HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011 and GOOD BYE 2010
Today marks the last day of 2010, 1 more hour and we all will reflect on ourselves what we have done for 364 days, and have we really done the best for ourself. I for one have done 4 Marathon within a year and countless 21km, my biggest achievement would have to be bringing 2 of my friends who are not runners to finishing their first marathon with me on the 5th of December. It is nice to see your friends do things they thought they could not. But as I always do I believe everyone can do it, as I believed in myself that I can motivate them to.
Anyway, I would not say I ended 2010 with a high note, there have been ups and down as usual, but I guess 2010 was not all perfect, It could have been better, as for 2011 I am unsure of whats going to happen for myself, I couldn’t pen down my resolution as yet, in deep thoughts on what I would like to see myself a year from now, but I just cant envision that, but one thing for sure I am going to be starting my duathlon, triathlon season again, and hopefully my Ironman in 2012. Last year 2009 at this time. Gurl and me was in a hotel in BKK sleeping in for the countdown, we shopped till we drop and we only woke up after all the firework ended. Guess partying lifestyle is not for me anymore unless I have the right people with me. This year 2010 I am alone (but this is by choice) am at the comfort and peace of my own home while girl is in NY city. Had skyped over with my friends who are celebrating their countdown at Jason’s house its nice to be seeing the gang together,
Well I am not going to say much more as it’s the 2010 countdown ! I would like to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR and all the GREATEST ENDEAVOURS for 2011 ! this time in 365 days I will be penning down my thoughts again. I love my life !
Custom Fitting your bike Part 2
Good Morning guys, I did a blogpost on Crank Length for the enthusiast cyclist just yesterday, and today I am continuing on the part where Seat Tube and Seat Angle. I just want people to get the most from their ride, Actually once a bike fits better, it will make your weekend ride or long ride more enjoyable, unless you are climbing some mountain using disk wheelsets for front and back, but otherwise you will certainly benefit a better fitted bike, just like how you will feel when you wear a tailored coat and shoes. Now wouldn’t that be awesome.
The seat tube angle is the included angle between the seat tube and the top tube (assuming that the top tube is level, or the angle between the rear of the seat tube and the ground plane. Seat tube angles are most often in the range of 72 – 74 degrees on modern bicycles.
The seat tube angle effectively fixes the saddle in the horizontal plane relative to the bottom bracket and crank axis. This in turn fixes the fore and aft placement of the knee and influences the hip closure angle and maximum spin rate. While I believe this to be secondary to the effect on spin rate, the seat tube angle also has an influence on the riders’ center of gravity.
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2. Slight increases in seat tube angle can be used to compensate for excessive crank length to allow a faster rate of spin. The actual range of motion will still be the limiting factor as far as spin goes and in no case should the forward displacement of the saddle be greater than the difference between the ideal crank length and the actual length being used.
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Things to watch out for!
In an effort to produce smaller bikes with shorter top tubes, some manufacturers have increased the seat tube angle. While on paper, this does provide a shorter top tube, in reality, the saddle will need to be moved rearward to place the rider in the correct position, thus nullifying any top tube reduction.
I’ve gotten all this information from http://www.billbostoncycles.com They are the leader in custom fitting for bicycles. I do not get any endorsement or any incentives from them, just sharing what I would like to know to those who wants to know. Sharing is caring. Enjoy your Weekend ride.
How to calculate Crank Length
Most cyclist when buying their bicycle will just look for the frames and major parts like the grouppo, serious and competitive cyclist needs to know more than that, like frame size, frame fit, measurements of the frame, weight of the parts and many other details, But I bet this one eludes many cyclist out there, the CRANK Size, one of my colleague asked me, hey how do you determine the size of your crank, bet you didn’t know that crank arm comes in 170 *most common, 172, 175 and various length.
So you ask, why do I need to know the crank length ? I am just going to pedal my bike round the neighborhood, well as I said, to go into depth about knowing things in specific details is for the serious and competitive cycling persona. Knowing the crank length can improve on cadence speed and also minimize knee injury.
So all the mambo Jambo and still no way to calculate, well here is it. Calculating the crank length.
So you take a ruler and measure the length of L and divide by the inseams of your leg from your tight to your ball of your feet, there you , that’s how you calculate the crank length. JUST KIDDING please don’t follow that, just read the below and Garner more knowledge… if you love cycling like me !
What is Common
While cranks are available in lengths from 140 mm to 185 mm, most production bicycles are equipped with 165 or 170 mm cranks. While 165 – 170 mm cranks are appropriate for the average rider of 5′ 8″ to 5′ 10″ in height, they may not be the best choices for riders above or especially below this range.
A Starting Point
Given that the average adult male is 70 inches tall and has a femur length of 43.2 centimeters, a 170 millimeter crank is 39.5% of the femur length. I selected this as a starting point for calculations. 39% and 40% yield 168.5 mm and 172.8 mm crank lengths respectively, which would appear to be an acceptable range. 38% and 41% yield crank lengths of 164 mm and 177 mm respectively and these lengths may still be acceptable for some riders depending on their riding style and cadence.
Why proportion crank length to femur length?
