I Got Tear Gassed

What a day! After all the pre-event nonsense by Najib & The Gang, 9 July 2011 has finally arrived. You bet that I’ll be there.

Getting into KL city centre proved to be as nightmarish as I expected it to be. First I had to survive the massive road blockage at the Subang toll plaza along Federal Highway. (Had to take Federal Highway as NKVE was a no go). The police officers were just rubbish. How can they actually differentiate who’s going to the Bersih 2.0 rally and who’s not? Were they expecting us to be happily clad in yellow? It is clear that their intention is simply to cause inconvenience to the public. Most of the time, they just stand by the side and let the cars pass in a single file.

Traffic was crystal clear from then onwards. Then came another road block right after the Sunway exit. But kudos to Malaysians. Everyone was surprisingly very patient. No silly cutting in here, cutting in there like normal days. It seems that if you are on the road today, you are already mentally prepared for the slowdown.

Turned into NPE and we decided to change our meeting point from Times Square to the KTM KL Railway Station. Parked my friend's  car at the Petaling Komuter Station. When the train came… oh my oh my… the sardine packed coaches…

(Note: I’ve not hopped on our public train in a long long time. Hehe… Yah, kinda spoilt with the ‘own transport’ way of life).

Managed to get myself in with the coach door closing right at my butt. A large number of the passengers were on their way to the Bersih 2.0 rally too. Brilliant! People were openly exchanging latest news with each another.

I finally got into KL some 2.5 hours after I left the airport. I survived the blockages and hurdles! It took me much more trouble. People, next time stop giving excuses, if you have the will you will get there. And I bet a huge score of people took a much longer time to get into KL. Think of the out-stationers. Hats off to them.

From the KTM Station, I followed the crowd who were walking towards Klang Bus Station/Pasar Seni LRT Station, then Jalan Sultan and then Kota Raya/Pudu Bus Station hotspot. And that’s when I first got into the ‘action’. The crowd had gathered in numbers. And PDRM greeted my arrival with shots of tear gas. How nice of them. Helter skelter ensued la. Took refuge at Hotel Ancasa entrance where I met up with a friend from my hometown.

It was about 2.00 pm and then the rain started. It was raining cats and dogs. Adui… Why la today… And the organizers got us moving towards Stadium Merdeka. Talk about soaked wet. Bersih 2.0 was turning into a wet t-shirt contest.

(Note: Ladies, next time please try to not come for an open rally in white. Malaysia is well known for heavy downpours. Not very decent when you are all soaked wet in white).

The rally was really multi-racial. Am very surprised. I did not expect to see the Chinese coming out in numbers. We know the spirited Malays are always up for it. The Indians too; as they have shown in the past. But the Chinese turnout was fantastic. Well done! It was a truly Bangsa Malaysia rally. And of all ages too. Countless aunties and uncles, makciks and pakciks. Am very heartened that the 20s and 30s took it upon them to leave the air-conds (as I did) and iPads to jointly show the might of the rakyat. Najib & Gang, you guys seriously have to wake up. Malaysia is a little different today from 10 years ago.

(Note: Some parents thought it fit to make the rally a family event and brought along their little ones. The intention is good but I would advise against it. We are all very civilized and well behaved, but there is always 'them' who fire tear gas at us for no reason whatsoever. And it causes panic and a mad scramble for fresh air).

As we walked towards Stadium Merdeka, smaller groups joined us from junctions and the number just get larger and larger. I wouldn’t know how to put a figure to the headcount but it was a lot. (Definitely not 6,000 a certain figure-challenged IGP claim lor...)

Everything was in a very orderly manner. Why the surrounding shops shut business is beyond me. For heaven’s sake, what do you take us to be? We are not Perkasa’s thugs or Umno ‘Mat Rempit’ Youth. We are the very people you sell your goods to everyday. And you fear us now? There were some smart traders selling drinks and ice-creams and I bet you they all made a little fortune for themselves today. And the 7-11s too. Who dare steal even a bottle of mineral water? Do you know how many of us were out there on the streets? We can patrol ourselves better than the police will ever be. There wasn’t even any pushing or shoving around the stores and stalls. Yes, that is how civilize we are. Hidup rakyat!

Oh and the chants! Endless “Hidup Hidup”, Hidup Rakyat”, “Bersih Bersih” “Hidup Bersih”. Some got creative and even started singing Rasa Sayang, Jingling Nona… Soaked wet we may be, but our spirits were never dampen. The crowd just gets you going. There were simply so many ‘semangat’ fellas around, somebody will start something when things seem to slowdown.

Failing to get into Stadium Merdeka, we got moving to Central Market. It is fun when you move in numbers. You can really feel the power of the people. Sorry folks… It is non-describable. You can read, you can see the videos, but you’ll never feel it unless you are there. Nobody cares what colour your skin is. Nobody cares what your religion is. Nobody cares where you come from. We are simply... the rakyat.

