In the morning I went to my nenek's neighbour's house.

His name is Wan Musa but I call him Atuk Wan Musa.

He helped my father to destroy the wasps' hive.

I ate nasi minyak at his house.

After that we went back to nenek's house because we want to pray.

Then we went to restaurant Lempeng.

But it was closed.

After that we went to my father's aunty's house.

Then we went to my mother's cousin's house.

I ate nasi minyak and satay at her house.

I went to Bukit Kechil but there the hill was gone.

Then we went up Bukit Pak Apil.

I climbed 113 steps to the top of the hill.

I saw the place where they fire the bedil.

There my father took pictures of huge fire works they use for bedil.

I could see the beach from the top of Bukit Pak Apil.

We could only visited a few houses because my sister Kafah and I had diarrhoea.

My mother said I cannot drink milk.

But when my diarrhoea is over, I can drink milk again.

May be we ate too much nasi dagang yesterday.

But today I did not eat nasi dagang.

I ate nasi minyak.

nenek's house in Kuala Terengganu. The bedil sound is

boooooommmm and after  the fire works came out it

sounds tssssssssssssssss. The fire works was beautiful.

I can hear the bedil 3 times a day. 1st and 2nd for imsak

and 3rd for iftar to break our fast. Bedil is a huge fire

works. It is not dangerous because they use a timer to

fire the bedil. My dad said that long time ago they used a

cannon. Cannon is dangerous.

.

In Kuala Lumpur there is no bedil. We waited for

Maghrib azan on TV to break our fast. Just now I saw a

little house where they keep the bedil to be fired. The

house is on a hill.The hill is named Bukit Pak Apil. Do

you know what is bedil? Have you seen it?

Photo:Getty - BBC Online

LINK:: more brilliant pics @ telegraph on line
LINK: Getty Images - sport [very slow to upload page as it's so large]

A friend recently mentioned the concept of brainwashing by the television.  This is something that many people casually agree happens but usually have in mind, subtle brainwashing in advertising by companies trying to persuade people to buy their products.   What perhaps they have not considered is other forms of subconscious or even, unconscious manipulation that occurs through television and other media.  The merit for this is usually on the grounds of Health and Safety that seeks to eliminate all risk in our lives.

For example, for a long time now, certain types of programmes are preceded with a standard warning along the lines, “Warning.  Do not try this at home.  Events in this film are performed by fully trained professionals.  Do not attempt to recreate this at home.”

 Warnings also appear tagged onto the end of news items.  So the tragic story about a boy who drowned while canoeing along a fast flowing river will be accompanied by a rescue ‘professional’ telling the public that they should stay away from the dangers of such an action.  “My advice to the public would be, if you are considering going out in a small boat, make sure you only enter water that has clear signs pronouncing it safe and approved by the River Authority.”

And, “if you are thinking of having a bonfire party this year, make sure that you pay attention to instructions on fireworks.  Fireworks are dangerous.  Each year hundreds of people end up in casualty with severe injuries.  Keep children well away from fire and have a bucket of water nearby.  There are plenty of public displays you can go to which may be a safer option.”  And so on.

Even the weather forecasters are happy to tell us what to do and say things like,  “wrap up warmly today, a cold spell is approaching”  or in summer, “and don’t forget to put on plenty of sun screen today, we have a high of around 27 degrees, not much cloud cover so watch out, remember cover up!” 

The news has been thoroughly ‘dumbed’ down and includes items that could not be considered serious news.  For some reason we have regular updates on what is going on in the Big Brother household or Madonna’s marriage troubles, as if, alongside news of murders and torture in Zimbabwe or the Iraq/Afghanistan war, this is really that important or appropriate.  News casters and presenters have adopted a more cosy approach and have become bland in the process, two dimensional almost and language has been overly simplified.

There is also an increasing amount of public service announcements. Many are about drink, drugs and smoking, some are warnings against speeding and the consequences of being caught. These tend to use graphic images of seedy drug takers, smokers glued to oxygen tanks or children being run over.   

