ABOUT MYBLOG

Welcome to MyBlog - A blog designed to be informative and hopefully interesting as well, with no specific topic or concept. Hopefully, my interests and thoughts will captivate the interests of all the visitors here. Oh..darn it...Did anyone even read this? Enjoy it, nevertheless.....

ABOUT ME

I'm just a 30+ U.S. graduate ordinary Malaysian guy who loves reading, living, watching Sports (especially football & American sports...and a no. 1 Arsenal fan) & sharing interesting news, opinions & info, I found on cyberspace, here on my portal.

Makan Tengahari di Restoran Kokopelli

Tengahari tadi, aku ada "lunch date" dengan orang rumahku di Restoran Kokopelli di PJ. Aku diperkenalkan dengan restoran ini oleh boss aku. Makanannya dan harganya standard western-lah. Cuma bagi aku, elok lagi pergi restoran ini dibandingkan dengan restoran-restoran western yang lain sebab 1) Pemiliknya ialah orang Melayu beragama Islam yang peramah - makanan HALAL 2) "Surrounding" nya lebih "cozy" dan unik...hiasannya artistik 3) "Serving"-nya sesuai sungguh dengan aku yang tak makan banyak, dan masih sesuai dengan mereka yang pemakan. Kata orang "just nice". 4) Harganya bersesuaian - ada yang setara dengan harga kedai "franchise" tetapi ada jugak yang harganya kurang dari RM 10, seperti makanan "signature"-nya iaitu Char Kuey Teow dan yang penting sekali 5) Makanannya sedap...sungguh sedap.


Mintak maaflah...aku terpaksa gunakan gambar yang diambil dari Internet, sebab aku tak bawak kamera....lagipun aku tak ada kamera...orang rumah aku ada...pasal tulah aku nak beli Nokia N82...ada handphone, ada kamera...


Nak cari restoran ni..mudah je....Kalau anda dari Kuala Lumpur...ikut Federal Highway menuju ke Kelang, kemudian keluar di susur keluar Universiti (susur keluar pertama selepas pintu gerbang). Di penghujung susur keluar dekat lampu isyarat di jambatan, belok kanan menuju Hospital Universiti. Belok kiri di lampu isyarat kedua di Jalan Universiti tu (sebelum membelok tu, anda akan nampak sebuah kondo di sebelah kiri anda). Kemudian jalan terus sampai anda berjumpa Sekolah Kebangsaan 1 Sultan Alam Shah, di sebelah kiri anda. Restoran Kokopelli akan berada betul-betul di hadapan sekolah tersebut...iaitu di sebelah kiri anda. Restoran ini sebenarnya sebuah rumah bungalow je. Jadi letaknya memang di kawasan perumahan.

Sekiranya, anda dari PJ - dari Taman Jaya, anda perlu belok kanan di simpang sebelum Hotel Crystal Crown. Dari Asia Jaya, anda perlu jalan terus menuju Filem Negara (jangan belok kiri ke jalan menuju Jaya Supermarket) dan belok kiri selepas Hotel Crystal Crown. Restoran Kokopelli mestilah berada di sebelah kiri anda.




KOKOPELLI Travellers Bistro

6, Jalan Bukit, Section 11/2,
Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7956 7505 (Telefon untuk reservation - amat digalakkan sebab tempat terhad)

Restoran ini dibuka hari Selasa, Rabu, Khamis dan Sabtu – 12 pm sehingga 3pm dan dari 6pm sehingga tengah malam; hari Jumaat, dari 6 pm sehingga tengah malam dan pada Hari Ahad dari pukul 10 pagi sehingga 3 petang. Hari Isnin tutup. Datang awal sebab tempat meletak kereta adalah terhad.

Jangan terperanjat kalau kadangkala restoran ni nampak tiada pengunjung...kira nasib baiklah tu...sebab pada kebiasaannya, apabila penuh...memang benar-benar tiada tempat langsung nak duduk.

Kadangkala anda akan disambut sendiri oleh pemilik bistro ini, Ariff Awaluddin, yang memang peramah orangnya. Kami bernasib baik dapat berjumpa dengan beliau semasa "lunch date" kali ini.



Kali ini aku makan "signature-dish" nya iaitu Char Kuey Teow. Orang rumah aku makan Seafood Marinara. Aku minum grean tea semantara orang rumah aku pulak order Air Epal. Orang rumahku juga order sup tomato yang katanya memang kelas dan sedap.



Char Kuey Teow

Lain-lain hidangan di Kokopelli.





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Air Condition Relay Rosak

Pagi tadi semasa aku dalam perjalanan ke tempat kerja, tiba-tiba je aku rasa sesak nafas. Rupa-rupanya air-cond Toyota Vios aku tak berfungsi. Bau macam benda terbakar je. Kalau letak tangan di hadapan air-cond tersebut, terasa angin keluar, tapi tak ada pulak terasa sejuk.



Memandangkan aku ni bergantung sangat kat kereta aku, (aku berulang-alik dari rumahku di Tg. Malim ke tempat kerjaku di KL) aku pun terus menghantar Vios ku ke Toyota Service Centre di Seksyen 14 PJ.

Rupanya air cond relay kereta aku dah tak berfungsi. Apa bendanya air cond relay, aku pun tak tahu. Tapi yang pasti, nak gantikan benda sekecil tu pun sampai RM250. Aku rasa air cond relay ni yang kasi kuasa untuk sistem air-cond tu menyejukkan udara.


Air-cond Relay

Apa-apa hal aku puas hati dengan Toyota Vios. Apakan tidak "mileage" aku dah nak dekat 190,000 selepas 5 tahun berjasa dengan ku. Tapi masih tak ada apa-apa masaalah setakat ni. Penggunaan petrol ok ....dalam 15.6 km/liter. Dua "repair" yang aku buat kat keretaku selain servis regular ialah penggantian air cond relay ni dan penggantian roll bar, yang aku jahanamkan sebab selalu bawak laju di Bukit Pantai setaiap hari aku berulang dari pejabat dan rumah (Kereta Vios ni rendah, jadi bila lalu kat "bump", kena bawak perlahan sedikit...kalau tidak rosaklah roll-bar tu yang selalu terlanggar jalan)

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Sisipan dari Email: Majlis Pernikahan Ning Baizura







PENYANYI yang terkenal dengan suara soprano, Ning Baizura Sheikh Hamzah, akhirnya menamatkan zaman bujangnya setelah diijab kabulkan dengan jejaka Inggeris pilihannya, Omar Shariff Christopher Layton Dalton. Mereka selamat dinikahkan jam 10.30 pagi tadi di Masjid Saidina Abu Bakar As-siddiq, Bangsar. Kedua-dua mempelai yang berpakaian serba putih, hasil sentuhan pereka fesyen terkenal Jovian Mandagie, dinikahkan bapa pengantin perempuan sendiri.







Dalam majlis yang diacarakan Dato' Mahathir Lokman ini, rombongan pengantin lelaki yang diketuai Dato' Seri Dr Ibrahim Saad tiba di masjid itu kira-kira jam 10 pagi, disambut bapa pengantin perempuan, Sheikh Hamzah Sheikh Mohamed. Majlis pernikahan ini turut dihadiri ibu bapa pengantin lelaki, Colin Dalton dan Maureen Dalton, selain ibu Ning, Satilah Abdullah.







Pengantin lelaki membawa tujuh hantaran berupa sirih junjung, sejadah dan telekung, sepersalinan broket India bermanik dan selendang, beg tangan Judith Leiber dan kasut LK Bennet, jam tangan Diver daripada Tag Heuer dan pen Aurora, wang hantaran berbentuk cek berjumlah RM66,666.66 serta kek. Pengantin perempuan membalas sembila hantaran berupa sirih junjung, sejadah dan senaskhah al-Quran, kemeja Massimo Outti, songket sulaman Terengganu, kasut Gucci beserta dompet Louis Vuitton dan tali pinggang Salvatore Ferragamo, jam tangan Diver daripada Tag Heuer, wangian Hugo Boss, kotak muzik Reuge dan kek berbentuk tengkolok.





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What Are You Doing Here? - Man Asks Wife at Brothel

WARSAW (Reuters) - A Polish man got the shock of his life when he visited a brothel and spotted his wife among the establishment's employees. Polish tabloid Super Express said the woman had been making some extra money on the side while telling her husband she worked at a store in a nearby town.

"I was dumfounded. I thought I was dreaming," the husband told the newspaper Wednesday.

The couple, married for 14 years, are now divorcing, the newspaper reported.

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Driver Sues Dead Cyclist for Damages

(From The Mail on Sunday - http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/)

It must be the last word in callousness.

A Spanish driver who fatally collided with a cyclist is suing the dead youth's family 20,000 Euros (£14,830) for the damage the impact of his body did to his luxury car, a Spanish newspaper reported.

Businessman Tomas Delgado says 17-year-old Enaitz Iriondo caused 14,000 Euros (£10,384) of damage to his Audi A8 in the fatal 2004 crash in La Rioja region, the El Pais newspaper reported.

Delgado, who has faced no criminal charges for the incident, wants a further 6,000 Euros (£4,450) to cover the cost of hiring another vehicle while his car was being repaired, El Pais said.

The youth had been cycling alone at night without reflective clothing or a helmet, according to a police report cited by El Pais.

His family won 33,000 Euros (£24,479)compensation from Delgado's insurance company after the firm acknowledged he had been driving at excessive speed and this could have contributed to the incident, El Pais reported.

"I'm also a victim in all of this, you can't fix the lad's problems, but you can fix mine," Delgado told the newspaper, ahead of a January 30 legal decision on his suit.

The family said they had previously pitied Delgado for the guilt he must feel at killing their son but were now disgusted that his greatest concern appeared to be money.

"This was the final straw, a kick in the teeth," the youth's mother Rosa Trinidad told El Pais.

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Red Tape Preventing Man Returning From The Dead.

WARSAW (Reuters) - Red tape is preventing a Polish man from returning from the dead.

Piotr Kucy, 38 and from the city of Polkowice in southwest Poland, was wrongly identified by authorities last August as a drowned man, only to show up a few days after his own funeral.

Despite pointing out the fact that he was alive to government officials, Kucy still remains dead in official records, stopping him from working and paying social insurance.

But on the bright side, a local newspaper reported on Tuesday, he no longer needs to pay taxes.
"We are nearly through January, and my documents still say I'm dead," Kucy told Gazeta Wyborcza, adding: "It's a bit of a joke." But a registry office official was adamant about the situation. "This citizen does not exist," she told the paper.

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Man Sets Radio Station on Fire over Song Selections

According to Yahoo! News, a volunteer at a community radio station set fire to the station because he was upset that his song selections for an overnight Internet broadcast were changed, police said.

Paul Webster Feinstein, 24, has been charged with second-degree felony arson for the Jan. 5 fire that caused $300,000 damage to the studios of 91.7 FM KOOP. He faces from two to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.

To read more, click here.

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Oregon Boy Picks Wrong Place To Park Bike

According to CBS News, a boy, Cody Young parked his bike in the wrong place at the Goodwill store, where the rule is anything on the floor goes.

He didn't have a lock and friends said they'd parked inside the store before. But this time, the black BMX bike was sold.

Goodwill officials say the youngster is going to get his bike back though, because the buyer saw a story in the Salem Statesman Journal about the mix-up and called to make things right.The buyer got the bike for $6.99 but Goodwill is giving them a $100 gift certificate for coming forth.It's not the first such sale mix up in Goodwill's busy stores, officials said. Once, a janitor left a bucket and mop on the sales floor, and a store sold them the next day.

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Sisipan Dari Email: Imej Baru Hajjah Sheila Rusly

Oleh TENGKU KHALIDAH TENGKU BIDIN


MENDAPAT KETENANGAN SELAMA 44 HARI DI TANAH SUCI.





SETELAH 44 hari berada di Tanah Suci Mekah untuk menunaikan ibadah haji, pelakon Sheila Rusly akhirnya selamat kembali ke tanah air kelmarin.Sheila berangkat ke Tanah Suci Mekah pada 9 Disember lalu bersama dengan suami dan emak kandung. Pastinya imej terbaru Sheila dinanti-nantikan oleh peminat yang sebelum ini tertanya-tanya bagaimanakah keadaan dirinya selepas bergelar `hajah’. Nyata kembalinya Sheila bukan sahaja dengan membawa gelaran mulia itu, tetapi juga dengan imej baru, bertudung litup. Menurut Sheila dia nekad untuk bertudung setelah merasakan cukup bersedia untuk melakukannya. “Alhamudulillah, pintu hati saya terbuka untuk melakukannya. “Saya harap Tuhan tetapkan hati saya untuk bertudung selama-lamanya selepas ini,” jelas Sheila kepada KOSMO!Ketika ditanya mengenai perubahan dirinya setelah menunaikan rukun Islam kelima itu, kata Sheila tidak ada perubahan yang ketara.



