO7eidGi4yYxGJqTSRrVDCOZcwD34r3OWyxXlcBZC2RSQREca4SAA7oGnnuDveRb9TQMPFAbzU3HMRbCm9axnPysAcHocgAgtlasOyDLs1OaXsvlr3x2YvqbBPxKcOSWX1/s400/DSC_6760.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317164991892807458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqRTyPzSmu1nH2MI6wA2Bk_1EhVWMImgoh2596KCu9I3Ma0yqMJxJ0c609XQcSuDr2b5YLWkgTMMOxjZqlnSoXxPex-4tse9HnsmI-MwNWvC6pD5MKhv7wHipg7UdDQKuGe-d/s1600-h/DSC_6764.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqRTyPzSmu1nH2MI6wA2Bk_1EhVWMImgoh2596KCu9I3Ma0yqMJxJ0c609XQcSuDr2b5YLWkgTMMOxjZqlnSoXxPex-4tse9HnsmI-MwNWvC6pD5MKhv7wHipg7UdDQKuGe-d/s400/DSC_6764.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317164994432696050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_A7tpqSIyzodRwwcCmGnx2f_nbxpLcNjixRLcuFXLRCs3hngvulHduZaUIW2TNghPonVrH4PI3zbG5OsMTMSdm9wogeWgNHYt9uQjmHT6GPvT6-o1KKIPjBrYQsIKRZC9fgf/s1600-h/DSC_6769.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_A7tpqSIyzodRwwcCmGnx2f_nbxpLcNjixRLcuFXLRCs3hngvulHduZaUIW2TNghPonVrH4PI3zbG5OsMTMSdm9wogeWgNHYt9uQjmHT6GPvT6-o1KKIPjBrYQsIKRZC9fgf/s400/DSC_6769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317165002087569122" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">...and</span></span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Sunset over the Straits of Malacca.</span></span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnejmlXvRONOpgw1e_o0oypaWkMBeLisBK-d2ydQyciydVf5_a382QwGArg-qVVWBgnZmQewhF6371lilyF_DpH-PyMWMDtgVobEAUbqoIqbqeqihEAtlm6XyBrm1IemWMAmo-/s1600-h/DSC_7146.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnejmlXvRONOpgw1e_o0oypaWkMBeLisBK-d2ydQyciydVf5_a382QwGArg-qVVWBgnZmQewhF6371lilyF_DpH-PyMWMDtgVobEAUbqoIqbqeqihEAtlm6XyBrm1IemWMAmo-/s400/DSC_7146.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317154005649875234" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeOYk77QLkVt_WDJqiV983HSLmOzWoBozbiN99o0kbVeAugsaoxwZ0PcaOXAGs_E0EK_jeeU8z321FciUQQe-gU7J9E_KksqtDt18ouBiOFGxBLew1qQEB3sXC5K6FCICk702/s1600-h/DSC_7139.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeOYk77QLkVt_WDJqiV983HSLmOzWoBozbiN99o0kbVeAugsaoxwZ0PcaOXAGs_E0EK_jeeU8z321FciUQQe-gU7J9E_KksqtDt18ouBiOFGxBLew1qQEB3sXC5K6FCICk702/s400/DSC_7139.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317154000844894306" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaSpO54CnwbkdBKJmvLxV-UhBVIMpCK3r252VSQ8aq_6R-S2miFz8cmDde04siFYIvUUFu9LHDHDTn5m8FoIQ8pb9OlbBJ9M0mO5TW7hz5aUc1NbmZDwK-SM91PfsXVX0r7OH/s1600-h/DSC_7128.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaSpO54CnwbkdBKJmvLxV-UhBVIMpCK3r252VSQ8aq_6R-S2miFz8cmDde04siFYIvUUFu9LHDHDTn5m8FoIQ8pb9OlbBJ9M0mO5TW7hz5aUc1NbmZDwK-SM91PfsXVX0r7OH/s400/DSC_7128.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317153998988004210" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUGIPj8IAi3p2Mv79nGhLFHR4j7XSvyF8VyeGyV6I-XP06K2tV5ZaucB79Elr9wFXpB5VwJNwkz_kmPGs1D7Avvo0rBUTHw6QcpSzDt7VZ2U6U6KwRouRy2FbB-scQUORTZSK/s1600-h/DSC_7112.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUGIPj8IAi3p2Mv79nGhLFHR4j7XSvyF8VyeGyV6I-XP06K2tV5ZaucB79Elr9wFXpB5VwJNwkz_kmPGs1D7Avvo0rBUTHw6QcpSzDt7VZ2U6U6KwRouRy2FbB-scQUORTZSK/s400/DSC_7112.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317153939069237986" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_694pGwy-Ha9Y2O_ar3o_RK_tHsQw5uXPlTpIuDLLeRNqMhgnc047wqoYYjRZXtjPPU3ZppMVen07prUNdZo0jnbWW2MmE1XAO3hDm2M0Ny6D8QixCYbYrYizdUYVbBbZst6/s1600-h/DSC_7117.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_694pGwy-Ha9Y2O_ar3o_RK_tHsQw5uXPlTpIuDLLeRNqMhgnc047wqoYYjRZXtjPPU3ZppMVen07prUNdZo0jnbWW2MmE1XAO3hDm2M0Ny6D8QixCYbYrYizdUYVbBbZst6/s400/DSC_7117.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317153986949423634" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br />From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,<br />the name of the LORD is to be praised.<br />Psalm 113:3<br /><br /><br /></span></div>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-12503629122723449022009-03-24T22:32:00.006+08:002009-03-26T18:02:00.561+08:00Kegersangan kata<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The blogospheric pressure has been dropping lately. It has been getting harder and harder to crank up the creative cranial juices to churn out a decent blog post. The juices are drying up. This is partly due to the fact that one of my favourite topics, i.e. politix, has been getting too predictable. It's the same old story -- BN big boys using their financial and political big sticks to whack the Opposition, the judiciary, Parliament, royalty and the media into docile submission. And we the people quietly watch, because we're afraid to rock the boat. Hello, the boat is leaking. It's time to make some noise. If you are not making any noise, at least pray lah. Yea, I need to do more of both. There are really exciting events waiting to unfold.<br /><br />Hmmm, what can I say about the ekonomi? I'm just glad they didn't privatize Bank Negara. It just boggles my mind that the folks who should know what they are doing are now telling us that they didn't foresee this global economic mess. My heart goes out to President Obama and his team as they try to fix the terminal illness of corporate America. Perhaps it's not corporate America that started the problem. It's plain old human nature.