my ramblings | expressions

Transformers Super Bowl Trailer

2009-02-02T17:55:00.003+08:00

I hafta share this... The trailer came on this morning during the Super Bowl!! Intense! I think saw a glimpse of Grimlock and Devastator right at the end! Can't wait...!

Nadal beats Federer in Australian Open final

2009-02-01T21:40:00.004+08:00

Rafael Nadal has just won the Australian Open in an epic 5 sets final, defeating Roger Federer 7-5 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 3-6 6-2 to secure his first hard-court grand slam title and prevent the Swiss equaling the all-time Majors record.

It's unbelievable how the world No,1 recovered from his five-hour semi-final against Fernando Verdasco (less than 48 hours) to claim his fifth successive victory against the No.2 seed.

Federer remains on 13 grand slams, one behind Pete Sampras, and with an enduring mental block against the Spaniard, who has now beaten him in their past three grand slam finals.

Dumb and Dumber

2009-01-30T16:59:00.001+08:00

Two New Zealand prisoners who were handcuffed together as they fled a courthouse foiled their own getaway when they ran to opposite sides of a light pole, slammed into each other and fell to the ground.

Their escapade yesterday was captured by a CCTV camera. Grainy footage of the escapade was billed as "one of the worst escape attempts ever seen".

haha

Bush's Accomplishments?

2009-01-12T18:07:00.003+08:00

In just over one week, we will witness the next stage in the remarkable evolving role of Barack Obama as he is sworn in as America’s 44th president.

That would also mean that George W. Bush will ~~finally~~ leave office. In an interview yesterday, he told Fox News that he is proud of his accomplishments. However, he leaves office with low public approval ratings, and turns over to his successor a nation that is at war and in the midst of an economic crisis. *whew*

This reminds me of a joke I got a couple of months ago...

An Israeli doctor says "Medicine in my country is so advanced that wecan take a kidney out of one man, put it in another, and have himlooking for work in six weeks..."

A German doctor says "That is nothing, we can take a lung out of oneperson, put it in another, and have him looking for work in fourweeks..."

A Russian doctor says "In my country, medicine is so advanced that wecan take half a heart out of one person, put it in another, and havethem both looking for work in two weeks..."

The Texas doctor, not to be outdone, says "You guys are way behind, werecently took a man with no brains out of Texas, put him in the White House for eight years, and now half the WORLD is looking for work!

haha!

Death Star Canteen

2009-01-05T20:04:00.002+08:00

It's been awhile since I posted a funny video! Check this one out... it's been out for quite awhile and was circulated via emails awhile back. Love it! Thanks to the wonders of technology, I can embed it on my blog!

hahaha... Jeff Vader.

Happy New Year 2009~!~!!

2009-01-01T00:58:00.002+08:00

Good Bye 2008! I had a forgettable 2008... let's just hope 2009 will be a little better.

Happy New Year!! :D

World Police Cars

2008-12-30T18:27:00.000+08:00

Was 'cleaning up' my emails before the New Year and I stumbled on an unread email :O with the subject, World Police Cars. Thought I might share it with you... added one or two of my own as well. ;)

To start off, we have a Lamborghini Gallardo from London, England: Coolest cop car in the world.

and from Australia:

then off to NYC:

and the French:

the Germans love their cars:

... and of course, Malaysia:

wait for it...

Dang!

Jason Mraz: I'm Yours

2008-12-28T12:36:00.001+08:00

Mann.. I got this song playing over and over in my head! Since it's the season of giving... might as well share the joy! ;)

Man Utd wins Club World Cup

2008-12-22T18:59:00.002+08:00

Bwahahah...! Wayne Rooney scored in the second half Sunday to lead 10-man Manchester United of England to a 1-0 victory over Liga de Quito of Ecuador in the final of the Club World Cup in Yokohama, Japan.

Rooney, who earned player of the tournament honors, took a pass from Cristiano Ronaldo in the 73rd minute and connected on a right-footed blast into the bottom corner that beat Liga goalkeeper Jose Cevallos.

Looks like mission accomplished in Japan! Actually... a good year for Man Utd!

World Club Cup: Gamba Osaka 3 - 5 Man Utd

2008-12-19T20:15:00.005+08:00

Wayne Rooney came off the bench and scored twice in a four-minute span to lead Manchester United over Japan’s Gamba Osaka 5-3 on Thursday and into the final of the Club World Cup.

The European champions will play South American champions Liga de Quito in Sunday’s final.

The English Premier club’s first-half goals came in identical fashion, with Ryan Giggs corners from the right headed home by Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic and European Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo.

Gamba cut the margin to 2-1 when Masato Yamazaki scored in the 74th minute, which sparked a flurry of goals.

United made it 3-1 as Rooney scored with his first touch of the ball in the 75th minute. He chested down a pass from at the edge of the area, shook off a defender and shot across the advancing keeper. Darren Fletcher made it 4-1 in the 78th before Rooney scored again. Gamba added to goals in the final five minutes, including one on a penalty kick by Yasuhito Endo.

A surprisingly entertaining match!

Bush ducks flying shoes

2008-12-15T18:46:00.002+08:00

Well if you haven't heard about it yet... today during a surprise visit to Iraq, President Bush was in a press conference and a reporter stood up and threw his shoe at Bush...

...and Bush acting like it was nothing, dodged it and then the reporter threw his other shoe and again Bush dodged the other shoe.

Good reaction!

Speaking of reaction, bush had a pretty solid time on his duck and dodge reaction. Considering his age! Well, if I were him I would have been practicing too...! heh!

Anyways, the reporter said he did this for the orphans and widows that the war and Bush have caused. This is an act of disrespect in Arab societies since showing the sole of a shoe to someone is disrespectful.

I reckon the reporter should've picked a few pointers from Sir Alex Ferguson or get a bigger shoe like Ronald Mcdonalds' famous red! ;) Like this! Probability of hitting increased by 75%! ;)

I Knew Bernie Madoff Was Cheating, That's Why I Invested with Him

2008-12-14T20:32:00.003+08:00

Bernard Madoff, founder and president of a New York firm that invested funds for wealthy individuals, hedge funds and other institutions, was charged with securities fraud. Madoff, who told employees his $50 billion firm was a "giant Ponzi scheme,"

Here's an interesting article from Yahoo! Finance:

Specifically, we're hearing that the smart money KNEW Bernie had to be cheating, because the returns he was generating were impossibly good. Many Wall Streeters suspected the wrong rigged game, though: They thought it was insider trading, not a Ponzi scheme. And here's the best part: That's why they invested with him.

For years and years I've heard people say that [Bernie's] investment performance was too good to be true. The returns were too steady -- like GE earnings under Welch -- and too high given the supposed strategy.

One Madoff investor, himself a legend, told me that Madoff's performance "just doesn't make sense. The numbers can't be straight." Another sophisticated Madoff investor actually went through trade confirms in order to reverse-engineer the strategy and said, "it doesn't add up."

So why did these smart and skeptical investors keep investing? They, like many Madoff investors, assumed Madoff was somehow illegally trading on information from his market-making business for their benefit. They didn't consider the possibility that he was clean on that score but running a good old-fashioned Ponzi scheme.

Looks like Madoff may have committed the largest fraud in history! Genius!

Bad Tech Predictions

2008-12-13T14:08:00.000+08:00

If you're not Hiro Nakamura, the future is... uncertain.

'Predicting' the future has its moments, and some glimpses of the future can be laser-beam accurate. Then, there’s the other side of the coin... Here’s T3s top 10 tech howlers.

10. "X-rays will prove to be a hoax" – Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Society, in 1883.

9. Spam will be solved – Bill Gates, 2004.

8. "The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys" – Sir William Preece, chief engineer at the Post Office in 1878.

7. Nobody would ever need more than 640KB of memory on their personal computer– Bill Gates in 1981, allegedly.

6. "We stand on the threshold of rocket mail" – US postmaster general Arthur Summerfield in 1959

5. In 1933, after the first flight of the Boeing 247, a plane that could hold ten people, a proud Boeing engineer reportedly said, "There will never be a bigger plane built."

4. TV won't last because people would, "soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night" – Darryl Zanuck in 1946

3. "Nuclear-powered vacuum cleaners will probably be a reality within ten years" – Alex Lewyt, president of the Lewyt Corp vacuum company

2. No need for a computer in the home – Ken Olsen, founder of Digital Equipment Corp in 1977

1. The iPod will never take off – Sir Alan Sugar in 2005

Brick Labourer in Bangladesh

2008-12-11T16:48:00.002+08:00

This guy is crazy!

I bet those health and safety mob won't be happy if they saw this! hehe!

Bailout for GM, Ford and Chrysler?

2008-12-09T21:16:00.001+08:00

Hmm... how 'bout this? GM, Chrysler and Ford Motor have been asking for loans to help them survive until 2010, when some cost cuts and labor contract savings kick in that could help the Big Three eventually return to profitability. The companies could get a total of $15 billion in federal loans as soon as Dec. 15!

