Spring Cleaning of Facebook

Did you know you can only have so much of a friends list in Facebook? Yes..the 5000 limit is the given maximum of any Facebook user that can connect and upon hitting 3000, the system will try to stop you from doing so, accepting new friends and such due to spamming and abuse of the system.

Being a developer, I find that the limits is a good thing but we tend to circumvent the system by harvesting the email addresses and connecting them and filtering through email address systems. Yahoo offers a great way to import the current user list with email addresses and then post export them into other services such as LinkedIn or other mailing list to make greater contact.

I have had over 16000 contacts over the past 2 years and that is a large sum, and pruning , triming them will keep the limits far from being breached and me from getting a red card from the administration. Overall, these connections are just actually, 400 over real people other than spam, game clones and such evil derived from Zynga's Mafia Wars and the like.

400 People out of 16,000 actually exist, with 1100 validated email addresses.So it's ok to prune occasionally but do import the contact list and mail merge them before hand. Having said that, LinkedIn is a great way to know people, professionally and not just plain kids on the block pretending to be 30 year olds.

Other than that, do have fun and keep your real friends who you comment and talk about on the lists.

Wise Disk Cleaner Free 5.71

I downloaded from CNET recently many things and one I need to say is that I don't regret testing out applications for my own laptop. Some are bugsy and some are just plain OK.

One of the things downloaded was the WISE Disk Cleaner Free 5.71 which is a freeware but if you upgrade, there will be some extras on top. It reminds me of the old Norton Speed Disk Doctor (SDD) which works fine with XP but does not have that feature for Vista or 7 but the GUI looks the same.. it will scan and check the system and recommend if it wants to defragment or optimise it.

However, it does not wipe or optimise the free slack space where in Norton it compacts the files so that the free space is all at the end of the drive. It also can't move the system files, MFT and stuff to priority level one so it's loaded upfront such as the registry files.. but I can't expect much from a free-shareware right.

Other than that..it's great tool if you prefer to see what is going on rather than just the status report of microsoft's defrag.

One GREAT feature is that it can CLEAN OFF all the unwanted files and junk that Disk Clean up will forget, like log files and such, so that is one of the strong points... so try Disk Cleaner Free out.

Download is swift at CNET since it's just 4MB only... a few mins off ADSL or Wireless Broadband and you are into it!

Understanding Islamic Finance

May people don't understand that Islamic Finance is not Islamic Banking. There is no Banking in Islam as trade of Money is Riba and Haram just that Investment and Finance, which is all based on the trade of a commodity such as property, project or bullion.


I wrote an article the other day on Helium and this is what I said...

There are not much differences in conventional or Islamic banking but typically, there is no such thing as Islamic Banking, just a figure of speak, but more of a Trade and Finance. Going back to the days of Christianity, Usury or Charging Interest was a practice by the Jewish community for things sold or trades where payment was to be made at a later date, thus started the Banking System, where the community will pool their money to someone who they know, a company or sort for a portion of their profits, whom by lending money to others at a higher rate.

In Islam, this is forbidden as it causes much pain and misery to the borrower where in those days, rates can be as high as 20% per week as how it's still happening today, going by the name of loan sharks. Borrowers in those days who default are being sold as slaves for the rest of their lives along with their families.

The act of Riba or literally "Increasing" causes the fall of the financial institutions going way back to the Barings Bank scandal by Nick Leeson and other institutions like the recent AIA , ABN AMRO, Royal Bank of Scotland and all thanks to the domino effect by the Lehman Brothers.

However, in Islam, there won't be such a problem as the risk factor is shared among the depositor who is called the investor based on an agreement between the institution and the financer. Of course, just as how you run a business, you won't like it if your silent partner is taking more than he should, since you have to cover the costs and other overheads, and thus, in a savings account, the expected rate of return normally works to about 5-8% of the investment amount. This is normally called the Mudharabah account.  Literally, this is the instant access account based on the bank's speculation on the markets and other projects. The equivalent are the Cash Instant Access ISA accounts in UK or even your current account.

