Youtube is down?

Surprised to find Youtube down... This is the error message.

500 Internal Server Error

Sorry, something went wrong.

A team of highly trained monkeys has been dispatched to deal with this situation. Please report this incident to customer service.

Also, please include the following information in your error report:

nilgWS6tTdut26dYcb_ZSiU_4RogmOxdLLpJBSmZvHaCbax_y-RClQ9NRiWJ
0Fp5ZFDW8cPgN58Qwrlpw-66kryvGjFb8n-M6ss1r7XlW0MO60rzJCRy-25I
-BuHEAMT47lMctF2NXMyGdAOEWiOlAgfNgIpT3qfW-2SLVGqZ35Ld9v1r6Nf
6NUNN4vXM4ws47uypnc8-GGj_QDieoH6HfKY1rhFoi6oJ07tGUFSSKfVZRd9
o6bgjMYFxCogi7RfULr9yswaZExEA60RxQyOzieJG-cv-6sqAq46vf9VhOMg
KRIzCadnN9eU7aO7YgCkM3GgHXV-Xaum4UaTTH6wIjOsMN9oqKl0IQlE--VR
rUMYE9BKQEE2RPxd7edlGIM9uvZpqhC2tCZQO-et6W30UPcswECU47wnUxBy
e-xhqp7-gd71EEfULVmqNu2vJeNPDjUZDYouJ1yKU0DpFG7t3O9UFDbamszd
bUAk-1-xdjTU7_FuevGUYe-kUUAbHWzJHo_a74BsUvHLkucLGZHFZydJjkuI
DdVzyq6aVRbdQlO5jFyR80FuNacN4jyqZaIHNDceA6cL606OrjcV6fKiQ92K
qdfMAv_LbtPCgffF_B_txGmJRQkYJlou2hEazrcG8nFJ52C12MOITLAJPfiT
G0RTsv7dg935f9JdysFbW957qfLTei2zPsDRN3gkN3swBGmAkI66xMklEAGi
C6Fsixxyo4ZW48mFCBFESLQgPq0IBirjRkoJLaekZrO8N9S5L1Kz67PtMmxE
7ae4ayl4L0C3L8itFVkq16yC8t8dIOdKcA5lJdUz0Q6nxtau5Ale9ie2UURH
Ai5tWoNwbjPYDS3d00JJMhg2iBKz3iAAagUvXeocYFnRDmHy19iSyNywZ9eq
yY4prTp6l3fotoEczXDyqpEXtmUbrmOHb3llgR3AAsb7n8KxPiCnKm4vaUCb
6Snh_3aY54vI3g0qaB850h7L6BWBG4zZfB_MStqk6cBcIcO9_QGSl6IkBLct
vdaUKXZupVg0CFlrMPeSKC7m5Azm02yWp_7Qz3vvQuctm_rrohPOYfccAF0h
xE7FMo5JqPFEdhHSI6wqghwQXB2nIT3CQbpQz0cIjTgCOmNkG4lKGSNp_qeo
uLpoHUGrqMnWhP0O3JhkqIE605DQjFv6R1kASfWffo9SfviQ11mF5Ud3rseQ
JawtGGjWVe7kRlle0N8cMbbS52Rtev59qvwt5LyKagv9xi8nSCl3LPsQ91IN
UC47Xr6HbEEhAr2zc8utRcFhgBCGMUizdsvmN_Pd8Mmq8urJ-aJFaTB3E4wQ
IRNG7TRIv3XPqvTtGsRgki0f5WrCgxk9XRtiz9aN1GrFOebs9AoiRCR-LlTl
xSIu-tgz51ntD0kq5-jeX2GM8FXE9u70cmJcf-8yAvJHUMRxWlVxKvDYs3Uk
6WiqEApvpYfcVyeZvjD8f14Tr01xUnXTbXkD1vDYsInf4oKb9qxq0tmjFLd9
uKGgeDOcz1ZJh7T7dodMgh-MH40zBTTCERpplVa5Kiu5cH7mnLmUKBS6V1cT
mCYkGSMaCgS7VoqMRO51KqyJt2FG82Vk-rYlcZUylIR8rRCK5l9v0H7TbXri
VDt85Nd9mh-FXC9ibU_0YRmdUv5eNB-aCwWgl_g4PdRTTpRp_7oZpsAyuibn
yDQ4KtgQpNZcS-j-W91jgWe2-qxIDZa-f9Q_Qh2UqrdPDf_9djaziUUgiDCV
uFVitck9gcf_DWH9MG6XerMAiqhdNDLJoye-6Sn8PRSq3MhX0O4vdQWwbChN
