kueytoc

Beautiful !...& ya got a nice sexy ACAN peeping among the calcified shrubs.

Keep ya 'sticky-fingers' cross...

Fabulous GEMS mate !

Start of a brave new Singapore? By Ewen Boey – January 3rd, 2011 By Seah Chiang Nee A useful message to greet the New Year in Singapore could have read something like this: “Caution! Visitors to this island are advised to be careful of a mysterious syndrome that drives victims to shed off all their clothes in public.” It could be timely preparation, given the recent surge of such happenings as a more liberal generation leaves its mark on this once prudish city. The government had long hoped for a new vibrancy to push Singapore into the ranks of a top world city. Well, in recent years, it has got a little of that wish – but not all to its liking. As promiscuity rises, one phenomenon has almost everyone scratching his head. Amidst reports of a teenage girl selling her soiled underwear online and a young trainee teacher having sex with a 12 and a 15-year-old girl, interest centred on public nudity, including the following cases: - * A man in his 20s went buck naked into a fast-food outlet to buy coffee (his custom was refused); * A middle-aged man found sitting ###### on a suburban pavement; and * A middle-aged woman took off all her clothes and boarded a public bus, rejecting a jacket to cover up. The driver ordered her to sit at the back with the women, away from the men until her arrest. They all happened in the past two weeks, their video shots instantly producing up to 50,000 hits online. Meanwhile, Felicia, a teenager offered to sell her used underwear for up to S$45 a pair. “All the panties will be worn by me for at least 12 hours,” she pledged. Total sales – 12 pairs! The most famous streak was that of a Singaporean A*Star (biotech research) scholar and her Swedish schoolmate, who were fined after they strolled stark naked through Holland Village in 2009. “Those crazy Singaporeans can’t seem to keep their pants on in public lately,” expatriate Jeff Mills wrote before Christmas Day. “The country best known for semiconductor wafers and caning has seen a rash of indecent exposure and slow streaking cases recently.” Adding to the tempo was the first reported case of a 30-year-old Filipino maid offering to appear in the ###### on webcam sex for money on the Net. And last week a China girl who drowned while swimming naked at a rich man’s house several months ago was pronounced an accident. At about the same time a ###### 19-year-old girl was rescued clinging onto the second floor window of a hotel. She explained she ended there by accident after a Christmas Eve bash with some girlfriends. The trend of indecent exposure has been rising since 2007. Today an average of one case is reported every other day despite the threat of S$2,000 fine or up to three months in jail. According to published figures, there were 105 cases in the first six months of 2010, compared with 166 for 2009, 146 in 2008 and 136 in 2007. Psychiatrist Ken Ung, who has treated many cases referred to him by the courts, told the press that many were either exhibitionists or attention seekers. “Exhibitionism is a sexual disorder where the exhibitionists get a sexual thrill from the look of shock and horror on their victims’ faces,” he was quoted as saying. Others were mentally troubled, while some over-exuberant revellers did it because of alcohol or a bet with a friend. Singapore bans pornography and has an ambivalent attitude to nudity. It wants to encourage the arts to enable the city to compete with cultural centres like London and New York. But is has – as it did in 2007 – stopped a commercial gallery from showing a painting of a female ###### in a public space. “Its art scene still veers toward the safe, rather than the controversial, and artists avoid subjects deemed sensitive in the city-state, including politics and sex,” said an observer. That boundary is being pushed by unknown citizens all over the island. The streak has already raised calls for the establishment of a nudist beach nearby. “Since people want to go naked, give them an isolated place to do it away from children,” one blogger said. Not only in the flesh, there has been an increase in the number of girls posing in the ###### and posting the videos online These are sometimes ranked according to merit by peers. The livelier scene is vastly encouraged by a host of gadgets such as mobile phone cameras, handheld video recorders and digital cameras – all within the reach of Singapore’s teenagers. They have created a form of homemade pornography involving amateurs – often naive young ladies – filming themselves naked for their boy-friends. Quite a few were shocked to discover they were widely circulated, making them soft ###### stars. After 40 years of strict control, a new generation seems to be striving hard to push Singapore to catch up with other modern cities. According to Durex, Singaporean youths are becoming sexually active younger, losing their virginity at the average age of 18.4 years – far lower than many Asian countries. Unlike their elders, for example, 18% of Singaporean women initiate sex – a higher proportion than anywhere else in Asia, reported a TIME survey. (Some 64 percent of students at National University of Singapore (NUS) are surveyed t have sex more than once a week.) The recent spate of public nudity has led to speculation whether it is a new trend or whether Singaporeans are finally breaking down social conformity. None, a self-employed tutor emphasised: “It is a cry for help from the despondent. Ours is a stressful place.” A former Reuters correspondent and newpaper editor, the writer is now a freelance columnist writing on general trends in Singapore. This post first appeared on his blog, www.littlespeck.com on 1 Jan, 2011.

