Monday, February 28, 2011

Greetings from the editor on February 2011 issue.. The first online issue..

Hey guys...


KIC News is now online!

It’s been almost two years since the last newsletter. Most of us missed it. That is why a gallant effort was made by the Editor At Large to bring back to life this little homey publication. So here we are, KIC News is back to bring you news about KIC and the family. Kudos to the people behind it.

Many things have been going on within these last two years. People come and go... the KIC family has somehow grown bigger... some staff got married and started their own family. We are proud to say that the people are maturing with the company.

KIC too is expanding and has grown bigger. We now have two VLCCs instead of one. Though the famous Kadriah I is sadly no longer with us, we now are a proud operator of Sri Qadriah 1 and Sri Qadriah 2. 

Since this is the first (in two years) among many issues, we will be bringing you pictorial recap of most, if not all events since the beginning of 2010. Also included are some articles to quench the mind’s thirst for knowledge. (All these in future updates).

As usual, the KIC News committee would like to thank all of you out there for all the help and support in making this publication a great one. We are nothing without you.

KIC News is after all created by you, for you.

So keep the articles and photos rolling guys!

For the staff celebrating Chinese New Year , a happy and prosperous new year to all of you from the KIC News Team.

Thank you for visiting and we’ll see you again next time...!

Arif Ramlan
Managing Editor

The Gift Of Life - KiSSC's blood donation campaign

The gift of life blood donation campaign held on Tuesday, 18th January 2011 was a huge success!

KiSSC would like to say a million thanks to all who participated in donating their precious blood and volunteering to lend a helping hand to make the event a success.

A total of 76 prospective donors from KIC and the general public turned up. Out of the 76, 57 were declared fit and donated their blood. What a day of good deeds it was!

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Book Review - 'The 4 hour Work week'

Dear Valued colleagues’

Just got done reading ‘The 4 hour Work week’ by Tim Ferris.


About the Author
A former graduate & lecturer from Princeton University, Tim has morphed into a serial entrepreneur and ultra-traveler. He speaks six languages and runs a multinational firm from wireless locations worldwide, and has been a world record holder in tango, a national champion in Chinese kickboxing, and an actor on a hit television series in Hong Kong…… All by the age of twenty-nine.

About the book:
The book is about how to radically change your lifestyle and go from ‘living to work’ to working effectively (and as little as possible) and making life as BIG as possible. Tim routinely migrates to a new country every 3 to 6 months, all while maintaining his businesses, pursuing whatever interests him and writing best sellers. His follow up book ‘The 4 Hour body’ is currently enjoying the number 1 position on the New York Times Bestseller list.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Motion Sickness

Any type of transportation can cause motion sickness. It can strike suddenly, progressing from a feeling of uneasiness to a cold sweat, dizziness and then vomiting. Motion sickness usually quiets down as soon as the motion stops. The more you travel, the more easily you'll adjust to being in motion.

You may escape motion sickness by planning ahead. If you're traveling, reserve seats where motion is felt least:

  • By ship - request a cabin in the front or middle of the ship, or on the upper deck.
  • By plane - ask for a seat over the front edge of a wing. Once aboard, direct the air vent flow to your face.
  • By train - take a seat near the front and next to a window. Face forward.
  • By automobile - drive or sit in the front passenger's seat.

If you're susceptible to motion sickness:

  • Focus on the horizon or on a distant, stationary object. Don't read.
  • Keep your head still, while resting against a seat back.
  • Don't smoke or sit near smokers.
  • Avoid spicy and greasy foods and alcohol. Don't overeat.
  • Take an over-the-counter antihistamine, such as meclizine (Bonine), or one containing dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) at least 30 to 60 minutes before you travel. Expect drowsiness as a side effect.
  • Consider scopolamine (Transderm Scop), available in a prescription adhesive patch. Several hours before you plan to travel, apply the patch behind your ear for 72-hour protection. Talk to your doctor before using the medication if you have health problems such as asthma, glaucoma or urine retention.
  • Eat dry crackers or drink a carbonated beverage to help settle your stomach if you become ill.

