50 years old...our country, Malaysia just turned 50.
Our country was born back, when our fore fathers were fighting to get the independence from The Great Britain...Malaya at the time, we have grew from a country that used to be famous for tin, gold, rubber estates and etc. to a country who is more industrial, more organized in algricultures and etc.
I won't write the history because you can find the history from Goggling it.... but as we do know, as Malaysian, we hope that our country will turned into a better place to live in.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MALAYSIA!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Would you kill Knut???
(Taken from http://www.channel4.com/blogs/page/newsroom?entry=the_truth_about_knut_the)
If you were watching Channel 4 News last week, you can't fail to have been charmed by Knut the polar bear cub. The adorable infant is so unbelievably cute that many people who saw that footage still haven't recovered their full composure.
He was seen playing with a life-size cuddly toy of a brown bear, listening to Elvis Presley songs, and walking unsteadily towards the camera with mournful little eyes - because animal rights activists are apparently calling for him to be put to death.
The argument, supposedly, is that since Knut is a zoo-born bear, and has been rejected by his mother (how COULD SHE!?!?!), he will never grow up to be real polar bear, gamboling on the ice floes, and should therefore start his career as a fur coat as early as possible.
When the news broke, pictures of Knut were flashed across the world's TV screens. The Chinese panda cubs, those shameless media tarts (and defending world champions of cute) had some new footage out that day, but editors didn't bat an eyelid. No-one wanted anything but Knut.
Well, sorry to tell you but the Knut dossier has been more than a little sexed up. Frank Albrecht, the German animal rights activist who was supposedly advocating Knuticide, was in fact arguing the opposite side of the case.
He was talking about a case in Leipzig zoo, where a brown bear cub, born in similar circumstances, had been put down. The zoo was taken to court, but justified the claim on the basis that it was cruel for a bear to be reared by humans. And they won.
Mr Albrecht merely pointed out that if you were to follow the same logic, it would mean death to Knut. And before you could say 'delightful little bundle of cuteness', someone at the Bild newspaper took a firm hold of the wrong end of the stick. Knut became a star, and Mr Albrecht became an evil bear-killer to TV viewers across the world.
And if those aren't enough (and let's face it, no-one could ever get enough Knut) he has own blog: Knut, das Eisbärbaby.
Now you could almost believe that all the media outlets that covered the Knut story weren't interested in the actual truth, and just wanted to run some pictures of an unfeasibly cute little cub. I'm sure that's not the case. But we're glad to be able to bring you the bear facts.
My new Photos
Don't kacau me!!! I am sleeping here!
This is how I look on Monday!!!
See, I am taking bath here, this is the living proof that I take bath...
Hey, I needed to exercise over here... so I won't have the tire's shape!(Photos taken from http://www.pbase.com/erichmangl/polarbear)
Jokes on me!!! by YL
Good Joke
An Arctic explorer came face to face with a polar bear. Afraid of being eaten, he fell to his knees and started praying. When the polar bear knelt down beside him and started praying too, the man shouted, "It's a miracle!" The polar bear opened one eye and said "Don't talk while I'm saying grace."
Short Jokes
Q: What's a balanced diet for a polar bear?
A: A seal in each paw!
Q: What did the polar bear eat after the dentist fixed its tooth?
A: The dentist.
Q: What did the polar bears say when they saw tourists in sleeping bags?
A: "Sandwiches!"
Q: Why do polar bears have fur coats?
A: Because the seals laughed at them when they wore parkas!
Q: What do you get when you cross a polar bear with a seal?
A: A polar bear.
Q: What are polar bears called when they get caught in the rain?
A: Drizzly bears.
Q: What has four legs and a flipper?
A: A happy polar bear!
Q: How do you keep a polar bear from charging?
A: Insist that it pay cash!
Q: What did the Polar Bear say when it saw a seal on a skateboard?
A: "Meals on Wheels!"
Q: What is white and goes RRRRG! RRRRG!?
A: A polar bear walking backwards
An Arctic explorer came face to face with a polar bear. Afraid of being eaten, he fell to his knees and started praying. When the polar bear knelt down beside him and started praying too, the man shouted, "It's a miracle!" The polar bear opened one eye and said "Don't talk while I'm saying grace."
Short Jokes
Q: What's a balanced diet for a polar bear?
A: A seal in each paw!
Q: What did the polar bear eat after the dentist fixed its tooth?
A: The dentist.
Q: What did the polar bears say when they saw tourists in sleeping bags?
A: "Sandwiches!"
Q: Why do polar bears have fur coats?
A: Because the seals laughed at them when they wore parkas!
Q: What do you get when you cross a polar bear with a seal?
A: A polar bear.
Q: What are polar bears called when they get caught in the rain?
A: Drizzly bears.
Q: What has four legs and a flipper?
A: A happy polar bear!
Q: How do you keep a polar bear from charging?
A: Insist that it pay cash!
Q: What did the Polar Bear say when it saw a seal on a skateboard?
A: "Meals on Wheels!"
Q: What is white and goes RRRRG! RRRRG!?
A: A polar bear walking backwards
Sunday, August 19, 2007
An African Proverb
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning a lion wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or gazelle.
When the sun comes up, you better start running.
Author unknown.
Run FORREST, RUN!!! This is the thing I thought of when I was reading this proverb. In another word, no matter who YOU are, work !!!
It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning a lion wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or gazelle.
When the sun comes up, you better start running.
Author unknown.
Run FORREST, RUN!!! This is the thing I thought of when I was reading this proverb. In another word, no matter who YOU are, work !!!
The World Is Flat????
I am begging people to read this book,it is one of the most read books by MBA students in the world due to its simplicity of explaining the status on how the world is turning now... which is a good read for everyone... especially our politicians... because this book does touch some of the newest business rules that we should follow so that we can work hand in hand with other countries such as China. Go pick it up, the book is not expensive after discounts... go and pick up the book, YES... I mean NOW!!!
(TAKEN FROM BBC website, published on Sunday, 29 January 2006, 17:12 GMT )
Why Bill Gates' world is flat
By Tim Weber
Business Editor, BBC News website, in Davos
Globalisation may be unavoidable, but what impact will it have on our lives?
It's ten to seven in the morning; it is dark, snowy and dozens of millionaires are patiently queuing to get inside for breakfast.
The prospect of a 90-minute breakfast conversation with Microsoft boss Bill Gates and New York Times columnist Tom Friedman has persuaded them to brave the freezing cold.
With rapt attention they listen to Mr Gates telling them that "The World is Flat" (which is the title of Mr Friedman's most recent book).
It's a cute little metaphor, and heard in many sessions during the five days of the World Economic Forum.
The big disruption
The argument goes like this: More and more parts of the world are getting the infrastructure that allows them to become part of the always-on world.
China, for example, already has more mobile phones than there are people in the United States and in four years, says Mr Gates, the country will have more broadband connections than there are US households.
Combine this connectivity with good transport links and productivity soars in places like India, Brazil and Russia. More importantly, though, one billion people suddenly join the global workforce.
BT boss Ben Verwaayen explains the impact: "Something profound has happened over the past three years, as disruptive as the invention of the steam engine."
"For the first time", he says, "you don't need physical proximity for a joined up company."