In addition to all this we now have a multitude of television programmes that tell us what to wear, what to eat, how to cook, how to decorate our homes until the character is beaten out of them and they all look the same and how to rearrange our gardens. We are told where to go on holiday or where not to and what perils may be lurking abroad.  There are dozens of life changing programs too that show us how to lose weight, take up exercise, cut up our faces and bits we don’t like and generally make ourselves over.  We are given advice about what is good for us, what is not, how much we should drink or not, how to read labels on food and told organic is best until organic proves to be less organic and more of an expensive con.  Even man’s best friend, the dog, has come under fire as we are told that we should not have them on our beds.  They are likely to have fleas and carry diseases we could catch by having them in close proximity.

Almost daily we are reminded that we are too feeble to take any risks in life and anything considered dangerous is frowned on by those that boss us all about.  Newspapers carry stories of things that have been banned on grounds of Health and Safety like the fireman’s pole considered to present a risk to hands (chaffing) or falls.  Hanging baskets came under threat in case old lamp posts should fall under the weight.  Fire extinguishers were deemed dangerous unless used by ‘trained professionals’ as if anyone is going to wait for one of those when a fire breaks out.  Metal bolts holding up Christmas lights must be individually checked.  Conker trees are being felled so as to avoid falling conkers hitting people on the head.  The list is endless. And all the while, we are watched and surveyed by an army of CCTV cameras to keep us all in check and an army of police cum social workers are on hand to rush out should we not do as we are told.  Computers now store increasing amounts of DNA and fingerprints to keep tabs on us all.

A carefree childhood is almost a thing of the past.  Endless Health and safety regulations seek to remove all risk to children.  No longer allowed to climb trees, ride bikes without safety equipment, go into a swimming pool without an adult, play conkers or hop scotch,  throw paper aeroplanes, read books with fire breathing dragons, or anything else deemed dangerously influential. They are missing out on the simple pleasures of being young .  The message by and large is that being outside is fraught with danger, (sun is too hot, paedophiles may get you) so children now spend  at least 20% of their time in front of one screen or another, TV, computers, game consoles and only about 10% walk to school.

Worse, should your child turn up at school with a graze or two and a bruise on her elbow, you could have a visit from a government snoop who may think you are abusing your child. Parents, who carefully and conscientiously  give their child the chance to take reasonable risks and assess what is dangerous in life, like letting them use a penknife, light a fire, ride a bike, swim in a lake, and thereby learn from experience, could find themselves being accused of neglect or worse.

It is not therefore surprising that the population has succumbed and been influenced into an attitude that would have seemed pathetic and weedy not so many years ago. We are being subconsciously trained to do as we are told and seem happy to trot out familiar sound bites picked up by politians with an agenda, without any desire to question them. A continued onslaught of repetitive messages, however innocuous they seem, has changed a generation from the sort of stoicism and bravery that won two world wars to a population that blindly accepts being told how to live their lives from cradle to grave by an almighty nanny state and its lapdog -  the great state broadcaster and brain-washer- television.

I digress, this year the fourth was spectacular. Too Slim and the Tail draggers where the opening and closing act for the wee ones who provided a very clever commercial advertisement for the LIBERTY LAKE ATHLETIC CLUB specifically for the Tae Kwon Do classes offered through the club.
The other highlight of the evening was the breathtaking fireworks display over the lake.
Many Familys where attending with children. I was thankful that the "friends" allowed me the opportunity to explain to my young kids the reasons for the lights, law enforcement and fire
fighting personal and their ambulance making a last minute trip to the park was not for a community relations visit, rather they where arriving as the fireworks show began to attend to a women and man who had overdosed on drugs and or alcohol and had been rendered incapacitated directly in front of the stage!

So We extend out thanks to "THE FRIENDS OF PAVILLION PARK". Thank you for hosting an event which featured public displays of intoxication and the dangers of overdosing on drugs.

