Please Light a Candle

We need you to light a candle of support
www.lightamillioncandles.com

We're aiming to light at least One Million Candles by December 31, 2006.

This petition will be used to encourage governments, politicians,
financial institutions, payment organisations, Internet service
providers, technology companies and law enforcement agencies to
eradicate the commercial viability of online child abuse.

They have the power to work together. You have the power to get them
to take action.

Please light your candle at lightamillioncandles.com or send an email of support to
light@lightamillioncandles.com.

Together, we can destroy the commercial viability of Internet child
abuse sites that are destroying the lives of innocent children.

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Difference between The Female and Male Brain

The brain is a wonderful organ. For humans it is relatively big for its size compared to the body. If one were to compare the other organs with the body as a whole, the brain would be one of the most disproportionate. But the human race, homo sapiens consists of 2 species, male and female/boy and girl/jantan and betina...whatever you want to call it. Of course it is rather unnecessary to state the obvious differences between males and females....

What is more amusing and somehow unfortunate is the differences in our brain...LOOK DOWN..

If you want to see the fine print please click on the picture...

Actually, only some information on the picture is true, so don't go telling everyone there's a "lame excuses gland" in guys or "gold-digging sensory gland" in females.

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The Unmitigated Disaster...

Yesterday as usual, Lifeline Music Ministry have their Saturday practices for mass for the last week of the month. Normally we have 2 days to practice all our songs, which includes the mass proper and the songs to sing on the saturday before and on the day itself

Since last week, we had a jamming session so everybody thought that yesterday would be a practice session for next week's mass. We went on practising until about 4.20pm when Uncle desmond came in and asked us who was playing for mass... When he said that, I kinda feared the worst. Then Patrick called someone to confirm, and when he told us that it was supposed to be us doing the mass yesterday, all hell broke lose. IT was panic at the cabin, ok maybe not but everyone frantically tried to put the pieces together for mass.....

Quote Patrick:

If we could pull this off, it would be God's intervention...

We had one hour to prepare and set up up our mics and musical instruments. We know absolutely nothing about the songs/psalms that we are going to sing. Since the keyboardist isn't around, so I had to take the responsibility to play the mass proper which I have not done before!! To make matter worse, I haven't been playing for Lifeline for about 2-3 months and everything has to be done before Novena Mass starts at 5.30pm. !!!

When mass started, it was a moment of much trepidation and nervousness. Almost everytime before we start singing, I would be looking towards Patrick and Co to see when to start. I was actually leading the mass for the first time but with much unpreparedness....Sigh...

You can say that the mass was kind of like an acoustic mass with the drums and bass around. Father Simon was saying mass, and even he felt that something was wrong when every single mass proper songs was in guitar and it was made worse when the timing was really bad.... It really showed when we sang Our father

Father Simon said, "It was jarring..... The whole thing was like a practice session... What happened to you guys??" and he was the one who coined out the phrase "The Unmitigated Disaster..."

I was like...OH Man...Actually,I felt quite sure that it didn't turn out too bad. But when the feedback started to pour in, I was forced to correct myself. After, all the negative comments, finally we heard some really encouraging words from Father, "You guys were really brave to do this. Thanks for doing this anyway..." Father told us that there was an alternative to the whole situation, which was a Silent Mass with no music, which would mean that the mass maybe shortened to half its usual time.... WE didn't know that until later on...

But the real problem, was a big miscommunication on who should play mass. By right, charismatic group was suppose to play. Somehow, only at the last minute, we found out through certain sources that we were suppose to play yesterday but the message wasn't conveyed to us in time.

This was a really big lesson not on our part but everyone who is playing for Lifeline Mass...Lifeteen, Lifeline and Charismatic group. I would say that the entire schedule should be printed for everyone to see and whoever decides to make changes must be reponsible to inform other.

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END OF MSK

I feel like screaming after the end of Musculoskeletal System. Yesterday's exam marks the end of the most tiring and demanding system of all time in IMU since starting the medical course. The Nervous System beckons with even more demanding and difficult things to study which I currently don't want to know....

So obviously, we decided to do something after such a tiring 5 weeks. Some guys decided on watching a movie. John mentioned Dead or Alive, DOA.