Or as Bill Gates puts it: It doesn't matter whether you sit in Boston, Beijing or Bangalore, if you are smart you can now compete directly with the rest of the world "on a level playing field" - in a world that is flat.
It obviously works for Microsoft. The Beijing research lab is one of the company's most productive, says Mr Gates.
When he recently met his firm's ten best-performing employees, he says half-jokingly, nine of them "had names I couldn't pronounce".
Losing four million jobs
In this flat world, it doesn't matter whether your accountant sits in Marlborough or Mumbai, and whether your customer care centre is based near Sausalito or Soweto.
Your factory's supply chain is fully integrated, and stretches from Shenzhen and Chennai to Central Europe.
It makes for lean, efficient companies. It drives down cost, improves profits and keeps inflation low.
But it also means that many workers are losing their jobs.
"In Europe we could run out of jobs, and those that still have jobs will have to take care of an ageing population, says Stefan Delacher, a director with Thiel Logistics, which specialises in organising global supply chains.
David Arkless of Manpower predicts that four million people will see their jobs transferred over the next five years.
Search for solutions
"On a macro level," says BT's Ben Verwaayen, "it is easy to see the win-win."
But if your job goes overseas it is difficult to be positive, he warns.
The fate of the victims of globalisation worried many Davos participants.
"How can workers in the West hang on to their jobs?" was a much debated question.
Be flexible and don't specialise too much, said Jagdish Bhagwati of Columbia University. Health and pensions systems should not be set up so that workers find it difficult to change employers, he added.
Others said lifelong learning could be the answer. Make your job, your work, your knowledge ever more valuable.
But obviously Chinese and Indian workers are doing just the same.
It's wrong to tell people that going to university will guarantee them a job, says Adair Turner, the chairman of the UK's low pay and pensions commissions, because the technology sector simply won't offer that many jobs.
"Everything that can be automated will be automated," he predicts.
"Already we only create jobs that are face-to-face... in hospitality, retail, tourism, healthcare," says Mr Turner.
Chris Dedicoat of technology giant Cisco echoes the argument and says: "The stigma of vocational training has to be removed if the economies of Europe want to have jobs for all".
Don't panic
So should we all become nurses, plumbers and hair dressers?
Not really. Some of India's and China's cost advantages are disappearing already.
It is now more expensive to employ an engineer in Shanghai than in Slovakia.
In Indian call centres, says Jean-Herve Jenn of outsourcing specialist Convergys, wages are rising by 15-20% a year.
This is not the time to panic, says Mr Gates. "Change will not be cataclysmic... it will not happen that fast."
Remember the 1980s, he says, when everybody was worried about Japan. But it was the United States that made the running in the 1990s.
Two billion new customers
We have to realise that globalisation is both a challenge and an opportunity, says Jean-Herve Jenn.
There may be an extra one billion workers, but they come with a new market of 2.3 billion consumers in Brazil, Russia, India and China alone.
The biggest surprise, says Mr Gates, is what globalisation has done for poverty reduction in China.
Already China's and India's middle classes form a larger market than the population of the United States, argues Mr Jenn.
And the wealth is spreading.
In India, says the New York Times' Tom Friedman, there are tech islands in a sea of poverty.
"In a two hour drive out of Bangalore, one travels back 12 centuries," he says.
But only a few years back, he says, "it took just 15 minutes."
The non-flat parts of the world are getting smaller.
(TAKEN FROM BBC website, published on Sunday, 29 January 2006, 17:12 GMT )
Why Bill Gates' world is flat
By Tim Weber
Business Editor, BBC News website, in Davos
Globalisation may be unavoidable, but what impact will it have on our lives?
It's ten to seven in the morning; it is dark, snowy and dozens of millionaires are patiently queuing to get inside for breakfast.
The prospect of a 90-minute breakfast conversation with Microsoft boss Bill Gates and New York Times columnist Tom Friedman has persuaded them to brave the freezing cold.
With rapt attention they listen to Mr Gates telling them that "The World is Flat" (which is the title of Mr Friedman's most recent book).
It's a cute little metaphor, and heard in many sessions during the five days of the World Economic Forum.
The big disruption
The argument goes like this: More and more parts of the world are getting the infrastructure that allows them to become part of the always-on world.
China, for example, already has more mobile phones than there are people in the United States and in four years, says Mr Gates, the country will have more broadband connections than there are US households.
Combine this connectivity with good transport links and productivity soars in places like India, Brazil and Russia. More importantly, though, one billion people suddenly join the global workforce.
BT boss Ben Verwaayen explains the impact: "Something profound has happened over the past three years, as disruptive as the invention of the steam engine."
"For the first time", he says, "you don't need physical proximity for a joined up company."
Or as Bill Gates puts it: It doesn't matter whether you sit in Boston, Beijing or Bangalore, if you are smart you can now compete directly with the rest of the world "on a level playing field" - in a world that is flat.
It obviously works for Microsoft. The Beijing research lab is one of the company's most productive, says Mr Gates.
When he recently met his firm's ten best-performing employees, he says half-jokingly, nine of them "had names I couldn't pronounce".
Losing four million jobs
In this flat world, it doesn't matter whether your accountant sits in Marlborough or Mumbai, and whether your customer care centre is based near Sausalito or Soweto.
Your factory's supply chain is fully integrated, and stretches from Shenzhen and Chennai to Central Europe.
It makes for lean, efficient companies. It drives down cost, improves profits and keeps inflation low.
But it also means that many workers are losing their jobs.
"In Europe we could run out of jobs, and those that still have jobs will have to take care of an ageing population, says Stefan Delacher, a director with Thiel Logistics, which specialises in organising global supply chains.
David Arkless of Manpower predicts that four million people will see their jobs transferred over the next five years.
Search for solutions
"On a macro level," says BT's Ben Verwaayen, "it is easy to see the win-win."
But if your job goes overseas it is difficult to be positive, he warns.
The fate of the victims of globalisation worried many Davos participants.
"How can workers in the West hang on to their jobs?" was a much debated question.
Be flexible and don't specialise too much, said Jagdish Bhagwati of Columbia University. Health and pensions systems should not be set up so that workers find it difficult to change employers, he added.
Others said lifelong learning could be the answer. Make your job, your work, your knowledge ever more valuable.
But obviously Chinese and Indian workers are doing just the same.
It's wrong to tell people that going to university will guarantee them a job, says Adair Turner, the chairman of the UK's low pay and pensions commissions, because the technology sector simply won't offer that many jobs.
"Everything that can be automated will be automated," he predicts.
"Already we only create jobs that are face-to-face... in hospitality, retail, tourism, healthcare," says Mr Turner.
Chris Dedicoat of technology giant Cisco echoes the argument and says: "The stigma of vocational training has to be removed if the economies of Europe want to have jobs for all".
Don't panic
So should we all become nurses, plumbers and hair dressers?
Not really. Some of India's and China's cost advantages are disappearing already.
It is now more expensive to employ an engineer in Shanghai than in Slovakia.
In Indian call centres, says Jean-Herve Jenn of outsourcing specialist Convergys, wages are rising by 15-20% a year.
This is not the time to panic, says Mr Gates. "Change will not be cataclysmic... it will not happen that fast."
Remember the 1980s, he says, when everybody was worried about Japan. But it was the United States that made the running in the 1990s.