 

When we got to the Central Market area, the police were already there waiting. We were just hanging around waiting for the next wave of marchers to join us. And then the barbarians started shooting tear gas at us. For what? We weren’t even doing anything.

 

At about 3.40pm, Wong Chin Huat decided to end our side of the rally. He climbed on an elevated structure and was trying to deliver the ending message to us. At this point, we were at the junction of Jalan Sultan and Jalan Hang Kasturi (where Klang Bus Station and Pasar Seni LRT Station are). Here we were, getting a "go home" message and the barbarians started shooting tear gas canisters at us again. Those blardie idiots! They don’t shoot into empty space to prevent you from moving forward. They shoot right into the crowd for god knows what sadistic reasons. I saw a canister flew past us into Level 1 of Klang Bus Station behind us. I turned around and saw a canister headed straight at us; leaving a comet like trail in its flying path. It landed a couple of metres from me. There was no mistake that I was at ground zero of a landed sting bomb. Stinging gas particles rapidly fought us head on for airspace. Martha-farking-bitch it hurts. We ran for fresh air. Oh it blardie hurts! I held my breath earlier but the throat burns. The mouth burns. Somehow the gas didn’t get my eyes (tear gas not hurting my eyes? hmmm…). The upper lips burns. The pain… Fark! Fark! Fark!

Some experienced rally-ers were handing out salt, took some and I felt better a while later. But the pain still lingers.

We were now pushed further back of the Pasar Seni LRT stop. Wong Chin Huat finally gave his thank you speech and ended with Negaraku. And the chantings of course. "Hidup Rakyat".

The crowd refused to leave. Everyone continued to linger under the Pasar Seni LRT station. Maybe we were expecting more. As we were ‘loitering’ beneath the LRT station, the darn coppers came charging at us. They started shooting rounds and rounds of tear gas at us… into the under-belly of the LRT stations. And they came charging trying to nab us. What the fark? Sudah bersurai lah. Cannot just hang around is it? There was no longer any chanting whatsoever. I would say that most people were just taking a rest or figuring out how to get home. We may be at an LRT station, but the trains are skipping the station. And they attacked us! Blardie idiots la the men in blue.

The group finally moved towards Sentral and dispersed.

We may not have been able to get all supporters at 1 place to show our united number and might. We may not have been able to hand over the petition to the DYMM Agong. But the objectives of Bersih 2.0 had already been achieved days ago. Najib & Gang were plain stupid to have fallen right into the pithole. We all knew that EC is never going to give a damn about whatever we are seeking. Bersih 2.0 has further shown the people how evil the BN government is and can be. Bersih 2.0 has convinced more people that a change in government is needed for this country. Scores of fence-sitters have now swung away from BN. Many of us are still not convinced by Pakatan Rakyat but more Malaysians now believe in the need for a 2 party system. And for that, the tyranny of BN has to end.

It's really funny that had Najib allowed for the Bersih 2.0 rally, the fence sitters would have given him a chance to proof his reforms and agendas. After all, he would have been seen to be democratic, moderate and fair. But he chose to suppress the rakyat in the most ungentlemanly behaviour full to the brim with untrustworthiness and indignity.

Isn't it ironic how Najib and his 'less than bright' cousin have main-casted their own downfalls.

DEMOCRACY MALAYSIAN STYLE

WHO FINALLY WINS AND WHO LOOSES?

Disgusting………..that’s what I can conclude after monitoring the ugly happenings around the city over the Bersih rally. Disgusting, because the government has allowed the police absolute freedom to do what they think is legally correct, thus absolving any blame and responsibility should the situation deteriorate into anarchy and complete public disorder. Is this a responsible government that we yearn to have; the slogan blaring government of ‘Rakyat di dahulukan; Pencapaian di utamakan’. That slogan has no relevance now and it is best that it be changed to ‘Rakyat diperbodohkan; Kuasa memerintah dikekalkan’.

What I saw is likened to a state that is under severe emergency rule where people are just being picked up randomly and paraded into caged vehicles. Such a scene is what I regularly view happening in some third world down trodden African states on Al Jazeera TV network. Where these caged people are taken to is unknown, but hopefully they are being fed and kept alive. There wasn’t any looting, burning or killers running amok by Bersih supporters that had been drummed up endlessly by the government, its media and leaders prior to the rally. It was peaceful by all standards and clearly it was a people’s show of unity to demand what is rightfully theirs, that is, free and fair elections.

