O&G: Not For The Faint Hearted

I'm sorry I can only update my blog now; I'm having some major (i mean major!) situation at the refinery I'm working at. Basically it involves a lifted 46" feed pipe into the distillation column. Basically we are not quite sure what caused the lifting, and we are now looking at the possibility of the incorrect settings on the support spring systems. Long story short; the maintenance team are put on standby 24/7. To make things more interesting, I am covering both the maintenance planner and the mechanical supervisor job.

I'm not here to talk or ramble about what is going on; I rather talk about the experiences gained from these major challenges. Despite the good pay, being in the O&G industry is indeed tough. It's a dynamic work environment; anything can happen in anytime, and it takes sheer determination, hardwork and being plain nuts and crazy to survive in this world. Imagine, being called early in the morning if something came up then requires urgent attention; imagine working 18-20 hours straight without proper rest. We are also juggling our acts up in pressing situations; we have scaffoldings to erect, insulations team on standby, bolting crew, even heavy lifting machinery. Operations, Engineering, and Technology will sync up their mind body and soul to complete the tasks at hand. Every second counts, because in the end, time is money (literally speaking!). We are indeed playing with our lives in our everyday worklife. At sometime, even our body could not cope with the workload and stress; not to mention our biological clock gone nuts due to working shifts; lack of sleep and so on. So in the end if you guys complaining that we got paid so much, trust me..we deserved every single cent.

Till the next post...

On A Stroll...

Yaya (my sister) and I went to OU this afternoon. The plan in our minds are to watch The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button; turns out the reception of the movie want's something to be curious of! Only a handful of seats left (mind you, it's in the front row!) In the end, we thought 'Nah, we'll just watch Valkyrie then'. Got our tickets, and we went for a stroll along the shops. I was thinking of looking for some stuffs for my upcoming car; all those mengarut things you can think off: funny signs, air fresheners, decos for the dashboard...

As we walk along, we bumped into this mini exhibition. It's a Photos For The Future exhibition, joint hosted by The History Channel and Astro. There lies some collection of photos taken way back then. We're talking the 60's and 70's era y'all! You can see old pictures of siblings, weddings, even that old shop your dad and mum used to go to. Owh, there's even a shot of an old-skool barbershop. Nowadays, you can only see those modern, hip and trendy salons. It's a fascinating thing to see, in my opinion because in the end, every picture tells a story, a fascinating chapter of our life. For more info, visit the website.

Now, back to the movie. Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise is a depiction of the assasination attempt towards the one and only - Adolf Hitler (in case you're wondering, yes..it is based on a true story of an actual event). God knows who much we hate (or love) him, and there's has been numerous attempts to assasinate him (I think there has been like what, 15 times?). The issue discussed in the movie is very sensitive and it is in my opinion a serious movie. The name Valkyrie, as what I'd understood, refers to a secret operation approved by Hitler, to be executed in the event of disruption or breakdown of law and order. I'm no good when it comes to history, but I think the depiction is accurate, the realism the film tries to bring is great, it's authenticity is established..not to mention, the cast has been splendid. I would give it a 4/5 due to Cruise's excellent potrayal as one of the key-plotters and the issue brought into hand (Germans? Nazis? Hitler? what's not to like?)

Till the next post...

Coming Soon...A New Ride Joining The Family

Hey peeps, how's it going? Hope that you guys are having a good weekend. Anyway, just a brief update; my new ride is coming soon! (well technically, the car is already at the showroom). My mum and I went to the Honda showroom yesterday to check out the car and to settle a few things before we finalized anything. Unfortunately we waited for about 45 minutes, as my SA is entertaining another customer. We then get to business. First thing first: interest rates! Earlier, my loan has been approved with rates of 2.87% (I think!), but I've reading through the forums on the web, and found out that the rates have dropped up to 2.6%. So I was like 'I should get those rates too.' Before I address my concern, my SA asked me if the bank by any chance had called me. Wow, is he like psychic? Then he spilled the good news, the current interest rate is 2.54%. I was like, 'Alright! Cool!'. That translates into savings of about RM50-ish (I know it's not much, but it is something, right?)

Then comes the second issue: registration number. I have yet to get the number that I want! We are still waiting for the tendering process in Kelantan. So, I've asked my SA to get his contacts to check out the number that I want here in KL, the price and all that. If not, the car might just be registered under some crappy number and we'll change it later.