Dia masih lagi Sheila Rusly yang dulu, seorang pelakon dan penerbit, berstatus isteri serta ibu kepada dua anak. “Saya masih orang yang sama. Bertudung bukan merobah semua benda dalam diri saya dari segi fizikal. “Selagi sesuatu perkara yang saya lakukan baik dan tidak melanggar syariat, saya akan lakukan macam biasa, sama seperti dulu juga,’’ katanya. Tidak dipaksa suamiPerubahan ini kata Sheila tidak didesak oleh mana-mana pihak. Bukan juga atas permintaan suaminya, pengarah drama popular, Jinggo, bukan juga kerana terpaksa dek gelaran ‘hajah’ yang dibawa. “Ia datang dengan sendiri, dari hati saya yang ikhlas. “Sewaktu berada di Tanah Suci saya panjatkan doa kepada Allah berikanlah yang terbaik untuk kehidupan kami. Kembali ke tanah air syukur kepada Allah, hati saya terbuka untuk melakukannya,” katanya.

Bagaimanapun kata Sheila dia sedar sebagai artis bertudung bukan sesuatu yang mudah. Semestinya dia akan memastikan pembawaan diri sesuai dengan imej terkini. Yang penting adalah untuk tidak melakukan perkara yang boleh menjejaskan imej sendiri kerana sedikit sebanyak ia akan memberi impak buruk kepada wanita bertudung juga. Hal itu yang paling dibimbanginya. Apapun sebagai hamba-Nya yang bergantung rezeki kepada dunia seni, dia akan mencuba dengan sedaya upaya untuk meninggalkan segala larangan.Malah sentiasa memanjatkan doa kepada Allah agar menetapkan iman dan pilihan yang telah dibuat untuk berhijrah kepada kehidupan yang lebih baik.Tudung bukan penghalang rezeki.

Ada yang berpendapat bukan sesuatu yang mudah bagi artis bertudung untuk terus mendapat tempat dalam dunia hiburan.Imej berkenaan menghalang pembabitan mereka untuk lebih serius dalam kerjaya.Bagaimanapun Sheila yakin segalanya bergantung kepada usaha dan rezeki masing-masing.“Saya berharap dan sangat yakin bahawa imej bertudung bukan penghalang aktiviti seni.“Sebaliknya kalau kita bijak, kita akan dapat banyak rezeki lagi. Saya percaya kepada rezeki Allah,” katanya yakin.

Bercakap tentang pengalamannya di Tanah Suci, kata Sheila sukar untuk digambarkan kenikmatannya dengan kata-kata. 44 hari menghambakan diri kepada Yang Maha Pencipta di Tanah Suci Mekah dan Madinah dengan hati penuh kudus, adalah kenangan terindah yang berlaku dalam kehidupannya. Justeru kepada kawan-kawan dan peminat di luar sana, Sheila sempat melayangkan ingatan. Jika berkesempatan, jalani ibadah haji ketika usia masih muda. “Ibadat haji memerlukan tenaga dan kekuatan diri, mental dan fizikal. Jangan tunggu sampai tua,” ujarnya. Bagi peminat yang ingin menyaksikan wajah Sheila bertudung, buat pertama kalinya dia akan bersiaran secara langsung melalui rancangan Apa-Apa Aje, pukul 10 pagi esok di TV3. Bersama dengan teman pengacara Shamsul Ghau-Ghau, Sheila cukup teruja untuk muncul dalam rancangan berkenaan, episod pertama yang menyaksikan perubahan imejnya. “Sewaktu di Mekah lagi pihak TV3 sudah telefon bertanyakan mengenai pakaian yang patut mereka sediakan untuk saya bersiaran dalam Apa-Apa Aje. “Insya Allah, esok peminat akan dapat menyaksikan penampilan pertama saya di televisyen dengan imej bertudung,” kata Sheila.



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The Worst and The Best Bond Girl

Entertainment Weekly has named Denise Richards as Dr. Christmas Jones the worst Bond girl of all-time.

Here's the list:-

10. Maud Adams as Octopussy in Octopussy
9. Lynn-Holly Johnson as Bibi Dahl in For Your Eyes Only
8. Lois Chiles as Holly Goodhead in Moonraker
7. Cary Lowell as Pam Bouvier in License to Kill
6. Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight in The Man with the Golden Gun
5. Karin Dor as Helga Brandt in You Only Live Twice
4. Maryam D'Abo as Kara Milovy in The Living Daylights
3. Corrine Clery as Corrine Dufour in Moonraker
2. Tanya Roberts as Stacey Sutton in A View to a Kill
1. Denise Richards as Dr. Christmas Jones in The World is Not Enough


Denise Richards as Dr. Christmas Jones

And the best:

10. Carole Bouquet as Melina Havelock in For Your Eyes Only
9. Jill St. John as Tiffany Case in Diamonds are Forever
8. Lotte Lenya as Rosa Klebb in From Russia with Love
7. Michelle Yeoh as Wai Lin in Tomorrow Never Dies
6. Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp in Goldeneye
5. Barbara Bach as Anya Amasova in The Spy Who Loved Me
4. Eva Green as Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale
3. Diana Rigg as Tracy Di Vicenzo in On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2. Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger
1. Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder in Dr. No


Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder

By the way, Pierce Brosnan did have the best Bond line ever thanks to Christmas Jones. It was at the end of the movie when Bond and Christmas are doing it on a building or something and he says, "I thought Christmas only came once."

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Katie Holmes Unhappy?

But then, since when any of Mrs. Cruise, current or previous, have live happily ever after?

According to MSN,


distraught Katie Holmes has stormed out of a crisis meeting with her husband Tom
Cruise, furious over damaging publicity about his Scientology beliefs, and
humiliated over the disastrous reaction to the movie he told her to make. The
actress is said to be inconsolable after a string of leaked Scientology videos
have flooded the Internet and divided Hollywood...Katie had already been forced
to fend off questions about Andrew Morton's controversial book Tom Cruise: An
Unauthorized Biography. While at first Katie put on a brave face, declaring that
she and Tom weren't bothered by the book, after this new scandal she can no
longer ignore the Hollywood backlash...




In case you're interested, the movie in question is Mad Money, the movie Tom Cruise urged Holmes to take instead of reprising her role as Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight. Mad Money stars Queen Latifah and Ted Danson. The Dark Knight stars Christian Bale and Heath Ledger. Mad Money has made $15 million in ten days. When it's released, The Dark Knight will make $15 million before your lunch break.

More pictures of Mrs. Cruise...





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New Kids On The Block Reunited?

Watch Out NSync and Backstreet Boys (if they were still interested in music) ! The real deal, the hugely successful American boy band New Kids on the Block is reportedly preparing to reunite after 14 years.



According to People magazine, the members of the group, who broke up in 1994, are ditching their respective professions (whatever they are, I can't imagine) to make a comeback in the music industry.

NKOTB sold more than 70 million albums worldwide during their 10 years together from 1984 to 1994, reports the Sun.

The members consisted of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood.

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It's Hillary and Obama from Now On. Edwards To Drop Out of Race.

Following a string of third-place finishes, Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards is expected to drop out of the race this afternoon.

The former senator, 54, will announce his withdrawal at a Habitat for Humanity site in New Orleans at 1 p.m., a senior adviser told ABC News.

While John Edwards‘ populist message earned him loyal following, “It became clear that [getting elected] wasn’t going to happen,” the adviser said.

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You May Be An Engineer...

- If you introduce your wife as "mylady@home.wife"

- If your spouse sends you an e-mail instead of calling you to dinner

- If Dilbert is your hero

- If you stare at an orange juice container because it says CONCENTRATE

- If the only jokes you receive are through e-mail

- If your idea of good interpersonal communication means getting the decimal point in the right place

- If you look forward to Christmas only to put together the kids' toys

- If you have used coat hangers and duct tape for something other than hanging coats and taping ducts

- If you carry on a one-hour debate over the expected results of a test that actually takes five minutes to run

- If you own one or more white short-sleeve dress shirts

- If you see a good design and still have to change it

- If you have more toys than your kids

- If you can remember 7 computer passwords but not your anniversary

- If you can type 70 words a minute but can't read your own handwriting

- If you can't remember where you parked your car for the 3rd time this week

- If your wristwatch has more buttons than a telephone

- If you have more friends on the Internet than in real life

- If you thought the real heroes of "Apollo 13" were the mission controllers

- If you think that when people around you yawn, it's because they didn't get enough sleep

- If you know what http:// stands for (bonus points if you actually care)

- If your 4 basic food groups are: 1. Caffeine 2. Fat 3. Sugar 4. Chocolate

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Snippets from my Inbox: How To Wash Jeans Correctly

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2007 World Airport Awards

Airport and airline industry always fascinates me....

Top 10 (Overall) (Numbers in Brackets represent 2006 ranking)

1. Hong Kong International Airport (2)



2. Seoul Inchon Airport (5)
Changi International Airport (1)


Seoul


Changi

4. Munich Airport (3)



5. Kuala Lumpur International Airport (6)



6. Zurich Airport (8)
7. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (11)
8. Vancouver International Airport (15)
9. Kansai International Airport (4)
10. Madrid Barajas Airport (22)

The overall ranking is based on the air traveller survey, conducted annually by aviation research organisation, Skytrax, and culminates in the announcement of the World Airport Awards.

The survey is based on more than 7.8 million detailed passenger surveys, covering over 170 airports, and conducted over an 11 month period throughout the world.

Final passenger judging covers over 40 categories of product and service quality - items such as terminal cleanliness, staff efficiency and courtesy, terminal signage and walking distances, as well as features like shopping, dining options, internet services. Security processing and immigration waiting times were also a constituent factor of the survey.

Ranking By Category

BEST DUTY FREE SHOPPING

1. Singapore
2. Dubai
3. Hong Kong

BEST INT'L TRANSIT AIRPORT

1. Seoul Incheon
2. Singapore
3. Amsterdam

BEST AIRPORT DINING

1. Hong Kong
2. Singapore
3. Kansai

CLEANEST WASHROOMS

1. Seoul Incheon
2. Kansai
3. Tokyo Haneda

SECURITY PROCESSING

1. Hong Kong
2. Zurich
3. Stockholm

LEISURE AMENITIES

1. Singapore
2. Amsterdam
3. Hong Kong

BAGGAGE DELIVERY

1. Abu Dhabi
2. Helsinki
3. Hong Kong

IMMIGRATION SERVICE

1. Zurich
2. Kuala Lumpur
3. Singapore

TERMINAL CLEANLINESS

1. Seoul Incheon
2. Kansai
3. Hong Kong

FRIENDLINESS OF STAFF

1. Auckland
2. Durban
3. Hong Kong

Click here for Best Airport Categories (By Region)

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Forbes 2007's 20 Highest Grossing Female Musicians

Forbes has just come out with their list of 2007's 20 highest grossing female musicians, and the results are pretty surprising.

1. Madonna - $72 million
2. Barbra Streisand - $60 million
3. Celine Dion - $45 million
4. Shakira - $38 million
5. Beyoncé - $27 million
6. Gwen Stefani - $26 million
7. Christina Aguilera - $20 million
8. Faith Hill - $19 million
9. Dixie Chicks - $18 million
10. Mariah Carey - $13 million


Shakira

11. Hilary Duff - $12 million
12. Avril Lavigne - $12 million
13. Martina McBride - $12 million
14. Britney Spears - $8 million
15. Carrie Underwood - $7 million
16. Nelly Furtado - $7 million
17. Fergie - $6 million
18. Jennifer Lopez - $6 million
19. Sheryl Crow - $6 million
20. Norah Jones - $5.5 million

My only question...who on earth pays money now to listen to Barbra Streisand?

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Hillary Wins Florida

Hillary Clinton easily took home Florida on Tuesday night, beating Democratic rival Barack Obama by a convincing margin in the state's presidential primary. Unfortunately for her, she didn't win any delegates.



On the other side, John McCain and Mitt Romney were neck and neck with McCain barely taking the win, but he came out on top in the Republican primary.

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Know Your Democrats Presidential Candidate (The Front-Runners)

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947) is the junior United States Senator from New York, and a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 presidential election. She is married to Bill Clinton—the 42nd President of the United States—and was the First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001.



A native of Illinois, Hillary Rodham attracted national attention in 1969 when she delivered a controversial address as the first student to speak at commencement exercises for Wellesley College. She began her career as a lawyer after graduating from Yale Law School in 1973, moving to Arkansas and marrying Bill Clinton in 1975, following her career as a Congressional legal counsel; she was named the first female partner at Rose Law Firm in 1979 and was listed as one of the one hundred most influential lawyers in America in 1988 and 1991. She was the First Lady of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and 1983 to 1992, was active in a number of organizations concerned with the welfare of children, and was on the board of Wal-Mart and several other corporate boards.



As First Lady of the United States, she took a prominent position in policy matters. Her major initiative, the Clinton health care plan, failed to gain approval by the U.S. Congress in 1994, but in 1997 she helped establish the State Children's Health Insurance Program and the Adoption and Safe Families Act. She became the only First Lady to be subpoenaed, testifying before a federal grand jury as a consequence of the Whitewater scandal in 1996. She was never charged with any wrongdoing in this or several other investigations during her husband's administration. The state of her marriage to Bill Clinton was the subject of considerable public discussion following the Lewinsky scandal in 1998.

Moving to New York, Clinton was elected to the United States Senate in 2000, the first time an American first lady ran for public office and the first female senator from that state. There she initially supported the George W. Bush administration on some foreign policy issues, which included voting for the Iraq War Resolution. She has subsequently opposed the administration on its conduct of the Iraq War and has opposed it on most domestic issues. She was re-elected by a wide margin in 2006. Long described as a polarizing figure in American politics, she is the first woman in U.S. history with a strong chance of being elected president.



