Cleffairy's Blog, page 171

Calling All National Geographic Fans: Premier of Explorer Top 125

For 125 years, National Geographic has been at the forefront in exploration, conservation and scientific research. But exploration is about more than just climbing mountains and crossing oceans. It means asking tough questions, taking on challenges, and relentlessly pushing toward the next frontier. Exploration is also about getting involved, breaking down barriers and looking at the world in a whole new way.

 

In celebration of the National Geographic Society’s 125th anniversary, National Geographic Channel is launching EXPLORER TOP 125 – one night each week throughout 2013 dedicated to the hot shots, the mavericks, and the best in their field who have devoted their lives to exploring the world around us and the ground-breaking discoveries that are making a difference. Each week throughout 2013, EXPLORER TOP 125 will feature exciting world-premieres as well as award-winning, critically-acclaimed programming that has left audiences and critics asking for more. As part of the year-long campaign, luxury watch brand Rolex will be joining National Geographic Channel as the global partner for Explorer Top 125 in 2013.

 

EXPLORER TOP 125 kicks off in January with A NEW AGE OF EXPLORATION, a 125th Anniversary Special premiering on 12 January 2013 at 10pm exclusively on National Geographic Channel (Astro Ch 553). Trek across the globe, plunge the greatest depths, investigate the microcosm of the human genome and explore distant regions in space to uncover mind-blowing discoveries and the latest innovations. Meet the trailblazers who are working on the unexplored frontiers of human imagination and innovation. A NEW AGE OF EXPLORATION also captures the compelling behind-the-scenes stories that make going to extremes worth the blood, sweat and tears.

 

A NEW AGE OF EXPLORATION features legendary National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence Robert Ballard who discovered Titanic’s location, and emerging explorers like Albert Lin who is using virtual reality and the latest advances in satellite imagery to find and excavate the lost tomb of Genghis Kahn – without removing a single stone. Find out how surgeon Sam Bhayani is uniting man and machine to achieve super-human results in the battle against cancer. Watch as intrepid virus hunters like Dr. Gary Kobinger put their lives on the line to develop break-through biological weapons that could stop the deadly Ebola virus once and for all. Join storm chaser Tim Samaras on the ultimate dare-devil hunt for one of the most mysterious phenomena on our planet: lightning. Then see how anthropologist and geneticist Spencer Wells and the Genographic Project are charting the incredible history of our ancestors one cheek swab at a time.

 

As 2013 unfolds, EXPLORER TOP 125 will continue to celebrate the spirit of exploration with other exciting world-premieres and critically-acclaimed programming – from leading the ultimate cold-case investigation into the Titanic’s final moments with Oscar-winning filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence James Cameron to following a husband and wife filmmaking team over their 30 year quest to trek lions and leopards through Africa’s harshest environments. EXPLORER TOP 125 will also champion a new age of exploration by inspiring viewers to take action through a variety of online initiatives that can change the world right in their own communities and across the planet.

 

Be sure to watch the Explorer Top 125 series premiering on 12 January 2013 at 10pm exclusively on National Geographic Channel (Astro Ch 553) and thereafter every Saturday at 10.00pm.

 

EXPLORER TOP 125 PROGRAMMING INCLUDES:

 

JANUARY

 

A New Age of Exploration

 

12 January 2013 at 10pm

 

Like characters from science fiction, humans are shattering boundaries long considered unbreakable. We are exploring the deepest, darkest regions of the planet as well as the edges of the known Universe. We’re morphing with machines and eradicating disease. Meet the trailblazers who are working on the unexplored frontiers of exploration and innovation. Join Dr. Gary Kobinger as he battles the world’s deadliest viruses and designs a blueprint for stopping the next pandemic. Tag along with storm chaser, Tim Samaras as he attempts to do the impossible: film a lightning bolt the moment it hits the ground using a camera so powerful, it can shoot at one million frames per second. Travel to Mongolia where research scientist and engineer, Albert Lin believes he’s located the burial ground of the legendary warrior Genghis Khan. Join explorer and filmmaker James Cameron as he dives into the darkest depths of the ocean and accompany Bob Ballard as he deploys a network of underwater scientists around the world to explore the uncharted mysteries of the deep. Experience an incredible odyssey that reveals that superhuman abilities lie not just in strength or intelligence but in the dogged determination of the human spirit to continually seek the next frontier.