<br /><br />What if I talked about another favourite topic -- diving. But I'm afraid I don't have enough time to start and finish a <a href="http://chromazoe.blogspot.com/2008/04/reef-check.html">proper</a> <a href="http://chromazoe.blogspot.com/2006/12/my-top-10-most-memorable-dives.html">story</a>. I haven't even started writing about my Sipadan dive trip in May last year, and it's already the end of March this year. Oh well, since I'm on it, I would just like to say that Sipadan is still easily one of the best dive sites in the world. It's one of those places where I would (gladly) wake up at 5AM to go diving, and do six dives a day. Oh yea, last year I finally saw the legendary school of barracudas at Barracuda Point. On my first trip to Sipadan in 2005 I dived at Barracuda Point four times but didn't see a single barracuda. So, seeing the barracudas swim by in the hundreds was truly a sight to behold. Too bad they didn't swim around us in their signature vortex formation. Perhaps next time? Haha. And I'm still waiting to see the nudibranch vortex that our one-screw-loose divemaster was raving about. ;P<br /><br />OK, another diving story. I was at the Pulau Sembilan group of islands two weeks ago. I got a nice sunburn despite staying (or, trying to stay) in the shade. The diving was OK lah. Visibility was terrible, but we saw seahorses and one frogfish. Some of us thought we felt a whale shark swim by, but the viz was too poor for us to see clearly. Haha. But the food on board the <a href="http://www.kaleebso.com/">Kaleebso</a> was superb. The only thing I don't like about the live aboard dive boat is the waste management. It cuts my heart to even think about how they disposed of our sewage and garbage, so I shall not talk about it. Oh man, and to think that I was one of the sources of the problem.<br /><br />I think that's enough for now. Till the next post, I bid thee farewell. Drink lots of water and eat fruits.<br /><br /></span></span>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-57641395164291653492009-03-06T14:46:00.007+08:002009-03-06T15:14:23.800+08:00Parlez-vous français?<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">It's amazing that a French journalist has unearthed more "evidence" in just three months of investigation than the Malaysian mainstream media has been able to figure out in three years. Well, perhaps they've known about this all the while, but were just too chicken to publish it. I guess now we can C4 ourselves a little bit more of what went on behind the scenes, thanks to Monsieur Journaliste. Merci beaucoup.<br /><br />Mais prenez garde! Il est explosif!<br /> <br /></span></span>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-87152619528690403032009-03-05T00:42:00.006+08:002009-03-05T00:47:18.194+08:00One for the count<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br />There are two kinds of BN politicians.<br /><br />The corrupt, and the incompetent.<br /><br /><br />There are three kinds of people in this world.<br /><br />Those who can count, and those who can't.<br /><br /><br /></span>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-73399404760474369372009-03-03T19:33:00.008+08:002009-03-05T18:01:03.506+08:00Eco-Assembly<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >I read with incredulity that the Perak state assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar convened a state assembly meeting under a rain tree (<span style="font-style: italic;">Samanea saman</span>) in the state secretariat car park. Whatever the outcome of this current debacle, I must say that today's meeting will go down in modern history as the most eco-friendly state assembly meeting ever. Outdoor, under a tree, natural lighting, natural ventilation.<br /><br />Hmmm, perhaps they should do that once in a while for Parliament sessions too. Conserve energy. And even if it rains it won't make much difference.<br /><br />OK, I must remember to take a picture with that tree the next time I visit Ipoh.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" > Perak Boleh!<br /><br /></span>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-39617083731784776902009-02-24T18:29:00.003+08:002009-03-03T21:02:02.935+08:00Maximum returns<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I do not understand why Umno has to send someone all the way to London to seek the advice of a Queen's Counsel on the Perak political quagmire when there are so many lawyers back home in KL. But since they're already asking the QC, I thought it would make cents if they also threw in a few other questions just to maximize the returns on their consultation time. Questions like, What was the original intention and spirit of the ISA, since it was the British who started the idea of preventive detention? Should the ISA be used against Communist insurgents only, or against anyone in general? Where have all the Communist insurgents gone?