Here are five of the best photos that readers added to the Consumerist Flickr Pool in the last week, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or for just plain neatness.

Want to see your pictures on our site? Our Flickr pool is the place where Consumerist readers upload photos for possible use in future Consumerist posts. Just be a registered Flickr user, go here, and click “Join Group?” up on the top right. Choose your best photos, then click “send to group” on the individual images you want to add to the pool.

KUALA LUMPUR: A new taxi service online app called “2GO Personal” was launched today, with its operator declaring it as a last resort to win back the hearts of customers who have migrated to Uber and Grab.

Cab Auto Bus Sdn Bhd executive chairman Tengku Hasmadi Hashim said the main aim of the app is to help a taxi industry that has been getting a negative image and suffering deteriorating business over the past decade.

“With the introduction of this app, we want to give taxi drivers a second chance, and to help them regain the trust of the public and tourists,” he told reporters at the launch held at the Corus Hotel here today.

Hasmadi said the taxi industry has received too much bad publicity and hopes the app will change the public perception of taxi drivers.

“We need to stop all the haggling, the issues of taxi drivers not using the meter and selective journeys, where they only want to do long trips.

“It is time that the taxi drivers start changing their attitudes if they want to continue to survive.”

The 2GO Personal app is already available for Android and iPhone users.

Hasmadi said that the benefit of the app is that all journey’s are calculated based on a flat rate.

“When you book your journey all fares are fixed. It is better than using the meter, because if you get stuck in a jam the meter will continue to run. With the app there are no extra charges.

“If you don’t have the app, you can even flag down any taxi which carries our logo and ask the driver to key in your destination and they will show you a fixed rate.

“Users can pay for their rides with credit card, debit card or cash.”

Hasmadi also said that there are added security features on the app and in the taxis in the event of an emergency.

“There is a panic button on the app and the taxis are being fitted with tablets.

“The tablet has a camera and a microphone and panic button. The minute the panic button is pressed or if a user shouts it will automatically activate the camera and audio which is connected to the control centre,” he said, adding that the tablets cannot be manipulated by the taxi driver.

Hasmadi said that 12 taxi association’s have agreed to participate in the 2GO programme, with close to 2,000 taxi drivers using the Partner 2GO app for their interaction with customers.

“Currently 1,800 taxi drivers have downloaded the Partner 2GO app and we are expecting another 8,000 to join by the end of the year.”

Among the first taxi companies to join the 2GO programme is Big Blue Capital (M) Sdn Bhd.

PETALING JAYA: A businessman with a “Datuk” title was charged in the Sessions Court here with eight counts of trafficking in Indonesians who were forced to work as restaurant workers.

Baharuddin Hamzah, 41, claimed trial to the charges before judge Mohamad Kamil Nizam yesterday.

The businessman, who has four wives, is accused of trafficking in the seven men and a woman, aged between 25 and 35, for the purpose of turning them into forced labourers.

He allegedly committed the offences at the Puchong Gateway Business Centre at No 73-1, Jalan Suria Puchong 2, Puchong Serdang, Selangor, at 11.40am on Nov 29.

Each charge under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 carries a maximum jail term of 15 years and fine upon conviction.

Immigration Department prosecuting officer Aiza Khairuddin proposed that all eight charges be tried together and for the accused not to be allowed bail as the offences were serious.

“However, if the court allows it, I would like to propose bail of RM10,000 for each charge,” she said.

Shaari Nor, who is representing Baha­ruddin, however, asked for a total sum of RM10,000 for bail on grounds that his client was suffering from a heart ailment.

“Besides, my client has to support four wives and 13 children,” Shaari said.

The court allowed Baharuddin bail of RM40,000 for all charges in one surety, and set Dec 23 for re-mention of the case.

 

Ramai tidak tahu kewujudan tempat ini sehinggalah ia disenaraikan antara tempat paling menyeramkan atau berhantu di Malaysia.

Ia adalah sebuah taman tema di Malaysia yang menjadi pilihan ramai selepas memulakan operasi pada 1971, sebelum wujudnya taman tema moden seperti Sunway Lagoon, Lost World of Tambun atau Wetworld Water Park Shah Alam.

Adakah anda tahu mengenai kewujudan Mimaland di Gombak? Benarkah tempat ini berhantu atau sekadar khabar angin?

Dua insiden menyumbang kepada penutupan taman tema itu.

Pertama, kemalangan di kawasan papan luncur air gergasi Mimaland pada Januari 1993 yang menyebabkan seorang warganegara Singapura berusia 27 tahun maut.

Kedua, tanah runtuh mengakibatkan kerosakan pada dinding kolam renang sama pada Mei 1994. Sama ada ia hanyalah kebetulan atau mempunyai unsur mistik seperti tersebar di Internet, Mimaland terus pudar daripada ingatan ramai selepas ditutup sepenuhnya.

Rujukan akhbar dan carian di Internet mendapati Mimaland adalah taman tema pertama dan terbesar pada 1970-an yang diminati ramai khususnya warga kota Kuala Lumpur.

Menariknya tentang taman tema ini, ia bercirikan idea moden yang dilengkapi papan luncur air gergasi tinggi dan kolam renang terbesar di Asia Tenggara ketika itu, selain model dinosaur bersaiz besar, chalet dan restoran terapung, tasik untuk aktiviti bersampan dan memancing, “giant maze” serta merentas hutan.