Barack Hussein Obama (pronounced /bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/[1]) (born August 4, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 presidential election.[2][3] The U.S. Senate Historical Office lists him as the fifth African American Senator in U.S. history, the third to have been popularly elected, and the only African American currently serving in the Senate.



Obama was born in Honolulu to a Kenyan father and an American mother. He lived most of his early life in the Pacific island U.S. state of Hawaii. From ages six to ten, he lived in Jakarta, Indonesia. A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, Obama worked as a community organizer, university lecturer, and civil rights lawyer before running for public office. He served in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, he launched his campaign for U.S. Senate in 2003.

Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention while still an Illinois state legislator. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2004 with a landslide 70% of the vote in an election year marked by Republican gains.[6] As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, Obama co-sponsored the enactment of conventional weapons control and transparency legislation, and made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In the 110th Congress, he has sponsored legislation on lobbying and electoral fraud, climate change, nuclear terrorism, and care for returned U.S. military personnel.

Since announcing his presidential campaign in February 2007, Obama has emphasized ending the Iraq War, increasing energy independence, and providing universal health care as major priorities. He married in 1992 and has two daughters. He has written two bestselling books: a memoir of his youth titled Dreams from My Father, and The Audacity of Hope, a personal commentary on U.S. politics.

(Source: Wikipedia)

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Snippets from my Inbox: Japanese See-Through Skirts

What you see below are not see-thru skirts. They are actually prints on the skirts to make it look as if the panties are visible and these are the current rage in Japan. They'll be the rage here in North America soon .









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Snippets from my Inbox: Love Letters - Find Your Perfect Date

Please click to view !!!

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Sisipan Dari Email: Bestnya jadi Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim


Bersama suami, KDYMM Raja Isteri dan kaum kerabat raja yang lain berangkat ke majlis "Call To the Bar" - Majlis Penganugerahan kelulusan guaman anakanda
Sultan Brunei








Dah Pregnant anak kedua







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Snippets from my Inbox: Many Babies....



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Sisipan Dari Email: Petua - Cara Rasulullah (S.A.W.) Mengelak & Menyembuhkan Penyakit

Cara Rasulullah (S.A.W.) Mengelak & Menyembuhkan Penyakit

Maksud firman Allah: Dan sesungguhnya kami jadikan untuk isi neraka jahannam kebanyakan dari jin dan manusia, mereka mempunyai hati, tetapi tidak dipergunakannya untuk memahami(ayat-ayat Allah) dan mereka mempunyai
mata(tetapi) tidak dipergunaknnya untuk melihat (tanda-tanda kekuasaan Allah), dan mereka mempunyai telinga (tetapi) tidak dipergunakannya untuk mendengar (ayat-ayat Allah). Mereka itu sebagai binatang ternak, bahkan mereka lebih sesat lagi. Mereka itulah orang-orang yang lalai.(Al
A'raaf:179)

PENYEBAB ROSAKNYA BADAN

Perkara yang menyebabkan rosaknya badan iaitu perasaan runsing, gelisah,lapar dan tidak tidur malam (bukan tujuan qiyamullail)

MENERANGKAN PENGLIHATAN

Perkara yang boleh menerangkan pandangan dan menyejukkan hati iaitu melihat pada warna hijau, melihat air yang mengalir, melihat orang/barang yang disayangi dan melihat buah (dedaun). Perkara yang boleh menggelapkan pandangan iaitu berjalan tanpa alas (berkaki ayam), menyambut waktu pagi dengan wajah murka (masam), banyak menangis dan banyak membaca tulisan yang kecil-kecil.

PENYEBAB WAJAH BERSINAR

Perkara yang boleh menyebabkan wajah kelihatan kering (hilang cahaya) iaitu berdusta, tidak mempunyai perasaan malu,banyak bertanya tanpa ilmu dan banyak berbuat dosa. Perkara yang boleh menyebabkan wajah bersinar iaitu menjaga maruah, jujur, dermawan dan takwa.

PERASAAN BENCI

Perkara yang menyebabkan perasaan benci iaitu sombong, dengki, berdusta dan suka mengadu domba.

PERKARA YANG MENDATANGKAN DAN MENYEKAT REZEKI

Perkara yang boleh menyebabkan datangnya rezeki iaitu Qiyamullail (beribadah di waktu malam selepas tidur), banyak membaca istighfar di waktu sahur (masa sebelum masuk waktu subuh), bersedekah dan berzikir di waktu pagi dan petang. Perkara yang menyebabkan rezeki tersekat iaitu tidur di waktu pagi, sedikit mengerjakan sembahyang, malas dan khianat.

KEFAHAMAN DAN INGATAN

Perkara yang boleh menyebabkan rosaknya ingatan dan kefahaman iaitu sentiasa makan buah yang masam,tidur pada tengkuk (belakang kepala), hati sedih dan fikiran runsing.Perkara yang menyebabkan bertambahnya daya ingatan dan kefahaman iaitu kegembiraan hati, sedikit makan dan sedikit minum, mengawal makanan dengan sesuatu yang manis dan berlemak serta mengurangkan kelebihan yang memberatkan badan.

Sekian, Wassallam.

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Snippets from my Inbox: Mahathir and the Bomoh (Traditional Healer/Fortune Reader)

One lousy day in the middle of the economic crisis, PM Mahathir was
feeling extremely frustrated and wondering how a neighboring country can
be doing better than Malaysia. One of his aides said, I heard that the
leaders consult Feng Shui masters to ensure prosperity for the country. Dr
Mahathir thought if that was the case, Malaysia Boleh( Malay Feng Shui
Teacher) also can, and went to seek the top bomoh's advice in the country.
After reviewing the
case, the bomoh told Dr M that there were 2 things that he must do :

Bomoh : Step 1. You must blame the crisis on SOROS for everything.
Dr M : But Why ?
Bomoh: Because SOROS stands for 'Speculate On Ringgit Or Stocks'.

You must blame him, and look at ways to control the ringgit and stock market.

Bomoh : Step 2 - You must get rid of ANWAR.
Dr M: What! why him ?

Bomoh: Because ANWAR stands for 'A Nation Without Any Ringgit'.

Dr M: But how ? This is most difficult to do, he is popular with
the people.

Bomoh : Aiyoh, you bodoh lah! Look at your name,MAHATHIR.........

Make Anwar Homosexual And Then Highlight It Repeatedly !!

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Sisipan Dari Email: Misteri - Ubi Berbentuk Kaki

JULIAH menunjukkan ubi kemili unik yang berbentuk seperti kaki manusia di Pekan semalam.


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Sisipan Dari Email: Lawak - Mencari Calon Isteri

Ceritanya begini, suatu hari di Kampung Pandan, Kuala Lumpur , ada seorang ibu yang gusar kerana anak sulung lelakinya tak kawin-kawin lagi, so satu hari, si ibu pon bawakla calon-calon yang dirasakan sesuai untuk menjadi bakal menantunya, dia pun menjemput kesemuanya kedalam rumahnya. Lalu memanggil anak sulong lelakinya untuk memilih kut yang mana-mana dia berkenan...

CALON PERTAMA:

Ciri-ciri : Kulit cerah, rambut ikal mayang, pipi gebu, BUKIT besar..... BUMPER menggiurkan ala Jlo

Pekerjaan : Operator telefon merangkap receptionist

Si anak lelaki menolak calon pertama. Siibu bertanya mengapa dia menolak, lalu sianaknya pon berkata: "Ala Mak...nih tak syiioookkkk....dia nih selalu cakap SILA TUNGGU SEBENTAR,TUNGGU SEBENTAR"

CALON KEDUA:

Ciri-ciri : Kulit sawa matang, mata bulat dan besar, badan 100% bergetah, BUKITnya Just nice, BUMPERnya boleh tahan

Pekerjaan : Setiausaha

Lalu sianak lelaki berkata "Nih lagi tak syyiiiooookkkk...asyik-asyik HARAP BERSABAR...BERSABAR"

Si ibu pon gelisah kerana kebanyakkan calon yang ditunjukkan tidak memenuhi kriteria anak lelakinya...lalu dia pon menjemput calon terakhir...

CALON TERAKHIR:

Ciri-ciri : Kulit gelap-gelita,mata sepet sikit, badan 99.99999% bergetah, BUKITnya kurang memuaskan, BUMPERnya flat

Pekerjaan : Guru.

Tanpa segan silu dan memikir panjang lalu si anak lelaki ini terus bersetuju untuk memilih calon ini. Lalu si ibu pon pening kepala lalu bertanya kepada anak lelakinya mengapa dipilih calon ini?

Lalu anaknya pun memberitahu... "Hah! mak nih la syyiookkk sikit...kalau cikgu best sikit..pasal dia selalu cakap ULANG SEKALI LAGI, BUAT BANYAK-BANYAK, SALAH NIH, BUAT MACAM NIH 10 KALI LAGI, TERUSKAN..HAH..TERUSKAN DAH BETUL TUH..."

Tiba-tiba adik lelaki tersebut yang berumur 10 tahun menyampuk plak... "Bang!!!....Konduktor bas mini lagi bagus bang....

Diorang selalu cakap...."NAIK CEPAT, NAIK CEPAT...MASUK, MASUK.....MASUK LAGI, DALAM LAGI...DALAM LAGILAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH,MASUK BELAKANG....BELAKANG LAGI, LAGI BELAKANG SANA...BELAKANG BANYAK KOSONG!..........

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Persiapan Majlis Perkahwinan Ning Baizura - Klasik !!!

Sessi Mencuba Makanan (Food-Testing)

Tema Perkahwinan Ning - Suasana Kampung. "Kampung" yang digunakan "Kampung Buatan Pak Engku".

SUASANA



Khemah Kahwin - Kelas Gitu !!!



Siap Masak Kawah dengan menggunakan unggun api....





Seprah...



HIDANGAN

Menu



Kuih-Muih Pembuka Selera



Air Lemonade pun ada....



Sedap tak?



Juadah kampung...mangkuk "China"...dulang porselin....perfect!!!



Hidangan Pengantin kot?



Ayam goreng pun ada....



Dah suasana kampung...kena lah duduk bertimpuh/bersila...makan pakai tanganlah....
Jangan ada yang cutex tebal seinci sudahle...



Dia tak nak jemput aku ke? Terliur aku tengok dessert...



Apa ke nama juadah ni...tapi sedap wooo....



Pelengkap hidangan...tapai + lemonade



Tapai ubi...close-up!!!



Selamat Pengantin Baru...Semoga Berbahagia ke Anak Cucu....

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Batuk Masih Berlarutan


Mintak maaf lah banyak-banyak sebab dah lama tak update blog ni. Apakan tidak, asyik tidak sihat je dalam minggu lepas. Selalunya waktu malam itulah masa yang aku peruntukkan untuk update blog. Tapi bila pukul 10 malam je, tak berhenti-henti batuk sampai aku kena tidur kat luar sebab takut menganggu anak bini aku + tak mahu berjangkit kat dia orang.

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Orang Gaji, LCCT & R&R Dengkil


Hari ini orang gajiku sampai dari Jakarta. Dah nak dekat 8 bulan aku tiada pembantu. Aku sebenarnya tak kisah kalau tiada pembantu. Cuma bila aku letakkan anak-anakku dekat rumah mertuaku, susah sikit lah aku nak balik lambat dari kerja. Orang tua orang rumahku pulak asyik mengomel je sebab seharian terpaksa melayan kerenah anak-anakku yang manja tapi mengada selalu tu.

Zaman sekarang ni, orang gaji dah bukan "luxurious item" lagi. Dah jadi macam keperluan...lebih-lebih lagi untuk mereka yang suami-isteri seharian mencari nafkah macam aku ni.

Pembantu aku tu datang naik Air Asia. Rupanya susah dan leceh jugak nak ambil pembantu tu di LCCT. Dah lah kena bayar sampai RM40 untuk "escort" yang aku tak mintak pun. "Escort" ni sebenarnya pak guard je....tugasnya untuk menemani aku "bypass" bahagian dalam LCCT tu, supaya aku boleh masuk ke bahagian penumpang sebelum kaunter imigresen. Prosesnya pula kelam kabut sikit sebab LCCT tu memang kelam-kabut pun.

Nasihat aku kepada mereka yang nak ambil pembantu di LCCT. Buat photostat resit pengambilan pembantu, kad pengenalan, dan kebenaran membuat visa, siap-siap, dalam dua salinan supaya tak leceh dan kelam-kabut di situ. Takut kat sana baru lah terkial-kial nak cari mesin fotokopi, duit syiling dsb. Apabila ambil pas sekuriti, pastikan anda tidak tinggalkan kad pengenalan anda di situ. Sebaliknya, tinggalkan lesen memandu anda. Kad pengenalan anda diperlukan di kaunter imigresen bagi membenarkan anda membawa masuk pembantu tersebut ke Malaysia.

Di dalam perjalanan pulang ke rumahku, aku singgah sebentar di R&R Dengkil sebelah Utara. Dah banyak pembaharuan di R&R yang ni selepas "renovation" baru-baru ni. Rekabentuk keseluruhan yang terbuka memang cantik dan unik. Tak malu nak tunjukkan kat pelawat-pelawat dari luar. Suraunya stail Bali....luas dan terbuka. Begitu juga dengan tandasnya...luas dan ada pokok-pokok di dalamnya.