The ugly situation that Malaysians and the entire world witnessed today, I believe could have been avoided, if parties to this whole episode have placed the nation’s interest first before self. Common sense has to prevail and although the parties may not be able to reach a conclusive understanding or agreement over some dissenting issues, the least is that an effort has been made to get parties to talk and to develop some comforting levels of understanding. Cutting off any attempt at a negotiation between the parties is totally wrong, and this will further incite intolerance, bitterness and hate. This is what happened between the government and all other parties. But who are we to blame? Are the demands by Bersih too difficult to meet? Or is the government by declaring that Bersih is an unlawful organization; hence the Bersih rally is automatically declared an illegal assembly that need no further consideration?

Bersih’s primary agenda and demand is purely for an election reform, which is suspect, flawed and abused to favour the ruling government during an election. Proof of that has been made known to the Election Commission (EC) and the government on several occasions, but was never given a good hearing. It would appear that what is good for the EC is deemed good for the people. The use of the indelible ink that was to be applied during the last GE was somehow withdrawn the very last minute for reasons best known to the EC. The largest democracy in the world i.e. India had used the indelible ink to a great success. Even some down trodden African states had use it, so why can’t we, if indeed we are a practitioner of democracy of the western model? Losing public money for the purchase of the indelible ink and later throwing it away is of no concern. It’s the people’s money anyway; not mine, so why worry. There is no public accountability, no conscience.

Some lessons of this afternoon’s rally have to be learnt by both Bersih and the government’s apparatus.  The main loser can only be realized in the next few days or months when world opinion begins to be heard and foreign direct investment begins to dwindle, and it will only be then that the full brunt of the government’s folly will be felt.

CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge

SELF-ANCHORED SUSPENSION SPAN

 

If one single element bestows the status of world-class on the new Bay Bridge, it is the Self-Anchored Suspension (SAS) Span. This engineering marvel will be the world's largest SAS bridge (2,047 feet). 

The SAS is not just another suspension bridge. Traditional main cable suspension bridges have twin cables with smaller suspender cables connected to them. These cables hold up the roadbed and are anchored to separate structures in the ground. While there will appear to be two main cables on the SAS, there is actually only one. This single cable is anchored within the eastern end of the roadway. The cable is carried over a single tower and wraps around the two side-by-side decks at the western end. 

The SAS, and the rest of the new East Span, is being built to the north of the existing bridge. By switching from the existing East Span's double-decks to side-by-side roadways, drivers will enjoy unencumbered and expansive views of the Bay Area as they pass beneath an angled canopy of suspension cables. The SAS, and Skyway, will feature a 15-foot-wide cantilevered bicycle and pedestrian path on the eastbound side of the bridge, so those traveling on foot or two wheels between Oakland and Yerba Buena Island (YBI) can enjoy those majestic views of the Bay as well. 

The new SAS bridge echoes the existing towers of the West Span, as well as the towers on the Golden Gate Bridge. All vertical elements of the SAS – the tower, piers and lights – have been designed to emphasize its clean modern lines. Adding to its distinctiveness is the asymmetrical design. The bridge will have a longer forward span (east of the tower), which will provide a more gradual transition from the gently sloping Skyway, and will give the new East Span a unique silhouette. While the new East Span will have side-by-side decks, those decks will transition to a double-deck structure at YBI, to carry traffic through the YBI tunnel and onto the West Span. 

The design features state-of-the-art seismic safety elements and will provide the East Span with a modern, streamlined appearance. Rising 525 feet above mean sea level and embedded in rock, the single-tower span is designed to withstand a massive earthquake. The single steel tower will be made up of four separate legs connected by shear link beams, which function in the same way as a fuse in an electrical circuit. These beams will absorb most of the impact from an earthquake, preventing damage to the tower legs. In addition, if one of the legs is damaged, the other legs will keep the bridge standing.

Using BIM to Improve Processes

The construction technology for the BIM (building information modeling) process continues to get better and better as time progresses, and construction companies continue to find new ways to improve the process. While some construction firms use 3D models to provide a good visual representation for the owner, others in the industry are looking even further to 4D scheduling and 5D estimating.

While contractors continue to push the BIM envelope, technology providers play an enabling role in helping improve the process—namely by creating new modules and features to help improve the technology for the industry. While BIM is already a powerful tool in the construction industry, upgrades are hitting the market all the time.

One recent example is the new version of the Vico Office Suite from construction software and services provider, Vico Software, www.vicosoftware.com, Boulder, Colo.

Vico Office enables users to launch a BIM authoring application that can then be used to perform a variety of functions including on-site production control, quantity takeoffs, model-based estimating and scheduling, as well as a constructability analysis.

The new version of Vico Office contains a number of enhancements such as interoperability with a wider range of BIM-authoring systems, which enables users to import CAD-Duct and IFC file formats.

The software can be used to convert any system used for cost estimating into a BIM-based system. Additionally, users have complete visibility into any changes made to a project in regards to system cost, quantities, and unit prices, and they can even analyze the differences in names of takeoff items used at different points in a project or separate projects.