Kini, semuanya bagai “bandar berhantu” sejak ditutup 22 tahun lalu.

Malaysia In Miniature Land adalah singkatan bagi Mimaland yang pernah menjadi taman tema canggih dan terhebat pada era 1970-an dan 1980-an, meliputi kawasan seluas 300 ekar!

Kini, ia dikatakan berhantu kerana ditinggalkan sekian lama, ada menggelarnya kawasan keras dan kawasan hitam, namun ada laporan mengatakan syarikat hartanah berminat membangunkannya semula.

The Star melaporkan MPHB Capital Bhd (MPHB Cap) menggugurkan perjanjian usaha sama (JV) dengan Magna Senandung Sdn Bhd untuk membangunkan tanah Mimaland Bhd seluas 122 hektar di Gombak.

MPHB Cap dilaporkan memiliki 98% kepentingan dalam Mimaland. Dalam makluman kepada Bursa Malaysia, MPHB Cap berkata keputusan menamatkan perjanjian itu dibuat selepas mencapai persetujuan bersama. Perjanjian usaha sama itu dimeterai pada 29 April 2011 untuk membangunkan semula taman teman yang ditutup sejak 1993.

Carian FMT Ohsem di Internet juga mendapati beberapa aktiviti seperti penggambaran filem dan aktiviti sukan pernah diadakan di Mimaland. Nampaknya, kawasan itu tidaklah “seram” seperti digambarkan.

Filem Sniper arahan Pierre Andre antara yang membuat penggambaran di Mimaland. Keratan akhbar mengenai pengalaman barisan pelakon juga mendedahkan pengalaman ngeri seperti mendengar suara perempuan menyanyi di tasik Mimaland, selain ada pelakon yang kerap terseliuh kaki.

Malah, 2 tahun lalu, penjelajahan basikal Lost World of Mimaland Mini Jamboree juga dianjurkan Kelab Berbasikal Alternatif Gombak (ACCG). Ia menarik minat 800 peserta yang meredah kawasan tidak berturap di Mimaland, mendaki laluan tidak rata dan anak sungai.

Ia membuktikan betapa Mimaland diberi perhatian semula dan mungkin tidaklah seseram seperti yang diceritakan.

Liyana Mohamad, 30, berkata beliau berkunjung ke taman tema itu setiap hujung minggu bersama keluarganya sejak berusia 3 tahun sehinggalah ia ditutup. “Mimaland adalah port keluarga pada hujung minggu. Saya suka mandi di kolam renangnya yang dikelilingi hutan menghijau. Ia mengenangkan masa bersama keluarga,” katanya.

Ditanya tentang khabar angin tempat itu berhantu, Liyana tidak tahu sama ada ia benar atau sebaliknya, namun beliau mahu melawatnya jika ia dibuka semula kepada orang ramai. “Kalau dibuka semula saya akan pergi, tak payah takut pasal hantu sebab kita pun pergi siang. Tetapi saya pasti tempat itu mendukung banyak memori kepada orang sekitar Kuala Lumpur,” katanya yang tinggal di Bukit Antarabangsa.

Seorang lagi wanita muda, Yiswaree Palansamy turut berkongsi pengalaman zaman kanak-kanaknya di Mimaland.

“Saya tak tahulah sama ada ia berhantu. Tetapi saya dengar bermacam-macam kisah mengenainya. Tapi tempat itu memang antara yang terbaik pernah saya lawat ketika zaman kanak-kanak.

“Pada pendapat saya, kalau dibuka semula pun, ia mungkin akan terus dilabel sebagai berhantu dan kisah-kisah seram berkaitan dengannya akan menjadi sebahagian daripada lokasi itu,” katanya.

FMT Ohsem berjaya menghubungi 2 bekas kakitangan Mimaland untuk mengupas lanjut isu ini.

Menurut Nasir Ahmad Sadar Ali, 53, yang kini menjadi peniaga mengakui Mimaland adalah tempat kerja yang menyeronokkan, lebih-lebih lagi tempat kerja pertamanya selepas menduduki Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).

“Seronok sangat. Bila tinggalkan tempat itu, rasanya macam tinggalkan keluarga sendiri. Sebagai satu-satunya taman tema ketika itu, memang bangga bekerja di sana. Pelbagai tarikan dan semuanya gah, sayang ia ditutup untuk pelan pembangunan tetapi tidak dapat dibuka semula,” katanya yang bekerja di bahagian makanan dan minuman ketika itu.

Nasir yang tinggal di Gombak berkata, Mimaland bukannya ditutup kerana kemalangan maut mahupun bencana tanah lumpur memasuki kolam renang, sebaliknya pihak pengurusan merancang melakukan pembangunan semula yang akhirnya tidak berjaya.

Beliau berkata, berita kawasan itu berhantu bukanlah sesuatu yang pelik memandangkan taman itu sudah lama terbiar dan dikelilingi hutan.

“Cerita hantu, jangankan sekarang sejak saya kerja lagi ada, sebabnya ia dikelilingi hutan. Biasalah,” katanya yang cuba memasuki taman teman itu selepas ia ditutup, namun dihalang penjaga.

