Malaysia’s PM announces reduced fuel prices

PUTRAJAYA: Petrol and diesel price will drop by between eight sen and 22 sen a litre from Saturday.

The price of RON97 petrol will be reduced by 15 sen to RM2.55 a litre from RM2.70, while RON92 would be 22 sen less at RM2.40, from RM2.62

The retail price of diesel would drop by eight sen to RM2.50 a litre.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah ahmad Badawi announced the new prices in a statement after Friday’s Cabinet meeting.

He said the prices were determined by taking into account the actual price from Aug 1 to 21 and the 30 sen per litre subsidy borne by the government while the subsidy for diesel, based on the new price, was 50 sen a litre.

“The cabinet decided to bring forward the enforcement date for adjustment of the new petrol price,” he said.

Source: The Star Online

The Top 5 In-Demand Majors

by Elizabeth Weiss McGolerick, ClassesUSA.com

What’s on employer wish lists? Based on the latest job-offer facts and findings, the most in-demand bachelor’s degrees may surprise you, or even have you reconsider your chosen field of study.

The following list highlights the top five in-demand bachelor’s degrees according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Spring 2008 Salary Survey, with starting salaries. Job descriptions are based on details provided by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

1. Mechanical Engineering ($57,821)

Mechanical engineers are curious about how things operate. Professionals in this broad discipline research, design, develop, and test tools, machines, and mechanical devices. Along with a knack for science and math, engineers need strong oral and written communication skills.

While most entry-level mechanical engineering positions require a bachelor’s degree, continuing education is critical — protecting engineers from potential layoffs or cutbacks.

Job outlook: As more engineers retire, and many professionals transfer to managerial positions, job opportunities are good.

2. Accounting ($47,429)

For those who delight in number crunching, a bachelor’s degree in accounting can lead to occupations in financial and investment planning, budget analysis, tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll services, and auditing. Opportunities are often best for CPAs, MBAs, or professionals proficient with accounting software.

Accountants ensure that a firm is run efficiently and records are kept accurately. Expect long hours — especially around tax season.

Job outlook: Thanks to retirees and a faster-than-average job growth due to new business and changing financial laws and regulations, accountants can enjoy favorable job opportunities.

3. Finance ($48,616)

Financial analysts and personal financial advisors gather and analyze financials and provide investment guidance to businesses and individuals. They must feel comfortable with money markets, tax laws, and the workings of the economy, and have good communication skills to explain complex strategies and concepts.

A bachelor’s degree will get your foot in the door, but additional certifications or an MBA is a plus. Many finance professionals opt to open their own business; almost a third of personal financial advisors are self-employed.

Job outlook: Personal financial advisors are projected to be among the 10 fastest-growing occupations. Though job growth is strong across the board, competition is still keen for finance positions.

4. Business Administration/Management ($44,195)

Business administration professionals may work as contract administrators, facility managers, or administrative services managers in the private industry and government, where they keep offices running efficiently, conducting records management to administration to telecommunications to support services.

Leadership and communication skills are as valuable as flexibility, and being detail-oriented, and decisive. Experience can get business administration professionals promoted in smaller organizations, while formal education credentials — including advanced degrees — are beneficial to advancement in larger organizations.

Job outlook: Jobs are projected to grow as quickly as average among all occupations. Competition for top-level business administration management jobs will be high while more opportunities will exist for lower-level management jobs and facility managers.

5. Civil Engineering ($50,940)

Civil engineering is considered one of the oldest engineering disciplines, attracting those who are analytical by nature. Civil engineers design and supervise the construction of highways and byways — from roads and bridges to tunnels and dams — and work in fields such as water resources and structural concerns.

These professionals must simultaneously be inquisitive, detail-oriented, and interested in the big picture. In their designs, civil engineers must consider potential environmental hazards, construction costs, and government regulations that can affect their creations. Bachelor’s degrees are required for most entry-level jobs and continuing education is critical as new technologies emerge.

Job outlook: Employment growth for civil engineers is expected to move at a pace that is faster than the average for all occupations.

Charmaine: Looks like I’m gonna head back to University soon…

The Official Mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, Fuwa will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace — and good wishes from China — to children all over the world.

Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China’s most popular animals — the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow — and the Olympic Flame.

Each of Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name — a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow.

When you put their names together — Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni — they say “Welcome to Beijing,” offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of Fuwa as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.

Fuwa also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature — the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky — all stylistically rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.

Spreading Traditional Chinese Good Wishes Wherever They Go

In the ancient culture of China, there is a grand tradition of spreading good wishes through signs and symbols. Each of Fuwa symbolizes a different blessing — and will honor this tradition by carrying their good wishes to the children of the world. Prosperity, happiness, passion, health and good luck will be spread to every continent as Fuwa carry their invitation to Beijing 2008 to every part of the globe.