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The leg and crank arm forms a lever system. In this system, the crank arm rotates and the femur rotates through a limited angular range. In affect, the knee is moving mostly up and down with a small for and aft displacement. The lower leg and foot form a linkage between the pedal axis and knee and has little bearing on the transmission of power. |
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In a standing position, the hip joint range of motion is 98 degrees or less. That is to say, that the femur can be raised just slightly above the horizontal position when the knee is lifted. In a normal riding position, the pelvis and lower back are rotated forward 20 – 30 degrees relative to the legs to compensate for the seat tube angle. The remaining range of motion precludes raising the femur to the horizontal position without experiencing binding at the hip joint that forces the pelvis to be lifted from the saddle. |
So why do we care about all this?
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Longer cranks provide more leverage, so you can push larger gears. These longer cranks cause a greater angular change at the hip joint and it is this angular change that limits the cadence that can be produced. In other words expect to spin lower RPM’s with longer cranks |
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If the crank length is excessive or outside of the acceptable range, the binding discussed above will take place and limit your riding efficiency. |
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Shorter cranks while providing less leverage, will allow you to spin higher RPM’s. This will in most cases reduce the stress on the knee joint. |
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Longer cranks will require that you use a shorter top tube length or a higher handlebar position while shorter cranks will allow longer top tube lengths to be used and a lower handlebar position. |
Lets put this in perspective!
The shortest commonly available cranks produced today are 165 mm. The 50th percentile female is 63.6 inches tall and has a femur length of about 38.9 cm. The 165 mm crank is about 42.5% of the 38.9 cm femur. This is like putting a 70 inch rider on 184 mm cranks. While this crank length might be preferred by some small percentage of riders in the 70 inch height range, it would undoubtedly be primarily for off road use.
Lets take a look at this another way. The 50 percentile male is 68.8 inches tall, and the 97.5 percentile female is 68.5 inches tall. The average femur length for both groups is 42.3 cm, and a median crank length (39.5%) of 167 mm. Given this data, I think it is fair to assume that based on averages, 165 mm cranks are appropriate for men of 68 inches (~49 percentile, and women of about the same height (~97 percentile) or about 27% of the adult (US) population. If we assume that a crank length of as high as 41% of the femur length will provide acceptable performance, those 165 mm cranks can be used by as many as 75% of the males and 25% of the females, or about 50% of the adult (US) population.
Lactic Acid and our Muscle
Is lactic acid bad for you?
Lactic acid causes muscle fatigue and the burning sensation when the going gets tough. Right? Wrong. Although it’s seen as the athlete’s enemy, lactic acid – or lactate – isn’t quite the villain it’s been made out to be.
The bad press came from Meyerhoff and Hill’s 1920 study. “They observed an increase in lactate and also observed fatigue, and presumed one caused the other,” says English Institute of Sport senior physiologist Jamie Pringle.
Recent research has shown that rather than causing muscle fatigue, lactic acid is actually a key muscle fuel. “Although people are keen to point the finger and blame something for fatigue, in reality the main cause of fatigue is the lack of energy and fuel, or specifically the inability to provide those things at the rate that’s needed to keep up with the muscle contraction,” says Pringle.
In fact, lactate can be oxidised and used to fuel the Krebs Cycle, to release chemical energy, or it can be converted to glycogen in the liver in a process called the Cori Cycle. “When metabolised successfully, the use of lactate as fuel means muscle glycogen stores are actually preserved for longer,” says Pringle. “Muscle lactate concentration does not start to increase until the production rate exceeds the rate of removal.”
This is why working just below this level, known as the lactate turnpoint, can be sustained for so much longer. “This turnpoint, which is around 70-90% of V02 max, is where you have the right balance between lactate production and the rate your muscles can consume it,” says Pringle. “The reason your muscles quickly fatigue above this point is because excess lactate causes your carbohydrate stores to be used up at a much faster rate.”
Jargon buster
Lactate threshold: The lactate threshold is a lot lower than most people think, occurring at about 50-70% of V02 max. It marks the first increment of lactate concentration in the blood from ‘moderate’ to ‘heavy’.
Lactate turnpoint: The lactate turnpoint happens at 70-90% V02 max and represents a blood lactate concentration shift from ‘heavy’ to ‘severe’. After this point muscles will fatigue significantly. “To identify your own lactate turnpoint, perform a time trial of about 60 minutes,” advises Pringle. “As long as you ride at an evenly-paced effort, the average power or heart rate of that will be on or about your lactate turnpoint.”
To increase your lactate turnpoint you should aim to work at the point just below it for three 20- to 30-minute sessions each week. “By doing this you’re pushing the limit up from below,” says Pringle, “and although it’s possible to ‘pull up’ from above by using all-out interval training, this will cause much greater muscle fatigue and will be less effective in the long term.”
Krebs Cycle: This is part of the process of aerobic cell metabolism which can be fuelled by lactate, in which glycogen is broken down to produce the basic muscle energy source adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Acidosis or ‘The Burn’: ‘The burn’ occurs as a result of a build up of acidity in the blood that causes muscles to contract; severe pain was previously believed to be a result of lactic acid. However, lactic acid immediately splits into lactate and hydrogen in the body and the lactate itself blocks and neutralises the acidic protons in hydrogen, delaying acidosis.
