Showing posts with label Worth A Read. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Worth A Read. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Post-Apocalypse Dubai


These photos are very stunning. Must share out and don't forget to spots out the animals on each pictures shown.


Artist's eerie photos imagine wild animals roaming free among crumbling remains of abandoned desert city.  
By Julian Gavaghan

With its soaring skyscrapers, ever-green golf courses and even a ski resort, the desert city of Dubai is testament to a determined battle between man and nature.

Yet with the global downturn and mounting debts threatening its future, it is not hard to imagine this sun-seared metropolis being swallowed back up by the surrounding sands as a financial meltdown prompts its wealthy sponsors to leave, followed by the 2million mainly foreign workers depending on them.

That is the post-apocalyptic nightmare scenario realised in eerie images created by the award-winning British photographer and artist Richard Allenby-Pratt.

 Deserted Dubai: A zebra wanders along an empty motorway in the image created by Richard Allenby-Pratt in a bid to highlight the plight of such creatures whose own habitats have been plundered

The best picture: Lion king of the urban jungle: A lion surveys the abandoned city from high-up platform on the empty shell of a derelict tower

Sands of time: Giraffe in the desert with Dubai's skyline visible in the background

With the streets and resorts devoid of human life and all building work halted, all that remain are the animals who are left to roam the crumbling remains of the former urban paradise and pearl of the United Arab Emirates, a gulf state that was until 30 years ago dominated by nomads.

Bizarrely, among the dogs and gazelles that you might expect in such an environment, there are also some stranger more exotic beasts enjoying their freedom.

They include a lion surveying the city from a platform high up the empty shell of a derelict apartment block and a zebra wandering along a multi-lane highway in the middle of the desert city as it is imagined sometime after 2017.

Also making appearances are a kangaroo hopping by skyscrapers, a puma in an abandoned resort, a hyena at a vacant housing development, a rhino at a dormant building site, a crocodile in the harbour and a giraffe stalking the outskirts with the world tallest tower, the Burgh Al Arab, clearly rising above the distant skyline.
Despite seeming distinctly unrealistic, such beasts do live in Dubai thanks to wealthy residents who see keeping wild creatures as status symbols and others are kept in its zoo.

 What are roo doing here? A kangaroo hops along a canalside. But as strange as it may seem such exotic animals are kept by many wealthy residents are pets

 Strange visitor: A rhino walks in the sand at an abandoned building site

 Puma by the pool: Another exotic animal makes itself at home a vacant former holiday resort

Peacock in the plaza: A bird shows off its plumage beside the beach - but there are no visitors to see it

 Roaming free: An ibex stares down through the shell of a building after the construction has long since ground to a halt

Taking a sip: A dorcas gazelle drinks from water below a motorway bridge

 In showing what life would be like if animals did indeed inherit the earth, Mr Allenby-Pratt was attempting to show how exposed Dubai may be to a potential collapse.

He told Mail Online: 'These scenes are imagined as being shortly after the departure of the majority of people from Dubai and the subsequent collapse of the city's infrastructure. 

'My main intention in this project is to highlight how vulnerable the Dubai economic and social model could be. Primarily because of it's reliance on an ex-pat labour force who have no ability to earn nationality. 

'So 90 per cent of the population can never call the place home; which means, of course, conflict or economic unviability would result in a mass exodus and a consequent collapse of basic infrastructure.

'I introduced animals to the scenes to suggest that natural systems may ultimately prove to be more robust. The suggested scenario is that these are released zoo animals.

 Hyena at a housing development: Look closely and you can see the animal laughing at the fate of the previous human occupants

 Grazing: Gemsbok, native to southern Africa, roam among the scrub near an extravagant building project abandoned midway

 A nice snap: A crocodile swims in a harbour long since evacuated by human life

Flocks: Aoudad, or Barbary sheep, graze near a former luxury hotel

‘I hope to highlight the fragility of our economic systems and the desperate need for us to live in harmony with the other occupants of our world.’

He also hoped to highlight the plight of such creatures whose own habitats we have plundered.

He explains: ‘This project imagines a future without people, where the relics of our unrealised ambitions are populated by some of the species we have, in the present day, come so close to exterminating. 

