Plastic fake nests are costly whereas styroform cost nothing; use 2 screws to install each fake nest. By the way, seeing how the prices for nests had tumbled, wonder if there are less cases of break-ins nowadays?

I been to Hong Kong back in 2005 and was nearly con by a genuine tourist trap Medicine Shop in near observatory road in Kowloon I think. I believe a good many such shops were set up to catch unwary tourists. My wife was attracted by front shop display of big size scallop? selling for reasonable prices which was meant to draw in unwary preys... There were just two men in the shop, one was the friendly one wearing a spectacle and offer us a drink of medicine beverage; then he gave my wife a brief look over and declared she needed some medicine and recommended a type which was in prominent display in rows of glass containers behind him. We asked about the price which was purposely written rather cheaply but I think the gram was very small. As we were talking with him, his accomplice at a corner of a shop quickly prepared the medicine by grinding it into powder which were put into capsules (I believe the work was for show as they must have prepared batches of them). My wife was then confronted with the incredible bill for I think about RM equivalent of 7,000 or 10,000 (I cannot recall). I argue with him about not telling how much the medicine cost but now the mild manner and "friendly" attendant withdrew and the tough came up to confront us.... I decided we were caught in a trap that we sometimes read in the newspaper... but this nightmare was for real... I decided to leave the shop leaving my wife and young daughter in search of assistance. We saw a mobile police van early and I went in search of the cavalry! But to my surprised, the mobile police van (which we often see in Hong Kong TV serial) had left! I ran the street in the opposite side in search of any police constable and I saw one across the street but was surprised when he told me he was not a police but actually a security guard; then I saw a police arriving across the street and went to him for help... and he assigned two policemen on big motorbikes to help me and I quickly led them to the shop... The police then took our particulars as well as the shop keeper who was obviously angry that the goose he thought was cooked had escape from his wicked claws! My wife and my daughter and myself were so shaken by up this frightening experiences but was very grateful for the Hong Kong police who really lived up to their reputation as guardians of the public... they were indeed like knights in shinning armor to us that memorable night. I also had unhappy experiences in a diamond factory from an aggressive sales girl who was trying to make a sale to my wife as well as from a shark of a shopkeeper in a electronic shop in Hong Kong... we did have a peaceful time bargain shopping at Stanley but the several experiences marred our Hong Kong trip for me at least. Do be wary of tourist traps and con-men not just in Hong Kong but everywhere....

This post has been edited by philoswiflet: Dec 20 2011, 06:00 AM

The sky is falling down on those involve with the swiftlet farming industry... instead of giving additional pressures to ourselves... might not it be better to endure for the moment until things improve? Try to get involve in other things than swiftlet farming such as interests or hobbies and keep in mind the motto of the great Antarctic explorer- Ernest Shackleton: "Fortitudine Vincimus" which meant "by endurance we conquer."

Perhaps the counsels of the Greek Stoic Philosopher might helps:

Don't demand or expect that events happen as you would wish them do. Accept events as they actually happen. That way, peace is possible.

Regardless of what is going on around you, make the best of what is in your power, and take the rest as it occurs.

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.

Learn to distinguish what you can and can’t control. Within our control are our own opinions, aspirations, desires and the things that repel us. They are directly subject to our influence.

It is not external events themselves that cause us distress, but they way in which we think about them, our interpretation of their significance. It is our attitudes and reactions that give us trouble. We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.

Freedom and happiness are won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.

I am like all of you who operate swiftlet farms and I am as hurt by this trashing of the bird nests industry as most my fellow comrades; I do understand that those who have large loans to service are certainly in great pains. But I believe things will turn for the better soon as indeed the Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia assured Malaysians involve in the bird nests industry that the matter will surely be resolve; only that it requires time on procedural matters. In the meantime as we wait, I hope the last two stanzas of Percy Bysshe Shelley's Ode to the West Wind will offer us some optimism for the future:

The trumpet of a prophecy! O Wind
If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?

I think I saw a documentary about travel in China where there are bird nests swiftlets living in a cave at Yunnan which is the southernmost province in China bordering Myanmar (Burma). But generally speaking, China is like India which is not consider to be a bird nests country although I had also read about a cave there on an island that also have bird nests swiftlets.