  It was 4th of July today, the day started of great! I woke up to the sound of horns hooting... the parade! I got dressed and ran out the house to see the remaining of the Independence Day Parade. Unfortunately, it HAD to start raining as I ran down the street. Then as a squeezed my way through the crowd of festive shouts and cheers, finally when I got to the front of the crowd, I saw it! The finale parade float! This year it was a impersonator of Thomas Jefferson holding a piece of parchment, last year it was Paul Revere shouting that "The British are coming! The British are coming!".

  As the red-and-blue fireworks started to explode, I remembered, I was hosting my streets annual Independence Day Party! My friend was gonna come round in about 2 hours because she was working the fireworks.I haven't even got the fireworks! So I hurried down  to the store and showed my I.D. and purchased some big-booming fireworks. Then I stopped by the local grocery shop and picked up some BBQ hamburger and hot-dog buns, patties, sausages, and the other essentials for a good barbecue. I quickly went through the Dunkin' Donuts and ordered 100 donuts to be delivered after dinner, seeing as there were about 25 families coming over. Finally I got home in time to get into some nice casual clothes when my friend rung the doorbell.

  I greeted my friend in and we set up everything, which took about an hour. After all our guests arrived at my house, we got started on the grilling. Luckily, my yard is really big! Then the Dunkin Delivery and absolutly EVERYONE got at least one flavor they liked. I was happy, all was going well. It was finally time for what everyone was waiting for.... FIREWORKS!!!!! When we blew off the first one, the crowd went wild!

  After a few more fireworks went off, one went totally wrong! It went sideways and hit my neighbours house! Everyone started screaming as his house lit up! I ran inside and called the local firefighters and they came racing down the street and squirted water everywhere. My neighbour was MAD! They vowed that I should never host another 4th of July party, or if I do, DO NOT LET MY FRIEND BE THE FIRE-WORKER! Luckily the off-course firework only burnt the roof, which as my panicky neighbour is, were fire-proof. So no-one and nothing was hurt or burnt. Well, the morale of the story is.... DO NOT LET YOUR CRAZY FRIEND HANDLE THE FIREWORKS!!!!

went to holiday chalet at Kukup, Malaysia
~ took many photos with girlfriend's DSLR a.k.a Da Shan Lao Ren (大山老人)

here's some of them:

we had NDP-look-a-like fire works sia, haha !

this is where we stayed. . .

& this is our chalet !

sun rise ~ like angel coming like that right . .

this is the don't know what plant with the "breathing roots" i learned in school

Yes-Sha !!!

" i'll crush you like a cockroach ! "

arrange wrongly liao lah !
~ i arrange one. . .

our breakfast: nasi lemak with only egg and ikan bilis

very beach feeling huh
~ okay, minus the kettles. . .

we went to a fish farm which had only 2 interesting fishes (-__- ''' )
~ this is my sis & the horse-shoe crab

this is unknown & the mini shark

& this is the pufferfish carcass
~ what a boring fish farm sia . . .

eh so overall, nice experience lah, but like NS huh, one time enough liao lah . . .

more of ” Alphabet Weekends Anyday ” under the tab ” Mr A-Z “

We decided to go into Pittsburgh to see the big fireworks there.

(Photo by David Watson) Some Rights Reserved

Normally we would not attempt this sort of thing.  Traffic, parking garages, crowds of people ingesting God knows what and, worst of all, endless waiting with a small child.  But, we had a plan!  The Carnegie Science Center offered a 4th of July Sleep Over Event.  This was really too cool not to try.  Basically the idea is you get to camp out over night in the Science Center and have the run of the place when quiet hours were not in effect.   It was a long fun night.  