 

TITANIC: The Final Word with James Cameron

 

12 January 2013 at 11pm

 

Oscar-winning filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence James Cameron leads the ultimate cold-case investigation into the legendary tragedy that claimed more than 1,500 lives. Combining remarkable underwater footage from Cameron’s 30+ dives to the wreck, historical records, eyewitness accounts and scenes from Cameron’s 1997 feature film, a team of the world’s foremost Titanic experts tries to answer the baffling questions that still surround how and why this supposedly “unsinkable” ship sank. How exactly did the ship break up? Why is one section of the ship so far away from the rest of the wreck? How long did the lights really stay on? And what could the ship’s crew have done to save more passengers? Cameron and his team of forensic experts throw everything they have at a tragedy that still intrigues and fascinates a century later.

 

The Human Family Tree

 

19 January 2013 at 10pm

 

Regardless of race, country or creed, we can all trace our genetic lineage back some 60,000 years ago to the cradle of humanity in east Africa. But how did we get to where we are today and what did our collective journey look like? When did we really first cross paths with the “strangers” living in our neighbourhood? Join the Genographic team as they take random DNA samples from 200 New Yorkers to trace the ancestral footsteps of humanity and reveal just how inter-connected they really are. Using a selection of people from various walks of life, including a waitress, a teacher, a fashion designer, a councilman, a musician, an actor and a mother, find out how this seemingly disparate group of people are actually members of the same family tree.

 

Last Lioness

 

20 January 2013 at 12.00am

 

She has no pride, no support, and she alone must safeguard her own survival. Her name is Lady Liuwa, and she is the last lioness in the Liuwa Plain in Zambia. Isolated by a scourge of illegal trophy hunting that wiped out the rest of the lions in the region, Lady Liuwa is the only known resident lion. For four years, cameraman Herbert Brauer watched her life unfold, until, in her solitude, she reached out to him for companionship. But Brauer knows he is not the companion this lioness needs – she should be amongst her own kind. Now, in May of 2009, plans for introducing a male lion have come through, and there is hope that Lady Liuwa will no longer be alone.

 

Stonehenge Decoded

 

26 January 2013 at 10pm

 

Shrouded in mystery for more than 4,500 years, British archaeologist Mike Parker Pearson offers a ground-breaking theory on Stonehenge – one that places this ancient monument at the centre of one the largest prehistoric religious complexes in the world. His team is unearthing surprising new evidence, supporting a radical new vision of Stonehenge and the people who built it. Parker Pearson believes that Stonehenge was built for the ancestors, a monument in stone to house the spirits of the dead. His excavations reveal that it was linked by grand processional avenues to another great circle, built of wood. And now further evidence suggests what may have happened here: on those special days, at the summer and winter solstices, thousands of people gathered from across Britain – and perhaps beyond – for two great festivals that marked the cycle of their year, and their lives.

 

The Two Million Year Old Boy

 

26 January 2013 at 11pm

 

A nine-year-old boy makes one of the greatest fossil finds of all time, stumbling onto the two-million-year-old skeleton of a pre-human boy, and throwing everything we thought we knew about our own origins up in the air. Dated to just under two million years the creature would have lived at a key moment in time…one shrouded in mystery. It is one of the biggest gaps in humankind’s evolutionary timeline – the moment when scientists believe hominids were leaving their apelike attributes behind…creatures with one foot in the animal world and one in the human radically jumble the conservative field of palaeoanthropology. Now, one controversial man at the centre of it all fights for a new way of doing science and proves that the spirit of discovery lives on. As we explore the mystery of how a newly-discovered pre-human species lived and died, we may begin to answer the ultimate question of how we became human.

 

FEBRUARY

 

What Lies Beneath: Draining the Ocean

 

2 February 2013 at 10pm

 

This is a world you have never seen before – a world normally hidden under miles of water, the landscape of the ocean bed. Combining the latest scientific data with state of the art CGI computer hardware and specially written software, we drain the water from the oceans to reveal the mountains, canyons, plains and volcanoes that are more dramatic than anything on dry land.

