A Pirate's Life For Me

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Hey, good looking

It glides slowly, showing off its glorious shades of blue and yellow and grey. This beauty is a chambered nautilus, which belongs to the marine family of cephalopods. It is one of four new species on display at Sentosa's Underwater World Singapore. The others are the mimic octopus, the giant Pacific octopus and the pharaoh cuttlefish. All are equipped with different abilities to camouflage themselves for survival. According to Dr Jeffrey Mahon, the attraction's curatorial director, cephalopods are regarded as the smartest form of invertebrate life.

Captain Jack Sparrow searched for the Black Pearl on 12.11.08

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November 11, 2008
Andy Cole announces retirement from football

Ex-Red Andy Cole has announced his retirement from football, bringing down the curtain on a 19-year career.Cole enjoyed spells with 13 clubs including Arsenal, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest, where sadly his career came to an end not befitting his impresssive contribution to the game."It's not the ideal ending," Cole told The Times. "It just wasn't working out. I told them from the outset that I didn't want to go there to sit on the bench because I didn't want to be perceived as sitting back and making easy money."Despite the slightly sour taste of his career's final act, Cole has plenty to look back on and feel proud about. "I wouldn't change a thing. I've lived the dream," he said.Undoubtedly his most successful spell came during his six trophy-laden years at Old Trafford, where he won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a Champions League winners medal as part of 1999's famous Treble.He served as United's no.9 with distinction, scoring 121 goals in 275 appearances. In his first season following a then-record £6.25million transfer from Newcastle, Cole scored five goals in the 9-0 rout of Ipswich Town at OT - still an individual and team best in the Premier League.Cole left United in December 2001, and understandably did not scale the heights he had with the Reds. However, he did score the winning goal for Blackburn in the 2002 Worthington Cup final at the Millennium Stadium.The 37-year-old has already been tipped to pursue a coaching career. Blackburn are reported to have expressed an interest in giving him his break behind the scenes.

Cole's achievements at Manchester United

Premier League
Winner (5):1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01
FA Cup
Winner (2): 1995-96, 1998-99
Runner-up (1): 1994-95
FA Community Shield
Winner (2): 1996, 1997
Runner-up (3): 1998, 1999, 2000
UEFA Champions League
Winner (1): 1998-99
UEFA Super Cup
Runner-up (1): 1999
Intercontinental Cup
Winner (1): 1999