Two billion new customers
We have to realise that globalisation is both a challenge and an opportunity, says Jean-Herve Jenn.
There may be an extra one billion workers, but they come with a new market of 2.3 billion consumers in Brazil, Russia, India and China alone.
The biggest surprise, says Mr Gates, is what globalisation has done for poverty reduction in China.
Already China's and India's middle classes form a larger market than the population of the United States, argues Mr Jenn.
And the wealth is spreading.
In India, says the New York Times' Tom Friedman, there are tech islands in a sea of poverty.
"In a two hour drive out of Bangalore, one travels back 12 centuries," he says.
But only a few years back, he says, "it took just 15 minutes."
The non-flat parts of the world are getting smaller.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Two drinks that is interesting from NST
I found that this two drinks which has ingredient that is pretty close to home... where we can tried to make it at home. Enjoy and drink responsibly. Go and make yourself some drinks and call me if you want to make some other drinks from other fruits.
(Taken from Drink: ah, so soothing
By : KITTY KAYE published on 18/08/2007 in New Straits Times)
Whisky-infused green tea
A touch of gentle sophistication is the only way I can describe this drink. Whisky is often a masculine drink and with the gentle intones of green tea’s flavour, it becomes a cool, graceful cocktail to accompany a spicy Thai meal. Also recommended as an introduction to whisky for first time whisky drinkers. Also good as an aperitif before a spicy meal.
You’ll Need:
. 1/4 can of green tea or make your own with a green tea bag and sugar to taste
. measure of whisky or around 40ml
Mix it in a brandy glass and add ice cubes. Serve in a brandy balloon glass.
Vodka-infused pineapple and mint juice
Aha! Caught your attention, didn’t I? First of all, for me, mint is always a great way to soothe burning tongues. Pineapple, well, a source of prickly flavours that literally tickles the tips of my tongue. Mix those two, a perfect way to forget that the small killer chillies often used in Thai dishes are numbing my senses most spectacularly. When vodka is added, what can I say, a great forget-it-all mix!
YOU’LL NEED:
. 2 thick slices of pineapples
. 4-5 mint leaves
. 1 measure of vodka or around 40ml
. a dash of sugar to taste
Blend the pineapple with the mint leaves and sugar, then add vodka and ice cubes. Serve in a martini glass.
Suggestion: Blend in ice cubes to create a smoothie.
Suggestion:
Besides whisky, brandy would also do the job quite well.
(Taken from Drink: ah, so soothing
By : KITTY KAYE published on 18/08/2007 in New Straits Times)
Whisky-infused green tea
A touch of gentle sophistication is the only way I can describe this drink. Whisky is often a masculine drink and with the gentle intones of green tea’s flavour, it becomes a cool, graceful cocktail to accompany a spicy Thai meal. Also recommended as an introduction to whisky for first time whisky drinkers. Also good as an aperitif before a spicy meal.
You’ll Need:
. 1/4 can of green tea or make your own with a green tea bag and sugar to taste
. measure of whisky or around 40ml
Mix it in a brandy glass and add ice cubes. Serve in a brandy balloon glass.
Vodka-infused pineapple and mint juice
Aha! Caught your attention, didn’t I? First of all, for me, mint is always a great way to soothe burning tongues. Pineapple, well, a source of prickly flavours that literally tickles the tips of my tongue. Mix those two, a perfect way to forget that the small killer chillies often used in Thai dishes are numbing my senses most spectacularly. When vodka is added, what can I say, a great forget-it-all mix!
YOU’LL NEED:
. 2 thick slices of pineapples
. 4-5 mint leaves
. 1 measure of vodka or around 40ml
. a dash of sugar to taste
Blend the pineapple with the mint leaves and sugar, then add vodka and ice cubes. Serve in a martini glass.
Suggestion: Blend in ice cubes to create a smoothie.
Suggestion:
Besides whisky, brandy would also do the job quite well.
Recalling Product 'Made in China'
The recent recall of China product ranging from foods to toys and more... is China's product unsafe to be used??? I found this phrase funny: "Toll 34 after China bridge collapsed "like beancurd"", this line is taken from the article printed regarding China's recent tragedy that caused the death of 40 people (the death toll is rising)... You meant that even China's infrastructure is unsafe to be used??? Hmmm... it does make you wonder either we made the right choice to let the China company to build Malaysia's second Penang bridge??? Wise or not??? The article below is taken from The Star Newspaper that is published on 15th of August, 2007.
BEIJING (Reuters) - A bridge that collapsed in China killing at least 34 people broke apart like a pat of "beancurd" because there were apparently no steel reinforcement bars, state media said on Wednesday, quoting a rescuer.
More than 1,500 people were searching for about 30 missing people following Monday's disaster on the 320-metre-long bridge on the verge of completion across the Tuo river in the southern province of Hunan, the Beijing News said.
But they held out little hope of finding survivors and health authorities were spraying disinfectant into the water to prevent the spread of disease from bodies spreading down river.
Rescuers search for victims in the debris of a collapsed bridge in Fenghuang county, central China's Hunan province August 15, 2007. (REUTERS/String)
"Because the bridge and pillars have all collapsed, it will be very difficult for rescuers to find or save people buried in the debris," deputy rescue director Luo Ming was quoted as saying, adding they had to blast open the concrete to retrieve bodies.
Twenty-two injured, mostly workers building the bridge, were in a state of shock, the newspaper said.
"They are generally very scared. Some are unconscious, and others who can talk are very tense," a doctor was quoted as saying.
Most parts of scenic Fenghuang county have had their water supplies cut off since the accident as the collapse of the bridge damaged water pipelines, it added.
Police have detained a construction manager and a project supervisor for questioning. Premier Wen Jiabao urged the local government to deal with the issue "seriously", the newspaper said.
The work safety and quality watchdogs were investigating the cause of the collapse, but the newspaper quoted a rescue worker as saying that the bridge was mainly built of stone and concrete.
"No reinforced steel bars were seen in the collapsed bridge supports. It was like a knife cutting through tofu (beancurd)," Hou Jiaping, a rescue worker, was quoted as saying.
Pictures in newspapers supported his comments. Sections of the bridge lay flat on the ground, lumps of rock bursting through the concrete and no steel bars to be seen.
An editorial in the official China Daily on Tuesday warned that thousands of the country's bridges were unsafe.
"If left unrepaired, these bridges may crumble at any time, wreaking economic havoc and possibly claiming human lives," it said.
BEIJING (Reuters) - A bridge that collapsed in China killing at least 34 people broke apart like a pat of "beancurd" because there were apparently no steel reinforcement bars, state media said on Wednesday, quoting a rescuer.
More than 1,500 people were searching for about 30 missing people following Monday's disaster on the 320-metre-long bridge on the verge of completion across the Tuo river in the southern province of Hunan, the Beijing News said.
But they held out little hope of finding survivors and health authorities were spraying disinfectant into the water to prevent the spread of disease from bodies spreading down river.
Rescuers search for victims in the debris of a collapsed bridge in Fenghuang county, central China's Hunan province August 15, 2007. (REUTERS/String)
"Because the bridge and pillars have all collapsed, it will be very difficult for rescuers to find or save people buried in the debris," deputy rescue director Luo Ming was quoted as saying, adding they had to blast open the concrete to retrieve bodies.