Fixed deposits or Term Deposit Account (Certificates of Deposit) are Haram in Islam as they promised a fixed amount of return in terms of percentage or anything that is certain. In Islam, everything has no certainty as that is the will of Allah, thus why Muslims are to say Insyallah or God Willing in anything that is to be done in the future. However, in a General Investment Account , which is similar to a Fixed Term Depository, the depositor agrees to the percentage of profits they expect out of the investment pool. This is a shared risk between the depositor and the financial institution where the bank will take up insurance plan (takaful) to back the investment plan. 

Normally, the bank will invest in property or low risk, high return investments such as sukuk or bonds, Gold Bullion, Foreign Exchange or Leasing plans. These are usually advertised by the bank of their investment holdings and works similar to a unit trust fund. However, the investment managers are prohibited from taking on risks that are haram or even makhruh (hated) by the Prophet. These includes Pig Farms, Brewery, Winery , Vineyards (for wine) and try to refrain from property leasing or investment related to the tobacco industry and anything that causes harm to humanity including firearms, military and likewise.

As for financing schemes, they come in many forms, such as SUKUK which are bonds, Ijarah which literally means leasing, Musyarah Mustaqinah with Ijarah for home loans where it shares the equity with the bank, with decreasing equity amount as stated in the agreement. You will hear or see these terms in an Islamic financial agreement.

Ijarah - (Operating Lease) - which means the act of leasing of an asset pursuant to a contract under which a specified permissible benefit in the form of a usufruct is obtained for a specified period in return for a specified permissible consideration. It is a manfaah (usufruct) type of contract whereby a lessor (owner) leases out an asset to its customer at an agreed rental fee and pre-determined lease period upon the `aqad (contract). The ownership of the leased equipment remains in the hands of the lessor. Works just like any other hire-purchase agreement.

Ijarah Muntahiah Bi Tamlik (Financial Lease) - works just like an Ijarah but after the completion of the lease, the equipment or item in particular is transferred to the lessee by means of a gift or norminal sale agreement, usually in place for Project financing, Asset acquisition or Contract Financing (Factoring).

Ijarah Mausufah Fi Zimmah (Forward Lease) is particularly used for property under construction, even when the property or asset is not owned by the lessee, such as a property developer or strata title. During the construction period, the lessor (bank) can ask the lessee to pay a portion of the normal lease or rent that has been agreed upon during the 'aqad. The forward lease rental payment is considered a debt till it is completed (agreement term) and then forth will the property be delivered to the lessee as a debt satisfied. This is usually in place for property financing and the lease cannot be increased or otherwise during the term of agreement.

Istisna’a (Purchase Order) - which means a purchase contract of an asset whereby a buyer will place an order to purchase the asset which will be delivered in the future. In other words, the buyer will require a seller or a contractor to deliver or construct the asset that will be completed in the future according to the specifications given in the sale and purchase contract. Both parties of the contract will decide on the sale and purchase prices as they wish and the settlement can be delayed or arranged based on the schedule of the work completed.

Musyarakah (Partnership / Profit And Loss Sharing)  - Musyarakah means partnership. Musyarakah refers to the commingling of capital provided by the partners for the purpose of sharing in profit. Musyarakah is established by means of an agreement or arrangement whereby two or more persons agree that each of them contributes to the capital of the partnership either in the form of cash or in kind and shares in its profit and loss.  Any profit derived from the venture will be distributed based on a pre-agreed profit sharing ratio, but a loss will be shared on the basis of equity participation.

Musyarakah Mutanaqisah (Diminishing Partnership)  - Musyarakah mutanaqisah or diminishing partnership is a form of Musyarakah (partnership) in which one of the partner promises to purchase the equity share of other partner gradually until the title of the equity is completely transferred to him. This transaction starts with the formation of partnership, after which buying and selling of the equity take place between the two partners. One partner may lease his share of the asset to the other partner on Ijarah (lease) basis. The partnership will come to an end with one partner being the sole owner of the asset or business venture.