b7LsCICKgpNnaVocNo_mH_H3KSglRzpFG7yH1CRwHRUAYBGawiSX78BL9p0A
7Py3A7BrE_KY7H2VikyhW573G3uHAkecIz5-OWFxvvLJJDdYgrEnykB3J798
iptqKXXNQzcm2ejlNz4YqgWNczntdbKEVkmzbbkzmZYbYEY0CePYa7bZPct3
5UaNRjuKvbCyoG7-LdzT2W-he8QjfuZvVe8Je6tijBcSz89Ej4Pn5bidR4Z7
oPVh-T8WA5K5ktLN4E0x5N9fomGOHSUpsjc4Wqh3t67gyKJs0ePD10GUHtfW
s74FWOa1ytC1_6CHHdB9chepAuW_5iTF9BFOsXjyv6VORB19Q7MiEOS1yVf1
I2eTxNYeH1EeGvunbbpfwYZYptDd44xjfmu2VixT1Wckzxm-tz9C0_Gc7odV
YSZ43DuXTotpUO7dYIH9dJ2L2sNDMKEEorQG9HiejgZuHXK8Y22SkTtxlpEl
O3w-FhAfYNLW4DqyZr2H_rEB0UhkWpNTTUsLde01iv_ALtM2gdbxfu8q2BDT
GABuiXb5XQXNmoqbMYS7h_-JY4FPsyZZn5-AhKlulrt_l5Ip-Y92GO_ZQIEs
3tW3yYezI83nnTx4K_m4R0LwcMsfKd41-6dRTrSZOOhNRJimanHw3KaaBxc4
lJ7vdrTn0CUNcGI7B86FKVwO83bFuju3Xwzfx-plruZNtrsHMi1MzyWZZc07
-lR_S2D0J4H012SgUIh0ikVGxIfh-ZhdFqJWh7dCei4R0Iu-Wdl0Nfnm-aJu
rIkAzEPFoNOdBB-yEt7E_lBOoRnZnKtXzisE7c0SI37CKti-Ygf8JD-ZVTKe
AeT4BOWe4zskz1H6f_KJIFmmdcQGYNHTzm64W_4CGmblOxGgE5p4d4MiOjWF
BkrmLg9KMnyT9Tk9eJDiG4k2corymGqBuoBFejqsZVG_Edp25zGy3GeMY58i
OYTC2XU0BBjc72IaGhIEk2R7jfgFPfh3-BAu2Rc5MCb_YpsFk4_ybtBSclfH
-sY-SixrilDBA2T4frPUwMNXOmvVYqkmpaL3Kra-MpO0GFMrp4kQAWCsimZj
x_W77r3I5n3QTO01ahbLp0LOz-0lokFwLY_460oQe9DZlUrDpqizm39enaxr
d75g9Lprv0xEeFF2-sdCgO371PnJd9uCRE9kjsnm1gmaD8EEq6pUd6YiW-m3
WzWIlxlv0-6bFhNhCSTxxDaEkfMuz0KRJqIvnmPFAWOU7qtaOhennLRI0hD-
egEeRi1OjWlzXoLk4RekjIxsF6z3NX_K3U7bJCfqjR54uKnwmJ6nvTzR0qMo
YsFydCnAbT1Vb9oaF0wvAoBkEw1o9eC9Tb1MSrnS0Gn88bqA-hTUacm_hesH
5Cjt9b8UyUaiVPBXair1c4TO_7Ae9-B-MJQxMxlUGUmE2iNZFzSjPlKXWAaE
Pqc-QbY9oibe5T2lZdaWbwTcRQ6c_SerjWZH9sGdO0cYUm-Y5QBBR6yDL1Pj
N2rQ5oWAqfWz58CrbsZvJup9zq8siHc_G-EDBpEy5p3KXqd5SKV89VVlPjq4
efDUHhyePTP-gnn_S6lIWd0KMKjahxb-n2iIpovWDrmpb3CuPuT7pkJdSQRX
rfXcG1yGA58vecu9o53zt01Qi_dgvXQxE-LDu3iTM0iYABie09wRv1ebi03u
HGeXtz2ZLIWKKZLfj-663RRweeo7H4_Tporm_eg5VU7YptLIqlJPoBvSUJcO
nwP4LXmtHl1sMjYuYnoe3NdJGgHsH9xjhX-XxWEamY9A-NUgL_rsB-1fFb4P
9k5qdkOm0Bj3IXkRfblbdhpLPLb9Urs7ea5CtJcDVmypUdFaJD6iyDK_sk31
b3NoRssz8ih6R1sZJOf0dvH11Eqq0HNVRZafIj5Rq5orSu76CS2wAz2H3lCS
PTCzrNVOqEA1wRM25VnYOlc5g1ktPu71j7QK8njC7lTjPw==

Think

Comedian George Carlin’s viewpoint and the message that comes with it seem so appropriate.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Highways, but narrower viewpoints.