Seorang lagi bekas kakitangan Mimaland, Tarrence Francis Gigon, 69, berkata sepanjang bekerja di sana lebih 20 tahun, beliau tidak pernah mendengar sebarang cerita hantu.

“Tak mungkinlah ada hantu. Sejak ia mula dibina pada 1969, saya pernah berjalan seorang tetapi tak pernah pula nampak hantu. Oleh kerana saya dalam jabatan pembinaan, saya kerap bermalam di situ,” jelasnya.

Malah, Tarrence percaya berita itu sekadar khabar angin sahaja.

“Ia adalah tempat paling seronok untuk bekerja. Saya memang rindu tempat itu. Saya susah hati apabila ia ditutup selamanya,” tambahnya.

Web: Mobile-friendly webapp Sleeptime uses your wake up time to calculate when you should go to bed. The goal is for you to wake up at the right part of your sleep cycle so you’re well-rested for the morning.

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From Apartment Therapy → Whole-Home Wonderland: 4 Spaces You Might Be Forgetting to Decorate This Christmas

<p><a href='http://www.thekitchn.com/4-spaces-you-might-be-forgetting-to-decorate-this-christmas-239209'><strong>READ MORE »</strong></a></p>

Taking photos in black and white can produce a very different effect from color photography. Photographing solely black and white photographs involves a different perspective compared to taking colored photography. Thanks to new digital technology, taking black and white photographs is now a much simpler task than it once was, as long as you keep these tricks and techniques in mind.

EditSteps

EditAdjusting Your Approach

1. Aim for contrast. If you're used to colored photography, you'll be used to the idea that contrast isn't essential; however, in black in white photography contrast is highly preferable. When a photo is taken in black and white, all colors are turned into black, white and various shades of gray. For a photograph to stand out you want a mix of solid blacks and whites and a variation of grays. These sold blacks and whites will create an overall dramatic feel to your photograph.
   
   • Attaching a red filter to your DSLR camera improves overall contrast automatically.
   • Use Lightroom, or another editing program of your choosing in order to manually adjust the contrast of photos.
   • In black and white photography, complementary colors turn the same shade of gray and do not work with one another like they do in color photography, instead they blend into one another.
   • Turning up the contrast overall creates a much stronger image.
2. Start emphasizing the shapes and forms in your frame. Since color has been removed from the image, shape and form become more distinct. Photography is a two-dimensional form of art and it is often a struggle for photographers to take photos that really emphasize the three-dimensional forms of their objects.
   
   • Arrange the photo so it displays fascinating shapes and lines to make these parts of the image stand out over others.
   • Shadows and leading lines create form and help the subject of the photograph appear more three-dimensional.
   • Get the right composition by shooting in different than usual positions in order to change the form of an object (In the photo below, the photographer takes the photograph from the side of the flower, instead of the usual photo taken from above).
3. Learn to play with textures and patterns. These elements of design go hand-in-hand when it comes to black and white photography because they are both often lost in colored photographs.
   
   • Reoccurring patterns are seen easier in black and white photography because the viewer’s attention can be focused exclusively on the reoccurring pattern created by shapes, rather than color where shapes are seen more individually.
   • Texture is greatly affected by lighting conditions, in order to receive the best texture use soft lighting or shoot pictures during the golden hours of the day (early morning, and dusk).
   • The worst time to shoot texture under harsh lighting conditions, or during midday where the sun is at its peak.
4. Think in black and white. Seeing in color is the way typical people view the world on a daily basis. When going out and taking black and white photography, though, one must view the world entirely in black and white.
   
   • Look for solid black and solid white, in order to make your photos not appear too gray and washed out.
   • Black makes whites whiter. By making your photo appear darker, either manually of in Lightroom, it can really make your photo appear more dramatic.
   • Use the dodge and burn tool offered in Lightroom in order to emphasize dark areas, and or lighten them in order to show more detail in the shadows.

EditTaking Your Photographs

1. Shoot in RAW and JPEG. Shooting in RAW lets one have unlimited access to the photograph when editing in Lightroom or Photoshop. Additionally, shooting in RAW and JPEG lets you change the picture style displayed on the LCD screen, to be black and white.
   
2. 
   Use the histogram. When taking photography use a histogram to assure the scene has the right amount of lights darks and mid-tones. A lot of photographers are unaware of how histograms work, but honestly, it is quite simple to understand.
   • The left side of the histogram displays how many shades of black are in the photo.
   • The right side of the histogram displays how many shades of white are in the photo.
   • The middle of the histogram shows how many mid-tones or shades of grey are in the photo.
   • If the histogram reads high on whichever designated side, then there is a lot of that shade in the photo. If it reads low, then there is little to none.
   • The ideal histogram for black and white photography should be evenly distributed.
3. Distinguish what photos should be black and white. Shooting in black and white is not suitable for all photographs. If color is the main emphasis of a photo it would be best to keep the picture in color, while on the other hand color can often be a distraction to the crucial elements of design in a photo and draw away the attention from the main subject.
   • Portraits, long exposures and landscapes look exceptional in black in white.
4. Use low ISO. Use the lowest ISO when taking black and white photographs. When shooting with low ISO, it reduces the noise in a photograph. Noise in a digital image is like the grain in film photography. Once the photo has been taken the editor can always go back and add the grainy look if one desires post-production.
   • 100-400 ISO range is recommended to avoid noise.