Then comes the fun part: final negotiation. I've kept my head and my gut ready, and I started asking it bluntly, 'So, is there anything on the table that you can offer me before I signed anything? Again, I hope that this relationship will not stop here. If you managed to give me something good, I might recommend you to anybody interested in getting a Honda.' He then asked me, 'What exactly are you looking for?' He caught the bait, huhu..Without any hesitation, I was like 'Well, perhaps some cash rebates, tinting discounts, free accessories, etc2'. To make this even more 'interesting', suddenly there's this one uncle joning us and started babbling again and again about how tinting works, what to choose from, and he goes on and on about car security systems which I have never heard before. Obviously I showed him a little interest of what he talked about (Come on! we lived in a digital age, Internet is our source. I dare not say this, but to some extent, we users are more knowledgable than you are! So don't you dare try to outsmart us!).

After all that verbal torture of what that uncle has to offer, the uncle then left (hahhh, a sign of relief!) We continued with our negotiations. We finally get something! (at least better than nothing right) We got some discounts on the bodykit, and the DP. I'm not revealing values, but let's just say it makes me a happy customer. He also promised me some goodies from Honda (I'm looking at shirts, keychains, caps, umbrella)

And so, my mum and I returned home smiling. We got what we want. We'll then wait patiently to collect our car (SA still needs to settle the registration, fixing the bodykits). If everything goes right, the new ride will be brought home by next week! Woohoo..Till the next post, jaane!

I Want I Want I Want! (you'll be seeing a lot of this post in the future)

I have no idea of what to post for today (I'm posting this from my home PC, as you know my laptop screen kaput!) So I've decided to post my wishlist for drooling (with hope that I can afford it someday, or someone is willing to give me, haha) So what do we have for today?

1) Tag Heuer Aquaracer Man Calibre S Regatta


2) HTC Touch HD or HTC Touch Diamond White (I'm having trouble deciding...)


3) Audi A4

Stoopid Laptop Screen Flickering!

Dammit dammit dammit! My laptop has a screen problem. I don't know if it's the driver problem or what, but now my screen is sakit, and now even my eyes felt tired of watching it. Tried to boot it via safe mode, but the problem persists (so I don't think it's the driver issue, it's the f@%king screen!)..Arghhhh! I've lost my appetite to blog (just in case you're wondering where the heck am I). So, signing off!

Today's The Day To Work Your Magic

It's a start of another working week. I just want to share with you an advert by JC Penney. For me, it's a simple and refreshing advert presented in a creative manner. The theme is simple: Today's The Day To Work Your Magic. So, start working your magic people! Happy working:)

p/s: Sometimes I wonder why don't we have adverts of such creative calibre in our country? Are our minds not that imaginative?

HSE Tips: Post No.1

For the place I'm working at, safety is the pinnacle in our day to day operations. There is a saying in our practice, 'No work is so urgent that we cannot take time to do it safely'. For that, I think it's good to have some safety and health tips to be shared to all of you; courtesy of the Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) department. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure of the relevancy of these tips, so I'm open to comments!

Health - Important Tips

Answer the phone by LEFT ear

Do not drink coffee TWICE a day

Do not take pills with COOL water

Do not have HUGE meals after 5pm

Reduce the amount of TEA you consume

Reduce the amount of OILY food you consume

Drink more WATER in the morning, less at night

Keep your distance from hand phone CHARGERS

Do not use headphones/earphone for LONG period of time

Best sleeping time is from 10pm at night to 6am in the morning

Do not lie down immediately after taking medicine before sleeping

When battery is down to the LAST grid/bar, do not answer the phone as the radiation is 1000 times

Jogging Is...Love?

Good morning all. This is rather an early post; I just got back from my morning jog at the Kiara Park. This is the 4th time I spent time towards my journey of a healthier lifestyle (more to come, you can count on that!)

I've decided to post this based on what I have observed from my jogging hour spent. Malaysia is indeed a great place to live in. If I have to put it in a phrase, I would say 'there's a lot of love among Malaysians'. There are scenes that just...fascinates me. Apart from the obvious (jogging for the sake of loving your mind, body and soul, d'uhh), there is this other side of love. You can see love of peace and harmony (you can see a bunch of mature folks doing aerobics and taichi together, not just the Chinese!). Then you'll see families, friends, even neighbours jogging (or walking..hey, whatever works for you) together and bond with each other. I even saw one auntie being pushed on a wheelchair by her caretaker. I saw young kids and toddlers of age 3-4 years walking and playing around happily..Then, there are nature lovers who have their DSLRs on their side...Sometimes you don't even realise it, but these little things on the end will make you smile and made the rest of your day...