Azoox.org, the dark side of the hobby gets their own forum Posted on RB, January 2nd, 2011 by Joost de Vries Azoox.org is a newly created forum that was created to provide and share information about the care of Azooxanthellate corals in aquariums at all experience levels. The goal of Azoox.org is not just to provide and share information on a hobbyist level but also to share information with global azoox reefers. With azooxanthellae corals exhibit stunning looks and featuring fascinating, the popularity of azoox aquariums has truly blossomed over the last couple of years. Azooxanthellae corals do not have any symbiotic algae and thus need another source of energy than lights, which means a need of a nearly constant food source in the water. In the past hobbyist have failed miserably in keeping them alive, but with better understanding about the needs of these animals, hobbyists and public aquariums alike are slowly developing ways to keep these stunning animals. With ingenious feeding systems providing the numerous feedings throughout the day needed for most azoox corals, improved filtration systems to cope with the huge amounts of nutrients, better collection and handling practices and commercial foods from companies such as Fauna Marin and Reef Nutrition, we are slowly beginning to see the incremental success that may one day lead to tanks full of Dendronephthya soft corals. Some corals (and inverts too) formally known as impossible to keep can now be kept with enough dedication although were still far from complete success. Unfortunately azooxanthellae coral are still very much misunderstood and much of their captive care requirements are still waiting to be discovered. A website dedicated to the care of these animals is a major step towards understanding the care of these animals and is another major sign of their increasing popularity. Hopefully with study groups of specific coral species we will one day be able to keep these amazing organism. We are excited to finally see the this niche Azoox coral website launch because it is a big step in the dark side of reefkeeping. If you own an azoox tank, consider setting one up, or own any non-photosynthetic corals be sure to sign up to www.azoox.org. See you there!

Azoox.org, the dark side of the hobby gets their own forum Posted on RB, January 2nd, 2011 by Joost de Vries Azoox.org is a newly created forum that was created to provide and share information about the care of Azooxanthellate corals in aquariums at all experience levels. The goal of Azoox.org is not just to provide and share information on a hobbyist level but also to share information with global azoox reefers. With azooxanthellae corals exhibit stunning looks and featuring fascinating, the popularity of azoox aquariums has truly blossomed over the last couple of years. Azooxanthellae corals do not have any symbiotic algae and thus need another source of energy than lights, which means a need of a nearly constant food source in the water. In the past hobbyist have failed miserably in keeping them alive, but with better understanding about the needs of these animals, hobbyists and public aquariums alike are slowly developing ways to keep these stunning animals. With ingenious feeding systems providing the numerous feedings throughout the day needed for most azoox corals, improved filtration systems to cope with the huge amounts of nutrients, better collection and handling practices and commercial foods from companies such as Fauna Marin and Reef Nutrition, we are slowly beginning to see the incremental success that may one day lead to tanks full of Dendronephthya soft corals. Some corals (and inverts too) formally known as impossible to keep can now be kept with enough dedication although we’re still far from complete success. Unfortunately azooxanthellae coral are still very much misunderstood and much of their captive care requirements are still waiting to be discovered. A website dedicated to the care of these animals is a major step towards understanding the care of these animals and is another major sign of their increasing popularity. Hopefully with study groups of specific coral species we will one day be able to keep these amazing organism. We are excited to finally see the this niche Azoox coral website launch because it is a big step in the “dark side” of reefkeeping. If you own an azoox tank, consider setting one up, or own any non-photosynthetic corals be sure to sign up to www.azoox.org. See you there!

Liverpool players back Hodgson, says Joe Cole AFP - Monday, January 3 LONDON (AFP) – Joe Cole insists Liverpool's players remain completely supportive of under-fire manager Roy Hodgson. Cole gave Hodgson some much-needed breathing space as his 90th minute goal clinched a 2-1 win over Bolton at Anfield on Saturday. After three days of criticism following the Reds' shock home defeat against Wolves, Hodgson couldn't afford another poor result in front of the fans he had accused of failing to support him. Reports that Hodgson had lost the support of his players were hardly helping his cause, but second half goals from Fernando Torres and Cole allowed the former Fulham boss a moment of respite. Liverpool owners New England Sports Ventures may well be considering who is the best man to lead the club forward, but England midfielder Cole is convinced Hodgson can still turn things around and he has no doubts the squad are behind him. "We are all behind the manager. We all want to put this club in the right direction and keep working hard," Cole said. "We are out there playing for the shirt and the manager. We have all got to stick together because there is no-one bigger than the club. "I am really happy for everyone at the club; it has been a tough week for everyone - particularly the manager - but we've got the win. "It is not just the newspapers, none of us like losing and getting criticised but half the battle of modern day football is dealing with pressure and kicking on. "We are pleased for the fans, the owners and the manager but we have all got to stick together and kick on from here, it can't be a false dawn."

Ferdinand happy for United to make ugly title charge AFP - 1 hour 37 minutes ago MANCHESTER, United Kingdom, Jan 3, 2011 (AFP) – Rio Ferdinand has no qualms about Manchester United making an "ugly" charge for the Premier League title as the leaders look to extend their advantage at the top against Stoke on Tuesday. Ferdinand insists United will take three points in any way, shape or form if that is what it takes to regain the Premier League crown from Chelsea. Sir Alex Ferguson's team have been anything but fluent so far this term but remain unbeaten in the league and sit at the Premier League summit, ahead of Manchester City on goal difference and with two games in hand on their local rivals. Their 2-1 win over West Brom on Saturday encapsulated their season so far as it was ugly and scrappy but ultimately successful. United defender Ferdinand said: "You've got to dig deep in these games; these are the type of games that make up big ground in the league. "Other teams watching would probably have been thinking we'll just nick a draw maybe, but to take three points against West Brom was great for us. "You've got to win games, it's as simple as that. I don't care how we win. "Ideally we'd like to play well, but in these situations when you're not playing at your best, the most important thing is to get the three points and go back to Manchester happy." Worryingly for Stoke, Wayne Rooney looks to be regaining the form that made him one of the world's leading strikers 12 months ago. Last season he was comfortably United's best player but he has gone off the boil in recent times, hindered by an ankle problem and lurid revelations about his personal life. However, he scored the opener against West Brom and also set up Javier Hernandez for the winner and Ferguson is confident the old Rooney is returning. "People talk about world class players. That was a world class performance," Ferguson said. "He was absolutely magnificent, he drove us the whole way. Wayne was a bit unlucky not to score an extra couple of goals. But the goal he did score will give him unbelievable confidence and hopefully he kicks on from here." Another striker who has needed a goal to boost his confidence is Stoke's Kenwyne Jones and he duly delivered that in the Potters' 2-0 victory over Everton on Saturday. That win means Stoke will visit Old Trafford in a positive frame of mind and with manager Tony Pulis hoping Jones can start scoring more goals after a recent dry spell. "I'm really, really pleased for the lad because he's had to deal with some pretty sad issues in his life and I think his confidence has dipped a bit as a result," Pulis revealed "Kenwyne is a lovely lad, a gentle lad. He's had problems off the pitch that nobody knows about and they have had an effect on him. Fingers crossed, he has got over them now and got his head straight. "He can be unplayable at times and we are pleased to have him. We will go to Old Trafford and give it our best shot. We have struggled there but it would be nice to go there and make a good account of ourselves." United will go into the encounter without Paul Scholes (groin), John O'Shea, (calf) and Antonio Valencia (ankle), while Stoke will be missing Mamady Sidibe with a shin complaint.