Cole's Manchester United career

On January 10, 1995, Cole was suddenly sold in a shock deal to Manchester United for a deal worth £7 million - £6 million cash plus £1 million-rated Keith Gillespie going in the opposite direction, setting a new record for most expensive British transfer at the time. This record was broken five months later by Arsenal's £7.5million acquisition of Dennis Berkamp from Inter Milan.
He scored 12 goals in his first 18 Premiership games for United, including five in the 9-0 rout of Ipswich Town, a Premiership record, and two goals in United's 3-2 victory away at Coventry City. However, he missed two simples chances against West Ham United on the final day of the season as they could only manage a 1-1 draw and the league title went to Blackburn Rovers instead. Cole's first goal for United had come against Aston Villa on 4 February, the only goal in a 1-0 win at Old Trafford. Exactly one month later, he scored five goals as United hammered Ipswich Town 9-0 and pushed their opponents closer to eventual relegation.
He was cup-tied for the FA Cup final a week later. Without him, United lost to Everton 1-0. United were also without the banned Eric Cantona and the injured Andrei Kanchelskis, the club's next two highest scorers that season after Cole.
Despite a difficult first full season in Manchester, Cole scored in four successive games during the winter, including an important opening goal in United's 2-0 defeat of title rivals Newcastle United on December 27. Cole collected a Premiership title winners medal and scored the second goal in United's 3-0 defeat of Middlesbrough on the final day of the season which won United the Premiership title. He also played in their FA Cup final victory to become part of England's first ever side to win the double twice.
The arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjær - and being the victim of two broken legs suffered after a tackle by Neil Ruddock in a reserve game against Liverpool - restricted Cole's first-team chances in 1996-97, but he still played in 20 Premiership games (10 as a substitute). He ended the season with several goals to complete his comeback, and qualified for another Premiership title medal. Before the season began he had been offered to Blackburn Rovers as part-exchange in a £12 million deal which would have brought Alan Shearer to Old Trafford. But the offer was turned down and Shearer opted for Newcastle instead.
For the 1997-98 season Cole found his best form ever for the club, becoming the joint top goalscorer in the Premiership during the course of the season with 18 goals, including a slew of goals, including a chip against Everton that fans voted the Manchester United goal of the season. Cole also developed a strong partnership with Teddy Sheringham. However, United finished trophyless for only the second time in 9 seasons. Cole scored his first European hat-trick for the club in an away match at Feyenoord. Cole ended the season runner up in the PFA Players' Player of the Year award to Arsenal's Dennis Bergkamp. But despite this and being the leading goalscorer in all competitions that season with 25, Cole was omitted from England's 1998 World Cup squad by then-manager Glenn Hoddle.[3] When asked about his new found success, Cole claimed that he had found freedom in his life after the injuries of the previous season, saying he had great joy with his newborn son, and lived for him and in his faith as a Born again Christian. He also claimed the friendship of Ryan Giggs, his room-mate on away games, was a major motivating factor even though times were hard and fans doubted him at United.
Cole faced competition from Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær during the 1998-99 season but developed a partnership with Yorke, which saw him play a key role in the side's unique treble of the Premiership title, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. Cole scored the winning goal in United's final Premiership game of the season against Tottenham Hotspur, a result which meant United finished 1 point ahead of rivals Arsenal to win the Premiership title. He also scored United's third and winning goal in their Champions League semi-final second leg against Juventus, sealing their place in the final for the first time in over 30 years. The striking partnership with Yorke contributed 53 goals between them. Also in this season, Cole scored his 100th Premiership goal in a top of the table clash against Arsenal at Old Trafford on February 17. The match ended 1-1.
He was United's top scorer again in 1999-2000 with 19 goals in 28 Premiership games. He collected his fourth Premiership title medal in five seasons, and scored over 20 goals in all competitions for the third successive season. Cole scored many goals for United including the only goal of the game in their top of the table clash against their closest rivals Leeds United. He also joined an elite group during this season by scoring his 100th goal for the club in a 2-2 draw against Wimbledon. Injury just prior to Euro 2000 led to Cole missing out on another major competition for his country.
Another title followed in 2000-01 when, despite suffering from an injury that restricted his appearances, Cole scored 13 goals in all competitions, including four in the European Cup allowing him at the time to become Manchester United's record goal scorer in the competition.
He made one last appearance for Manchester United in the UEFA Celebration Match on 13 March 2007, coming on at half time for a friendly game between Manchester United and European XI in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the European Community and 50 years of Manchester United in the European Cup.

Captain Jack Sparrow searched for the Black Pearl on 12.11.08

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Just wondering why the human anatomy contains many 3-letter words for the parts.

Rather strange but amazing nevertheless!

1. Eye

2. Ear

3. Lip

4. Jaw

5. Gum

6. Arm

7. Leg

8. Toe

9. Rib

10. Hip

Captain Jack Sparrow searched for the Black Pearl on 10.11.08

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Lost in translation

LONDON: Officials in Wales mistakenly erected a road sign that read 'I am not in the office at the moment' in Welsh after a translation mix-up.
The sign originally said in English: 'No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only.'
But when Swansea Council officials sent it to be translated, they received an automated e-mail written in Welsh that read: 'I am not in the office at the moment. Please send any work to be translated.'
Unaware of the actual meaning of the e-mail, officials had the sign printed and put up near a supermarket, only realising their mistake when Welsh speakers pointed it out.
'We took it down as soon as we were made aware of it and a correct sign will be installed as soon as possible,' said a Swansea Council spokesman.
All road signs in Wales have to be in English and Welsh.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

cjs: It's astonishing & hilarious!

