When Toyota released New Vios a while ago, I have the feeling that the car is ugly than the Old Vios. I don’t know what the heck their designer thinking is. Now, Toyota released their New 2009 Corolla. Well known in Asia as Toyota Altis and in Europe & Australia as Toyota Auris.

For the American version of the new 2009 Corolla, Toyota has brought in the usual add-ons like DVD navigation with satellite traffic reports, Bluetooth® phone connections, audio input jack, and leather-wrapped steering wheels with audio controls.

The Standard, LE and XLE models have a new 1.8-liter engine with 16 valves, dual cams, and dual VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence for both intake and exhaust); it produces 132 hp at 6,000 rpm and 128 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm, similar to the prior model, so we’d expect the change in design is to reduce assembly costs. Gas mileage, according to tough 2008 standards, is expected to be 27/35 mpg.

While Corolla maintains the same headroom, legroom and shoulder room as the previous model, it feels larger, thanks to a design that enhances comfort and improves utility, usability and storage. Easy-to-reach storage spaces include center console side pockets, a storage box above the usual glove box, front and rear door pockets that can safely hold 20-ounce bottles, a console box with a large-capacity main tray and a smaller accessory tray, an overhead console useful for storage of sunglasses or garage-door openers, and a rear-seat center armrest with an integral drink holder. Retractable handgrips are above each door opening.

The wide, low profile was developed by Toyota Design in collaboration with styling studios in Turin, Italy. Its foundation was set by the search for a lower, sportier shape than that of the previous Corolla. That search drove the decision to move the bottom of the A-pillar forward and the bottom of the C-pillar aft to increase the angle of the window glass and to improve the Corolla’s aerodynamic performance.

Safety features on the all-new Corolla include standard driver and front passenger airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags and two-row side curtain airbags. Active front-seat headrests are standard equipment. When the vehicle is struck from the rear, a cable-actuated mechanism in the active headrest moves the headrest upward and forward to limit the movement of the seat occupant’s head. Anti-lock braking (ABS) is standard; vehicle stability control (VSC) with traction control (TRAC) and an off switch are optional.

Summing up, the 2009 Corolla Altis is perfect for those who find the Camry too big. You cannot go wrong with the Corolla, the car that built Toyota’s reputation for reliability, high standard of quality and high resale value. The Corolla is the most popular car in history with over 40 million sold worldwide. It may not be as exciting or as sporty as some of its competitors in the compact sedan market, but it will provide you many years of comfortable, trouble-free driving.

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New study that has been conducted by University of Cambridge (UK) reveals how the personalities of people in the USA often differ according to the state in which they live. According to a press release issued by the university, “New Jersey is one of the highest-scoring states for “neuroticism”; a personality trait normally associated with anxiety, stress and impulsive behavior.
Researchers used the results from more than half a million online surveys to create a “personality map” of the United States, showing that different types of people are more likely to live and flourish in different parts of the country.

For example, according to the findings, North Dakotans are often more sociable and affable than most Americans, while people living in New York State tend to be more highly-strung and creative. People from West Virginia tend to be more anxious and people live in New Mexico were more religious.

The authors of the new study argue that the strongest personality traits within a given population become self-reinforcing by influencing the region’s life and culture.

For example, the place where the population were creative, imaginative and intellectual (such as New York and California), one might expect to find people who are interested in art, literature and science. This may in turn lead to the establishment of institutions such as universities and museums. These institutions then influence the views and values of the local populace, encourage more creative and imaginative people to move to the region, and give people who do not fit that profile less reason to live there.

To test this theory, the research team set out to identify whether prevalent personality types were indeed reflected in the social and cultural life of each US state.

Using an established framework called the “Five Factor Model” they divided personality types into five broad categories: “Extraversion” (sociable, energetic, enthusiastic people); “Agreeableness” (warm, friendly, compassionate); “Conscientiousness” (dutiful, responsible, self-disciplined); “Neuroticism” (anxious, stressful, impulsive); and “Openness” (curious, intellectual, creative).

The results of the survey allowed researchers to compute estimates of each of the personality dimensions for every state and identify which personality traits were strongest in which states.

Arizona, for example, ranked high on conscientiousness but low on neuroticism, suggesting that people there like order and discipline, but are fairly relaxed. Wisconsin had high readings for extroversion and agreeableness, but low for openness, suggesting that people there are sociable and friendly and traditional.

The study also revealed clear patterns which showed that personalities are not randomly distributed, but geographically clustered. “Neuroticism” was, for instance, highest in the east along a line stretching from Maine to Louisiana, and lowest in the west, suggesting that the country has an identifiable “stress belt”.

To determine whether the personality differences between states were meaningful, the researchers then tested the impact of the personality traits on national indicators of crime, social involvement, religiosity, employment, health, values, disease and mortality.

Based on that study, 75% of the predicted correlations turned out to be right. For example, in states with a high level of extroversion, large proportions of the population were found to be employed in industries where social interaction is important, such as sales. States with a high level of agreeableness had lower crime rates. This seems to confirm the theory that regional personality is “self-reinforcing”.

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Because Miki makes me look like a freaking Negro that has just landed home from spending two weeks sunbathing in Bahamas. Not that I actually mind looking like one, in fact many say I look like Rihanna. Ah ah, don’t vomit blood now, you wouldn’t wanna cancel your fasting!! But seriously, me and Rihanna; well it’s the forehead you see; D.O.N.G.G.A. Here are some of my fave videos:

Video 1 : Effects of Coffee on Breastfed Baby

Taken when Miki was 6 months old at Ikea. I love the coffee they sold at the currypuff cafe; and I always have around three cups every time we snacked there. Somehow the caffeine (plus from those cuppas I gulped at home) got into the baby and we caught him hallucinating in this video. I kept telling him STOP TRASHING YOUR BODY AROUND, WE ARE NOT RIDING IN A TRUCK AND THERE IS NO EARTHQUAKE! AND THAT IS NOT AN AEROPLANE, MIKI! THAT’S THE BOOKMARK OF YOUR PICTURE BOOK IN A SHAPE OF A PANDA!

Video 2 : Wan…. Too…. Treeeeeee…..

Taken when Miki was 6 months. Now you understand what I mean by the sunbathed Negro. I was holding on to Miki very strongly and secure, or he could have just either leaped all the way to his dad or swung over to him like Tarzan on my string drapes. I like this video because Miki looked cute and I didn’t know that getting periodically slapped by a curtain was funny.

Video 3 : My Buddha Priest Shorts

Taken when Miki was 7 months old at Azman’s parents’ in Kedah. Miki’s grandma and Aunt Anni’s voice is on the background. Please ignore my orange shorts. They were super comfortable and makes me feel very sexy when I am not wearing them. I like this video because later on in our lives I could say, see how much I loved you ever since you were tiny and as tall as my knee, now buy me this handbag its your birthday.

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