Chelsea's title hopes dented by Villa draw AFP - Monday, January 3 LONDON (AFP) - – Chelsea's bid to retain the Premier League title suffered another blow as struggling Aston Villa snatched a dramatic 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Carlo Ancelotti's side were on course for a crucial win after late goals from Didier Drogba and John Terry, but Ciaran Clark equalised in stoppage time and the reigning champions are now in severe danger of losing touch with the main title contenders. Even a Champions League spot isn't certain for fifth-placed Chelsea. The Blues have won just once in eight league games and are six points behind leaders Manchester United, who also have a game in hand. Ancelotti conceded the result will make it harder to lift morale at the Bridge. "We needed to win this game. We didn't and now it's more difficult to prepare for the next game," he said. "I'm disappointed because we worked very hard in the second half to come back into the game when 2-1 down. "We did a fantastic job, we came back and scored to make it 3-2 and everyone thought the game was finished." Frank Lampard put Chelsea in front with a 23rd-minute penalty, but Ashley Young levelled from the spot four minutes before half-time. Villa took the lead when Emile Heskey headed in Stewart Downing's cross in the 47th minute. Drogba equalised in the 84th minute and it looked as though Chelsea would steal the points when Terry netted in the 89th minute. But in stoppage time the Chelsea defence went to sleep and Clark beat the offside trap to head in the leveller. Villa boss Gerard Houllier was delighted with the way his side fought back and he said: "That was a huge demonstration of personality and character. "The fighting spirit was there. We picked an experienced team because we thought that would be best but the goal at the end was made by our two youngest players." In the day's other fixture, Shola Ameobi scored a first-half winner as Newcastle clinched a 1-0 victory at struggling Wigan. Ameobi struck in the 19th minute with a close-range finish after Peter Lovenkrands hit the post. It was enough to give Alan Pardew's team a second win under their new manager, while Wigan are just one point and one place above the relegation zone after their first defeat in five matches.

Hasta la Vista: Arnie quits as California governor AFP - Monday, January 3 LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Arnold Schwarzenegger steps down as California "Governator" Monday, defending his record to the last - and keeping fans and others guessing about his next move. After seven years at the helm of the Golden State, the former champion body builder turned "Terminator" movie megastar and businessman is leaving his adopted home mired in huge financial woes. But in a newspaper interview to mark his handover of power to Democrat Jerry Brown -- two months after November 2 polls -- Arnie stood by all his decisions. "The important thing with my job that I've had for the last seven years is, you have to have passion... You can't be afraid," he told the Los Angeles Times newspaper. "You have to recognize very quickly that political risk-taking is not political suicide." While he impressed many with his transformation into a liberal Republican and green champion who won reelection in 2006, his poll ratings slid in recent years, in line with California's dire economic fortunes. A budget crisis in 2010 pushed California, which would have been the world's eighth largest economy if it were a country, to the brink of bankruptcy, sending its credit-rating plunging and forcing it to pay bills with IOUs. But while commentators will pick over Schwarzenegger's political legacy here, many are watching closely to see what the 63-year-old will do next -- notably whether he will return to the movies. "Will I still have the patience to sit on the set and to do a movie for three months or for six months, all of those things? I don't know," he tweeted in October. In another interview with the LA Times last month, he acknowledged he has many other options, from writing his autobiography to the speech-making circuit, to business projects or even a behind-the-camera role in Hollywood. "It's very clear there are a bunch of different options because of the different careers that I've had. "From the health industry, to the environmental side, to the political stuff, to writing books, to giving speeches -- all of those kinds of things. There's a huge variety of different doors that can open." It is all a long way from his humble beginnings in a small town near Graz in eastern Austria. In 1968, after winning a string of bodybuilding contests, the penniless 21-year-old came to the United States to pursue his passion. He earned a business and economics degree from the University of Wisconsin, became a millionaire while winning the Mr. Universe title four more times, and then shrugged off barbs about his thick accent as he turned to acting. Joining Hollywood's royalty, his ominous "Terminator" catchphrases "I'll be back," and "Hasta la vista, baby" have now entered the English language -- and he still uses them frequently as a politician. His star power would certainly help him pursue a political career -- there has even been talk about him joining the Obama administration in some environmental role. He certainly doesn't need the money after making a fortune in Hollywood -- he was on a reported 30 million dollars a movie, and refused his salary as California governor -- not to mention his extensive business interests. Schwarzenegger remained tightlipped about his options this weekend, but insisted that, whatever he does, it won't be for financial reasons. "I'm financially protected for the rest of my life. But that makes it actually more fun to do things. Because I always believed, never do things just for the money; always do things because you're passionate about it."