The images are on display at his Abandoned exhibition at The Empty Quarter Gallery. To see other images, click here visit Mr Allenby-Pratt’s website.

Read more on Dailymail
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I personally find these photos are quite interesting and the ideas behind them quite impressive.
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Friday, June 15, 2012

Confessions To Make


This morning there is a program in conjunction with Father's day on Mix Fm, the father will called the radio station and the DJs will help the father to call both daughter/son for some confession. Got this uncle called up and he asked a few questions to his daughter. I have forgotten some part of the conversation but it sounded something like this:


Father: "Did you ever do anything wrong before towards me?"
Su: "Errrrr hmmmmm, yeah!! Pa, do you remember the CD I bought for you on (dunno when) Father's day? Hmmmmm, Actually I stole it for you!!
Father: "WHAT? You stole that for me? Su, I can't believe it...........How could you do that?"
The DJ: "Well well, Mr Jamal, did you enjoy the CD?"
Father: "Yeah I did, anyway just forget it. Su, I have another question, did you ever blame your little sister on anything?"
Su: "Do you remember the puzzle you got from Bali? Actually it is me who broke it, not adik (little sister)"
Father: "Hmmmm, another question. Have you ever gone for a holiday without telling me?"
Su: "Errrrr, wow.....yeah!! Once. It was last year. I went to PD (Port Dickson)."
Father: "With a bunch of guys?"
Su: "No no no, all girls, no guys."
Father: "Well alright, but now I am a bit disappointed with you. You know right, you are my favorite child! One last question, between me and your mum, who do you love the most?"
Su: "Of course you Papa!!"
Father: "Are you surrrrreeeeeee?" (the DJs are laughing very badly)
Su: "Yes you. Of course. Please don't let mum know about this"
Father: "All right..bye!"
Su: "I love you Papa. Happy father's day"

And the conversation ended. 


This programmed have give me some inspiration to write my own confession. So, me too have a confession to make. Given the fact that I will be a dad someday, I think is time for me to confess things that my dad might not know why I do hates him sometime and well of course there are sometimes I did something that seriously I need to say sorry and felt guilty too. 


Hate list:
1) Slap me on my face because I damage the newly bought bicycle tube which I mistakenly thought it was the damaged one. 
2) Give me slashes on my cute butt (until my mum need rub medication oil after I cried till fall asleep) for getting a slightly lower ranking in class. He never even smack my sis for getting the first few number counting backward from the class rank. (hate you sis!! hahahaha)
3) Forced me to enter Form 6 where I know I sucks in Science stream, If not, I would do superb in my pre-college years. 
4) Give my most beloved Touch-n-go card (I queue for so long at Sunway Pyramid to get that Disney's Incredible special edition) to dunno who. I borrow him and he gave to other. Urrrggghhhh, totally unforgivable.
5) Scolding me badly at me for protecting my sister from being blamed for "helping" my other uncle. He din even investigate and only hear one side of the story.  

Guilty and sorry list:
1) Force my dad to drive me out to town 4 times a week for photocopying revision books. I did this because I want revenge because he forces me to enter Form 6. 
2) Show faces when he don't want to bought me a digital camera. I still remember that first digital camera. 
3) Again because of camera. I cheated him to One Utama to get a cooler digital camera by Nikon. Unluckily my mum's card couldn’t go through. So I have to tell my dad about it and he unwillingly pay with his card. 


Thinking back now, it's really not easy to become a dad but it's not easy to be their sons too especially with the kind of dad where you can't really understand what is in their mind or what pleases him. What I can said is that I am really not smart enough knowing the best ways of impress my father but toward my mum, I am really good hehehehe. 

Although this looks like a pretty bad list, there is so much more that my dad really deserves. There are all the little things he did where really pissed me off (I guess all children does hate their dads in some ways),but hey, as we grown older, forgiveness is the only thing where family bond are tighten with. It happen that family members are the only one that really understand us and it also happen where home is the only place we turned to when we needed love the most.

Although my father is not a superb dad, to us, he is a humble man and also a great husband too because I don't think my mum can asked for a better husband hahahhaa! Me and my sis sometimes don't agree and even hates what my dad did, but still its because of him, my mum, my sis and me are able to become group called family. We couldn’t do many things without him. He, at some points, is an amazing father and great example to live by. And here I would like to wish him a Happy Father's Day. 


