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Year 2005 in review

Friday, December 30, 2005

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??!! It's almost the end of 2005. Amazing how time flies. Image hosted by Photobucket.com I'll be heading to Sydney for the New Year. Hopefully, I'll get some good pics of the fireworks on the Habour Bridge.

Here's a good and hilarious cartoon to sum up 2005... Starring none other than George Bush! Click Here! Image hosted by Photobucket.com

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ohhh... Happy New Year!!~!!! Image hosted by Photobucket.comImage hosted by Photobucket.com
posted by Ivan, 8:36 pm | link | 0 comments |

2005 TIME Magazine's Person of the Year

Thursday, December 29, 2005

Last year, I did a post on 2004 TIME's person of the year and thought that I would do the same this year...

Last week, U2 frontman Bono has been named Time magazine's Person of the Year, along with Microsoft mogul Bill Gates and his wife Melinda (yeahhh.. all rich ppl). The honour is in recognition of Bono's charity efforts and his mission to wipe out global poverty.

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"For being shrewd about doing good, for rewiring politics and re-engineering justice, for making mercy smarter and hope strategic and then daring the rest of us to follow, Bill and Melinda Gates and Bono are Time's Persons of the Year," the magazine commented. "Bono charmed and bullied and morally blackmailed the leaders of the world's richest countries into forgiving US$40 billion in debt owed by the poorest."
posted by Ivan, 6:53 pm | link | 0 comments |

Joke of the Day: 2 Cows

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

After a relatively long break, it's back to work for me. Anyways, if you're still having problem distinguishing the world polical system, here's a good anology to help you. Just call this, Global Politics 101.

SOCIALISM:
You have 2 cows and you give one to your neighbour.

COMMUNISM:
You have 2 cows; the Government takes both and gives you some milk.

FASCISM:
You have 2 cows; the Government takes both and sells you some milk.

NAZISM:
You have 2 cows. The Government takes both and shoots you.

BUREAUCRATISM:
You have 2 cows; the Government takes both, shoots one, milks the other and throws the milk away...

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM:
You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows. Later, you hire a consultant to analyze why the cow dropped dead.

A FRENCH CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You go on strike because you want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create a clever cow cartoon image called Cowkimon and market them World-Wide.

A GERMAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You reengineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows, but you don't know where they are. You break for lunch.

A RUSSIAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You count them and learn you have five cows. You count them again and learn you have 42 cows. You count them again and learn you have 2 cows. You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.

A SWISS CORPORATION:
You have 5000 cows, none of which belong to you. You charge others for storing them.

A CHINESE CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You have 300 people milking them. You claim full employment, high bovine productivity, and arrest the newsman who reported the numbers.

AN INDIAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You worship them.

A BRITISH CORPORATION:
You have two cows. Both are mad.
posted by Ivan, 6:01 pm | link | 0 comments |

Santa Sux

Monday, December 26, 2005

It's the day after Christmas and most of you should be enjoying your gifts now! I got an Altec Lansing iM3, iPod docking station. Cool. Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Anyways, here's a letter to Santa from a not-so-satisfied 9-year old customer. I've took the liberty of 'censoring' any vulgarity from the letter since this is a 'family friendly' blog. heh heh. Image hosted by Photobucket.com

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In another note, today is the one year aniversary of the devastating Asian Tsunami.
posted by Ivan, 8:37 am | link | 0 comments |

Have a magical Christmas!

Sunday, December 25, 2005

It's 25th of December already...! Can you believe it? It's almost the end of 2005! Time flies doesn't it? For me, I just wanna thank God for a wonderful year... an enventful one, but the good ones. Anyways...

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Have a good one!

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posted by Ivan, 10:43 am | link | 0 comments |

Signs of time: Santa

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Hahaha... today, EVERYTHING is outsourced! Including 'Santa'.

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My hols starts today! Image hosted by Photobucket.comImage hosted by Photobucket.com 4 days of nothing-to-dos.... nice.

Anyways, just got back from the church carols and after that, went to check out Brisbane's midnite shopping . Yeah... for the Christmas period, some shopping centres will be opened for 36 hours! Amazingly, the shopping centre that we went to was packed... and this is at 12am in the morning..! Didn't know that there were so many ppl doing their last min shopping. Here's a pic of the food court at 1am. MAD!

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I reckon, the turnout was better that expected as many stores were a little under-staffed.
posted by Ivan, 12:40 am | link | 0 comments |

3 more days to Christmas!