2 small beautiful pieces still avail for grabs when I was there at 5.30PM today.

Since U already have the MP10, then U can use it for the time being as it should be enuff for ya softies/LPS stocklist.

Game Over !!! Ex-SLA director faces additional 70 cheating charges By Faris – December 31st, 2010 Former deputy director of the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), Koh Seah Wee, was charged with another 70 counts of cheating on Thursday, with most of the offences committed during his eight years spent at the Supreme Court. Koh, 40, faces 63 charges of assisting two firms land IT equipment supply, maintenance and installation contracts while he was seconded to the Court, without declaring that he was involved in managing them. The other seven new charges involve similar offences allegedly committed while he was seconded to the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (Ipos). These are in addition to him being charged last month with cheating Ipos of $286,000 between December 2005 and March 2007, according to The Straits Times. Koh now faces a total of 372 charges of cheating the SLA, Ipos and the Supreme Court out of more than $12 million. On Thursday, prosecutors said they intend applying to have the case against Koh and his alleged accomplice Christopher Lim Chai Meng moved to the High Court. Lawyers said the High Court would have the power to deliver stiffer sentences as compared to the Subordinate Court. Explaining the prosecution’s intention, a spokesman for the Attorney-General’s Chambers said, “’In view of the circumstances of the alleged offences committed by Koh Seah Wee and Lim Chai Meng, as well as the total amount involved, it was considered that it would be more appropriate for the matter to be heard by the High Court.” Koh was a young officer at the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) when he had his first secondment, in February 1997, to the Supreme Court. He was an IT consultant to the court’s Computer Information Systems Department and remained at the post until July 2004. As a junior officer, his job scope included sourcing and evaluating quotations, making recommendations about them and getting internal approval for buying the items. However, Koh allegedly recommended that contracts be awarded to Teamware Systems and Solutions and Professional Business Solutions. His failure to disclose the links in which he had a share in the profits of the two firms led the Supreme Court to award them the purchase orders. Although Koh was not listed as an office-bearer in either firm, he is understood to have been involved in their management. Company records show both ceased business between 2002 and 2004. It is understood that the seven cheating charges relating to Ipos are similar. Koh allegedly recommended that contracts for supplying software equipment and maintenance be awarded to a firm which he was involved in managing, Chartered Systems and Services. The earlier charges at SLA differ in that they relate to Koh allegedly submitting invoices for work that was not done, such as equipment maintenance. Koh, represented by lawyer Ravinderpal Singh at yesterday’s hearing, has been in remand since June 25. Thursday’s pre-trial conference also involved Christopher Lim Chai Meng, 37, defended by lawyer Sunil Sudheesan. The former SLA manager is said to have helped Koh submit false invoices to the agency’s finance department for IT work that was not done. He faces 309 cheating charges. Earlier this month, Ho Yen Teck, 31, pleaded guilty to 21 charges of conspiring with Koh and Lim to dupe SLA into paying $1.26 million to seven bogus businesses he created. Five men working for supplier firms were also charged last month in connection with the alleged fraud at SLA. This brings the total number charged in connection with the case to eight. Channel NewsAsia reported that the Supreme Court has meanwhile set up an independent panel to review its procurement processes and related internal controls. The panel, which was set up in October, is chaired by High Court Judge, Justice Quentin Loh. Senior officers from two other government bodies are also represented on the panel. In a Parliament seating in November, ministers, K Shanmugam and Tharman Shanmugaratnam had said that the SLA fraud was a result of human failure and not a systemic problem.

Man U won't go shopping in January sales: Fergie AFP - 2 hours 31 minutes ago LONDON (AFP) - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has ruled out a spending spree in the January sales. United are in pole position to regain the Premier League title as they go into 2011 on top of the table, but Ferguson doesn't plan to bolster his squad with new signings during the one-month transfer window. Title rivals Manchester City look set to buy Wolfsburg forward Edin Dzeko, while Chelsea are in the market for a new defender and Arsenal could move for a goalkeeper. Ferguson, who has already completed the capture of Denmark keeper Anders Lindegaard from Aalesund, is confident his squad is strong enough to last the pace in the title race. "I don't think so," he told Manchester radio station Key103 when asked if he would make signings. "There is always this situation that if a certain player came up that we like, we would do something, but that doesn't really happen in January. "In any case, a lot of the players relish the fact we are keeping ahead of the game by bringing in players who can challenge and be a first-team squad player. "We are all in it together and we all want to win together. Having a stronger squad helps." Meanwhile, Ferguson's squad will be improved soon as veteran midfielder Paul Scholes will return to training next week after five weeks out of action. Scholes, 35, has been sidelined by a groin injury since United's Champions League win at Rangers on November 24. He has already missed six fixtures, but Ferguson hopes the rest will have allowed the former England international's injury to heal completely. "Paul had a little recurrence of the groin injury," said Ferguson. "We just told him to have a complete break, which is what he has done. "Hopefully that break will get rid of the injury problem through rest and we will have him back training sometime next week."