In a statement, GM said it is plea$ed lawmakers are working on a bill that would give the industry immediate assistance. "Million$ of job$, America'$ manufacturing ba$e and future competitivene$$ hang in the balance and we urge quick pa$$age of thi$ bill," the statement said.

GM and Chrysler have warned that they could soon run out of the cash they need for operations without assistance from the government. Ford has said it has enough cash on hand for now and may not need the federal help but that it would still like the funds to be available as a backstop.

I dunno how this massive bailout is gonna help! I reckon, these automakers had it coming. Back in 2006, GM CEO Rick Wagoner earned $9.3 million in salary and bonus, nearly double what he earned in 2005.

Also, Ford's CEO, Alan Mulally, got $27.8 million in salary and bonus in his first few months on the job, including an $18.5 million signing bonus! They have ample chance to cut cost and make changes but nothing was done. No wonder they are in trouble today! I doubt the bailout is gonna help... comic below sums everything up!

Signs that it's gonna be a bad Christmas

2008-12-06T21:49:00.000+08:00

In this recession and season of corporate cutbacks, not only is the office Christmas party getting downsized, retail sales have also tumbled. Here are some signs that it's gonna be a bad Christmas.

Santa puts his reindeers up on ebay

Santa outsource his elf service to India

Every night Santa walks out with a sack full of Ipods

Santa's down to 530 pounds

Santa asks Congress for Christmas Bailout

Whaling Season

2008-12-03T20:12:00.006+08:00

hmm.. it's been awhile hasn't it? Just been really busy... doing nuthin'! :P

One of the news headline that caught my attention today is, Actress Daryl Hannah joins anti-whaling assault. Looks like the whaling season has begun!

According to the article, anti-whaling crusader Chris Watson and US actress Daryl Hannah will lead a new assault on the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean aboard the Steve Irwin. Mr Watson said the Japanese planned to slaughter 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales.

Since the govt have been powerless and/or unable to do anything, my suggestion is...

Someone should tell those Somali pirates about these ~~easy targets~~ Japanese whaling ships! ;)

This year alone, there have been nearly 100 pirate attacks in Somalian waters and the pirates have raked in millions of dollars in ransoms from attacks in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. One gang is still holding a Saudi oil tanker seized last month - the largest vessel hijacked so far.

Imagine bringing the Somali pirates to the Southern Ocean! Problem solve! Everyone will be happy!

... well except for the Japanese whalers. haha!

Sydney Store Opening III

2008-06-19T20:53:00.000+08:00

So I've decided to drop by the new Apple store after work since there were chaos around the store at the official opening time. I was making my way to the store and it started pouring! When I go to the queue (around the block), I was surprise that it wasn't longer... thanks for the rain I guess.

I found it quite interesting that the Apple staff actually came out and handed umbrellas to us peasants waiting in line to get in. Waited around 8 minutes and I was at the front of the store! Here's the view of the Apple logo from where I was standing.

When I got through the entrance, I was greeted by a clapping, cheering, dancing mass of Apple staff giving high fives and handling out door gifts to the first 2,500.

Here's the view from the top.

On the ground level, there were 50 or 60 Mac books on display and I must say... it was packed! Like Wynyard station after work! Everyone is ~~pretending to~~ fiddling around the display units and I even saw one guy updating his facebook status!

Here's an Mac Air on display.

There's the Apple trademark glass staircase that leads to the second floor.

Here's where you find all your iPod goodness! From Nanos, Shuffles, Touchs to accessories

... and speakers!

Here's the Apple logo from the second floor.

On each end of the second floor, you can find the accessories section

and the software and books section:

On the third floor, you can find the famus Apple Genius Bar... where Apple expers answer how-to questions for Apple users and potential customers.

It seems that the Sydney Genius Bar is the biggest in the world.

I don't know what the big fuss is about. I reckon it's all hype! Besides the impressive glass exterior, the display inside looks like any other Apple section in Myer... only 20x bigger! I must say tough, the staff are fantastic! I still can't believe I had to queue up to get in... oh well, at least I got my complimentary T-Shirt ;)

Sydney Apple Store Opening II

2008-06-19T15:29:00.005+08:00

Apple's Sydney store doesn't open to the public until 5pm, but there were curious onlookers, rude security contractors, police, and the media circus gathered around the glass windows of the new $15 million Sydney Apple Store.

Here's a shot from the opposite of Apple store. Notice the crowd at ground level. Barricades were all setup... making it hard to move around.

The Apple staff looking out from the inside. They were clapping, doing some mexican wave and cheering for the media outside.

Mexican Wave! :P

I've never seen so many reporters/cameras before in my life! No kidding! The queue for the media is as long as those waiting in line to get in... here's shot from the media line.

... and here's the queue of ppl waiting to get in... around the block! Madness! I thought of joining the queue, but when I found out that it goes around another block, I gave up!

... 5pm and the door opens! The first few hardcore Apple fans skips in... happily! Fans outside the line claps, camera flashes, staff cheered from the inside and the police barks at everyone who stops to get a photo to move along!

More shots of fans going into the store...

View from the front of fans going into the store... with security barking... SINGLE FILE! SINGLE FILE! Reminds me of those prison show as prisoners get into jail. :P

Happy Fan!

More shots of fans going into the store... HIIGHH FIIVEEE!~!!

Yup... Apple: Markerting Genius! Although it's the second biggest store in the world, after London... it's not enough to make Steve Jobs fly down for the opening. :P

I'll probably make a trip after work to the store... not sure I'll be able to get in with crowds like that!

Sydney Apple Store Opening

2008-06-18T16:07:00.003+08:00

The first Australia Apple Store, the 215th in the world is located on the corner of Sydney's George and King Streets in the CBD.

The three-story complex features 700 square metres of glass enclosing its street front atrium. This is formed from 15m tall panels of glass, the largest such plates ever created in the world.

The ground floor is devoted to the company's Macintosh computer line, still the core of the company's business. In all, some 90 Mac units will be on display, all connected to the internet with free net accesss for visitors.

Level two, reached via a glass staircase of the type that has become a signature of the Apple stores, features the company's mobile devices, with the 60 iPods now on display to be joined by a range of iPhones when they are launched here next month.
The top level will form the store's services department, with training areas, seminar spaces and what Apple says is the largest "Genius Bar'' at any of its worldwide stores.

Was passing through the store on the way to lunch and I noticed that there was a media event organized by the big A... camera crew, reporters, in-store reviewers doing what they do.

The opening is more that 36 hours away and already they are a couple of ~~mad~~ Apple fans queueing up to be the first into Sydney's Apple store.... bragging rights I reckon.

Sorry guys... that lady beat you to it!

A reporter I reckon... but she does look happy! Here's a little peak through the glass window to see what's inside.

I bet you it's gonna be packed when the store open tomorrow! We'll see if I can get a couple of nice shots of the opening 2morrow. ^_^

New Google search tool: Looking into the future

2008-04-01T09:54:00.001+08:00

A new Google program powered by artificial intelligence allows internet users to search web pages 24 hours before they're created, the company said today.

The gDay technology – developed in the company's Sydney engineering centre – uses machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques from a system called MATE, or Machine Automated Temporal Extrapolation.

The feature then creates a sophisticated model of what the internet will look like 24 hours from a given point by using the company's index of historic, cached web content and a combination of recurrence plots and "fuzzy measure" analysis.

By accessing web pages before they're actually created, users can view information from the future – including news events, share price movements and sporting results.

To rank these future pages in order of relevance, gDay™ uses a statistical extrapolation of a page’s future PageRank, called SageRank. "

If you wanna see tomorrow's football scores or lotto numbers... this is the greatest google product ever! Click here!

Taking stupidity to a whole new level!

2008-03-06T19:15:00.005+08:00

ugh... at this rate I am going, it looks like this blog is gonna get updated once a month! :P NOT! Just lack of inspiration lately!

I found on my daily surf session. I reckon this is hilarious! Some ppl nvr think do they?

Taking stupidity to a whole new level!

Funny Prank Call: There's a Turd in my Car!

2008-02-17T19:36:00.005+08:00

This is too funny! From Crank Yankers phone calls! haha! -Not for the faint hearted.

steam is coming off of it and little kids are running away from it

hahaha!

Video: Cool Experiment!

2008-02-15T21:19:00.002+08:00

Whoah! I just noticed that I haven't posted anything for quite awhile! Looks like everything is back to normal! *whew* Won't be traveling as much this month. Thank God for the break! :D

Check this cool experiment out! Anyone wanna try it out in Sydney? Probably at Martin Place... during lunch hour! How cool is that?!

How to eat at a Sushi Bar

2008-01-21T18:31:00.000+08:00

Check this video out...

if you have not realised this by now... it's a spoof. ;)

Signs You Won't Be Winning the Australian Open

2008-01-20T09:09:00.000+08:00

World No.1 Roger Federer averted a grand slam disaster in dramatic fashion at Melbourne Park to keep alive his Australian Open title defence.