Ok, I'm done. Breakfast awaits! Jaane!

Happy Valentine's Day

Hey guys, wishing all of you a Happy Valentine's Day. To those who have already found their love, i wish nothing but the best to both of you, may your affections toward each other grow stronger and stronger everyday. To those singletons out there, Valentine's are not only meant for couples, it's about being with someone you cared for; be it your family or friends. As for me...well, let's just say my love life has not been colourful lately...and deep inside, I still hope that we can still work things out. I even bought her some Patchi's, just for the sake of today. She has always been the person that I love most, and regardless of what had happened, I have never stopped loving her..

Speaking of expressing your feelings this Valentine's Day, there are tonnes of songs out there to suit your ever complex moods you are in. As for me, I'm gonna choose Ne-Yo's 'Mad' as my tune for today. So, if you are in a similar mood frequency as I am in, this song's for you. Have a good day...


Mad - Ne-yo Music Code

Boy Oh Boy Will They Hate To Hear About This...

'They' as in our beloved G of course. I happened to read in The Star Online, that Malaysia has not been transparent enough on its budget information disclosure. Check this out.

Published: Friday February 13, 2009 MYT 5:02:00 PM
Updated: Friday February 13, 2009 MYT 6:06:14 PM

Malaysia's budget transparency: ‘Surprised and embarrassed'

By LOH FOON FONG

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia scored a dismal 35 out of 100 points in the Open Budget Index (OBI) 2008 and is ranked 53rd out of 85 countries, prompting Centre for Public Policy Studies chairman Tan Sri Dr Ramon Navaratnam to declare he was “surprised and embarrassed.”

Malaysia is now listed under the “minimal information” category on Budget information provided by the Government, behind countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

“I am surprised and embarassed to know that our Budget is not as transparent as it should be,” Navaratnam said.

“I urge the Government to make the Budget more transparent,” he said, adding that information should trickle down to the grassroots, especially those in rural areas.

On that note, he said there is a general feeling that people do not know much about the first stimulus package, and that the Government should provide more information such as which states and areas are getting the funds and who are getting them.

Foreign investors are also interested because it would reveal the risk factors in doing business.

Navaratnam pointed out that there were two main documents that lack public accessibility in Malaysia -- the Citizen’s Budget (a simplified version of the enacted Budget) and the mid-year review on revenues and expenditure.

He said he will bring up the matter with Treasury officials, and consult the Washington-based International Budget Partnership, the non-governmental organisation that compiled the OBI Index.

He will also consult countries that are doing well on ways to improve the Malaysian index.

According to the report, the minimal information provided by the Malaysian Government makes it quite difficult for citizens to hold government accountable for its management of the public’s money.

The Budget information used was based on information in 2007 and in providing information, with the categories being extensive, significant, some, minimal or no information.

Britain, South Africa, France, New Zealand and the United States ranked the highest in the OBI, where their governments provided “extensive information.”

It was found that 80% of the world’s governments failed to provide adequate information for the public.

The key documents that should be made accessible to the public are the pre-Budget statement, Executive’s budget proposal, Citizen’s Budget, In-year Reports, Mid-year Review, Year-end Report and Audit Report.

The survey covered 124 questions on budget development -- formulation, legislative approval, implementation and audit.

This was the second time the OBI was compiled, and the first time Malaysia participated.

To be honest, I'm not exactly surprised with this news. It's not like they have been open as to who is getting what, breakdowns of states receiving respective budgets, etc2. Even earlier when the oil price sky-rocketed, people started questioning of where do all the money earned by the government from taxes of PETRONAS (which is a huge sum btw) go to, instead of improving our own transportation infrastructure.

I bet there will be comments in tomorrow or Sunday's newspaper, condemning the survey as being rubbish, having inaccurate data and loopholes here and there, and asks the OBI committee to get their facts straight. It's a typical blaming culture if you ask me, and it would be better for the wise minds to sit down together and asks if 'we can do something about it'.

In The Spirit Of 'Idol'...

Well, it's that time of the year again; another season of American Idol. Hollywood week is over, and the finalist will now compete to be the next big thing. In the spirit of celebrating the upcoming eighth season, I brought you...one of the funniest 'Idol' videos I've ever watched. This is from 'Bulgarian Idol'. Enjoy:)

ACD As It Happens...