Beckham set for England return with Spurs AFP - 2 hours 12 minutes ago LONDON, Jan 1, 2011 (AFP) – Former England captain David Beckham could be set for a sensational return to English football after Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp confirmed he would try to land the midfielder on a short-term loan. Redknapp revealed on Friday he would ask club chairman Daniel Levy to persuade Los Angeles Galaxy to lend the 35-year-old to Tottenham until the start of the Major League Soccer season in March. The Spurs boss denied that the move was designed simply to produce the commercial revenue that Beckham's signing could bring. Redknapp said: "He wouldn't be coming here just to sell shirts. In the short term, he's not going to sell a load of shirts." Redknapp, who has guided an attacking Spurs side to the knockout round of the Champions League and into a top-six position in the Premier League this season, also insisted Beckham had no financial motive to return to England. "He isn't going to come here and get big money -- we aren't massive payers at this club," he said. "He has probably got a fantastic house with a pool and he could sit out there every day and enjoy his life for a few months before he starts with LA Galaxy again. "But he wants to come over here to the freezing cold and play football. "Doesn't that tell you something about the boy that he lives in Los Angeles and he might be a billionaire? "I've heard stories about how much he earns, it is just incredible, mind-blowing. "He could buy any football club in this country if he wanted to. "He is not going to do it for the money is he? That tells you everything about him." If the deal goes through, it would be the first time that London-born Beckham has played for an English club since he left Manchester United to join Real Madrid in 2003. Beckham has spent the last two MLS close seasons on loan at AC Milan, partly in a bid to extend his England career, but injury ruled him out of last year's World Cup finals where England flopped. With United, Beckham won the Premier League title six times and the 1999 Champions League title. He won a Spanish league title with Real before joining LA Galaxy in 2007.

Sentosa Cove ‘death bungalow’ sold By Ewen Boey – January 1st, 2011 The Sentosa Cove bungalow in which a KTV hostess drowned just five months ago was sold at a bargain price of $13.6 million. The buyers? Mr Mark Poh Seng Kui, the 49-year-old managing director of Nam Leong – a company which specialises in sanitary wares and bathroom accessories – and his older brother and chairman of the same company, Mr David Poh Cheng Seng, 56. The pair bought the three-storey waterfront bungalow on Ocean Drive at Sentosa Cove in August 2010. While the sum might seem a lot, it is in fact a bargain compared to the other properties in the area where property prices are skyrocketing. The New Paper reported that the deal with their real estate agent took only an hour to be sealed, with both brothers aware of the bungalow’s history. The brothers’ S$13.6 million investment translates to S$1,690 psf being paid for the 8,049 square foot plot. That is a bargain compared to the S$2,546 psf paid by a buyer of a smaller Sentosa Cove bungalow sold a month later. This saved the brothers around S$6 million on the bungalow previously owned by Mr Adrian Chua, the 39-year-old chief executive and founder of real estate investment management firm Roundhill Capital. Mr Chua moved out of the bungalow after Chinese KTV hostess, Li Hongyan, drowned in the swimming pool in the early morning hours of March 24. The 24-year-old’s death was ruled a misadventure just last week and no foul play was suspected. However, the younger Mr Poh is not concerned with the bungalow’s tragic history, and told the paper, “It was an accident and accidents happen all the time.” “I’ve not done bad things, my conscience is clear, so there’s nothing to be afraid of,” he added. The brothers are currently living in separate units in a Bukit Timah townhouse and intend to use the bungalow as a “holiday home” for family gatherings after their S$1 million renovations are complete.

Nice TANKY...I would advise dat U go for MP40 instead as U can tune the wavemaker flow according to your tank vol. Why spend more to upgrade later when U have already planned to keep SPSes.