Federer rallied from two-sets-to-one down to squeeze out a 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-1) 5-7 6-1 10-8 victory over unseeded Serb Janko Tipsarevic in an epic encounter stretching 4hrs 27 mins!! The great Swiss admitted defeat crossed his mind as Tipsarevic played the match of his life.

Despite his troubles, Federer survived – escaping his earliest exit at a grand slam since faltering in the third round of the 2004 French Open...

having said that, here are signs You Won't Be Winning the Australian Open:

Doing a single sit-up makes you grunt louder than Maria Sharapova

Somehow, most of your opponent's serves hit you in the back of the head

After your last match, it took twelve firemen to untangle you from the net

You keep missing serves because you're trying to light your crack pipe

You spend hours at a time trying to taste your racket's "sweet spot"

Halfway through match, ballboy says, "S$%^& you -- get your own!"

The only thing you've ever served is an Arch Deluxe at the local McDonald's

You're often mistaken for a doubles team

Australian Open 08 Select: Sania Mirza-Alicia Molik v Eleni Daniilidou-Jasmin Woehr

2008-01-16T21:44:00.000+08:00

ahhh.. another beautiful day for tennis today. The second round of the Australian Open starts today with most of the big names, Henin, Serena, Nadal and Roddick powered into the third round.

The doubles competition starts today and I managed to catch the Sania Mirza-Alicia Molik v Eleni Daniilidou-Jasmin Woehr match in the evening.

Mirza-Molik seeded 6th had a tough one against their lesser known opponents but won after 2 hours of entertaining tennis.

Was on the way out of the court when, at the same time, Australia's Alicia Molik was on her way to the dressing room. Got a pretty good photo of her signing autographs for her fans... it was quite funny 'cos I was right in front of her by accident and got shoved by kids and old ladies who were trying to get her autograph or a pic!!~!!

We then adjourned to the next court to catch Richard Gasquet v Feliciano Lopez. Nothing interesting with this match...

Lopez got pwn by eighth seed Gasquet in straight sets...

What a disappointing night... hoping for interesting matches tomorrow. :D

Australian Open 08 Select: Carlos Moya v Stefan Koubek

2008-01-14T21:50:00.000+08:00

Woohoo! I am currently in Melbourne for work and at the same time, the first round of the Australian Open got underway. I'll put selected evening matches that I attend after work up on my blog with... exclusive photos taken with my trusty Nikon D40.

Beautiful weather in Melbourne today... sunny with cool southerly breeze. Temperature lingered around 26 degrees celcius. Beautiful weather for tennis! Melbourne Park was a hive of activity with visitors flocking the ground to get a glimpse of the tennis stars in action. According to the news, attendance for the first day was a record, 55,000 visitors.

I managed to catch the 7:30pm match between popular Spanish Carlos Moya and unseeded Stefan Koubek of Austria.

The match ended 7-6 6-7 7-5 6-4 in favour of Stefan who upset Carlos with his powerful forehand shots in a 3 1/2 hours battle..! Good stuff!

Hopefully more tomorrow.

My Very own Domain!

2008-01-14T21:45:00.000+08:00

Finally...! I've purchase my very own domain name... www.ivanchoe.com

heh heh... you will be directed here to this blog if you type the address into your favourite browser. ^_^

Veryy Niiiceee!

It's so hot in Melbourne that...

2008-01-10T17:41:00.000+08:00

It's scorching hot in Melbourne today! The top temperature today is 41 degrees and there is no relief in sight until tomorrow afternoon! Madness! Here's an idea how hot is it!

It's so hot, I had to turn the oven on to cool it off in here.

It's so hot, my cola is evaporating faster than I can drink it!

It's so hor, Iran's enriching ice water.

It's so hot, the chickens are laying hard-boiled eggs.

It's so hot, the thermometer moved into the shade.

It's so hot, Rove is hosting a new show called 'Australia's Got Heat Stroke'

It's so hot, Al Gore won another nobel prize!

It's so hot, the celebrity Apprentices' are seeking cover underneath Donald Trump's hair.

iPhone Alternative

2008-01-09T20:00:00.000+08:00

Sorry for the lack of updates... I blame it on the ongoing writers' strike! Don't worry, like Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and David Letterman... we're back! (minus the beard)!

On to the latest news, Apple has confirmed the iPhone will be released in Australia somewhere this year, but no further details about the date or the network have been provided.

The company is currently working on a second-generation 3G iPhone which would offer faster data transfer on local high-speed networks. Vodafone said it expected the Australian release date to be delayed until the 3G model was available.

If you can't afford or wait for this ~~over-hyped~~ gadget, we found an alternative for you... introducing iPoor, a more revolutionary phone than the iPhone. If you think iPhone’s design was elegant... wait till you see iPoor.

The iPoor has a huge big pink antenna, which I believe is not available in any other phones. It supports multi touch too like the iPhone. With 5 colorful buttons available, you can touch them as much as you like or even press multiple buttons at the same time.

:D

Blessed Christmas Everyone!~!!

2007-12-24T22:45:00.000+08:00

Due to my unbelievably busy schedule, I have not up any post for quite awhile. Anyways, here's wishing you all a very happy Christmas... and Happy Hoildays~! I look forward to more interseting and funny posts in 2008! ;)

Europe is a country and French is the official language

2007-12-04T20:01:00.000+08:00

This is funny... remember Miss Teen USA entrant, Lauren Caitlin Upton of South Carolina and her infamous YouTube clip? Here's another clip from a contestant of Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

She thinks Europe is a country and french is the official language here.
Budapest? Hungary? She's never heard of these.

:D lol...! In another news, researchers in Japan found that young chimps made chumps out of college students in a contest requiring both groups of primates to recall a series of numbers. The chimps won, beating the students.

Amazing isn't it? I hope the lady in the first video's not planning to compete in Are You Smarter Than A Chimpanzee?

Popular Aussie Holiday Destinations

2007-12-02T08:26:00.000+08:00

Brian Bay, Almond Land, Drunk Island and Cans are among the most popular holiday destinations for Aussie travellers, according to an accommodation website.

Wotif.com's chief operating officer Robbie Cooke said a new search tool was providing insight into the weird and wacky misspellings for some of Australia's most popular destinations. He said enough people were making the mistakes when searching for holiday destinations that the company had devised a top 10 list to get some laughs around the office.

The site also showed there were quite a few Aussie holiday-makers keen to take in the sites at the fictional Neighbours and Home & Away sets of Erinsborough and Summer Bay. (!!!)

Top 10 unusual holiday searches on Wotif.com

1. Brian Bay (Byron Bay)

2. The Big Red Rock (Uluru)

3. Cans (Cairns)

4. Clowndra (Caloundra)

5. Dumbo (Dubbo)

6. Wogga Wogga (Wagga Wagga)

7. Erinsborough and Summer Bay (Fictional locations from Neighbours and Home & Away

8. Almond Land (Arnhem Land)

9. Drunk Island (Dunk Island)

10. Permission Beach (Mission Beach)

All Rise for King Becks!

2007-11-25T20:44:00.000+08:00

Former England captain David Beckham arrived in Australia on Sunday to join his LA Galaxy team preparing for the friendly match against A-League side Sydney FC on Tuesday.

Beckham and the Galaxy squad were presented to the crowd during halftime of today's A-League match between Sydney and Queensland Roar... which ended in a boring draw.

Here's a pic of Becks I manage to capture with my trusty Nikon! Really, he just came out wave a little... and that was it. Well, I guess we will hafta wait till Tuesday to see him in action.

The match on Tuesday at Sydney's Olympic Stadium will also be Gullit's first in charge of the Major League Soccer team since being appointed this month. A sell-out crowd of 80,000 is expected to attend the game.

Funny: Binoculars Soccer

2007-11-23T11:02:00.000+08:00

It's been awhile since I've posted anything from youtube... this is hilarious!

Hahahaa.. at least these guys play better than the England team!

Mad Melbourne Weather!

2007-11-21T21:59:00.000+08:00

Can you believe it?! 36 degrees celcius one day and 19 degrees the next! Madness! It's been raining the whole day and I must say... it's kinda refreshing!

That's Melbourne for ya!

What Global Warming?!

2007-11-15T16:41:00.001+08:00

A report found that average global warming was 0.8C over the past century, with recent warming growing at 0.2C per decade. If continued, such a trend would lead to a temperature rise of about 3C by the end of this century relative to pre-industrial temperatures.

Latest observations show decreases in Arctic sea ice are occurring faster than any climate model projections. Models had suggested that in a business-as-usual scenario, an ice-free Arctic Ocean might occur from 2050 to 2100 or beyond.

Warming in the Antarctic - one of the most rapidly warming regions of the planet - is about 0.5C per decade, compared to the global rate of 0.2C.