PS: If happen to Ma you read this blog, don't get angry because I din wrote you one as a dedication. You know how much I love you right? Simply because I thought this may show why my relationship and attitude toward dad a bit weird and tense in the eyes of you and sis. So no matter how, I love the both of you so much and you all (dad, mum and sis) are above anything on my list.
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Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Mean Girls

Rachel Crow is back!! And here’s the lyric video of The X Factor finalist Rachel Crow “Mean Girls”!


Seriously this song is good. Can’t wait for the full album.



Rachel: Hey guys I got a chance to direct and produce my first music video for a good friend of mine. She is an INCREDIBLE singer and such good friend! We did this in my house, on my chalkboard. The entire video is “stop motion” which took FOREVER!! But we had so much fun making it. Enjoy!!!


The debut EP from @IamRachelCrow will be available digitally on June 26.

You might wonder who is Rachel Crow. <----- Click for more info.

Found out more info about Rachel's shocking elimination here, here and here.
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Thursday, June 7, 2012

China Closes Tibet To Tourists

 Major travel agencies said they were clueless about how long the ban would last.

BEIJING, June 6 — Chinese authorities have closed Tibet to foreign visitors, travel agents said today, just 10 days after two Tibetans set themselves on fire in the troubled region.

The move comes at the start of a festival that traditionally sees tourists flock to the Himalayan region, which has been under tight security since riots against Chinese rule erupted in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa in March 2008.

Major travel agencies said they were told by Tibetan tourism authorities in late May that travellers from overseas would not be allowed into the vast, remote region and said they were clueless about how long the ban would last.

“The tourism bureau asked us to stop organising foreign groups to Tibet in late May. We don’t know when they will lift the ban,” an employee at the Tibet China International Tour Service told AFP.

While the official reason for the ban was not immediately clear, one agent said it could be linked to the Saga Dawa festival, which celebrates the birth of Buddha in the Tibetan calendar.

“It was halted in late May. People said it was because of the... festival,” an employee at the Tibet China Travel Service said.
 
 Pilgrims and devotees in Tibet

The festival traditionally sees Buddhist pilgrims flock to Tibet to mark the month-long celebration, which began on June 4 this year a date that coincided with the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown on democracy protests.

Another agent from the Tibet China Youth Tour Service said the ban might also be linked to the “recent social order problem”.

China sporadically bans foreign travel to Tibet, where many Tibetans complain of cultural and religious repression at the hands of Chinese authorities a claim the government denies

Since March last year, 37 people have set themselves on fire in Tibetan-inhabited areas of China in protest at repressive government policies, according to activists.

On May 27, two Tibetan men set themselves alight in front of the Jokhang temple, a renowned centre for Buddhist pilgrimage in the centre of Lhasa  the first such incident to hit the regional capital.

 Tibetan activist who set himself on fire in Delhi, dies

Foreign tourists were banned from travelling to the region for more than a year in 2008 after anti-government riots erupted in Lhasa  unrest that subsequently spread to other Tibetan-inhabited areas of China.

Even in normal times, overseas tourists need special permits to travel to the remote region as well as their visas for China, and have to travel in tour groups. — AFP/Relaxnews
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Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Gone Too Soon



Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. 
Life is beauty, admire it. 
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it. 
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it. 
Life is sorrow, overcome it. 
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it. 
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.

~ Mother Teresa


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Tuesday, November 1, 2011

S.H.E.’s Selina Released New Music Video

Few more days before the wedding of S.H.E’s Selina and H.I.M. surprised her fans with a new song and a music video from Selina called “Thank You for Loving Me”.




Throughout the music video, it contains messages and pictures of Selina as she undergoes her treatment. The lyrics of the song are very touching as the song is a way of Selina expresses her gratitude's to her fans, friends and people who supported her during her difficult times.

Here is the music video:


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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Jay Chou Secretly Married A Model In France

On October 18th, an entertainment tabloid exposed that Jay Chou (周杰伦) got married with model, Hannah Quinlivan (昆凌) of mixed heritage, in Europe. While on an extended vacation with his 18-year-old girlfriend and his mother in Marseille, France, Jay was photographed by Chinese tourists, thus exposing his romance. Regarding Jay’s secret wedding, his music company claimed they possessed no knowledge of the situation.