Twenty-two injured, mostly workers building the bridge, were in a state of shock, the newspaper said.
"They are generally very scared. Some are unconscious, and others who can talk are very tense," a doctor was quoted as saying.
Most parts of scenic Fenghuang county have had their water supplies cut off since the accident as the collapse of the bridge damaged water pipelines, it added.
Police have detained a construction manager and a project supervisor for questioning. Premier Wen Jiabao urged the local government to deal with the issue "seriously", the newspaper said.
The work safety and quality watchdogs were investigating the cause of the collapse, but the newspaper quoted a rescue worker as saying that the bridge was mainly built of stone and concrete.
"No reinforced steel bars were seen in the collapsed bridge supports. It was like a knife cutting through tofu (beancurd)," Hou Jiaping, a rescue worker, was quoted as saying.
Pictures in newspapers supported his comments. Sections of the bridge lay flat on the ground, lumps of rock bursting through the concrete and no steel bars to be seen.
An editorial in the official China Daily on Tuesday warned that thousands of the country's bridges were unsafe.
"If left unrepaired, these bridges may crumble at any time, wreaking economic havoc and possibly claiming human lives," it said.
You meant this little shiny thing is not frisbees??? The Compact Discs and it is 25 years old
I believe that with the era of MP3 Player i.e. iPOD, many people have to forget about the CD aka the Compact disc... and with the recent invention of DVD, Blu-ray and etc,CD was kind of dethroned from its unique position. My first encounter with CD was back in 1990... and my first owned CD was Richard Clyderman's piano CD...and the rest is history...give and take... what will we do in a world without CD??? What do you think?
Compact disc hits 25th birthday
(Taken from BBC.COM, Friday, 17 August 2007, 11:07 GMT 12:07 UK )
History of the CD
Exactly 25 years ago the world's first compact disc was produced at a Philips factory in Germany, sparking a global music revolution.
More than 200 billion CDs have been sold worldwide since then and it remains the dominant format despite the growth in digital downloads.
The CD was jointly developed by Philips and Sony and the disc has also become a key storage method for computer users.
The first CD produced was The Visitors by Abba.
Piet Kramer, who was a member of the optical group at Philips during the disc's development, said: "When Philips teamed up with Sony to develop the CD, our first target was to win over the world for the CD.
"We did this by collaborating openly to agree on a new standard. For Philips, this open innovation was a new approach and it paid off."
He said the companies had never imagined that the computing and entertainment industries would also opt for the CD as a storage system for content.
Jacques Heemskerk, who was one of the senior engineers involved with the optical side of CD players, said the team knew they were building a revolutionary product.
"It was revolutionary in many fields - the optics were new, the disc was new. At the start of development there wasn't even a laser that would work well enough for our needs.
"The most advanced laser at the time had a lifespan of only 100 hours."
He said the company had always planned on the format lasting at least 20 to 25 years.
"That was the model we had in mind although it seems that CD is going to last a lot longer than that. For many people the CD is still the original format, with others being derivative or back-ups."
The two companies began work on the format in 1979 and targetted a disc which could hold an hour of audio. The capacity was extended to 74 minutes, however, to accommodate a complete performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, forcing the disk to be made slightly larger."
We were suspicious and so were their engineers
Jacques Heemskerk, retired Philips engineer, on Philips working with Sony
"I always wish we had stuck with the original plan for an 11cm disc; it would have been more suited to the on-the-go age," said Mr Heemskerk.
He said that it had been a big culture shock for Philips when they had allied with Sony.
"The world was not as globalised as it is today. Our management had told us to be as open as possible and to share everything because that was the only way to have success.
"But we were suspicious and so were their engineers. But after a few days it became clear we could work together."
He added: "There were other companies working on similar technologies, so there was pressure.
"We always knew we could make the product but it was always about making it for the right cost and at scale."
The first CDs went on sale in November 1982 and were mainly classical recordings.
Classical music lovers were believed to be more affluent than pop and rock music fans, and Philips thought they would be more inclined to pay the price for the more expensive CDs and the very expensive CD-players,
The first models cost 2,000 Dutch guilders, about £1,000 at today's rate, taking into account inflation.
"When Chilean pianist Claudio Arrau recorded one of the first CDs for Polygram we discovered that he was grunting and panting while playing. Before on vinyl you didn't hear that but on CD it was crystal clear," said Frank van den Berg, a former member of the Polygram CD development task force.
In the last 10 years CD sales have been dropping worldwide while digital download sales are rising rapidly.
According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), digital sales will account for a quarter of all worldwide music sales by 2010.
CD sales in the UK have dropped 10% in the first half of this year, while download purchases have increased by 50%.
Richard Gooch, head of technology at IFPI, said: "CDs remain a very popular format for buying music in the digital era - indeed as CDs are a digital format they actually kick-started the digital age.
""The CD remained the most popular Christmas present in Britain last year. Despite the rise of downloading we expect that the CD will be here for many years to come."
Mr Heemskerk said CDs remained his format of choice.
"I don't have an iPod, although my youngest son uses one. But CDs are still his preferred format and he copies them on to his MP3 player."
Compact disc hits 25th birthday
(Taken from BBC.COM, Friday, 17 August 2007, 11:07 GMT 12:07 UK )
History of the CD
Exactly 25 years ago the world's first compact disc was produced at a Philips factory in Germany, sparking a global music revolution.
More than 200 billion CDs have been sold worldwide since then and it remains the dominant format despite the growth in digital downloads.
The CD was jointly developed by Philips and Sony and the disc has also become a key storage method for computer users.
The first CD produced was The Visitors by Abba.
Piet Kramer, who was a member of the optical group at Philips during the disc's development, said: "When Philips teamed up with Sony to develop the CD, our first target was to win over the world for the CD.
"We did this by collaborating openly to agree on a new standard. For Philips, this open innovation was a new approach and it paid off."
He said the companies had never imagined that the computing and entertainment industries would also opt for the CD as a storage system for content.
Jacques Heemskerk, who was one of the senior engineers involved with the optical side of CD players, said the team knew they were building a revolutionary product.
"It was revolutionary in many fields - the optics were new, the disc was new. At the start of development there wasn't even a laser that would work well enough for our needs.
"The most advanced laser at the time had a lifespan of only 100 hours."
He said the company had always planned on the format lasting at least 20 to 25 years.
"That was the model we had in mind although it seems that CD is going to last a lot longer than that. For many people the CD is still the original format, with others being derivative or back-ups."
The two companies began work on the format in 1979 and targetted a disc which could hold an hour of audio. The capacity was extended to 74 minutes, however, to accommodate a complete performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, forcing the disk to be made slightly larger."
We were suspicious and so were their engineers
Jacques Heemskerk, retired Philips engineer, on Philips working with Sony
"I always wish we had stuck with the original plan for an 11cm disc; it would have been more suited to the on-the-go age," said Mr Heemskerk.
He said that it had been a big culture shock for Philips when they had allied with Sony.
"The world was not as globalised as it is today. Our management had told us to be as open as possible and to share everything because that was the only way to have success.
"But we were suspicious and so were their engineers. But after a few days it became clear we could work together."
He added: "There were other companies working on similar technologies, so there was pressure.