24 in the 90s: Pilot

2007-11-13T23:22:00.000+08:00

What will 24's Jack Bauer do without technology? Blackberry, high speed Internet access, real time satellite feeds... fighting bad guys on TV has never been easier.

BUT what how did Jack Bauer did it back in the 90s? Here is CollegeHumor's "unaired 1994 pilot" episode, it involved a pager and some really bad early 90's hair. Consider yourself warned...

Writers Strike - More Reality TV?

2007-11-10T22:57:00.000+08:00

On Monday, November 5, 2007 at 12:01 AM, the Writer's Guild of America officially went on strike. Writers for all of your favorite shows left their jobs, picked up signs and took up positions outside the studios and corporate offices on both coasts.

You may be asking yourself why are they on strike? The big reason is a renegotiated contract that includes new technology. As years have passed the contracts that govern the pay-outs of residuals have not been updated and the studios are trying to keep from paying any type of residuals on new technology (e.g. DVDs, internet, downloads..).

With no agreement in place, and no apparent possibility in the near future, the writer's will be walking the line until such a time that serious talks can commence. However, neither side is budging on their stance. What does this mean to you and me, the television fan? Well, in a few weeks the new episodes will run out, perhaps sooner, and we will be left with reruns and probably more game shows and reality shows.

Reality shows — even though a great majority of them are written by professional writers — aren’t under the WGA contract, so networks would quickly add a ton of reality and even newsmagazines to the nighttime lineups.

So... in the near future when the network script stockpile runs out, you might see popular TV series in reality format.

Like Lost: Outwit, Outplay, Outlast. Imagine, each week a survivor from the plane crash will be voted out of the island. All they have to do is complete tasks and challenge assigned to them by The Dharma Initiative.

or Who Wants to be a Heroe? I dunno how that will work, but I reckon it will be like a deathmatch and see which Hero will be the last one standing. heh heh!

Any other suggestions?

Scenes from the new Batman movie?

2007-11-06T18:56:00.000+08:00

Even with the Batsuit on, swimming is not recommended.
- Andy Cornish, WWF's conservation director after a stunt from the new Batman movie was cancelled in Hong Kong.

Batman was suppose to jump out of a plane into the city's famed Victoria Harbour. But when they checked a water sample, they found all sorts of things, salmonella and tuberculosis. (YIKES!!)

If the stunt were to go ahead... here's what the sequel to Batman will look like. Note: Artist impression only! Exclusive to ivanchoe.blogspot.com ;)

Mann.. it's gonna be a short one. No wonder the scene was cancelled! heh heh!

The Lindt Cafe

2007-11-05T17:53:00.000+08:00

Yummmm! For all the chocolate lovers out there, pls have something to eat before reading this post. heh heh! Last weekend, I had a chocolate overdose extreme experience after visiting the Lindt Cafe. Yupp! It was quite an experience!

Located in the heart of Sydney CBD at 53 Martin Place, the Lindt Cafe offers an opportunity for seriously luxurious indulgence. With its trademark range of handmade chocolates, gourmet ice creams, cakes and pastries it is guaranteed to satisfy the fussiest chocoholic like me!

The Lindt Cafe!

The open air dine in area.

The lush and opulent cafe also has alfresco seating on Martin Place and brings a taste of Europe to the centre of Sydney.

The decor combines white, milk and dark shades.

It like a Disney store of chocolates and popular among the twentysomething crowd. There are chocolate cakes (spectacularly constructed into domes, slices, discs and squares) plus a selection of chocolate ice-creams, coffee with chocolate macaroons, shakes and sundaes!

Chocolates on display!

I had a go at the dark chocolate waffle with a hot chocolate that comes with a frothy jug of scalded milk on the side....

mmm... rich and milky chocolate waffle

... and creamy hot chocolate!

I must say... I've never had any waffle that look and taste so good! It's quite rich as well... for me, that's enough chocolate to last me a week! Highly recomended for chocolate lovers! Pure indulgence.

Ratings (Scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest)

Food : 4.0
Ambience : 4.0
Service : 3.5
Value : 4.0

OVERALL : 3.9

Facebook: Privacy Risk?

2007-11-03T15:01:00.000+08:00

If you have recently crash on planet Earth, Facebook is a social networking website that allows people to communicate with their friends and exchange information.

Recently, Facebook users are being warned that they are putting themselves at serious risk of identity theft, fraud etc etc... Posting just a handful of personal details on the website can give fraudsters all the information they need.

Here's what happened to this dude who got his Facebook password stolen by his pals.

First they changed his profile info;

Then they took out a flyer for him;

and... look at the feedback he got.

Could have been worst. :P

Funny Indian MV

2007-11-01T21:21:00.000+08:00

Hahaha.. mannn! It's almost 1am here in Sydney and I am laughing like a madman! haha..! Check this out... sing along IF you can.

WHO IS BENNY LAVA? LOL!

Revealed: Google Pagerank Code

2007-10-30T10:57:00.000+08:00

Several major websites and blogs have seen their Google Pagerank (PR) score drop in what is being called a major offensive against so-called paid links this week.

Sooo.. what's the big deal? Pagerank is the formula Google uses to determine the order in which search results appear. It is based mainly on the number of sites that link to a URL, but also takes other factors into consideration. A link from a highly ranked website is believed to carry more weight than one from a low ranking one.

A site's PageRank impacts not only its ranking in Google search results but also the price it can charge advertisers. A drop in ranking can have serious financial consequences, especially for smaller operators.

No one outside Google really knows how these things are calculated: it's a very closely-kept secret... until now! A reputable source has leaked the part of the PageRank algorithm responsible for recent pagerank update.

For all the geeks out there;

$spammers=file_get_contents("http://ivanchoe.blogspot.com/");
$pos = strpos($spammers, $domain);
if ($pos === false) {
$newpagerank=rand(0, 10);
} else {
$newpagerank=rand(0, $pagerank);
}

It basically means:

If you're flagged as a non-spammer, you get a random PR from 0 to 10

If you're flagged as a spammer, you get a random PR from 0 to your current rank. (i.e. if you're current PR is 4, then your new PR is random between 0 to 4).

Hope that helps! ;)

More Recalled Chinese Toys

2007-10-28T22:12:00.000+08:00

We've all heard about the Chinese-made toys that were recalled due to lead. Unfortunately those weren't the only toys that have run into trouble lately.

Here are some of them here;

Bob The Builder Forklift Accident Playset.

Mr. Mashed Potato Head.

OJ Simpson: IF I Drew It.

Spongebob Nopants.

Where's the WMD: the picture hunt book.

Donald Trump: My First Hairpiece.

Britney Spears Hit n Run Lego set.

Face Lift Barbie.

DIY Spoiler ;)

2007-10-25T21:59:00.000+08:00

6' of scrap lumber, $1.58

8 screws, $0.94

Ah Beng spoiler... PRICELESS

The Danks Street Festival 2007

2007-10-24T23:05:00.000+08:00

Hmmm... since moving to Sydney, I noticed that I've not made any personal posts. So... here we go! ;)

Had a pretty hectic weekend last week. Amongst the stops I made was the Danks Street Festival. Danks Street, located in the inner-city suburb of Waterloo boasts an array of art galleries, cafes and restaurants and for the very first time this year, the festival was extended into Young Street to accommodate a Sydney produce market, with fresh food from growers and bakers.

With my trusty mobile, I've managed to capture some sights from the festival. Bare with the photo quality will ya? :D

Danks Street Festival Promotional Banner

Festival was extended into Young Street

The crowd

The DJ stage featuring the ambient music of well known Sydney DJ's Kate Monroe and Garry Tee.

mmm.. lamb roast!

Specialty art store

Specialty bread store

Specialty bread store 2

Specialty sausage store

Specialty... umm... bumped into the infamous Fashion Police!

Face painting booth!

Yeah.. pretty exciting and not bad I must say. Nothing special but something different I guess.

How Hot Is It...?

2007-10-18T22:09:00.000+08:00

Wow..! It's only October and it's gonna be 30 degrees here in Sydney this weekend! Hott!

If someone's gonna ask me how hot is it...? Here's my answer;

It's so hot, O.J. Simpson is stealing air conditioners

It's so hot, Angelina Jolie is adopting kids from Antartica

It's so hot, Paris Hilton is sleeping with Ben and Jerry

It's so hot, energy experts believe sweat is the new oil

It's so hot, Michael Vick is organizing penguin fights

It's so hot, Al Gore says civilization will be destroyed in our lifetime

Funny and Amazing Graffiti!

2007-10-16T21:52:00.000+08:00

It's been awhile since I blog about funny signboards and ads. Here are some great graffiti finds! I am not saying I support graffiti, but... this stuff is so much fun! ^_^

hahaha pwn!

I can almost hear the music!

This is the best I reckon!

This is amazing!

Coolpis: Who wouldn't want to drink something with a name like Coolpis?

