My Friends Are My Enemies

"History has shown us that humankind is more brutal to its friends than its enemies."

Raja Petra Kamaruddin, (RPK)

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Tsunami at Mentawai Islands - Have Been Expected Earlier By Experts

I would like to re-post the following article I have excerpted from The New Strait Times published on 27 December 2009 as we are feeded with news of the tsunami at the said location.

Next Big Earthquake Due Under Mentawai Islands, Indonesia (and Tsunami too)
(Excerpted from NST 27/12/2009 - p.46)

A massive undersea earthquake is long overdue beneath the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia and could trigger another deadly tsunami.

Unlike the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami which killed about 226,000 people, this tsunami is expected to be smaller but may be very deadly as it would hit Sumatera's densely populated coast, according to Kerry Sieh, director of the Singapore-based Earth Observatory.

A major quake measuring around 8.6 magnitude is expected beneath Siberut Island, along the Sunda megathrust, where the Indonesia-Australian tectonic plate butts up against the Eurasian plate.

Sieh said, the big quake will most likely strike in next few decades, somewhere from thirty seconds to 30 years. He predicted such occurance of the quake based on the study of geological records which showed that major quakes have occured along the Sunda megathrust every 200 years for the past 700 years.

According Sieh, there have been three major quake cycles: the late 1300s, the 1600s and between 1797 - 1833 and the timing between those three sequences is about 200 years. Therefore the next cycle will be between now and the next 30 years!

The Sunda megathrust extends from Myanmar in the north and sweeps in a south-east arc through Sumatera, Java and towards Timor.

In 2004, the northern 1,600 km section, from Myanmar to Acheh, ruptured, sending the Indian Ocean tsunami that killed about 226,00 people.

In March 2005, a powerful quake hit the second section near Nias Island, though there was no occurance of tsunami but causing more than 11m defomations beneath the island.

In 2007, an 8.4 and a 7.8 earthquake hit the southern end of the third section, called the Mentawais Patch.

In September 2009, an earthquake hit Padang, Sumatera but that quake resulted not from the rupture of the megathrust beneath the Mentawais but was on a deeper fault.

This means that another 300 km section of the northern part of the Mentawai Patch has not yet broken up into a quake. The last time this section has broken up into a quake was in 1797.

Comment: So, from now on to the next 300 years, anytime, a massive quake could occur from that section of the Mentawai Patch and it could create a significant tsunami and deadly too. Be alert to those who frequent to enjoy yourself at the beaches surounding the area!

October 28, 2010 - A massive, about 7.7 magnitude on Ritcher scale, earth quake has erupted at this location and caused a significant deadly tsunami. Numbers of death at this moment are more than 400 and still counting..... But will this the end of it or the super calamity is yet to come!

Becareful When Eating Bananas!

Be Cautious When Selecting Bananas.

At the rate of RM 2/- a dozen, death is being sold nowadays in our markets. My request is for everybody to be vigilant.

Friends, we all love bananas and we eat a lot of them but the bananas available in the market are forced ripe by dipping in water mixed with Carbide. The consumption of these bananas is likely to cause Cancer or some other infection in the stomach. Therefore, such types of bananas are to be avoided.

But, how does one recognize the bananas ripened with the help of Carbide?

Bananas which are ripened naturally are dark yellow and there are small black spots here and there on the bananas and the stalks are black.

While those which are forced to ripen with Carbide are lemon yellow and their stalks are green and moreover they are clear yellow without any black spots.

Now, what is Carbide and how is it harmful? Carbide is a chemical which if mixed with water, emits heat and the heat emitted by a closed tank mixed with Carbide is even more than that emitted by a LPG Cylinder so much so it can be used for Gas Cutting (which means the calorific value is so high that it can replace LPG gas).

In the same way, when the bunch of bananas are dipped in the water mixed with Carbide, the gas gets absorbed into the bananas and they get to ripen earlier.

However, the banana vendors are not that educated chemically and pharmacy-wise, and therefore they do not know the safe proportion of Carbide to be used for treating bananas.

As a result they end up using excessive quantity of Carbide which gets absorbed into the bananas and ultimately enters our stomach.

Due to this excessive use of Carbide tumours can be formed in our digestive system.

So, next time you purchase bananas, make sure you select those that are ripened naturally. Buy green bananas and allow them to ripe in a few days.

Source: An email from Mr. Simon Ng

Paul the Octopus Dies

World Cup soccer’s psychic octopus dies in Germany
October 26, 2010

File picture shows two year-old octopus Paul, the so-called ‘octopus oracle’ as it predicts Spain’s 2010 soccer World Cup final victory over The Netherlands by opening and choosing a mussel from a glass box decorated with the Spanish national flag instead of a glass box with the Dutch flag on July 9, 2010. – Reuters pic

BERLIN, Oct 26 – Paul, the oracle octopus who shot to fame in the World Cup this summer for his uncanny ability to predict the results of Germany’s soccer matches, has died at his home in Oberhausen at the age of two.

English-born Paul made headlines across the globe after he correctly forecast how Germany would fare in seven matches, before his psychic powers were tested again for the final.

After Germany’s semi-final defeat, Paul tipped Spain to beat the Netherlands in the final, which prompted one news agency to report he had spurred a jump in demand for Spanish government bonds. Paul’s prediction duly came to pass: Spain won.

Staff at the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre in western Germany said in a statement they were “devastated” to learn of Paul’s death when they returned to work today.

“He appears to have passed away peacefully during the night, of natural causes, and we are consoled by the knowledge that he enjoyed a good life,” said the centre’s manager Stefan Porwoll.

Before matches, two containers of food were placed in the eight-legged creature’s tank, each one bearing the flag of one of the teams about to compete for their chance to become world champions. The container Paul picked first was seen as his pick.

