Singapore Airlines is #01

Singapore airlines have been delcared the World’s Best Airline in the 2008 Airline of the Year awards.The awards, run by UK-based aviation research agency Skytrax, are based on the world’s largest passenger survey, with 15 million passengers taking part around the world.

Singapore won the title for the second year in a row and the third time in 10 years. The airline also took the award for best business class.Our local Malaysian airline managed a 6th place behind our neigbhouring nation.

The world’s best airlines — 1. Singapore Airlines, 2. Cathay Pacific, 3. Qantas, 4. Thai Airways, 5. Asiana Airlines, 6. Malaysia Airlines, 7. Qatar Airways, 8. Air New Zealand, 9. Emirates, 10. Etihad Airways.

Best First Class — Cathay Pacific; Best Business Class — Singapore Airlines; Best Premium Economy Class — EVA Air; Best Economy Class — Asiana Airlines; Best low-cost airline — easyJet; Best Inflight Entertainment — Emirates; Best First-Class Catering — Cathay Pacific; Best Business-Class Catering — Austrian; Best Airline: Transatlantic — British Airways; Best Airline: Transpacific

Congratulations Singapore Airlines!!

Popularity: 5% [?]

Another Olympic Opener Fake

The music director for the Opening Ceremony at the Beijing Olympics has admitted that a young girl who delivered a key performance during the show, lip-synched her song.

Chen Qigang says the pigtailed nine-year-old girl, Lin Miaoke, was actually a stand-in for the real singer who was not considered attractive enough.

The real singer, Yang Peiyi, is seven, and has a chubby face and crooked teeth.

Chen says organizers made the decision at the request of a high-ranking Communist Party official, adding that they were thinking about doing what was best for the nation.

So much fake..but for ultimately for a superb show!

If i were a medal winner during th games, i’de check my medals!!

Popularity: 5% [?]

Olympic Fireworks Were FAKE!

I didnt get to watch the whole opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics but i managed to catch the fireworks which i thought was brilliant! Now this comes up, ->

The global television audience of more than three billion people watched in amazement as a series of giant footprints outlined in fireworks proceeded through the night sky from Tiananmen Square to the Bird’s Nest stadium — except they were watching a computer animation.

Even the giant television screens within the stadium itself broadcast the fake images.

Stunned viewers thought they were watching the string of fireworks filmed from above by a helicopter.

But in reality they were watching a 3D graphics sequence that took almost a year to produce.

It even included a “camera shake” to mimic the effect of filming from a helicopter.

The dupe was revealed by China’s Beijing Times. Speaking to the paper, the man responsible for the animation said he was pleased with the result.

“Seeing how it worked out, it was still a bit too bright compared to the actual fireworks,” Gao Xiaolong told the newspaper.

“But most of the audience thought it was filmed live — so that was mission accomplished.”

The designers even added some haziness to simulate the polluted Beijing skyline.

How about that!! This is taking the whole Olympics to a new level!

Watch the Video of the Fake Show Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 9% [?]

Man United Bag Charity Shield

Neville

Manchester United won the curtain raiser to the English league after they beat Portsmouth 3-1 on penalties. The game which ended in a 0-0 after 90 minutes.The charity shield does not go to extra time but straight to penalties as the tie breaker. It was a very normal 90minutes with both teams playing their first competitive game for the new season.

The new Pompey signing of Peter Crouch who partnered Jermaine Defoe were not at their best and its totally understandable. Carlos Tevez was the best player on the field with his usual lively self making many attempts at goal but the impressive David James didn’t provide him access to the Pompey goal.

Cant wait for the new season to get under way next weekend!!!

Popularity: 6% [?]

2008 Beijing Olympics

It all starts today! The best atheletes of the world gather at China this year to compete for glory,pride and the spirit of humanity! I for one love to watch the games because, when do you ever get a chance to watch the best in one venue. China have come a long way to prepare for this games in getting their act together socially,environmentally and many many other factors.