EditExperimenting with Your Techniques

1. Use the weather to your advantage. Rain, fog, mist and haze shouldn’t be a reason to not go out and shoot. These conditions can give a real emotional appeal in a photograph. Grey days can even be taken advantage of, the soft light can create smooth scenes and contrast can always be added later in post processing. Puddles from rain add reflections to the image and can draw a viewer in. These elements can come across as mysterious, romantic, eerie and more. Use the weather as an advantage next time Mother Nature shows up unplanned
   
2. Try long exposures. In order to take long exposures, a tripod is necessary and a neutral density filter is optional (for daytime long exposures). Most long exposures are taken of, but not limited to, seascapes, landscapes, and people. Long exposures are good for seascapes to soften the water for an overall smooth look and in landscapes to blur the clouds moving in the sky. These look exceptionally pleasing in black in white because it adds to the overall dramatic look created by the softened movement.
   
3. Play with lights and shadows. The use of light in black and white photography can make or break a photo. Since color is not available to draw attention to the subject, light needs to be used correctly in order to make the subject of the photo really stand out.
   
   • Flat light can even help add a dramatic feel in a photograph when approached correctly. Look for flat light with deep blacks. The blacks will stand out among the low contrast created by the flat light and create a great emotional appeal.
   • Use light to highlight the main subject of the photograph.
   • Getting away with bad lighting can be easier with black and white photography, unlike colored photography. This is not recommended but can be used.
4. Experiment with filters. Using colored filters can have a great affect on the overall quality of a photo. A problem faced in black and white photography is that when colors get converted into black and white they often blend together in similar shades of gray.
   
   • The colors red, blue and green often show up the same shade of gray. This can easily be fixed by applying a correct colored filter.
   • Red filters are usually too harsh for other forms of photography but is the most commonly used filter for black and white photography. A red filter greatly increased contrast and darkens blues, making them a key asset to landscape photography.
   • Orange filters are good to use in black and white photography, especially portraits because if softens skin blemishes and gives similar effects as a red filter, but is a little subtle.
   • Blue filters are rarely used in black and white photography because they typically darken, and add too much contrast to a photo.

Look, I am obviously a big fan of shortcuts, but there if there is one thing we as a society need to give up on, it is the expedited ripening of the avocado. This isn’t just like, my opinion, man; Cook’s Illustrated feels the same way.

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If you're looking to spread the holiday cheer with your favorite wintry scents, look no further than Yankee Candle. The company makes some of the smelliest candles you can buy. They also offer so many holiday scents, it can be difficult to decide which to go with. Should you go for Alpine Martini or Christmas Thyme? Or perhaps Sparkling Cinnamon is more your style.

So, in order to clear up some of the confusion, I decided to host a Yankee Candle smell-off to rank the company's current holiday collection. Here's how it went.

<p><a href='http://www.thekitchn.com/we-sniffed-every-holiday-yankee-candle-amp-ranked-them-238178'><strong>READ MORE »</strong></a></p>

If you’re in a rush to get your papers finished before the semester is over, Google can help you with some of the tedious stuff. Now, Google Docs can automatically create citations in your paper in your preferred style.

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BANGKOK: Floods in Thailand have killed 14 people and badly affected southern holiday islands as the country heads into the December-January high season for tourism, authorities said on Tuesday.

A low pressure system has brought heavy rain to parts of the south including the islands of Samui and Pha Ngan in the Gulf of Thailand, and floods have also severed the rail link to the south and Malaysia beyond.

Tourism has been a rare bright spot for an economy that has struggled to gain traction since the army seized power in a bloodless coup in 2014 to end months of political unrest.

The death on Oct 13 of long-reigning King Bhumibol Adulyadej plunged the country into grief and also raised questions about tourist arrivals though authorities say the country is open for business despite a year of mourning.

“There has been heavier rain than usual which has caused drainage problems,” Nongyao Jirundom of the state Tourism Authority of Thailand on Samui island told Reuters.

“Swimming is out of the question.”

The National Disaster Warning Centre said 14 Thai people had been killed in various accidents caused by the weather in different parts of the south.

Southbound trains have been halted in the town of Thung Song in Nakhon Si Thammarat province because of flooding.

Nakhon Si Thammarat has had 447mm of precipitation in the past seven days, 380mm more than the average for this time of year, according to Thomson Reuters data.

December marks the beginning of the dry season when tourists descend on palm fringed beaches to celebrate the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Despite the mourning period for the late king, authorities are bullish about the outlook for tourism, which accounts for 10% of gross domestic product.

The tourism ministry expects a record 32.4 million arrivals this year.

Widespread floods in 2011 killed more than 900 people and caused major disruption to industry, cutting economic growth that year to just 0.1%.

tags: Thailand, tourism, heavy rains, flooding, koh samui

Yes, Virginia, there is a city where $1,000 Christmas trees are real. Where, you ask? In — where else? — New York City.

We’re not talking about your jumbo Christmas trees, the kind that pop up in places like Rockefeller Plaza or the local mall; these trees are meant for anyone who can fit 13-plus feet of foliage in their home, and are willing to spend a lot of money in the process.

