Nikon D90 Review - Reasons why you should buy one

I've been trying a few times to complete this post, but not manage to pull it together. Finally got it completed, a little messy and boring without photos, so bear with me on the crap, alright.

The purchase of my 1st dSLR is back-dated to July 2009. Many of my friends are surprise that I go direct into mid-range dSLR although I've never own one before. Their thought is half-true only, because I do own a semi-manual Canon Powershot A570IS. Photographing has been my interest since high-school and my envy towards my friends able to join the photography club in high school follow me till I graduated.



The dream pull a few years till I'm financially capable enough to afford hobbies, like photography. The dSLR still cost a fortune after I start working, so I opt for the cheaper option of semi-manual compact to test out if I'm still into photography. I chose the Canon Powershot A570IS, priced at RM999.00 when I bought it in mid 2007.



The Canon Powershot A570IS, that's capable of giving me the control of a typical dSLR only with a much smaller sensor. It quickly give me the rush to improve my skill and I studied lots of website about the aperture, shutter speed, ISO range, noise, exposure, flash usage and etc. Soon, I'm shooting all photos with manual control and that's when the complain about the limitation of a compact sensor hit me. I still have this loyal A570IS with me all the time.

No matter how hard I try, the result is just not comparable to a real dSLR. The hunt for an affordable upgrade started. I studied almost all entry dSLR in the market, particularly for Canon and Nikon. D40, D60, D80, D90, D300, 400D, 450D, 500D, D5000, 1000D and etc. Finally with help from my wife, I settled down with a Nikon D90, not really an entry level dSLR but a mid-range instead. The justification for such expensive purchase? Read on for 17 reasons to buy D90.

 

The powerful mid-range Nikon DX dSLR, Nikon D90 that's coupled with the AF-S Nikkor DX 18-105mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR kit lens. How much it cost? RM4,688 as quoted from Nikon website, I got mine cheaper but spent more on other accessories =P (Ask me if wanted to know more)

Anyone also can tell you that the quality of the photograph does not resulted from the gear itself, but the art from the eyes of the photographer. Fine but yet, all professional photographer use only full frame most expensive dSLR. Why is that? The reason is simple, the more expensive a dSLR, the better the results. It's the same concept on the car, more expensive car, more horsepower & torque. That's fact, and different driver on the same car do make lots of different. Just look at Malaysian's driver. But an amateur on a full frame dSLR won't go wrong. The result would be still astonishing.
So what do Nikon D90 have and kick those other entry level dSLR ass?

Justification 1:
Built-in AF Motor. D90 is the cheapest dSLR in Nikon range that features the Built-in AF Motor. Even the newest D5000 that's priced at RM3.5k does not have it. This feature alone will save you lots of money in future lens upgrade. Probably the only reason you will need to pay extra for this little machine.
Quick comparison: AF-S Nikkor 50mm f1.4G (RM2,188) vs AF Nikkor 50mm f1.4D (RM1,288).
Another comparison? AF-S Nikkor VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8G IF-ED (RM7,388) vs AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8D ED (RM4,688).
Not convince? Go compare ultra wide angle lens, and check the price yourself.
Canon included it in the price, that's why it's expensive.

Justification 2:
Dual Control Dial. Again, D90 is the cheapest dSLR in Nikon range that features the Dual Control Dial. Friends that owned the entry level wouldn't know what is that. D90 simply have 2 dials for quick control over either aperture & shutter speed, aperture & ISO, shutter speed & ISO and etc. It is the most important feature in a dSLR that I can't live without. I cannot imagine myself got to keep going into menu or pressing additonal button just to adjust these simple setting. Great shot is lost with the time wasted on simple adjustment.

Justification 3:
Active D-Lighting. This special feature that's available only for JPEG capture help in taming shadow and highlights. I noticed it work really well and the photos are completely different. It is not available with older dSLR, but newer dSLR like D5000 do have this feature.

Justification 4:
Live View. This is suppose to be the common feature in all cameras, but somehow the built mechanism of a dSLR hinder it to be included in cheaper entry level. Canon have it but they are expensive, probably it's already included in the price. You might say it's not useful for you, but how about if you wanted some local to snap your family photo somewhere out of country? You think they will know how to use the viewfinder? My sister asking me where is the live view as well, so, your call.