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Calvin and Hobbes always crack me up! Here, we see Calvin writing to Santa;

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3 more days!! The company gave us 1/2 day off 2morrow. So looks like my break starts early. heh heh!
posted by Ivan, 11:16 pm | link | 0 comments |

Things You Don't Want To Hear The Morning After Your Office Christmas Party

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Yay! Christmas is just 'round the corner! 4 more days...! Interestingly, there are lots of Christmas party around the office... something I never had while working in Malaysia... drinks, gatherings, lunches, secret santa, and more drinks... Image hosted by Photobucket.com

So, if you are having one of those Christmas party in your office, here are some things you don't wanna hear the morning after;

"Dude, are those you pants?" Image hosted by Photobucket.com

"I've never seen anyone drink so much photocopy toner."

"Hey, dude, thanks for the kidney." Image hosted by Photobucket.com

"You should sue the guy who posted those photos on the web."

"Hey, dude, thanks for your other kidney." Image hosted by Photobucket.com Image hosted by Photobucket.com

"What time this morning did the paramedics dislodge your head from the bin?"

"umm.. no this is not XYZ Corporation."

"Security! He's back!"


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posted by Ivan, 5:47 pm | link | 0 comments |

F1: McLaren signed World Champion Fernando Alonso for 2007!

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Shocking news.... McLaren stunned the Formula One world by announcing they have signed World Champion Fernando Alonso for the 2007 season. Interestingly, the move comes just days after McLaren signed a lucrative sponsorship deal with Vodafone. Conincidence?

Team boss Ron Dennis said: "It's great that our strong belief in the strength and competitiveness of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes package has been further endorsed by the World Champion."

Alonso revealed he is excited by the prospect of a new challenge at McLaren after giving Renault their first World Championship as a constructor last season.

Dennis revealed he has yet to decide which of his current drivers will make way, although Raikkonen has been strongly linked with a move to Ferrari to replace Michael Schumacher in 2007.

Quote of the Day:

"To become part of a team with such a desire to succeed and passion for performance is a dream come true for any Formula One driver." F1 2005 World Champion Fernando Alonso on his move to McLaren Mercedes in 2007.
posted by Ivan, 12:26 pm | link | 3 comments |

Mona Lisa Smile: Decoded

Monday, December 19, 2005

Now we know- Mona Lisa was 83 per cent happy, nine per cent disgusted, six per cent fearful and two per cent angry.

That's the conclusion of a University of Amsterdam computer that applied emotion-recognition software to Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, Britain's New Scientist reports.

The algorithm, developed in conjunction with the University of Illinois, tries to assess the human mood by examining key features such as the curvature of the lips and crinkles around the eyes, then makes a score with respect to six basic emotions.
posted by Ivan, 7:51 pm | link | 0 comments |

Funny Signs: Keep Japan Green, Don't Burn...

It's time of the month for funny signs! Here's an interesting one:

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I reckon no one wants to be a fire chief in Japan. Image hosted by Photobucket.com
posted by Ivan, 7:40 am | link | 0 comments |

Watching EPL on Saturdays

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Ahhh.. Saturdays! It's not secret that I love football, but being in Australia and with no Foxtel (Astro equivalent)... I hafta make do with available resources... cafe/bar on Brisbane's Queens Street Mall. Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Yeah, it's not too bad. We get to watch with friends and some fans as well, depending on the game they are showing at 10:45pm. 10:45pm!? Yeah I know.. the timing sux! Image hosted by Photobucket.com

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Looks like Man Utd reduced Chelsea's Premiership lead to six points with a 2-0 win at Aston Villa as a Rooney-inspired performance earned them their sixth victory in the last seven league games.

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posted by Ivan, 7:26 pm | link | 0 comments |

How to enjoy Sushi

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Whoah...! After watching the video, I found out that I was eating sushi THE WRONG WAY! Have you ever wondered how the Japanese eat sushi?

Click here for an absolutely hilarious video on how not to enjoy sushi in Japan.

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Ooo.. and by the way, Man Utd FINALLY ended thier nightmare-ish week with a 4-0 thumping of Wigan. Image hosted by Photobucket.com
posted by Ivan, 11:19 pm | link | 0 comments |

Getting better!

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Been sick the last few days and I'm finally recovered from flu, sore throat and coughing. Yeah.. it's that time of the year when the season change. Image hosted by Photobucket.com

It's been on average 32 degrees celcius. Hot! Image hosted by Photobucket.com

The up note is... Christmas is around the corner! Wooohooo! Finally... holidays! Image hosted by Photobucket.com

hmmm... I just noticed that I only had 1... just 1 public holiday since I've started working. In comparison, KL's already got a half a dozen!! hahaha..

Nonetheless.. I'm looking fwd to the Christmas break.

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posted by Ivan, 6:45 pm | link | 0 comments |

What I think of Alex Ferguson...

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Manchester United, drew 1-1 with lowly Everton (after being knocked out of the Champions League last week...) at home! Image hosted by Photobucket.com

After James McFadden gave Everton -- which entered the game fourth-last -- the lead in the seventh minute, Ryan Giggs tied it in the 15th. United dominated possession in the second half, though it couldn't get a shot past Richard Wright.