"We always knew we could make the product but it was always about making it for the right cost and at scale."
The first CDs went on sale in November 1982 and were mainly classical recordings.
Classical music lovers were believed to be more affluent than pop and rock music fans, and Philips thought they would be more inclined to pay the price for the more expensive CDs and the very expensive CD-players,
The first models cost 2,000 Dutch guilders, about £1,000 at today's rate, taking into account inflation.
"When Chilean pianist Claudio Arrau recorded one of the first CDs for Polygram we discovered that he was grunting and panting while playing. Before on vinyl you didn't hear that but on CD it was crystal clear," said Frank van den Berg, a former member of the Polygram CD development task force.
In the last 10 years CD sales have been dropping worldwide while digital download sales are rising rapidly.
According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), digital sales will account for a quarter of all worldwide music sales by 2010.
CD sales in the UK have dropped 10% in the first half of this year, while download purchases have increased by 50%.
Richard Gooch, head of technology at IFPI, said: "CDs remain a very popular format for buying music in the digital era - indeed as CDs are a digital format they actually kick-started the digital age.
""The CD remained the most popular Christmas present in Britain last year. Despite the rise of downloading we expect that the CD will be here for many years to come."
Mr Heemskerk said CDs remained his format of choice.
"I don't have an iPod, although my youngest son uses one. But CDs are still his preferred format and he copies them on to his MP3 player."
Thursday, August 16, 2007
An irritating Voice
It defeats the purpose, when a politician keep nagging the government and not able to do anything about it... like people have been immuned to his/her constant nagging. And you can read his blogs everyday, where he blasted the government, the politicians and the PM.
As a person, I really pay my respect to him, because for many people his party is the only party that pulled the strongest opposition to the government. But, frankly speaking, he is not the voice of the rakyat.
The question here is: Why so many talks and no actions about it? For example, if you know that the road is dangerous to the rakyat and not doing anything about it. Then when bad things do happened, you only talked about it... it kind of like the Chinese saying, "pulling the back leg".
I believe if everyone in his party, work on one issue each, and not only 'talk when happened' , Malaysia will have a better 'check and balance' in their political system. And less bad things will happened....Who I am talking about? The party with a 'rocket brand'...
Don't get me wrong, I do not belong to any political group. This is just a suggestion.
As a person, I really pay my respect to him, because for many people his party is the only party that pulled the strongest opposition to the government. But, frankly speaking, he is not the voice of the rakyat.
The question here is: Why so many talks and no actions about it? For example, if you know that the road is dangerous to the rakyat and not doing anything about it. Then when bad things do happened, you only talked about it... it kind of like the Chinese saying, "pulling the back leg".
I believe if everyone in his party, work on one issue each, and not only 'talk when happened' , Malaysia will have a better 'check and balance' in their political system. And less bad things will happened....Who I am talking about? The party with a 'rocket brand'...
Don't get me wrong, I do not belong to any political group. This is just a suggestion.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Reflection of the Day
"Even a person who does not believe in god may go to heaven, but a person who does not believe in himself, there is no place for him even in hell."
-Swami Vivekananda.
Do you believe this is a good quote? I think it is because if we even doubt ourselves, what is the world to you? A living hell!!!
-Swami Vivekananda.
Do you believe this is a good quote? I think it is because if we even doubt ourselves, what is the world to you? A living hell!!!
Should prostitution be legalized?
Can anyone tell me what is the oldest PROFESSION in the world? The answer is prostitution... it is the taboo of many cultures, especially to our fellow muslim friends... but it is the truth...
I heard this topic this morning through the radio and did some readings on it... the answer will not be the best answer: because for some people it is for the lesser of two evils... why do I said this? Let's take these examples which people have post on the UNICHEF... what can be concluded:
PROS
1. The rape cases can be greatly lowered
2. Prostitute will have more rights and protected
3. Corruptions will be greatly cut
4. It can be taxed
5. Child prostitute will not happened
6. The reduction of STDs and AIDs due to medical priviliges and rights, like what is happening in Thailand
7. Criminal syndicates will be greatly reduced
and MORE...
The CONS:
1. Against religions
2. Against morality
3. Encouragement of the trade
and MORE...
So, what do you think about the PROS and CONS?
My comment, unfortunately it is a 'YES'. This is because by looking at our present society, I think it is best to be legalized so that the bad elements surrounding the society can be reduced...like corruption, crime syndicates, rape cases (especially this one, it is greatly increased) and more. But, I don't see it will happen to Malaysia, not in another 10 years and so.
I heard this topic this morning through the radio and did some readings on it... the answer will not be the best answer: because for some people it is for the lesser of two evils... why do I said this? Let's take these examples which people have post on the UNICHEF... what can be concluded:
PROS
1. The rape cases can be greatly lowered
2. Prostitute will have more rights and protected
3. Corruptions will be greatly cut
4. It can be taxed
5. Child prostitute will not happened
6. The reduction of STDs and AIDs due to medical priviliges and rights, like what is happening in Thailand
7. Criminal syndicates will be greatly reduced
and MORE...
The CONS:
1. Against religions
2. Against morality
3. Encouragement of the trade
and MORE...
So, what do you think about the PROS and CONS?
My comment, unfortunately it is a 'YES'. This is because by looking at our present society, I think it is best to be legalized so that the bad elements surrounding the society can be reduced...like corruption, crime syndicates, rape cases (especially this one, it is greatly increased) and more. But, I don't see it will happen to Malaysia, not in another 10 years and so.
The demise of the oldest person in the world
World's oldest person, Yone Minagawa, dies
TOKYO (AP) - Yone Minagawa, who became the world's oldest person earlier this year, has died at a nursing home in southwestern Japan, an official said Tuesday. She was 114.
Minagawa, who raised four sons and a daughter on her own by peddling flowers and vegetables, died Monday afternoon, said Toshiro Tachibana, an official at the nursing home in the former mining town of Fukuchi.
The attending physician gave old age as the cause of death, he said.
"Her appetite had been declining recently and her energy fading, so the family had asked us to make her as comfortable as possible. The death was not sudden,'' Tachibana said.
Born on Jan. 4, 1893, Minagawa was named the world's oldest person by the Guinness Book of World Records in January following the death of Emma Faust Tillman, also 114, in the United States.
Minagawa outlived all of her children except one daughter, and has seven grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren, according to the nursing home.
Yone Minagawa receives the certificate identified as the world's oldest person by the Guinness Book of World Records at Fukuchi town in Fukuoka Prefecture (State), southwestern Japan in July, 2007. Minagawa died at a nursing home in southwestern Japan, a home official said Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007. She was 114
Japan has one of the world's longest average life spans - a factor often attributed to a healthy diet rich in fish and rice.
The world's oldest man is also Japanese - Tomoji Tanabe, 111, born on Sept. 18, 1895.
Tanabe lives in the southern city of Miyazaki, according to Guinness World Records.
In 2006, Japanese women set a new record for life expectancy at 85.81 years, while men live an average of about 79 years.
The number of Japanese living beyond 100 has almost quadrupled in the past 10 years and is soon expected to surpass 28,000, the government announced last September.
There are more active centenarians than before, and the rapidly graying population is adding to concerns over Japan's overburdened public pension system.
Fukuchi is about 840 kilometers (520 miles) southwest of Tokyo.