We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.

We've added years to life not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour.

We conquered outer space but not inner space.

We've done larger things, but not better things.We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less.

We plan more, but accomplish less.

We've learned to rush, but not to wait.

We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.

These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes.

These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.

A time when technology can bring this message to you, and you have a choice of either sharing this insight or just ignore it.

Just take a moment and THINK about it.

Congratulations President Obama

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

Senator Obama's victory may be even beyond Martin Luther King's dream.

I wonder whether I could see Malaysia's version in my lifetime?

Credit to John McCain. He is such an honourable man - he refrained from making cheap shots at his opponent, even to the extent of defending him from harsh and over-the-board attacks by some Republican supporters. Other than his old age and the unfortunate timing of the economy crisis, and to certain extent George Bush's unpopularity, his biggest mistake is to choose Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Altantuya Case

After the acquittal of Abdul Razak Baginda, many questions remain with regards to the Altantuya murder case. I don't think the public will be satisfied until these questions are answered. To focus on the two policemen alone will leave many questions unanswered, i.e. justice will not be served.

• Why did Altantuya make the fateful visit to Malaysia in the first place?
• Who ordered the murder? There must be a motive behind the murder and it is likely that the policemen are under the orders of one or more than one influential figures.
  
• How did the murderers acquire the military explosives that were used in the murder?
• Why are important witnesses such as the private investigator not examined in detail?
• Where is this key witness right now? How and why did he go missing?
  
• Was any investigations conducted on other statutory declarations?
  

I personally hope that the judiciary system in Malaysia is not so weak that we can allow one to escape with murder.

Ballarat - Sovereign Hill

On the day we got back from our Tassie trip, we drove straight to Ballarat from the airport to visit Sovereign Hill - an outdoor museum on the gold rush in Victoria in mid 1800s.

Gold was discovered in Australia since early 1800s. However, the gold rush only began in 1851 when gold was discovered in Ballarat, Victoria. It is through this gold rush that Melbourne had prospered.

The story begins...


Other than the Europeans (especially English), Chinese were also one of the early participants in the Gold Rush. I never knew Chinese were also one of the early settlers in Australia (since 1854).


Trying our luck... but in vain. This method is popular in mining alluvial gold.


Tents occupied by Chinese miners. There were also Chinese shops and temples.


This gold bar is worth around A$150,000. Wow!


The same bar of gold being smelted


When alluvial gold ran out, underground mining began


Gold nuggets embedded


Underground tunnel in a gold mine


Mining town - with abundance of wealth


Gold nugget


On the way back to Melbourne, we chanced upon Kryal Castle in Ballarat. Don't know what is the history though.



More photos of Sovereign Hill here.

Tasmanian Trip Videos

Video of the wildlife conservation park at Tasman Peninsular. Johanna did some editing using iMovie on her Macbook.

Devonport - Lucky enough to capture the smallest rainbow I've ever seen.







Echidna



River cruise along Tamar River and Cataract Gorge

Happy Deepavali

Inniya Deepavali Valzhtukkal :)

Tasmanian Trip

I've been too busy to blog about my Tassie trip from 5 - 11 October with Johanna, Moses and Charis.

It was great apart from a few days of bad weather.

Just a quick summary...

We landed at Hobart and travelled to a wildlife park in Tasman Peninsular to visit the Tasmanian Devil, a strange kind of marsupial only found in that region.

There were also some kangaroos there, and the surprising thing is there were not separated from the visitors, meaning we could get really close to them.



The wildlife park also housed other Australian animals and birds, such as possums, a huge eagle, parrots and kookaburra.

The second day we went around Hobart, first to the Cadbury chocolate factory then to the top of Mount Wellington to get a good view of the whole city. Unfortunately, it started snowing on our way up. By the time we got to the summit, the whole place was so foggy that we couldn't see anything.



Our next stop was Cascade Brewery, one of the oldest breweries in Tasmania. Of course, the session wouldn't be complete without tasting the products.



We spent the rest of the evening touring Salamanca Place in Hobart - a historic area with art markets, cafes, restaurants.

The next day we started driving to the West part of Tasmania. The roads were quite windy. On the way we could see some snow-capped mountains. However, it started pouring when we arrived at Strahan. There was nothing much to see there - quite a disappointment after a long drive.

