Life is full of memories

Terry Fox Run 2011

2011-11-13T13:09:00.001+08:00

Last year, I did it with my best friend. This year, my son did it with the family and my best friend. Next year? I think he will start running dy.

One milestone reached! What a life and what a ride

2011-11-08T22:18:00.000+08:00

Yes. I have been occupied with one new family members. Time is limited and must be carefully allocated to do what suppose to be done. But this is rather important, so.... we did it. My wife and I + the new member, my son travel all the way to USS in Sentosa Island, Singapore. We are slightly ambitious but nevertheless, aim high and anything you achieve will be slightly below the stars rather than aim low ya. When is the next one? Very soon....

Bye bye My Kenari

2011-10-13T07:10:00.000+08:00

After so many years, 100,000 km, don't know how many tanks of petrol, how many tyre changed, I have to say farewell to my car. It served me well and hopefully will serve the next owner better. You didn't gave me major trouble or break down but at least you have been loyal to me and really treat me nice.
I remember the days when we are travelling from JB to KL and IPH and we could listen to one whole 5 hours of audio book.
I remember the days when we travel to Janda Baik in the evening and drift down hill in the late night. Your legs and grips served me well and protected me.
I remember the days when you clutch break downs and I have to drive in Gear 1 from KL back to PJ.
No matter how minor accident you been drop or knocked you suffered, you get back up. You are a good car, if you are a human being, you will be a great person.
Cheers to you, Kenari.

34th Years Old Birthday

2011-10-03T00:00:00.000+08:00

It will be another different year because I am experiencing fatherhood and with this new family member in the house, life couldn't never be the same everyday.

Thank you my dear son! When you will be 34th, I will be 68th. I hope I can live long enough to see that day.

15 things that change when you have a baby

2011-09-21T22:26:00.000+08:00

1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.
2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.
3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.
4. You respect your body ... finally.
5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.
6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.
7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.
8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.
9. Your heart breaks much more easily.
10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.
11. Every day is a surprise.
12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)
13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
14. You become a morning person.
15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

Why Apple is Dominating the Competition

2011-08-23T03:21:00.003+08:00

Source: http://www.online-tech-tips.com/industry-news/why-apple-is-dominating-the-competition/
============

By now, you have probably heard the news that HP is axing their mobile and tablet division. The new plan, for HP, is to get back to their roots as a PC company, and further establish their PC business infrastructure. The most notable example of this recent occurrence is Hewlett Packard’s announcement of discontinued support, and end product line, for their fairly new product, the HP TouchPad.

Many have attributed HPs exit from the tablet market to low volume sales, which is probably very accurate. But more importantly, many have attributed this whole ordeal as a victory for Apple, for forcing HP out of a very monopolistic tablet market. Where HP has taken a costly loss for purchasing Palm and manufacturing the TouchPad, Apple has broken sales records across nearly all of their devices and products.
Apple has not always been the company it is today, and most of Apple’s growth has come over the last couple of years. Now, it is considered by many, to be the most powerful and influential company in the world. So, how does Apple do this, and why can’t other companies put a dent in Apple’s growth? Here are a couple of things to consider… My opinion is, it all started with the iPod Nano.

Marketing

Apple is indisputably the king of marketing in the tech world. While none of their products are actually “magical,” they make them seem that way. From the whole Apple Store vibe to Apple’s simply designed website, Apple markets their products as being cutting edge, revolutionary, innovative, and must-have. Strong and effective product marketing is the number one reason why Apple does as good as they do.
Innovation

As mentioned above, Apple does seem to claim that every device they manufacture is innovative. While not every device is truly innovative, some of them truly are. Apple is not afraid to push the envelope, and this has helped them dictate the direction that personal computing is going. One prime example of this is the glass track pad and multi-touch gesture support on their current notebook lines.

This was one, simple idea that Apple decided to do different than every other computer manufacturer, and it has become innovative, because consumers like the “magic” of the magic track pad. Even the backlit logo on Apple laptops is just something extra. Apple’s strong patent enforcement allows them to control all of their innovations.

Technical Support

While Apple is far from perfect with technical support, they do offer a generally good technical support program, at least compared to most of their competitors. Support is “not as” outsourced as many other tech companies, which is what many consumers want. Apple Stores offer a comfortable environment for Mac owners to get assistance with their Apple products, where many PC companies will have you mail in your PC for repairs, and receive it back a month later.
Product Quality and Design

Overpriced. Absolutely. Of good quality. Yes. Stylish. Definitely. While Apple products are ridiculously overpriced, many consumers are willing to pay the extra, to have a product that is of good quality. There are most certainly some lemons that have came from the Apple tree, but for the most part, Apple products are durable.
Design is another important factor that moves Apple products off the shelf. The wow factor is there whenever you buy any new product, but the wow factor is a bit brighter with Apple products. This is strategically carried out by Apple, down to the way they box their products.
The Cool Factor

Apple has gradually established itself as a “cool” company, and who doesn’t want to be in with the in-crowd? Reputation is important for any business, but once a company is able to “trend” and be cool, products move fast. Fortunately for Apple, they have managed to stay cool for the past several years, now to the point, where they can set their own definition of cool.