Somehow, when I heard it the first time in cinema ads way back months ago, I know that this is one of those low budget shows which offer nothing more than predictable plots, cliche scenes, dialogues, bad scripts, and CGI to spice up the show, which happens to be nearly 100% true. So why do I wan't to see this, cause I haven't been to a darn movie for the past 5 weeks and I hope my assumptions were wrong or at least partially wrong.

But before, I comment on the predictable slew of words on the quality of the show, let me first start elaborating on my journey to MidValley.

The time was about 1.45 when I left my house, which wasn't too bad cause going to MidValley from my place would take about 15-20 minutes. Unfortunately, the moment I drove off to the junction at the Kuchai lama junction near the Saujana School, a massive traffic jam lasting 20 minutes started which is normally there but would only take 5 minutes but was compounded by idiotic Indonesian workers (working on the Putrajaya highway) who have no idea that squeezing a busy part of Seri Petaling into one lane isn't a very wise thing to do.

After, enduring the ridiculous jam created by the road blocks, I thought the next part of the journey would be smooth sailing and jam-free. Thankfully, this was the case at least for a while...

To my amazement, there was another massive jam which wasn't at the junction to enter MidValley but within the parking bay itself. Little did I know, that 2.30 in the afternoon, would result in such heavy traffic in the carpark, people coming in more than coming out. This time I knew that I may have to miss a bit of the show but thankfully the jam lasted about 15 minutes, thanks to some really excellent traffic wardens.

So what's the relationship??
The jam was a sign that I should not have watched the show....FULLSTOP!!!

Coming back to the show....the show gets a C from me, like I said...everything was predictable, except for some weird moments where guy fantasizes about being with girl like "Public Affair".

Apart from focusing on the action/fighting scenes which I have no qualms about....director likes focusing on underwear....and Cory Yuen introduced the World's First aerial bra slot...

Boss appears good but boss is the bad guy, bad guy has some hidden agenda, becomes evil and powerful( like those bad guys in movies/cartoons who dreams of taking over the world) become superkungfu master and decides to fight them..

******************Removing all unnecessary information*******************

Bad Guy could die so easily but scriptwriter decides to let the "chicks" fight him with his state-of-the-art sunglasses on even when they could have tried an alternative which would lead to his early demise and save some time b4 a self-destruct sequence in the show. But no... they decide to sweat it out until the last remaining seconds and kill him. With apparent "stylishness" they jump off and dive into the sea and boy gets girl/girl gets boy and it's a Happy Ending....Blah Blah Blah..

Well anyway, though I didn't enjoy the show but at least the fighting scenes were better than I expected.

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Tech Updatez 1

This would be the first of tech updates featured on this blog from now on. So instead of blabbering more, let's get straight to it

The first is the IPOD, which has undergone a revamp, well some minor some major....I you wan't to know what I'm talking about...carry on reading!!!

The IPOD

Now don't be fooled by its physical appearance, Apple's 5th generation of the IPOD or now called the IPOD video comes with a 30gb and a big 80gb model... And based on its capacity this is what the 30gb and the 80gb model can fit...

According to Apple.....The new Ipod now comes with:

Capacity

• 30GB or 80GB hard drive
• Holds up to 7,500 (30GB) or 20,000 songs (80GB) in 128-Kbps AAC format
• Holds up to 25,000 iPod-viewable photos
• Holds up to 40 hours (30GB) or up to 100 hours (80GB) of video

Plus side: The 80gb model does have a major advantage over most mp3 players(based on capacity and sze) on its battery stamina. The 80gb model will plasy 20 hours of non stop music or 6.5 hours of video on full charge. The new model is certainly thinner. The 30gb is 30% thinner while the 80gb is as thick as the 60gb model. Much better display

Cons: Screen relatively small for videos. Apple had better do something cause Microsoft's Zune has a much larger screen for videos...

The IPOD NANO

I'll quote Apple..."Completely Remastered"

which is exactly what they meant with the new Ipod Nano. As usual it is thin but now with a anodized aluminium casing which means that it is more durable and less prone to scratches. I guess this is a response to the loads of people complaining about their scratched nanos in the past...

Nano comes with the 2gb 4gb and the 8gb model with an even better battery lifespan. Apple claims that the Nano can rock your world for 24 hours straight b4 the battery gives up. Amazing...The new model also comes with a much brighter display and some coloured casing for selected models only(4gb)

Capacity

• 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB flash drive
• Holds up to 500 to 2,000 songs in 128-Kbps AAC format
• Holds up to 25,000 iPod nano-viewable photos

Pros: Bigger Space, Better battery lifespan
Cons: can't think of any...