0005hrs: I went to bed after a short revision, hoping that I could get a good night's sleep

0215hrs: I woke up. I was like WTF? baru pukul 2?

0430hrs: I woke up again. Whoaa, this ACD thing really messed up my sleep! dammit!!

0550hrs: Woke up 30 mins earlier than I should. Went straight to the bathroom (typical pre-assessment/exams nervous breakdown routine). After the morning bath, went for another short revision (minus the TV!)

0810hrs: Arrived at office. Went straight to print out the self-assessment forms (which in the end are not used...crap..)

1030hrs: When to the 'supposed' assessment venue. Turned out to be a different room (2 rooms with similar names)...double dammit!

1055hrs: Arrived at the correct venue with 5 minutes to spare for extra oxygen to stimulate those brain neurons.

1100hrs: Let the humiliation and embarrassment attack begins! Two assessors were there, an SM of Exploration Division, and a maintenance manager. Judging by the words coming out of their mouth, they sure are experts in their field. I was there for like 2 1/2 hours, and there are plenty of emmmm, hmmmm, ahhhh...alamak I forgot moments. But it didnt turned out ALL bad! There are questions which I managed to answer (or rather respond and give input to). And the assessors are not really freaky, they have the tendency to guide me to the right answer to their questions. Let's not forget that there are finger foods and fruits served, and they were eating while asking me questions (I just don't have the appetite as they are having). Time really does fly slowly during that moment.

1320hrs: At last, I'm done! banyak jugak kena fire ngan assessor, soalan maut2. And in the end I was like, ahhh let's think about it later...What a relief, it feels like some really heavy burden has just been released from my shoulders, hahaha...But i heard that 2 1/2 hours was not so bad (or maybe it's because I can't answer a lot that the session was shorter). I was informed that there are sessions which lasted up to 4 hours (3 hour typically). And suddenly it came to me, 'Actually how well did I do just now eh?' Well, we'll see the results in a week's time, perhaps?

Till the next post...

Valentine's Gift Idea: A Lambo Heels?

Haha, check this out. This was taken from Zero To Hundred website of what is later found as a mock advertisement (even I actually believed that it was real at first!)

Own several Lamborghini’s? Can’t get enough of the Italian raging bull? Did you also happen to recently piss off one of your many mistresses? Then here’s your chance to make it up to her this Valentine’s by donning her in one of these seriously hot Lamborghini high heels. That’s right, high f’in heels.

But here’s the catch, there are some things that money just can’t buy and this is sadly one of them. Enterprising CGSociety member, Tim Cooper, created these ultra-fine (and likely ultra-lightweight) white and carbon fiber Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera high heels using a pair of his wife’s heels and hundreds of Gallardo images from around the ‘net. He modeled and rendered them in Modo and added the smoke and text in Photoshop for this mock advertisement.

We are sorry if you jumped into you Lambo and sped off in search of these heels but we’re hoping you didn’t mention anything or show this to your mistress because then, you’d really have to make it up to her once she finds out its not available. As for these heels, chances are, you might just find a pair at selected stores in a few months time. Ferrari to follow suit with ultra red hot heels? Wait and see.

Dammit! I am supposed to do my final study for tomorrow's ACD...I'm gonna be screwed. 2 days of late nights, when the heck am I supposed to study...arghhhhh screw it ACD! I'll just answer whatever I can...details to be posted tomorrow...

Seen And Heard: Slumdog Millionaire

For the past few weeks it has been the awards buzz; there was the Golden Globe Awards and Screen Actors Guild. Apart from seeing the people in gorgeous couture, the awards show is about seeing the best movies. One of the nominated movies for best picture (and I think it won!) was this film called Slumdog Millionaire. It's basically a mid-budget film shot mostly in India, and the story is about a boy who becomes a contestant of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire'. He then got arrested under the suspicion of cheating due to his ability to answer most of the questions. His life story was then unfold in the movie. Can't reveal much as that would be a spoiler. But I'm surprised to find out that it was a wonderful movie! It's funny, sad, and entertaining at the same time. Definitely one of the must-see movies this year. Trailers can be watched at Apple's trailer site The next movie on my list is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, another Best Picture nominee, which I think will be released sometime mid or late February. Stay tune for my post!

New Honda City vs. Peugeot 308: And The Winner Is...