Im looking forward to watch the opening ceremony. Normally when the games are in Asia, the opening and cloings are prety awesome because the Asian countries are rich in culture which they showcase in this very event at its best.

Now for the games it self..I will be watching athletics,football,swimming,badminton and a little of everything else Its 08-08-08 and at 8.08pm the games will begin! Yey!

Popularity: 8% [?]

Miss Venezuela is Ms Universe 2008

Miss Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza has been crowned as the 2008 Miss Universe.Jerry Springer and Mel B hosted the telecast of the 57th Annual Miss Universe competition at Vietnam where the star studded panel of judges which included :

Donald Trump Jr., Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization; fashion designer and entrepreneur Roberto Cavalli; Nadine Velazquez, international cover girl and star of NBC’s “My Name Is Earl”; Jennifer Hawkins, television presenter and Miss Universe 2004; Louis Licari, celebrity colorist and “Today Show” ambush makeover expert; Joe Cinque, President of the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences; Bollywood film & TV star, dancer, model Eesha Koppikhar; Nguyen Cong Khe, Editor in Chief of Thanh Nien newspaper and international shoe designer Taryn Rose.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Chelsea Live in Malaysia

For EPL fans the most boring part of the year is post/pre-season. This year is not too bad as there was the Euro 08 tourney which distracted us. The only consolation in post/pre-season is the transfer news that keeps the excitement levels up and if one of the teams come to our grounds to showcase the starts we are so used to watching on tv.

This year, Malaysians will get a opportunity to watch Chelsea FC in town!! They will be touring Asia and making a stop in KL as part of the Samsung Chelsea Asia Tour 2008. Chelsea will be represented by the best talents that Roman’s pocket could buy including new coach Scolart, Deco and the stars that have been wearing the Chelsea shirts for a while now.

Venue : Shah Alam Stadium

Date : 29th July 2008

In conjunction with this tour, Maxis as a sponsor of this event is having a contest where you can win tickets to watch the game and a chosen few can even watch the team train!!

To take part in the contest , maxis subsribers need to sms ec to 22006 and answer 3 questions which even a school kid could answer with thier eye’s closed!! The top 60 for the day will receive a pair of tickets and if you are the fastest 3 for the day, you get the training passes!!

Im a Liverpool fan but im also a football fan!! So im gonna go watch the match! Are you?

Popularity: 24% [?]

Electricity tariff is UP!

Like everything else the price of eletricity has gone up effective 1st July 2008. The announcememnt was made when the fuel pricce went up but now its come in effect.

I don’t think ill be effected too much by this because i hardly use much power and im mostly out anyway.But imagine those big families, surely going to be a pinch.

I logged onto the tnb website and saw the below notice ->

	No increase for domestic / household consumers with consumption of up to 200kWh (or RM43.60).
	Lower percentage increase for low voltage industrial and low voltage commercial consumers with monthly consumption of up to 200kWh, compared to consumers in their respective categories
	The 10% discount for government schools, government institutions of higher learning, welfare homes and places of worship is maintained.

	Call 1300–88–5454
	Fax 03-7960 0343/0348
	E-mail tariff@tnb.com.my
	Visit the nearest TNB offices or Kedai Tenaga

So from that notice it clear that TNB are still on Natural sources for power generation
- Coal
- GAS

Ok, this is the bit that puzzles me. The environment is a very important topic that the whole world is lobbying and large companies should be exploring alternate power sources to replace the dependency on natural sources(which will run out).

Green power may cost more to implement and but in the long run, isnt it the more logical choice? Its sustainable and it doents damage the environment. Coal and Fuel involve some burning in one way or another and seriously, is anything being done ??

Here are some tips on how you can save power at home, to save you some money and also reduce the damage by the coal and gas that are being burnt to generate that power that we all need.

- Only use the air conditioning when you really need it

- Your computer doesn’t need to be on for 24 hours, turn it on when you need it!!