The New York Post highlights one Greenwich Village vendor who charges $77 per foot for her best trees — and that’s not to mention delivery and installation fees. A 13-foot white fir would cost $750 to start, for example, with add-ons like $200 for the stand, $25 for delivery and setup, and $20 each to the three or four workers needed for the job. That brings the total to around $1,000 for someone who can’t haul a huge tree home on their own.

Also adding to the cost is that fact that these firs aren’t your garden variety evergreen, the tree seller adds.

“They are not a traditional Christmas tree, so they are harder to get,” she said. “Not many farmers grow them. To find a good one is difficult.”

She hasn’t sold any trees for more than $1,000 yet, noting that her best sale this season was a 13-foot Nordmann fir sold for $500 a few days ago.

Elsewhere in the country, holiday revelers may be paying high prices for their Christmas trees — or having fewer options to choose from — for entirely different reasons, including drought and a shrinking marketplace in some states.

Take Our Poll

Here are thirteen of the best photos that readers added to the Consumerist Flickr Pool in the last two weeks, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or for just plain neatness.

Want to see your pictures on our site? Our Flickr pool is the place where Consumerist readers upload photos for possible use in future Consumerist posts. Just be a registered Flickr user, go here, and click “Join Group?” up on the top right. Choose your best photos, then click “send to group” on the individual images you want to add to the pool.

Good morning friends, neighbors, and others! Welcome to this week’s open thread brought to you by Hackerspace and those lovely folks at Lifehacker who still haven’t invited me to their Christmas or New Year’s parties.

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If you’re tired of spending all of your time writing email, or feel like your email requests never get properly fulfilled, give this military-based system a shot.

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PETALING JAYA: One person was killed and five injured when part of a pedestrian bridge under construction near Mid Valley Megamall collapsed today.

Firemen were at the scene to carry out rescue work with the help of their canine unit.

The bridge is being built to connect SP Setia’s KL Eco City project to The Gardens Mall (Mid Valley).

The KL Eco City construction site is located near Kampung Haji Abdullah Hukum in Jalan Bangsar.

Bernama reported that a Vietnamese worker was killed.

The 21-year-old succumbed to head and body injuries in the 3.30pm incident involving a 70-metre pedestrian bridge link to the Mid Valley Megamall.

Brickfields police chief ACP Sharul Othman Mansor told the news agency the five injured workers were sent to the University Malaya Medical Centre.

He said police also found a seriously injured Bangladeshi worker trapped at the site.

According to City Fire and Rescue Department head of operations Samsol Maarif Saibani, a call was received at 3.33pm today.

“It is understood that part of the pedestrian bridge under construction collapsed and crushed some of the workers.

He said fire stations in Pantai, Hang Tuah and Seputeh were dispatched to the scene.

Traffic flow along roads around the construction site is reported to be heavy.

PETALING JAYA: A voter who attended a local inquiry hearing for the Election Commission’s (EC) proposed redelineation exercise has expressed disappointment over remarks made by EC chairman Mohd Hashim Abdullah about him.

In a statement, B Prasanth Kumar, a 22-year-old law student from Malacca, claimed Hashim had asked him personal questions which were irrelevant to the hearing.

Prasanth also alleged that Hashim advised his father, who was present at the hearing, to ask Prasanth to complete his studies first before getting involved in proceedings like the objection hearing.

Prasanth, who studies at a private university, was at the hearing to present his objections to the EC panel on the proposed redelineation for the Jasin parliamentary seat and Rim state seat in Malacca.

During the presentation, he claimed Hashim, who was leading the six-man EC panel, asked him whether he was a university student and where he studied.

“I was asked the same question three times. Then Hashim asked me whether I knew who the people sitting next to him were, to which I said I did not.

“He said two of the panel members were judges, and I said I admit they are more knowledgable than me. I then continued with my objection presentation.”

After his presentation, Prasanth said Hashim asked him whether he had attended recent protests and whether I had carried placards.

Prasanth said he attended the protests but did not carry any placards and assembled peacefully.

When contacted, Prasanth told FMT that he believed Hashim was asking about the recent Bersih 5 rally.

He added that he was surprised with Hashim’s questions and remarks about him completing his studies as that had nothing to do with his objections.

“If anything, he should be focusing on my presentation about the objections. What does my age or whether I am studying have to do with anything?”

Hashim has not yet responded to FMT’s request for comments on Prasanth’s claims.

It was previously reported that the EC received 836 objections to the proposed redelineation exercise throughout Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah.

Following the objections, the EC began conducting local inquiries to hear all representations through the state governments, local councils and 100 registered voters in the respective areas.

Political parties from both sides of the divide, Barisan Nasional component parties and opposition parties have voiced concern over the proposed redelineation exercises, citing racial imbalances and unfair advantages to their opponents, among others.

You probably have to be up at a certain time every morning, so getting a good night’s rest comes down to falling asleep on time the night before. If you can’t get to bed at a decent hour on your own, ask for some help.