Justification 5:
Depth of Field Preview button. Special dedicated button to preview the depth of field before the photo is snap. You can press this button and view through the viewfinder and take a look at the exact depth of field your dSLR is taking. The scene that you see is definitely different from the actual photo, that's due to the built mechanism utilising the pentaprism or pentamirror for viewfinder. The exact thing out there is just different. Professional find this button very valuable in their work. As there is not 2nd take in photoshooting, so make sure it's right the 1st time.

Justification 6:
Lots of setting control on the body. White Balance, Exposure Compensation, ISO, Flash Type & Compensation, Focus type, File Size, Auto Focus Area, just to name a few. All these are accessible from the body buttons without the need to access the menu for adjustment. Just depressed the function and control it with the dual control dial, for type & steps adjustment. Super time savings to avoid missing great shots.

Justification 7:
HD Video Mode. The first dSLR capable of capturing HD quality video. It can record up to 720p quality for 24fps up to 5 minutes. More and more entry dSLR are joining the wagon, so it's one of the show-off function you will need. However, I do find myself using it quite often, especially during some unplan moment. You will be glad it's able to record video sometimes. However, the file size is going to be very big, you are warned.

Justification 8:

It's a 12MP CMOS sensor and Gen2 processing unit within. CMOS is a little superior to the CCD that is used in entry level Nikon dSLR. The Gen2 is also a step higher in producing a much more vibrant photos comparing to the Gen1 or Gen1.5 processor. Although the quality would be similar for RAW prior to processing, but I'm a lazy snob. Spending hours to convert RAW and processing it is not my hobby. My hobby is taking photos, so I'll stick to JPEG for current time. At least the choice is there.

Other Justifications:

9. Bigger & Heavier Body. A pro & con to different people, but I got big hands, so D90 fit very nicely and feel very good.
10. 4.5fps. I've not appreciate this feature yet but I know it will be important someday when I'm going for sports event.
11. Perfect exposure & flash metering. The metering system within D90 is perfect, or matching the D300 system. This is told by most of the professional in the web, but I've not done any comparison myself. I just got to believe them for current time. Good to know =)
12. 11 points Multi-Cam 1000 AF Module. The 3D tracking utilising the module is working very well, and I wouldn't lost focus with my subject when on the move.
13. Pentaprism viewfinder at 96%. Pentaprism design is superior to Pentamirror. It allow the subject to be transmitted to our eyes without inverting it. There are also other advantages of pentaprism, go read it in wikipedia.
14. Plenty of fine tuning in the adjustment menu. I noticed the different when I'm playing with my friends D40 earlier, mine got plenty of adjustment, while the D40 is just like my A570IS. Why bother upgrading? or yeah, for the bigger sensor size and speed.
15. Auto ISO control up to 3,200. You wouldn't want 3,200 but usable range of 1,600 is pretty good.
16. An additional information viewer on top of the camera. I would say this small panel show me all the information I needed. Say goodbye to LCD and quick adjust over the top panel. I found the LCD too big and complex in getting what I need to know, so it's essential to me.
17. Finally, not to mention the quality is much better. I'm a beginner, so don't judge my photos ok =P


Final words: I have done extensive research on dSLR and I always believe purchasing is half the fun and the other half is in enjoying it. My initial plan is to get the Nikon D40 that is priced less than RM2k, but ended up getting the D90 over RM4k. The reasons of my decision is all listed above and mind you, these information in a single page took me a few months to gather and analyse. I understand my needs and I do not want to waste the money in upgrading the dSLR later, so I got myself a decent gear that can last a long time, hopefully. This is the most affordable and capable DX dSLR camera. I just hated the Canon, so don't ask me why. If I somehow decided to upgrade, it would be D700. Hope I can control myself =) Cheers.


Nikon D90 with AF-S DX Nikkor 16-80mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR lens

And more photos for your viewing pleasure.

2009 Chinese Hairstyles for girl

2009 Chinese Hairstyles for girl

Then again.....

maybe I just need to eat more donuts....

Sorry but I'm a bit busy....

God, Give us the grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed, Courage
to change the things which should be changed,
And the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

Much too much, against my will I've had an alcoholic fall into my lap just as her life is falling apart. So far we've been though job loss, denial, transference, lying and theft.

Lord knows, and anyone that knows me, will tell you that if you ever find yourself in the position of having to rely on the kindness of ilduce to get by, things are much more dire than you could possibly imagine.