In my opinion, this is a really strong selling point for all Apple products. The iPod Nano originally launched Apple into stardom, and many of Apple’s other products have followed. You can sell a phone that doesn’t get reception if you hold it incorrectly, and you can even fail at some things, such as trying to reinvent a popular movie production software, but as long as you’re cool, you’re still going to be successful.

A Closed Environment

While Apple takes a lot of criticism for having a closed environment, mainly throughout it’s entire everything, it has actually become a very strong business move. Apple is tight knit about all, but that adds to some of the mystery behind the company. Steve Jobs may have learned a thing or two from the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Family. Smartly manufactured, high-tech castle walls are difficult to break down, even by many armies combined, and this is kind of the approach that Apple takes towards business in general.

I believe that in the future, Apple products will strictly only be compatible with Apple products, which is almost like it is now. The thing with this is, if you buy a MacBook and you like it, you are going to get an iPhone. After all, you wouldn’t want to have a phone that is not compatible with your computer. So, Apple doesn’t sell one product to each buyer, it sells an entire product line.

Apple has used their closed environment to make themselves different than any other company, kind of, exclusive. Mac OS will be Apple computer exclusive. If you want the operating system, you buy our products. This is the trend that Apple has taken to nearly all of their products at this point.
How Can Other Companies Compete

I believe that it starts with companies being more innovative themselves, and making changes, similar to what HP is doing. Maybe the tablet market is not the best place for HP, but maybe they can kill Apple in business computer sales. After all, businesses need to buy in bulk, and PCs offer better discounts and value. The point is, quit trying to copy Apple, and hire some innovators to help move your company forward as well.

Apple copy cats are all over, starting with the chiclet style keyboards that are on most high-end PCs these days. Create something magical for yourself, something that Apple doesn’t have, and market it strategically.

人的一生

2011-08-08T21:46:00.000+08:00

大有和天成从小生活在一个村，一起上的小学。大有从小顽皮,不好读书,十六岁初中没毕业离开了学校；天成自幼好学,成绩优秀,十六岁考上全市里最好的高中。　　

1.大有每天在村里晃悠，爹妈看着发愁，心想这孩子将来怎么办呀；天成每日都苦读诗书，父母喜在心里，村里人都认定他必有出息。
2.那年，大有和天成都是十九岁，大有跟着村里的外出打工，来到了高速公路的工地，保底工资三千块；天成考上了一所重点大学，读的是道路与桥梁专业，学费每年五千多。
3.那年，大有和天成都是二十三岁大有的爹妈给他说个巧媳妇，是邻村的，特别贤惠；天成在大学里谈了个女朋友，是邻校的，很有文化。
4.那年，大有和天成都是二十四岁，大有在老家结了婚，把媳妇带到工地上，来给他洗衣做饭，恩爱有加；天成终于大学毕业，找了施工单位工作，跟女友分居两地，朝思暮想。
5.大有每天很快乐，下了班就没事，吃了饭和媳妇散散步，晚上便和工友打麻将看电视；天成每天很忙碌，白天跑遍工地，晚上还做资料画图纸，好久不见的女友跟他分手了。
6.那年，大有和天成都是二十八岁。大有攒下了二十万，已是两个娃娃的爹，心想着回家盖栋漂亮的楼房；天成过了中级职称，还是单身一个人过，心想着再干几年就是高级了；
7.大友在农村老家盖了两层小楼，装修很漂亮，剩的钱买了一群小猪仔，让媳妇回家种地养猪；天成在城里贷款买了一套新房，按揭三千多，父母给介绍了新女朋友，在城里上班很少见面。
8. 那年，大有和天成都是三十一岁，大有媳妇从老家打电话来说：大有，现在家里有房有存款，咱喂喂猪，种种地，很幸福了，家里不能没有男人，你快回来吧；天成媳妇从城里打电话来说：天成，小孩的借读费要十五万呢，家里没有存款了，你看能不能找公司借点。
9.大有听了媳妇的话，离开了工地，回老家跟老婆一起养猪，照顾父母小孩；天成听了妻子的话，更努力工作，去了偏远又艰苦的工地，很难回家一次。
10.那年，大有和天成都是三十五岁，猪肉价格疯涨，大有的一大圈猪成了宝贝，一年赚了十几万；通货膨胀严重，天成的公司很难接到项目，很多人都待岗了；
11.那年，大有和天成都是五十岁了，大有已是三个孙子的爷爷，天天晒着太阳抽着旱烟在村里转悠；天成已是高级路桥工程师，天天顶着太阳皱着眉头在工地检查；
12.那年，大有和天成都是六十岁了，大有过六十大寿，老伴说：一家团圆多好呀，家里的事就让娃们操心吧，外面有啥好玩的地方咱出去转转；天成退休摆酒席，领导说：回家歇着没意思，返聘回单位做技术顾问吧，工地上有什么问题您给指导指导；
13.大有病了一场，大有拉着老伴的手说：我活了快七十岁了，有儿有孙的，知足了；天成病了一场，天成抚着妻子的手说：我在外工作几十年，让你受苦了，对不起；
14.……由于长期体力劳动，吃的是自家种的菜、养的猪，大有身体一直很硬朗，慢慢就恢复了。由于长期熬夜加班、天成喝酒应酬、工地食堂饭菜也很差，身上落下很多毛病，很快就去世了。
15.八十岁的大有蹲在村头抽着旱烟袋，看着远远的山；远远的山上有一片公墓，天成已在那里静静睡去；大有在鞋底磕磕烟灰，拄着拐杖站起身，望了望那片公墓，自言自语地说：唉，都是一辈子呀…