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Hujan - Pagi Yang Gelap

Hujan - Pagi Yang Gelap


Lebih tua dariku

harap sabar menunggu

kepulanganmu ku tunggu

bukan maksudku mendiam

tiada niat menyimpan dendam

hakikatnya rindu yang mendalam



jalan ini kan membantu

hari esok siapa yang tahu

kata ibu dengar sahaja

cerita hanya kita berdua


chorus:

pagi yang gelap

kini sudah terang

aku adikmu

dan engkau abang

aku amat merindui kamu

pagi yang gelap

kini sudah terang

aku adikmu

dan engkau abang

inginku ulang ke masa dulu



tak akan putus hubungan kita

tarik nafas lega kerna aku tak apa-apa

jalan ini kan membantu

hari esok siapa yang tahu

kata ibu dengar sahaja

cerita hanya kita berdua

chorus

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Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award Winners

FILM

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood



Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Julie Christie, Away From Her

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Ruby Dee, American Gangster

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
No Country for Old Men




TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Kevin Kline, As You Like It

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Queen Latifah, Life Support

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
James Gandolfini, The Sopranos

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Edie Falco, The Sopranos

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Tina Fey, 30 Rock



Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
The Sopranos



Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
The Office

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Anugerah Juara Lagu 2007

Hari Ahad yang lalu, Anugerah Juara Lagu yang ke-22 telah diadakan secara langsung di TV3.

Tak ada yang menarik sangat atau "outstanding" di dalam acara kali ini. Yang boleh dibincangkan ialah ketiadaan Faizal Tahir akibat di "ban" kerana kontroversi "buka baju di konsert" baru-baru ini.




Julie Zigler di AJL 22 (Yang ni tak pulak kena ban...sama je kes macam Faizal Tahir...kes buka baju !!!)

Bagi aku persembahan biasa je. Yang outstanding ialah persembahan atau vokal penyanyi Nora dan vokal Jaclyn Victor.

Siti pun biasa je...cuma ramai nak tengok lah persembahan beliau setelah lama menyepi setelah menjadi kepunyaan Dato' K dan setelah beliau kononnya bertudung setelah kembali dari menunaikan fardu Haji baru-baru ni.




Fesyen Tudung Siti AJL 22

Seperti biasa, kalau ada undi SMS, Mawi akan menang...untuk persembahan terbaik pulak tu. Aku kalau jadi peminat Mawi takdelah nak bangga sangat...sebab cuba korang kira dengan jari....berapa kali sangatlah Mawi menang di dalam pertandingan yang keputusannya di tangan juri ? Aku rasa jawapannya ilek, zero, nada, zilch, tiada. Jawapan standard penyokong kem Mawi....yang penting sokongan peminat....jadi popular lebih bagus dari jadi yang terbaik. Baik...saya boleh terima jawapan yang macam tu....cuma penyanyi tersohor Malaysia yang dulu....Allahyarham Sudirman, Siti dan pelbagai lagi pernah menang kedua-duanya...jadi popular dan terbaik. Jadi, Mawi bila lagi ?


Raja SMS

Kira tak hebat lah lagi si Mawi ni. Aku rasa mungkin dalam karier beliau, ada lah satu dua anugerah terbaik yang akan dia dapat...itu pun sebab kesian...atau nak tarik perhatian peminat beliau yang sanggup membuta-tuli undi beribu-ribu SMS untuk kemenangannya. Bagi aku eloklah tu kalau nak jadi peminat setia....cuma jadilah peminat yang berhemah...tengok kualiti yang ada pada saingan beliau sebelum nak mengundi pun. Aku rasa kalaulah Mawi ada buat lawak satu dua dalam drama atau pun filem, kalau ada kategori pelawak terbaik dan beliau dicalonkan...kalau undi SMS pun, dia akan menang....sebab peminat beliau tak kira pun kalau saingan beliau ialah Saiful Apek, Afdlin Shauki, Jim Carrey....mahupun kalau lawak dia memang lawak atau panjangnya cuma 15 saat. Janji ada Mawi, Mawilah pemenangnya.

KEPUTUSAN ANUGERAH JUARA LAGU 22 (AJL22) - 2008

VOKAL TERBAIK: JACLYN VICTOR(Ceritera Cinta)

PERSEMBAHAN TERBAIK: MAWI (Angan & Sedar)

ETNIK KREATIF: NORA (Samudera - Johan Nawawi/Ahmad Fedtri Yahya)

POP ROCK: ESTRANGED (Itu Kamu)

BALADA: IZINKAN KU PERGI (Sahri/Adnan Abu Hassan)

JUARA KESELURUHAN AJL22: ESTRANGED (Itu Kamu)

Huh ? Siapa Estranged tu...apa hebat lagu tu...irama ok lah, tapi yang lain pun sama hebat jugak. "Arrangement" muzik....biasa je. Lirik pun...macam standard lagu-lagu rock jiwang yang lain....Jadi aku pun naik "confuse" apakah pencetus kemenangan beliau....tapi itu kena lah tanya juri yang hebat. Apa-apa hal, lebih baik lagi pilihan juri dari suruh undi SMS....gerenti lagu Mawi menang. Ahaks....


Senarai Juara Lagu (1986-2007)

1986 - Sekadar di Pinggiran ("Just at the Edge") - Francisca Peters; Manan Ngah; Lukhman S.
1987 - Menaruh Harapan ("Pinning on Hope") - Zaiton Sameon; A. Ali; Habsah Hassan
1988 - Kau Kunci Cintaku di Dalam Hatimu ("You are the Key to My Love in Your Heart") - Ramlah Ram; Ahmad Nawab; Wielid
1989 - Isabella - Search; Search; Bob Lokman
1990 - Janji Manismu ("Your Sweet Promises") - Aishah; Adam Ahmad; Wan Aishah
1991 - Takdir Dan Waktu ("Fate and Time") - Mega; Rahim Othman; Juwie
1992 - Pada Syurga Di Wajahmu ("Your Heavenly Face") - Nash; Fauzi Marzuki; Bob Lokman
1993 - Teratai Layu Di Tasik Madu ("Dying Lotus in the Honey Lake") - Fauziah Latiff; Adam Ahmad; S. Amin Shahab
1994 - Tanya Sama Itu Hud Hud ("Ask the Woodpecker") - M. Nasir; M. Nasir; M. Nasir
1995 - Cinta Beralih Arah ("Love Turns Away") - Aishah; Jari; Habsah Hassan
1996 - Jerat Percintaan ("Love Trap") - Siti Nurhaliza; Adnan Abu Hassan; Hani M. J.
1997 - Ghazal Untuk Rabiah ("Ghazal for Rabiah") - M. Nasir and Jamal Abdillah; M. Nasir; S. Amin Shahab
1998 - Cindai ("Scarf") - Siti Nurhaliza; Pak Ngah; Hairul Anwar Harun
1999 - Andalusia - M. Nasir; M. Nasir; Loloq
2000 - Balqis ("Queen of Sheba") - Siti Nurhaliza; Pak Ngah; Hairul Anwar Harun
2001 - Mimpi Laila ("Laila's Dream") - Yassin; Yassin; Yassin
2002 - Keliru ("Confused") - Nurul and Ajai; Aidit Alfian; Aidit Alfian
2003 - Bunga Bunga Cinta ("Flowers of Love") - Misha Omar; Adnan Abu Hassan; Adnan Abu Hassan
2004 - Rela Ku Pujuk ("I'm Willing to Entice") - Spider; Tam; Keon
2005 - Gemilang ("Glory") - Jaclyn Victor; Aubrey Suwito; Asmin Mudin
2006 - Terlalu Istimewa ("Too Special") - Adibah Noor; Azlan Abu Hassan; Adibah Noor
2007 - Itu Kamu ("That's You") - Estranged; Estranged; Richael Lawrence

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Women's Tennis Have Evolved (In Only A Decade)

In contrast, with the top seeds in 1990s (feels like years ago), women's champions today, not only are stronger, faster and smarter but also younger, much more beatiful and more vibrant as well.

1990 Year End WTA Rankings

1. Steffi Graf


2. Monica Seles


3. Martina Navratilova


4. Mary Joe Fernandez


5. Gabriela Sabatini


6. Katerina Maleeva


7. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario


8. Jennifer Capriati


9. Manuela Maleeva


10.Zina Garrison


2000 Year End WTA Rankings

1 Martina Hingis


2 Lindsay Davenport


3 Venus Williams


4 Monica Seles
5 Conchita Martinez


6 Serena Williams


7 Mary Pierce


8 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
9 Anna Kournikova


10 Nathalie Tauziat


2008 Latest WTA Ranking

1 Justine Henin


2 Ana Ivanović


3 Svetlana Kuznetsova


4 Jelena Janković


5 Maria Sharapova


6 Venus Williams
7 Anna Chakvetadze


8 Daniela Hantuchová


9 Marion Bartoli


10 Serena Williams

Click here for more Tennis Women of Today !!!

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Latest James Bond Movies is called "Quantum of Solace"

Huh ? What was that ..... Sounds like some scientists saying something obscene.


Bond Girl #1 - Gemma Arterton


Bond Girl #2 - Olga Kurylenko

Nevertheless, Quantum Of Solace is due out Nov. 7. Mark your 007 calendars!

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This Week in News (Week 21/1 - 27/1/2008)

Monday

Arizona Sen. John McCain claimed a significant victory in South Carolina's Republican primary Saturday. On the Democratic side, Sen. Hillary Clinton took Nevada, and among Republicans, Romney was the winner.

Thailand military rule ends.


Tuesday

State funeral for Sir Edmund Hillary. (Hillary and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest)

Big falls on Asian bourses due to panic selling - fears of US recession. Hang Seng index dropped 8.6 %, our won KLCI dropped 3.8%.

80th Academy Award Nominations - “There Will Be Blood,” “No Country for Old Men” and “Michael Clayton” dominating the nominations, including the best picture category.


Wednesday

Egypt letting in Gazans to buy food.

High speed chinese-train ran through a group of maintenance workers, killing 18.

EPF declares 5.8% dividend.

Malaysian PM attends World Economic Forum at Davos.

Malaysia Deputy Prime Minister declares that Malaysia is to establish a national food stockpile in order to stabilise prices and avert shortages which have hit in recent weeks.

Cheaper KL-Singapore flights - MAS & SIA cutting fares under expanded code-sharing agreement.

Actor, Heath Ledger dies at 28.


Thursday

Former Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayub died of prostate cancer. He was 65.

British Minister, Peter Hain of governing Labour Party, resigns over funding row.

Greek PM, Costas Karamanlis, visited Turkey, the first visit by a Greek Premier in 50years.


Friday

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam video inquiry, decided that it woul not be "that open anymore" to prevent baseless and wild allegations from making way to the news.

Another accident involving express bus occured in North-South Expressway near Behrang, killing 2 on the spot.

Indonesian Supreme Court overturn the acquittal of Polycarpus Priyanto, an ex-pilot for Garuda, in the killing of Indonesian activist, Munir Thalib. Munir had a reputation for exposing military abuse during the U.S.-backed dictatorship of former President Suharto.


Saturday

Malaysian Deputy PM's, mother-in-law, passed away.


Sunday

Former Indonesian President, Suharto, died at 86.

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This Week in Sports (21/1 - 27/1/2008)

Monday

(Sunday in US) NFL: Patriots beat Chargers 21-12 for its fourth SuperBowl berths in 7 years.

(Sunday in US) NFL: Giants upset Packers 23-20 to win NFC title.

(Sunday in US) NBA: Suns spread ball, win 14th in row at home vs. Nets. Nets 92, Suns 116.

NBA: Heat lose 14th straight. Cleveland 97 Miami 90.

Tennis: Australian Open (4th round) - Roger Federer SUI (1) beats Tomas Berdych CZE (13) 6-4, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3

Tennis: Australian Open (4th round) - Novak Djokovic SRB (3) beats Lleyton Hewitt AUS (19) 7-5, 6-3, 6-3.

Tennis: Australian Open (4th round) - Ana Ivanovic SRB (4) beats Caroline Wozniacki DEN 6-1, 7-6 (7-2)


Ana Ivanovic

Tennis: Australian Open (4th round) - Daniela Hantuchova SVK (9) beats Maria Kirilenko RUS (27) 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.


Daniela Hantuchova

(Sunday) Badminton: World's number 1, Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia wins Malaysian Open.

(Sunday) Badminton: Tine Rasmussen (Den) wins Malaysian Open (Women's Singles)beating Zhu Lin of China.

(Sunday) Badminton: Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia wins Men's Double of Malaysia Open defeating Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen of Denmark.

(Sunday) Badminton: Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen of China wins Women's Double of Malaysia Open defeating Gao Ling and Zhao Tingting, also from China.

(Sunday) Badminton: HE Hanbin and YU Yang of China wins Mixed Doubles of Malaysia Open defeating Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thoungthongkam of Thailand.




Lee Chong Wei

Football: African Nations Cup Group A - Namibia 1, Morocco 5.

Football: African Nations Cup Group B - Nigeria 0, Ivory Coast 1.

Football: African Nations Cup Group B - Mali 1, Benin 0.

Football: EPL - Liverpool 2, Aston Villa 2.



Tuesday

NBA: Nash drops season-high 37 in win. Phoenix 114, Milwaukee 105.

Tennis: Australian Open (QF) - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga FRA beats Mikhail Youzhny RUS (14) 7-5, 6-0, 7-6 (8-6).