Hopefully I'll be getting my sense of humor back and posting sometime soon.

Serba – serbi ALIEN

Apakah benar Alien itu ada ??
Percaya atau tidak, para ilmuwan pun masih belum bisa memastikan kebenaran ada atau tidaknya Alien.


THE BEGINNING
Gosip tentang Alien pertama kalinya beredar tahun 1974 di kota Roswell, New Mexico. Konon, saat itu ada UFO yang terjatuh di area yang masih penuh dengan lahan pertanian dan area peternakan ini. Saat jatuh, UFO itu mengeluarkan suara yang menggelegar. Tentara menganggap itu adalah bunyi ledakan dari sebuah bom.
Menurut kabar, didalam UFO terdapat empat mahluk planet lain yang lantas populer dengan nama Alien. Dua Alien mati saat jatuhnya UFO. Satu Alien sempat melarikan diri dan kemudian di tembak mati oleh salah satu tentara. Sedangkan satu Alien lagi terkapar sekarat di dalam UFO. Meski sempat dilarikan ke rumah sakit, mahluk itu akhirnya menghembuskan nafas yang terakhirnya disana. Buntutnya, keempat mayat Alien itu diamankan oleh ahli militer Amrik untuk di otopsi.

Sementara , sepanjang 98 mil lahan pertanian yang menjadi tempat jatuhnya UFO itu menjadi gundul dan berbau gosong. Lahan yang gundul itu memanjang dari route 375 ke area 51. Hal inilah yang membuat Roswell lantas di kenal dengan sebutan area 51.
Saat itu, banyak yang beranggapan pemerintah Amerika berusaha menutupi kejadian yang sebenarnya. Laporan resmi dari pihak pemerintah, ledakan itu timbul dari sebuah balon percobaan AS bernama Skyhook.

Tapi masyarakat umum tidak percaya begitu saja. Mereka menganggap, mustahil ada pesawat buatan manusia yang bisa membuat lahan sepanjang 98 mil menjadi gundul. Stealth Bomber sekalipun. Hal inilah yang mengawali lahirnya teori Alien Conspiracy. Karena bukan hanya pemerintah dan tentara saja yang melihat Alien saat itu. Beberapa penduduk lainnya juga mengaku melihat wujud Alien. Dari pengakuan merekalah sketsa Alien yang di buat sekarang meluas.


PENCULIKAN ALIEN
Berita soal Alien makin menjadi saat Betty dan Barney Hill mengaku sempat di culik Alirn tanggal 1961. Menurut dua warga Roswell ini, Alien menciduk mereka saat mereka tertidur, tepat tengah malam.
Saat penculikan itu Alien mengambil sample sperma Barney. Sedangkan Betty mengaku diambil sample DNA nya melalui jarum yang di tusukan kearah pusar.
Tapi sayang, nggak semua penduduk setempat mempercayai berita yang dilaporkan kedua pasangan ini. Tahun demi tahun berganti, semakin banyak berita- berita aneh dari penduduk Roswell mengenai pengalamannya bersama Alien.

Sebagian orang mengaku dirinya merasa suka mendengar bisikan –bisikan perintah yang diyakini sebagai bisikan Alien.
Beberapa orang lainnya lagi melaporkan bahwa mereka memiliki bekas luka dan tanda yang muncul tiba- tiba. Padahal mereka tidak pernah merasa jatuh atau pun terluka di bagian tersebut.


RUPA –RUPA ALIEN
Banyaknya pengakuan dari orang orang yang melihat Alien, otomatis membuat versi bentuk Alien bertambah. Ada yang percaya bahwa Alien itu berbentuk besar, berlendir, memiliki banyak deretan gigi kecil yang tajam di mulutnya. Dengan bentuk kepala memanjang ke belakang. Persis seperti Alien yang terdapat pada film Alien.
Ada juga yang bilang bentuk alien kecil kurus. Persis seperti temennya will smith di film Men In Black. Beberapa orang lainnya yakin bentuk alien sama dengan bentuk mahluk asing di film E.T.