I finally managed to get my ass up to the Peugeot showroom in TTDI Plaza. And there they were; the two hot French chicks; the 308VTi and 308 Turbo. Without any hesitation, I jumped straight into her awesome body (don't start thinking pervy stuff eh). Yadaa yadaa yadaa...the interior was as expected for a continental car; polished, refined, sturdy. You can't help it but to like it. The exterior; what can I say...In fact, what do you say when cross some hot chick...Woww, enough said, haha...

Anyway, off to the test drive. I've tested the Turbo version one (coz' according to my dad, it's not worth testing the VTi due to its similarity with the Honda City). The test route was rather a long one (which is good!) and I started revving it hard up to 140km/h and 5000rpm, twitching around the steering wheel and the gearing systems...The Turbo version, honestly speaking...does not dissappoint at all! It is car to be enjoyed. I'm not an expert on cars, by I do feel the greatness and the rush of enjoyment upon driving it.

Now comes the interesting bit; which do I choose? After some deliberation and deep thoughts...I chose the Honda. There are a few factors. Reasons being 1) It's sub 100K price (don't think I wanna start paying big bucks for a first car 2) The new City is indeed a nice looking car with decent features 3) Unknown aspects of the maintenance, reliability, workmanship of Naza 4) My car is to be made available during this month (woohoo!). But (there's a but) I would strongly recommend the Turbo version to all of you guys out there who's looking for a car for a fun driving. That Mini Cooper powerplant inside the sexy Lion will not let you down...

And so, I'm done..the 308 is now out of my system (or is it?). I'm now waiting eagerly for my City...

One After The Other...

How's it going people? I've been lil' bit occupied these 2 days. Arrived in KL at about 9pm last night. Relatives from Kelantan are here for a few days. We went for dinner, and head to Abe Ja's house in Damansara Damai for a visit. Enyel was not feeling well (which explains his lack of energy to amuse people)

Then this morning, we went to 1 Utama. I have my own agenda going there. I am gonna shoe-shop! I have decided that I will make this year a start on the healthy lifestyle. And so, I've decided to start jogging during the weekends (or whenever I'm free). So, headed to Nike. Been a fanatic and fanboy of Nike products since like forever (sorry Adidas, but you kinda suck), got myself the Lunar Trainer running shoes (costed me RM15 shy of RM400), and a 3/4 Nike Fit pants. I went back home, feeling so bersemangat to start my jogging quest. Then at about 5ish, went to sent my relatives to LCCT. On my way back, went for a short stop at Naza Peugeot's showroom in TTDI Plaza. The 308's are there (VTi and Turbo) waiting to be tested. I looked at my watch; it's already 7pm. Dammit! I'll make time to come to test the French hottie tomorrow then.

Indeed I am in a dilemma. I've booked the new Honda City, and now the French hottie caught my attention. To make things 'interesting', the SA Honda all of a sudden called me. That damn bugger! macam tau2 pulak aku nak usha Peugeot..Anyway, I didn't answer his call, he left a message; my car should be available by the end of the month. I can't give my final answer till I have tested the 308. Sexy body, a powerplant similarly used by the MINI Cooper, continental interior setup, what's not to like? Well, we'll find out tomorrow. Honda or Peugeot? Japanese or French chick? Decisions, decisions, decisions...

Owh, before I forget..the acts to perform at Sunburst KL 2009 has been announced. Looking at the lists, honestly speaking, the line-ups kinda suck! Big time! Who the fuck is gonna pay 200ish to watch some local bands (which we can watch live at Laundry during Campur Chart). And only one international act! (what the fuck is wrong with you Pinapple Concerts!) You brought Incubus, John Legend and many more acts last year. I expected more from you guys! And on top of that, of all the international acts, you brought N.E.R.D? What a disappointment..I have lost my mood to watch the performances. Unless they are planning to announce more later (which is happen to be my sister, Yaya's theory - they will announce the great acts later, so that the public will end up buying the more expensive tickets to watch it), I'm not gonna go! Seriously, I mean it.

Alrighty then, I'm off. Damn, I'm supposed to do a little studying today. Satu hapak pun tak baca, hahaha...oyasumi nasai

I So Wanna Punch Someone In The Face...That Fucking Retard!