 

Super Pride

 

3 February 2013 at 12.00am

 

The Serengeti in northern Tanzania teems with apex predators. But none compare to the king of beasts: the lion. The Serengeti sustains one of the biggest lion populations in Africa, hosting approximately 3,500 lions that live in 300 individual prides. But in the central Serengeti, one pride reigns supreme – a Super Pride boasting 22 robust members. Few lion prides ever reach this status. The phenomenon requires practically perfect conditions including plenty of prey and resilient males who can successfully fight off rogue males again and again. Keeping the cubs alive to maturity so they can pass on their genes is the Super Pride’s ultimate goal. Often the greatest threat to a lion cub’s life comes from male lions outside the pride who want a pride of their own and a harem of lionesses that are ready to reproduce.

 

Darwin’s Lost Voyage

 

9 February 2013 at 11pm

 

Armand Leroi leads us on an unforgettable adventure, uncovering the evidence that inspired Darwin’s revolutionary work.

 

Big Cat Odyssey

 

10 February 2013 at 12.00am

 

Join explorers as they follow lions and leopards through the night to find out what makes the cats unique in this environment.

 

Deep Sea Under The Pole

 

16 February 2013 at 10pm

 

Follow our fearless crew to dive into the frigid waters of the Arctic to discover an awe-inspiring silent universe under the ice.

 

Hunt for the Giant Squid

 

16 February 2013 at 11pm

 

Hunt for the Giant Squid will be a magical mystery tour through the some of the most unbelievable scenes nature has to offer: Glowing and flashing of living organisms – bioluminescence – that will lead us from shallow reefs to the realm of the giant squid.

 

Intimate Enemies

 

17 February 2013 at 12.00am

 

We film the life and death struggle of two of the most powerful animals in nature: the lion and the water buffalo.

 

 

 

Secrets of The Taj Mahal

 

23 February 2013 at 11pm

 

The Taj Mahal: Symbol of India, architectural jewel, and monument to a grand passion.

 

Night Of The Lion

 

24 February 2013 at 12.00am

 

With the use of specially developed starlight and thermal cameras, we reveal the truth about the lion’s hunting behaviour at night.

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They got it easy

I don’t mean to sound bitter, because for what it’s worth, I know God gives us what we deserved. But I do wonder why some people, especially kids and teenagers these days got it so easy. Most get spoiled rotten by their parents with gadgets and whatnot, and some college kids even owned a big shot and classy car even before they graduated. Made me wonder what the world is coming to and what sort of values materialistic parents are teaching children these days? That it is all right to substitute their time with worldly items?

I know most parents these days could afford giving their children cars and stuff, but how about teaching the kids to earn what they want instead of just taking handouts from their parents? I don’t know what the world is coming to anymore. Not when I see college brats driving flashy cars and yet they do not have to work for it or pay installments for it. And especially not when I see kindergarten kids holding hi-tech gadgets and smartphone whenever they go around shopping with their parents! And hell… why the hell some primary school kids get to boss their maids around carrying their bags when they goes to school and returns to school? Good gracious, most unheard of during my time! I had to carry my own bags to the point that I had hunchback, no less! I bet these kids gets their oversea holidays once or twice a year too!

Cleffairy: I never got it easy when I was growing up. If I want something, I will have to earn it.

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Gardenia vs. Massimo

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If you’re living in Malaysia, there’s a big chance that you have eaten Gardenia, the local sandwich loaf that’s been produced commercially. It used to be my first choice for my family’s bread intake. The loaf used to be so fluffy, soft, and not to mention quite thick, but ever since Massimo appeared in the market with a huge ‘BANG’ (there’s political, racial issue and whatnot behind Massimo’s appearance, but I’m not gonna talk about that today), my choice has always been Massimo.

Massimo is a must have item in my kitchen ever since the first time I’ve tasted it. In terms of taste and pricing, Massimo is much nicer to the taste-buds and also much kinder to the pocket. A regular loaf of Massimo bread only cost me Rm2.10 if I were to buy it at promotional introductory price in KK Mart.  It’s really great for me, as I’m a huge fan of a good toast during breakfast and supper.

My son, who is previously not quite a bread fan, is also turning into one after being introduced to Massimo. He no longer mind having half boiled eggs with toasts after switching to Massimo, which is really great, in my humble opinion.