Missing Images after migrating to WordPress
I hesitated to migrate my live space account to WordPress , but I guess we all didn’t have a choice, not sure why they are migrating us, it could be maybe because MSN did not want to host the blog site no more, it started with them taking down the statistic options where blog owners can see how many people come in their website and from which website, or search words.
Henry this morning asked me if I was still blogging so I think maybe he has not read my blog for a long time, but no matter, He was asking me if I had migrated, which I had already done, so he posted this question to me, Hey where was is the images from your blog? I was like, hhmm.. good question, seems to me there wasn’t one in the wordpress account. Seems bad, as because Live Space use to have a photog gallery. After digging deeper, I found out that the blog post with images will be transferred to wordpress as of the Images in the gallery ! you can say SAYONARA !! ok ok .. just kidding, don’t panic, it’s still available in you Windows Live location at http://photos.live.com/ I got the info off at this website http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/welcome-windows-live-spaces-bloggers/
Where to invest your hard earned money?
First of all, I would like to wish everyone a blessed MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Great NEW YEAR. This is the season to be jolly for sure… cause most of you would have gotten that thing you have been waiting for, the year long wait must have been worth it I believe ? It’s the company BONUSES that there are distributing, and not what you are thinking. The joy of ripping the letter to see the large amount of $$$ that will be banked into your account at the end of the month sure is making lots of people happy. Well better than the recession I have to say. Some is better than none right? Don’t be so greedy and go donate some of those to the needy. Anyway, If you would like to know I occasionally would read the money section on investing and financing, so if I see anything good, I would share it on my blog, ok to remind me of what I have read incase they bring it down. Here is one article by Genevieve Cua where to invest our money, So It’s a pretty lengthy article but take your time to read if you have any.
THE process of picking investments for a portfolio may be a bewildering exercise.
You are faced with more than a thousand unit trusts and insurance funds. There are also nearly 80 exchange traded funds (ETFs), plus even a fairly new instrument called exchange traded notes (ETNs). How do you go about selecting instruments that are appropriate for your needs?
This edition of Smart Money gives an overview of the various instruments available and how they may make sense for you. The specific underlying investments and exposures will vary, of course, and it will be up to you and your adviser – if you have one – to decide on the combination of exposures and instruments to invest in.
The structure of the vehicle you may choose – whether unit trust, investment-linked insurance fund (ILP) or ETF – is an important decision as well, as it may have a bearing on costs, liquidity and risks.
Here are some basic definitions and points to consider on each instrument.
UNIT TRUSTS
Unit trusts are unitised investment funds that pool together investors’ monies to invest in assets such as stocks and bonds.
They are typically professionally and actively managed, which makes them ideal for retail investors who may not have enough funds to buy assets directly and still achieve diversification. They are also appropriate for those who do not have the time or inclination to do their own research on individual stocks and bonds.
Unit trusts are typically sold through banks and financial advisers. Investors who are self-directed can also buy or sell funds through fund supermarket portals.
The mode of investment in unit trusts – and generally any other pooled investment such as ETFs or ILPs – can be through a single lump sum or, in the case of unit trusts or ILPs, through a regular investment plan, which can be as frequently as monthly or quarterly.
A regular investment plan is typically recommended for a long-term investor as it encourages discipline and reduces the timing risk. This is because by committing to invest a pre-determined amount regularly over a period, you automatically buy more units when the market is down and less when the market is high.
This is part of the essence of investing by ‘dollar cost averaging’. ETFs do not have regular savings plans as purchases are made on the secondary market in fixed lot sizes, as opposed to transacting on the primary market in fixed dollar amounts.
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Unit trusts will incur costs, including annual management fees, trustee fees and sales charges. Liquidity is typically not an issue as units are cancelled or created when there is a sale or purchase. There is usually daily fund valuation to come up with a net asset value. But when you buy or sell units, you may not immediately know your purchase or sale price. Instead, you transact based on a forward valuation – the next working day’s value.
INVESTMENT-LINKED INSURANCE FUNDS
ILPs are also pooled and professionally managed investment funds, but with insurance cover.
They are typically sold through insurance advisers, and sometimes through banks.
Insurance companies offer ILPs to give policyholders the flexibility to set their own asset allocation and exposures within an insurance policy. There are currently ILPs that offer nearly zero protection, and those who invest in a lump sum or single premium can view it almost like a unit trust.
The big differences between ILPs and unit trusts lie in the insurance coverage itself. Regular premium ILPs in particular may be whole-life policies or a long-term savings plan for a child’s future education expenses. Such policies seek two objectives – to provide protection as well as savings growth over the medium to long term.
While many insurers offer ILPs that feed into unit trusts, ILP funds are actually not trust structures. While there will be annual management fees, there is no trustee; nor is there a prospectus. However, ILPs do have a product summary that contains information similar to that in a prospectus.
Yet another very important thing to note about ILPs is the costs. The insurance coverage will have its own set of charges, including the cost to provide a death benefit; and also a policy fee which is an annual administrative charge for regular premium plans. These fees are not calculated as part of the underlying investment fund’s total expense ratio.
It is best to ask your insurance adviser to itemise these costs, particularly the cost of insurance. The latter is usually deducted by cancelling fund units. The older you get, the more costly the cover gets, and you may well find that with time, a larger portion of your premium is actually funding mortality charges rather than investments.