观音菩萨言:

2011-07-19T06:07:00.002+08:00

好好活，慢慢拖，一年还有几万多，

不要攀，不要比，不要自己气自己，

少吃盐，多吃醋，少打麻将多散步，

按时睡，按時起，跑步跳舞健身体，

父是天，母是地，孝尽父母要牢记:

夫妻爱，子女孝，家和比啥都重要，

多做善事多积德，只要能吃饭，钱就不会断，不怕嫌钱少，就怕走得早，

官再大，钱再多，阎王照样土里拖。

Compensionate

2011-07-06T20:04:00.001+08:00

I dont know where did I pick up this character. I believe I had it in me deep deep side. I am called Mr. Nice. But, sometimes you knew that certain good things might become a virus that slowly consume you until you have nothing left. Why do I felt so? Because I felt so helpless to see people that needs help. Do I have a choice? Yup! Learn to manage it. Gain more wisdom by understand what you can do and what you can't do. Last, pray for strenght to endure it.

2011-07-03T11:39:00.001+08:00

,->> ,** Side by
(o", )(o", )side...
((")(")(")(")) or
miles apart...
you r
1 sweet friend
who will forever
be remember
in my heart..

Three Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs

2011-05-24T06:44:00.000+08:00

2:32 PM Monday May 23, 2011
by John Baldoni

Sometimes when you're wondering what to do next in life, good advice can come when you least expect it — like when you're getting your hair cut.

Joan*, the hairstylist giving me a trim, mused aloud about what she was planning to do with her career. Cutting hair was just one part of her livelihood; she was also a professional caregiver as well as the owner of a rig that her husband operated. But her husband was about to retire from the road, and now they were wondering, "What next?"

Over the course of our brief conversation, in no more than the time it took Joan to cut my hair, I picked up on three attributes of her success that are helpful for any entrepreneur:

Practical. Listening to her brainstorm reminded me that successful entrepreneurs know how to keep their feet on the ground. First, they get inspired through personal observation, developing ideas from needs they see in the world around them. Second, they develop a concrete plan. They may work the plan, changing it as they go, but always with an eye towards getting a good return.

Purposeful. People with a practical outlook seek opportunities that add value, as opposed to opportunities that just seem "cool." (It's easy to forget this distinction, especially in well-established organizations.) Their focus is offering products and services that customers need and will pay for. For instance, Joan's second job as a caregiver: that's a service for which there is always a need.

Impatient. Sure, patience is a virtue in some cases. But for an entrepreneur, so is impatience. Joan is eager to make things happen so that she can continue to earn a good living. When it comes time for her husband to leave the trucking business, she will be ready with another venture. Her gumption and ambition make her impatient for success, and that drive increases her chances of getting there.

There's one final trait that successful entrepreneurs share: They realize that inspiration is useless without perspiration. During my 15 minutes in Joan's chair, we talked about three different industries she's involved in — personal service, health care, and transportation. People who work for themselves have to rely on their own get-up-and-go.

People like Joan enjoy working for themselves because it affords a level of independence. With hiring still sluggish at large firms, I suspect we will encounter many more such entrepreneurs. The future of our economy may indeed depend upon such folks, whether they are running a company that cuts hair, or running a company that makes microprocessors.

People who can think and plan ahead, are comfortable with uncertainty, and have the discipline to work hard are an asset to any country — and we ought to find ways to invest in them.

John Baldoni is an internationally recognized leadership development consultant, executive coach, author, and speaker. In 2010 Top Leadership Gurus named John one of the world's top 25 leadership experts. John's latest book is Lead Your Boss: The Subtle Art of Managing Up. Readers are welcome to visit John's website, www.johnbaldoni.com.

Money and the Meaning of Life

2011-05-17T21:10:00.000+08:00

I took part of the write up from William C. Taylor about "Money and the Meaning of Life"
=======================================================================
Money may be the root of all evil, but only if you're not honest about what it means to you. "Money is about love and relationships," Needleman explained. "It has a wonderful power to bring people together as well as tear them apart. You can't escape money. If you run from it, it will chase you and catch you. If we don't understand our relationship to money in this culture, then I think we're doomed. If you don't know how you are toward money and really understand that relationship, you simply don't know yourself. Period.

Money truly can't buy happiness, especially if you're unhappy to begin with. "If you are worrying about vegetables now, you'll be worrying about yachts then," Needleman joked. "You're a worrier. It's in you, not the money. Life, except for the obvious physical needs, is not so much defined by the external situation as by the inner one. Having money won't change your internal makeup. If you're an anxious sonofabitch without money, you're going to be an anxious sonofabitch with a lot of money."

Being rich does not make you smart — especially about things other than money. "I met a guy who worked his way up from zero to a half-billion dollars," the philosopher noted. "I asked him, 'What was the most surprising thing you discovered when you got rich?' He said, 'Everybody asks my opinion about things because they think I know something. All I really know is how to make a lot of money.' See, this guy wasn't fooled by his money. That's the key.

