Monday, January 25, 2010

BWF Malaysia Open 2010 Final

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Wow, he done it again! To defend his Malaysia Open title is not an easy task, to win a back to back titles is much more an uphill task (he won Korea Open last week). What else can I say?

Congratulations Lee Chong Wei for winning his 6th Malaysia Open title yesterday. Also I would like to congratulate Koo Kean Keat and Tan Boon Heong for winning the men's double, after given a scare by Chen Xu and Guo Zhendong of China in a hard fought final.

Misbun's coaching style works well for Lee Chong Wei

Koo Kean Keat/Tan Boon Heong vs Chen Xu/Guo Zhendong

The crowd support is just amazing
Notice the Pakcik in Malaysian Flag dress..


This guy (in circle) really pisses me off. He's not a Malaysian. I've never seen anybody like him, he goes absolute nuts that day

It was a wonderful final. Sudirman and I almost lost our energy applauding the Malaysian and other non-Chinese players throughout the tournament. The most important is to break the Great China Wall and stop them from dominating the world badminton. Finally Malaysia bagged two titles and China three.


We're happy to bring home good memories of Malaysia Open. Sudirman and I bought Proton Malaysia Open 2010 t-shirt and cute Yonex bag. I also bought BWF China Open 2009 t-shirt (having Yonex Denmark label at the back).

Our exhaustion and hunger were finally offset by delicious Sate Kajang (Kajang Satay). The most important we arrived back home in Kulim at 12.30 midnight safe and sound, alhamdulellah.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

BWF Malaysia Open 2010 Semifinal

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I may not be a badminton fanatic but have been in love with badminton since I was a kid. Badminton, no doubt is a popular sport for most Malaysians. For the first time in my life I went to watch live action from some of the top badminton players of the world at Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur. I went there with Sudirman, my office-mate cum badminton playmate.

Being one of the spectators at a live Badminton Super Series tournament, was it not exciting? Hey, it was more than exciting! Thanks to my housemate Khairuldin who came out with the idea two weeks before the tournament. Simply because he is undergoing training in Taiwan, otherwise he would have joined us with the rest of the spectators.

Proton, the main BWF Malaysia Open sponsor exhibits the Lotus Elise SC
Sudirman could not stop staring the eyes of Lotus... hehe


I'm always a big fan of Peter Gade and Lee Chong Wei


Look how Peter Gade launces a powerful attack on Boonsak Ponsana
(I uploaded this video on youtube)


Beaten at last. Peter Gade lost to Boonsak in rubber set

Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl celebrate after beating the Thais in a hard fought match

We really enjoyed the semifinal. Although we came from a far distance (Kulim to KL), it was worth it. I'm happy to see two Malaysian representatives in the final. I hope both Lee Chong Wei and double pair of Koo Kean Keat and Tan Boon Heong can win the titles.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Center-mounted speedometer: Man it's stugly!

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If you ask me which car manufacturer started the idea of having center-mounted speedometer, I will promptly say I don't know. Who cares anyway? As far as I'm concern, Mini carries it's signature since it's first Morris Mini Minor in 1959. Being small, cute and compact, to have the speedometer at the middle of the dashboard does not downgrade its interior look at all, although some might consider it clownish. To me it just works for Mini but not for other cars, seriously!

1966 Morris Mini Cooper interior

Take, for example, the latest Perodua Kancil, its center-mounted speedometer looks so awkward, in fact it makes it one of the stugliest car interiors I've ever seen in this decade! Besides, what on earth did they make it twisted since they had twisted the focus of the driver at the very beginning...(?)

Last Kancil model
Center console is fine but with speedometer on top of it makes it look like two eyes-robot with twisted cap

For that reason, I hate Nissan Otti (Mitsubishi Kei-Car), Naza Sutera (Hafei Lobo), Saturn Ion, new Perodua Alza (2010), Toyota Vios/Belta (2007), Toyota Yaris/Vitz (2007). Besides, Vios really looks like a dugong to me.. as much as my Perodua Myvi looks so froggy to them.. huahuahua..

I never wonder why people still buy them. You manufacturers don't give buyers much options. If it is about buyers' preference, majority of us still prefer the conventional steering wheel-position speedometer rather than the center one. Speedometer is for the driver not passenger. I'm very sure if similar new cars are produced with two options, center-mounted and steering-wheel position speedometers, definitely the later outclassed the former in a huge margin. Think about it!

Friday, January 1, 2010

No x-bar symbol in Microsoft Word 2007: Create your own

It's almost new year and I need to submit my exp report to my superior as soon as possible. When statistical calculation involves, symbol such as overbar (¯) on an alphabet is hardly avoided. As an advanced Microsoft Word user, I agree that MW2007 works way better than MW2003. However, failing to find x-bar symbol in MW2007 was way too frustrating. How could such an important symbol like x-bar isn't included in MW2007 symbols?

I believe I'm not the only one in this world facing this problem.

For that reason I googled for solution. It takes less than one minute to realize that this problem has been addressed in the internet for quite sometimes. A general guideline to create an overbar has been quite well described by Suzanne S. Barnhill in CREATING OVERBAR.

The best solution has been posted by Christie Lewis in Youtube. I like her blog too. Her blog has been all about Microsoft Office.
http://officehowto.blogspot.com/

Short Video: Inserting an X-bar Symbol in Word

I learned my lesson well, alhamdulellah. Now I can create not just x-bar but I can personalize many other symbols which are not included in MW2007. It's easy, you can do it too.