In looking for a solution, for a while I seriously considered going for those expensive anti bird spikes.

But later on I stumbled upon a very cheap and very effective solution.

The Vinyl Crow costs only RM5 at Daiso.

Just blow some air into it and hang it near your windows. I’ve been using them for months and my windowsills are still spotless. Before that we had to clean them daily.

In no time, the tree’s up, and with the usual things underneath, each kid had to take a vow not to even think about touching them until Christmas Day:

15th December 2011

Gaya Street Christmas Carnival was on for 4 days starting on the 12th of December, brought the family there after on the last day after coming back from an outstation trip.

The life-size nativity scene, complete with soap-bubble-blowing machine:

… and an early encounter with Santa:

Christmas Eve

After the monthly primary grocery shopping, had time to sneak in quite possibly the last Cooper Test run before rushing off to mass at St Thomas Kepayan, but the visit to the crib has to wait another day because everybody’s starving by the end of it.

Christmas Day

Another yearly ritual is to share the Christmas cheer with neighbouring Indonesian workers’ kids:

Afterwards, attended 2 open houses in Tamparuli. Spent some time with my mum.

26th December 2011

Visited 1Borneo, the mall with the perhaps the best Christmas decorations in the state (Fanta-Sea).

27th December 2011

Finally fixed the car aircon (which cost a small fortune) and did some back-to-school shopping.

28th December 2011

The car aircon acted up again (fixed – loose compressor connection), did more back-to-school shopping, attended a wedding reception one hour’s drive away, and still managed to catch a movie with the kids in the evening.

29th December 2011

Attended daughter’s briefing / school equipments distribution in the morning, then rushed off to possibly the last official engagement of the year at Promenade Hotel, an appreciation event cum handing over of duties of a departmental body of which I was the secretary, followed by sumptuous buffet lunch, then in the evening attended a church fundraising dinner.

30th December 2011

In the afternoon, more shopping and entertaining the kids.

In the evening, a wedding reception’s afterparty at a popular nightspot in Tamparuli.

New Year’s Eve

The annual NYE family bash at home.

HERE’S TO A BLESSED CHRISTMAS AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.

From Kota Kinabalu

Click here to view the embedded video.

What you could see if you were on the moon during the eclipse [from a painting by Lucien Rudaux]

Lunar eclipse from moon

This seems to be the best viewing of a total lunar eclipse from Sabah since the one on 16th July 2000.

The one on 24th March 1978 was very special, it passed almost directly over Sabah.

There will be no more total lunar eclipse until April 2014, and even then it won’t make for good viewing from Sabah. The next total lunar eclipse that looks good from Sabah seems to be on 31st January 2018.

Pemohon yang berjaya akan mendapat wang pada pertengahan Januari 2012.

Menurut pegawai yang memberikan borang kepada saya di Dewan Hasil, Wisma Hasil, Kota Kinabalu, seorang boleh mengambil satu borang sahaja, walaubagaimanapun ia boleh difotostat.

Borang Permohonan BR1M – muka hadapan – borang ini hanya mengandungi 1 mukasurat yang perlu diisi; mukasurat di belakang adalah panduan mengisi.

Borang ini juga boleh dimuat-turun dari sini (muka hadapan dan belakang).

Lokasi kaunter BR1M adalah termasuk berikut (semua buka 10/12/2011 – 10/1/2012, 8 pagi – 5 petang):

- Dewan Hasil, Wisma Hasil, Kota Kinabalu
- Bilik Mesyuarat, Bangunan Urusetia, Tuaran
- Bilik Mesyuarat, Bangunan Urusetia, Penampang
- Bilik Mesyuarat B, Bangunan Urusetia Kecil, Tamparuli

Couldn’t snap the full circle.

Jupiter looks like the second/minute hand of a giant clock in the sky, doesn’t it?

Of course the uncensored version is easily seen by merely typing “time october 2010″ on google image search.

Full Moon

[forgot to take photo of 1st birthday cake]

2nd birthday

3rd birthday

4th birthday, cake 1

4th birthday, cake 2

5th birthday, cake 1

5th birthday, cake 2

6th birthday

7th birthday, cake 1

7th birthday, cake 2

8th birthday, cake 1

8th birthday, cake 2

I think this is one way to mark his life’s milestones even before he can say ordis!

He was finally caught via DNA evidence.

Before he started his 5 year sentence he wrote a checklist on how NOT to be burgled, and handed it over to police. He even had the cheek to tell them that his list should be added to the Met’s crime prevention leaflets.

His list:

(1) Keep a dog, or at least a sign warning that a dog’s present.

(2) Have pebble drives or shingled patios – the noise these make makes it difficult for burglars to approach a house

(3) Install an alarm, or at least display an alarm box, even if it’s fake or not working.

(4) Install a CCTV system

(5) Install wire on gates and anti-climb paint

(6) Keep things well-lit

(7) Install motion sensor lighting

Source
Daily Mail (UK), 26 Nov 2011

At another car aircon specialist, I finally discovered the problem: somehow the blower fan was swapped with another that looks similar but whose blades are pointing in the opposite direction.

Wrong type

Correct type

Moments before the collision, the train driver frantically blared his horn non-stop. At the point of impact, passengers were thrown from their seats and chaos ensued as fumes started to enter the carriages. Some passengers were reported to have said that the explosion happened almost about the same time as the crash.

That victims only suffered minor fractures was described as a miracle. Earlier rumours floating about said that many had died.

More:
- The state government has ordered a full investigation into the incident.
- There are 70 illegal railway crossings, but there are no warning signs saying so
- The 134km Kota Kinabalu-Tenom railway line upgrade, which started in November 2005 and completed in February 2011 cost RM334 million, and could’ve included the cost to resolve the crossing issue.
- Ever since the railway services re-opened, there had been a few minor accidents at the crossings.

———————-
31 October 2011

I was driving home today around 5.45pm when I saw a thick, black column of smoke in the distance. That could only mean one thing – something big is burning.

That turned out to be what State Railways General Manager, Hj Mohd Zain Hj Mohd Said, was quoted to have said: the worst accident in the history of Sabah Railways, even worse than the Padas River train plunge of 9th April 2008.

It had only restarted its services in February.

[Photo credit: The Star]

Newsreports reported that at least 12 have been seriously injured, when a tanker laden with 27,000 litres of petrol, which was being driven through what has been described as an illegal crossing in order to deliver fuel to a Shell gas station, was rammed by a 4-carriage train with 200 commuters which had just left the Secretariat (Wisma Kewangan).

The impact caused the front carriage to be derailed, while the second carriage landed on top of the tanker, causing a huge explosion. Amazingly, the 41-year old driver of the tanker survived.

By 11pm, at least 4 different videos have been uploaded to youtube.

This could be the first ever video taken after the impact: taken by someone who drove past around 5.20pm

Click here to view the embedded video.

The following must have been taken a few moments later, when the petrol trail caught fire

Click here to view the embedded video.

TV3′s footage

Click here to view the embedded video.

The following must have been taken after the firemen arrived. What happened to the fuel tank – completely disintegrated?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source
The Star