Beberapa orang ilmuwan sempet memberi nama pada bentuk – bentuk Alien tersebut. Mulai dari Chupacabra, The Greys, Hybrids sampai Nordics. Masing –masing mempunyai bentuk yang berbeda- beda.
Tapi kebanyakan orang lebih percaya dengan bentuk alien jenis Nordics. Dengan cirri-ciri mata besar, berbadan gemuk dengan sepasang kaki panjang yang kurus dan berkepala botak. Karena bentuk alien inilah yang di buat sketsa nya saat terjadi jatuhnya pesawat UFO di area 51.


ALIEN DAN FILM
Tahun 1979, pertama kalinya nama alien muncul dalam sebuah film. Judul film nya pun Alien. Film buatan amerika yang di sutradarai Ridley Scott ini bergenre sci-fi, horror, dan thriller.
Tahun 1986 film alien di buat kembali. Lanjut dengan film- film alien berikutnya seperti, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien : Resurrection, Predator, Predator 2 dan Alien vs Predator.
Beda lagi dengan bentuk alien di serial TV Roswell. Di film ini mahluk aliennya bisa berubah wujud tetap menjadi manusia. Diserial TV ini, aliennya memiliki sifat yang baik dan memiliki perasaan emosi seperti manusia. Alien di film ini bisa jatuh cinta , marah dan menangis. Sedangkan di film Men In Black, kita dapat menemui banyak alien dengan jenis dan karakter yang beragam.


THE TRUTH
Sampai saat ini tidak ada satu pun buku ilmiah yang berisi mengenai keberadaan alien atau pun UFO. Tidak ada bukti- bukti nyata keberadaan alien yang dianggap telah teruji kebenarannya.
Maka dalam mempelajari keberadaan alien yang pernah terjadi di masa lalu, para ilmuwan mencari tau dengan menggunakan segala macam cara. Salah satunya menggunakan referensi dari kitab –kitab kuno, prasasti, hieroglyph dan termasuk kitab –kitab suci. Dari itu semua belum cukup untuk membuktikan keberadaan dan asal muasalnya mahluk alien.
Apakah alien mahluk yang berasal dari bulan?? Tidak mungkin. Menurut laporan dari astronot Apollo 12 yang di berangkatkan tahun 1969 itu di bulan tidak ada mahluk hidup termasuk alien. Bahkan mereka pun sempat memotret pesawat UFO yang melintas di sekitar bulan. Lalu dari mana sebenarnya Alien berasal?? (kid-oest news :dari beberapa sumber)

NAGA

Tau kan kalo naga itu Cuma mahluk khayalan. Tapi kenapa nih mahluk kayaknya jadi fenomenal banget??
Kemunculannya aja nyaris ada di mana- mana!

Nggak susah mungkin buat mengingat- ingat di mana sosok mahluk bernama naga pernah kita lihat atau dengar. Salah satunya mungkin dari komik , game, buku, atau film. Lebih tepatnya dari setiap cerita atau kisah yang temanya berbasis fiksi. Kayak komik cerita silat kuno, game RPG, serta buku atau film yang bertemakan mitos dan legenda .

Kemunculan naga yang paling gres ada pada film berjudul Eragon. Film bertema mitos dan legenda. Film yang di angkat dari buku dengan judul yang sama ini menjadikan sosok naga sebagai tokoh sentral ceritanya. Nah, kalo udah nonton pasti kesannya mahluk bernama naga itu emang beneran ada. Apa bener begitu??


ASAL USUL NAGA
Sebenarnya hingga saat ini belum ada bukti atau fakta yang menunjukan kalo naga pernah eksis didunia nyata. Meski beberapa punya anggapan yang sebaliknya. Pasalnya nyaris setiap kebudayaan yang ada di seluruh dunia kerap menyinggung –nyinggung soal keberadaan naga serta pengaruhnya yang kuat pada kebudayaan tersebut.
Contohnya pada kebudayaan timur (Asia dan sekitarnya) serta Amrik kuno, naga dianggap sebagai symbol kekuasaan. Kerap pula di hubung- hubungkan dengan kebijakan , keabdian serta nasib baik. Naga pun di gambarkan memiliki kesaktian seperti sihir atau kemampuan supranatural lainnya.