<br /><br /></span></span>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22814864.post-3291181817148817812009-02-09T01:09:00.014+08:002009-03-03T21:29:26.044+08:00Farewell, Markus<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Gazing at the late Markus Ng as he lay in peace in the casket, I couldn't help but notice the poignancy of the items that lay there beside him: A bilingual English-Chinese Bible, a black cap with the words "Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia" proudly embroidered in gold across the front, a box of his name cards with the credentials "Anak Bangsa Malaysia", and some colourful guitar picks. No doubt, they were symbols of his passion and purpose in life, and even in death.<br /><br />I thought to myself... What can I take with me when I go? What will I leave behind?<br /><br />In his "short" life of 23+ years on earth, Markus has made a big impact in many people's lives. It's ironic that many of us who were touched by his life didn't realize it until he was gone. He leaves us his legacy.<br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >I do not understand why God called Markus home so early and so suddenly, but I know God's ways are higher than ours. God's will is perfect, so we rest assured. Yea, Markus' life was short, but definitely full.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Markus, you were one of those guys I would have liked to get to know better. Your youthful passion tempered with mature ideals belied a man beyond your years. Your burning desire to see a diverse yet united nation of Malaysia was visionary and exemplary. Truly, you were more than qualified to carry the title "anak bangsa Malaysia". Your love for God was as great as your love for your neighbour. Your commitment to the cause of justice shone as bright as your friendly smile. I was impressed by your poetic eloquence in Bahasa Malaysia, in those <span style="font-style: italic;">pantun</span> that you often posted on Facebook. It's a pity I only found out </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >at your wake </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >that you had so many other accomplishments, and played the guitar and sang so well. And I'm sorry I still haven't attended any of those anti-ISA candlelight vigils which you talked excitedly about.<br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Markus,<br />You have fought the good fight,<br />you have finished the race,<br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >you have kept the faith.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >I know you are in an incomprehensibly better place, the best place ever. But those of us who linger on here on earth will still miss you, because we're just human. I know some will miss you much more than others will, and the grief may wash in and out of our consciousness over time. We'll meet again, but in the meantime, you are not with us, and that hurts.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >I thank God for your life that you have shared with us. I thank you for inspiring us.<br /><br />Now, I am challenged to live another day, and to make it count for eternity.</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" > Live with no regrets.</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUJUqQscRHtPoOgc2zDZDPDZbUgt_DKtzsAFRCwc5Iz4kFOmycYpljL54262_w0x9NOs6pKpVQQhXuROOPIE-DrcxNfzCPNfju-zUf3Zd0_2Zg6I4_JorV1RTMFzEYWe9Ax_Q/s1600-h/DSC_6405.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUJUqQscRHtPoOgc2zDZDPDZbUgt_DKtzsAFRCwc5Iz4kFOmycYpljL54262_w0x9NOs6pKpVQQhXuROOPIE-DrcxNfzCPNfju-zUf3Zd0_2Zg6I4_JorV1RTMFzEYWe9Ax_Q/s400/DSC_6405.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300502444795137330" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://markusng.last-memories.com/">Markus Ng Chung Yau</a><br />06 May 1985 - 04 February 2009<br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XuWzfvj5ULoRoB5BiFXzHhGjN4L8TCHs_P-HNe3qhxr9vucdh5_UK7e_mcOXs90_yOCLIAPyFCtTYZhPKW7ahoVIYJRZ7sq9edAQOXd5UfEJoM_YR5FDUaooEHsH5cq8y9GJ/s1600-h/DSC_6440.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCg99jvwjr-jSiuezygGMFFCbn_l4M8Zyzx_F3wW51N8VFe1YhExTgCD7QJDdFlbhXHrcGLdbvMpi2hlFTnqGdpSwNlQpisYpcDAwkFcH4fMatUFrxnUjJoloCo9SUVBFiNA3A/s400/DSC_6443.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300502445778382338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XuWzfvj5ULoRoB5BiFXzHhGjN4L8TCHs_P-HNe3qhxr9vucdh5_UK7e_mcOXs90_yOCLIAPyFCtTYZhPKW7ahoVIYJRZ7sq9edAQOXd5UfEJoM_YR5FDUaooEHsH5cq8y9GJ/s1600-h/DSC_6440.JPG"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XuWzfvj5ULoRoB5BiFXzHhGjN4L8TCHs_P-HNe3qhxr9vucdh5_UK7e_mcOXs90_yOCLIAPyFCtTYZhPKW7ahoVIYJRZ7sq9edAQOXd5UfEJoM_YR5FDUaooEHsH5cq8y9GJ/s400/DSC_6440.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300502447075944594" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Anak Bangsa Malaysia</span></span><br /><br /></div>HLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16361403850757668374noreply@blogger.com3