Hi to all experienced sifus,

I have a pest problem in my town BH. I chanced to spot a rat like animal with a bushy tail which I think is a kind of shrew. I checked internet and read about the northern tree shrew in south east asia which looks somewhat like the animal I saw but the northern tree shrew is actually Tupai or squirrel which I sometimes saw in the rural area. I saw substantial birds feathers around the hidden areas under the open roof near the entrance; so I believe it or they are attacking the birds much like cats do up in the roof of many shops. At first I tried King Kong pink color poison but someone had experience with shrew told me it do not kill shrew as they survive and only their excrement look pinkish. So I asked around and some advised me to get the category III blue poison for use against large rats at oil palm estate which I deployed and was indeed consumed by the pest at several different spot under the open roof, inside the entrance, at the roving room and even deep inside the nesting area. I had since added more palletes of the blue poison to see if the pest continue to consume or not... it it keep on eating, then I think it might not be effective also. I am thinking the next steps is to set glue traps and even snap traps. Any guys have similar experiences and have effective advices against this kind of pests?

Hi aeiou224,

Thanks for your story about the squirrels (by the way, do squirrels eat chicks or birds? I think maybe they do eat eggs) and how you go about preventing them from getting to your farm; you method with the rolicking water bottle and the use of grease is clever indeed. As to the rubber snake; I think nowadays, you should be able to find such "toy" at low market shops/supermarkets or pasar malam; I think city kids no longer play with such toys. Try rural or outskirt areas instead of KL.

I am still grappling with my problem with the shrew(s). The cage I set was tripped but no prisoner. I had since placed 3 mouse traps deep inside the nesting areas and I see the blue poison were still consumed. I had checked the traps one day after and no trap was sprung....

Thanks Tuck Fook for the advise of using Furadan.
I had tried the cage trap which was sprung but no prisoners and the 3 snap traps had been inside the nesting rooms without being sprung. If I am after rats, they would had been caught in the cage or killed by the snap traps already; I think the shrew(s) is very cautious and wily...

There are few beetles in this farm even though there are several hundred nests probably due to a combination of periodic cleaning up of guano plus the sparring use of Fendona. When I first use the big blue poison; the phantom menace loved it but while they are still being consume, more of them are left... I am thinking maybe the poison are taking a toll on my unwelcome visitor not instantaneously but over a few days.

I had since went up today to block all gaps of the rear iron door which connects to the circular staircase of which I think the shrew(s) might came from. I will keep the use of Furadan as a reserve tactic when all else fail as I do not like to mess with lethal poison... heard that watermellons are full of Furadan and we should avoid eating them.

West wing's observation of such shrews as being possibly blind is spot on as my sister had a troubling experiences with such pests at township in KL. I don't think the pest(s) is my farm is a squirrel at all but the blind or almost blind variety of shew; my sister said that they were very smelly...

As to the use of toy tiger... I think we give too little credit to wild animals as to their level of intelligence. Monkeys are among the smartest animals and it is very strange to think the use of a toy tiger can scare them off. Maybe a robotic tiger that can make some movements and emit recorded tiger roars might be a possible deterrent but an insipid toy tiger... I don't think so... Maybe firecrackers fired with lastik might be a better idea.

Hi Sekosan,

Thanks for sharing you tip against shrew. But the thing is the blue poison were eaten and no dead carcass(s) of shrew in the farm? Should I put in more poison which is rather expensive at $12 per small carton; if effective at larger doses never mind, but if not effective, then keep feeding the shrew will not kill it? Could you tell me what brand/type of poison you are using?

Hi Sekosan,

Thanks for your reply. I am also using the King Kong brand; the pink type is useless for shrew as my sister had tried a few year back as she reported it only make their excrement pinkish. So I am using the King Kong big blue poison meant for use in oil palm estate against huge rats there. Rats and shrews are mammal and the powerful category III poison should finish it off but I am not sure it did... never found any carcass; I think it stay somewhere else and came to prey from time to time. The snap traps and cage which I had used to catch rats before is not successful; one of the bait was even eaten on the snap trap without triggering it. May have to buy Furudan later to finish the job.

I do not think all farms in town will be force to close shops... there are townships and even states that are hostile to farms for many reasons but there are also townships that welcome responsible farms as they can add to the coffers quite substantially... I think farms in established areas will faced stricter controls and maybe higher fees for licenses and the matter of sound pollution might be tightened and enforced with summons and fines... think as to whether the authorities can really close down all farms in places like Setiawan and other major farms areas if they by and large adhere to conditions set down by authorities. In my area at least, no new farms are allow in town and license were issued by Majlis and relationship is cordial between association and Majlis.