References:
  1. Carroll D. Motion sickness. In: Brunette GW, et al. CDC Health Information for International Travel 2010. Maryland Heights, MO: Elsevier; 2009. http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2010/chapter-2/motion-sickness.aspx. Accessed Aug. 27, 2009.
  2. Motion sickness. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec21/ch321/ch321a.html. Accessed Aug. 28, 2009.
  3. Dizziness and motion sickness. American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/dizzinessMotionSickness.cfm. Accessed Aug. 27, 2009.

10 minutes with... Senior Technical Manager, Mr. Rajen, Business Asset Group

Our journalist, Mr. Syed Khairil sat down with  the Senior Technical Manager, Mr. Rajen of Business Asset Group (BAG) for an interview

The following is the transcript of the interview:


Syed : Good Morning to you Mr. Rajen.

Rajen: Good Morning.

Syed: You've been with KIC close to 7 years now. Not many people outside of BAG know who you are and what you do. Can you please tell us more about yourself?.

Rajen: I'm a Senior Technical Manager with Business Asset Group. I'm in charge of all Technical items with regards to the ships and terminals. As part of my job, I visit our vessels for troubleshooting emergencies with regards to technical and mechanical faults of the ships.

I interact with the Master and Captain to resolve operational and technical issues.

Other than that, I verify Purchase Orders and Invoices with regards to the ships on daily basis. 

I report to and advice the Management for any eventual operational failure and rectifications, including assisting to maintain the operational budget. 

This is an ongoing co-ordinated routine with the Business Asset Group.

I plan with the Superintendents and Procument Manager for future planning of operations.

Syed : What is your background?

Rajen: I'm a Engineer with a Bachelors Degree, with a specialization in Marine Engineering. I have 18 years experience on board VLCC and ULCC class ships.

I've been a Chief Engineer of Foreign going vessels since 1985. Ships I've worked on are Sea Giant and Jahre Viking, being the world's largest ships of 555,000 Dead Weight Tons.

Jahre Viking

Sea Giant


Syed : Any other additional training?

Rajen: Yes. I've attended Advanced Marine Engineering courses in Australia.

Syed : Where are you currently based?

Rajen: I'm currently based at HQ, since April 2010.

Syed : Mr. Rajen, thank you for your time and sharing with us about yourself today.

Rajen: Thank you.



PC Problems You Can Fix Yourself

Our PCs are usually quick to let us know when something is wrong. It’s just not always easy to understand what they are trying to tell us so we can fix the problem. This guide shows you how to interpret a few common cries for help and diagnose the underlying causes.

Problem 1: My computer spontaneously shuts down or restarts

The cause: When your computer shuts down or restarts for no apparent reason, it’s not possessed, it’s just trying to tell you that there may be something wrong with your hardware. In most cases, it’s either your power supply or your fan that’s at fault.

The fix: Check to see if your computer is producing more heat than normal. When a fan is dirty or malfunctioning and can’t cool the PC properly, the computer will shut itself down. Try cleaning your fan. If your fan is clean and seems to be running smoothly, then your power supply unit (PSU) may be broken and needs to be replaced.

Problem 2: I am getting the message “you system is running low on virtual memory”

The cause: In addition to RAM, virtual memory is used by your PC to run applications. The longer a program has been open without being shut down, the higher the virtual memory usage will be. So if you get this error occasionally, this could be the cause and restarting certain programs or rebooting may help. Otherwise you may have an application with a memory leak.

The fix: If you suspect a memory leak, hit Ctrl-Alt-Delete to get to your Task Manager. Click on the Processes tab, then View -> Select Columns.

Now you will have a new column showing the virtual memory sizes of all the applications you’re running. To sort the list from largest to smallest, click twice on the column name. If you find an application that is using a suspiciously high level of virtual memory, it could have a bug and should be reinstalled. If an application doesn’t seem to be at fault, but you still get this message repeatedly, your system’s RAM may be too low, and you might need to install more RAM memory.

Article taken from :

Monday, February 7, 2011

Health, the Harvard way

Harvard faculty members from a range of fields offer advice, research, and insight on living the good life.
 
You are what you eat. You’re also how you feel, how you exercise, how you sleep, how you handle money, how you relate to people, and what you value. If you’re worried about your well-being, Harvard experts across an array of fields have some advice: Eat thoughtfully, exercise often, raise your children well, stash a few bucks away, and stop thinking it’s all about you.

People make choices every day that affect their health and happiness, but life’s complexity and its bewildering array of options—not to mention the species-wide lack of
Will power—can make living well a challenge.