My header caught your attention, eh? Hehe, fortunately it's not you, nor is anybody else (well, maybe not, I have someone who I wanna punch in the face..you'll understand what I meant in the next few sentences). I was on my way back from office and I tuned in to Fly FM's Rush Hour. Jules and Prem suddenly brought up this website 'People Who Deserve It'. Basically it's a website that lists down kinds of people that you encounter in your life that sometimes you think 'This fella deserves a good punch in the face'. Among my favourites are (which I have personally encountered in my life):

1. The Guy Who Shits In Toilets Without Flushing (not to mention Losers Who Pisses On Toilet Seat) (gross, enough said)
   
2. Movie Seat Kicker
3. Ringtone DJ (those arseholes playing ringtones like there's nothing else to do)
4. The 'Reply All' Guy (annoying office colleagues who simply reply all or forward anything)
   
5. Two-Park Parker (drivers who passed their driving tests, yet are dumb enough to park in between two parking spots)

I've also posted a link in my 'interesting' section. So who do you wanna punch in the face?

Seen and Heard: KC and the Sunshine Band - Give It Up

Here's a song I heard from Mix.FM, and it sure brings back memories. Retro songs always bring up such a happy feeling (at least that's how I feel whenever I listen to this sort of song). Enjoy:)
download

KC and the Sunshine Band - Give It Up (1983)

Everybody wants you
Everybody wants your love
I'd just like to make you mine all night

Na, na, na, na, na, na,
na, na, na, na, na
Baby give it up
Give it up
Baby give it up
Na, na, na, na, na, na,
na, na, na, na, na
Baby give it up
Give it up
Baby give it up

Everybody sees you
Everybody looks and stares
I'd just like to make you mine all mine

Na, na, na, na, na, na,
na, na, na, na, na
Baby give it up
Give it up
Baby give it up
Na, na, na, na, na, na,
na, na, na, na, na
Baby give it up
Give it up
Baby give it up
Can you give it
Can you give it
Give it up

Come on baby I need your love
Do you know I want it baby
Come on baby I want your love
Give it up, some of your love
Come on and play the game of love

'Dah Keje Pun Kena Study' 101 - Materials

Haha, now I know what're you thinking...well, actually I don't. Okay here's the thing, I'm supposed to have this assessment thingy next week. In today's fast paced environment, even your competencies and capabilities have to be accelerated in order to survive the working world (which is sad, but true, and I hate it turned out this way). Anyway, the company I'm working for is having this initiative called ACD - Accelerated Capability Development for this. For the young engineers, that means one thing: start cranking up your brain...again. And so, just to help myself studying and to share some info with all of you. Let's talk about what to study. Lesson 1: Materials (warning: things might get technical, hoho..)

Basically, there are 3 factors affecting materials selection in engineering: temperature, pressure and service (basically the medium the equipment will be subjected to; whether it is toxic, corrosive, operated at marine environment and stuff). So at low temperatures, the usage of carbon steel is already sufficient in fabrication. But when the temparature starts to increase, then the usage of low alloy carbon steel or even stainless steel seemed to be a better fit. Even when the operating temperature is well below 0 (zero) degress Celcius (like in air separation units to produce liquid oxygen, liquid nitrogen) , usage of material such as nickel and aluminium is more appropriate. (due to it's better properties against heat, better strength, etc.)

Mechanical engineers usually refer to some codes and standards as a guide in the day-to-day work. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has a solid, comprehensive guidelines on materials. ASME II classifies material mainly into two: metallic and non-metallic. Under metallic, we have ferrous unalloyed (strictly iron compound), ferrous alloyed (iron with some alloy compound) and non-ferrous (metals other than iron).

For non-metallic, we have tonnes of names to throw at (I do not remember all the names!), categorized into a few groups. We have thermoplastics (soften at increased temperature, hardens at reduced temperature like PVC), thermosets (fibreglass), elastometrics (rubber-like properties), fibre reinforced (contain fibres such as carbon, aramid and glass), and insulation (rockwool, calcium silicate, refractory bricks which are meant for thermal insulation). These non-metallic materials are also group into its resistance to chemical attacks, whereby the most non-resistant ones will subject to cracking, swelling, brittlement and decomposition.

Told you that it's gonna get technical, right? Well, I'm just sharing what I know (and what I have studied so far). I hope I have shared the correct knowledge; if not I apologize. Logging off now...

A Manic Monday Indeed...