After his vacation photos in France surfaced, Jay did not directly admit his new union. On his blog, Jay commented, “Next time, post a full-frontal photo!” While on vacation in Europe over the last ten days, Jay allegedly got married with Hannah, who was spotted smiling broadly while wearing a white wedding dress. The tabloid also published a photo of Jay wearing sunglasses and a suit and claimed he got married in this attire, “To respect the occasion, President Chou especially wore a suit. He proudly took photos for memories, while celebrating the farewell bid to his bachelorhood.”

At a concert performance in Singapore earlier, Jay allegedly dropped hints about his marriage intentions. The tabloid reported, “Perhaps under the teaching of Hannah’s sweet words, President Chou became glib at his concert in Singapore. He praised that ‘there were many beautiful women in Singapore’ and noted ‘I will remember your enthusiasm in my heart.’ When concluding his concert, Jay suddenly blurted out, ‘Regardless of the circulating gossip, if I were to get married, you will still listen to my songs, right?’”

An insider revealed to the entertainment tabloid, “Although Hannah was still young, she was very sensible and well-behaved. Jay said that she understood him more than any of his past girlfriends, while she pleased his mother greatly as well. Originally, they did not possess marriage intentions at the outset of their European vacation. Swayed by the exotic romantic setting, Jay and Hannah decided to obtain their marriage registration there with the approval of his mother. Afterwards, President Chou acknowledged that he acted on impulse, but he wanted to hold onto Hannah and marriage would become an issue sooner or later. Currently, Jay was looking for the right opportunity to announce his pleasant surprise to everyone.”

After “vaccinating” his fans [regarding his marital status], President Chou took his new bride on a honeymoon to Japan. Taking a formal honeymoon, Jay did not forget about his mother after getting married. Thus, Jay brought his mother along on the honeymoon with Hannah. A fan spotted the trio vacationing in Tokyo, Japan.





Sure or not??
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Monday, October 10, 2011

The Perfect Gentleman 2011 Finale

The Perfect Gentleman 魅力型男 comes to an end yesterday 9th October, 2011 where the finale live on NTV7 and the winner has revealed!


For the first time in the Malaysian television, viewers able to witness a search for talent pageant for Malaysian Chinese men. The Perfect Gentleman 魅力型男 2011 is the ultimate contest of personality, talent, and style as hot guys from all over the country sweat it out to win the coveted title.

Top 30 finalist are chosen for the TV Show and only 6 finalists will survive the elimination where live on NTV7 yesterday. All finalists will need to face a series of challenges from physical activities, photo shots, showing talents and to brainstorm moment. The final 6 finalists will be dueling with each other to be crowned as Malaysia 1st Perfect Gentleman.

Seriously the show was not too bad but there are some setbacks where NTV7 should do some improvements on it. Since this is the first talent pageant for Malaysian Chinese men search program, the finale should be do it in a bit grand. What we can see from the finale show yesterday, the stage is so pathetic. The runway, for god sake, so short!! Even the judges complaints that when came to the finalist to show their talent-session, the stage is way too small and cramp for them to perform.

Here are the judges on the finale.


From left to right
1) Debbie 吴天瑜
2) Pei Pei 蒋珮珮
3) Mark 李国煌
4) Gillian Hung
5) Jane Wong

Of all the judges, I like Gillian Hung the most because of her true-harsh criticisms made the contestant can be more humble in term of all the glamors shower on them. Like Mark Lee too because he simply lighten the atmosphere in the finale where is humorous ways of giving comments.

Here are the 6 Finalists (click on their name to view their profile)







Here are my predictions and why they deserves and not deserves to win. 

Grand Winner: Kong Jie
Reasons why he should win: Because he deserve the title Perfect Gentleman. He is way too humble and best still he has the look of a model. All in all, he has the look.
Reason why he didn't win: Way too passive in term of too quiet, nervous and shy. 