First we were treated to a demonstration that explained a lot about fireworks and how the various colors are made.  We then got to see a laser show in the planetarium.  We selected the" 80's at EIght" show, figuring that Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd would be too much for 6 year old S.  Next was prime seating and a snack for the fireworks.  Our view was very much like the photo above. Best of all we didn't have to save our place for hours in advance.  We were in the museum playing while the squatters had to entertain themselves out in the rain.  After the fireworks we had admission to an IMAX movie "The Alps".  Poor S was so tired at this point he asked if he could go to bed, and we did. Others still had energy to play or see the later laser shows.  In the morning a modest continental breakfast was served followed by a traditional planetarium show.  At 10:00 we could have gone over to the Sports Works complex to enjoy that part of the museum but we were just too pooped.  We could have stayed all day at the museum if we wanted, it was included as part of the package.  BTW, free parking as well!

As great as the sleep over was, the fireworks really were the highlight of the night.  Our view was fabulous and the beauty of the location really couldn't be beat.  The three rivers reflected the light of the fireworks as did PPG Place.  My work and travels have allowed me to see a lot of different fire works shows and this one was certainly one of the best I have ever seen.

I'm really glad we shook things up and did something new this year.  And, I bet we will do this again sometime, except we will have to get a better air mattress.  Sleeping was a bit of an adventure all by it's self.  

We brought an air bed with us and upon reflection I guess it was (yes, was) about 6-7 years old.  I had suspected there might be a leak in it because it was pretty limp after my BFF's son had slept on it when they were our guests for our 20th anniversary party.  So I got it out of storage and blew it up a few days early to check on it.  S and the Sandwiched's girls had even bounced around on it and it held it's air.  So I assumed all was fine.  

When we all bedded down after the movie S was out pretty quick.  This was a later than normal late night for him.  He looked so snug and comfortable.  Actually we all were.  We had elected to all sleep crosswise on the bed and it seemed pretty roomy.  The exhibit hall had become surprisingly quiet and all the clues said we would get a reasonable night's rest.   We even had a cool view of downtown from our chosen spot.  

However, before very long it was clear that we were sinking.  There was not anything to be done except to lay still and wait for the inevitable, like polar explorers caught in a storm.  By 1:30 AM the trunk of my body was touching the floor and several of my  extremities had entered a tingly sleep.  I attempted to adjust my body so that it could assume a normal sleep instead of the numbing one for which  I was headed.   Just then, the combined forces of gravity and the magnetism that a sleeping child has for his mother conspired to suck my son into the small space under my body.  I was pinned!  Unable to lie back down again I elected to go to the ladies room.  Upon my return I found that my 1/3 of the queen size mattress was now inhabited completely by S.  Worse yet, his 50 lb. frame some how managed to take up his 1/3 as well.  OK, well, I'll sleep on the floor.  It's carpeted, how bad can it be?

I cannot describe to you how hard this floor seemed when I lay upon it.  Instantly I was longing for the luxurious cushion of 2 mm of flocked vinyl provided by our slowly deflating air mattress.  It felt as if the floor was actually pushing up into me and that some how the Earth's mass had suddenly increased; gravity multiplying in response.  Clearly the carpet beneath me was some sort of clever illusion because if it was actually present there is no way I could have been that uncomfortable.

S L O W L Y, my body adjusted and I did eventually fall asleep.  How I will never know.  Perhaps the day was just so good my body didn't care!

J and I traded naps when we got home; the air mattress never made it back into the house.  It went from the van directly to the trash.

Another thing we would do (please don't try this at home!) would be to build a big bonfire. When the flames were roaring, we would hole out a circle in the middle. If we had brought an old oatmeal container, we would carefully line a couple dozen of the rockets on the outer edges, being sure the wicks were hanging on the outside. Sometimes we just stuck them in a can. Then we would walk over to the fire, carefully put the can into the middle hole - and run! Rockets would shoot out in every directions, sometimes only one or two to begin with - sometimes all at once. And of course, the braves ones were the ones who stood closest to the fire - and broke to run last.