(Taken from The Star Newspaper 14/08/2007)
The debate here:
1.It is good to live that long?
2.If you have the choice, do you want to live that long?
My answer:
1. Well, if I am able to live everyday to the fullest, why not?
2. Yes and No.
How about you?
TOKYO (AP) - Yone Minagawa, who became the world's oldest person earlier this year, has died at a nursing home in southwestern Japan, an official said Tuesday. She was 114.
Minagawa, who raised four sons and a daughter on her own by peddling flowers and vegetables, died Monday afternoon, said Toshiro Tachibana, an official at the nursing home in the former mining town of Fukuchi.
The attending physician gave old age as the cause of death, he said.
"Her appetite had been declining recently and her energy fading, so the family had asked us to make her as comfortable as possible. The death was not sudden,'' Tachibana said.
Born on Jan. 4, 1893, Minagawa was named the world's oldest person by the Guinness Book of World Records in January following the death of Emma Faust Tillman, also 114, in the United States.
Minagawa outlived all of her children except one daughter, and has seven grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren, according to the nursing home.
Yone Minagawa receives the certificate identified as the world's oldest person by the Guinness Book of World Records at Fukuchi town in Fukuoka Prefecture (State), southwestern Japan in July, 2007. Minagawa died at a nursing home in southwestern Japan, a home official said Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007. She was 114
Japan has one of the world's longest average life spans - a factor often attributed to a healthy diet rich in fish and rice.
The world's oldest man is also Japanese - Tomoji Tanabe, 111, born on Sept. 18, 1895.
Tanabe lives in the southern city of Miyazaki, according to Guinness World Records.
In 2006, Japanese women set a new record for life expectancy at 85.81 years, while men live an average of about 79 years.
The number of Japanese living beyond 100 has almost quadrupled in the past 10 years and is soon expected to surpass 28,000, the government announced last September.
There are more active centenarians than before, and the rapidly graying population is adding to concerns over Japan's overburdened public pension system.
Fukuchi is about 840 kilometers (520 miles) southwest of Tokyo.
(Taken from The Star Newspaper 14/08/2007)
The debate here:
1.It is good to live that long?
2.If you have the choice, do you want to live that long?
My answer:
1. Well, if I am able to live everyday to the fullest, why not?
2. Yes and No.
How about you?
Sunday, August 12, 2007
PD's Gathering
The gathering has been a success. It has been a good gathering because it seemed that everyone is enjoying themselves. At first, due to misdirections (by counting the numbers of traffic lights is a big mistakes), basically everyone were lost. But, we found the place and at the same time able to 'pick' some mangoes (not ripe, but it is still okay)... we went back to do the BBQ. Although the chicken wings were not totally marinated (not enough spices and sauces, I did not do it), we were able to enjoy alot of it (poor chickens), prawns, cuttle fishs and potatoes. The leftover was the chicken wings which we used for breakfast. We played games and etc until the next morning. Actually we sneak out in the morning when the other guys still asleep and have breakfast at a old fashion 'dim sum' house. Then we went back and played games. I was put in charged of making breakfast. So, I put a cup of chivas, oyster sauce, honey, soy sauce and white pepper powder into the leftover chicken wings and fried them with oil. Scramble eggs and sausages were the next item.
Then, we continue to play some games and check out at 1pm. The best outcomes from this gathering for me is to able to get LTY back to the circle of friends from his 'babysitting' of her new baby gal.
Overall, it is a good gathering.
Then, we continue to play some games and check out at 1pm. The best outcomes from this gathering for me is to able to get LTY back to the circle of friends from his 'babysitting' of her new baby gal.
Overall, it is a good gathering.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Wassup so far...
I received an interesting SMS from one of the old college mates on Wednesday nite. It said: ... I wish to tell you for a long time. But I don't dare to... I will be getting married next year. U are invited. My church wedding is on March 1st, 2008... blah blah blah, and the final word is, Could you come?
Well, she's my first official ex-gal friend... we split up in a bad term, but we are able to keep in touch as friend. It has been 10 years... 10 long years... at first I am pretty happy about the news, but as I think about the SMS, I became angry. Why? I was thinking in my head, "Am I so bad that I will be angry on this happy occassion?" I am not.
I love the phrase, " if you love someone, let them be free...' , maybe that's why I post the poem on letting go on the last blog.
I think I have grown up to forget and forgive.., besides, I am busy with my works and my companies now, that I really don't have time to think about this small thing.
So, I will like to congrats CS on her wedding... Sure, I will be there for the church wedding...
ADDITIONAL NOTE: As one of the five closest college mates that I have in Inti College, it seemed that I am the last one in the group to get marry...man this does not look good, but again I will like to quote Oscar Wilde and Benjamin Tillet (with a smirk):
"Men marry because they are tired; women because they are curious."
"God help the man who won't marry until he finds a perfect woman, and God help him still more if he finds her."
(I think YL will laugh on this quote)
Well, she's my first official ex-gal friend... we split up in a bad term, but we are able to keep in touch as friend. It has been 10 years... 10 long years... at first I am pretty happy about the news, but as I think about the SMS, I became angry. Why? I was thinking in my head, "Am I so bad that I will be angry on this happy occassion?" I am not.
I love the phrase, " if you love someone, let them be free...' , maybe that's why I post the poem on letting go on the last blog.
I think I have grown up to forget and forgive.., besides, I am busy with my works and my companies now, that I really don't have time to think about this small thing.
So, I will like to congrats CS on her wedding... Sure, I will be there for the church wedding...
ADDITIONAL NOTE: As one of the five closest college mates that I have in Inti College, it seemed that I am the last one in the group to get marry...man this does not look good, but again I will like to quote Oscar Wilde and Benjamin Tillet (with a smirk):
"Men marry because they are tired; women because they are curious."
"God help the man who won't marry until he finds a perfect woman, and God help him still more if he finds her."
(I think YL will laugh on this quote)
Poem on letting go
LETTING GO TAKES LOVE
To let go does not mean to stop caring,
it means I can't do it for someone else.
To let go is not to cut myself off,
it's the realization I can't control another.
To let go is not to enable,
but allow learning from natural consequences.
To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means
the outcome is not in my hands.
To let go is not to try to change or blame another,
it's to make the most of myself.
To let go is not to care for,
but to care about.
To let go is not to fix,
but to be supportive.
To let go is not to judge,
but to allow another to be a human being.
To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to affect their destinies.
To let go is not to be protective,
it's to permit another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny,
but to accept.
To let go is not to nag, scold or argue,
but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,
but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.
To let go is not to criticize or regulate anybody,
but to try to become what I dream I can be.
To let go is not to regret the past,
but to grow and live for the future.