I just want to say thanks to Tuck Fook for his advice on getting rid of the shrew in my farm. After trying to bag the wily critter with snap traps, cage and King Kong poison for a few weeks without success, I finally up the ante and bought some poison same grade as Furudan and placed it carefully inside a mango and the shrew took the bait and paid for the price with its life.... Anyone want to use the poison must be very careful and better wear long sleeves shirt and long pants and cover your hands (feet if wearing sandals) with gloves or plastic bags and wear a mask and goggles... the thing is to take no chance... I just use the poison sparingly and its enough to get the job done.

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Added on April 20, 2012, 8:26 pmHi guys,

Bird nest buyers are looking for white bird nests nowadays; anyone has suggestion on best ways to prevent nests from turning yellow? Would putting nests inside tupperware containers and then placing them into a freezer help to maintain their whitish look?

This post has been edited by philoswiflet: Apr 20 2012, 08:26 PM

Chitchai,

Thanks for your input; my friend talked me into buying a chest freezer. I hope it will help preserve the whiteness of the nests which means higher prices. A swiftlet farmer job is never done... attract birds, deal with predators, prevent break ins, tangle with the authorities, problem with China, dealing with fussy buyers... new issue of monopoly... if price is high... then can still be happy but now with low prices... not so happy....

Whether we like it or not, we are all involve in politics in varying degree; we are like fishes and politics is the water that we are swimming in... some Scandinavian countries and others like New Zealand are swimming in pristine waters while we swimming in mucky (not murky but muck which is najis!) water and are struggling above failed countries like Zimbabwe (Maharthir is a crony to Zimbabwe's aging tyrant - Robert Mugabe - birds of a feather really do flocks together!) and Somalia; many people will say our country is not doing so bad but I disagree as we should set higher standard for ourselves and looking at how Singapore had progressed way ahead of us in so many key metrics; I will happily debate with anyone as to how well our country is actually doing... but the main thing is that we can do much much better especially with greater transparency in government and a lot less corruptions which is the millstone tied around our collective necks; only the elites in the governing political parties are reaping vast ill-gotten rewards from their privileged positions while the general populace wallow in pains - the case of Lynas is a superb example of how a highly toxic and problematic industry (see how they still talk about the setting up of two nuclear reactors after the horrendous accident at Japan and even Germany is closing down all her nuclear facilities despite her prowess in engineering and nuclear technology) is allow to establish itself here so that the few among us can really cash in (how many millions does a person really need anyway to live? Gandhi observed that the world is enough for the needs of man but never for his greed). I will join my brothers and sisters to participate in the coming Bersih 3.0 rally this Saturday despite the threats of our friendly home minister...

There are those who are jaded by politicians of all stripes and say that Pakatan is no angel and would have us stay with the devil that we know rather than the devil we don't know... change is scary but let us cross the bridge when we come to the river of change... there will be in-fightings for sure in Pakatan and there will be abuses and corruptions but let the people have the chance to change this country for the better. I remember the rampant vote stealing by Marcos before he was ousted by the courageous Filipinos led by the indomitable Mdm Aquino back in the 1980s.... do hope we can maintain the tradition of peaceful general election in the coming GE13.

Anyone know about the sneaky attempt by BN in passing a regressive election law to skew the election in their favors for no good reason except to help them steal the coming general election. I had copied the relevant passage from two articles to highlight the bankruptcy of our government as they go all out in the coming clash of the Titans in the coming 13 General election. The first one is by Nagappan Karuppiah of The Malaysian Insider and the other one is by Kim Quek:


****************************************

I don’t think many Malaysians fully understand the effect of what took place in Parliament last Thursday, April 19, when eight laws were passed in one day. Probably distracted by the assault on Occupy Dataran, the French submarine case or, worse, couldn’t be bothered.

What happened that night is probably the single most awful thing that could have happened in our entire history. Forget 1969, forget arbitrary ISA arrests, forget Mahathir’s 22-year dictatorship, forget the PKFZ scandal or the numerous other scandals that ate your tax money. Forget all these.

None of these is going to matter when your vote is reduced in value. Yes, that’s right. Your vote now, this year, is worth far less than it was in 2008. With your vote, those of your family, your friends’, in fact everyone’s votes being reduced in value, the government has just made sure it can stay in power, indefinitely. Which means, all the past misdeeds, your fears and anxieties can just be as easily repeated.

All the previous Bersih rallies demanded electoral reforms. Now we have gone backwards.

There will no longer be independent scrutineers at polling stations.