Captain Jack Sparrow searched for the Black Pearl on 5.11.08

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Sky's no limit for long-legged Dutch?

THE HAGUE: Changes to the cockpit of a new fighter jet could offer hope to would-be pilots who are turned down by the Dutch Air Force because their legs are too long.
'We had a list of operational requirements, and one of these was that Dutch pilots should fit in the cockpits,' air force spokesman Sascha Louwhoff said, referring to the new aircraft currently under development.
'It may be funny, but it's true...Our pilots are obviously taller than Italian or Turkish pilots. Over the years, the Dutch people have grown taller, and we've had to keep up with that.'
To this end, producer Lockheed Martin has agreed to make changes to the cockpit of the Joint Strike Fighter, which is being jointly developed by nine nations, including the Netherlands, said Ms Louwhoff.
The fighter is one of three shortlisted to replace the Netherlands' ageing fleet of 85 F-16s. Currently, the Dutch Air Force is compelled to turn down aspiring pilots who are too tall in spite of their other qualifications, she added.
'There is a limit if you simply don't fit into the cockpit. Obviously this is not something we want to do, and we want to be able to choose from a bigger group,' she said.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Captain Jack Sparrow searched for the Black Pearl on 5.11.08

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Debunking the megapixel myth
It's not the number of megapixels but the size of your camera's sensor that counts

Hidden within a camera is its sensor and it is more important to picture quality than having more megapixels. -- PHOTO: CANON

MEGAPIXELS do not really matter anymore.
That might sound strange at first as most people regard megapixel-count as the main indicator of their camera's picture-taking quality. Let me explain.
Megapixels are a measure of how many pixels you can stuff into a camera's sensor - the digital equivalent of the film. One megapixel means one million pixels.
You need just a 3-megapixel camera to print a standard 4R picture and 8 megapixels are more than enough for an 8R - 8 x 10-inch - print.
If you do not have enough megapixels and are trying to print a large picture, the print will not turn out sharp. All diagonals will become jagged instead of being smooth.
However, as all new compacts now have at least 8 megapixels and some, like the Canon Ixus 980IS has hit 14, you do not have to worry about having insufficient megapixels anymore.
So when you are deciding which compact to buy, the number of megapixels does not really matter now.
What is more important, for good picture quality in a compact camera, is the size of the sensor. The bigger the sensor, the better the photo. Bigger sensors capture more light. More light captured means better colours and contrast.
With bigger sensors, photos taken indoors without flash or when the light is failing, have less picture noise - that is the fuzziness and strange bits of colours that weren't there when you took the photo.
Sadly, compact cameras cannot have huge sensors because they need to stay, well, compact.
The sensor in a compact can be smaller than the nail of your pinky.
That is why compacts are bad in shooting in low light conditions without a flash.
Here is a tip - check the sensor size. It could be under CCD, CMOS, imaging element or image sensor but the dimensions would always read something like 1/2.3 inch, which is the size of the sensor.
The smaller the denominator, the bigger the sensor. For instance, a 1/1.6 inch sensor is larger than one which is 1/2.3 inch.
In comparison, the sensor of a professional DSLR is 30 times that of a compact, which explains why DSLRs are so much bigger.
Ironically, the solution to improving photo quality in a compact is to reduce the megapixel- count.
All things being equal, having less megapixels means that each pixel in the sensor can now have more light, which in turn improves picture quality.
So now that we know that we do not need anything more than 8 megapixels for a compact, will camera makers give up the megapixel race?
Not a chance.
Just as most consumers judge the performance of a PC by its GHz, megapixels in a camera is the easiest way for salesmen to compare the performance of their cameras with other makes.
To educate the consumer would take too much effort, too much time and too much marketing dollars.
And that is the mega-truth behind the megapixel myth.