Massimo sandwich bread is rather soft when you take it on its own, and goes really fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside when it’s toasted. I don’t get that from Gardenia. Well, not in the recent years, at least. Gardenia was great when it was just introduced, but it seems to me that the quality has somehow dropped after a few years time. I don’t feel that it’s worth paying for a loaf of Gardenia sandwich loaf anymore, though I still go for their other products like Twiggies, chocolate bread, buns or even instant waffles every now and then when I feel like it.

I have come to realize that Massimo sandwich loaf lasts longer in comparison to Gardenia too. It doesn’t go stale easily and does not have any bread fungus grown on it even after two or three days beyond its expiry date. (Yea, I eat those sandwich loaf even if it’s after the expiry dates, as long as it doesn’t have any fungus on it. So, sue me. LOL)

So, I’ve ditched Gardenia for good and opt for the cheaper but better quality Massimo sandwich bread instead. How about you?

 

Cleffairy: I  always choose a cheaper, but better quality foodstuff if I have the option to do so. How about you?

 

 

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Security Modesto

Do you plan ahead in your life? I’m not the sort of person who plans ahead. I have the tendency to move with the flow, and reacts accordingly to the situation instead of making plans beforehand. Planning is not my forte, and more often than not, I found that my plans are always ruined whenever it comes to planning big things in my life. Things never go as planned, but these days, I’m giving quite a big thought about my retirement plans.

I know I’m not even in my 30s yet, and it’s far too early to even consider a retirement, I think about it a lot lately. Perhaps it’s the stress and the terrible exhaustion that I’m experiencing that causes me to give retirement plans a thought. I suppose it’s a form of escapism. Things are getting too much for me to handle at times that I thought and dreamed of retiring in a place where nobody knows me.

But retiring is quite a serious business. I wonder what I’ll do when I finally retired? Will I get bored with the mundane life? Can I get used to such a life when I’m used to buzzing around everyday? And where will I retire and spend the rest of my life? The answer to my own questions is I don’t know how it would be like when I retired, but I do have a vision of where I want to live when I’m retired.

I want to live in Modesto, California. Why Modesto, of all the place, you ask me? Well, Modesto seems to be quite a decent place to live. It’s not only lively and colorful, but have good weather all year-long too. Pretty relaxing and quite a laid back place, I must say. Away from the true blue city life that’s so hectic that it can give you severe migraine daily.

The people in Modesto are  pretty friendly, and there’s plenty of secured neighborhood around too, thanks to Security Modesto, a security service provider company that provides a top-notch security service to the good folks in Modesto.

Security guard Modesto  is the best around in Modesto. They came highly recommended by the folks in Modesto.  I have a friend who lives in Modesto and she told me that they are well-known for being professional, on time and not to mention helpful and easy to work with as well. They have been providing great service to the residents and businesses in Modesto, and you definitely can count on them to keep you safe on all occasion.

That’s really great isn’t it? One of the most important thing you should consider when you move to a new place during your golden years is not only a great neighborhood with modern amnesty, but great security as well. I suppose if I were to retire in Modesto and live with my husband along with my cats and dogs, security should not be an issue as long as I subscribe to their excellent security service.

Now, I’ve told you where I want to live when I finally retired. How about you? Do you have a retirement plan? Where do you want to live when you’re finally retired? Do you have any specific place in mind? Do share. I’d love to hear about it.

 

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Hello, 2013!

This crazy lil fellow just escaped from North Pole and dropped by to say “Happy new year 2013 to all”. So yeah…have a great one, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s start it with a bang.

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Hello 2013

This crazy lil fellow just escaped from North Pole and dropped by to say “Happy new year 2013 to all”. So yeah…have a great one, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s start it with a bang.

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I’m a nutcase

I was bored out of my skin and got nothing better to do. So, I took this personality test suggested by my Facebook friend for fun. This is what I got.

 

Personality Disorder Test Results

Paranoid
||||||||||||||||
70%


Schizoid
||||
18%


Schizotypal
||||||||||||||||||
74%


Antisocial
||||||||||||||||||
74%


Borderline
||||||||||||||||
62%


Histrionic
||||||||||||||||
62%


Narcissistic
||||||||||||
50%


Avoidant
||
10%


Dependent
||||||||||||
42%


Obsessive-Compulsive
||||||||||||
46%

Take Free Personality Disorder Test

Personality Test by SimilarMinds.com

Disorder Info

Eccentric Personality Disorders: Paranoid, Schizoid, Schizotypal

Individuals with these disorders often appear odd or peculiar.

