Russia vs US part 1

Freaking exam, shits shits shits. Sigh sometimes I ponder what's the point of exam, but without it who bothers studying anyway?

3 down, 2 more to go, hardcore studying underway.

This update is just to alert you about something interesting I saw today on FT.com.

I'm not joking. This must be on the headlines of every major newspaper in the world, in particular in the US. Stay tuned for more Putin action.

Wondering what missiles the Russian have? (Btw, do you know Malaysia have our missiles targeted at Singapore? Hahahaha)

Check this website out. So far, Putin wants to target US bases in Europe. So it should be under Air-to-Surface, Surface-to-Surface (Naval), and Surface-to-Surface (tactical). Not bad right??? Wait for World war 3....... already waging with me against the exam.

Bomb you.

Asia's Richest Woman

So what if you are Asia's richest woman? Nina Wang worths a whooping US$4bn according to the report. I'm a very sceptical person when it comes to declaring a person's value, particularly in Malaysia where a lot of the rich are not in the rich list because they don't list their companies in the public stock exchange. Even so, nobody should doubt that Nina Wang has a lot of fortune.

We all know the story about how her husband was mysteriously abducted a few years before he was pronounced dead *officially*. It's a drama I tell you.

After his death, Nina fought against her father-in-law for the fortune of her deceased husband. Initially she lost the battle and the fortune was awarded to her father-in-law, on the basis that she forged her husband's will.

We all know the rest of the story, when in 2005 the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal overturned the verdict in her favour. How she managed to convince the court, I don't know, but it was a hell of a ride for snatching the fortune.

Also another thing I found amusing when I read this article is this:

Ms Wang’s culinary preferences were similarly unpredictable. She and her late husband were reputed to entertain guests at McDonald’s, an unusual choice of eatery for Hong Kong’s super-rich. Filets-O-Fish were her favourite. [Source: FT.com]

Believe it or not? That's what I call thrifty, or rather kiam siap. Nonetheless, they managed to build that empire with this, so there must be some truth in it. Another couple in the class of Ingvar Kamprad.

As they say, money knows no owner.

But then again, they also say you can't bring your money into your grave. RIP Nina.

p.s. Fight for 6 years, spend money for 1 year plus, GAME OVER.

Reference:

1. Asia's Richest Woman, Nina Wang, dies, Tom Mitchell, FT.com, 4 April 2007.
   

On Global Warming and Oil Palm

Upon reading Kean-Jin's blog, I came accross his article on Global warming and tropical countries.

Allow me to quote the same Reuters report here again:

Global warming could bring hunger, melt Himalayas
OSLO (Reuters) - Global warming could cause more hunger in Africa and melt most Himalayan glaciers by the 2030s, according to a draft U.N. report due on Friday which also warns that the poorest nations are likely to suffer most. [Source: Reuters]

Well guess what? Have I got a surprise for you, TADA:

Only a few years ago, oil from palm trees was viewed as an ideal biofuel: a
cheap, renewable alternative to petroleum that would fight global warming.
Energy companies began converting generators and production soared.

............................

The four-year study found that 600 million tons of carbon dioxide seep into
the air each year from the drained swamps. Another 1.4 billion tons go up in
smoke from fires lit to clear rain forest for plantations — smoke that often
shrouds Singapore and Malaysia in an impenetrable haze for weeks at a
time.

Together, those 2 billion tons of CO2 account for 8 percent of the
world's fossil fuel emissions, the report said. [Source: AP]

Majulah negara dengan kelapa sawit, potong semua pokok getah, tak guna mia. Oh yea, and I saw an article in the business section of The Star a few days back here. No wonder IOI's stock hit historic high, so much for corporate social responsibility.

p.s. IOI is "world's biggest oil palm planter".

Reference:

1. Global warming could bring hunger, melt Himalayas, Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent, Reuters, 2 April 2007.
2. Palm Oil Failing as Biofuel, Arthur Max, Associated Press, 2 April 2007.
3. IOI plans to return RM1.37bil, The Star, 31 March 2007.