2010 was a massive year for marine fish captive breeding Posted on December 30th, 2010 by Matt Pedersen In May of this year, I asked if 2010 would be the year that the marine aquarium hobby shifted to breeding. By September of this year, I felt we already had our answer since this has indeed been one of the best years in recent history for marine fish breeders. The achievements of this year also send a big message to critical and skeptical observers of our community that we care about our reefs and were working to preserve them. The marine aquarium hobby is also working to be the ark for the marine life we cherish, by virtue of learning to captively propagate as many species as we can. We can only hope to see that momentum build in 2011. After scouring the internet and Reef Builders archives, heres an in-depth look at the marine breeders highlights for 2010! Perhaps the most telling sign that 2010 was going to be different for the hobby mindset started with the January establishment of Green Marine, the first exclusively captive-raised/captive-bred marine retail establishment in the country, if not the world. Søren Hansen of Sea & Reef Aquaculture kicked off my Reef Builders contributions with the news of large funding procurements for aquaculture R&D . . . something that rarely occurs for ornamental fish producers. The marine breeding world suffered the loss of a commercial breeding pioneer in Frank Hoff, founder of Instant Ocean Hatcheries and Florida Aqua Farms, and author of the Plankton Culture Manual and Conditioning, Spawning and Rearing of Fish With Emphasis on Marine Clownfish, who passed away in late January of this year. We saw the closing of one of the longest running commercial hatcheries, Reef Propagations Inc., with the retirement of pioneering breeder Joe Lichtenbert. We also saw C-Quest relinquish its tropical location (Puerto Rico) to set up a new facility in Wyoming, but not before releasing some captive bred Golden Damselfish. Rumors also bubbled up that long-silent producer, Frank Baensch of Reef Culture Technologies in Hawaii, would be reentering the scene with captive bred angelfish. Just a few weeks ago, Tennessee-based Sustainable Aquatics released new clownfish variants, including 2 new varieties never before produced. Another long-silent commercial hatchery, Proaquatix, truly reentered the ornamental market this year, most notably with the first releases of captive bred Lookdowns, Selen volmer (first reported here on Reef Builders, with a more in depth article in the forthcoming Jan/Feb 2011 edition of CORAL Magazine!). We also saw examples of the ongoing confusion that surrounds captive-bred vs. tank-raised with rumors that the Proaquatix Lookdowns were not captive bred (they are CB), while at the same time the release of captive-bred Pinnatus Batfish might actually be an example of tank raised fish being mismarketed somewhere in the supply chain the jury is still out, but its looking like the Pinnatus are probably tank-raised. Confusion like this hadnt really been an issue in the past few years as supplies of wild-sourced tank-raised fish had subsided (and so had the misinformation that there were captive-bred Hepatus Tangs freely available). With Sustainable Aquatics big push into the market with their tank-raised Sustainable Island brand of fish, we can expect hobbyists and suppliers to once again be confused over what captive-bred really is. At some levels of the supply chain, a distinction is not even made, with all captive-bred, pen-raised, tank-raised, and ocean-cultivated specimens being lumped together under general umbrellas like aquacultured, making it impossible to discern the differences. The biggest news of the year in commercial circles was undoubtedly ORAs release of captive bred Mandarins (Synchiropus splendidus and S. picturatus). Designer Clownfish enthusiasts were not let down by ORA either, with the release of Domino and Midnight Clownfish varieties and glimpses of Misbar Maroons @ MACNA that could be though thought of as picasso-ish. However, fish breeders who were paying attention didnt miss that ORA also quietly announced successful propagation of a couple new Dottyback species (Pseudochromis elongatus and Ps. bitaeniatus). My other pick for the top spot in 2010 commercial innovations falls squarely to the folks at Reed Mariculture who refined and released their new line of improved frozen phytoplankton pastes for marine fish breeding as the RotiGrow System. While not sexy like a new fish species or variety, these feeds may affect fish breeding in 2011 and beyond in ways we cannot fully anticipate or appreciate just yet! It is important to note that none of these commercial producers would be in business if you werent buying, so bravo to those of you who realized you dont *need* to have wild caught fish when there are captive-bred counterparts available. With the Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) remaining on the IUCN Red List as endangered since 2007, Im happy to report that most hobbyist Banggai breeders report having virtually no problem meeting demand and selling their offspring for a very good price to their fellow hobbyists. With commercial producers continuing to somewhat avoid this species, and wild caught specimens continuing to be imported and sometimes dying in droves, this species remains the domain of the home hobbyist breeder. It seems hobbyists are willing to line up to get their hands on captive-bred Banggais. Not surprisingly, we also have non-commercial breeders to thank for some advancements in captive propagation. In September, 2010, notable marine fish breeder and author Matthew L. Wittenrich was selected as the MASNA 2010 Aquarist of the Year. While some incorrectly believe Wittenrich was the first to spawn and rear Mandarins (he wasnt) it was his work producing them in such quantity that grabbed everyones attention. In my opinion, it is not this singular achievement, but rather a massive body of work including his 2007 Complete Illustrated Breeders Guide to Marine Aquarium Fishes that earned him this long overdue recognition. Im hard pressed to think of any species firsts that occurred in 2010 when it comes to fish. But who cares when we have Richard Ross @ Steinhart and the California Academy of Sciences breeding the Flamboyant Cuttlefish, Metasepia pfefferi! (yes, there have been babies). This wasnt the only innovation at Steinhart, with Richard Rosss earlier reports on the captive spawning of Rhinopias sp. Scorpionfish (making it to 15 days post hatch) as well as Matt Wandells report on the captive spawning of Black Ribbon Eels. And talk about coming close, Atlantis Marine Worlds Todd Gardner is continuing to push the envelop, getting captive-spawned Liopropomma Reef Basslets to 46 days post hatch! We are all watching with optimism to see if 2011 brings us captive-bred Candy Basslets! In my opinion, breeders suffered a setback this year with the ongoing problems @ MOFIB (Marine Ornamental Fish and Invertebrate Breeders Association). While Im hesitant to even bring it up being the ousted founder of the organization, honest and complete reporting requires that we share the disappointments as well as the triumphs. The current BOD has not released meeting minutes since the August 2010 meeting, and shortly after the 2010 elections, the board scrapped plans for progress towards charitable / non-profit status. More recently, member pleas for information or even to volunteer seem to be met with relative silence. The quality of day-in-day-out operations seems to have hit an all time low and the level of poor and misinformation showing up continues to rise. It would seem that the only real thrust this year was to have a presence at MACNA, but of course, a MACNA booth isnt what MOFIB is all about. While MOFIBs status is sad, other organizational developments at the hobbyist and academic level have me looking forward with the knowledge that just like in fish breeding, you may fail many times before you get it right! Marine breeders found new encouragement in the form of the Marine Breeding Initiative, or MBI, spearheaded by Chad Penney and Tal Sweet of MASM. Conceived in late 2009, this universal Breeders Award Program (BAP) for marine breeders of fish and invertebrates rolled out in 2010 and continues to grow and gather attention (including this Reef Hobbyist Magazine article on the MBI). It brings the motivation of friendly competition to the pursuit of propagation, while also building a robust knowledge base of breeding data as part of the program requirements. The decentralized, universal BAP model brings breeding back to the local level, being a free program for every marine aquarium organization to join and participate in. The MBI/MASM also organized a possible first of its kind Marine Breeders Workshop in March, 2010, and is in the planning stages to expand on this event for 2011. Given the relatively small but growing interest group, this niche-within-a-niche marine aquarium event may turn into something really special in the years ahead. Yes, in the interest of full disclosure, I do currently set on the MBI Council, and for anyone with the once-bitten, twice-shy mentality, the MBI leadership is a benevolent dictatorship model…no politics to worry about because we all know exactly who the bosses are! Another non-commercial program, discussed at this years MACNA by Judy St. Leger, is Seaworlds Rising Tide Conservation program. While this program is still in the infancy stages, Seaworld and other organizations are trying to once again bridge the gap between academic, commercial, and amateur breeders and fund projects in the realm of marine ornamental propagation. The goals and ideas have merit, and 2011 will hopefully show how this program comes together. Still, day-in, day-out, hobbyist breeders continue to tread where the commercial breeders may not, or can not. We featured the work of Junkai Ong here on Reef Builders, being one of only a few people in the world whove ever spawned and reared the mean-spirited Mccullochi Dottyback (Cypho purpurascens). Of course, in browsing online, Id be remiss if I didnt point out other acheivements by hobbyist breeders. Instantly coming to mind is the breeding of two ultra-mean Dottyback species normally ignored by commercial propagators, the Royal Dottyback (Pictichromis paccagnellae) and the Diadema Dottyback (P. diadema), by Graham (gpsmart on MOFIB). I should also mention the work of Amy Drehmel (Midnight Angel) who has succeeded in spawning the Ghost Ribbon Eel first in September 2009, but has since opted to retreat from the open-source breeding model of other breeders. Of course, how could we not mention the buzz around Marcel Triessls origination of Albino Ocellaris? Perhaps the most interesting development on the non-commercial front is the remarkably high quality captive-bred Latezonatus Clownfish (Amphiprion latezonatus) produced by renowned breeder Karen Brittain in Hawaii. We may remember the first captive-bred Latezonatus hitting the commercial scene in late December of 2009. These fish from an undisclosed source in Australia were certainly exciting, but as things progressed, we learned while they were robust fish, they were virtually all misbars. While they entered the market at prices of over $300 each, the prices rapidly plummeted over the next several months and were seen as low as $120 each at times. This price drop represents two possibilities simple economics of supply and demand, but also a likely reflection of the disappointment in a fish, also commonly known as the Wide Band Clownfish, lacking its namesake patterning! Well, admittedly I dont know how she did it and I havent yet asked, but fully-barred captive bred Latezonatus clownfish from Karen Brittain became available in the last month and are back at the nice high price of $300 each! In perhaps the strangest (or most surreal) move of the year, the commercial side of the industry reiterated through its choices just how important it believes sustainability is, and how much faith it places in captive breeding at the hobbyist level. In a move that surprised just about everyone, the sustainably-collected SEASMART PNG Lightning Maroon Clownfish went not to the highest bidder, but to a breeder. And not a commercial breeder, but yours truly, who happens to be one of the staunchest anti-guppification advocates out there (but this is a wild form, so definitely falls under the preservation umbrella). While still humbled by the decision and thankful for all the support, the greater message is that our hobby and industry is not in it for the short term buck…if it was, SEASMART, Pacific Aqua Farms and Blue Zoo Aquatics would have seen this fish go to the highest bidder, and likely never be seen or heard from again. As you can see, 2010 was a year simply chock-full of marine breeding news. I cant even begin to imagine what 2011 has in store for us all. With marine breeding being the final frontier of our hobby (in my opinion), I look forward to the year that I simply cannot keep up? Will 2011 be that year? This post has been promoted to an article