No more safeguards on fraudulent voters.

Counting agents can now be removed by the Election Commission.

And nobody can go within 100 metres of vote-counting areas.

Illegal immigrants are now being given voting rights. Do you want them to decide our country’s future?

We were better off in 2008 than we are today.

But we are Malaysians. We are stronger than this. We are just not going to keep quiet while they mess around with our votes. We kept quiet before and they have made it easier to steal the elections. But we are not going to keep quiet any longer. Any unjust law is worth fighting. We are not only fighting for our future, but for our children’s future and their children’s future as well.

There’s only one way out. We need to show them we care. We need to show them that we are not apathetic. We need to show them we get hurt when they take away something that belongs to us.

Let’s take back our votes.

Let’s sit in knee-to-knee with others this April 28 at Dataran Merdeka and in more than 79 other locations around the world.

Let’s “duduk bantah”. For the sake of our country, our children and their children.


**************************************


Bersih 3.0 rally: The last push for democracy – Kim Quek
April 24, 2012

APRIL 24 – Parliament has dealt a devastating blow to the electoral reform movement that has heightened pre-election tension by several notches.

A last minute amendment to an election law in a jammed parliamentary session that ended at the ungodly hour of 3:21 AM on April 20 has practically stripped opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat its last defence against much anticipated rampant frauds on polling day.

Chief among the regressive and obnoxious amendments to the Election Offence Act 1954 is the removal of the right of a candidate and his representatives to be present to observe the registration of voters in the polling station on polling day {by deleting Section 26A(1)&(2)}. Without the chance to look at the IC of voters, how can a candidate spot a phantom voter? In an electoral roll notorious for its infestation of phantoms, doesn’t this stealthy move by the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) tantamount to opening the floodgate for frauds on a scale hitherto unimaginable?

And hasn’t this move also negated the introduction of indelible ink which is the only reform adapted by the Election Commission (EC) and the only fruit of the six months of labour by the Parliamentary Select Committee on electoral reform (PSC)?

What is the reason for this amendment? BN said the presence of a candidate’s staff will “cause difficulties” to the election officers. Asked for such reports in past elections, BN could give none.

Daylight robbery

Isn’t this sneaky BN move a brazen attempt to commit daylight robbery? Isn’t this the clearest evidence that BN’s own self-esteem has descended so low that it has to resort to such shameful and dastardly act?

Another amendment that is in consonance with BN’s unabashed attempt to ‘steal’ the coming election is the removal of the requirement to have all printed materials to bear the name of printer and publisher {by deleting Section 11(1)©}. In a country which has seen gutter politics plunged to its lowest with BN cyber troopers and pornographic propagandists virtually enjoying impunity in spreading lies to vilify opposition leaders almost incessantly, such an virtual exemption for printers and publishers to take responsibilities is a blanket license for vilifiers to do what they like. Yes, this applies to both protagonists, but BN gains the upper hand in that it enjoys virtual impunity while its opponent does not.

This post has been edited by philoswiflet: Apr 27 2012, 03:50 AM

There are those such as the deputy chairman of DAP who said we must follow the law and that transgressing against laws is bad... but what laws? Self serving laws that gave powers to the tyrants... laws that persecute righteous dissents... many were the cases of monstrous laws in history used to persecute dissenters such as the infamous Spanish inquisitions that savagely dealt against religious dissenters... and we have the official secret act used to prevent inspection of toll roads that the public uses heavily (and pay for everyday) and certainly have a right to know more about.

Apartheid was actually lawful and legal during its heydays as was slavery (19th century) in many parts of the world especially in the US. Hitler was duly elected and all his acts were legals because the Nazi passed laws that allow the persecutions of not just the Jews but all undesirables. As were laws during the despotic regime of that bloodthirsty dictator-Stalin who murdered victims in wholesale fashion numbering in the millions... so was Stalin right just because he was the legitimate leader of his country and can pass any laws he likes?

There is a higher law as observed by American thinker-Henry David Thoreau who refused to pay his tax to a government he derided for supporting the institution of slavery and would rather go to jail for it...

Gandhi went to jail several times during his mighty struggle with the greatest empire in history... if we think transgressing against laws is bad; then Gandhi must be a bad person and the British was right to jail him time and again. The British were adepts in laws and so was the British right in enslaving and living off the fats of India just because they have laws on their side... laws they passed themselves for their benefits.