Being rich does not automatically lead to a rich life. "There is a difference between money and success. To be totally engaged with all my functions, all my faculties, all my capacities in life — to me that would be success. I grew up around the Yiddish language, and in Yiddish there are about 1,000 words that mean "fool." There's only one word that means an authentic human being: mensch. My grandmother would say, "You've got to be a mensch," and that has to do with what we used to call character. To be successful means to have developed character... You should be looking for the joy, the struggle, and the challenge of work. What you bring forth from your own guts and heart. The happiness of hard work. No amount of money can buy that. Those are things of the spirit."

It's easy to pass judgment from afar on the misdeeds and missteps of wealthy people in the news. But look in the mirror. What's your relationship with the pursuit of wealth? How do you think about money and the meaning of life?
========================================================================
It is ironic that sometimes we will think of life after we have all the monies but before that we are too busy collecting all the monies and forget about life. Non matter which school of thought you are in, you have to have money. Period

The Sales Manager

2011-05-17T18:14:00.000+08:00

A disappointed sales manager of Coca-Cola returned from his assignment to Saudi Arabia.

A friend asked, "Why weren't you successful with the Saudis?"
The sales manager explained, "When I got posted, I was very confident that I would make a good sales pitch. But I had a problem. I didn't know how to speak Arabic. So I planned to convey the message through three posters."

First poster : A man lying in the hot desert sand totally exhausted and fainted.
Second poster : The man is drinking Coca-Cola.
Third poster : Our man is now totally refreshed.
And then these posters were pasted all over the place.

"Terrific! That should have worked!" said the friend.

"The hell it should have!" said the sales manager.
"No one told me they read from right to left!"

Happy Mother Day!

2011-05-08T22:53:00.000+08:00

I am back to Ipoh this weekend. In fact, in my family, we don't have the culture to celebrate Mother Day or Father Day or anyone birthday. It has been since I remember. I can only remember I did celebrated one of my birthday, alone through pictures. But, it does matter, just hang around at home and chit chat with parents is consider a big celebration to me at the current moment.

While I was talking with my mother, I asked, "how come last time I don't get new clothes during Chinese New Year?" Then mother answer: "eat also got problem where got new clothes?" I was stunned for a moment. I mean I didn't release that I was that "poor". All the sisters and me did not starve for one meal but I guess the way my parents manage their finance, they are ok and we are big now. But that statement really stunned me in many ways. What if my parents didn't manage their money well? I am glad that at least, we have 3 meals a day and enough education to become who we are today.

Happy Parent Day!

Pick & Zip

2011-05-02T08:42:00.000+08:00

How to download all your photo in Facebook?
Yup. Here is the solution or one of the solutions. I read the review from Online Tech Tips and seems like a good review ya.

Step 1: Go to the website picknzip
Step 2: Login in with facebook and approve the access.
Step 3: Start downloading

Living in Malaysia is expensive

2011-04-22T21:04:00.000+08:00

If you don't know already, it's expensive to live in Malaysia, especially in Kuala Lumpur. A report shows that Malaysians have less purchasing power than many nationals elsewhere.

The Malaysian Insider, an online Malaysian news website, examined the purchasing power of Malaysians in comparison to nationals of other countries. The website cited a 2010 Prices and Wages report by UBS AG, a Swiss banking giant.

Here are the highlights:

The purchasing power of KL residents is 33.8% of New Yorkers; 42% compared to London, 33.7% to Sydney, 32.6% to Los Angeles, and 31.6% to Zurich.

KL workers need to labour 22 minutes for a bread loaf. In comparison, Los Angeles counterparts take 18 minutes. In Sydney, it's 16 minutes. In Tokyo, 15 minutes. In Zurich, 12 minutes.

The Malaysian Insider also compared broadband prices in Malaysia to those in countries. Even after currency conversion, Malaysia comes out on top... in expensiveness. Here's the summary:

Kuala Lumpur - 5Mbps broadband package - RM149
London - 10Mbps broadband package - GBP13.50
Melbourne - 5-8Mbps broadband package - AUD40
New York - 7Mbps broadband package - USD41.95

Here's another tidbit from The Malaysian Insider article:

In KL, a Honda Civic is priced at RM115,000 - 20 times an auditor's average monthly earnings.

In Melbourne & London, the price is respectively AUD25,000 and GBP19,000 - 3 times an auditor's average monthly earnings in those places.

Follow MSN Malaysia News on Twitter (twitter.com/mymsnnews) for breaking news in Malaysia and the world.

Free Email for Malaysian

2011-04-21T19:30:00.002+08:00

POSTED BY PATRICKTEOH AT 2:19 PM

No, no, no...I mean won't cost anything cos it is a private sector initiative.

First of all I must apologise for not following the comedy about free 1Malaysia email accounts as closely as I should have la. But I woke this morning and read the news reports about it and I got very confused leh. Okay, let me try and list what I remember about the comedy show as chronologically accurate as I can.

1. Najib announces that as part of his grand scheme of things every Malaysian aged 18 years and above will receive a free 1Malaysia email account.

2. All sorts of shit hit the fan. Thousands of Malaysians came online and protested. Free? We already have free email accounts. Gmail. Yahoo. Hotmail. Et cetera. We've had them for years. So why do we need this 1Malaysia email?

3. It's just a way of Big Brother wanting to keep track of us. What we're up to and to make sure that we don't get "urges" to support the Opposition.