It's YOGAsmic yeah !!! Yoga teacher's sex slaves rescued in M'sia ANN - Thursday, December 30 Kuala Kubu Baru (The Star/ANN) - A 54-year-old yoga instructor was arrested for allegedly holding three girls as sex slaves in his house in Malaysia for about a month. He was arrested after police raided his house near Kuala Kubu Baru and rescued the girls. Two of the victims were 16 while the other was 20. It is believed that the man had repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted the girls, who were believed to have been shackled and chained to a bed in the house. They had been reported missing since late November. It is learnt that the man had lured the girls to his house before raping them. Police formed a special task force to investigate the case after one of the victim's parents, a 38-year-old rubber tapper, lodged a police report on Nov 30. Selangor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Tun Hisan Hamzah confirmed the arrest. "We found two packets of drugs believed to be syabu in the house," he said. Police also found a sex toy during the raid. DCP Tun Hisan said the yoga instructor was wanted by police and had a criminal record. "The victims have been sent to Kuala Kubu Baru hospital for a medical check-up," he said.

Discovery cancels Michael Jackson autopsy TV show Reuters - Saturday, January 1 By Bob Tourtellotte LOS ANGELES - The Discovery television network on Friday said it canceled plans to air a reenactment of the autopsy on Michael Jackson's body, citing an upcoming court hearing and concern by the late pop star's estate. The show, "Michael Jackson's Autopsy: What Really Killed Michael Jackson," had been set to air in several countries of western Europe and in the United Kingdom on January 13. "Given the commencement of legal proceedings beginning next week, and at the request of Michael Jackson's estate, the scheduled broadcast of the medical documentary related to Michael Jackson's official autopsy has been postponed indefinitely," Discovery Networks International said in a statement. A Discovery spokesman declined comment beyond the statement. Co-executors of the estate responded in their own statement saying they were "pleased" with the decision. The "Thriller" singer died suddenly of a prescription drug overdose on June 25, 2009, age 50, only weeks before beginning a series of comeback concerts. An autopsy by Los Angeles officials showed Jackson died chiefly of an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol that he used as a sleep aid. Discovery's show, which was not scheduled to air in the United States, was an unofficial, fictional account of what the autopsy must have been like and its results. But Jackson fans worldwide protested in an online petition launched earlier this month, and the co-executors of his estate sent a letter this week to Discovery Networks calling the program "insensitive" and "in shockingly bad taste." A print advertisement for the program shows a body covered by a sheet, with one hand poking out wearing the singer's well-known sequined glove. Following Discovery's decision, McClain and Branca released a statement saying, "we are hopeful that this show will never run in any market in the future." "While Discovery cited legal proceedings and our request as the reasons for its decision, none of this would have happened had it not been for the incredible passion displayed by countless Michael Jackson fans worldwide who knew they stood as one and that their voices could not be ignored," the statement said. Jackson's physician at the time of his death, Dr. Conrad Murray, has admitted giving the singer propofol, which is often used in surgery, and Murray has been charged by authorities with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death. Murray has pleaded not guilty, and a preliminary hearing to determine if enough evidence exists to make him stand trial begins in Los Angeles on January 4.