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Gout is a complex form of arthritis that often affects men; however, women are increasingly susceptible to gout after menopause. A gout attack can occur suddenly, often waking you up in the middle of the night with the sensation that a joint or muscle is on fire. The affected joint or muscle will be hot, swollen, and so tender that even the weight of a bedsheet may seem intolerable. Fortunately, there are treatment to relieve a gout attack.^[1]

EditSteps

EditRecognizing the Symptoms of a Gout Attack

1. Check the joint for intense pain, swelling, or redness. Usually gout causes severe pain in one joint, like the base of your big toe, or joints like your ankle, wrist, or elbow. Affected joints will swell and the skin may look read or inflamed.^[2]
   
   • Any joint can be affected by gout, and sometimes two or more joints can be affected at one time.
2. Note if it is painful to walk. Putting any pressure on the affected joint will be very painful if you are experiencing a gout attack, and even the weight of a sheet or a blanket can hurt the affected joint. You may also have limited mobility or be unable to move the affected joint at all.^[3]
   
   • Sometimes, gout is mistaken for other forms of arthritis. If you are not sure if you are suffering from gout, you should get checked by your doctor to confirm your diagnosis.^[4]
3. Treat the gout attack as soon as possible. If you experience sudden, intense pain, you should call your doctor immediately. If left untreated, gout can lead to worsen pain and joint damage. You should seek immediate medical care if you have a fever and a joint is hot and inflamed, as these are signs of a possible infection.^[5]
   
   • If left untreated, a gout attack can last several days, but usually goes away completely within 7-10 days.
   • Some people only ever experience one gout attack in their lifetime, while others may experience a gout attack weeks, months, or even years after their last attack.

EditUsing Home Treatment

1. Uncover and elevate the affected limb. Remove all surrounding clothing or bedding from the limb so it is open to the air. Raise the limb by sliding a cushion under the limb. Avoid knocking around or damaging the affected limb when you elevate it.^[6]
   
2. Apply an ice pack to the limb. It’s important to keep the affected limb cool to ease any pain or swelling. Wrap an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas in a towel before applying it to the limb.^[7]
   
3. Continue to apply the ice pack for 20 minute intervals. Only apply the ice pack to your limb for 20 minutes at a time. Do not apply it directly to your skin or for longer than 20 minutes at a time as this could damage your skin.^[8]
   
   • Touch the affected limb to make sure the temperature of the affected limb has returned to normal before reapplying the ice pack.

EditUsing Medication

1. Get a prescription for anti-inflammatory painkillers (NSAIDs). Many people who suffer from gout will have a supply of NSAID tablets ready at home in case an attack occurs. The painkillers will ease most gout attacks and soothe your symptoms within 12-24 hours. There are several types and brands your doctor may prescribe, including diclofenac, indomethacin , and naproxen.^[9] Most people can take these drugs without any complications, but some side-effects may occur, including:
   
   • Bleeding from the stomach. This is more of a risk if you are over 65 years old or have a stomach ulcer. If you have either of these risks, you avoid taking these tablets and talk to your doctor about other possible medications.
   • Some people with asthma, high blood pressure, certain kidney problems, and heart failure may not be able to take anti-inflammatory painkillers.
   • If you are taking medication for other conditions, they could interact negatively with anti-inflammatory painkillers. Talk to your doctor if you are on other medications before taking the painkillers.
2. Take one anti-inflammatory painkiller at a time. Follow the dosage prescribed by your doctor and don’t take too many painkillers at once. Continue to take this medication throughout the attack and for 48 hours after the attack has finished.^[10][11]
   
3. Ask your doctor for proton pump inhibitors (PPI). NSAIDs should be prescribed together with PPIs, which reduces the risk of the NSAID causing indigestion, stomach ulcers, and bleeding from the stomach.^[12]
   
   • These medications will also protect your stomach if you have already taken aspirin and then experience a gout attack. Aspirin plus an anti-inflammatory medication will increase the risk of stomach bleeding. PPIs will help to counteract this risk.
   • Your doctor may also try interleukin-1 inhibitors (IL-1) to control pain. IL-1 may rapidly reduce pain for those who do not respond to NSAIDs.^[13]
4. Try colchicine if NSAIDs are ineffective. Colchicine is a medication that is derived from the Autumn crocus plant. It is not a painkiller, but it works to reduce the ability of the urate crystals that inflame your joint lining, thereby reducing some of the inflammation and pain during a gout attack.^[14]
   
   • Colchicine will be prescribed by your doctor and can be an effective treatment for gout if taken in the first 12 hours of the attack. But it should only be used at low doses as it can cause side effects like nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.^[15]
   • Always follow the recommended dosage. For most people, this means no more than 2-4 colchicine tablets a day.
5. Talk to your doctor about corticosteroid tablets. These are a type of steroids for people that do not respond to other treatments and are unable to take an NSAID or a colchicine. A short course of steroid tablets provides relief but can’t be used long-term in high doses as they can cause side effects such as:^[16]
   
   • Weight gain
   • Osteoporosis, or thinning of your bones
   • Bruising and thinning of your skin
   • Muscle weakness
   • Increased vulnerability to infection
   • Corticosteroids can also exacerbate diabetes and glaucoma, an eye condition that can cause blindness if left untreated.
   • Do not use corticosteroids if you have impaired kidney function, impaired liver function, or a risk of heart failure.

EditVideo

EditSources and Citations

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Bar soap always ends up crumbling into tiny, unusable bits as the bar gets worn down that inevitably just dissolve while slowly getting gross in the corner of your shower. This carved out body sponge puts them to good use so you never waste them again.

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KABUL: Afghan police and health officials raided cafes and restaurants in Kabul on Sunday, confiscating shisha water pipes and paraphernalia in a campaign to halt “debauchery and vulgarity”.