Nggak beda jauh dengan kebudayaan eropa abad pertengahan (medieval). Naga kerap dianggap sebagai lambing indepedensi, kepemimpinan , serta kekuatan. Bahkan sosoknya dianggap mewakili kebijakan pula. Meski demikian ada pula yang menjadikan naga sebagai sumber dari segala sifat jahat.
Kalo melihat persepsi serta gambaran yang ada tentang sosok naga, bisa di bilang mahluk ini nggak lain hanyalah sebuah konsep. Karena sosoknya kerap muncul sebagai symbol- symbol aja . ujungnya naga pun di percaya sebagai mahluk legenda.

Kapan tepatnya konsep naga ini muncul dalam peradaban manusia?? Nggak ada yang tau pasti. Catatan tertua yang menyebut soal naga kemungkinan adalah kisah legenda yunani kuno tentang herkules. Dalam salah satu kisahnya disebutkan adanya sosok naga laut bernama illuyankas yang muncul sekitar tahun 1500 sebelum masehi.


WUJUD NAGA

Naga pada akhirnya emang di yakini sebagai mahluk khayal. Meski begitu pada setiap kebudayaan , wujud naga hamper mirip satu sama lain. Yaitu dengan gambaran kayak semacam ular besar atau reptil yang menetas dari sebuah telur. Naga memiliki tubuh yang luar biasa besar dan kadang memiliki sayap.
Gambaran wujud naga seperti tadi terus melekat sampai sekarang. Bisa jadi ini lantaran kesaksian tokoh- tokoh masa lampau yang mengira telah melihat atau menjadi saksi keberadaan naga.

Contohnya sejarawan yunani, Herodotus, yang kerap di sebut- sebut sebagai bapak sejarah, mengaku telah menyaksikan bukti- bukti yang menunjukan keberadaan naga. Pengakuan ini keluar setelah mengunjungi Yordania sekitar tahun 450 sebelum masehi. Konon kabarnya di situ ditemui banyak bangkai ular besar serta mahluk seperti naga yang berterbangan di angkasa.
Contoh lain berasal dari catatan Marco Polo, penjelajah besar asal italia. Dalam salah satu jurnal perjalanannya di daerah Persia di sebutkan rombongan di serangoleh mahluk seperti naga. Hanya saja kebenarannya diragukan lantaran dianggap hanya usaha buat meraih popularitas aja.
Meski udah di yakini sebagai mahluk khayal, Discovery Channel malah membuat program bertitel Dragons : A Fantasy Made Real. Dalam program ini mereka merancang scenario sekiranya naga beneran ada. Serunya program ini di rancang berdasar data- data ilmiah yang ada. (kidoest news : dari beberapa sumber)

Kuey Tiaow Kia - Restaurant Dang Ren @ JB

I've got lots of overdue post that pending my input, but no choice, too busy with my work. So the plan is to clear out the food review ASAP and spend more time to blog about my life experiences.

This time, I have something special to introduce. Every places have their own local specialty that's not able to be copied over to another state, no matter if the chef move over. The reason is plainly due to the cultural values and ingredients sourcing. A good example are famous Nga Choy Kei from Ipoh, Bakuteh from Klang, Nam Heong Kopi from Kemaman and etc.

How about JB? The answer is Kuey Tiaow Kia. I assured you that those that have never been to JB would never know about this food. I don't know it existed also until a local friend told me about it. So the hunt is up to find the best one around, we ended up here.


Restoran Dang Ren that claimed to sell the secret Kuey Tiaow Kia recipe from ancestor on Kuey Tiaow Kia. The shop is located in Johor Jaya and it opened for lunch and dinner. The signboard mentioned fish head also, but it's not something available.


A typical food store and you will be wondering what is so special about it. The setting are simple, all foods are cooked and pre-prepared for serving. Take a good look at the wall, recommended by Ho Chak from 8TV and it's not hard to realise why. Make your choice of the food you want from the counter, and they will serve it to your table.


Kuey Tiaow Kia. It translate to "little" kuey tiaow, the same type of noodle used for Char Kuey Tiaow. Take a sip and you will think differently. The Kuey Tiaow is smooth, almost similar to Ipoh's Kuew Tiaow, and the soup is heavenly tasty. A mixture of bakuteh style and tasted a little funny in the beginning. But as you continue consuming it, you will notice you finish up the entire bowl fast without needing the aunty to wash it, cause it's licking clean. Ok, a bit to much, but just an idea to express it =) Alternatively, rice are also available.