There are also distribution costs. These will be clearly stated in the benefit illustration. For example, it is possible that the bulk of your first-year premium is going to the agent’s commission, and annual premiums are fully invested in fund units only from the fourth year.
You should also be aware of the sales charge, which is typically 5 per cent. Your premium will buy fund units at the offer price. Units are cancelled to fund expenses such as insurance costs at the bid price.
EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS
Exchange traded funds (ETFs). These are actually unit trusts that are listed on the exchange.
ETFs are traded through a broker who will charge a commission for transactions, similar to share trading.
The advantage of a listing is that prices are transparent and easy to track. You also transact at a known price, unlike unit trusts and ILPs where you may not immediately know the sale or purchase price.
Unlike unit trusts and ILPs, however, an ETF’s traded price may deviate from its net asset value due to a number of factors including market demand.
The specific market exposure of an ETF will vary widely, and you should be prepared to take on that particular market risk. There may also be currency risk if the ETF is denominated in a foreign currency. On liquidity, ETFs will have market makers to ensure liquidity, but those that are thinly traded may have fairly wide bid/ask spreads, which effectively raises your transaction costs. ETFs are traded through brokers, who will charge a brokerage fee.
A big distinction of ETFs from unit trusts and ILPs is that the ETFs are typically passive index tracking instruments. Hence, total expense ratios of ETFs will be a fraction of actively managed funds. Most unit trusts and ILPs are actively managed funds and management fees can exceed 2 per cent for equity funds, for instance. With ETFs, the management fee can be as low as 0.18 per cent.
The structure of ETFs can also vary, and may be complex to boot. One type of ETF invests directly in the assets that represent an index; another type is synthetic – that is, the exposure is achieved through derivatives such as swap contracts. Synthetic ETFs will involve counterparty risks which can be mitigated to some extent. Some unlisted unit trusts can have these complex structures and market risks too. If a particular structure is too complex for you to understand, it may be best not to invest.
EXCHANGE TRADED NOTES
Exchange traded notes (ETNs). An ETN is a debt instrument where investment exposure and returns may be linked to a market index or to a single commodity. ETFs, in contrast, typically do not provide exposure to a single asset.
At the moment there is just one ETN listed on the SGX, linked to commodities. Because ETNs’ exposure is to a market index, investors may confuse the instrument with ETFs. In reality ETNs present quite a different basket of risks, even though the investment theme – be it commodities or an equity market return – may be similar to ETFs.
The big thing to remember about ETNs is that they are a debt instrument. Most ETNs are long dated, with a maturity of about 30 years or longer. The ETN listed on SGX, for instance, will mature in 2036. Investors are free to sell on the exchange through a broker or redeem the ETN with the issuer in a large block of securities. But they could also choose to hold it to maturity and receive the return linked to index after fees at that point in time. There is no guarantee of principal; and no dividend or coupon payments.
While ETFs are backed by securities held in trust, or by a collateral arrangement, ETNs are usually not. This is a major distinction from ETFs, where investors own a pro-rated share of assets in a trust. With ETNs, there are no assets to back up the note, and the issuers can use the funds raised for their own purposes, including business expansion as well as hedging their exposure to the ETN itself.
By investing in ETNs, you are effectively also banking on the credit quality of the issuer. ETNs themselves are typically not rated, but the issuer will have a rating, which will be disclosed in documentation. You have to be cognisant of the credit risks; a deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer could cause the ETN’s price to drop, even if the index to which it is linked remains sound and positive. You may also lose part or all of your investment if the issuer defaults on its obligations under the ETNs.
Exchange traded notes a good choice for small investor
EXCHANGE traded notes (ETNs) are a way for investors to access a variety of investment markets including commodities and equities. But while investors may think they are similar to ETFs (exchange traded funds), ETNs are actually quite a different vehicle.
ETNs are debt instruments; they are senior unsecured debt issued by an institution, typically with a very long maturity. Unlike corporate bonds, however, they are structured to provide a return linked to a range of assets, which can be equity, commodity or interest rate indices.
As such, they provide a convenient way to access markets when you have a relatively modest sum to invest, or when those markets are difficult to access.
Among ETNs’ advantages are an exchange listing, which makes prices transparent and easy to track. There are also market makers to help provide liquidity.
Here are a number of major characteristics of ETNs:
ETNs versus corporate bonds. Corporate bonds are issued by institutions to raise capital for various purposes, which will be explained in issue documents. ETNs are also issued by institutions to raise funds for corporate purposes and for hedging their exposure to the ETN. The portion used for hedging, says Jin-Chuan Duan, is likely to be relatively small. Professor Duan is director of the Risk Management Institute and Cycle & Carriage Professor of Finance at the National University of Singapore. ‘It’s safe to assume that the funds will in large part be for corporate use.’
Unlike bonds, the issuers of ETNs will not pay a coupon, and they collect management fees to boot. ETNs are actually riskier than corporate bonds as the investor takes on market risk – that is, the return and principal amount payable when the investor sells or redeems the note will depend on the performance of the market index to which it is linked. In contrast, corporate bonds’ payment of coupon and return of principal do not depend on the behaviour of any market index.