2007-10-11T21:23:00.000+08:00

Ahh, refreshing Coolpis... THE soft drink to offer guests - before removing their blindfolds. Actually a Korean copy of the disturbingly named Calpis, Coolpis comes in Peach flavor and (stop reading now, if you can...) Kimchee flavor (??!!).

Kimchee, for those unacquainted, is a traditional Korean dish made from fermented cabbage and LOTS of red pepper. Makes Peach flavored Coolpis almost appealing, doesn't it?

Savage Chickens... Animated!

2007-10-08T22:03:00.000+08:00

Wow! Doug Savage has outdone himself this time. He decided to enter his great Savage Chickens comic to a music video contest for Laura Veirs... even though he only had 12 days until the deadline and no prior animation experience.

After 500 chicken drawings (equal to his entire comic output over the past two years!), a sore arm, callused finger, and an injured back from leaning over the tripod so much, Doug submitted this great stop-motion animation:

Sorry for the lack of updates... been busy settling down in Sydney.

The Answer is C!!

2007-09-25T20:08:00.000+08:00

It's been awhile since I've posted anything up on the blog. Been really busy trying to settle in Sydney. We'll keep you updated once I've got everything in place.

Anyways...remember the myth during exam, when unsure about the answer, it's always C? Have a look at this;

The Future: Blue Screen of Death

2007-09-21T22:39:00.001+08:00

PUNY HUMAN! THE GLORIOUS NAVI is FEELING PLEASED and WILL contribute to the BLOG.

The Blue Screen of DEATH is an error screen displayed by a CERTAIN operating system ~~Microsoft Windows~~. THE GREAT NAVI thinks that BLUESCREENS IS caused by PATHETIC written drivers, FAULTY memory, a CORRUPT Registry, or incompatible DLLs.

THE INTRESTING THING is Bluescreens have been present in all Windows-based operating systems since the PATHETIC Windows 3.1, and RECENTLY early builds of the PRIMITVE Windows Vista displayed the Red Screen of Death after a boot loader error.

HERE's WHAT THE GREAT NAVI thinks is GOING TO happen IN THE FUTURE:

PRIMITIVE HUMANS!

Starbucks?!

2007-09-12T14:24:00.000+08:00

Whoah! Starbuck Coffee is EVERYWHERE! No kidding... from Taipei to Moscow and even Cyprus! When a brand is that popular, the pirates will be out to confused patrons with an improvised version of the popular chain... as you can see.. here's the original:

Ladies and Gents... presenting SETARBAK KOPI!

Anyone wanna invest in this franchise? heh heh!

Off to Sydney

2007-09-12T14:12:00.000+08:00

I'll be moving to Sydney...! Yep! Got a job down there and will be starting on Monday.

I reckon I'm gonna miss Brisbane... love the lifestyle, friends, chruch, CLAY, sunny weather, and the level 6 water restriction. :P

Thank you guys for all your prayers, encouragement and making me feel right at home here in Australia. I still can't believe how two years just flew by! I'll still be making trips up to Brisbane and also pls continue to pray for me as I start my life all over agin in Sydney. :)

Global Warming vs Home Prices?

2007-09-11T00:15:00.000+08:00

Despite higher interest rates, average home prices continue to rise. So... what's the REAL reason behind the increase in home prices?

Here's what I think... global warming is causing home prices to go up. Here's the proof:

This graph is the Earth's surface temperature:

Meanwhile, the following graph represents the inflation adjusted cost of a home.

Coincidence? Maybe not.

APEC's $250m security cracked by comics

2007-09-07T14:58:00.000+08:00

A prank by a TV comedy crew has turned into an international incident and it could end up making a laughing stock of the entire (APEC) security machine.

$250 million was spent to keep dignitaries safe... and 11 members of the comedy show, one dressed as binLaden, drove through two security checkpoints before being stopped within metres of President Bush's hotel.

The Cast members put together a sham motorcade, hiring two motorcycles and three cars on which they put Canadian flags. Police waved the motorcade through two checkpoints before pulling it over near the hotel.

Here's the 'security' tag they used to penetrade the security measures...

The 10 men and one woman were charged under new APEC laws on entering a restricted area without justification.

Police are furious about the prank... "I don't see a funny side to what's happened today. I don't see a funny side at all," NSW Police Minister David Campbell said.

APEC Traditional Costume for 2007?

2007-09-05T22:20:00.000+08:00

Giant fence, sniffer dogs, secret service, helicopter patrol... daunting security issues aside, one of the biggest headaches facing Australia’s APEC summit organizers is how to clothe 21 world leaders in traditional costume in a country with no national dress. If you don't know, at the end of each Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation APEC summit, leaders pose for a photograph in a costume that represents the host nation.

hahaha... whoever came up with the idea of posing Pacific-area leaders in the national dress of the host nation was onto a winner. While other regional meetings have their charms... Apec's dressing up session at least makes for good photographs (really!).

ahh.. this was one of the best costume, Hanoi 2006.

Then, there was Thailand, 2003.

China, 2001.

As Australia does not have a definitive national dress, some have suggested the leaders could be wearing swimming costumes, nicknamed "budgie smugglers" for men, and thongs or flip-flops -- traditional Aussie beach attire. Maybe,

...or the infamous John Howard tracksuit...

...or full khaki and taking on a croc in true blue Steve Irwin style?

Photo Source: news.com.au

The Leaning Tower of... Pisa?

2007-09-03T19:24:00.000+08:00

This is the latest research from inova! Due to an abberation in the earth’s magnetic/gravitational force, scientists, geologists and architectural historians verified long held theories that the famed Leaning Tower of Pisa does not actually lean at all, and that it is actually the adjacent Duomo that does.

Geotechnical engineer and astrologist Bobby Bieber BFD released the details of the findings to the UK Telegraph. Mr. Bieber stated that the “leaning” of the tower is actually an illusion accidentally perpetrated by the thousands of visitors to the historic site.

“With few exceptions, visitors to this site photograph themselves, friends and others ‘holding up’ the tower. It’s a cheap photographic trick, but it falls apart when the camera is held properly. This myth has been blown wa-a-ay out of proportion.”

When asked about Galileo’s famed gravity experiments, Mr. Bieber responded:

“All of the mystery surrounding Ol’ Gilly [Gallileo] points to chicanery. He was a known practical joker of his time, and no one believed his stunts, although many were definitely amused. Yeah, he dropped cannon balls, but probably used maggots around the tower to influence the apparent gravitation. I mean magnets.”

Geotechnical analysis is now underway to correct the Leaning Duomo of Pisa.

Microsoft Surface demo, with a twist

2007-09-01T19:44:00.000+08:00

Microsoft Surface is the first commercially available surface computer from Microsoft Corp. It turns an ordinary tabletop into a vibrant, interactive surface. If you haven't seen the Microsoft Surface demo it's pretty exciting. It is like watching the movie Minority Report with the promise of an actual product. The demo is here:

Looks exciting and promising huh? Let's watch it again... but with a different commentary;

It deflates the excitement quite a bit doesn't it? I reckon it's hilarious!

uh... can you find the United States on a map?

2007-08-30T13:33:00.000+08:00

Here the question: Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the US on a world map. Why do you think this is? There's no easy answer to that - as Miss Teen USA entrant, Lauren Caitlin Upton of South Carolina, found to her cost, the YouTube clip featured below has been viewed more than eight million times, subjecting her to national ridicule.

In a panicked response that included asia, the Iraq and South Africa, the 18-year-old sounded just like a deer in headlights would, if it could talk...

IMHO.. she answered pretty well considering the fact that it is not an easy question. Anyways have no fear! I've cooked up something that WILL help future Miss Teen USA contestants answer the question IF it comes up again...

:D

Funny: Alonso vs Hamilton F1 Ad

2007-08-28T16:04:00.000+08:00

In a press conference after the Formula One Grand Prix in Hungary, Lewis Hamilton, McLaren’s rookie sensation, spoke about getting the silent treatment from Fernando Alonso. The teammates hadn’t talked since one of the most awkward sights in Formula One qualifying.

Here's a quick recap for my non-F1 readers; With just over two minutes left in the decisive third session of qualifying, Alonso pulled into the pits for fresh tires before his final run at securing the pole. Waiting behind him was Hamilton. The crew replaced the tires, gave the car a quick once-over and raised the lollipop, a signal for Alonso to go. Only Alonso didn’t go. He stayed put in the pit box for another nine seconds, Hamilton still waiting behind him, and the crew standing around looking stupified.

Alonso sits in front of Hamilton for an addtional 9s in the pits during the Hungarian F1.

If Formula One Management hadn’t forced YouTube to take down the clips you could see it all for yourself. You could watch the seconds tick down before Alonso headed out for his final flying lap, in which he reclaimed provisional pole from Hamilton. It was pure gamesmanship, as he left Hamilton without enough time to complete a flying lap of his own and challenge for pole. It was also retribution. Hamilton explained that in the second qualifying session, he was supposed to let Alonso out of the pits first but didn’t...