Tennis: Australian Open (QF) - Rafael Nadal ESP (2) beats Jarkko Nieminen FIN (24) 7-5, 6-3, 6-1.

Tennis: Australian Open (QF) - Maria Sharapova RUS (5) dominates top seed Justin Henin BEL (1) 6-4, 6-0.


Maria Sharapova

Tennis: Australian Open (QF) - Jelena Jankovic SRB (3) beats Serena Williams USA (7) 6-3, 6-4.

Football: African Nations Cup Group C - Sudan 0, Zambia 3.

Football: African Nations Cup Group C - Two Eto'o goals not enough for Cameroon against defending champ, Egypt. Egypt 4, Cameroon 2.

Football: Carling Cup (SF) - Arsenal were humiliated 5-1 at White Hart Lane. Despite the second stringers presence, Arsenal should not be whipped in such a way, especially since few first teamers presence on the field....but lo and behold, they were thrashed. Not only that, Adebayor and Bendtner had a fight on the field and need captain Gallas interference to break them apart. What an embarassment !!!



Wednesday

NBA: Toronto 114, Boston 112.

NBA: Wolves stun Suns again. Phoenix 107, Minnesota 117.

NBA: Duncan, Spurs get hot in 2nd half against Lakers. LA Lakers 91, San Antonio 103.

Tennis: Australian Open (QF) - Roger Federer SUI (1) beats James Blake USA (12) 7-5, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.


Roger Federer

Tennis: Australian Open (QF) - Novak Djokovic SRB (3) beats David Ferrer ESP (5) 6-0, 6-3, 7-5.

Tennis: Australian Open (QF) - Ana Ivanovic SRB (4) beats Venus Williams USA (8) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4.

Tennis: Australian Open (QF) - Daniela Hantuchova SVK (9) beats Agnieszka Radwanska POL (29) 6-2, 6-2.

Badminton: Korean Open - Malaysian shuttlers struggles as Yeoh Kay Bin, Roslin Hashim, Hafiz Hashim, Wong Mew Choo lost in the first round.

Football: African Nations Cup Group D - Tunisia 2, Senegal 2.

Football: African Nations Cup Group D - South Africa 1, Angola 1.

Football: Carling Cup (SF) - Joe Cole's decisive second-half strike broke Everton's hearts and sent Chelsea to their third Carling Cup final in four years with a 3-1 aggregate win.

Football: Copa Del Ray (QF) - Getafe 1, Mallorca 0; Valencia 1, Atletico Madrid 0.

Football: Serie A - Atalanta 2, AC Milan 1. Milan had been hoping to reduce the gap on the top four in Serie A, but the result leaves them 10 points behind Fiorentina, who hold the last Champions League qualifying spot, although the Rossoneri still have two games in hand.

Football: Copa Italia (QF) - Inter Milan 2, Juventus 2.


Thursday

NBA: Spurs hand bumbling Heat 15th straight loss. San Antonio 90, Miami 89.

Tennis: Australian Open (SF) - Unseeded, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga FRA, upsets Rafael Nadal ESP (2) 6-2, 6-3, 6-2.


Rafael Nadal

Tennis: Australian Open (SF) - Maria Sharapova RUS (5) beats Jelena Jankovic SRB (3) 6-3, 6-1.

Tennis: Australian Open (SF) - Ana Ivanovic SRB (4) beats Daniela Hantuchova SVK (9) 0-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Badminton: Korean Open - Misfortune hit Malaysian men shuttlers Lee Chong Wei and Chew Choon Eng/Chan Chong Ming concede walkovers.

Football: African Nations Cup Group A - Ghana 1, Namibia 0.

Football: African Nations Cup Group A - Pascal Feindouno scored two goals and was then sent off as Guinea brought themselves back into Group A contention at the African Nations Cup with an entertaining 3-2 victory over Morocco.

Football: Eredivisie - Feyenoord remain in the hunt for the Eredivisie title after coming back from a goal down to end FC Twente's 12-match unbeaten run. Feyenoord Rotterdam 3, Twente Enschede 1.

Football: Copa Del Ray (QF) - Villareal draw at home with Barca 0-0, while Racing Santander beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0.


Friday

NBA: Marion's floater lifts Suns over LeBron, Cavs. Phoenix 110, Cleveland 108.

NBA: Howard's 'D' on Kobe keeps Lakers at bay. LA Lakers 105, Dallas 102.

Tennis: Australian Open (SF) - Novak Djokovic SRB (3) beats Roger Federer SUI (1) 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5).


Novak Djokovic

Tennis: Australian Open (Final) - Bondarenko sisters win women's doubles beating Victoria Azarenka (UKR)/Shahar Peer (ISR) the 12th ranked opponent.

Football: Eredivisie - Willem II eased their relegation jitters and heaped yet more misery on AZ Alkmaar with a thumping victory on Friday night. Willem II 3, AZ Alkmaar 0.

Football: African Nations Cup Group B - Nigeria 0, Mali 0.

Football: African Nations Cup Group B - Ivory Coast 4, Benin 1.


Saturday

NBA: Heat relief - Miami puts end to 15-game skid. Indiana 96, Miami 98.

NBA: Hornets rout Spurs on way to 8th straight win. New Orleans 102, Miami 78.

Tennis: Australian Open (Final) - Maria Sharapova RUS (5) beats Ana Ivanovic SRB (4) 7-5, 6-3.



vs



Tennis: Australian Open (Final) - Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram of Israel wins men's doubles beating Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra of France.

Football: African Nations Cup Group C - Egypt 3, Sudan 0.

Football: African Nations Cup Group C - Eto'o netted a penalty to draw level with Ivory Coast legend Laurent Pokou with 14 goals in the continental competition. Cameroon 5, Zambia 1.

Football: EPL - Aston Villa 1, Blackburn 1.

Football: FA Cup (Round 4) - Emmanuel Adebayor grabbed a brace to help Arsenal forget their midweek humiliation by Tottenham and fire the Gunners into the fifth round of the FA Cup as Newcastle were beaten 3-0 at Emirates.

Football: FA Cup (Round 4) - Middlesbrough, West Brom, Portsmouth, Southampton, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Chelsea, Liverpool and Huddersfield all through to Round 5.

Football: FA Cup (Round 4) - Premier League's Derby's demoralising season reached a new low as they were dumped out of the FA Cup 4-1 by Preston.

Football: La Liga - Sevilla 2, Osasuna 1.


Sunday

Tennis: Australian Open (Final) - Novak Djokovic SRB (3) wins Australian Open beating unseeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga FRA 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).


Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Tennis: Australian Open (Final) - Tiantian Sun (CHN)/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) (5) wins mixed doubles beating Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi of India in straight set.

Badminton: Hyul Il Lee of Korea wins Korea Open defeating Lin Dan of China.

Badminton: Zhou Mi of Hong Kong wins Women's Singles of Korea Open defeating Lu Lan of China.

Badminton: Fu Haifeng and Cai Yun of China wins Men's Doubles of Korea Open defeating Luluk Hadiyanto and Alvand Chandran of Indonesia.

Badminton: Du Jing and Yu Yang of China wins Women's Doubles of Korea Open defeating Ghao Ling and Zhao Tingting, also of China.

Badminton: Korean pair, Lee Yong Dae and Lee Hyo Jung wins Mixed Doubles of Korea Open defeating Indonesian pair, Flandy Limpele and Vita Marissa.

Football: African Nations Cup Group D - Senegal 1, Angola 3.

Football: African Nations Cup Group D - Tunisia 3, South Africa 1.

Football: FA Cup (Round 4) - Ronaldo's brace including a penalty coupled with Michael Dawson's ejection helped Man U defeating Spurs 3-1 at Old Trafford.

Football: La Liga - Deportivo beats Valladolid 3-1, Mallorca beats Atletico Madrid 1-0, Santander ties Zaragoza 1-1 while home teams Espanyol, Murcia and the in-crisis team Valencia, lost to Betis, Levante and Almeria.

Football: La Liga - Real Madrid strengthened its position at the top of La Liga with its win over Villareal 3-2, while contender and rival Barca drew at Bilbao 1-1.

Football: Serie A - AC Milan slowly climbing its way to the top 4 of Serie A with its 2-0 win over Genoa. Atalanta drew 2-2 with Reggina, Catania drew scoreless with Parma, and so do Torino and Lazio, as well as Udinese and Inter. Cagliari beats Napoli 2-1, while Fiorentina wins away 2-0 at Empoli. Juventus wins at Livorno 3-1.

Football: French Ligue 1 - Bordeaux lost at Lorient 1-0, while Lyon tied with St. Etienne away 1-1.

Football: Eredivisie - Ajax tied 2-2 at Vitesse Arnhem while Feyenoord tied at home 1-1 with Gronigen.

Football: Portuguese Liga - Sporting Lisbon beats Porto at home, 2-0.

NBA: Suns puts away Bulls in fourth. Phoenix 88, Chicago 77.

NBA: Turkoglu's 3 at buzzer sinks KG-less Celtics. Boston 93, Orlando 96.

NBA: King James rules in La-la land with 41 points. Cleveland 98, Lakers 95.

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Obama Rolls to Big South Carolina Win

Barack Obama easily won South Carolina's bitterly contested Democratic presidential primary with the help of heavy black support on Saturday, dealing a setback to rival Hillary Clinton after a week of political brawling.


Presidential Candidate Barack Obama

Obama, an Illinois senator who would be the first black US president, routed Clinton in the latest showdown in a back-and-forth fight for the right to represent the Democratic Party in November's presidential election.


Senator Hillary Clinton

John Edwards finished third in a state he won during his failed 2004 race, casting fresh doubt on the future of his campaign.


Senator John Edwards

With nearly all the votes counted, Obama had doubled Clinton's vote total, winning 55percent to her 27 percent. Edwards had 18 percent.

The win for Obama after two consecutive losses to Clinton, in New Hampshire and Nevada, gave him new momentum heading into Feb. 5 "Super Tuesday" Democratic contests in 22 states. Obama won the first contest in Iowa.

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Win a Return Ticket to London

or A Return Ticket to Bali....courtesy of Qatar Airways.



To be eligible to win, you should

- Book online at qatarairways.com
- Enter your Privilege Club number or Enroll for Free at www.qmiles.com
- Complete the sentence, "I fly Qatar Airways because ..." in less than 8 words.

Rules and Regulations apply.

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Managing Mindset - Ties That Do Not Bind

This was a good article written for The Star by Malaysia's Digi.com CEO, Morten Lundal. According to him, it suggests formalism and hierachy which is not good for the business or the individual.

So, is wearing neckties practical and necessary ? What do you think ?

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

THINK the day will come when a boy will see a picture from our days and point to the tie and ask his daddy (or mommy), “What is that?”

The parent will answer something like this: “It’s a clothing habit that was prevalent for 200 years or so, especially for men in politics and business.



Morten Lundal thinks that the necktie symbolises an artificial distance between individuals
It disappeared as organisations and leaders started to question all basic fundamentals of their own framework, including their dress code.”

We might not see this happen in our lifetime - some changes take time - but I do predict that most of those living after us will not use the tie.

It’s interesting to take an “outside looking in” view on a typical business meeting. Mostly middle-aged men are sitting around a table, armed with mobile phones, papers and cups of coffee. Under each chin hangs this piece of textile - a two-ft-long narrow piece of cloth, woven or knitted. A bit strange, isn’t it?

The first few thousand years, human beings did pretty well without using a tie. I guess people thought about “purpose” when they chose to dress in the morning.

A textile under the chin does not provide warmth, nor does it hide some very essential body part.

While the history of ties can be traced back to the first emperor of China, the tie as we now know it appeared along with the industrial revolution in the late 1800s.

By the 1920s, the tie in various derivatives spread across the western world and beyond, to a large extent driven by British gentlemen who used the tie as one way of visually distinguishing themselves from ? well, from non-gentlemen, so to speak.

And at some point, the tie became defined as “normal” for certain social settings and situations, and here we are, most of us taking it for granted without question.

In the last 50 years, the tie has gone through many turbulent changes. The salaried corporate man is actually a rather new invention and the uniform chosen for the white-collar worker was just that, white shirt and the mentioned tie.

In the 50s, most men in “real jobs” wore ties, even at home for dinner and during weekends.

Then the Sergeant Pepper generation challenged everything, including the tie. And throughout the 80s and 90s, the tie went through both strong following and equally strong anti-sentiment, symbolising a great debate regarding conformity, expectation and self-expression.

The IT generation raised the novel idea that what you thought was important, not how you looked. Since that view often was followed by a booming share price, it was seen as a plausible alternative thesis.

Businesses then invented the weird concept of “casual Friday.” Casual Fridays became just as uniformed as the other four days of the week, but now the uniform was “casual.”

Normally, casual clothing should mean whatever you feel comfortable in, but the human need to not differentiate from peer group norms struck again and the definition of what was “casual” became as tight as the suit.

People look to their leaders for signals and direction. Words are powerful, but examples speak more strongly. I never wear a tie in the office, and that does say something to everyone in our company of who we want to be. Always wearing a tie says something; never wearing a tie says something else.

“Why spend time on the role of the tie?” you might now understandably ask. Well, to me a tie symbolises two things. First, it symbolises an artificial distance we create between individuals and also between people’s home and work-lives.