Credit risk. This is a second major risk. Just as with corporate bonds, you will need to be mindful of the credit risk of the ETN issuer. The issuer’s credit rating is typically specified in an ETN’s prospectus. Note there is no credit rating on the note itself. A credit downgrade may cause the ETN’s price to fall even if the underlying market to which the note is linked remains sound.
‘One important lesson from the financial crisis of 2008-2009 is that big financial institutions can go bust,’ says Prof Duan.
Liquidity. Prof Duan says liquidity risk deserves special attention. Using the iPath DJ-UBS Commodity Index ETN as an example, investors can expect to realise a return before the note’s maturity in 2036 by selling on the exchange or redeeming the note through the issuer, Barclays.
‘Redemption requires a minimum of a large block of securities and is unlikely to be applicable to small investors. One should not be surprised to see very little trading volume on ETNs. Thus, the liquidity risk of ETNs is generally quite significant,’ says Prof Duan.
No tracking error. One advantage of ETNs is that there is zero tracking error or deviation between the note’s indicative value and the index. At redemption or maturity, the investor should receive the return linked to the index less a management fee.
UTs, ILPs, ETFs, ETNs: Pick what suits you
THE alphabet soup of acronyms denoting investment vehicles can be confusing. Are UTs (unit trusts) right for you? Or perhaps ILPs (investment-linked insurance plans); or maybe it’s ETFs (exchange-traded funds) or ETNs (exchange-traded notes)?
Before you get tied up in knots, it’s important to ascertain your own objectives. Are you saving for a long-term goal, or taking an opportunistic short-term bet? Be familiar too with your current holdings, as it is possible that a UT or an ETF may actually hold securities that you already own directly.
If sleeping well is important to you, you will want to be diversified. Diversification may not yield the best returns at any point in time, but it should cushion you through market volatility.
UTs, ETFs and ILPs lend themselves to a long-term portfolio. They can be complementary: ETFs generally give broad market returns, and UTs in theory should generate returns better than an index, which is why you pay higher fees.
One common approach, particularly among institutions, is to use ETFs for core allocations. On the periphery, you could take higher risks through actively managed funds or funds with more concentrated exposures.
ILPs may be seen mainly as investment instruments if the insurance cover is minimal. This is the case if you are investing in a single-premium mode. But a regular-premium ILP is probably best viewed as a protection plan.
As an investment, it is inefficient because of the relatively high costs that are external to the underlying funds – such as mortality charges. These costs will reduce the expected annualised return substantially.
This is evident when you examine the plan’s ‘reduction in yield’ which may be itemised in any benefit illustration. For example, a regular-premium plan for a 35-year-old male with a death benefit of $200,000 – using a simple balanced fund as the underlying investment – may see a net expected annualised return of 5.37 per cent, from a theoretical 9 per cent gross return over 20 years. This suggests that annual expenses could exceed 3.6 per cent.
ETNs are debt instruments with a market exposure. If you are unfamiliar with them, or are uncomfortable with the credit quality of the issuer, it may be best to refrain from investing in them. It is argued that ETNs may have a place in a portfolio as their tracking error – the extent to which the ETNs deviate from the index – is zero. But ETFs offer low tracking errors as well.
Corporate bonds may be more suitable for investors who want a regular coupon and their principal at maturity, while ETNs are for investors who are willing to undertake the market risks of ETNs to achieve potentially higher returns. And, if you want a pure exposure to an index, you can generally get it through an ETF.
Congratulations if you have read so far, but to me after reading all that, It seems that the choices she has provided is more on a insurance base investment. Was hoping to read more on the Stocks, Options, Futures trading, FOREX or many other ways which can increase our portfolio.
Anyway, If you have not slept reading all those HAPPY HOLIDAY GUYS ! its gonna be NEW YEAR in like 4 more days !
I love em Blondes !
DISNEYLAND
Two blondes were going to Disneyland . They were driving on the Interstate when they saw the sign that said Disneyland LEFT. They started crying and turned around and went home.
FLORIDA OR MOON
Two blondes living in Oklahoma were sitting on a bench talking, and one blonde says to the other, ‘Which do you think is farther away… Florida or the moon?’ The other blonde turns and says ‘Helloooooooooo, can you see Florida ?????’
CAR
TROUBLE
A blonde pushes her BMW into a gas station. She tells the
mechanic it died. After he works on it for a few minutes, it is idling smoothly.
She says, ‘What’s the story?’
He replies, ‘Just crap in the carburetor’
She asks, ‘How often do I have to do that?’
SPEEDING
TICKET
A police officer stops a blonde for speeding and asks her very nicely if he could see her license.
She replied in a huff, ‘I wish you guys would get your act together.
Just yesterday you take away my license and then today you expect me to show it to you!’
RIVER
WALK
There’s this blonde out for a walk. She comes to a river and sees another blonde on the opposite bank ‘Yoo-hoo!’ she shouts, ‘How can I get to the other side?’
The second blonde looks up the river then down the river and shouts back, ‘You ARE on the other side.’
AT THE DOCTOR’S OFFICE
A gorgeous young redhead goes into the doctor’s office and said that her body hurt wherever she touched it.
‘Impossible!’ says the doctor.. ‘Show me.’
