"Vallina Ice-cream Puzzled General Motors"

That's the trouble when we are merely consumers of technology: we are completely helpless when things break down. When my astro remote died on me, I thought buying a new one would solve the problem. It didn't work even after following the instructions on how to set the remote. Now it is collecting dust.

The other day, the car battery died on me at my friend's office. I thought it was the connection; knocked on the battery terminals a few time thinking that it was the accummulation of 'white powder' cutting off the connection; nothing happened. Since the battery was installed only a few months back, I thought it could be an ignition problem, as the horn was completely soundless. It wasn't, it was the battery. Then the man brought along a battery fit for a BMW. To cut the story short, I went back to the shop and told them I didn't need such an expensive battery for my old junk.

My internet connection is still down and I have not bothered to call Telekoms to fix it, preferring to use my friend's office's connection; for the air-con of course. When you call them up, they say they will serve you within 24 hours, which means you are trapped the whole day in the house waiting for them to call you. And when they called you they told you they couldn't find your house. That's what happens when we are consumers.

You must be wondering why I am posting this. Well it is just to lead you to reading a true story posted here: Vanila ice-cream puzzled General Motors.

The Pesky Sales Person

We are often harassed by sales people who somehow manage to lay hold of your phone number and persistently try to sell something to you. Once I had a caller who kept pestering me to take a loan from him even though I don't need one. He kept calling me several times. The problem is that we are too nice and too polite to tell them off. How do we deal with such pests? A friend had sent an email detailing Colin Goh's solution to the problem. I have not tried it out yet.

Julian Beever's Pavement Drawings

I wonder if anyone of you have seen Julian Beever's pavement art? These are some of the drawings in 3D on the pavements of some of the countries he has visited. Enjoy the experience. To see more, visit his website.

Portable Computer

Mr Frog

Make Poverty History

Girl on beach mat

Pavement Picasso

Beneath every street...

Batman and Robin to the rescue

White water rafting

Madame Butterfly

That hemmed in feeling...

Placing the Orders

A Car for Muslims

A friend from the states recently sent this to me.



Sunday, 11 November 2007
Malaysian firm's 'Muslim car' plan

The Malaysian carmaker Proton has announced plans to develop an "Islamic car", designed for Muslim motorists.

Proton is planning on teaming up with manufacturers in Iran and Turkey to create the unique vehicle.

The car could boast special features like a compass pointing to Mecca and a dedicated space to keep a copy of the Koran and a headscarf.

The idea came during a visit to the Middle East by a delegation of Malaysian politicians and businessmen.

Malaysian press reports say officials in Iran originally suggested the idea.

Safety features or fuel economy is one way of selling a car, but Proton thinks vehicles designed specifically for Muslims across the world represent a huge gap in the market.

Proton is the most dominant car on the streets here but the company has suffered recently after the government allowed more foreign cars to be imported.

The firm has been in talks recently with VW about a takeover by the German car giant.

Are You Observant?

I found these in NIEHS Kids Page. How our eyes can deceive the way we perceive things! Try to figure out the following pictures.

Which figure in the picture is the tallest?

One face or two side views of a face?

Do you see one man or several people?

Two elderly faces or a larger scene?

A man playing a horn or a woman's face?

Let's try some word games. What do you see in the following words?

The following pictures are not animated. Focus on a a spot in a picture and everything will start moving.

Can you see a man's face hidden in the beans?

How many faces can you find?

How many horses can you spot?

Fish-skin bikini makes a splash

A report from www.straitstimes.com today revealed the latest swimwear: bikinis made from fish-skin.

A Thai model posing in a fish-skin bikini, which the makers say can 'really breathe' and is also waterproof.

Photo: REUTERS

"Thai entrepreneurs are now marketing wares made of tilapia skin after finding a way to tan it so that it resembles leather. The fish skin is used to make handbags, shoes, handicrafts and apparel.

Photo: The tilapia from http://www.seaburst.com/

Fishmongers in Thailand usually sell tilapia skin for just a few cents to street vendors who would fry them up as a cheap snack. This bikini, which has been made from 15 fish skins, will go on sale for US$75 (S$110). Its makers are hoping for orders from Europe and the United States".