Paranoid Personality Disorder – individual generally tends to interpret the actions of others as threatening; preoccupied with suspiciousness/paranoia. They are stuck between their need for others and their mistrust of others.

Schizoid Personality Disorder – individual generally detached from social relationships, and shows a narrow range of emotional expression in various social settings; emotional zombies who stopped feeling due to trauma(s) and/or can’t feel due to organic depression

Schizotypal Personality Disorder – individual is uncomfortable in close relationships, has thought or perceptual distortions, and peculiarities of behavior; preoccupied with seeing themselves and/or the world as strange/odd

Dramatic Personality Disorders: Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic, and Narcissistic

Individuals with these disorders have intense, unstable emotions, distorted self-perception, and/or behavioral impulsiveness.

Antisocial Personality Disorder – individual shows a pervasive disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others; Preoccupied with disdain/contempt for others and often a need for control/power over others.

Borderline Personality Disorder – individual shows a generalized pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and observable emotions, and significant impulsiveness. Core issue is an inability to regulate emotions.

Histrionic Personality Disorder – individual often displays excessive emotionality and attention seeking in various contexts. They tend to overreact to other people, and are often perceived as shallow and self-centered. Core issue is attention addiction.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder – individual has a grandiose view of themselves, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy that begins by early adulthood and is present in various situations. These individuals are very demanding in their relationships. Core issue is entitlement.

Anxious Personality Disorders: Avoidant, Dependent, Obsessive-Compulsive

Individuals with these disorders often appear anxious or fearful.

Avoidant Personality Disorder – individual is socially inhibited, feels inadequate, and is oversensitive to criticism. Core issue is an inability to resolve their codependent need for connection with their codependent fear of rejection and/or discomfort/anxiety around others.

Dependent Personality Disorder – individual shows an extreme need to be taken care of that leads to fears of separation, and passive and clinging behavior. Core issue is the need to be parented by others (i.e. avoid growing up / becoming self-sufficient).

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder – individual is preoccupied with orderliness, perfectionism, and control at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency. Core issue is mental and behavioral rigidity/inflexibility.

 

So yea, I’m a certified nut. Are you? If you got nothing better to do too on this new year’s eve, you might wanna give this a shot and see if you’re a nut too.



Cleffairy: Contemplating on whether to write my 2012 in review or not. Seems to me that there are more things worth being buried in it’s grave rather than mentioning this year.

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Punctuation is powerful

I’m not sure if you remembered it or not, but I’ve blogged and lament about how these days they don’t teach punctuation in school anymore. Well… punctuation is powerful. In my previous post on grammar and punctuation, grandma could have been a goner without a comma. (READ HERE)

Here’s another grammatical funnies I’d like to share with you.

Note how powerful punctuation are. Talk about bringing a sentence to a different level.

Cleffairy: Use punctuation, kids!

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RM200 Smartphone Rebate Online Registration Starts 1st Jan 2013

Under Budget 2013, the government has announced a RM200 rebate program for youth which is also know as Youth Communication Package (Pakej Komunikasi Belia). Under this program, Malaysian youth under certain requirements can purchase a brand new 3G Smartphone with a RM200 discount.

Date:

1st Jan – 31st Dec 2013

Criteria to get RM200 Rebate:

-Only applies to Malaysian citizens from the ages of 21-30.

-Monthly income of RM3,000 & below.

-Smartphone models below the price of RM500.

-Each youth is only entitled to purchase one smartphone.

-Customers can either use their existing mobile broadband or apply for new packages.

 

* Get more terms & conditions HERE

* List of approved devices / models & authorized dealers will be made available on telco’s website starting from 1 January 2013

Interested candidate can log on to skmm.gov.my & start register for your phone rebate application online.

 

 

 

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Merry Xmas

Merry Xmas to all. And here’s a special message to those who were there for me this Xmas: Thank you for keeping me company and thank you, for just being there.You have no idea how much it means to me.

 

Cleffairy: Thank you for the weapons, the pots, Zakum chair, and thank you for partying with me.

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