We take on a certain persona when we leave for work. Not only do we dress differently for rather hard-to-understand reasons, but we also talk differently, behave differently, and think differently than we do as “private people.”

A tie suggests formalism and a reliance on hierarchy that I don’t think is good for either the business or for the individual.

It also symbolises a thoughtlessness - a failure to challenge the most basic current assumptions. We simply take on (literally around our necks, in this case) something previously defined as “normal”, never taking the time to re-think its relevance to us (or to our customers, our employees, our societies?) today.

Is that so important? Well, not in itself, but it is interesting that we human beings living today take so for granted a thing that is so temporary.

There are a number of elements in life that we take for granted which are not so obvious when you actually think about them.

Look around. What do you and other people take for granted, and which of these assumptions could you change that will lead to at least a slight improvement in quality of life.

If you find some of those, like the tie (it is rather uncomfortable, isn’t it?), maybe they are worthwhile studying further. Life’s bigger inventions and also businesses’ smaller innovations come from challenging existing beliefs. What do you want to challenge today?

As always, I would look for your comments, questions and views at my email, mindset@digi.com.my.

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KLIA Ekspres Ride & Win Contest



Daily Prizes for three months, just by taking the KLIA Ekspres! No Slogan to write!

From 14th January to 13th April 2008

For details and terms & conditions, click here.

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MyInfo - #2 Did You Know.......

the difference between Standard, Superior, Deluxe, Junior Suite and Suite for hotels?

Standard: A lesser quality, lower priced room at a hotel
Superior: A higher quality room compared to the standard room but still reasonably priced
Deluxe: These are normally the best equipped and appointed units in a hotel
Junior Suite: A hotel room that features a separate living-sitting area (although not a separate room), in addition to the bedroom
Suite: An accommodation comprising more than one room; occasionally a single large room with clearly defined sleeping and sitting areas

In addition,

Single rooms are for one person.
Twin rooms are for 2 persons ( regardless if adult or child).
Triple rooms are for 3 persons ( regardless if adult or child).

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Weird News of The Day: Teen Hijacked Plane To Blow Up Hannah Montana Concert

Not everyone is a fan of Hannah Montana.

According to numerous reports, a teenage passenger was detained after a Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles landed in Nashville - because he had planned on crashing the plane into a Miley Cyrus concert!



Nashville television stations, citing unnamed sources, said the teen unsuccessfully tried to hijack the plane to Lafayette, La., and crash it into a building where Cyrus was performing as her character, Hannah Montana.

Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Brandy King said the passenger was removed from Flight 284 Tuesday night by authorities at Nashville International Airport. She declined to provide additional details because the boy in question is a minor.

WSMV and WTVF in Nashville reported the teen had handcuffs, rope and duct tape.

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80th Academy Awards Nominations

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2007 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2008, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®.

Best Actor

George Clooney - “Michael Clayton”
Daniel Day-Lewis - “There Will Be Blood”
Johnny Depp - “Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Tommy Lee Jones - “In the Valley of Elah”
Viggo Mortensen - “Eastern Promises”


Viggo Mortensen

Best Supporting Actor

Casey Affleck - “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”
Javier Bardem - “No Country for Old Men”
Philip Seymour Hoffman - “Charlie Wilson’s War”
Hal Holbrook - “Into the Wild”
Tom Wilkinson - “Michael Clayton”


Casey Affleck

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett - “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”
Julie Christie - “Away from Her”
Marion Cotillard - “La Vie en Rose”
Laura Linney - “The Savages”
Ellen Page - “Juno”


Marion Cotillard

Best Supporting Actress

Cate Blanchett - “I’m Not There”
Ruby Dee - “American Gangster”
Saoirse Ronan - “Atonement”
Amy Ryan - “Gone Baby Gone”
Tilda Swinton - “Michael Clayton”


Saoirse Ronan

Best Animated Feature Film

“Persepolis” (Sony Pictures Classics) Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
“Ratatouille” (Walt Disney) Brad Bird
"Surf's Up” (Sony Pictures Releasing) Ash Brannon and Chris Buck



Achievement in Art Direction

“American Gangster” (Universal)
Art Direction: Arthur Max
Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
“Atonement” (Focus Features)
Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood
Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
“The Golden Compass” (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners)
Art Direction: Dennis Gassner
Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
“Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Art Direction: Dante Ferretti
Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
“There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
Art Direction: Jack Fisk
Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Achievement in Cinematography

“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (Warner Bros.) Roger Deakins
“Atonement” (Focus Features) Seamus McGarvey
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” (Miramax/Pathé Renn) Janusz Kaminski
“No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Roger Deakins
“There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) Robert Elswit

Achievement in Costume Design

“Across the Universe” (Sony Pictures Releasing) Albert Wolsky
“Atonement” (Focus Features) Jacqueline Durran
“Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (Universal) Alexandra Byrne
“La Vie en Rose” (Picturehouse) Marit Allen
“Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount) Colleen Atwood

Best Director

Julian Schnabel - “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
Jason Reitman - “Juno”
Tony Gilroy - “Michael Clayton”
Joel Coen and Etna Coen - “No Country for Old Men”
Paul Thomas Anderson - “There Will Be Blood”

Best Documentary Feature

“No End in Sight” (Magnolia Pictures)
A Representational Pictures Production
Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
“Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience” (The Documentary Group)
A Documentary Group Production
Richard E. Robbins
“Sicko” (Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company)
A Dog Eat Dog Films Production
Michael Moore and Meghan O’Hara
“Taxi to the Dark Side” (THINKFilm)
An X-Ray Production
Alex Gibney and Eva Orner
“War/Dance” (THINKFilm)
A Shine Global and Fine Films Production
Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine



Best Documentary Short Subject

“Freeheld”
A Lieutenant Films Production
Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth
“La Corona (The Crown)”
A Runaway Films and Vega Films Production
Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega
“Salim Baba”
A Ropa Vieja Films and Paradox Smoke Production
Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello
“Sari’s Mother” (Cinema Guild)
A Daylight Factory Production
James Longley

Achievement in Film Editing

“The Bourne Ultimatum” (Universal) Christopher Rouse
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” (Miramax/Pathé Renn) Juliette Welfling
“Into the Wild” (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment) Jay Cassidy
“No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Roderick Jaynes
“There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) Dylan Tichenor

Best Foreign Language Film

“Beaufort” A Metro Communications, Movie Plus Production
Israel
“The Counterfeiters” An Aichholzer Filmproduktion, Magnolia Filmproduktion Production
Austria
“Katyń” An Akson Studio Production
Poland
“Mongol” A Eurasia Film Production
Kazakhstan
“12” A Three T Production
Russia

Best Makeup

“La Vie en Rose” (Picturehouse) Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
“Norbit” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount) Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji
“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” (Walt Disney) Ve Neill and Martin Samuel

Achievement in Music written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)

“Atonement” (Focus Features) Dario Marianelli
“The Kite Runner” (DreamWorks, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant Productions, Distributed by Paramount Classics) Alberto Iglesias
“Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.) James Newton Howard
“Ratatouille” (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino
“3:10 to Yuma” (Lionsgate) Marco Beltrami

Achievement in Music written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)

“Falling Slowly” from “Once”
(Fox Searchlight)
Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
“Happy Working Song” from “Enchanted”
(Walt Disney)
Music by Alan Menken
Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
“Raise It Up” from “August Rush”
(Warner Bros.)
Nominees to be determined
“So Close” from “Enchanted”
(Walt Disney)
Music by Alan Menken
Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
“That’s How You Know” from “Enchanted”
(Walt Disney)
Music by Alan Menken
Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

Best Film

“Atonement” (Focus Features)
A Working Title Production
Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers
“Juno” (Fox Searchlight)
A Dancing Elk Pictures, LLC Production
Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers
“Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.)
A Clayton Productions, LLC Production
Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers
“No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production
Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
“There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
A JoAnne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production
JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers



Best Animated Short Film

“I Met the Walrus”
A Kids & Explosions Production
Josh Raskin
“Madame Tutli-Putli” (National Film Board of Canada)
A National Film Board of Canada Production
Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski
“Même Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)” (Premium Films)
A BUF Compagnie Production
Samuel Tourneux and Simon Vanesse
“My Love (Moya Lyubov)” (Channel One Russia)
A Dago-Film Studio, Channel One Russia and Dentsu Tec Production
Alexander Petrov
“Peter & the Wolf” (BreakThru Films)
A BreakThru Films/Se-ma-for Studios Production
Suzie Templeton and Hugh Welchman

Best Live Action Short Film

“At Night”
A Zentropa Entertainments 10 Production
Christian E. Christiansen and Louise Vesth
“Il Supplente (The Substitute)” (Sky Cinema Italia)
A Frame by Frame Italia Production
Andrea Jublin
“Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)” (Premium Films)
A Karé Production
Philippe Pollet-Villard
“Tanghi Argentini” (Premium Films)
An Another Dimension of an Idea Production
Guido Thys and Anja Daelemans
“The Tonto Woman”
A Knucklehead, Little Mo and Rose Hackney Barber Production
Daniel Barber and Matthew Brown

Achievement in Sound Editing

“The Bourne Ultimatum” (Universal)
Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg
“No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
Skip Lievsay
“Ratatouille” (Walt Disney)
Randy Thom and Michael Silvers
“There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
Matthew Wood
“Transformers” (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro)
Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins

Achievement in Sound Mixing

“The Bourne Ultimatum” (Universal)
Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis
“No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter Kurland
“Ratatouille” (Walt Disney)
Randy Thom, Michael Semanick and Doc Kane
“3:10 to Yuma” (Lionsgate)
Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Jim Stuebe
“Transformers” (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro)
Kevin O’Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin

Achievement in Visual Effects

“The Golden Compass” (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners)
Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood
“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” (Walt Disney)
John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier
“Transformers” (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro)
Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier

Best Adapted Screenplay

“Atonement” (Focus Features)
Screenplay by Christopher Hampton
“Away from Her” (Lionsgate)
Written by Sarah Polley
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” (Miramax/Pathé Renn)
Screenplay by Ronald Harwood
“No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson

Best Original Screenplay

“Juno” (Fox Searchlight)
Written by Diablo Cody
“Lars and the Real Girl” (MGM)
Written by Nancy Oliver
“Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.)
Written by Tony Gilroy
“Ratatouille” (Walt Disney)
Screenplay by Brad Bird
Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird
“The Savages” (Fox Searchlight)
Written by Tamara Jenkins

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Heath Ledger Dead

Shocking news for the day - Academy Award nominated actor, the talented, Heath Ledger, 28, famous for his potrayal as a gay cowboy in the Oscar-winning movie "Brokeback Mountain", found dead in his NY residence on Tuesday.



Police sources told US media that prescription pills were found in the apartment and said signs pointed to either an accidental overdose or suicide. An autopsy on the Australian native was scheduled for Wednesday.

"Heath Ledger was found dead at 3:26 pm (2036 GMT) this afternoon," a police spokesman said, saying he was found in an apartment in the posh district of Soho.

New York City deputy police commissioner Paul Browne said a masseuse and a housekeeper discovered the actor's body after the masseuse arrived for an appointment.

They were "waiting for him to come out of the bedroom. When he didn't come out, they checked on him and found the body at the foot of the bed," Browne told reporters.

He added that reports that prescription medications were scattered around Ledger's body were not true, and stressed that police were waiting the medical examiner's report before commenting on the cause of death.

"There were prescription medications that included sleeping pills that were taken from the apartment. The reports that they were scattered around the body were untrue," said Browne.

"The police department has made no determination as to the cause of death."

News Details

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Isu Panas Radio ERA

Seperti yang didengar di Radio ERA, petang Selasa, Januari 22, 2008, bersama DJ Linda Onn, isu panas radio ERA minggu ini adalah seperti berikut :-

6. Anak Sultan Brunei "tension" tak dijemput majlis harijadi model UK, Kate Moss.
5. Siapa dia hos baru Akademi Fantasia, menggantikan Aznil?
4. Ringgo, bekas pemain drum, kumpulan Fotograf, ditangkap di Venezuela kerana kesalahan mengedar kokain.
3. Penyanyi Britney Spears nak masuk Islam?
2. Isu gambar lucah pelakon "Anak Pontianak".
1. Isu penyanyi Faizal Tahir membuka baju semasa siaran langsung konsert yang disiarkan oleh 8TV.

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Runaway Groom Finally Ties the Knot

A former Australian polo player dubbed the nation's "runaway groom" has finally tied the knot with his model girlfriend at the sixth attempt, a report said on Sunday.

Michael Todd, 38, married Dane Hedvig Mollin, 34, on Saturday in a surprise ceremony which he only told her about in the morning, Sydney's Sun-Herald said.

Friend James Kirby said he kept a taxi waiting amid fears right up to the last moment that the marriage might not go ahead.

"Just in case," Kirby told the newspaper. "You never know with Mike."

The ceremony at a yacht club in Sydney's elite Rushcutters Bay went off without a hitch, however, with friends and family from as far away as Denmark there to see it.

The bride, who was once the European face of Coca-Cola, said her husband needed "a little care and understanding".

Best man Charlie Fenton said his friend, who has been compared to Julia Roberts' character in the film Runaway Bride, was only scared of two things: marriages and commitments.

But Todd had no problem with engagements, he said, having had four previous fiancees. One woman had even been engaged to him twice.

"I remember at my wedding he asked one of the bridesmaids to marry him. Quite sensibly, she told him to get lost," Fenton said.