Kafalah (Guarantee) - The Shariah principle of guarantee whereby the guarantor will guarantee the performance, action and undertaking to 3rd party. The guarantor will underwrite any claim and obligation that should be fulfilled by the principal. This concept is also applicable to a guarantee provided on a debt transaction in the event a debtor fails to fulfill his debt obligation. The same definition can be applied for Dhaman

In terms of Savings and Investments these terms come to play, which goes by a few terms.

Mudharabah (Profit Sharing) which goes in Finance and Investment plans.Mudharabah means partnership in profit whereby one party provides capital (rabb al-mal) and the other party acts as an entrepreneur (mudharib) who solely manages the project. If the venture is profitable, the profit will be distributed based on a pre-agreed ratio. In the event of a business loss, the loss shall be borne solely by the provider of the capital unless it is due to the misconduct or negligence of the mudharib.

Qardh (Benovalent Loan) - Qardh means non-interest bearing loan or benevolent loan which refers to a loan given by a person (lender) to the borrower without any expectation of extra returns.  The borrower is only obliged to pay the loan at its original amount to the lender within the agreed stipulated period of time.Current Accounts are part of a Qardh.

Another funny term which many sees in Divorce and Court settlements are Wakalah, which is a contract of agency which gives the power to a person to nominate another person to act on his behalf as long as he is alive based on the agreed terms and conditions. Some also term is as Power of Attorney.

In terms of economics, the Bank shares the risk with the investment account holder, similar to what the Building Societies, Cooperatives and Mutual Societies in the British Banking System where they do micro lending and calculated risk with customers they can trust. Islamic Financing is all about trust and that is what makes it strong as trade of money without anything backing it is wrong. Even now, investments of Gold are common nowadays but it's what makes Islamic Bonds stronger. Some banks even offer Instant Access Qardh accounts based on real physical gold, where they deposit cash to exchange for real gold, held by the bank within the vaults plus a small handling fee and when the investor wish to sell when the gold is higher, they can sell it to the bank directly at the rates they agree on or they can take out physical gold bars.

Not an acrostics of Divorce

A situation down the road Of once who we are lovers and great friends 
Broken Promises, Hardships and Pain Joy, Health and Memories 
Now is just a sweet and painful memory Of what is left,  
Of a divorced Me, No more We.
Much the pain is now fallen upon me
Of what to happen not just me,
But the bigger part of me, 
Our Kids, Our Lives, and of Our Families.


Now what I am now.. 
A Single Me.

The smell of Pine

Smell of freshness of Spring Pointing upwards, 
That of heavenly heavens pointing towards the sky above, 
Greens and Whites of the seasons, 
Such as nothing to stop it, 
The feeling of being alive, 
Pines, Needles and all Live.


Such that I feel that spring is not just of Pine,
Of cheap bunks of IKEA and you know what,
For it reminds me of how much I miss that smell,
That brought me much joy, not just being a Lone One.

Good old days

Of which, I do remember the good old days of the Nanyang Polytechnic, specifically French Singapore Institute Jurong SEG Campus which I think the foto is taken in 1995 I think .. with many of the good old memories down there.

Sometimes, we make tons of mistakes and well, I did regret till today.

Tagging those who are in the fotos, Zuraidah Mistam, Huzaimah, Faridah Karim , Afiz Rahim, Shahrul Nizam my little Bro..and 2 others I can't remember their names...


Hmmn..good old days bro?

Just trying something new

After a long while, my other old links and accounts are not working, SEOEngineering 101 and BlogWalker which are still active and I have yet to figure what is the problem with it, and so now I'm trying something new.

Try this for size, NCIS Los Angeles and NCIS Los Angeles: The Complete Second Season is now starting (or has it completed) is a cross over from NCIS Virginia (or Navy Yard with Abbey and the gang).. which is something I liked. Poor me, I have to make do with DVD copies which have been ripped of a TiVo session.

Anyway, I'm trying to figure out how to crack the B.Yond Operating systems which runs the set top so I can crack open the videos and stuff which I have recorded. Anyhits??

Let's give it a go some other time.

Now, I have to content with Prepaid Celcom broadband till I sort my work out.

What is life? Always trying something new.

Early birthday present...