4. Then it was announced that the whole business is going to handled by a company called Tricubes Bhd. which is a GN7 (or something number la) company. Meaning that it is in danger of being de-listed by the BSM because of poor performance or something. At the time the shares of this company were worth only RM0.05 each.

5. Another piece of turd hit the fan when they said the whole exercise was going to cost RM50million. People started screaming. Waffor? Why waste money? Free email account without internet connection or computer for what? Give la free WiFi. Or 1Malaysia laptops to every Malaysian over 18.

6. Then garmen explain that it is not only free email but also a way of communicating with the garmen on all sorts of things. Can ask questions. Can pay bills. Can make life easy when dealing with the garmen la.

7. Then garmen also explain that it is a private initiative and money is not coming from tax-payers.

That last statement really made me confused la.

So this company that is really in the shit house financially decides one day to do this free email and multi-tasking portal because it realised it wanted to do its duty and give Malaysians something free before they go bankrupt ah? No. Today they explained that the company plans to generate revenue from the 1Malaysia Email project via advertising, an online marketplace, and the online delivery of government bills and notices. Oh. Okay......so this is an example of the company's brilliant business strategy in the face of impending TUTUP la.

And the latest report in The Malaysian Insider discovers that Pemandu, the Performance Management and Delivery Unit, has changed details of the 1Malaysia email project on its website between the day it was announced and yesterday, and now calls it a private sector initiative when it was previously listed as a government initiative. Not something that will reverse public perception of the project nor instil much needed confidence in the garmen's transparency, right? But here comes the best bit so far from this near to bankrupt company.

"...the government is neither funding nor underwriting this project" and it would be financing the RM50million require over 10 years by reinvesting revenue from the project.

Huh???

They plan to finance the project by re-investing revenue from the project??? When the project not yet start or just started where got revenue to re-invest? Got ah? Must be some kind of new business strategy.

I don't know about you but as a lay Malaysian all I am thinking is that the government must have said to these flers. Ok la since you in deep shit we help you out. You go invent this thing and we will announce a new BN garmen initiative and buy whatever you make la. We'll pay to connect all our payment stuff to you. All notices. All sorts of things la.

But wait...sorry, sorry it is YOUR initiative ok? Not ours. Make that clear ah! (pssst...Najib, you cocked up. Again.)

Niamah!!!

The Difference Engine: The sunbeam solution

2011-02-12T09:12:00.000+08:00

Technology changes the world. Soon (which I hope in my lifetime) I will see this technology become practical in daily life.
-------------------------------
Feb 11th 2011, 11:50 by N.V. | LOS ANGELES

FOR decades, your correspondent has watched, with more than casual interest, every new twist and turn in the quest for an “artificial leaf”. His hope has been that industry might one day replicate the photosynthetic process used by plants, and thus create forests of artificial trees for making hydrocarbon fuel direct from sunlight. Apart from helping offset the emission of carbon dioxide caused by burning fossil fuels, such man-made leaves could provide an endlessly supply of energy for transport. Finally, it seems, something is stirring in the forest.

In his recent State of the Union address, President Obama drew special attention to the $122m research programme on artificial photosynthesis that is underway in laboratories across California. “They’re developing a way to turn sunlight and water into fuel for our cars,” said the 44th president. He might have added that the Joint Centre for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP), involving some 200 scientists and engineers from universities and research laboratories around the state, was seeking to make liquid hydrocarbons not from solar-powered electrolysis, biomass, micro-organisms or other round-about routes, but direct from sunlight—just as the chlorophyll in a leaf does.

Sunlight is the world’s largest source of carbon-neutral power. In one hour, more energy from the sun strikes the Earth than all the energy consumed by humans in a year. Yet, solar energy, in the form of sustainable biomass, provides less than 1.5% of humanity’s energy needs. Meanwhile, solar panels contribute a mere 0.1% of electricity consumption.

The problem is that the sun does not shine all the time. Night intervenes. So do clouds. If people are to rely on the sun for more of their energy, then a reliable form of storage is required. And the best way to store solar energy is to convert it into chemical fuel. That is what nature has been doing for millions of years.

Unfortunately, artificial photosynthesis is still in its infancy. Researchers reckon that, at least in the laboratory, they can make fuel direct from sunlight far more efficiently than can the fastest-growing plants. But no-one can yet do so at a cost that would make the process economic. Nor can they make it robust enough to work continuously, year in and year out, under the full glare of the sun. And they are years away from integrating the various steps—from capturing the sunlight in the first place to producing the finished fuel—into working prototypes, let alone commercial-sized factories capable of producing something resembling petrol.

Nevertheless, chlorophyll—the stuff of life—is as good a place as any to start. This large organic molecule has a magnesium ion at its core, surrounded by a ring of porphyrin. In nature, porphyrins are a group of organic pigments that give plants, corals and even animal skins their colours. One of the most common porphyrins is heme, the pigment in red blood cells. The porphyrin in chlorophyll absorbs strongly in the red and blue-violet parts of the visible spectrum, but not in the green. By reflecting such wavelengths, chlorophyll gives plants their colour.

It would be better, of course, if chlorophyll could absorb light across the whole of the visible spectrum. But plants take what they have been given. As such, chlorophyll’s job is to absorb all the energy it can from sunlight, and use it to transform carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water from the soil into carbohydrates and oxygen. The energy stored this way is what makes it possible for practically all living things to survive and thrive.