Critics say the campaign will only distract police from the Afghan capital’s deteriorating security situation, while doing little to change the pervasive smoking culture in the long-term.

Shisha cafes, where customers inhale fruit-flavored tobacco using pipes that draw the smoke through water, are popular public gathering spots for Afghan men. The Afghan authorities, however, say the cafes can be breeding grounds for petty criminals.

Led by the health ministry, authorities plan to go through each Kabul neighborhood this week to enforce, for the first time, a two-year-old law banning indoor smoking in restaurants.

“We have to have control over shisha cafes, which promote debauchery and vulgarity in society,” Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi told reporters outside one of the many restaurants raided by police.

“This is a religious and Islamic society and our young generation should not waste their energy in a wrong way,” he added while standing near two pick-up trucks full of confiscated shisha pipes.

Teams of police officers on Sunday walked from one cafe to the next, confiscating pipes and ripping down pictures advertising shisha smoking. Many cafe owners and customers were taken by surprise, with a few racing out covering their faces.

Some angry customers said that police should be focusing more on protecting the community from suicide bombers and kidnappings.

“The police cannot even secure the safety of their people and are instead wasting their time on grabbing some water pipes from these small businesses,” said Saboor Bayat, a customer at Kabulistan cafe.

If you have a lot of books on your bookshelf, alphabetizing it by author or title will make it easier to find specific books in the future. Here’s the fastest way to do it.

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Southeast Asia is the perfect place for a vacation. Its abundance of chilled-out beach bars, insanely beautiful sunsets, exotic wildlife, mysterious temples, gorgeous waterfalls and emerald jungles makes it the ideal — and affordable — destination. Unfortunately, it’s been discovered, which means you definitely will not be alone in your obsession with vacationing in the region. As more and more tourists frequent countries like Thailand, travelers are constantly on the lookout for the next supposedly undiscovered destination. After spending several months exploring eight different Southeast Asian countries, here’s my go-to list of less touristy places you can still escape to.

Beach Bums: Gili Island Instead of Bali

While Bali is gorgeous, it’s definitely not the sleepy beach town it once was. The Gili Islands, on the other hand, have managed to retain a certain element of unspoiled charm, perhaps because they’re so tiny they don’t even allow cars. The three islands (Gili Meno, Gili Air and Gili Trawangan), which are located of the northwest coast of Lombok in Indonesia, are pristine beach spots that are also known for having incredible snorkeling and scuba diving. It’s not unusual to be completely alone on a deserted beach here, accompanied only by the giant sea turtles swimming close to shore. Gili Meno is the sleepiest island of all, perfect for an escape — rent a bicycle and head to the saltwater lake in its interior, which offers especially amazing views at sunset. Getting between islands is easy, too, thanks to frequent boat service, so try and visit all three during your stay.

Cultural Enthusiasts: Bagan Instead of Angkor

The temples of Angkor Wat are breathtaking, but you’ll likely be watching the sunrise shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands of other tourists. The 2,000-plus ancient temples located in Bagan, Myanmar, are also stunning and you may find yourself exploring some of the lesser-known temples by yourself here. Myanmar isn’t the easiest country to visit, but that’s why it offers a much more bonafide travel experience. If you want to see the sunrise all by your lonesome from the top of a temple in Bagan, ride your rented e-bike over the dirt roads to Law-ka-ou-shaung Temple around 4:30am. Head to the hut behind the temple, where dogs and roosters will alert the gatekeeper to your presence. A sleepy-looking man will come out of a hut and unlock the temple gates with a giant iron key and direct you up the spooky stairs with a flashlight so you can watch the sunrise high above the temples.

City Seekers: Phnom Penh Instead of Bangkok

I adore the craziness that is Bangkok — in fact, it’s one of my favorite cities in the world, thanks to its awesome food scene, the Chao Phraya River and its busy street markets. Unfortunately, it’s also a favorite of many other travelers and can get quite crowded. If you want to experience something new, try Phnom Penh in Cambodia. A budding foodie destination, this spot is still recovering from the reign of the Khmer Rouge, and you’ll find kind, resilient locals dedicated to helping their city recover and grow. Its colonial buildings are transforming into cool coffee shops, bars, hotels and boutiques, but as it hasn’t been a prime tourist destination in the past, the city isn’t yet overrun with visitors. Visit the Royal Palace temple complex and stop by the weekend riverside night market, the Phsar Reatrey, to shop for traditional goods and, of course, street food: steamed pork buns, fish amok and for the adventurous, balut, a Cambodian delicacy of duck embryo.

Nature Lovers: Borneo Instead of Chiang Mai

Many head to Chiang Mai to enjoy the elephant tourism, but there’s been a lot of uproar recently about the ethics of the industry. Instead, head to Borneo to see another species that’s slowly becoming extinct: orangutans. The island of Borneo spans three countries: Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia and the best areas for spotting these primates are the jungles near Kalimantan in Indonesia and near Sandakan in Malaysia. Besides orangutans, there are plenty of other amazing wildlife to be seen, like many bird species including several types of kingfishers, gibbons and proboscis monkeys, owls, flying squirrels, bats, snakes, lizards and insects, among other jungle-dwelling critters.