Following the World Cup, a Spanish zoo made a transfer bid for Paul but his German keepers refused to sell.

Paul will be kept in cold storage until the centre decides how to mark the mollusc’s extraordinary life, Porwoll added.

“We may decide to give Paul his own small burial plot within our grounds and erect a modest permanent shrine,” he said.

Paul, who was hatched in Weymouth, England, may yet continue to dazzle the world with predictions from beyond the grave.

A Russian newspaper said in July it had got Paul to predict who would be Russia’s next president – but that the results would be kept secret until the election year of 2012.

Sea Life said Paul would live on as the object of a host of commercial enterprises ranging from special clothing lines to mobile phone applications inspired by his fame in Oberhausen, one of Germany’s most cash-strapped cities.

Meanwhile, donations made in honour of Paul’s achievements would help to fund a planned permanent rescue centre for sea turtles on the Greek island of Zakynthos, Sea Life said. – Reuters

Source: Here

Amazing!

These pictures were taken by a French photographer, Alain Delorme in Shanghai throughout 2009 & 2010. He called the series, Totems.

These couriers - mostly migrant workers from other parts of China - not only need strong legs but also acrobatic skills to balance these massive loads on their tricycles & bicycles while on the move. A lot of you must be wondering where the centre of gravity is in each case.

Source: An email from Mr. Simon Ng

Becareful When Eating Apples

Be Careful when eating apples.

Please don't eat the skin of the apple because it's coated with wax.

Check before you eat many of the fruits.

WAX is being used for preservation purposes and cold storage.

You might be surprised to find out some apples have been kept for more than one year old, though they look fresh. This is because wax is coated, preventing bacteria to enter. So it does not get dry.

Please eat apples after removing the wax as demonstrated below.

Source: An email from Mr. Lim Chin Hong

Rooney's U-Turn

Shock change of heart as Rooney stays at United

UPDATED @ 11:36:13 PM 22-10-2010

October 22, 2010

MANCHESTER, England, Oct 22 — Wayne Rooney performed a stunning U-turn today by signing a five-year contract to stay at Manchester United and end a week of bombshells with yet another shock.

The England striker had looked destined to leave Old Trafford in the next transfer window after saying two days ago that he wanted to quit because of United’s lack of clout in attracting more top players to the club.

He attributed his change of heart to manager Alex Ferguson, whom Rooney called a “genius” and said had convinced him that he belonged at United.

Ferguson, who had been visibly shaken this week when describing how his striker had wanted to quit, said Rooney had apologised to him and the players and had changed his mind after understanding “what a great club Manchester United is”.

But Rooney, who earlier this month publicly contradicted Ferguson by saying he was not injured when his manager said he was, still faces the tricky job of winning over fans who feel betrayed.

“I’m delighted to sign another deal at United. In the last couple of days, I’ve talked to the manager and the owners and they’ve convinced me this is where I belong,” Rooney said in a statement.

Read more.

Sultan of Kelantan Revokes Awards of Four People

Written by Bernama
Wednesday, 13 October 2010 16:04

KOTA BAHARU: The Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V, on Wednesday, Oct 13, revoked the awards conferred on four people, among them Pasir Mas Member of Parliament Ibrahim Ali.

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PM Najib - "Cina Bukan Pendatang"

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak hari ini berkata rakyat Malaysia keturunan Cina bukan pendatang sebaliknya merupakan warga setia negara ini.

Kata-kata hinaan dan sentimen negatif seperti itu perlu dikikis, kata Perdana Menteri.

"Saya setuju dengan anda bahawa kaum Cina Malaysia tidak boleh digambarkan sebagai kaum pendatang."

"Itu mungkin bagi beberapa generasi sebelum ini tetapi hari ini, anda adalah warga Malaysia yang setia."

Read more.
Also watch video here.

Racial Harmony???

Following are some parts of an article written by blogger steadyaku47 titled ".... ......" and I strongly believe should lead us, Malaysians to do some thinking and to analyse the real situation in front of us!

"Do you Chinese know that we Malays do not say that a Chinese has died? No we have this term we use – “.... .....” ….I really cannot think of an English equivalent that would do justice to the venom and contempt that the phrase intends to conveys! But for me personally that phrase has not been used or even thought of for a long long time. It came back to me just now when I was trying to find a way to make the Chinese understand the depth of hatred that some Malays still do have for you infidels and pork eating people who dare to call Malaysia their home! And so my friend you need to take this in the context that I am trying to frame it. Racial harmony is not an easy thing. Racial harmony will not come naturally for a number of Malays. And of course for some Malays they need racial harmony like they need a hole in their head!

....

But we Malays are also mindful of the deep seated feelings that lies within the mentality of the Chinese youth and those who have grown up under the oppressive rule of the ............... We Malays are only too aware that feelings just as intense against the Malays are also rooted in the physic of the Chinese – possible more in those Chinese in secondary and higher institution of learning. Where they have already developed the ability to think and reason for themselves what they want to think of the Malays. The same Malays that is the privileged ethnic group. The same Malays that is privy to the best education, almost all business opportunities from the government and the same Malays that asks them to speak in Bahasa, write in Bahasa and learn in Bahasa!

The tension for the Chinese and the Malays lies just below the surface. Real and not imaginary".

Read more here...

Rabbit or Duck?

Source: www.mixpod.com

Ministry To Find Out Why Commonwealth Gold Medalist Used Sabah Flag

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Razali Ibrahim said today he would hold talks with the Malaysian Weightlifting Association over Commonwealth Games gold medalist Aricco Jumitih’s decision to wear a vest with a Sabah flag on it during his event in New Delhi this week.

Aricco’s vest also had the word “Sabah” on the back instead of “Malaysia.”

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