The result meant Liverpool stayed ahead of Manchester United in second place on goal difference, while defending champion Chelsea has a 12-point lead atop the standings with 43.

Hopeless hopeless! The team has been spiraling downwards since Beckam left... *sigh*
Just frustrating really!

Currently... this is what I think of Alex Ferguson!! Image hosted by Photobucket.com

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posted by Ivan, 6:15 pm | link | 0 comments |

Accreditation exam passed!

Monday, December 12, 2005

Thank God! I passed my first accreditation exam! After weeks of studying, I feel liberated and will be able to enjoy the christmas season! So... 1 more to go!

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Nope.. Not as easy as you think... passing mark is... 80%! Nonetheless, I can enjoy a couple of months without the reading material until the next one.

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posted by Ivan, 8:34 pm | link | 0 comments |

The 2006 World Cup Draw

Saturday, December 10, 2005

How unfortunate for Australia! After 25 years of dissapointment, Australia made it to the biggest sporting event in the world only to be drawn into the same group as world No.1 and defending champion Brazil in Group F – along with Croatia and Japan – Aus coach, Hiddink could be seen burying his head in his hands.

Here's the math, should Australia, Croatia and Japan all lose to Brazil as expected, then a win and a draw from the remaining two games would be enough for Australia to go through to the second round.

There it would meet the runner-up of Group E – the so-called 'group of death' that pits Italy against world No.2 Czech Republic, the underrated USA and the strongest of the African qualifiers Ghana.

One positive for Australia out of the draw is the location of its group games – the opener against Japan in Kaiserslautern on June 12, the big one against Brazil in Munich on June 18 and the possible decider against Croatia in Stuttgart on June 22.

All of the venues are in southern Germany, allowing Australia to base itself near Stuttgart for the entire tournament, while other nations will need to travel from one end of Germany to the other for matches.

It's first match will be against Japan.

Meanwhile, England is to face Sweden in Group B, home nation of its coach Sven-Goran Eriksson. *ouch*

Here's the wall chart;

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Team that I will support this World Cup:

England and Australia (underdog).

Sadly, I don't see the two teams making it to the semi's.
posted by Ivan, 2:14 pm | link | 0 comments |

Bowling night

Friday, December 09, 2005

For our new starter welcome/Christmas party, the manager of my dept arranged for a bowling/drinking session in a bowling/pub place in the city. It's called Strike Bowling... or something along that line...

It's been awhile since I bowled and it was great fun watching some of my coleagues who has never bowl b4. Great out-of-office fun.

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I guess what impressed me was the bowling centre. It has a pub inside and you can order beers while bowling... (yeah.. that's what made the game fun I guess) It's something like disco bowling but not too dark till you can't see the target... 12 lanes only but nice atmosphere for a party/gathering... more for non-serious bowlers.

My score? 100.. came in 4th... haha! After the game, the majority of them stayed back for drinks in the pub... since I dun really drink, just float around for a couple of mins and left.
posted by Ivan, 10:43 pm | link | 0 comments |

Man Utd: Crash and Burn.... again!

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Man Utd failed to reach the knock-out stages of the Champions League for the first time in more than a decade after a 2-1 defeat by Benfica.

Needing to beat the Portuguese champions to be sure of their place in the last 16, Sir Alex Ferguson's side again failed to win on their travels in Europe and other results on the night meant United also finished bottom of Group D and missed out on a place in the UEFA Cup in the process.

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What disappointing performance by the two-time European champions! Altough they took the lead as early as the sixth minute through Paul Scholes, everything came crashing down even before the first half was over.

Looks another disapointing season! *sigh*
posted by Ivan, 8:19 pm | link | 0 comments |

Hot and Humid!

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Ugh... I am soaked in sweat while typing this post. The weather in Brisbane shifted dramatically from wet weather to hot and humid! Last Monday, it was a high of 34 degrees celcius! Ugh!!

Makes you just wanna stay in the office during lunch. Ahh... I miss winter already. Here I am in the lift trying to look cool.

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posted by Ivan, 9:24 pm | link | 0 comments |

The M.U.N.S.A. test

Monday, December 05, 2005

Have you an unusual Intelligence? Do you find you lose interest in supposedly Interesting movies? It could be that you're one of the 5% of the population that has the mental capacity of a steaming turd! If so, you may want to join MUNSA - Mentally Unemployed and Noticeably Stupid Association.

Try the questionnaire below. The results could surprise you! If you can't even read the question, you're halfway there already - just get someone to fill out our full colour brochure at any trailing chemist, and you'll be in for some, good old fashioned non-challenging material.

Here we go...