Bersih 3.0 is an up-swelling of tremendous abhorrence against all the thuggery committed by those in the corridors of power for decades against its own populace. Isaac Newton observed where there is action, there is also a reaction. Bersih 3.0 is the reaction against all that is wrong and bad in our election standard operating procedures.

As those of us gets into the arena of struggle at KL on the fateful day of 28th April 2012. Let us applaud all the heroes and heroines seeking what is rightfully ours... a free and fair election. Let me quote President Theodore Roosevelt whose words may well be apply to all the courageous brothers and sisters getting into the arena despite the various threats against them... allow me to dedicate his words to our brothers and sisters going in the arena....

***************************************************

THE MAN IN THE ARENA

Excerpt from the speech "Citizenship In A Republic"
delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France on 23 April, 1910


"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

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Added on April 28, 2012, 3:27 amWill be going to the front line of democracy shortly; do hope that things will not become too bad and that all demonstrators including those police personnel who are conscientious in their duty will not be hurt in any way. Its almost like going off in a battle and that we are on a noble course against the forces of darkness. Let the bugles sound for the signal to march onward... for the contest for the hearts and minds of our countrymen is soon to commence...

This post has been edited by philoswiflet: Apr 28 2012, 03:27 AM

Had my baptism of tear gas this afternoon at around 3PM+. Seen FRUs ahead at Jalan Tun Perak about 100meters ahead. Yes the tear gas was awful and we would ran when canisters were fired and moved forward again to challenge the FRU... My friend saw a guy got knocked down by a tear gas canister and was later taken away... did he die? Later I saw the water cannon truck moved in with its eerie bell sounding shooting chemically treated water that cause itchiness. I later heard that courageous vanguards including the indomitable Ambiga had stormed into the Merdeka Square and was arrested. Actually this was not true (she did not get into the Merdeka square nor was she arrested) as I learn from the newspaper report on Monday; in fact, the news that night at 10:30PM also did not talk about the arrest of Ambiga. Anyhow, the establishment had made a huge number of adversaries on 28-4-2012 which hopefully will see them pay dearly for their atrocities against the rakyat.

This post has been edited by philoswiflet: Apr 29 2012, 10:27 AM

Many thanks Ramlan for the videos exposing police brutalities; those low bred bullies who are sadists... and our most amiable home minister praised them to high heaven for their "professinalism" for a job well done. Hitler should be make a saint if these goons who are suppose to protect the public would so savagely beat them... it makes my blood boils to see such scenes... may these kurang ajar goons be damn a thousand times over!!!

It crossed my mind when I was at Jalan Tun Perak earlier around noon during Bersih 3.0 to maybe go shake a hand of one of the policemen around the area... a symbolic gesture... something like during the 1960s during the Vietnam war protest in US when girls would sometimes place flowers into the muzzles of the National Guards rifles. Luckily I never soil my hand with a goodwill handshake with one of those low bred kurang ajar goons. Cowards! Bullies! Idiots! May what they do come back to themselves a hundred times, nay a thousand times over.... Suhakam... we want justice! Malaysians... we want reformasi for the gangsters masquerading as the guardians of public safety... voters... we want a government that protects the human rights and welfare of the public... not a regime that tramples on them...

The more I see... the more I was reminded of the 1980s when the courageous Filipinos finally rose up in a sea of yellow (anti-Marcos color) and forced the despotic and kleptomaniac Marcos to fled his impoverished country which he robbed blind! It really pains me to see my brothers on the field of battle for a better Malaysia so brutally beaten by those savage goons!!! Those of us with warm human hearts that still have any decencies and consciences please remember to show BN the door in the coming general election. There are just so many things that are wrong with this regime that had squatted on our heads and shitted on us with impunity for so many decades!

This post has been edited by philoswiflet: May 3 2012, 09:30 PM

Stephen Crane wrote a classic novel about the US Civil War entitled: The Red Badge of Courage.... Many courageous Malaysian earned their Red Badge of Courage on 28-4-12 for that badge consist of bloodied wounds received in battle... My friend and I were not at the Merdeka ground zero but at Masjid Jamek along Jalan Tun Perak; however, it was near enough for us as we were thrice tear gassed and the third was the most awful... it was close enough for me what being a maiden rally as it must had been for hundred of thousands Malaysians. My friend and I did not earn any Red Badge of Courage that day but many others did... I salute to them for their courage in the face of the formidable adversaries who in all irony were supposed to be our protectors... To quote a Malay proverb, it was a case of "Harap pagar, pagar makan padi..." (We hope the the fence will protect the paddy crops; yet it was the fence that ate the paddy crops.) Anyone wishing to write an account of police brutality during Bersih 3.0 might consider such a title: "The Lawlessness of Malaysian Law Enforcers During Bersih 3.0"

A Malay guy was almost overcome by the tear gas as he ran towards us (near the entrance to the Masjid Jamek entrance) and I helped him to sit on the ground (he was ready to collapse) and I also helped him by putting a little bit of salt (dispensed by a stranger) into his mouth... I had brought along a little salt which I shared with others and had in turn took some salt being offered by others.