Hey all. I just got back from this Chinese dinner organized by my department; basically to celebrate the completion of project we're involved in (more on that in the future, perhaps..too tired to tell you guys about it now). I was the emcee for the ceremony (yet again..FYI, I am now the unofficial emcee for my department). I've been taking the emcee job for many occasions now. Of course it's a good thing career wise as you increase your so-called 'visibility' to the top management (the CEO was there, GMs and SMs were there), but sometimes you can't help it but to think 'Aisehhh, takde orang lain lagi ker nak jadi...'(loosely translated means Gosh, like there is no one else..). Well, what's done is done, mission accomplished, got myself a few praises from the attendees (as well as from my boss, huhu)...

So, what's with today you ask? Was that the only thing I did? Let me brief you what happened today. I only found out that I've got to be the emcee this morning. I have to prepare the text, find out who's coming, who's giving the speeches, bla bla bla. To make things worst, my laptop suddenly got this blue screen of death (you know what I'm talking about, do you?), and my text files got corrupted. So I have to redo it again2, bla bla...Didn't even got the change to ask for my boss to review it; it's all on me..aiyoooo. Then we had this meeting in the morning. Then we have another session on our assessments (more on that on the later posts), what topics to cover, bla bla bla again..and that ends around 4-ish, and I still haven't produced the final emcee text...

Anyway, enough of me babbling about routine stuffs. Before I log off, here's a cartoon strip which evolves around..teamwork! I've decided to post it as it relates to the key to the successful completion of our job, which is repeatedly emphasized by the CEO..till the next post (with hope that I'll maintain my self-discipline), signing off; roger and out...

Seen and Heard: Katy Perry - Thinking Of You

Just got back from dinner. Pian, one of my good friend is here in Malacca; attending this course about petroleum engineering. Anyway, took him to Pak Putra for a cheese and butter naan & tandoori chicken. I've managed to convince him that it's one of the best:)

Anyway, here's another tune found for my private collection. From the women who brought you the catchy tunes of 'I Kissed A Girl' and 'Hot and Cold', it's the latest single from Katy Perry, 'Thinking Of You'. It's a great song in my opinion. This is one of those songs about the fact that you never forget about someone you truly love, even after you're no longer together (Now that I mentioned, I do have a couple more songs of the same theme, maybe I'll share it with you guys later) Till then, happy listening:)
download

I guess I'm logging off now. Till the next post, oyasumi nasai...

Seen and Heard: Funny Cat Hits The Dog

For my blog, I'm going to introduce a new section called Seen and Heard (S&H) Basically every week I'll try my best to publish or upload any form of media that interests me; and hopefully does interest you as well. It can be songs that I fancy, creative adverts, or some funny viral videos in YouTube.

Anyway, today's S&H is a viral video. Bad kitty(or should I say gooood kitty)hehe..Enjoy:)

Picasa Web Albums

Just a quick update. I've established my Picasa Web Albums; basically I've uploaded some pics from my student years, my family, my travel journeys and many more. There will more to come, so feel free to pay a visit. Also, I've put a widget on my blog. Enjoy:)

Australian Open 09 Showdown: The Wizard vs The Bullfighter

Today's match is not to be missed. The classic showdown revisited: Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal. Both players have displayed exceptional talent is this year's first Grand Slam. Roger has been back into his ever-famous gameplay, with his precision shot-making. His semifinal against Andy Roddick proved that point. Watching his game is like watching a master conductor perfecting his orchestra; it was just magical. And Rafa, have you checked out the semifinal match against his fellow Spaniard, Fernando Verdasco? Man oh man, it was unreal! The match took 5 hours and 14mins to complete! Insane! That was the longest match to date in the Australian Open. Both players have displayed sheer determination, superb shots were made. What can I say, the audience in the Rod Laver arena got what they paid for! Spellbinding tennis action.

Can they repeat the quality of their great Wimbledon 08 showdown? I have a feeling they can. My money today is on Roger. He is back in his A game, and he will emerge victory. Of course, Rafa will not just give it away. Victory is to be respectfully earned, and it may take Roger 5 sets just to get it. Tune in to Star Sports today, or if you can't you can listen to the radio commentary here

Owh before i forget, congrats to Serena on winning her 10th Grand Slam title. To be honest, I don't really follow the women's match after the letdown of Ana Ivanovic..sighh

Update: Unbelievable! The Spaniard wins! I am speechless, he never showed any signs of fatigue playing for 4hrs 23mins. Unbelievable, a truly deserving victory for Rafa. Congrats!