On the 4th day we drove to Cradle Mountain. It is supposed to be one of the most scenic places in Tasmania, with lakes and snow-capped mountains in the background. However, the weather was really bad. Once again the fog prevented us from getting a good view. Disappointed, we left for Devonport after that. Deprived of Asian food for the first 3 days, all of us were happy to ate at a Chinese restaurant that evening. After dinner, we went to a small beach to look at penguins coming ashore.



The next day, we visited another chocolate factory - this time a small one called House of Anvers. Then we drove to Beauty Point to visit the Seahorse World and Platypus House. Seahorse World is a place dedicated to seahorse preservation and conservation. They also housed some other sea creatures. The memorable part for me is getting clamped by a big hermit crab, ouch! On top of platypus, the Platypus House also has Echidnas, a porcupine look-a-like animal.

We drove to Bridport after lunch. Bridport is a very small town with a nice beach.



The next day, we drove to Launceston, the second largest city in Tasmania after Hobart. Launceston is a beautiful town with a lot of heritage buildings. We visited the popular Cataract Gorge and took a cruise along the Tamar River. That sort of rounded up the trip as we flew back to Melbourne the next morning.





More photos at my Flickr

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

If the PM had only thrown away caution, not chances...

I quite agree with this analysis from the Malaysian Insider. Too bad Pak Lah's days are numbered if what I've read from some UMNO insider blogs are true. Don't think there is much he could do now. He'll probably be remembered as a very weak leader. I think most people will not blame or associate him to all the controversies during his premiership as he is merely seen as a pawn to all the warlords within his own party. His credibility has also been largely undermined by Tun Mahathir, who seem to be part of UMNO's many controversies and internal fighting since Tunku's days.

If the PM had only thrown away caution, not chances...

SEPT 20 — A couple of days after the March 8 general elections, a calm Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi sat down with some supporters and his inner circle in Sri Perdana to survey the new political landscape and weigh the prime minister’s options going forward.

Those familiar with the meeting recalled that a confetti of ideas were tossed around on how to regain the initiative from the Anwar Ibrahim-led opposition and to hold off Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and other critics within Umno baying for Abdullah’s blood.

One idea got some traction – the notion that Abdullah had to throw caution to the wind and reform the various institutions in the country.

He had to care less of what his party thought and focus solely on what Malaysians wanted. If he followed this strategy, he would be so popular with Malaysians that his party will not dare to move against him.

Even the downside was attractive – the idea that he would be remembered as a Malaysian Mikhail Gorbachev who lost his power and position doing the right thing.

That seems like sound advice which Abdullah should have followed.

Instead, after appointing Datuk Zaid Ibrahim as the de facto law minister and making some loud noises about reforms, he retreated to his usual patch, worried that he was upsetting the Umno warlords.

Every decision seemed to hang on this outcome – how would Umno react? If there was a remote chance that the party would object to a policy or decision, he postponed making it.

That is why the Judicial Appointment Commission and the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission are waiting to be rescued from limbo.

Ironically, today he is paying the price for being subservient to his party. They have their knives out for him, wanting him to step down as party president much earlier that the mid-2010 transition deadline.

And here is a double dose of irony: Their big beef with Abdullah is that he has not done much since Election 2008.

There is no cavalry of non-party members rushing to put up a human shield around him and protect him from the charge of the Umno rank-and-file.

They believe that he has been given several chances to make good his promise of changing Malaysia, and has not been able to deliver.

Worse yet, they believe that because of his unwillingness to upset Umno warlords, party officials have become more arrogant and insensitive to the feelings of non-Malays, and Malaysia has become a less inclusive country.

That is why Datuk Ahmad Ismail was recalcitrant about his description of Malaysian Chinese as immigrants and squatters.

That is why the late Datuk Zakaria Deros was willing to break every law in the book to build a huge mansion in Klang.

That is why Datuk Seri Khir Toyo was unrepentant about ordering the demolition of a Hindu temple in Selangor a week before Deepavali last year.

So today, Abdullah finds himself in an odd situation: weak inside and outside his party.

And yet it could have been so different if he had followed the strategy of throwing caution to the wind and trying to outflank his party.

In theory at least, his popularity among Malaysians would have been so strong that it would not have been easy for the likes of Dr Mahathir and Tan Sri Muhyddin Yassin to whip up hatred for him among the party rank and file.

In theory at least, he would have been remembered as a great Malaysian who put the principles of multi-racialism, justice, fairness and integrity above everything else.

But for that strategy of outflanking the party to have succeeded, the PM would have had to become a risk taker overnight, someone not afraid of going against convention and the herd.

Perhaps that was asking too much of a man who had become a prisoner to what his party thought.