Vico Office also comes with a Constructability Manager that allows users to perform clash detection, compare different models, as well as identify issues regarding the constructability of a project.

While BIM is a great tool for managing information about a building as it is being built, the technology also serves as an effective way to help contractors speed up processes. From 3D modeling to 5D estimating, there are a number of new capabilities contractors can do to enable the BIM process.

The Face of Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg opens up.

by Jose Antonio Vargas

The C.E.O. of Facebook wants to create, and dominate, 

a new kind of Internet.

Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook in his college dorm room six years ago. Five hundred million people have joined since, and eight hundred and seventy-nine of them are his friends. The site is a directory of the world’s people, and a place for private citizens to create public identities. You sign up and start posting information about yourself: photographs, employment history, why you are peeved right now with the gummy-bear selection at Rite Aid or bullish about prospects for peace in the Middle East. Some of the information can be seen only by your friends; some is available to friends of friends; some is available to anyone. Facebook’s privacy policies are confusing to many people, and the company has changed them frequently, almost always allowing more information to be exposed in more ways.

According to his Facebook profile, Zuckerberg has three sisters (Randi, Donna, and Arielle), all of whom he’s friends with. He’s friends with his parents, Karen and Edward Zuckerberg. He graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy and attended Harvard University. He’s a fan of the comedian Andy Samberg and counts among his favorite musicians Green Day, Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, and Shakira. He is twenty-six years old.

Zuckerberg cites “Minimalism,” “Revolutions,” and “Eliminating Desire” as interests. He likes “Ender’s Game,” a coming-of-age science-fiction saga by Orson Scott Card, which tells the story of Andrew (Ender) Wiggin, a gifted child who masters computer war games and later realizes that he’s involved in a real war. He lists no other books on his profile.

Zuckerberg’s Facebook friends have access to his e-mail address and his cell-phone number. They can browse his photograph albums, like one titled “The Great Goat Roast of 2009,” a record of an event held in his back yard. They know that, in early July, upon returning from the annual Allen & Company retreat for Hollywood moguls, Wall Street tycoons, and tech titans, he became Facebook friends with Barry Diller. Soon afterward, Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page, “Is there a site that streams the World Cup final online? (I don’t own a TV.)”

Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/09/20/100920fa_fact_vargas?currentPage=all#ixzz13HNda6h4

Secrets of the Great Titanic Disaster Revealed

Louise Patten revealed in her new book, Good As Gold, that human error was the main cause of the great Titanic disaster in 1912.

 

The granddaughter of Second Officer Charles Lightoller who served in the liner and knew what happened on April 14 1912, revealed that the ship had plenty of time to avoid crashing into the iceberg and not because it failed to see it earlier as widely believed.

According to the book, the disaster was caused by a steering error where the helmsman panicked, took a wrong turn, and caused the famous voyeur to struck the iceberg, the Telegraph reported.

"They could have easily avoided the iceberg if it wasn't for the blunder," she was quoted as saying in the daily.

Patten's book also claimed that the First Officer William Murdoch saw the iceberg two miles away but his command "hard a starboard" was misinterpreted.

She blamed the Tiller and Rudder steering systems in operation for the disaster as the command "hard a starboard" meant turn the wheel right under the Tiller system, but turn left under the Rudder system.  

The family secret was kept for nearly 100 years because Lightoller decided to cover up the error worrying that it might cause White Star Line, Titanic's owner, to go bankrupt while his colleagues lose their jobs.

Titanic hit the iceberg on April 14 1912 and sank in between 11.40pm until 2.20am on April 15, causing some 1,500 casualties.

A SIMPLE COMPUTER PROBLEM?

My grateful thanks to a friend for sending me the following post. When making your way to Open Houses or for holidays, please drive safely. Have a nice day everyone. Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri!

_______________________________________

"Technical Support, how can I help you?"

FEMALE CALLER: "Last night my computer started making a lot of hissing noises at me so I shut it down. This morning when I turned it on the computer started hissing and cracking, then started smoking and a bad smell, then nothing."

TECH SUPPORT: "I will have a technician come over first thing this morning. Leave the computer just like it is, so they can find the problem and fix it, or change it out with another computer. Give me your address; phone number and the technician will be there just as soon as he can."

When the technician got there, the lady showed him where the computer was, said what happened to it, and this is what the technician found wrong ....

Take a look at the pictures... YOU WON'T BELIEVE YOUR EYES....

And you thought YOU had computer problems!!!

The technician told her,... "it must have been after the mouse!"

The woman didn't think that was funny at all!


Computer Repair

Caller: Hi, our printer is not working.

Customer Service: What is wrong with it?

Caller: Mouse is jammed.

Customer Service: Mouse? ... Printers don't have mouse!!!

Caller: Mmmmmm?? ... Oh really? ... I'll send you a picture ...