The 8gb in Malaysia retails for Rm1149.. So those interested GRAB ONE... !!!


The Ipod Shuffle

When I saw the New shuffle, I was thoroughly amazed at the sheer size of it. It's so small that it's about 1 x 1.5 inch across(estimate). Indeed it is, Apple claims it to be the world's smallest digital music player and there is only a 1gb model. Check out the shuffle website if you find it hard to imagine...IPOD Shuffle

Of course, when it's so small, the only way to make sure that it doesn't fall/drop out is to clip it on something which is exactly how Apple designed it. As Apple put it "on your sleeve....your lapel....your belt...."

Believe it or not...what you are seeing on screen is actually a little larger than the real one.

So far, the shuffle, comes only with 1gb capacity with a 12 hour battery lifespan.

IF you're interested, in finding out more, check out Apple for more details on the Ipod


Microsoft Zune

As you all know, or if you haven't Microsoft has been planning for a long time to outdo Ipod, and so it has been revealed recently that the Ipod competitor, Microsoft Zune launch the Zune recently, and apparently En gadget has been chosen by Microsoft to give Zunes away.. So if you haven't seen the zune or you're still too darn blur. Basically it's an Mp3 player to compete with the ubiquitous Ipod, which I doubt could ever happen. So here's the lowdown on the Zune and the how it looks like....

Some Details*
WMA, MP3, AAC, JPEG,WMV, MPEG-4, H.264 media playback
Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) connectivity
30 GB Hard Drive
3 inch video LCD 320x240
White, Black, and Brown Colors
FM Radio
TV output connectivity 640x480
Dedicated song download site (Zune Marketplace)
DJ Mode (broadcast what you are listening to)
Podcast playback
Updateable Firmware
12 hr battery life for audio, 3.5 hr video
3 day playback of Wi-Fi transfered songs from friends
XBOX streaming
XBOX (Microsoft) points compatability
Preloaded music videos
Over a dozen accessories at launch
5.6 ounces in weight, 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.58 inches size
Metric: 158 g, 112 x 61 x 14.7 mm size
Custom background images
WiFi transfer of photographs
Tag based storage system (Will not appear as drive)
PC Compatability (no Mac client at launch)
Zune tag enabled
Horizontal and vertical video orientation
*source from zunescene.com

Personally I don't think the Zune looks fantastic. Even the features can't seem to rival The Ipod. It's bigger, thicker except for the wider and larger screen. Brown looks horrendous. Can't quite figure out why, Microsoft, match brown with zune. I like Black though...

Conclusion, Ipod will still have a stronger footing if it is placed neck and neck with the Zune, as long as Zune does not improve or if Ipod decides to introduce a newer model with a wider screen.

Intel's "Kentsfield"

Just when we thought that Core 2 Duo will be around for a while b4 Intel decides to ensure complete dominance over AMD when it comes to making the most powerful processors on the planet, they decided that they should get a headstart in this rat race. So what's the next multiple after duo....yeap you're right it's quadro and it's call Core 2 Quadro codenamed "Kentsfield". The new Core 2 quadro is basically 2 Core 2 duo in one package. which would obviously bring about some mindblowing processing power as seen in a few tests conducted by Tomshardware. Some of the tests were off the charts...!!!

So when the whole world is still lagging behind with Pentium D Dual core porocessors and not even the released Core 2 duo, why would people bother thinking about a Core 2 Quadro. The majority of the population out there would think that even the Pentium D is more than enough. "Why bother upgrading when all I do with my PC is spreadsheets, word-processing and e-mails." For those hard core gamers, the Core2 duo/Core2 Duo Extreme would be sufficiently enough to handle every single game on the planet without a hitch. And now, Intel is stating that the Quadro would be released soon, possibly before year end.

We will have to wait and see....

That's all for this issue, stay connected for future updatez

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Over the past few days....