Asked what made Todd finally tie the knot, Fenton replied: "Well I would have killed him if he didn't this time. Plus Hedvig's father Klaus is six-foot-two and a very mean-looking man." - Independent on Saturday.

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This Week in News (Week 14/1 - 20/1/2008)

Monday

The Royal Commision into the V.K. Lingam video clip got off.

Tuesday

ACA started investigations on two senior Tourism minister officers.

Wednesday

25 killed in a bomb and shooting attacked in Sri Lanka.

Thursday

Dr. M testifies. He denied that he was influenced by anyone on the appointment of judges at the V.K. Lingam video clip inquiry. He had conveniently "forgotten" a lot of issues raised during the inquiry.

Interpol was asked to assist Malaysian police to trace the wherabouts of five-year-old missing girl, Sharlinie Mohd Nashar.

Thirteen people were injured - one of them seriously - when BA flight 38 from Beijing came down well short of the Heathrow runway.

Friday

The new Proton Saga, previously code named BLM, officially launched.

Former top judge, Tun Eusoff Chin, got grilled during the Lingam Video Inquiry, for his alleged vacation with V.K. Lingam in New Zealand.

Former chess prodigy, Bobby Fischer, died at 64.

Saturday

Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton win Nevada caucuses.

Malaysia to cut 200,000 foreign workers.

Sunday

Abdullah declares Thaipusam a holiday for KL and Putrajaya.

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Thaipusam dan Kenduri Kahwin



Hari ini batuk aku semakin menjadi-jadi. Dah lah tak sihat, kena pulak membantu kenduri perkahwinan sepupu orang rumah ku di rumah pakciknya yang berdekatan. Dah lah panas terik dan tak cukup kakitangan, kenalah aku membantu di dalam suasana panas mendidih kat luar tu. Mana taknye batuk aku menjadi lebih teruk di sebelah malamnya.

Apa-apa hal pun yang paling seronok ialah Thaipusam akhirnya menjadi hari cuti umum kepada mereka yang bekerja di Wilayah Persekutuan seperti aku ni. Yeh..yeh...cuti lagi...

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On This Day: January 20

Today is Sunday, January 20, 2008. This is the 20th day of the year, with 346 days remaining in 2008.

Fact of the Day: golf holes
The 18 holes come from the renovations of the Old Course at St. Andrews, the ostensible first golf course from 1400's. In 1848 or so, with the invention of the new, cheap, golf ball, the Brits went golf mad, like the tennis buffs in the 1970's and the joggers in the '1980's. They were churning up the Old Course something fierce, playing the 9 holes both directions, (this was way it was done, up, then back same course.) So decisions were made to alleviate the problem. First thought was to extend the course and bring it around into a circle, ending at beginning. This was met with great uproar and consternation. So the additional 8 greens were added by increasing the width and people go up "the back nine" and back the additional. Then George V saw what they had done and had an 18 hole course built at Richmond Palace, with the object in mind to provide the people who couldn't afford the private clubs a golf course. Old Course at St. Andrews 18 hole, this Prince's and the subsequent Duke's courses are part of the heart of the British people.


Holidays

Bulgaria: Babin Den.

Brazil: St. Sebastian Day (founding of Rio de Janeiro).

United States: Inauguration Day.

Azerbaijan: Martyrs' Day.

Guinea-Bissau: National Heroes Day.

Lesotho: Army Day.


Events

1265 - The first English parliament met in Westminster Hall, convened by the Earl of Leicester, Simon de Montfort.

1783 - The British and U.S. commissioners signed a preliminary "Cessation of Hostilities," which led to the Treaty of Paris and Treaty of Versailles, thus ending the Revolutionary War.

1801 - John Marshall was appointed Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

1841 - The island of Hong Kong was ceded to Great Britain; it returned to Chinese control in July 1997.

1887 - The U.S. Senate approved an agreement to lease Pearl Harbor in Hawaii as a naval base.

1937 - Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first U.S. president sworn into office in January; inaugurations had previously been on March 4. It was FDR's second of four inaugurations.

1942 - Nazi officials held the notorious Wannsee Conference, during which they arrived at their "final solution" that called for exterminating Jews.

1945 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the only president to be elected to three terms in office, was inaugurated to his fourth term.

1961 - John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th President of the United States of America.

1977 - President Jimmy Carter was sworn in and then surprised the nation as he walks from the U.S. Capitol to the White House.

1977 - George Bush, ends term as 11th director of CIA

1980 - President Jimmy Carter announces US boycott of Olympics in Moscow.

1981 - Iran released 52 Americans it had held hostage for 444 days, minutes after the presidency had passed from Jimmy Carter to Ronald Reagan.

1982 - Five companies agreed to cooperate on the construction of a camcorder: Hitachi, JVC, Philips, Matsushita, and Sony.

1986 - The United States observed the first federal holiday in honor of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

1989 - Bush inaugurated as 41st President & Quayle becomes 44th Vice President.

1993 - Bill Clinton inaugurated as 42nd President.

1986 - Britain and France announced plans to build the Channel Tunnel, popularly called the Chunnel.

1996 - Yasser Arafat was elected president of the Palestinian National Council, becoming the first democratically-elected leader of the Palestinian people in history.


Births


1435 - Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1449 to 1473 during the Muromachi period of Japan.

1896 - George Burns (Nathan Birnbaum), American comedian, entertainer.

1906 - Aristotle Onassis, Greek shipping magnate, once married to Jackie Kennedy.

1920 - Federico Fellini, Italian film director, screenwriter.

1930 - Buzz (Edwin) Aldrin Jr., American astronaut aboard Apollo 11, second man to walk on the moon.

1956 - Bill Maher, American comedian, actor, writer, and political analyst.

1958 - Lorenzo Lamas, American actor.

1965 - Greg Kriesel, an American bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the punk band, The Offspring.

1969 - Melissa Rivers, American co-host and fashion critique.

1973 - Jalen Rose, American NBA basketball player (Guard).

1975 - David Eckstein - American baseball player.

1981 - Owen Hargreaves, Canadian-born England footballer, currently playing for Manchester United.

1982 - Erin Wasson, American supermodel.

Deaths

1891 - David Kalakaua, the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

1984 - Johnny Weissmuller, Romanian-born swimmer and film actor.

1990 - Barbara Stanwyck (born Ruby Catherine Stevens), American actress.

1993 - Audrey Hepburn, British film actress.

2003 - Al Hirschfeld, American graphic artist, at 99.

2005 - Miriam Rothschild, British zoologist, entomologist and author.

2005 - Per Borten, Prime Minister of Norway.

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MyInfo - #1 Did You Know.......

that Malaysian drivers can renew their Competent Driving License (CDL) online, by accessing the JPJ website , and clicking on the CDL Renewal Online link ?

Payment can be made via credit cards, MyEG prepaid and FPX/e-Debit.

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Kad Kredit, Proton Saga dan Nokia N82



Hari ini aku dapat surat dari Maybank yang menyatakan akaun kredit aku telah secara rasminya ditutup, setelah aku berjaya melangsaikan kedua-dua hutang kad kredit aku. Nasihat aku kat korang yang baru mula bekerja - "Kalau nak pakai kad kredit, berhati-hati !". Selalunya pada mula, kita berjaya dan rasa akan berjaya mengawal perbelanjaan menerusi kad kredit. Tetapi, ramai yang kecundang setalah 1-2 tahun menggunakannya dan sejak itu ramai yang tak akan tidur malam sebab kad kredit itu pula yang menguasai diri anda, dan bukan sebaliknya.

Bila surat peguam dan panggilan telefon tak berhenti-henti dari agen bank tersebut, baru kita sedar betapa tak bergunanya kad kredit ini. Nasihat aku, kalau nak pakai kad kredit, pakai satu kad sahaja. Kalau boleh, jangan simpan dalam "wallet" atau "purse". Simpan di rumah sahaja dan gunakan semasa perlu sahaja iaitu semasa anda "travel" kerana urusan kerja.



Hari ini Proton Saga baru dilancarkan. Harganya murah dan setanding kereta keluaran Perodua. Harap-harap kualitinya pun setanding kereta Perodua juga. Yelah aku bukannya nak bandingkan kereta buatan Malaysia dengan Mercedes Benz mahupun kereta buatan Jepun, seperti Toyota dan Honda. Pengalaman, modal dan strategi pemasaran mereka jauh lebih "advance" dan amat berbeza. Apa yang aku mahukan dari kereta tempatan ialah usaha untuk menjaga kualiti serta perkhidmatan pelanggan yang baik...baik dari segi "after-sales service" mahupun semasa servis itu sendiri.



Di dalam aku membelek-belek lembaran akhbar hari ini, aku terlihat iklan Nokia N82 di dada akhbar. Memang aku dah lama dah menunggu kemunculan telefon bimbit Nokia serba canggih dan baru ini.




Nokia N82 Depan dan Belakang

Dah tiga tahun aku pakai PDA phone jenis PALM. Secara khususnya dua tahun menggunakan Treo 650. Tahun lepas aku menggantikan telefon Treo 650 aku dengan Treo 680. Aku memang peminat setia PALM. Sebelum PDA mula menjadi kegilaan orang ramai, aku dah mula gunakan Handspring semasa di alam universiti dahulu. Kemudian aku gunakan Palm Zire 72 semasa mula-mula bekerja dahulu.


Zire 72

Sebab rasa berat je dalam poket-poket seluar aku, sebab bawak PDA dalam satu poket dan telefon Nokia 7210 di poket yang lain, aku gunakan Treo 650 sebagai "convergence gadget".


Nokia 7210

Sistem OS PALM amat kecil dan efisien, sesuai untuk kegunaanya di dalam applikasi mudahalih/"mobile". Bagi aku beza PALM dengan Windows Mobile boleh diibaratkan seperti perbezaan antara MAC dan Windows. Rata-rata gilakan Windows, tetapi hanya mereka yang tahu sahaja kehebatan Macintosh yang akan sentiasa setia terhadap jenama tersebut. Mereka yang "malas" dan "cliche" sahaja yang menggunakan Windows kerana bagi mereka, sebab ramai yang gunakan perisian tersebut, maka secara logiknya, ia adalah yang terbaik. Dengan strategi pemasaran yang baik ditambah pula dengan pelbagai "tools" dan "gadget" yang terkini, amat mudah untuk manusia memilih perisian Windows. Tetapi dalam masa yang sama manusia-manusia ini lah yang akan selalu menghadapi masalah disebabkan pelbagai konflik dan masalah serta kelembapan komputer/PDA mereka disebabkan "berat"nya perisian Windows tersebut.


Treo 650

Treo 650 ni efisien dan cekap. Isunya untuk orang yang ada beratus-ratus perisian di dalam PDAnya, memori dalaman Treo 650 tidak cukup bagiku. Aku "upgrade" Treo 650 ke Treo 680 kerana Treo 680 lebih besar memori dalamannya. Malangnya di sini aku mula rasa geram dengan pengurusan PALM. Mereka mempunyai platform yang hebat serta sistem OS yang tiada tandingannya. Malangnya mereka tidak menggunakan kehebatan mereka itu dan sebaliknya mengeluarkan produk yang sambil lewa serta tidak menarik.


Treo 680

Reka bentuknya membosankan, penggunaan bateri jauh lebih teruk dari yang terdahulu dan yang paling aku sakit hati sekali, ialah selalunya telefon tersebut "hang" atau "crash" semasa menjawab talian. Nada deringnya pula membosankan dan kadangkala ada gap di antara panggilan dan bunyinya nada dering tersebut. PALM sesungguhnya lebih hebat tetapi pihak pengurusannya tidak mahu melangkah lebih jauh dari apa yang telah mereka berikan kepada peminat produk mereka. Semasa syarikat-syarikat yang menggunakan sistem Windows seperti HTC, HP, O2 dan sebagainya berlumba-lumba meletakkan perisian baru serta membolehkan telefon mereka menggunakan Wifi, 3G dan sebagainya, PALM masih lagi di takuk lama dengan kemudahan GPRS sahaja yang ditawarkan.

Oleh itu aku dah ambil keputusan, dapat je bonus aku nak jadikan Treo 680 aku sebagai "backup" phone sahaja, kerana masih sayangkan "customization" dan beratus perisian yang kebanyakannya "games" dan "Organizer". Aku mahukan sesuatu yang lebih stabil dan yang paling penting aku mahukan "convergence" yang sebenar - applikasi, telefon, kemudahan internet dan yang paling aku mahu, kamera yang canggih. Aku memang teringin kamera yang canggih semenjak dahulu lagi, cuma aku rasa malas membeli sesuatu yang pada zahirnya akan kutinggalkan setiap hari di rumah. Dengan adanya kamera xenon 5 Mega-pixel dengan Flash, aku rasa pembelian ini berbaloi dengan harganya yang tinggi iaitu dalam lingkungan RM 2,500, kerana ia kan sentiasa berada disisiku walau kemanapun sekali akau berada.

Bentuknya seperti "candy bar" dan bukan seperti Nokia N-series yang lain seperti N95, membuatkan aku rasa ia sesuai untuk "blogger" seperti aku menggunakan secukup-cukupnya kemudahan yang ada khususnya untuk mengambil gambar-gambar yang menarik untuk dimasukkan ke blog aku.

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On This Day: January 19

Today is Saturday, January 19, 2008. This is the 19th day of the year, with 347 days remaining in 2008.