Captain Jack Sparrow searched for the Black Pearl on 5.11.08

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The big switch
Karen Carlotta studied economics and worked in finance before following her heart into the kitchen.

As a young girl, Indonesian pastry chef Karen Carlotta loved creating make-believe dishes with flowers and leaves taken from her garden at home in Jakarta.

Now 26, she gets to do it for real as the pastry chef of The Pastry Bar in One Rochester, a wine bar in Rochester Road.

But her road to pastry-making was not always smooth. To please her parents, she studied economics at Tarumanagara University in Jakarta and worked as a finance executive.

But after only five months on the job, she quit to follow her true calling.
She moved to Singapore in 2003, as she has relatives here, and took a diploma in pastry and baking at Shatec Institute.

After graduating, she trained as a junior cook at Laurent Bernard Chocolatier at The Pier in Robertson Quay last year. She left at the end of the year to join One Rochester.
Now, as pastry chef there, she prepares all the desserts on the menu, and she has no regrets about her career switch.

Now, as pastry chef there, she prepares all the desserts on the menu, and she has no regrets about her career switch. She says: 'I just had to follow my heart as pastry-making is my passion. I can't stand a day not making pastry.'

Why did you decide to become a pastry chef?
Simply because I love desserts. I learn a lot from creating them - the ingredients, the method, the aroma, the taste, the balance, the texture, the appearance. Also, desserts make a sweet ending to a meal.

What is it like working at the Pastry Bar?
It's fun as I get to be creative. The space in our small kitchen is quite tight, but I have an assistant to help me out, so it's not so bad.

What's the best dessert you've ever had?
The Reif Lava, at our sister restaurant 1TwentySix in East Coast Parkway, created by executive chef Ahmad Refaie Othman, who is also known as chef Reif. It's a warm chocolate cake and banana rum souffle with home-made verbena ice cream and glazed truffle butternut squash donut. I like the mix of chocolate, banana rum souffle and ice cream, which creates a sweet and

surprising sensation on the palate.

What's the biggest disaster you've had in experimenting with new desserts?
Once I was busy and sought the help of a colleague to glaze the top layer of the creme brulee I was preparing. But instead of sugar, he used salt. Thankfully, it was not for a customer but for our management's lunch meeting, although I did get questioned by chef Reif afterwards.
If you had to eat only one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Simple fruit desserts, as I can play with the fruits to create different tastes. For example, fruit salad, fruit with whipped cream, or fruit gratin.

How do you keep healthy with all these delicious desserts around you?
Although we're surrounded by food, the fast pace in the kitchen sometimes means we don't have time to sit down for a proper meal. Also, the constant smell of food sometimes fills my stomach, so that's how I keep my figure lean. Then, of course, there's the constant physical workout we get in our line of work.

What do you like to eat apart from desserts?
Japanese cuisine. I can never get bored with its simplicity and extensive variety.
What advice do you have for aspiring pastry chefs?
I would tell them to always believe in themselves and to follow their hearts.
If you could make dessert for just about anyone, who would it be?
My mother. She does not fancy Western desserts, preferring Asian varieties instead. I love her so much and I want to make her happy with my desserts. Maybe I will create some fusion desserts.

What is your signature dish?

Chocolate souffle with poached peach in Rioja sangria, served with peach sorbet and sangria foam (above). The fruity flavours and acidity are put together to create a real unique taste.

-MySelf - PiratePlans - Gibberish - Mateys -

Captain Jack Sparrow searched for the Black Pearl on 12.11.08

Captain Jack Sparrow searched for the Black Pearl on 12.11.08

Captain Jack Sparrow searched for the Black Pearl on 10.11.08

Captain Jack Sparrow searched for the Black Pearl on 5.11.08

Captain Jack Sparrow searched for the Black Pearl on 5.11.08

Captain Jack Sparrow searched for the Black Pearl on 5.11.08

Captain Jack Sparrow searched for the Black Pearl on 3.11.08