Really don't have time to blog at all. MSK system is starting to kill me by the sheer load of muscles, bones, nerves and ligaments and the fact that MSK assessment is just around the corner which is just about a week from now isn't at all encouraging. Even PBL sessions which use to have more patho then anatomy is now filled with anatomy presentations making the bulk of the entire PBL2 session. Today's PBL week 5 is one very fine example. Imagining the erector spinae having so many sub muscles...WHY CAN'T WE JUST KNOW IT AS IT IS, THE ERECTOR SPINAE MUSCLE!!!

Thank goodness, for a formative assessment. That is one really good way to gauge my progress which has not been really promising at all but it does help me identify my weaker areas. Patho and Anatomy should be my main focus for now.....Hopefully, the paper would be easy. It's already week 4 and I still don't feel ready yet and this week should be the time frame where I catch up on where I missed out last week, which have been one helluva hectic week for me. There was CSS party, carrom training which lasted four days....and rehearsal for my upcoming performance in Novemeber.

Speaking about carrom, it has been really good. IT WAS OUR FIRST GOLD MEDAL/TROPHY/12 POINTS FOR OUR BATCH which we really needed. Imagine having practice 2 out of the 4 days of carrom training once a year, and we still manage to get a gold. Anyway, we did the same thing but maybe practiced a little bit longer, but thanks to the amazing accuracy of the old sem 5s, they grabbed the trophy from us. This year, thanks to some accuracy, a little bit of practice and a little bit of luck, we got so close to getting silver....Pharmacy did put up a great fight...but it all boils down to experience at the end.....and so it was.... GOLD...HAHAHAHA...

So why carrom only, I would not have time for other things cause I would be severely left behind in my studies if I were to join other events, unlike last year, when there was also football, road relay and squash. This is also partly due to the rehearsal, I want to make sure that this year, my first public performance would be excellent with The Wicked Pitches in KLPac. Furthermore, this would be something that I like doing and a whole new experience, singing, which I'm already so familiar with and staging/acting/dancing which is new and FUN!!!.

If you are reading this, than about an hour ago, I was still rehearsing songs with the Wicked Pitches and now I'm really sleepy.... got to go..ZZZZZ

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Seafood buffet at Restoran Tallipon

Nearly all CSS members converge in church for mass at 5.30pm yesterday to mark the start of our fellowship together for the new semester running into the 2nd half of the year. It was really nice to see that so early on even before we had any recruitment drive going on....there are already a few new members in CSS...Praise God.

Actually, we had a bigger agenda going on right after mass which happens to be celebrating Adrian's birthday, our Church Youth Ministry "tai low", which doesn't at all looks old despite his age. The entire affair was well staged as a planned birthday event, with all the presents and cards minus the surprise venue for our dinner which was actually Adrian's suggestion, because he hasn't gone there before. We surely do hope that our old peeps Sheena, Michelle, Jeremy, Vasan and the rest of the gang would be together with us. But it was still fun, the place we went to had a really weird name, someplace in Kelana Jaya nearby SIC church.... Restoran Tallipon, an open air seafood buffet restaurant.

Actually, I didn't know what to expect. Iggy was hoping that it wouldn't be seafood buffet cause he's allergic to most seafood fish....weird....and Amelia had been to the place b4 and didn't like it. Actually, it wasn't all seafood, there was lamb, beef and chicken. The seafood variety wasn't all that great...the usual stuff like prawns, fish, and crabs and vegetables, mushrooms, century egg. And we all had to cook it on top of some stove except for the vegetables... And I actually didn't think that the food tastes really great....maybe it was because of us... amateurs when it comes to cooking except for Daphne and Adeline.

About 20 of us just kept makaning and makaning till we couldn't contain it within our stomach wall. Iggy, had this weird polydipsia earlier on, he kept drinking and drinking, he even ordered Pepsi from a nearby 7 Eleven shop which was actually illegal, (NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINKS ALLOWED) and later on ate and ate until he told me he had pain in his abdomen... HAHA. I think our table ate the most of the lot, cause we had more guys than the rest of the table. Poor Adrian had to do some DBKL work on his table cause the girls just can't fit anymore. We on the other hand just keep eating until we nearly forgotten about Chef Adeline, who was cooking non- stop. But anyway, we guys still managed to coax her to eat.

Finally, the time came to sing the famous "Happy Birthday" song minus the cake cutting ceremony but of course not forgetting the birthday presents which made Adrian look even younger....well he's a youth leader right...so he should portray that image....so it ain't gonna be a problem.

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