At the heart of their mission — and through all of their work — Fuwa will seek to unite the world in peace and friendship through the Olympic spirit. Dedicated to helping Beijing 2008 spread its theme of One World, One Dream to every continent, Fuwa reflect the deep desire of the Chinese people to reach out to the world in friendship through the Games — and to invite every man, woman and child to take part in the great celebration of human solidarity that China will host in the light of the flame in 2008.

In China’s traditional culture and art, the fish and water designs are symbols of prosperity and harvest. And so Beibei carries the blessing of prosperity. A fish is also a symbol of surplus in Chinese culture, another measure of a good year and a good life.

The ornamental lines of the water-wave designs are taken from well-known Chinese paintings of the past. Among Fuwa, Beibei is known to be gentle and pure. Strong in water sports, she reflects the blue Olympic ring.

Jingjing makes children smile — and that’s why he brings the blessing of happiness wherever he goes. You can see his joy in the charming naivety of his dancing pose and the lovely wave of his black and white fur. As a national treasure and a protected species, pandas are adored by people everywhere. The lotus designs in Jingjing’s headdress, which are inspired by the porcelain paintings of the Song Dynasty (A.D.960-1234), symbolize the lush forest and the harmonious relationship between man and nature. Jingjing was chosen to represent our desire to protect nature’s gifts — and to preserve the beauty of nature for all generations. Jingjing is charmingly naïve and optimistic. He is an athlete noted for strength who represents the black Olympic ring.

In the intimate circle of Fuwa, Huanhuan is the big brother. He is a child of fire, symbolizing the Olympic Flame and the passion of sport — and passion is the blessing he bestows. Huanhuan stands in the center of Fuwa as the core embodiment of the Olympic spirit. And while he inspires all with the passion to run faster, jump higher and be stronger, he is also open and inviting. Wherever the light of Huanhuan shines, the inviting warmth of Beijing 2008 — and the wishful blessings of the Chinese people — can be felt. The fiery designs of his head ornament are drawn from the famed Dunhuang murals — with just a touch of China’s traditional lucky designs. Huanhuan is outgoing and enthusiastic. He excels at all the ball games and represents the red Olympic ring.

Like all antelopes, Yingying is fast and agile and can swiftly cover great stretches of land as he races across the earth. A symbol of the vastness of China’s landscape, the antelope carries the blessing of health, the strength of body that comes from harmony with nature. Yingying’s flying pose captures the essence of a species unique to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the first animals put under protection in China. The selection of the Tibetan Antelope reflects Beijing commitment to a Green Olympics. His head ornament incorporates several decorative styles from the Qinghai-Tibet and Sinkiang cultures and the ethnic design traditions of Western China. Strong in track and field events, Yingying is a quick-witted and agile boy who represents the yellow Olympic ring.

Every spring and summer, the children of Beijing have flown beautiful kites on the currents of wind that blow through the capital. Among the kite designs, the golden-winged swallow is traditionally one of the most popular. Nini’s figure is drawn from this grand tradition of flying designs. Her golden wings symbolize the infinite sky and spread good-luck as a blessing wherever she flies. Swallow is also pronounced “yan” in Chinese, and Yanjing is what Beijing was called as an ancient capital city. Among Fuwa, Nini is as innocent and joyful as a swallow. She is strong in gymnastics and represents the green Olympic ring.

Source: http://en.beijing2008.cn/80/05/article211990580.shtml

Beijing Olympics 2008

This is the first time I watched Olympics so seriously. Although I’m not a China citizen, but I feel very very proud as a Chinese. At 8th August 2008 08:08:08, everyone in the office gathered at the living room to watch Beijing Olympics. The best part is we watched from a projector at CCTV 1 channel. For your information, they have a very big satellite dish there so we can view a lot of international channels

The show is truly awesome! The living room is filled with WAHs and WOWs! I can see that we’re more enthusiastic than the audiences there. Some audiences there didn’t even smile =.=”

Well I believe photos mean more than words so I’m planning to put up some photos for those who missed the show

Oh by the way, here are some souvenirs my boss brought back from China for us and another is my handphone wallpaper followed by Beijing Olympics’ snapshots. Click on it for a larger view.

Nini The Swallow

Beibei the Fish

Huanhuan The Fire Flame

Two dead, seven injured in Cheras accident

KUALA LUMPUR: A lorry driver lost control of his 10-tonne lorry near Taman Connaught, Cheras, here, at 9am Friday, ramming into seven vehicles.

The accident scene in Cheras after a 10-tonne lorry rammed into seven vehicles, leaving two dead and seven injured.

The lorry driver and a motorcyclist were killed in the accident. Seven others who were injured in the accident have been sent to the Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) for treatment.