What makes chlorophyll so good at capturing sunlight is the way its ring-like structure can lose and gain electrons easily. When a leaf absorbs photons from sunlight, electrons in the chlorophyll molecules get excited from lower energy states into higher ones, allowing them to migrate to other molecules. That forms the starting point for chains of electron transfers that end with electrons being "donated" to molecules of carbon dioxide. Meanwhile, the chlorophyll molecules that gave up electrons in the first place accept electrons from elsewhere. These form the end points of transfer processes that start with the removal of electrons from water.

In this way, chlorophyll acts as a catalyst that drives the oxidation-reduction reaction between carbon dioxide and water to produce carbohydrates and oxygen. In the pursuit of the artificial leaf, then, the main task is to find catalysts that can mimic the intricate dance of electron transfers that chlorophyll makes possible.

The JCAP programme, led by the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena in partnership with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory near San Francisco, will run for five years. The goal is to demonstrate a working solar-fuel generator that uses no biological components and no pricy catalysts (like platinum), yet can produce hydrocarbon fuel from the sun ten times more efficiently than maize (corn), sugar cane, switch grass or any other fast-growing crop.

To do so, the JCAP team will need to perfect a host of different components—including light absorbers and catalysts, molecular linkers to couple the two together, and special membranes for selectively separating the oxygen and hydrogen produced during the process. Two different catalysts are required: one to split water into hydrogen and oxygen; another to convert carbon dioxide and hydrogen into hydrocarbons. The various components for doing this will then need to be engineered into a practical bench-top system for demonstrating not only that solar fuel can be made efficiently and economically, but also that the process can be scaled up for commercial application.

At present, the JCAP team uses a carpet-like structure of microfibres made of a silicon-based semiconductor similar to those employed in photovoltaic solar panels. But instead of generating electricity, the charge-carriers produced by the semiconductor drive the catalytic process for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. Special membranes vent the oxygen away, while collecting the hydrogen. Later, other catalysts will be used to convert carbon dioxide and hydrogen into basic fuels such as methane and methanol. Long-term, the goal is to make "drop-in" replacements for petrol, or even diesel.

Before that can happen, however, cheap catalysts will have to be found. Platinum is excellent for splitting water into storable hydrogen and oxygen, but it is far too expensive to use on a commercial scale. A more practical substitute has been developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where Daniel Nocera and his colleagues have perfected cheap and durable catalysts based on cobalt and phosphate, and, more recently, on nickel and borate.

Last year, Sun Catalytix, a Massachusetts-based company founded by Dr Nocera, was awarded a $4m contract by the Department of Energy to commercialise the process. The company aims to develop solar-fuel stations for places that are off the electricity grid, and eventually for the home. Meanwhile, the JCAP team in California is working on its own light absorbers and catalysts. So far, it has released few details—though it admits it needs to develop cheaper versions of what it is currently using.

But the dark horse in the race to develop a synthetic chlorophyll could be a small group at Massey University in New Zealand. Wayne Campbell, at the university’s Nanomaterials Research Centre, has come up with a series of porphyrin dyes that work with solar cells based on titanium dioxide rather than silicon. In the laboratory, Dr Campbell’s cells are said to generate electricity for a tenth the price of conventional photovoltaic panels.

There is talk of incorporating them into roofing materials and tinted windows. But if Dr Campbell’s porphyrin dyes are as efficient as claimed, they could prove to be better catalysts for producing solar fuel for motor cars, as well as electricity for homes. Your correspondent is gratified to see that artificial leaves are sprouting everywhere—and promising to make the world a greener place.

How mens' waistlines have grown since 1980

2011-02-08T22:51:00.012+08:00

Feb 7th 2011, 13:14 by The Economist online

RISING levels of obesity are bad news for people and health-care budgets, but they also correlate with good things such as rising economic wealth. The three maps below, which are drawn from a new global study led by Professor Majid Ezzati of Imperial College, London, and published in the Lancet, show that, Polynesia aside, obesity was a rich-world phenomenon in 1980. By 2008 the rich world had itself expanded, bringing obesity to groups within countries that were previously considered poor, such as Brazil and South Africa. During that period, the prevalence rate of obesity among men doubled to nearly 10%. One country has stubbornly resisted this trend. For all its dynamism since India opened up its economy in 1990, its men have on average become even thinner. The study suggests that Congo is the thinnest country in the world, and Nauru the fattest. Imperial College's own map is here.

世卫向垃圾食物宣战

2011-02-07T07:02:00.000+08:00

过年后必吃的排毒食物

2011-02-05T23:18:00.001+08:00

2011 Chinese New Year Message by Lim Guan Eng

2011-02-03T22:26:00.001+08:00

Let us embrace the future by embracing every Malay, Indian, Chinese, Kadazan and Iban as Malaysian brothers and sisters, Malaysian sons and daughters

In the Chinese New Year Of the Rabbit, DAP wishes all Malaysians a peaceful, harmonious and prosperous new year. DAP also expresses our condolences and sympathies to those who lost loved ones and suffered losses in the massive floods affecting Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka.

To attain peace Malaysians must stand united and reject those who wish to divide us by preaching racial and religious hatred. If we want to benefit from equal opportunities and realize our human potential we must stop extremists from continually degrading others as inferiors so as to uplift ourselves.