1. Which of the following WAS one of the famous Marx Brothers?
a. STRETCH
b. SKID
c. HARPO
d. TYRE

2. The number missing from the series (1,2,4,..,16) is:
a. YELLOW
b. GERANIUM
c. 8
d. TYRE

3. The letter missing from the series (a,b,c,..,e) is:
a. z
b. b
c. d
d. TYRE

4. A man walks into a Barber Shop, with $5.00. He buys 2 lemons at 45c each, 1 Pickled Eel for $2.40, 4 packets of washing powder for $3.15 each. What will happen?
a. The Barber will wonder where all the stuffs coming from
b. He wasn't in a Barber's shop, it was a Dairy
c. The Barber will ask him if he's from MUNSA
d. Tyre

5. Two trains leave the same station, but moving in opposite directions. The first train is travelling at 50km/hr EAST, while the second one is travelling 50km/hr WEST. Which train is travelling the fastest?
a. The one going EAST
b. The one going WEST
c. Neither
d. Tyre
e. Why aren't there (e.)'s in all the other questions

6. What comes next in the series (RED, GREEN)
a. A car
b. Orange
c. Insufficient Data
d. Tyre

7. Mona Lisa was:
a. A dissatisfied Woman
b. A Song by Billy Idol
c. A painting
d. Tyre

8. The cold war was about:
a. Ice
b. Autumn
c. A few people at the top not liking each other
d. Tyre

9. Complete the following Sequence: (Tyre Tyre Tyre)
a. Tyre
b. Tyre
c. Tyre
d. Pardon?

Ok, time to total up all your marks. Those of you who haven't mastered addition yet, go straight on to the application; you're the sort of person we're looking for. If not, Give yourself 5 points for every D, -5 for every C, (+10 if you can't add negative numbers yet), 0 for every B and 0 for every A you ticked. How did you do?

90 to 50: OK! You're the sort of person we're looking for. Add 10 points to your score if you haven't got the hang of using anything but crayons yet.

50 to -20: Who's been doing late night studying then? Sorry, you're just a run of the mill pleb - push off.

-20 to -90: A computer geek I bet. Go join some place where they talk big numbers and floppy disks!

Is 85 between 90 and 50? Alright! Go to the bottom of the class! You're a leading light in our Association; get someone to fill the form in for you and welcome aboard!

What will MUNSA do for you?

MUNSA is a group of people just like yourself, and as such will have much the same interests. We'll meet once a month to watch American Game Shows (Except for our "advanced" class which will be watching the Australian Imitations), Television Dating Games, and listening to Pulic readings of Romance Novels. Also at the meetings, you'll have the opportunity to buy:

* Swamp land at ridiculously inflated prices

* Genuine Japanese imports with UNTAMPERED ODOMETERS (with scratces on it)

* "Safe" relocatable houses from Chernobyl and many many more things, as yet not exploited.

As a special initial offer, you will be given a free Brain Warning device which rings an alarm if your IQ gets above 25, in time for you to go back to your local for a couple of jugs of your favourite Weasels.
posted by Ivan, 9:20 pm | link | 0 comments |

Another wet day!

Saturday, December 03, 2005

It's Friday already and I haven't finished my month-end reporting... hopefully I'll be able to get in done on Monday.

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Yups.. it's another wet day in Brisbane. I am not complaining... it's more like I'm amaze. This is because at this time last year, you'll be hearing alot about bush fires, low dam level and stuff. But this time round... you hear about floodings, damaged electrical poles and cancelled sports games...
posted by Ivan, 12:00 am | link | 0 comments |

Lesson for the day: Email keywords

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Imagine this, you're in the office and trying to look busy at work and an email came through from your colleague, manager... etc etc. You have a glance and #$%^& !!! what is the email trying to say?! Here are some keywords that you should look out for and what it really means...

For your information, please. (FYI)
We don't know what to do with this, so please keep it.

Noted.
We don't know what to do with this, so please keep it little while.

Review and comment.
Do the dirty work so that I can forward it.

Action please.
Get yourself involved for me. Don't worry, I'll claim the credit.

For your necessary action.
It's your problem now.

Carbon Copy (popularly known as CC) to.
Here's a share of the headache.

For your approval, please.
Put your neck on the chopping board for me please.

Action is being taken.
Your correspondence is lost and we are still trying to locate it.

Your letter is receiving our attention.
We are still trying to figure out what you want.

Please discuss.
I don't know what this is, so please brief me.

For your immediate action.
Do it NOW! Or we'll all get into trouble.

Please reply soon.
Please be efficient. It makes me look inefficient.

We are investigating/processing your request with the relevant authorities.
They are causing the delay, not us.

Regards.
Thanks for reading all the BS

Heh heh!
posted by Ivan, 9:05 pm | link | 0 comments |