Initial investigations show that the lorry driver was turning into the MRR2 when he lost control, hit the divider and ended up on the other side of the Cheras-Kajang road.

Source: The Star Online

Man blows up apartment spraying for bugs?

NEW YORK, July 21 – A New Jersey man trying to exterminate insects in his apartment blew it up instead, the New York Daily News reported on Monday.

Isias Vidal Maceda was unhurt in the incident, but 80 percent of his apartment was destroyed, Eatontown, New Jersey police told the newspaper.

The accident occurred as Maceda was spraying for pests in his kitchen. Somehow the bug spray ignited a blast that blew out the apartment’s front windows and triggered a fire that quickly spread, the newspaper said.

Police told the newspaper that the Saturday blaze also caused smoke damage to the apartment above.

© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved

Jokes on Marriage

Marriage (Part I)

Typical macho man married typical good-looking lady, and after the wedding, he laid down the following rules:

‘I’ll be home when I want, if I want and at what time I want — and I don’t expect any hassle from you.
I expect a great dinner to be on the table unless
I tell you that I won’t be home for dinner.
I’ll go hunting, fishing, boozing, and card-playing when I want with my old buddies, and don’t you give me a hard time about it.
Those are my rules. Any comments?’

His new bride said:
‘No, that’s fine with me. Just understand that there will be sex here at seven o’clock every night…whether you’re here or not.’

(DARN SHE’S GOOD!)

***************************************************************************************

Marriage (Part II)

Husband and wife had a bitter quarrel on the day of their 40th wedding anniversary!

The husband yells, ‘When you die, I’m getting you a headstone that reads, ‘Here Lies My Wife — Cold As Ever’!’

‘Yeah?’ she replies. ‘When you die, I’m getting you a headstone that reads, ‘Here Lies My Husband — Stiff At Last’!’

(HE ASKED FOR IT!)

***************************************************************************************

Marriage (Part III)

Husband (a doctor) and his wife are having a fight at the breakfast table.

Husband gets up in a rage and says, ‘And you are no good in bed either,’ and storms out of the house.

After some time he realizes he was nasty and decides to make amends and rings her up.

She comes to the phone after many rings, and the irritated husband says,

‘What took you so long to answer to the phone?’

She says, ‘I was in bed.’

‘In bed this early, doing what?’

‘Getting a second opinion!’

(YEP, HE HAD THAT COMING, TOO!)

***************************************************************************************

Marriage (Part IV)

A man has six children and is very proud of his achievement.

He is so proud of himself, that he starts calling his wife,’ Mother of Six’ in spite of her objections.

One night, they go to a party.

The man decides that it IS time to go home and wants to find out if his wife is ready to leave as well.

He shouts at the top of his voice, ‘Shall we go home Mother of Six?’

His wife, irritated by her husband’s lack of discretion,
shouts right back, ‘Any time you’re ready, Father of Four.’

(RIGHT ON, LADY!)

***************************************************************************************

THE SILENT TREATMENT

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment.

Suddenly the man realized that the next day he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight.

Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper,’Please wake me at 5:00 AM.’ He left it where he knew she would find it.

The next morning the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight.

Furious, he was about to go to see why his wife hadn’t wakened him when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. The paper said, ‘It is 5:00 AM. Wake up.’

Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.

Latest Update

Yes, I’m back. Truth is, I’m always around but it’s just that I’m a procrastinator. I always wanted to write a lot of stuff here but all I did is THINK of what to write and yet I never really wrote. I promise to write more in the future (hehe… will anyone believe me?)

Office’s internet connection has been down since morning until 3pm. I even left my handphone at home. I feel so unreachable and thus went back home to take my handphone and check e-mails. A lot of phone call from clients! And I found that I can’t live without internet!

Thank God everything’s back to normal now

Manicure at Madaline Nails and Waxing Salon by Glitters

Two weeks ago, I went to The Gardens Mid Valley’s CRES for a facial. On my way out, I saw this nail salon beside it having a promotion (RM 30 for manicure) so I decided to have one since my last manicure is already more than 2 months. Only when I went into the salon that I realized it was by Glitters. I previously went to the branch at 1 Utama but the space is very small. The manicurist told me that they did not use the name Glitters because there’s a Glitters Cafe there and postmen always mix up between these two shops.

After all the nail buffering, cuticle removing etc., I decided to choose Divine as my nail color. Since this is Designer Series which contains Diamond Dust, I have to add another RM 5 for it. Check out the photo to see how the color looks like! It shimmers like rainbow dust! I might try blue color next time :p

Nail - Divine

By the way, Madaline Nails and Waxing Salon by Glitters is located at the 4th floor (Cocoon section) of The Gardens. Reservations are needed during weekend to avoid disappointment. Reservation no.: 03-2282 8813.

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