-  Change your bulps to energy savers, they are low on power consumption and last much longer than conventional bulps

- Turn off those appliances that are on standby (standby = power consumption)

- Do your laundry once a week (its saves you power and time to wash and iron your clothes once a week!)

All these basic steps can not only save you a extra buck but save you some precious time and indirectly, your doing your part to reduce the damage on the environment!!

Have you got any other tips??

Popularity: 10% [?]

China Olympics

Its a Olympics year this year! This edition will be hosted by the fastest growing economy of the world, China!This installement is also set to be one of the most controversial Olympics ever with many requirements to host by the International Olympic Committee with the games nearing.

There have been so much drama with regards to the torch runs have not gone as smoothly as one would expect with resistance in many legs of the torch run. People have been loosing their homes in older neighborhoods as Tiananmen Square looms in the background. Old buildings and alleyways are torn down to make way for modern development in preparation for the 2008 Olympics, often forcing residents from their homes without compensation.

In the name of development and preparations there are lots of un-pleasant things that are happening. I hope that these issues are looked at as criteria in awarding games to a nation.

Having said that, speed clean-up’s normally leaves many holes in the system, Should countries be given the honor of hosting a world event like the Olympics if there is so much dirt that is still no cleaned up?

This is a series of stories building up to the games..Watch this space

Video promoting the games at Beijing

Popularity: 2% [?]

David Cook Wins American Idol

American Idol’s legion of fans has a new idol to embrace.

David Cook, the scruffy bearded, raspy-voiced 25-year-old from Blue Springs, Missouri, was crowned the latest American Idol Wednesday, in a surprise result at the year-old, 7,000-seat Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.

The result came as a surprise to many observers and onlookers after Idol judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell all but handed the title Tuesday to Cook’s rival and finalist in the competition, 17-year-old David Archuleta.

The fans who vote for Idol saw it differently however, and the vote tally swung in Cook’s favour, possibly because of his maturity and old-soul rocker vibe. Some reviewers also suspected a backlash among voters against the judges’ comments, which seemed to unfairly favour Archuleta.

A record 97 million votes were cast overall, 23 million more than American Idol’s previous high. In the end, Cook won by a relatively wide margin, 56% to 44%, or 12 million votes.

Idol host Ryan Seacrest seemed genuinely startled as he read the results, shortly before the scheduled end of the two-hour live broadcast.

Cook smiled, put his arm around Archuleta and gave him a consoling squeeze. Archuleta was gracious in defeat, and seemed genuinely pleased that Cook won.

Ironically, although Archuleta was the younger competitor, Cook’s song choices reflected a more contemporary sound. Cook’s song choices ranged from ‘90s Our Lady Peace and Collective Soul to Aerosmith and U2, while Archuleta stayed within his comfort zone of ballads, including Phil Collins, Elton John and John Lennon.

Cook made good use of a new wrinkle in American Idol’s rules this year: the allowing of musical instruments. Cook performed many of his songs while playing acoustic and electric guitar. Musical instruments have been a regular fixture for several seasons now on Canadian Idol.

Ironically, Cook never intended to audition for Idol. He accompanied his younger brother Andrew to an audition in Omaha, Neb. and was talked into applying himself. He performed Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer”, and was vaulted through to the next round. At the Hollywood auditions, Cook performed Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” and Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be.”

He caught the judges’ attention and became a serious contender after he performed Chris Cornell’s arrangement of the Michael Jackson standard Billie Jean, in a performance program in March.

Cook then went on to perform songs by The Who (”Baba O’Riley”), Switchfoot (”Dare You To Move”) and Emily Shackleton (”What I’m Looking For”).

Cook is not entirely new to the music scene. He formed a garage band, Axium, in 1999, and was its for six years. One of the band’s songs was picked up by the AMC Theatres movie chain in the U.S. and played on more than 20,000 screens during trailer previews.

On his official bio on AmericanIdol.com, Cook said his toughest obstacle in life is “being confident enough in myself to chase this whole music thing.”

This “whole music thing” looked pretty good Wednesday.

Popularity: 10% [?]