Amazingly, we never started any fires or got seriously burned. Yes, I'll admit we were pretty stupid, but it was so much fun! I don't let my son shoot off bottle rockets now, but he longs to try it, especially after hearing all the stories.

There are fireworks in Club Penguin celebrating the month of July. You can see them at the ice berg and the mountain.

Here is a sneak peek at the new catalog. It looks like the theme for July’s catalog might be the musical instruments.

 from    http://mike92.wordpress.com

I just thought that I would share one of my best pictures today. I took this picture last year on the 4th of July. I really like how it came out! I'll will share more over the coming weeks.

Drew

there you have it! Happy New Year!

[Cue Funeral Dirge]

This post is for all the great ideas I had to post about while I was asleep, or in that blissful state of consciousness between wake and sleep, but had forgotten by the time I had a chance to get to a computer. I know I had some good blog posts in my head last night!

Like this vision of a scene with dancing dogs, flaming pineapples, Radio City Music Hall Rockettes and fire works, but I just can't piece it all together!

It's like Garrison Keillor explaining, in the introduction to Lake Wobegon Days, how he left his briefcase, containing the first draft of the book, in a public bathroom somewhere. The final product was never quite as good as that first draft started out to be. I feel his pain!

Okay, maybe this blog is not quite on the level of Garrison Keillor's work, but you know, it still hurts. I'm starting to get a lump in my throat. I've got to stop now.

I think I'll start sleeping with my laptop.

(UPDATE: Interesting revelation! I get Daniel's Daily Blog Tips updates by email everyday. Maybe I should start taking his tips like this one or this one more seriously. Ha!)

சிவகாசி, நவ. 5: பட்டாசுத் தயாரிப்புத் தொழிலில் தொழிலாளர் பற்றாக்குறையால் ஏற்படும் இழப்பைத் தடுக்க அந்தத் தொழிலில் இயந்திரமயமாக்குவது காலத்தின் கட்டாயமாகிவிட்டது.

விருதுநகர் மாவட்டம் சிவகாசியில் முழுவதும் தனிநபர்களின் முதலீடுதான் உண்டு. சிறுசிறு நிறுவனங்கள் இணைந்து நடத்தும் வர்த்தகத்தின் அளவு ஆண்டுக்கு இரண்டாயிரம் கோடி ரூபாய்க்கு மேல்.

சிவகாசியில் தொடக்க காலத்தில் கலர் மத்தாப்பு தயாரிக்கப்பட்டது. பின்னர் இந்தத் தொழில் வளர்ச்சி அடைந்து இப்போது ஆண்டுக்கு ரூ.1000 கோடிக்கு வர்த்தகம் நடைபெறுகிறது.

சுமார் 600-க்கும் மேல் பட்டாசு ஆலைகள் இங்கு உள்ளன. இந்தத் தொழிலில் நேரடியாக சுமார் 1.30 லட்சம் தொழிலாளர்களும், மறைமுகமாக சுமார் 1 லட்சம் தொழிலாளர்களும் ஈடுபட்டுள்ளனர்.

இந்த ஆண்டு இந்தத் தொழிலில் ஈடுபட்டிருந்த 25 சதவீத தொழிலாளர்கள் வேறு பணிக்குச் சென்றுவிட்டதாகக் கூறப்படுகிறது.

இந்தத் தொழிலில் சுமார் 70 சதவீதம் பெண்கள் பணிபுரிகின்றனர். திருப்பூர் உள்ளிட்ட ஊர்களில் உள்ள ஆலைகளில் 18 வயது முதல் 22 வயது வரை உள்ள பெண்களை பணியில் அமர்த்தி 3 ஆண்டு கழித்து ரூ. 1.50 லட்சம் வரை பணம் கொடுப்பதால் இங்கிருந்து பலர் அங்கு பணிக்குச் சென்றுவிட்டதாகக் கூறப்படுகிறது.