To let go is to fear less and love more
Remember: The time to love is short
------ author unknown
Letting Go
© By Latavia M. Holzendorf
For the best
Or the worse
I don't know
Everything change for a reason
From the smiles
To frowns
With all the ups and downs
Letting go is the hardest thing to do
Of the person you love the most
But knowing in might be
Only for the best
When you the one that caused all the pain
Wondering why he never left
When he's the one who should have said it's over
But your love for him won't let it go on forever
Because he deserve everything that he giving you
That you never return
All you can do now is walk away
And hold on to the memory
Because you thought being together might make you strong
But now realize you must have been wrong
Because everything you do turn out to be wrong
Wishing there were something you could do or say
But you not sure he would even consider another day
But yet why should he
When you did wrong
As you try to let go of him
But at night he fill your mind so much
All you can do is cry
And awake the next day with him still on your mind
But you should have known it was coming to an end
When you start getting that feeling inside that you about to lose
But like someone said
Love start with a smile
Grows with a kiss
And end in a tear
Which is so true
Because I guess who all love must part
When things been wrong for so long
And letting go is the best
Letting Go (I love this poem the best)
by Judy Burnette
How do you walk away from someone you love
And take the road of friend;
Can you reroute the course you have taken
And start over once again?
I don't really want to let you go
But inside me I know I must;
The times we've loved . . . the times you've left
My heart says stay . . . but it's my mind I must trust.
We have shared so much together
Laughter . . . fun times . . . tears;
Yet sometimes we can't turn back time
We must walk away, and allow ourselves to heal.
I know one day you will be happy
And your soulmate you will find;
I know we each have one out there
Even if for now . . . only in our minds.
May life be gentle with you
May God's best come your way;
And on some quiet tomorrow
You will realize things were better this way.
To let go does not mean to stop caring,
it means I can't do it for someone else.
To let go is not to cut myself off,
it's the realization I can't control another.
To let go is not to enable,
but allow learning from natural consequences.
To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means
the outcome is not in my hands.
To let go is not to try to change or blame another,
it's to make the most of myself.
To let go is not to care for,
but to care about.
To let go is not to fix,
but to be supportive.
To let go is not to judge,
but to allow another to be a human being.
To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to affect their destinies.
To let go is not to be protective,
it's to permit another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny,
but to accept.
To let go is not to nag, scold or argue,
but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,
but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.
To let go is not to criticize or regulate anybody,
but to try to become what I dream I can be.
To let go is not to regret the past,
but to grow and live for the future.
To let go is to fear less and love more
Remember: The time to love is short
------ author unknown
Letting Go
© By Latavia M. Holzendorf
For the best
Or the worse
I don't know
Everything change for a reason
From the smiles
To frowns
With all the ups and downs
Letting go is the hardest thing to do
Of the person you love the most
But knowing in might be
Only for the best
When you the one that caused all the pain
Wondering why he never left
When he's the one who should have said it's over
But your love for him won't let it go on forever
Because he deserve everything that he giving you
That you never return
All you can do now is walk away
And hold on to the memory
Because you thought being together might make you strong
But now realize you must have been wrong
Because everything you do turn out to be wrong
Wishing there were something you could do or say
But you not sure he would even consider another day
But yet why should he
When you did wrong
As you try to let go of him
But at night he fill your mind so much
All you can do is cry
And awake the next day with him still on your mind
But you should have known it was coming to an end
When you start getting that feeling inside that you about to lose
But like someone said
Love start with a smile
Grows with a kiss
And end in a tear
Which is so true
Because I guess who all love must part
When things been wrong for so long
And letting go is the best
Letting Go (I love this poem the best)
by Judy Burnette
How do you walk away from someone you love
And take the road of friend;
Can you reroute the course you have taken
And start over once again?
I don't really want to let you go
But inside me I know I must;
The times we've loved . . . the times you've left
My heart says stay . . . but it's my mind I must trust.
We have shared so much together
Laughter . . . fun times . . . tears;
Yet sometimes we can't turn back time
We must walk away, and allow ourselves to heal.
I know one day you will be happy
And your soulmate you will find;
I know we each have one out there
Even if for now . . . only in our minds.
May life be gentle with you
May God's best come your way;
And on some quiet tomorrow
You will realize things were better this way.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Rare river dolphin 'now extinct'
How many more damage that we can do to mother earth?
Taken from BBC news (Link:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6935343.stm)
Rare river dolphin 'now extinct'
An extensive survey of its habitat failed to find any sign of the baiji
A freshwater dolphin found only in China is now "likely to be extinct", a team of scientists has concluded.
The researchers failed to spot any Yangtze river dolphins, also known as baijis, during an extensive six-week survey of the mammals' habitat.
The team, writing in the Royal Society Biology Letters journals, blamed unregulated fishing as the main reason behind the dolphins' demise.
But the WWF campaign group said the research was not conclusive.
"WWF does not think that the baiji dolphin can be declared extinct or 'effectively extinct' because the search was conducted within a short period of time over a limited area of the river," said a spokesman.
He said a species cannot be formally classed as extinct until no animal has been found in the wild for 50 years - but the last report of a wild baiji dolphin was verified in 2004.
The World Conservation Union's Red List of Threaten Species currently classifies the creature as "critically endangered".
We have yet to take full responsibility in our role as guardians of the planet
Dr Sam Turvey,
Zoological Society of London
Sam Turvey of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), one of the paper's co-authors, described the findings as a "shocking tragedy".
"The Yangtze river dolphin was a remarkable mammal that separated from all other species over 20 million years ago," Dr Turvey explained.
"This extinction represents the disappearance of a complete branch of the evolutionary tree of life and emphasises that we have yet to take full responsibility in our role as guardians of the planet."
If confirmed, it would be the first extinction of a large vertebrate for over 50 years.
'Incidental impact'
The species (Lipotes vexillifer) was the only remaining member of the Lipotidae, an ancient mammal family that is understood to have separated from other marine mammals, including whales, dolphins and porpoises, about 40-20 million years ago.
The white, freshwater dolphin had a long, narrow beak and low dorsal fin; lived in groups of three or four and fed on fish.
The team carried out six-week visual and acoustic survey, using two research vessels, in November and December 2006.
"While it is conceivable that a couple of surviving individuals were missed by the survey teams," the team wrote, "our inability to detect any baiji despite this intensive search effort indicates that the prospect of finding and translocating them to a [reserve] has all but vanished."
The scientists added that there were a number of human activities that caused baiji numbers to decline, including construction of dams and boat collisions.
"However, the primary factor was probably unsustainable by-catch in local fisheries, which used rolling hooks, nets and electrofishing," they suggested.
"Unlike most historical-era extinctions of large bodied animals, the baiji was the victim not of active persecution but incidental mortality resulting from massive-scale human environmental impacts - primarily uncontrolled and unselective fishing," the researchers concluded.
Taken from BBC news (Link:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6935343.stm)
Rare river dolphin 'now extinct'
An extensive survey of its habitat failed to find any sign of the baiji
A freshwater dolphin found only in China is now "likely to be extinct", a team of scientists has concluded.
The researchers failed to spot any Yangtze river dolphins, also known as baijis, during an extensive six-week survey of the mammals' habitat.
The team, writing in the Royal Society Biology Letters journals, blamed unregulated fishing as the main reason behind the dolphins' demise.
But the WWF campaign group said the research was not conclusive.
"WWF does not think that the baiji dolphin can be declared extinct or 'effectively extinct' because the search was conducted within a short period of time over a limited area of the river," said a spokesman.
He said a species cannot be formally classed as extinct until no animal has been found in the wild for 50 years - but the last report of a wild baiji dolphin was verified in 2004.
The World Conservation Union's Red List of Threaten Species currently classifies the creature as "critically endangered".