The redhead took her finger, pushed on her left shoulder and screamed, then she pushed her elbow and screamed even more. She pushed her knee and screamed; likewise she pushed her ankle and screamed. Everywhere she touched made her scream.
The doctor said, ‘You’re not really a redhead, are you?
‘Well, no’ she said, ‘I’m actually a blonde.’
‘I thought so,’ the doctor said, ‘Your finger is broken.’
KNITTING
A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway. Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see that the blonde behind the wheel was knitting!
Realizing that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled, ‘PULL OVER!’
‘NO!’ the blonde yelled back, ‘IT’S A SCARF!’
BLONDE
ON THE SUN
A Russian, an American, and a Blonde were talking one day.
The Russian said, ‘We were the first in space!’
The American said, ‘We were the first on the moon!’
The Blonde said, ‘So what? We’re going to be the first on the sun!’ The Russian and the American looked at each other and shook their heads.
‘You can’t land on the sun, you idiot! You’ll burn up!’ said the Russian.
To which the Blonde replied, ‘We’re not stupid, you know. We’re going at night!’
IN A
VACUUM
A blonde was playing Trivial Pursuit one night… It was her turn. She rolled the dice and she landed on Science & Nature. Her question was, ‘If you are in a vacuum and someone calls your name, can you hear it?’ She thought for a time and then asked, ‘Is it on or off?’
FINALLY,
THE BLONDE JOKE TO END ALL BLONDE JOKES!
A girl was visiting her blonde friend, who had acquired two new dogs, and asked her what their names were. The blonde responded by saying that one was named Rolex and one was named Timex. Her friend said, ‘Whoever heard of someone naming dogs like that?’ ‘HELLLOOOOOOO……,’ answered the blonde. ‘They’re watch dogs’!
Non-Malay Lacks Patriotism
Written by Major (Rtd) D.Swami
Friday, 26 November 2010
Centre for Policy Initiatives
Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi remarked that non-Malays shun a military career because they lacked patriotism. His sense of history and of the contributions of the Chinese, Indians and our brothers from East Malaysia towards the sovereignty of Malaysia leaves something to be desired. Zahid’s is a racist and bigoted view, pure and simple.
I’ve previously blogged about the winners of valour awards, not including those who had laid down their lives, are maimed, and not forgetting the non-Malay police officers.
I guess when the Chinese and Indians were bleeding and dying for this country, Zahid might just have been a dirty glint in his father’s eyes. I am not insulting this dull fellow, just that this shallow-minded individual needs some input regarding who was the first Malaysian to be awarded the Pingat Gagah Berani. He was a Chinese! Sergeant Chong Yong Chin PGB of the First Federation Regiment.
Dey Zahid, I suppose you did not know that. Insults have to be politely reciprocated with civility, I am doing just that.
Did you not know who was the first recipient of the Pingat Gagah Berani in the Congo? That person too was a Chinese, Lieutenant Lee Ah Pow PGB, read about how shoddily he was treated too! It had to take Brigadier R.S. Noronha of the Indian army (during a UN peacekeeping mission in Congo) to recommend him for an award. Lt Lee had shown exemplary courage and tremendous restraint under fire, yet his own Malaysian high command overlooked his valour.
There was another young Chinese officer, Lt David Fu Chee Meng, who too was awarded the PGB at the Battle of Tanah Hitam.
So those guys were not patriotic enough for you? Here is my favourite, someone I know personally, Sergeant Choo Woh Soon PGB, my wife’s uncle. The short guy in the centre of the photo is Sergeant Choo Woh Soon PGB. This guy, patriotic enough for you?
How about this Indian officer and Chinese soldier dying together to save your sorry butt from the commies? Captain Shanmuganathan PGB and 207770 Ranger Mat Isa bin Hassan PGB, do not be deceived by the name Mat Isa, he was a Chinese.
How about this Indian officer who laid down his life at the ripe old age of 24? Captain Mohana Chandran al Velayuthan (200402) Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa. Not patriotic enough for you? Here is another Indian who got the PGB, Second Lieutenant Panir Chellvum a/l Velaithan PGB. Still not patriotic enough for you?
M’sian soldiers burn cross
How about this where a sorry excuse for an officer caused the death of 13 Italian airmen in the Congo. The Malay Major had shirked his responsibilities of providing the airmen with protection, placed them in danger by ordering them to be brought to the mess and allowed them to be captured by the rebels. The Major then further disgraced himself by ordering all the officers and men at the mess to surrender their weapons to the rebels who had surrounded them, which they did sheepishly. Malaysia’s name had to be salvaged in this incident by Second Lieutenants N.H. Siebel PGB and Captain Maurice Lam PGB, notice their names, they were non-Malays.
How about the time in Bosnia where soldiers desecrated a Catholic Cross? Again the situation was salvaged by the non-Malays. For posterity I have another link here about how the then Defence Minister Najib Razak excused the burning of Croation Catholic cross by two Malaysian UN peacekeepers stationed in Bosnia-Herzegovina as “unintentional”.I will not even talk about the vandalising of the Hoba meteorite in Namibia. Here is another Indian, who after serving a total of 29 years in both the police force and the army is denied his pension. The reason being he did not attend the weapons course and tactics course. What weapons and tactics course, when he and his men wiped out the remnants of the enemy in Selangor. What would his unshaved instructors teach him? Read about him, Captain Courageous aka Mukhtiar Singh s/o Sodagar Singh. In any other army in the world today, they would have cited Mukhtiar Singh for courage and piled honours on him without any questions asked. Unfortunately he is an Indian in Malaysia, get that Zahid?