Teow Chiew Style, stewed porks, eggs, pork intestine, and etc. This is a common plate that go with the Kuey Tiaow Kia, in fact, it tasted quite good and fit nicely with the Kuew Tiaow Kia. It's the same around in JB and it's part of the Kuey Tiaow Kia serving. Do not think this is the same as what we can get in KL, it's better.


Some additional order of pork ball and fuchuk.

I'm not able to find Kuey Tiaow Kia in KL or Ipoh, so it's only available in Johor. It is a common food in food court around JB but none of them is as good as this shop. I've heard there are some better Kuey Tiaow Kia in JB downtown, but I'll stick to this to fulfill my desire for current time.


An internal view of the shop. Simple, comfortable, and windy. The big screen at the end of the shop is not a LCD, but back mirror for owner to keep an eye on their customer. Hehe, it's JB ma.


The entire lunch for two cost me less than RM15. The cheapest option for us to indulge one of the best local food. Who say it need to be expensive to be a food blogger? =P

Restaurant Dang Ren @ JB
Location Coordinate: N1 32.555 E103 47.585

Why don't some of my best friends tell me these things?

No wonder I can't find a man, no one told me to look for a Bultaco first. I've been wasting my time hanging out in non-Bultaco biker bars......

Ummm, .......Bultaco????

It's a running theme.......

Now that I've got the intro to Good times" out of my head, the theme to "Maude" has settled in. Not that it's a bad thing.......

Not the lecture I need to hear...

After having imbibed last night......

Future of Personal Mobility

It seems like we are not so distant away from the future prediction of no need in walking or running anymore. Honda has developed the personal mobility device codenamed U3-X, that is scheduled to be launch very soon. It has been tested and released to the public media.

It featured self-balancing technology that is developed by Honda for it's first robotic machine ASIMO. The wheel itself is also complicated with smaller wheel installed perpendicular to the main drive that allow any direction movement. Will it cost a bomb? Please expect it does, but same as all technology, eventually it will become affordable to everyone. However, the wheel seems small and fragile, can it be use outdoor? Not sure, but again as technology develop, it will eventually.

Some specifications. Fully charged, it is ready to roll for entire hour at maximum speed of 6km/hr. It weighs around 10kg and controlled by body weight on the sit pad. Rumour it is scheduled to be public released on the 41st Tokyo Carshow, that's 24th October 2009 =)

Welcome to the future. Honda, the REAL Power of Dreams.

Maybe it's the continual endorphin high from all the working out.....

Or possible some reverse spring fever brought on by the change over to Autumn, but DESPITE my recent reminder that all men are lying scheming pond scum, I can't seem to cut the "hope" out of my system. I am constantly finding myself flirting, smiling, and making eye contact against my will. While it's definitely increasing my tips, I am not sure I am fully on board with where it may lead. WTF?????

I am comfortable with bitter. Bitter is where I live. What am I supposed to do with this mess????

I was looking for a video of the Andrews Sisters performing "Bei mir bist du schon"....

But this looked too good to pass up.

Maybe Jason's right...

I also did not realize that Ja’Net Dubois (Wilona Evans) wrote and helped sing the theme song "Good times".

Sinner #7

Sinner # 7 - XVI -

Yet another memory.

And a little too close for comfort at the moment! The unemployment shirt is starting to chafe.......

Japanese Atsuko Body Paintings Variegated Color

Japanese Girl Atsuko painted her Body with Variegated Color paintings. This body art is created by Lilo Kinne's Multidimensional Painting. Lilo Kinne is also worked with Multidimensional Dance & Theater. Atsuko Body art's Atsuko is a Japanese dancer living in New York City. This Atsuko Body art makes a beautiful abstract body art with the modern concept and in a living canvas.

Japanese Atsuko Body art Paintings-variegated color. Atsuko Body art of Japan.

Japanese Atsuko Body Paintings with full-loaded colorful paint.

Japanese girl Atsuko Body Paintings, in her hands, full body and slightly face paintings.

Alfa 147 with Mille Miglia Emotion Rims

Alright, been blogging about food for quite long, and it's time for some car modifications! Alright, first to come is a new set of rims. I blogged about it in my earlier post, the Mille Miglia Emotion 17x8.

Finally got time and manage to pull my bella over to the "pedicure shop" for some beauty works =)


A view of the shop with my bella being pampered. Hope she likes it ...



All old rims taken off and waiting for the new shoe ...