We have yet to take full responsibility in our role as guardians of the planet
Dr Sam Turvey,
Zoological Society of London
Sam Turvey of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), one of the paper's co-authors, described the findings as a "shocking tragedy".
"The Yangtze river dolphin was a remarkable mammal that separated from all other species over 20 million years ago," Dr Turvey explained.
"This extinction represents the disappearance of a complete branch of the evolutionary tree of life and emphasises that we have yet to take full responsibility in our role as guardians of the planet."
If confirmed, it would be the first extinction of a large vertebrate for over 50 years.
'Incidental impact'
The species (Lipotes vexillifer) was the only remaining member of the Lipotidae, an ancient mammal family that is understood to have separated from other marine mammals, including whales, dolphins and porpoises, about 40-20 million years ago.
The white, freshwater dolphin had a long, narrow beak and low dorsal fin; lived in groups of three or four and fed on fish.
The team carried out six-week visual and acoustic survey, using two research vessels, in November and December 2006.
"While it is conceivable that a couple of surviving individuals were missed by the survey teams," the team wrote, "our inability to detect any baiji despite this intensive search effort indicates that the prospect of finding and translocating them to a [reserve] has all but vanished."
The scientists added that there were a number of human activities that caused baiji numbers to decline, including construction of dams and boat collisions.
"However, the primary factor was probably unsustainable by-catch in local fisheries, which used rolling hooks, nets and electrofishing," they suggested.
"Unlike most historical-era extinctions of large bodied animals, the baiji was the victim not of active persecution but incidental mortality resulting from massive-scale human environmental impacts - primarily uncontrolled and unselective fishing," the researchers concluded.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Famous quotes
"Can any know what fate is his?
Yet have I felt throughout my life,
The day would come at last to quit
The calm retreat for toil and strife."
大梦谁先觉？平生我自知。
草堂春睡足，窗外日迟迟。
By Zhuge Liang... an ancient well known strategist. It is an interesting quote.
The other famous quotes is from a Japanese Zen Master...
PREOCCUPIED WITH A SINGLE LEAF, YOU WON’T SEE THE FOREST, PREOCCUPIED WITH A SINGLE TREE, AND YOU WILL MISS THE ENTIRE FOREST…
I am just reflecting on these two sayings today.
Yet have I felt throughout my life,
The day would come at last to quit
The calm retreat for toil and strife."
大梦谁先觉？平生我自知。
草堂春睡足，窗外日迟迟。
By Zhuge Liang... an ancient well known strategist. It is an interesting quote.
The other famous quotes is from a Japanese Zen Master...
PREOCCUPIED WITH A SINGLE LEAF, YOU WON’T SEE THE FOREST, PREOCCUPIED WITH A SINGLE TREE, AND YOU WILL MISS THE ENTIRE FOREST…
I am just reflecting on these two sayings today.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
237 reasons for having Sex from Cnet.com... amusing but true
Taken from http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9753214-7.html?tag=cnetfd.mt
August 1, 2007 11:42 AM PDT
Why have sex with thee? Let me count the ways
Posted by Stephen Shankland
Update: I added more detail from the study itself and some of the reasons it spotlights.
No doubt we all oversimplify the world a bit, but University of Texas-Austin researchers have found that there are way more reasons people have sex than one might expect.
Specifically, 237 reasons.
Helpfully, the researchers did boil the list down to four major factors--physical, goal-based, emotional and insecurity-based--and 13 minor ones, the university said Tuesday. Researchers David Buss and Cindy Meston described the motivations in the August issue of the Archives of Sexual Behavior.
"Why people have sex is extremely important, but rarely studied. Surprisingly, many scientists assume the answer is obvious, but people have different reasons for having sex, some of which are rather complex," Buss said in a statement.
The top reason both men and women gave was that "I was attracted to the person," but some motivations were ranked very differently by the two sexes. The study authors found an "astonishing" 123 of the 237 motivations were cited more frequently by one sex or the other. Topping the list was "The person wore revealing clothes," which as social stereotypes might lead one to expect was cited by men more often than women.
More specifically, men had lots of reasons for sex that women didn't rate as highly.
"Men showed significantly greater endorsement of having sex due to physical reasons...and simply because the opportunity presented itself. Men more than women reported having sex as a way to improve their social status. Finally, men exceeded women on endorsing a variety of utilitarian reasons for sex," the study said.
In contrast, "Women exceeded men on only three of the 237 reasons: "I wanted to feel feminine"; "I wanted to express my love for the person"; "I realized that I was in love."
Among the reasons that subjects gave researchers for two studies on the matter:
• I wanted to feel closer to God.
• I wanted to get a promotion.
• I wanted to feel connected.
• I wanted to keep my partner from straying.
• I wanted to have a baby.
• I wanted to give someone else a sexually transmitted disease.
• I wanted the attention.
• I wanted to break up a rival's relationship.
• It seemed like good exercise.
• I wanted to defy my parents.
• I wanted to change the topic of conversation
• The person was famous and I wanted to be able to say I had sex with him/her.
• I wanted to end the relationship.
• I wanted to communicate at a "deeper" level.
• My partner kept insisting.
• I was bored.
August 1, 2007 11:42 AM PDT
Why have sex with thee? Let me count the ways
Posted by Stephen Shankland
Update: I added more detail from the study itself and some of the reasons it spotlights.
No doubt we all oversimplify the world a bit, but University of Texas-Austin researchers have found that there are way more reasons people have sex than one might expect.
Specifically, 237 reasons.
Helpfully, the researchers did boil the list down to four major factors--physical, goal-based, emotional and insecurity-based--and 13 minor ones, the university said Tuesday. Researchers David Buss and Cindy Meston described the motivations in the August issue of the Archives of Sexual Behavior.
"Why people have sex is extremely important, but rarely studied. Surprisingly, many scientists assume the answer is obvious, but people have different reasons for having sex, some of which are rather complex," Buss said in a statement.
The top reason both men and women gave was that "I was attracted to the person," but some motivations were ranked very differently by the two sexes. The study authors found an "astonishing" 123 of the 237 motivations were cited more frequently by one sex or the other. Topping the list was "The person wore revealing clothes," which as social stereotypes might lead one to expect was cited by men more often than women.
More specifically, men had lots of reasons for sex that women didn't rate as highly.
"Men showed significantly greater endorsement of having sex due to physical reasons...and simply because the opportunity presented itself. Men more than women reported having sex as a way to improve their social status. Finally, men exceeded women on endorsing a variety of utilitarian reasons for sex," the study said.
In contrast, "Women exceeded men on only three of the 237 reasons: "I wanted to feel feminine"; "I wanted to express my love for the person"; "I realized that I was in love."
Among the reasons that subjects gave researchers for two studies on the matter:
• I wanted to feel closer to God.
• I wanted to get a promotion.
• I wanted to feel connected.
• I wanted to keep my partner from straying.
• I wanted to have a baby.
• I wanted to give someone else a sexually transmitted disease.
• I wanted the attention.
• I wanted to break up a rival's relationship.
• It seemed like good exercise.
• I wanted to defy my parents.
• I wanted to change the topic of conversation
• The person was famous and I wanted to be able to say I had sex with him/her.
• I wanted to end the relationship.
• I wanted to communicate at a "deeper" level.
• My partner kept insisting.
• I was bored.
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