I got a little early present from my colleague at Aductions (what is now ZYRAZ) and well, I was talking about how crappy Blackberry is ..and yeah the older versions tend to crash, hang and what ever they call it. I know you guys will hate me because of the processor and well, the Razor (storm) is a better version as it feels like the iPhone.

One thing I must say..the built in GPS is GOOD. Despite useless software made for it..I found that combined with a 3G support and Google MAPS...it's quite good. Very precise and as I had to pay over RM290 mth for this crap over 2 years, I do admit it is a wiser choice, since it's INSURED and WARRANTED against THEFT, Robbery...or idiotic reverse engineering by me..... The package was simple... $148 plan on the Blackberry service + $30 for the BIS system (unlimited internet 24/7!!) and $100 for the phone. Break the contract is a $1920 penalty.

This is the real thing and well, GPS is also good since U can set it to your Google Account and check on your loved ones using Google Latitude.

I'm gonna fiddle it more!

MAFIA WARS: Property Tax, Protection and Robbery

First off,if you are looking for my invite list... click on http://apps.facebook.com/inthemafia/status_invite.php?from=624061906 directly and you are free to place this links (and yours) in the comments so others can add you.

Update 2.8 which is Friday 13 March 2008 total reload makes full utility of the Racketeering feature to Rob the Mafia and knee capping them where it hurts, their money. A total rebuild will cost at least $1 Billion and this is totally serious. Property protection gives so little against goons like me.

Let me explain that is going on. Property Protection slows down the deterioration of your property by about 1% per 6hours. That is what it does. Call it Maintenance required on it. So if you never renovate or take care of your property, it will deteriorate rapidly till you don't have money to earn. Well, trickles of it.

Property protection gives just 5 strikes of lower damage to your property. If I whack your property of 100 casinos with your 100 street thug goons, it just lower the hit from 7.5% to 4.5% depending on my stats at that time. I will in turn return a higher damage points like 30-50 compared to 10-30hit points.

Even at high levels, doesn't mean I can whack U easy. A 501 can convert to 86 as that is the number of mafias under his level. So meaning you need loads of newbies to fight. Think of it as a Jackie Chan Chinese Triad fight. They whack in numbers without care of anything but only at that level. They can't bring their bosses or their Elders to the fight as it's about honor.

In comparison to Fights, you stand a high chance of drop loot and extra experience compared to 3 max in robbing.Things you will definitely find are Stun Guns, Paintings, Concealed Camera, Illegal Transaction Records, Computer Setup, Untraceable Cellphone and loads of weapons, Luxury Yacht, Humvees and my favorite weapons like Napalms, 50mm guns and so on.

Some of the American Big Boys and clans are complaining of the ROB feature and are even striking. So what? I said as I got bullied by LCN, Elite, SBG and many more that I can take out on them using the rob feature. That hurts their pockets and working out the maths, One full robbery take out is worth 28hours of income. You are talking in the upper hundred millions to Billion Dollars if all is whacked. I am just 75 stamina.. a weakling as they say means I can reload and power up every 3.5 hours. 75hits on your property means one thing at least one casino is gone by time I'm done with which by quick clicking and auto reload-heal trick (heal every 65secs, inline frame, meta-refresh 65 or just open another tab and http://apps.facebook.com/inthemafia/remote/html_server.php?xw_controller=hospital&xw_action=heal) means 2 properties will be dead by time I'm done. Think of 3 or 4 victims taking out on you?! How it hurts..then with no money...you get hit listed..and hit again and again despite you being dead. No money to heal and no money to repair.

That is the justice to the bullies...ganged up by a group of school kids.

And please...add me !

I got banned

Yeah... due to a dispute and numerous complaints by the ISP and to the ISP, I lost my Chinese Domain, which is nothing and I'm stream lining my operations.

Loads of costs involved and the economical sense kicks in...so I'll reroute all my resources for now..and pool into one place.

So...if you need the Game hacks..it's still here!!! I'm here still and For those in Malaysia, my sites are DISALLOWED on Government networks due to me...being a very goodie do finger....U noe what I mean.

CIAO!It's Mafia Wars time....