Adventure Seekers: Taman Negara Instead of Ha Long Bay

Kayaking and cliff jumping in Ha Long Bay is super fun, but the number of boats and tourists the bay sees regularly are borderline excessive. The bay is slowly but surely filling up with trash, and it’s hard to have an experience where you feel truly away from it all. In contrast, the Malaysian rainforest of Taman Negara is much more off the beaten path. Getting there from Kuala Lumpur involves a bus or train and a few hours of rafting or boating up a river. One of the oldest rainforests in existence, the Taman Negara is home to the impressively long suspension pedestrian bridge called the canopy walk, which allows you to stroll along the treetops for more than 1,500 feet. There are plenty of hikes and night treks at varying levels of difficulty, as well as fishing and rafting, among other available activities. A word of warning: bring along some leech socks, as these uncomfortable parasites often work their way into hiking boots and pants along Taman Negara’s trails.

Have you visited any of these spots? Tell us about your experience, below.

Featured image of the Gili Islands courtesy of Lori Zaino.

TOKYO: Investment in new oil production is likely to fall for a third year in 2017 as a global supply glut persists, stoking volatility in crude markets, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday.

Brother laser printers dominated the voting in our Kinja Co-Op for best printer, and it’s easy to see why: They basically never jam, toner is much cheaper than ink (and it never dries out if you don’t use it), and they print much faster than any other consumer-level printer; on the order of 25-30 pages per minute,…

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If you don’t own a pressure cooker, today’s a great day to fix that. Amazon’s knocked the highly-rated Instant Pot IP-LUX60 all the way down to $58, the best price Amazon’s ever listed.

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GEORGE TOWN: The Penang DAP-led government will build the Penang Islamic Hospital that is also the first shariah-compliant hospital in the state.

State Islamic Affairs, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Abdul Malik Abul Kassim said the hospital would be build on land belonging to the Penang Islamic Council (MAINPP) in Bayan Baru.

“The proposed Penang Islamic Hospital will be located at the junction of Jalan Mayang Pasir 1 and Jalan Mayang Pasir 2, Bayan Baru, on a 10,265 square metre site,” he said during the winding-up debate on the Penang Budget 2017 in the state assembly yesterday.

Abdul Malik said the 14-storey hospital building, to be built at a cost of RM280 million, would include 200 in-patient rooms, seven floors for parking, teaching rooms and commercial space.

The hospital would focus on medical services and facilities for paediatrics, gynaecology, endoscopy and cardiology.

The Penang Islamic Foundation had selected An-Nur Specialist Hospital, a shariah-compliant hospital in Selangor, to run the Penang Islamic Hospital.

 

These fritters are a two-bite, hot-and-crunchy snack, perfect for when you've had your fill of turkey and stuffing sandwiches. Spiced up with plenty of fresh garlic and cumin, these tender-on-the-inside, crisp-on-the-outside fritters are a deliciously different take on stuffing leftovers.

The two dipping sauces, cranberry-jalapeño and sour cream-lime, amp up the Tex-Mex flavors so the fritters don't taste like just another Thanksgiving redux.

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LUCKNOW: At least 91 passengers, most of whom were sleeping, were killed when an express train derailed in northern India early Sunday, police said.

Rescue workers were searching for survivors believed still trapped inside the badly mangled coaches of the Patna-Indore express after the crash near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh state.

Police initially put the death toll at 63 but revised the figure later.

“The death toll has unfortunately increased and it is 96 now,” Daljit Singh Chawdhary, the additional police director-general, told reporters, adding 150 were injured.

All local hospitals have been placed on alert and more than 30 ambulances have been deployed.

TV footage showed rescue workers using gas cutters and other equipment to slice through severely mangled coaches strewn with suitcases and other luggage.

Witnesses spoke of being woken by a huge bang and being thrown around.

“We woke up to a great thud this morning. It was pitch dark and the noise was deafening,” a passenger told reporters as he waited with his family at the scene.

“I am lucky to be alive and safe. But it was a near-death experience for us.”

‘Shaken to core’

Nitika Trivedi, a student who boarded the train with her family from the eastern city of Patna, said images of the bodies of her fellow passengers would long haunt her.

“I had never seen something like this in my life before. I am shaken to the core.”

Railway officials said special trains had been pressed into service for stranded travellers.

“We are also trying to clear the tracks and complete the restoration work as quickly as possible,” Vijay Kumar, a spokesman for north-central railways, told AFP.

National Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu said in a tweet the government would investigate what caused the derailment and announced compensation for the victims.

India’s railway network, one of the world’s largest, is still the main form of long-distance travel in the vast country, but it is poorly funded and deadly accidents occur relatively frequently.

In 2014 an express train ploughed into a stationary freight train, also in Uttar Pradesh, killing 26 people.

And last year 27 people died after two trains derailed in Madhya Pradesh state during heavy rain.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he was “anguished beyond words” by the loss of life in the latest accident.

In 2012 a government report said almost 15,000 people were killed every year on India’s railways, describing the deaths as an annual “massacre”.

Modi’s government has pledged to invest $137 billion over five years to modernise the crumbling railways, making them safer, faster and more efficient.

If you’re not sure what type of wine you should serve alongside that fantastic looking cheese plate from your local deli, reach for your favorite bottle of white. Here’s why.

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