தொழிலாளர் பற்றாக்குறையால் பட்டாசு ஆலைகளில் தயாரிப்பு இலக்கை எட்ட முடியவில்லை. இதனால் இந்த ஆண்டு பட்டாசு தட்டுப்பாடு ஏற்பட்டதுடன் விலையும் அதிகரித்துவிட்டது.

பட்டாசு முழுக்க கையினால் தயாரிக்கப்படுகிறது. தீப்பெட்டித் தொழிலில் கடந்த சில ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன் இது போன்ற தொழிலாளர் பற்றாக்குறை ஏற்பட்டது. இதையடுத்து பல ஆலைகள் பகுதி இயந்திரமயமாக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதால் உற்பத்தி பெருகியதுடன் ஏற்றுமதியும் அதிகரித்துள்ளது. எனவே இப்போது தொழில் நலிவடைவதைத் தடுக்க பட்டாசு ஆலையில் இயந்திரமயமாக்கல் காலத்தின் கட்டாயம் என்றாகிவிட்டது.

சரவெடி பின்னுவதற்கு தொழிலாளர் கிடைக்காததால் இப்போது சரவெடி பட்டாசுக்கு கடும் தட்டுப்பாடு உள்ளது. சீனாவில் பட்டாசு தயாரிப்பில் இயந்திரம் புகுத்தப்பட்டு தொழில் வளர்ச்சி அடைந்து வருகிறது.

சிவகாசியில் கடந்த 3 ஆண்டுகளாக சீனத் தொழில்நுட்பத்தில் பட்டாசு தயாரிக்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது. அதே போல பட்டாசு ஆலைகளிலும் ஒரு சில பணிகளுக்கு இயந்திரத்தைப் பயன்படுத்தினால் தொழில் வளர்ச்சி அடைய வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது.

இது குறித்து விருதுநகர் மாவட்ட பட்டாசு மற்றும் திப்பெட்டி தொழிலாளர் சிஐடியு சங்கத் தலைவர் ஜே.லாசர் கூறியது:

பல தொழிலாளர்கள் வேறுபணிக்கு சென்றுவிட்டனர் என்பது உண்மைதான். பட்டாசு தொழிலாளர்களுக்கு கூலி குறைவாகக் கிடைக்கிறது. ஆண்களுக்கு தினசரி சம்பளமாக ரூ. 40, பெண்களுக்கு ரூ.30 தான் கிடைக்கிறது.

பட்டாசு தயாரிப்பில் ஒப்பந்தமுறை உள்ளது. பணிப் பாதுகாப்பு இல்லாத நிலை உள்ளது. எனவே தொழிலாளர் தங்கள் தேவையை நிறைவேற்றும் பணிக்கு செல்லத் தொடங்கிவிட்டனர் என்றார்.

பட்டாசு ஆலை அதிபர் சீனிவாசன் கூறியது:

தீப்பெட்டி ஆலைகளில் இயந்திரம் வைக்க சட்டதிட்டங்கள் கடுமையாக இல்லை. பட்டாசு ஆலைகளில் பணிபுரியும் தொழிலாளர்களின் உயிருக்கும் உடைமைக்கும் பாதுகாப்பு அளிக்க வேண்டியுள்ளது.

எனவே நினைத்தவுடன் இயந்திரத்தைப் பயன்படுத்த முடியாது. இயந்திரம் பயன்படுத்த வேண்டும் என்றால் மத்திய அரசின் வெடிபொருள் கட்டுப்பாட்டுத் துறையின் ஒப்புதல் பெற வேண்டும். அந்த இயந்திரத்தை அமைக்க ஆலையின் உள்கட்டமைப்பை மாற்ற வேண்டும். இது பட்டாசு தயாரிப்பில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ளோருக்கு முடியாத காரியம். எனினும் படிப்படியாக இயந்திரமயமாக்க வேண்டும் என்றால் மத்திய அரசின் ஒத்துழைப்பு மிகவும் அவசியம் என்றார்.