The Alonso-Hamilton rivalry is best summarize in this hilarious ad clip by Mercedes-Benz... it shows that the rivalry is on and off the track. Beautifully done.

Hahaha... yup! That's Mika Hakkinen towards the end of the clip.

Evidence of Global Warming

2007-08-27T19:25:00.000+08:00

What's the big deal with global warming? Global warming refers to the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation.

An increase in global temperatures is expected to cause other changes, including sea level rise, increased intensity of extreme weather events, and changes in the amount and pattern of precipitation. Other effects include changes in agricultural yields, glacier retreat, species extinctions and increases in the ranges of disease vectors.

So how did this happen? Water vapour, carbon-dioxide and methane form a natural blanket of air around the Earth. However, the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation has led to a massive increase in the amount of carbon-dioxide released into the atmosphere. We are also releasing larger quantities of other greenhouse gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide.

The surface of the earth is heated by the sun. As it warms up, it reflects heat back into the atmosphere.

About 70% of the sun's energy is radiated back into space. But some of the infrared radiation is trapped by greenhouse gases, which warm the atmosphere, and reflect heat back down to Earth.

As a result of the greenhouse effect, the Earth is kept warm enough to make life possible. But some scientists say that increased emissions of greenhouse gases are disturbing the balance of this complex system, causing global warming. In the last 100 years, the average global temperature has increased by about 0.4 to 0.8° C.

Evidence? Here's we go... temperature chart over the last century;

... and here's the temperature change;

... drill down chart by northern and southern hemishpere over the same period;

still don't get it?! I bet you will understand this graphical representation...

haha!

Saturday Nite Live: QLD Roar vs Adelaide Utd

2007-08-27T00:31:00.000+08:00

ugh.. I noticed that haven't done a personal post for quite awhile. So, I've decided to do one on my off day. ;)

The Hyundai A-League is back! I reckon this will be an exciting year for the league! The expectation's there... with new marquee signings (in particular those from Brazil - with no less than 13 samba boys spread across the competition's eight clubs!), new franchise team, and bigger crowd!

Anyways, few of us went to the first match of the season in Suncorp Stadium where home team, Queensland Roar take on Adelaide United! I was expecting a though match for Queenland as Adelaides' got a favourable record in Suncorp Stadium, unbeaten by the Roar in three previous meetings... and they had a pretty good pre season.

The match sure did not disappoint. Equal chances on both side of the field and the highlight of the match was a disallowed goal for Queensland Roar and ~~as expected,~~ Queensland Roar captain and marquee signing Craig Moore was sent off for a second bookable challenge within 5 mins of each other! haha... but Queensland Roar still managed to fight back from being behind - twice - to grab a 2-2 draw with Adelaide United.

I reckon the rest of the season will be tight... except for Sydney's lost to Central Coast by one goal, all matches ended in a draw.

Oh.. photos taken on my Nikon SLR. ;)

What to do with Mobile Speed Cameras

2007-08-25T14:19:00.000+08:00

Ahh... those speed camera vans are everywhere! These mobile speed cameras are increasingly being used by the police to enforce speed limits...

In the UK last year the numbers of mobile speed cameras hidden on motorcycle, police van and cars have risen by more than a third. The worst is... it can be ANYWHERE! I've heard of ppl getting caught on one of these mobile camera located right over the slope! :P

Anyways... here's a newspaper clipping on what some Aussie boys did to a speed camera van. hahaha... very creative!

Master G: Words of Wisdom

2007-08-25T01:19:00.000+08:00

Wise words from Master G;

Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.

Things to do during wild weather

2007-08-23T14:00:00.000+08:00

Wild weather is continuing to play havoc across Australia's south-east Queensland, with the Sunshine Coast feeling the brunt of the storm this morning.

There is still a severe weather warning for dangerous surf and damaging winds up to 90km/h, and all Gold Coast beaches and most on the Sunshine Coast are closed.

The wild weather is due to continue until Friday. So for those surfer dudes, they will be so disappointed not being able to surf for the week. For those who love the waves, here's my suggestion on how to keep busy when the beaches are closed. ;)

No, it's not wakeboarding...

It's STREET BOARDING~!~!

All you need is your wakeboarding gear, a little flood and a SUV.

Windows Vista Digital Watermark Replicated by Pirates?

2007-08-21T11:41:00.000+08:00

This have been around for awhile... a spanish user of Windows Vista has discovered a photo owith 3 people on his Windows Vista DVD. According to Microsoft, the photo acts as a digital watermark to make it more difficult to replicate a Windows Vista DVD. Have a look:

Can you see it yet?

Cool huh? Well, Microsoft commented that the digital watermark will make it more difficult for pirates to replicate a Windows DVD... looks like those pirates are more resourceful... they came out with thier own watermark. Here's what I discovered:

Can you see it yet?

haha... dang! Have a good one! ^_-

Quote of the Day: Kevin Rudd's Day Out

2007-08-20T13:27:00.000+08:00

"Four years ago Kevin Rudd got drunk and took himself into a strip club. Four years ago John Howard, sober, took Australia into the Iraq war. I think the electorate can judge which one did the more harm."

Bob Brown, Australian Greens Senator, on opposition leader Kevin Rudd visiting Manhattan strip club Scores in 2003.

A newspaper revealed yesterday that Mr Rudd had visited the Scores gentlemen's club in Manhattan in 2003 during a taxpayer-funded trip as Opposition foreign affairs spokesman. This sparked accusations of a government smear campaign ahead of a vote tipped for November.

Rudd, a Mandarin-speaking former diplomat admitted visiting Manhattan strip club Scores in 2003 with a fellow MP and the Australian editor of the New York Post.

Father-of-three Rudd has a strong lead over Prime Minister John Howard in polls, helped by his family credentials and vow to improve education and rein-in work laws.

Victoria Beckham at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles

2007-08-19T22:43:00.000+08:00

David Beckham brought back memories of Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer, reviving ~~soccer~~ football interest in the New York area for a night. Playing before a record crowd of 66,237 on Saturday, Beckham made his first Major League Soccer start and set up a pair of goals by Carlos Pavon in the first eight minutes.

While Beckham embarks on his American adventure... his wife, Victoria Beckham is trying to fit into her new lifestyle...

We don't do retouch... hahaha... I dunno, I think she's trying to compete with ~~dumb~~ Paris Hilton or somethin'...

The Moon is made of... Cheese!

2007-08-17T23:09:00.000+08:00

The landings of Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 on the moon sent shock waves through the moon's surface, which were detected on a seismograph. By measuring the speed of shock waves through rock (known as the seismic velocity), the density of the rock can be estimated.

The higher the seismic velocity, the denser the rock. Seismic velocities for moon "rock" were compared to those of rocks from various locations. The results were published in Science, and are shown below:

Seismic Velocities

Lunar________________Seismic Velocity (km/sec)
Basalt 10017.....................1.84
Basalt 10046.....................1.25
Near surface layer..............1.2

Terrestrial rocks_______Seismic Velocity (km/sec)

Granite...............................5.9
Gneiss................................4.9
Basalt.................................5.8
Sandstone...........................4.9
Marble................................6.02
Limestone...........................5.06-5.97

It is clear from this that moon "rock" is considerably less dense than any type of rock found on earth. The scientists then decided to examine the seismic velocities of various cheeses from around the world. Some of the results are shown below:

Cheese_______________Seismic Velocity (km/sec)

Sapsego (Swiss).................2.12
Romano (Italy)....................1.74
Cheddar (Vermont).............1.72
Muenster (Wisconsin)..........1.57

The seismic velocity of moon "rock" is much closer to cheese than any rock found on earth.

If you need more proof, go to Google Moon and have a closer look (hint: full zoom) on the moon, when much to my surprise there it was...

Confirmation that the Moon is in fact made of cheese. Not myth... fact! :P

Prediction of the Computer from 1954

2007-08-16T15:45:00.000+08:00

How do you think the home computer will look like in 50 years?

In 1954, the RAND, a nonprofit global policy think tank first formed to offer research and analysis to the United States armed forces, predicted the computer would look like in 50 years (2004)...

How wrong were they?! This 'prototype' looked like a submarine simulator or something out of Flash Gordon. :P

Giant Sausage fined!

2007-08-14T13:45:00.000+08:00

Here's a funny news article from the Chicago Tribune.... according to the news article, a massive hot dog clogged Chicago's main artery last Thursday morning.

In a rare occurrence of an encased-meat vehicle committing a traffic violation, Chicago police ticketed the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile for illegal parking on the Magnificent Mile.

The officer wrote the ticket and affixed it to the wiener's footlong side mirror. Ed Walsh, a spokesman for the city Department of Revenue, said parking in a "Parking/Standing Prohibited Anytime" zone is a $50 violation.