1st Runner-Up: Shang Wen
Reasons why he should win: Another guy who deserves the title, gentleman. Even though he is not very fluent in speaking mandarin, they way he handle his words and speech are just worth praises. 
Reason why he didnt win: Mark Lee said he is a guy people will care and pity him and he look too childish.Maybe that's why.

2nd Runner-Up: William
Reasons why he should win: Because he has the package. Of all the six finalists, he truly has the look. That concludes it. 
Reason why he didnt win: His look too. To me he is old.

Why Joel shouldn't win:
He don't have a look that will make others willing to view it for many times. To me he look like a younger  version of Tang Xiao Kang.

Why John shouldn't win:
Way too confident and only makes him look proud and arrogant. This proved that I am correct when he was announced as 1st Runner-Up, he straightaway showing dark-faces as he maybe expecting he will become the grand winner. Meaning to say, not a perfect Gentleman.

Here are the results from the finale.
Grand Winner: Joel
1st Runner Up: John
2nd Runner Up: Jake

Most Photogenic Award: John
Most Popular Award: Kong Jie
All the "J"s wins where else Shyang Wen and Kong Jie didn't get to the top three spots. 

 Host - Hoong JiaHui

 Judges

 Top 6

 Top 4

For more info, clips and news, visit HERE and HERE


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Wednesday, October 5, 2011

The Official iPhone 4S

California: Apple Inc's newest iPhone left Wall Street and fans wishing for more than a souped-up version of last year's device, igniting a rare storm of criticism and disappointment on the Internet.

 
Cook, who took over from Jobs in August, and his executive team showed off a device that comes with voice recognition and a better camera, but looks identical to the last phone and does little to lift the bar for smartphones.

While the gadget wasn't as tricked out as some had hoped, analysts liked its voice-enabling technology that helps users vocalize everything from stock price searches to sending messages -- more easily than on Android phones or Research in Motion Blackberries.

In some ways, Apple may have been a victim of its past success. Its launches are some of the hottest events on the tech calendar. Tuesday's "Let's talk iPhone" show marked Cook's unofficial debut since taking over from Jobs in August.

Analysts say it is more crucial than ever to sustain the popularity of its aging iPhone 4. Apple sold more than 20 million units in the third quarter ended June 25.

"It's kind of funny -- if they have gone and called it the 5, the stock would have been fine, but they're calling it the 4S, which is a disappointment to some," said WP Stewart portfolio manager Michael Walker.

The iPhone, which accounts for more than 40 percent of Apple's sales, has been a success since it came out in 2007, making Apple into one of the world's leading consumer electronics companies. - theStar

Since Apple revealed the so call Iphone 5 and now they named it Iphone 4s, so many complaints and criticism are flooding the social media networks be it Facebook, blogs or Twitter. I just don't understand, they must be a reason why they named it that way but still they incorporated much new stuff onto the new gadget.



Maybe the fans of Apple put too much expectations and hopes on the new gadget and that is why now, the latest model looks exactly the previous launched.

Here are the comparison between IP4 and IP4s

Why complaints?? If you don't feel this is the phone worth buying, then don't buy la. No one forcing you to buy it right? To some, maybe they thought that this is it. Where to those who complaints, maybe you'll complaint because you'll need to wait for another year for the who know will it still name it as IP5. Just wait nia lah!!



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Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Borders Bargain Bash (5 - 7 October, 2011)

After Popular Bookfest and MPH's Warehouse Clearance Sale, now come another books sale, Borders Bargain Bash starting tomorrow and Big Bad Wolf on Friday.

Here is the details for Borders Bargain Bash


In case you being lazy to click on the image

Date:   5 - 7 October 2011
Time:   9am - 7pm 
Venue: Corporate Office (Coridor Area),
            Level 12, Berjaya Time Square (Public Access via lift on Ground Floor, East)
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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Ah Koh oh Ah Koh!!


These pictures have been taken on last Sunday in a program called Charity Ride program 1Malaysia for Education in the Straits Quay, Tuban in Georgetown Kwang Wah Yit Poh organized.


An accident has occurred involving the former Chief Minister, Koh Tsu Koon.

"The incident happened suddenly and I did not have time to brake and thereby ramp onto the teenagers bicycles," says Koh.

Below are some pictures showing how he fell over



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