There were many young people but also middle age folk (like yours truly) and aunties (our group in a bus consisted of many aunties and young ladies; hats off to them!) and uncles as well... Though not everyone were at the danger zone at Merdeka Square and not everyone suffered from the tear gas and chemically laced water from the water cannons or vicious beatings from the savage policemen (deeply indoctrinated I supposed); yet the fact that so many of us show up despite warnings a day or two before the rally especially by our most amiable Home Minister.

Before the warnings, I thought the rally would be like a stroll in the park... but after the veiled warnings and ominous threats... I think it does take a little courage to go nonetheless.... see the number of foot wears abandoned at Jalan Tun Perak and probably elsewhere and we can tell the panics that arose after the FRU attacked with their tear gases and water cannons... For myself and many others... we go there not wanting to suffer from the tear gas, the chemical laced water from the cannons and vicious beatings from the savage police but simply to display our collective disapproval of the gross errors in our election processes.

I therefore salute all those who attended and especially those who went to the place of honor in a battle... where the fight is the fiercest.... the front line and to those who were beaten so viciously, Malaysia Civil society confers upon you all the meritorious Red Badge of Courage which you all had earned fairly during that fateful day. I quote the words of General Omar Bradley who was among the commanders of the Allied Armies on D-day when the great invasion was launched to take the fight to the Nazi Germany... he observed that: "Every man who set foot on Omaha Beach that day was a hero.'' So too every person no matter what races, creeds, gender or ages who went towards Merdeka Square during all the Bersih rallies conscientiously to seek for a clean election are all heroes.

Malaysia is truly proud of you all in turning up for the rally that was unprecedented in the number of participants that show our strength despite the veiled threats of persecutions by the police. However, those not able to turn up can still make a crucial difference by voting for you know who in the coming general election for as Lincoln taught us that democracy is the government of the people, for the people and by the people... not an exclusive money minting and power grabbing club for the few... See how a daily newspaper reported so biasedly from the standpoint of the establishment when they made mountains out of the molehills of police attacked by participants whereas it was more of the case of the police who took their gloves off and really bashed people around (some with weapons) as if they are allow to beat citizens with impunity as were recorded in various videos... there was simply no mention of the severe thrashings dealt to citizens and reporters in that paper at all... its a shitty propaganda machine that no longer work in the age of the Internet... their propaganda machinery is so passe... should be retired into the museum...

My salutation also to our courageous collective leaderships of Bersih led by the indomitable Ms. Ambiga for the challenging tasks of planning and staging all the Bersih rallies... Before the latest Bersih rally... I did not have much understanding of the abuses of our election processes and it was due to her organization's agitations that had awaken my consciousness in this important aspect of our democracy; I remember little about Bersih 2.0 and had no recollection whatsoever of Bersih 1.0... imagine yours truly who deemed himself to be an educated person yet to be so ignorant about the gross injustices amongst our election processes... The Internet has also help a great deal to spread info about various happenings... Bersih 3.0 may yet be a catalyst in awakening a greater number of Malaysians as to the vices of the establishment and in doing so, help them to make better decisions when polling day came. I have no apology for my statements (I believe I am actually doing a service to the Malaysian public in helping to articulating the course of events before, during and after Bersih 3.0) in this forum about this signal event in Malaysia history when a people long cowed by the establishment found courage in themselves to gather together and stand tall while chanted Bersih! Bersih! Bersih! near Merdeka Square... for if we have unclean election, where then is our Merdeka?

This post has been edited by philoswiflet: May 4 2012, 07:17 AM

Anyone can share ideas as to the pros and cons of keeping nests within a container inside a freezer?

It will serve the purpose of killing off the vermins on the nests but will it serve the purpose of keeping the nests from turning yellowish?

And is it advisable to keep the nests in the freezer for weeks or even months on end?

Will keeping the nests for extended period reduce the weight?

TQ West Wing for your input.