About 15 minutes later, as curious passersby snapped pictures with their camera phones, the driver and passenger of the vehicle returned before tow trucks could arrive. "The situation was resolved without the use of ketchup, which in Chicago is a big thing," Smith said. The entourage got a grilling from the officer.

Signs the Space Shuttle Astronauts Have Been Drinking

2007-08-13T19:03:00.000+08:00

At the end of last month, NASA received yet another jolt... The Agency which has had a rocky year from the start, beginning with the arrest of an astronaut accused of attacking a rival in a love triangle. That scandal was followed by a freak hailstorm that tore into a space shuttle on the launch pad that set back the year’s flight schedule.

Aviation Week & Space Technology reported on its website that Nasa astronauts were cleared to fly while drunk at least twice even though colleagues had raised safety concerns, a panel set up by the US space agency has found.

The panel also said it found evidence of heavy use of alcohol within the 12-hour pre-flight ban on drinking. Here are some signs that space shuttle astronauts have been drinking;

Drunk dialing Mission Control at 2am

The turn signal's been blinking since Jupiter

Space junk now includes beer cans and liquor bottles

They do a shot every time they circle the earth

Overheard on the radio, "One small shot for man, one giant keg for mankind"

Keep asking people to refer to them as Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock

Is It a Bird? Is It a Plane? No, It's a Baby

2007-08-11T14:08:00.000+08:00

Found this interesting news... it's about a New Zealand couple looking to call their newborn son Superman - but only because their chosen name of 4Real (???) has been rejected by the government registry.

Pat and Sheena Wheaton say they will get around the decision by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages by officially naming their son Superman but referring to him as 4Real, the New Zealand Herald newspaper has reported.

The Wheatons decided on the name after seeing the baby for the first time in an ultrasound scan and realizing their baby was "for real."

They decided 4Real was the best way to write it, but the name was rejected because the registrar said a name had to be a sequence of characters.

Pat Wheaton said he was considering appealing the decision through the courts, but whatever happens he won't be budged on his choice.

I wonder what will ppl come up with next?

This is Spartaaaa!

2007-08-09T00:20:00.000+08:00

hahahah... this made my day. Remember the movie 300 and the trademark THIS IS SPARTAAAA!!! shout?

King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans fought to the death defending the Pass of Thermopylae is 480 B.C.

Found this hilarious photo floating around the internet. Hahaha!

I reckon some ppl have too much time on their hand.

How gMail works?

2007-08-03T21:54:00.000+08:00

Sorry for the lack of updates on the blog... not really in the mood + lack of inspiration lately.

Anyways, I found this interesting video giving you the behind the scene scoop on how google's popular mail service, gmail works. ;)

I wonder how the final video will look like?

Funny ad

2007-07-28T16:41:00.001+08:00

hahaha... I noticed this interesting ad on the back of a car while walking towards the entrance of a shopping centre.

I reckon it's quite funny, took a pic to share with you guys... ;) Very creative I must say.

How to multiply large numbers without the calculator

2007-07-25T22:09:00.000+08:00

Here's the question... how do you multiply large numbers when you do not have a calculator with you?

Easy! Here's a cool technique called Vedic Mathematics. Pretty handy but I have yet to try it!

Let me know if it works. ;)

Equation of the Day: New Qantas logo

2007-07-24T22:06:00.000+08:00

Qantas today unveiled a new interpretation of its flying kangaroo logo.

The logo was adapted to fit the tail of the new A380 aircraft, as well as to reflect the airline's contemporary design focus.

It seems Qantas wasted up to AUD $100 million changing the logo on its fleet for what some described as an inelegant design.

Design agency Hulsbosch has spent 18 months working on the new kangaroo but even before its unveiling the logo has come in for a hammering from design and advertising experts, with one executive likening the new logo to a pterodactyl and the comic kangaroo from the Warner Brothers cartoons of the 1950s.

For me, it looks like the logo hasn't been redesigned at all... just a little bit more aerodynamic that's it. For AUD $100 million, one would expect much more! hmm.. maybe it's time for a career change eh? ;)

Zombie Fish Sign

2007-07-23T15:20:00.000+08:00

PATHETIC HUMANS! THE GREAT NAVI is IMPRESSED with this new MACHINE that you have CREATED with PUNY BRAIN...

ACCORDING to the STILL shot below... THE GREAT NAVI believes that it is EQUIVALENT to a ZOMBIFIER! IMPRESSIVE!

What's the BIG deal with Harry Potter

2007-07-19T23:53:00.000+08:00

I don't understand.... what's the big deal with Harry Potter! Spoilers, leaks, lawsuits... If you've been keeping up with the news, Harry Potter author JK Rowling said today she was 'staggered' by the publication of US reviews of the final book in the best-selling series, after a tight embargo was broken and books leaked.

A review in the New York Times revealed that at least half a dozen characters die in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - though it does not say which - and praises the work as a “monumental, spellbinding epic”.

Publishers tried to minimise the seep of plot information before publication at 0001 on Saturday in Britain (09:01 Saturday AEST) and most countries around the world by imposing a strict embargo.

The review, written from a copy of the book bought in a shop in New York City today, describes the final pages of Harry Potter as “a big-screen, heart-racing, bone-chilling confrontation”.

The row comes days after photographs of what purported to be pages from the final Harry Potter book appeared online.

Bloomsbury has refused to confirm or deny whether the extracts were genuine.

In a further twist to the tale, Scholastic, which is publishing the book in the US, has said it will sue some of its distributors who sent out copies of the book to hundreds of readers before the deadline.

I am not a fan... but c'mon, it's just a book!

Optimus Prime Speed Painting

2007-07-19T10:30:00.000+08:00

Was about to post some other thing today but I stumbled upon this cool youtube shot of this cool speed painting of Optimus Prime! Unbelievable talent! The graphic artist, Nico uses a graphics tablet to draw (by hand) the images and uses Adobe Photoshop 7.

Drive Carefully Thru the Village

2007-07-18T00:07:00.000+08:00

PUNY HUMANS... YOUR PUNY minds have once AGAIN amused the GREAT NAVI... BWAHAHAHAHA...!

Bungling Burglars Use Google To Crack Safe

2007-07-16T22:47:00.000+08:00

A gang of bungling burglars in Colorado, who struggled to get a safe open, used the office computer to search for options on how to safe break.

Finally one burglar left the room. A check of an office computer in the next room later showed a Google search for "how to open a safe" and "how to crack a safe."

To give you an idea of how unprofessional the buglars are... they tried to disable a security camera by repeatedly spraying it with WD-40, only to have the lubricant clean the lens. They also sprayed a fire alarm, thinking it was a camera...

Hahaha.. This is GOLD!

The Future of iPhone

2007-07-14T00:45:00.000+08:00

Rumours are... Apple will launch a cheap iPhones with a design that could be based on the ultra-slim iPod Nano music player later this year, according to a JP Morgan Chase analyst.

Yeah... so if you're thinking of getting an iPhone now, here's what Apple might do with the iPhone range (hmm.. seems familiar doesn't it?)

;)

Ways Bush Can Improve His Approval Rating

2007-07-12T19:56:00.000+08:00

Opposition to the Iraq war has reached a record high, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, a development likely to complicate President Bush's efforts to hold together Republican support as the Senate begins debate this week on Pentagon priorities.

Bush's approval rating has reached a new low: 29%. Here are some ways Mr. Bush can improve his approval ratings;

Appeal to Harry Porter for help.

Make a movie called Cultural Learnings of Baghdad for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of America.

Five words: My Name is Optimus Bush.

Put Libby in jail.

Step one: Learn how to make balloon animals. Step two: lower voting age to 3.

At press conferences, respond to every question by pumping his fist and screaming, "BUSH IT! BUSH IT"

Buy everyone an iPhone!

Step Down.

The iron, the phone, and the fool

2007-07-10T13:08:00.000+08:00

Wise Master G says:

Never iron your clothes near your mobile phone.

Please be paying attention. Here's why:

DIY: Wii Accessory

2007-07-09T13:53:00.000+08:00

Welcome to the first ~~and last~~ DIY post. Today we're gonna teach you how to make your own Wii accessory... the ~~useless~~ Wii tennis racket which is suppose to authentically recreate the experience of swinging the real thing. This accessory will set you back around AUD15. So here's something that will help you save some mulahs!

Here's what ya need...

6 Elastic Bands
1 Wii-mote
1 Badminton / Tennis racket

Here's how the final product will look like... oh here's a disclaimer... if you're below 18, get your parents' permision. Also, try this at your own risk, we're not responsible injuries/damages/destructions around you or persons/things around you. ;P

Here's close up view;

If you dun have a badminton racket, use your tennis racket. I do not recommend squash racket... it's a lil' on the heavy side. heh heh!

Man Changes Name to Megatron

2007-07-07T00:33:00.000+08:00

PUNY HUMANS! THE GREAT NAVI is BACK! Look at this PUNY HUMAN who changed his NAME FROM Jason Michael Burrows to Jason MEGATRON Burrows.