Here is a picture of an all Chinese group of Kinta Valley Homeguards who fought the Malayan Communist Party. More pictures here.
The problem with people like Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is he does not know about people like these Chinese and Indians who were willing to die for Malaysia unconditionally. They only wanted to be treated fairly. The current situation is like “some people are more equal than others”.
East M’sians discriminated against
People like Zahid are wind bags, full of foul air and all empty talk.
If you notice the minorities were significant in numbers in the forces when Malaysia was in danger, from the Japanese occupation of Malaya, the Emergency, Confrontation and the subsequent Emergency until the cessation of hostilities by the Malayan Communist Party.
Remember the Communist Party of Malaya did not surrender. It was a treaty for the cessation of hostilities. Freeing our Great Leader to push his agenda of Ketuanan Melayu, subsequently his achievements were … I shall just cite one, i.e. the amazing statement that Anwar Ibrahim socked himself in the left eye to gain public sympathy and give the police a bad name. Mahathir could not do many of the things he has done if the Malayan Communist Party was on the warpath as it would increase their numbers. Zahid, being an ardent fan of this old goat, is still playing to the gallery.
Soldiers who have served, the non-Malays, know what it is to be discriminated against because of their race and religion. Even the Bumiputras of Sabah and Sarawak are discriminated against, as most of them are Christians. While at this, being an ex-soldier and all, I have seen many East Malaysian officers serving in combat units. Why did not any one of them make it to General? Not good enough?
Look at how brave, loyal and patriotic they are. See in the archives for the records I’ve compiled. After seeing the results of the Sibu ‘buy elections’, where the BN lost, I guess they saw the writing on the wall and recently promoted an Iban officer to become the first Iban who made it to General, Stephen Mundaw, in September this year. Anyway that is peanuts, East Malaysians should demand and expect at least a 4-star General from amongst the Ibans, whose bodies have been littered across the battle fields in Malaysia. Their courage and ferocity in battle is unmatched.
Lack of promotion prospects
After having served many years and plodding along, being bypassed by juniors and incompetents, there are so many grievances. There is not enough space to write it all at one go. Is it not heart wrenching? You expect patriotism to burn brightly in the hearts of the non-Malays when our children are discriminated by virtue of race and religion? Treat everyone equally on a level playing field and you will not need to ask for the non-Malays to defend this country. The numbers would be so huge that you would have to send most of them back.
In the military, the non-Malay is ridden like a horse, for the greater benefit of the majority. No rewards, when it comes to promotions and benefits … they forget you. You know about the old race horse, that it runs until it drops dead or is put out to pasture. Most non-Malays make it to the rank of Major, I am sure you have heard this before, about the infamous glass ceiling. That is the rank you have to be happy with.
You are not promoted on merit. I know of guys who can barely speak English but become Generals. During my time all the courses were in English. Ask the ex and serving non-Malays about the subtle hints to convert. They do not even respect your faith by suggesting that. If they’re always hinting to you that you should convert, it means they look down on you.
Religious and racial discrimination go hand in hand.
I have also had the privilege of seeing a General’s knees tremble, when he stepped out of my Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) as I helped him down. This was after an exchange of fire. I was the escort commander and he was riding in my IFV in Somalia. A hundred non-Malays would, without hesitation and asking questions, charge a hill of 10,000 enemies to defend their country, Malaysia, if you treated them and their offspring as Malaysians and not as dhimmis and second-class citizens.
I could continue shellacking Ahmad Zahid until the cows come home but it is us who are to be blamed. He is the MP for Bagan Datuk, Perak. Those of us who continue supporting MCA and the MIC, are actually getting him elected year in, year out. Your votes have made him arrogant. If you notice his majority is actually shrinking. So the strongest message for the Defence Minister would be to boot this racist Umno supremacist out of Parliament in the next general elections. Never forget.
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This article, first published Nov 12, is taken from the blog Seventh Rangers (Mech) and reproduced here with the author’s permission and some minor editing by CPI.
7 Food that will age you
I found this on the web and I would like to share this with you, it seems that this 7 food will cause us to age? But after going through all of the 7, I think we might as well just eat grass or be vegan, luckily Beer and Wine is not in the list. Alright for mankind CHEERS to BEER and WINE and also ALCOHOL !!
By Poon Chian Hui
Think twice before you reach for that can of fizzy drink. It is not just about your waistline. Think about the lines on your face too. That is because carbonated drinks can age you, nutritionists say.
Other well-loved foods like pastries, potato chips, sausages, coffee, red meat, white rice and bread can also cause premature ageing. The reason? Most of these foods are high in fat or sugar, which are not healthy for the body, said Ms Magdalin Cheong, chief dietitian and senior manager of Dietetic and Food Services at Changi General Hospital.