We can only achieve harmony together. Despite our differences and diversity, Malaysians can make our common aspirations of freedom, justice, democracy and truth come true if we remember key values.

That it is not who we are that is important, but what we are that is important; not the colour of our skin that is important but the content of our character; and not our past ancestry that is important but how we connect with the present and with each other to face the future.

We can only be prosperous together. The time has come to focus on the economy, in employment, education and business opportunities as the conditions for prosperity. We must build human talent and be performance-based.

The time has come for Malaysians to choose carefully. Only a two-party system can ensure peace, harmony and that Malaysia's rich natural resources benefit 27 million Malaysians. A two-party system requires a strong opposition which can not only deny BN its customary two-thirds majority but also able to form the government.

For those who say that PR do not know how to govern, the 4 PR states of Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan have proven our ability by beating the other 10 BN states by attracting RM25 billion in investments comprising 53% of Malaysia's total investments of RM47.2 billion in 2010. For the first time in history, Penang is now the new champion of investments in Malaysia, coming out top in 2010 with RM 12.2 billion.

Malaysians can not compromise on corruption. Too much have been lost. The shocking revelations by the US-based financial watchdog Global Financial integrity of RM 888 billion illicit capital flight from Malaysia between 2000-2008 cost is shocking. This means that every Malaysian man, woman and child have lost RM 33,000 each over 9 years! Whilst our Royal Malaysian Navy commandos are heroes for their successful capture of Somali pirates in international waters recently, DAP regrets that land "pirates" are allowed to roam freely in Malaysia.

There is no reason why under the Economic Transformation Program, 19 entry point projects require RM 67 billion in investments to generate 35,000 jobs. In other words, almost RM2 million is required to create a job!

This is ridiculous and only shows the extent of leakages in the economy in the form of inefficiency, wastage and even corruption. Contrast this to the number of jobs created from total private investments for Malaysia in 2010. From a total investments of RM47,177 million in 2010 will help to generate 97,310 jobs or RM 485,000 for each job.

Only an economy free from corruption can we ensure that the people prosper and benefit. Let us embrace a future free from fear and cronyism. Let us embrace the future by embracing every Malay, Indian, Chinese, Kadazan and Iban, as Malaysian brothers and sisters, Malaysian sons and daughters.

Then only can we grow together, learn together and enjoy the success together.

20 questions that could change your life

2011-01-29T21:16:00.002+08:00

(Oprah.com) -- If you're like most people, you became obsessed with questions around the age of two or three, and scientists now know that continuing to ask them can help keep your mind nimble however old you eventually become.

So when someone suggested I put together a list of the 20 most important questions we should all be asking ourselves, I was thrilled. Initially.

Then I became confused about which questions to ask, because of course, as I soon realized, context is everything. In terms of saving your life, the key question is, "Did I remember to fasten my seat belt?" In terms of saving money, "How much do I need to retire before I'm 90?" is a strong contender. If daily usefulness is the point, "What'll I wear?" and "What should I eat first?" might lead the list. And for the philosophically minded, "To be or not to be?" really is the question.

Because I'm far too psychologically fragile to make sense of this subjective morass, I made the bold decision to pass the buck. The 20 questions that follow are based on "crowdsourcing," meaning I asked a whole mess of actual, free-range women what they thought every woman should ask herself. Thanks to all of you who sent in entries via social media.

The questions included here are composites of those that were suggested most often, though I've mushed them together and rephrased some for brevity. Asking them today could redirect your life. Answering them every day will transform it.

1. What questions should I be asking myself?

At first I thought asking yourself what you should be asking yourself was redundant. It isn't. Without this question, you wouldn't ask any others, so it gets top billing. It creates an alert, thoughtful mind state, ideal for ferreting out the information you most need in every situation. Ask it frequently.

2. Is this what I want to be doing?

This very moment is, always, the only moment in which you can make changes. Knowing which changes are best for you comes, always, from assessing what you feel. Ask yourself many times every day if you like what you're doing. If the answer is no, start noticing what you'd prefer. Thus begins the revolution.

3. Why worry?

These two words, considered sincerely, can radically reconfigure the landscape of your mind. Worry rarely leads to positive action; it's just painful, useless fear about hypothetical events, which scuttles happiness rather than ensuring it. Some psychologists say that by focusing on gratitude, we can shut down the part of the brain that worries. It actually works!

4. Why do I like {cupcakes} more than I like {people}?

Feel free to switch out the words in brackets: You may like TV more than exercise, or bad boys more than nice guys, or burglary more than reading. Whatever the particulars, every woman has something she likes more than the somethings she's supposed to like. But forcing "virtues" -- trying to like people more than cupcakes -- drives us to vices that offer false freedom from oppression. Stop trying to like the things you don't like, and many vices will disappear on their own.

Oprah.com: How to reform your inner perfectionist

5. How do I want the world to be different because I lived in it?

Your existence is already a factor in world history -- now, what sort of factor do you want it to be? Maybe you know you're here to create worldwide prosperity, a beautiful family, or one really excellent bagel. If your impressions are more vague, keep asking this question. Eventually you'll glimpse clearer outlines of your destiny. Live by design, not by accident.

6. How do I want to be different because I lived in this world?

In small ways or large, your life will change the world -- and in small ways or large, the world will change you. What experiences do you want to have during your brief sojourn here? Make a list. Make a vision board. Make a promise. This won't control your future, but it will shape it.