A chance to take a close look of my loyal disc brake that keep my life hanging. Notice the yellow rod is my adjustable koni absorber and of course, the upgraded Pro RS braided stainless steel brake hose.


The old original 17" rims, with classic cloverleaf design. Lovely, most probably keeping it for my track usage. Hehe.


New shoe doing balancing, another chance to look at how your rims look like when it's in action. Nice transparent view for my future upgrade of Brembo =)
The whole works completed in almost 2 hours and a thumb up for the workmanship quality. The rims look very nice on my 147 and its definitely worth every cent. Glad I spent the time searching for it for almost 4 months. Finally a big smile on my face =)


The Mille Miglia wrapped by the Continental Sport Contact 2 SSR 225x45x17". The traction is superb and very good run in wet surface and rain water pool. A little noise intrusion in high speed though, but I'll bear with it for my safety.


Newly installed Mille Miglia with Alfa Romeo Rim Cap.


The gap between the tyres and body look big, but it's ok when you see it with your own eyes. 18" is too hard to swallow in my dictionary =P


Loving it more and more! The unique design of the rims give a special aura character to the bella. It matched perfectly with Alfa Romeo's design. That's why I like Alfa Romeo special PCD98 rims.

Hope you guys enjoy it also. Cheers.

Thank TJB for the memory

And just where is Debralee Scott these days?

It's not personal, but.......

It seems that Match.com has caught on that I had been locked into a ridiculously low rate for the past for the past few years, thus making it unnecessary to cancel my personal ad with them. Aaah that bored afternoon when I composed it many years ago! Oh such a hopeful endeavor! My little ever hopeful heart thinking that actual dates might result.

Several thousand "views", many random, and often incredibly misspelled or very oddly worded, email conversations(mostly with agoraphobics or liars), and yes even a few actual in person BAD dates later, Match.com is trying to raise their subscription rates.

I'm not sorry to say that even the entertainment factor they might have offered isn't worth the price in my unemployed budget. Besides, as I've recently discovered, as old fashioned an idea as it may seem, you CAN still pick up men in bars these days. Who knew?

So take a last look fellas, I may as well bring my viewing numbers up before it closes:
http://www.match.com/profile/showprofile.aspx?lid=1000005&TP=U&Handle=bibliophole&uid=cygUhMgRUURLuQOmSEwU9g==

What they have in common.....answer.

Attila the Hun

Jack the Ripper

Winnie the Pooh



"THE" as a middle name...........

Sound advice!

And just in time for our date tonight!!! Monsieur TJB is back in the advice business!!! See:
Stirred, Straight Up, with a Twist.: Weekly Feature #7

Sing Gee Restaurant @ JB

In my earlier post, I mentioned there is a better recommendation for Otak Lover, so here it is. Sing Gee Restaurant with its signature Curry Fish Head. Ironically, I think it's signature dish is not the Curry Fish Head because it's ok only. Instead Otak selling there is the best I've ever eaten. Introduced to me by a friend of mine and it's one of my favourite restaurant during my stay in JB.

I'm not really an Otak Lover however I must give a thumb up for this one. A friend of mine even ordered take-away to be kept in refrigerator for the family in KL after trying it 1st time. Somehow he forgotten it and that Otak still freezing in the fridge! Funny.

Let's move on to photos ...


The Sing Gee Restaurant, normally visited during dinner and close at around 10.30pm. Operated by family and packed most of the time. Looks dirty, but ready to be surprised by their food.


The restaurant's signature Curry Fish Head and price depending on size. We ordered the smallest, which is still mid-size and cost us RM20.00.


The recommended best Otak in the World (i've not try enough to find a better one yet) priced at RM10.00 and there's only 1 size available. Order two if you have more than 6 persons. Nearly forgotten to snap photos, only realise after a few bites, heavenly irresistable.

The dinner cost both of us a total of RM40.50 and it's a little pricey. Considering we (again) nearly can't finish the food, it's worthwhile. For all Otak Lover, try this and you will like it. I will definitely be visiting this shop again if I'm ever in JB next time.

It's hard to try out food with only two person in the group, need some additional members. Will need to talk to my wife tonight =P

Sing Gee Restaurant @ JB
Location Coordinate: N1 32.414 E103 48.118

Asian Cool Men's Haircuts Pictures

Asian Cool Men's Haircuts Pictures