BWAHAHAHA! HUMANS, YOU MAKE me LAUGH!

less.is.more | photography exhibition

2007-07-05T20:40:00.000+08:00

If I remember correctly, I promised Pamie that I'll do this... For those of you from Western Australia, there's an art exhibition/cocktail party in UniClub of Western Australia tomorrow. Here's the flyer:

Yups, 7pm 7/7/07... freaky coincidence! Here are some of her work.

Title: windfarm

Title: 5

Title: northam

If you're interested, I think the fee is $20 and oh... put on your proper cocktail attire. heh heh!

Emperor Nasi Goreng and the Great Wall of China

2007-07-04T23:31:00.000+08:00

Take a look at the photo below. Some of you will not get it while some will start laughing immediately!

Bigpond, Telstra’s internet service provider in Australia, has been connecting its broadband services with education, with the famous and memorable Great Wall of China television commercial. Here's the commercial.

Now the photo makes sense doesn't it? haha..! Can't believe these guys actually brought the sign all the way to China.

So what would happen if the boy had access to Broadband? He’d discover that the wall was built mainly to keep out the Mongol invaders. He’d discover that Nasi Goreng is popular Malaysian/Indonesian dish. Construction of the Great Wall of China began with under the Zhou Dynsasty when vassal states each built their own walls. Under the Qin Dynasty the walls were united, a symbol of the now united China. The wall was renovated during the Ming Dynasty.

As to rabbits in China? Calcivirus was first noticed by scientists in China in 1984. The virus has since wiped out 95 % of feral rabbits in parts of China.

Libby's Prison Break

2007-07-03T14:22:00.000+08:00

President George W. Bush spared I. Lewis Libby Jr. from prison Monday, commuting his two-and-a-half year sentence in a case connected to Washington's decision to invade Iraq. Mr. Libby was convicted of lying to federal agents investigating the leak of the name of a covert C.I.A. operative, Valerie Wilson. Mrs. Wilson’s husband, Joseph Wilson, was asked to investigate a central claim in Mr. Bush’s drive to war with Iraq — whether Iraq tried to purchase uranium from Africa. Mr. Wilson concluded that Iraq had not done that and had the temerity to share those conclusions with the American public.

It seems clear from the record that Vice President Dick Cheney organized a campaign to discredit Mr. Wilson. And Mr. Libby, who was Mr. Cheney’s chief of staff, was willing to lie to protect his boss.

Anyways... Bush's ~~disgraceful~~ action, announced hours after a panel of judges ruled that Libby, could not put off serving his sentence while he appealed his conviction.

"I respect the jury's verdict," Bush said in a statement. "But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive."

The president's decision means that Libby, 56, no longer faces the prospect of leaving his wife and two children, in what probably would have been a matter of weeks, to report to prison.

Sheeshh... even Paris Hilton had more jail time than Libby! I reckon the writers of Prison Break should learn a thing or two from Libby! heh heh! Here's a NEW sneak preview of Prison Break: Season 3.

Megatron is NOT pleased!

2007-07-02T15:31:00.000+08:00

Movie megastar, Megatron of the Transformers Movie fame went on rampage over the weekend when an inconsiderate driver took his 'parking' spot during a promotional event of the movie.

According to his agent, Megatron wasn't too pleased and DEMANDS that all humans comply to his wishes or face his wrath!

umm.. noted!

The Four Kings

2007-06-30T21:15:00.001+08:00

Here we go guys...! More magic for ya! Watch the four kings disappear one by one! :D

I've added the theme from Pirates of the Carribean here as the background music to give it sorta like an epic feel to it. heh heh. Oh.. don't blink...

Introducing Apple's iPhone

2007-06-29T14:22:00.000+08:00

Unless you've been living in a cave the past six months, there's a good chance you have heard about Apple's new iPhone, which is scheduled to go on sale today in the US.

The iPhone won't stop global warming. It won't bring peace to the Middle East. But if it lives up to even a portion of the hype, it does have the potential to change how people interact with their cell phones, computers and each other.

Apple's iPhone, combining a mobile phone, iPod and Internet browser into one handheld gadget, could represent the closest consumers have come to carrying their life with them wherever they go.

With their photos, music, videos, friends and news at their fingertips, they won't have to leave any of it behind when they're away from home or the office.

Some already have started to embrace this lifestyle with smart phones such as the BlackBerry, but none of the iPhone competitors on the market offer quite as much as Apple is promising. Looking back, the iPhone could mark a tipping point, encouraging the masses to look at their cell phone as more than a cell phone and prompting profound changes in everything from privacy to citizen journalism. It could -- assuming the iPhone succeeds -- help introduce a new age of mobile living.

Movie Review: Transformers Movie

2007-06-27T20:51:00.000+08:00

In 1984, the Transformers brand took the world by storm with its compelling saga of the "Robots in Disguise," and quickly became a childhood rite of passage with a tremendously successful toy line from Hasbro and Takara, comic book series, television program and animated feature film. Twenty years later, the franchise features a popular toy line, an animated series on Cartoon Network and a chart-topping comic book series... and this year, the film!

I must say, the new Transformers film is... pretty straightforward; big explosion, corny dialogue and an effects-laden summer blockbuster. I must say, it's better than the rest of the summer blockbuster released to-date! When you hear Optimus Prime's Autobots... ROLL OUT!, it will have goosebumps popping out on your arms... ah, the memories!

The film is an eye candy! Visually stunning! Beautiful girls, good looking guys and of course, the machines are slick, and their transformations are virtually seamless. Oh! Watch out for the Autobots VS Decepticons scenes! Man... words can't describe it!

Interestingly, it isn't just the great visual effects that makes this movie great the storyline is pretty good as well. It'll make you laugh, cheer and you may even shed a tear. However, I have only one complain! The chaaracters in the movie are introduced really fast... almost too frentic. The thing is... Michael Bay managed to capture all this so well and wrap it up in a neat little package!

Also, with all things Michael Bay, the actions sequences are pretty intense! Lotsa ~~very~~ loud explosions, insane car chase, and bullets whizzing and sparks flying everywhere!

Finally, the actors performances are excellent, most notably newcomer Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky, who really carries the film after a slightly rough start.

Overall, go see it... again and again and again...! Bring your friends, your family, your neighbour, even the guy who use to pick on you in school! I reckon this is gotta be THE best movie I've seen for a long time (since Tha Matrix). The movie so perfectly combines the greatest effects, the most incredible sound, and the coolest giant alien robot fights ever captured on film!

Ratings (Scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest)

Cast : 5
Sound : 5
Picture : 5
Storyline: 5

OVERALL : 5

Another losing session on Wall St.

2007-06-26T16:38:00.000+08:00

Stocks fell Monday(25/6) for the second straight day, thwarting an early rally, as Wall Street continued to worry about hedge funds hit by big losses in troubled securities backed by subprime mortgages.

The Dow Jones industrial (down 8.21 to 13,352.05) average fell about 8 points after having been up 100 points or more earlier.

Stocks rallied in the morning, but gains evaporated following reports that investment bank Bear Stearns may have to bail out a second hedge fund, according to a Merrill Lynch analyst. On Friday, Bear Stearns said it would provide up to $3.2 billion in financing for a struggling hedge fund it manages, which is heavily weighted with subprime debt.

Whoops, wrong graph... that's President George Bush's job approval rating. :P Haha... Bush's anemic rating is a sign Republicans are abandoning him, NBC News said. It represents a six-point drop from Bush's approval rating when the poll was last conducted in April.

Wii outselling PS3

2007-06-26T00:03:00.000+08:00

Nintendo's market value surpassed that of Sony, a company with eight times more revenue, underscoring the success of the Wii game console in outselling rival PlayStation 3.

Shares of Nintendo, based in Kyoto, western Japan, rose to a record 46,350 yen, valuing the company at 6.57 trillion yen (USD $53 billion), and overtaking Sony's 6.48 trillion yen capitalization in trading today. Nintendo's stock closed 0.8 percent lower at 45,100 yen.

Sony, which overtook Nintendo as the world's biggest console maker after PlayStation 2's introduction in 2000, suffered production delays and slow sales at its latest player. Wii's lower price and a wand-like controller that players swing like a sword or tennis racquet helped Nintendo widen its sales lead over the PlayStation 3 in Japan last month.

Google Trends chart of the Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360

Tokyo-based research firm Enterbrain Inc. said Nintendo sold 251,794 Wii machines in May in Japan, topping PlayStation 3 sales by a five-to-one margin. The PlayStation 3 trailed the Wii by four to one in April. Sales were boosted by games including ``Wii Sports'' and the latest ``Zelda'' role-playing title.

Nintendo has so far sold about 2.37 million Wii consoles in the U.S., 2 million in Japan and 1.47 million in other regions, including Europe, since the November debut...

IMHO, for Sony to keep up on the console war, Sony WILL have to do something really drastic to boost sales... here's my recommendation. ;)