7. Are {vegans} better people?

Again, it doesn't have to be vegans; the brackets are for you to fill in. Substitute the virtue squad that makes you feel worst about yourself, the one you'll never have the discipline to join, whether it's ultra-marathoners or mothers who never raise their voices. Whatever group you're asking about, the answer to this question is no.

8. What is my body telling me?

As I often say, my mind is a two-bit whore -- by which I mean that my self-justifying brain, like any self-justifying brain, will happily absorb beliefs based on biases, ego gratification, magical thinking, or just plain error. The body knows better. It's a wise, capable creature. It recoils from what's bad for us, and leans into what's good. Let it.

9. How much junk could a chic chick chuck if a chic chick could chuck junk?

I believe this question was originally posed by Lao Tzu, who also wrote, "To become learned, each day add something. To become enlightened, each day drop something." Face it: You'd be better off without some of your relationships, many of your possessions, and most of your thoughts. Chuck your chic-chick junk, chic chick. Enlightenment awaits.

10. What's so funny?

Adults tend to put this question to children in a homicidal-sounding snarl, which is probably why as you grew up, your laughter rate dropped from 400 times a day (for toddlers) to the grown-up daily average of 15. Regain your youth by laughing at every possible situation. Then, please, tell us what's funny -- about everyday life, about human nature, even about pain and fear. We'll pay you anything.

Oprah.com: How 3 words can put you on the path to happiness

11. Where am I wrong?

This might well be the most powerful question on our list -- as Socrates believed, we gain our first measure of intelligence when we first admit our own ignorance. Your ego wants you to avoid noticing where you may have bad information or unworkable ideas. But you'll gain far more capability and respect by asking where you're wrong than by insisting you're right.

12. What potential memories am I bartering, and is the profit worth the price?

I once read a story about a world where people sold memories the way we can sell plasma. The protagonist was an addict who'd pawned many memories for drugs but had sworn never to sell his memory of falling in love. His addiction won. Afterward he was unaware of his loss, lacking the memory he'd sold. But for the reader, the trade-off was ghastly to contemplate. Every time you choose social acceptance over your heart's desires, or financial gain over ethics, or your comfort zone over the adventure you were born to experience, you're making a similar deal. Don't.

13. Am I the only one struggling not to {fart} during {yoga}?

I felt profoundly liberated when this issue was raised on Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update." Not everyone does yoga, but SNL reminded me that everyone dreads committing some sort of gaffe. Substitute your greatest shame-fear: crying at work, belching in church, throwing up on the prime minister of Japan. Then know you aren't alone. Everyone worries about such faux pas, and many have committed them (well, maybe not the throwing up on PMs). Accepting this is a bold step toward mental health and a just society.

14. What do I love to practice?

Some psychologists believe that no one is born with any particular talent and that all skill is gained through practice. Studies have shown that masters are simply people who've practiced a skill intensely for 10,000 hours or more. That requires loving -- not liking, loving -- what you do. If you really want to excel, go where you're passionate enough to practice.

15. Where could I work less and achieve more?

To maximize time spent practicing your passions, minimize everything else. These days you can find machines or human helpers to assist with almost anything. Author Timothy Ferriss "batches" job tasks into his famous "four-hour workweek." My client Cindy has an e-mail ghostwriter. Another client, Angela, hired an assistant in the Philippines who flawlessly tracks her schedule and her investments. Get creative with available resources to find more time in your life and life in your time.

Oprah.com: Are you on the right course?

16. How can I keep myself absolutely safe?

Ask this question just to remind yourself of the answer: You can't. Life is inherently uncertain. The way to cope with that reality is not to control and avoid your way into a rigid little demi-life, but to develop courage. Doing what you long to do, despite fear, will accomplish this.

17. Where should I break the rules?

If everyone kept all the rules, we'd still be practicing cherished traditions like child marriage, slavery, and public hangings. The way humans become humane is by assessing from the heart, rather than the rule book, where the justice of a situation lies. Sometimes you have to break the rules around you to keep the rules within you.

18. So say I lived in that fabulous house in Tuscany, with untold wealth, a gorgeous, adoring mate, and a full staff of servants...then what?

We can get so obsessed with acquiring fabulous lives that we forget to live. When my clients ask themselves this question, they almost always discover that their "perfect life" pastimes are already available. Sharing joy with loved ones, spending time in nature, finding inner peace, writing your novel, plotting revenge -- you can do all these things right now. Begin!

19. Are my thoughts hurting or healing?

Your situation may endanger your life and limbs, but only your thoughts can endanger your happiness. Telling yourself a miserable mental story about your circumstances creates suffering. Telling yourself a more positive and grateful story, studies show, increases happiness. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, choose thoughts that knit your heart together, rather than tear it apart.

20. Really truly: Is this what I want to be doing?

It's been several seconds since you asked this. Ask it again. Not to make yourself petulant or frustrated -- just to see if it's possible to choose anything, and I mean any little thing, that would make your present experience more delightful. Thus continues the revolution.

Oprah.com: 10 life lessons you should unlearn

善用天分事半功倍

2011-01-25T06:37:00.000+08:00

快乐地达成新年目标

2011-01-24T06:35:00.000+08:00