Rowie's Scribbles

Everyday we hear about road accidents. Many lives are lost & forever changed by these incidents: according to the Malaysian Road Safety Dept's official site , there were a total of 397,194 accidents in 2009 alone. From these cases, 6, 218 were fatal. The fact that people seem to ignore is that these accidents CAN BE AVOIDED. It all boils down to Malaysian drivers practicing safe conduct while on the road. Irresponsible drivers who fail to use the basic tools incorporated in their vehicles & practicing civic consciousness not only pose a risk to themselves but on others, not to mention the trouble they cause for their own family members. So, just how safe are you on the road? Answer the questions below to find out: 1. Do you make/accept phone calls while driving? YES NO 2. Do you send/read text messages (SMS) while driving? YES NO 3. Do you beat the red light? YES NO 4. Do you speed? YES NO 5. Does your car overshoot the pedestrian crossing? YES NO 6. Do you wear seatbelts ...

I recently watched this Hollywood remaking of the French film Nathalie at home. The film is said to be more erotically charged than the original, where a lesbian relationship between the main characters wasn’t fully explored. I’d say this film may be too explicit for most people but hopefully my review will give you a peek into the twisted world of Chloe. Plot Catherine is a successful gynecologist living in Toronto, Canada with her husband David, a lecturer, and their 17-year-old son, Michael. Despite her career success, she feels lonely and unable to communicate openly with her husband & son. On her husband’s birthday, she planned an elaborate surprise party only to cancel it when her husband was unable to return home from a seminar. She suspects her husband of having an affair with a student & hires an escort, Chloe, to seduce David and prove his infidelity. Chloe details her meetings with David to Catherine, who is torn between her feeling of betrayal & her fascination ...

What is Combustible Ice? This “combustible ice” was later revealed to be methane hydrate (MH), a mixture of methane (CH 4 ) & water. Frozen water molecules form a crystalline lattice structure, trapping high concentrations of CH 4 molecules. MH forms in 2 types of geologic environments with low temperatures & high pressure, where sufficient gas is present: 1. Below permafrost layers of rock 2. B eneath ocean floor (water depth>500m) The MH deposits may be several hundred meters thick. MH forms via the following methods: 1. Biogenic: biological activity in sediments 2. Thermogenic: geological processes deeper within the earth Under atmospheric conditions, CH4 begins to escape the structure, causing the fizzling phenomenon. Put a lit match to the fizzling ice & it will burn. 1m 3 of MH releases 164m 3 of natural gas. MH was discovered in the 1970s during explorations by oil & gas companies, & was regarded as a peculiarity. Today, the industry frequently en...

Well I just started my internship at Technip Geoproduction (M) Sdn Bhd, at Wisma Technip located on Jalan Tun Razak. I was pretty lucky as this was the only 1 out of the 11 companies I contacted that accepted my application. I first heard of this company when one of my seniors conducted her internship there & is now a graduate engineer at the same company. The internship is a compulsory requirement for my graduation from UMP: 1. Duration: 6 months (June – Nov) 2. Work scope: anything related to chemical engineering lol! 3. Allowance: depends on the company. 4. Supervisor: depends on the company. Since the company is in KL, my food & accommodation is settled hehe! So far I’ve been here for nearly 2 weeks, so here are my impressions: 1. I hate KL traffic jam! It takes me about30 min to go to work but an HOUR just to get back! Even leaving at 5pm doesn’t guarantee a smooth ride home >.< 2. I hear ambulance sirens everyday, sometimes 8 times! I ...

Once upon a time in a land far away… A typical beginning with a non-typical ending! It may be an analogy of the world oil scenario today but it’s a pretty good piece of literature, I was very impressed! Written by Les Skinner, I came upon this article in the World Oil magazine while at work. The article gave a smart & creative description on how politicians manipulate the industry for selfish reasons. I couldn’t find the article online & I shan’t post the entire article online. I suggest getting the magazine which has other interesting articles ( Expanding Roles of NOCs , 131-141). You can also get the article straight from here ( http://www.worldoil.com/May-2008-Drilling-advances.html ). But if you’re unable to get the magazine, drop a comment & I will try to provide the soft copy for you :) We need more articles like this for the laymen to understand the industry’s perspective on crooked politicians! Reference : Skinner, L. (2008, May). A tale of two craftsmen...