Jackson doctor defense may say singer killed self Reuters - Thursday, December 30 LOS ANGELES - Lawyers for the doctor charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson could claim the pop star killed himself when a hearing begins next week, a prosecutor said on Wednesday. In a court session to discuss evidence in the case against Dr. Conrad Murray, Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said he believes it is clear defense attorneys are looking into that theory, which has long been a consideration. Outside the courtroom, Murray's attorney J. Michael Flanagan declined to comment on Walgren's statement. "I'm not going to respond to that characterization. But apparently it is a consideration of Mr. Walgren," Flanagan told reporters. Walgren spoke at a hearing in which a judge cleared the way for Murray's defense to test residue from syringes and an IV tube used to administer drugs to Jackson. The "Thriller" singer died at age 50 on June 25, 2009, of an overdose of prescription drugs, primarily the powerful anesthetic propofol which can be used in surgery. Other drugs in Jackson's system included lorazepam, known under the brand names Ativan and Temesta, and diazepam, the generic version of Valium. Murray, hired as Jackson's physician while the singer prepared for a series of concerts that would have begun in July 2009, has admitted giving Jackson propofol to help him sleep. But Murray has pleaded not guilty to the charge of involuntary manslaughter. The court session on the syringe testing came only days before a January 4 start date for a preliminary hearing in which a judge will decide if there is enough evidence against Murray to proceed to a full trial. Representatives for the prosecution and defense told Reuters they expect the preliminary hearing to begin as planned and take roughly two weeks to complete.

Bali SPS/LPS shipment at PINNACLE & IWARNA this afternoon.

12-year-old had sex with 15 men ??? By Angela Lim – December 29th, 2010 A fresh twist has developed in the case of a trainee teacher’s sex offence with underaged girls. A 12-year-old, one of the two underaged girls 23-year-old trainee teacher Aaron Kok Chun Cheong was convicted of having sex with, is believed to have had sex with at least 14 other men, reported The Straits Times. Six of the men, aged 19 to 35, have already been charged in court, with punishments ranging from fines to an 18-month jail term. The other nine men have reportedly already been charged in court for their sexual offfence but no verdict has been passed. This case is understood to be the most extreme of sexual cases involving underaged girls to have come before the courts. Criminal lawyer, Sashi Nathan told the paper, “As far as courts are concerned, this is the largest number of men involved that I have heard of. But I’m not particularly surprised because of the amount of access young people have to the Web.” Last Tuesday, Aaron Kok Chun Cheong, 23, a trainee teacher, pleaded guilty to two counts of sex with two underaged girls. His lawyer, Amolat Singh, told a District Court Kok committed the offences between September 2007 and April 2008 when he was a full-time national serviceman. He invited his first victim, a 13-year-old girl, to his flat in 2007 just one year after meeting on an Internet chatroom. The pair had sex and did not contact each other after that. His crime was only discovered when the girl was warded in the National University Hospital (NUH) on July 15 in 2008, following complaints of stomach pains and vomiting. She was pregnant and told the police she had sex with several men. After her abortion on July 31, tests indicated Kok was not the foetus’ biological father. Just a month before, another 15-year-old girl told the police she had consensual sex with Kok on three different occasions between April 20 and May 31, 2008. The first offence was committed at West Mall shopping centre in a handicapped persons toilet. Kok pleaded for a lighter sentence, saying he was a first-time offender and did not intend to target his victims. Mr Amolat, who said Kok will be sacked from his position, added, “They initiated and actively sought to have sexual relations with him.” Mr Amolat also revealed, Kok would need to pay roughly S$60,000 worth of liquidated damages for breaching his contract with the National Institute of Education (NIE). Although Kok could have been jailed up to 10 years and fined, he was jailed 15 months for carnal connection. Last week, disgraced MOE scholar, Jonathan Wong, was expelled from the University of York in the United Kingdom after pleading guilty to 17 charges of possessing child pornography videos. Wong is sentenced to a six-month imprisonment sentence suspended for two years – which means he will not be jailed if he does not break the law during that period. The York Crown Court also ordered for Wong to be listed on the sex offender registry for seven years after eight months’ supervision. He is also disqualified from working with children.

Time to change ya LIGHTS to LEDs ??? Electricity costs to go up early next year By Angela Lim – December 30th, 2010 Singaporeans can expect more expensive electricity bills next year as the cost of electricity is likely to increase by roughly 3.3 per cent from January 1 to March 31 in 2011. Local households will see electricity tariffs go up by S$0.0076 to S$0.241 per kWh. The revisions in tariff prices are a result of a rise in oil prices to S$99.45 per barrel. Families living in four-room HDB flats, for example, will have to spend an average of about S$3.15 more on electricity charges per month. According to The Straits Times, the electricity tariff can be broken down into these four main components: 1) Energy Cost: This is paid to the generation companies and will increase by 0.76 cents per kWh to 18.9 cents per kWh. This component is adjusted quarterly to reflect changes in the fuel and non-fuel cost of power generation. 2) Network Cost: This is paid to SP PowerAssets and will remain unchanged at 4.92 cents per kWh. This fee is reviewed every year and has been reduced by 10 per cent since Oct 2008. 3) Market Support Services Fee: This is paid to SP Services and will also remain unchanged at 0.22 cents per kWh. This fee is reviewed every year and has been reduced by 21 per cent since July 2009. 4) Market Administration and Power System Operation Fee: This is paid to Energy Market Company and Power System Operator and will remain at 0.06 cents per kWh. This fee is reviewed every year to recover the costs of operating the electricity wholesale market and power system.