Foods that age us include:
Carbonated drinks which are high in sugar and have no nutrients. They have ‘empty calories’, said Ms Teo Kiok Seng, a nutritionist at Nutrition Network Services.
‘The sugar in these drinks can lead to obesity, which increases your risk of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and stroke,’ she said.
A nutritional study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that a can of carbonated drink a day can cause one to pile on 7kg in a year.
Sausages
They can increase the risk of colorectal cancer, a recent European study found, Ms Teo added.
The culprits are the carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds, which are formed when nitrite preservatives are added to processed meat, she said.
Ms Jaclyn Reutens, a dietitian at Aptima Nutrition & Sports Consultants, added that sausages are usually made with fatty meat.
Chemicals and additives are also added so a person’s liver has to do more work to detoxify them.
‘As we age, our organs do not work as efficiently so some people may get into trouble,’ said Ms Reutens
Coffee
It has caffeine. What most people may not know is that caffeine makes stress hormones shoot up and stay at an abnormally high level for hours after consumption.
‘One of the biggest contributors to premature ageing is the powerful stress hormone called cortisol,’ said Ms Teo. ‘High levels of cortisol wear down the muscles, leading to muscle wasting.’ Excessive caffeine is also dehydrating, said Ms Reutens.
Potato chips and fries 
They are deep fried at high temperatures, giving rise to the formation of trans-fat.
Diets high in trans-fat are linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease, said Ms Teo. ‘However, if palm oil is used, no trans-fat will be produced,’ she added.
Sugary pastries
They contain a lot of sugar, which can lead to obesity. What is worse is that pastries are often made with hydrogenated oils, which contain trans-fat.
Hydrogenated oils are made by adding hydrogen to liquid oils to turn them into solids for easier storage. However, this chemical process produces trans-fat. An example would be margarine.
Trans-fat increases the risk of heart disease more than saturated fat does, said Ms Teo, as it lowers good cholesterol and increases bad cholesterol in the bloodstream.
In addition, the combination of sugar and trans-fat is bad news for our liver and pancreas, said
Ms Reutens. ‘It’s dangerous to overwork our organs as it means we are more exposed to free radicals.’
Free radicals are unstable particles caused by chemical reactions in the body. Antioxidants are needed to fight them, she added. ‘If our intake of anti-ageing foods is insufficient to combat free radicals, we age faster and have a higher risk of diseases.’
Red meat
It has protein, which is essential for tissue repair, but too much animal protein may cause calcium loss from bones. This increases the risk of osteoporosis, said Ms Teo.
Studies have shown that a high protein intake in middle-aged adults is linked to inflammatory polyarthritis, where inflammation occurs in more than one joint.
White rice and white bread
They have very little fibre, making them ‘high glycemic index’ foods.
‘Such foods are digested and absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly, causing a sudden spike in blood sugar level,’ said Ms Teo.
This can lead to cell changes that accelerate ageing and increase the risk of chronic diseases, she added. These include Type 2 diabetes, gall bladder and heart diseases, Alzheimer’s disease and certain types of cancers.
Other high glycemic index foods include mashed potatoes, processed grains and sugary cereals.
Angry Angry Birds
Calling all lovers of Android, Apple and game crazed fans, this is to unite the entire Angry Birds lover game fans, The season has bestow us and its making us all merry and happy,
So now ROVIO is coming up with their seasonal download for AngryBirds and if you are a sure crazed fan, I am sure you are already shooting those birds to destroy the pigs now.
Here is where you can get more info, Thanks to VRZone for providing the lead. Enjoy your pig Killing and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Angry Birds Seasons Crashes Into Android Marketplace And iTunes App Store
Fact of life number one: there can never be too much of Angry Birds. Fact of life number two: any news about Angry Birds is almost always good news. And with Rovio’s latest release of the wildly popular smartphone game, it appears that one thing is certain: life without Angry Birds today is almost unbearable.
Of course, that might sound a little too extreme, but it does not change the fact that Angry Birds is the one game title which has managed to take the world by storm (while disrupting our concentration at work in the process). And today, it seems that our motivation to work during the festive period is about to meet a severe setback: Rovio has just launched their new, Christmas-themed version Angry Birds in time for the holidays.
Gameplay-wise, Angry Birds Seasons is perfectly identical to its non-seasonal predecessor, save for a few cosmetic differences. To keep in line with the Christmas spirit, much of the landscape has been replaced with snow, snow balls are available for use as projectiles, and some of the ugly pigs now sport Santa hats instead of tin helmets. Of course, those pigs are still going to be your main antagonists in Seasons, so don’t expect them to be distributing Christmas presents any time soon. That is, unless they offer to sign a peace treaty and return the stolen eggs. And we all know what the outcome was.
But there’s more. Apparently, as an act of goodwill, Rovio is also making the Halloween version of the game available in Seasons as well. This essentially means that users are getting two games for the price of one. But since Seasons is already a free download, it might be more prudent to say that users will get both games for the price. However, this only applies to Android users. iOS users will only get Angry Birds Seasons for free if that had previously purchased the Halloween version of the game. If not, the full price of $0.99 stays, but will come with the Halloween version bundled within as well
The game is already available for download from the Android Marketplace and the iTunes App Store, so Android and iOS users can hit their respective app repositories and start downloading away.