Fact of the Day: jigsaw puzzle
Jigsaw puzzles got their start in 18th-century England as an educational tool to teach geography. Mapmakers pasted maps onto wood and cut them into small pieces. The use of popular pictures for jigsaw puzzles began in the 1860s, and the puzzles grew in popularity in the early 1900s. During the 1930s, jigsaw puzzles began to be mass-produced from die-cut cardboard, their popularity soaring as they became an inexpensive and reusable form of entertainment during the Depression. The part that sticks out of a puzzle piece is called the "nub," which fits into a "void" in another piece to create a "lock."

Holidays

Singapore: Singapore Kite Festival.

Texas: Confederate Heroes Day.

Ethiopia, Eritrea: Timket (sometimes on Jan. 20).

Philippines: Ati-Atihan Festival.


Events


1783 - William Pitt became the youngest Prime Minister of England at age 24.

1793 - King Louis XVI was tried by the French Convention, found guilty of treason and sentenced to the guillotine.

1825 - Ezra Daggett and Thomas Kensett patented a process for canning food in tin containers.

1861 - Georgia seceded from the Union.

1915 - During World War I, Britain was hit by an air attack when two German zeppelins drop bombs on Great Yarmouth and King's Lynn.

1918 - The Bolsheviks dissolved the Russian Constitutional Assembly.

1937 - Millionaire Howard Hughes set a transcontinental air record by flying his monoplane from Los Angeles, California to Newark, New Jersey, in seven hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds.

1944 - The U.S. federal government relinquished control of the nation's railroads following settlement of a wage dispute.

1963 - The first disco, called "Whiskey-a-go-go," opened in Los Angeles.

1966 - Indira Gandhi was elected prime minister of India.

1981 - The United States and Iran signed an agreement for the release of 52 Americans held hostage for more than 14 months.

1983 - Klaus Barbie, the Nazi Gestapo chief of Lyons, France, during the German occupation, was arrested in Bolivia for his crimes against humanity.

1996 - NHL approves move of Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix.

2000 - Michael Skakel, a nephew of Robert F. Kennedy, surrendered to police in Greenwich, Connecticut, to face charges in the 1975 death of a 15-year-old girl.


Births

1736 - James Watt, Scottish inventor of the steam engine.

1807 - Robert E. Lee, American commander-in-chief of the Confederate armies.

1809 - Edgar Allan Poe, American poet, author.

1839 - Paul Cézanne, French painter.

1943 - Janis Joplin, American blues and pop singer.

1946 - Dolly Parton, American songwriter, singer.

1954 - Katey Sagal, American actress (Peg Bundy-Married with Children).

1956 - Stefan Edberg, Swedish tennis player.

1969 - Junior Seau NFL inside linebacker (San Diego Chargers)

1971 - Shawn Wayans, American actor and comedian.

1972 - Drea de Matteo, American actress.

1980 - Jenson Button, English Formula One driver.

1981 - Asier Del Horno, Spanish footballer.

1982 - Jodie Sweetin actress (Stephanie Tanner-Full House).


Deaths

1990 - Bhagwam Shree Rajneesh, Indian guru.

1998 - Carl Perkins, American pioneer of rockabilly music, a mix of rhythm and blues and country western music.

2000 - Bettino Craxi, Prime Minister of Italy.

2000 - Hedy Lamarr, Austrian-born actress.

2006 - Wilson Pickett, American R&B and soul singer.

2007 - Denny Doherty, Canadian singer and songwriter, and a founding member of the 1960s musical group The Mamas and the Papas.

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Blog Aku "Worthless"? Tiada Nilai....?!!?


Semalam, GM aku dah luluskan permohonan aku untuk pergi konferens luar.....di Singapura bulan hadapan. Dah dapat kelulusan tersebut, kena pulak hantar permohonan dari unit pendidikan untuk mendapat kelulusan dari mereka pulak. Biasalah kerja dengan syarikat besar yang semi-kerajaan. Birokrasi banyak sangat...



Mintak-mintak permohonan aku diluluskan. Maklumlah seronok jugak dapat pergi Singapura. Last sekali aku ingat aku pergi sana...masa aku darjah 5 kot. Mesti banyak yang dah berubah.

Kata member aku yang baru pergi...mahal betul kat sana dan walaupun negara tu duduk sebelah je Malaysia, nak cari makanan halal payah. Kalau nak makan kena pergi fastfood, sebab hampir semua fastfood di sana, diiktiraf oleh Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) sebagai halal. Payah jugak kalau dipikirkan...kalau aku pergi seorang takpe, ini akau bawak anak bini aku. Masa pagi kedua-dua hari tersebut, akau pergi konferens. Tinggallah oarang rumah aku nak uruskan dua anak aku..mencari makanan yang mengenyangkan mereka.

Batuk aku bertambah teruk...naik bengkak anak tekak aku. Makan dan sembahyang jumaat dengan member-member baik aku. Baru aku tahu, mengapa hard-disk player aku tak keluarkan gambar apa-apa bila disambungkan ke TV. Rupanya format default external hard disk ialah NTFS, tetapi kalau nak mainkan hard disk player kat TV, format hard disk tersebut mesti format FAT32. Macammana ye nak tukarkan format tersebut? Kata member aku, gunakan Partition Magic....senang je cara tu...tapi movies aku yang dah banyak aku downloadkan ke situ, kena keluarkan dulu...kalau tidak sia-sia je, kena padamkan dek Partition Magic tu.



Aku jugak ada masukkan kod untuk tahu berap nilai blog aku mengikut kiraan technorati...adakah dia kata blog aku takde nilai apa-apa....sabar-sabar...

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Akibat Kontroversi Faizal Tahir, 8TV Merana !!!

Lanjutan dari kontroversi "striptease" penyayi Faizal Tahir, Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (SKMM) telah mengenakan tindakan terhadap pengurusan 8TV, yang mana, kelulusan siaran langsung dan tertunda stesyen swasta berikut telah ditarik balik secara serta merta.

Menurut Pengarah Jabatan Komunikasi Korporat SKMM, Muhamad Tahir Muhamad Noor, berkata tindakan itu diambil berikutan pihaknya mendapati 8TV gagal mematuhi syarat-syarat ditetapkan bagi kelulusan siaran langsung dan tertunda.

“Ketika siaran langsung itu, 8TV tidak mengambil usaha pembetulan apabila mendapati Faizal menanggalkan pakaiannya, sebaliknya masih memfokuskan kamera kepada badan penyanyi itu.

“Sebenarnya mereka masih sempat melakukan sesuatu apabila mendapati perkara menyalahi peraturan berlaku kerana ada jarak waktu dua minit sebelum siaran itu sampai kepada penonton di rumah,” katanya ketika dihubungi Harian Metro, malam tadi.

Malah katanya, tindakan artis itu yang menanggalkan pakaian sesuatu yang dilakukan dengan niat tanpa memikirkan sentimen dan sensitiviti penonton, serta nilai murni masyarakat Malaysia.

Itulah nak ikut sangat rock barat, siapa yang merana...mereka dan keluarga mereka !!! ahaks....

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Suns 106, Lakers 98

PHO (27-12) 27 29 23 27 106
LAL (26-12) 24 19 18 37 98

With so many offensive weapons, Suns were too strong against Bynum-less Lakers. Leandro Barbosa scored 22 points, Shawn Marion added 20 points and 16 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Lakers 106-98 on Thursday night to regain the Western Conference lead.



Boris Diaw scored 19 points, Amare Stoudemire and Raja Bell added 16 each, and Steve Nash had 13 points and a season-high 20 assists for the Suns (27-12), who won for the eighth time in 11 games to move a half-game ahead of the Lakers.

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Why bras are lettered A, B, C, D and so on?



Check the reason here !!!

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Tak sedap perut? Makanlah arang !!!

Semenjak hari kedua aku demam, perut rasa tak sedap...ye lah rasa nak membuang...tapi takde apa benda yang keluar...part keluar angin tu jangan cakaplah...nak sembahyang pun susah...

Tak larat punya pasal, semalam aku telan dua biji pil "charcoal" ataupun arang di dalam Bahasa Malaysia, yang pernah aku dapat masa aku kena cirit-birit dalam 3 bulan yang lalu. Alhamdulillah...pagi ini daha rasa Ok sikit, walaupun masih ada rasa angin dalam perut.

Mengikut catatan di dalam Wikipedia, charcoal ataupun arang ini amat menarik khasiatnya. Terdapat pelbagai kegunaannya iaitu sebagai bahan api untuk memasak, bahan api untuk industri, bahan api untuk kenderaan, bahan untuk kegunaan pertanian dan sebagai bahan penapis ataupun "filtration".

Petikan dari Wikipedia tentang kegunaannya sebagai bahan penapis :-

"The porosity of activated charcoal accounts for its ability to readily adsorb gases and liquids; charcoal is often used to filter water or adsorb odors. Its pharmacological action depends on the same property; it adsorbs the gases of the stomach and intestines, and also liquids and solids (hence its use in the treatment of certain poisonings). Charcoal filters are used in some types of gas mask to remove poisonous gases from inhaled air. Wood charcoal also to some extent removes coloring material from solutions, but animal charcoal is generally more effective."

Petikan dari DrugDigest.com tentang kegunaannya di dalam bidang perubatan :-



"CHARCOAL, sometimes referred to as activated charcoal, absorbs or binds to substances in the stomach and intestines. Although not-FDA approved for these purposes, charcoal capsules or tablets are claimed to help absorb gasses in the intestine that cause flatulence (gas). There is little proof that charcoal capsules can help treat diarrhea, and they should not be taken for diarrhea thought to be caused by an infection.

Accidental poisoning or overdose is a medical emergency. Never use charcoal capsules or tablets to treat accidental poisonings, only charcoal powder or oral suspension are suitable for treating poisoning. If a poisoning or overdose occurs, emergency help should be sought and you should contact a poison control center in your area. Do not treat a poisoning yourself. Generic charcoal tablets and capsules are available.

What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?

They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
•any chronic condition treated with prescription medication, as the use of charcoal for gas may make other medicines less effective by decreasing the absorption of the medications.
•have frequent heartburn or gas
•have recently traveled to another country and are experiencing diarrhea
•stomach or intestinal diseases
•an unusual or allergic reaction to charcoal, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
•pregnant or trying to get pregnant
•breast-feeding


What drug(s) may interact with charcoal?

Because the use of charcoal may make other medicines less effective by decreasing the absorption of the other medications, you should check with a health care professional prior to taking this product if you are on other medications, including heart medications or birth control pills.

Charcoal binds to and prevents the absorption of many medicines, do not take other medicines for at least 2 hours before or after taking charcoal.

Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including non-prescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products.

What should I watch for while taking charcoal?

If an antidote to poisoning is required, contact your poison control center immediately and call for emergency help. The telephone number is usually in the telephone book.

Avoid dairy products. Milk and milk products bind with the charcoal and reduce its effectiveness. Do not eat or drink dairy products within two hours of a dose of charcoal.

If you have been using this product and are to have intestinal or other major surgery, inform your health care precriber that you have been taking activated charcoal."

Power...kan? Sehitam-hitam arang, banyak jugak cantiknya.....

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On This Day: January 18

Today is Friday, January 18, 2008. This is the 18th day of the year, with 348 days remaining in 2008.

Fact of the Day: Seven Wonders of the Natural World
The seven surviving natural wonders of the world are unique and amazing in their own special way and have puzzled humankind for generations. The existing Seven Wonders are: the Grand Canyon, the Northern Lights, Mount Everest, Paricutin Volcano, the Harbor at Rio de Janeiro, Victoria Falls, and the Great Barrier Reef. However, the best-known and traditional Seven Wonders of the World are those listed by a writer in the second century BC named Antipater of Sidon, and by a later but unknown observer in the same century who claimed to be the mathematician Philon of Byzantium. These include the Pyramids of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Pharos of Alexandria. The Pyramids of Giza, the oldest wonder on the original list, is the only one of the seven that is still substantially in existence today.


Holidays

Winnie The Pooh Day (in observance of the birthday of Alan Alexander Milne, 1882).

Events

1778 - English explorer Captain James Cook discovered the Hawaiian Islands, naming them the Sandwich Islands.

1788 - The first English settlers arrived in Australia's Botany Bay to establish a penal colony.

1871 - Wilhelm, King of Prussia from 1861, was proclaimed the first German Emperor.

1896 - The first college basketball game was played, between the University of Iowa and University of Chicago.

1911 - The first landing of an aircraft on a ship took place as pilot Eugene B. Ely flew onto the deck of the USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco harbor.

1912 - English explorer Robert Falcon Scott reached the South Pole, only to find out that Norwegian Roald Amundsen had gotten there a month earlier. Scott and his party perished during the return trip.

1919 - The World War I Peace Congress opened in Versailles, France.

1951 - NFL rules tackles, guards & centers ineligible for forward pass.

1964 - Beatles 1st appearance in Billboard Chart (I Want to Hold Your Hand-#35).

1964 - Plans for the World Trade Center announced (New York City NY).

1967 - Albert DeSalvo, who claimed to be the "Boston Strangler," was convicted in Massachusetts of armed robbery, assault and sex offenses. He was sentenced to life and killed by a fellow inmate in 1973.

1990 - Washington DC, Mayor Marion Barry arrested in drug enforcement sting.

1993 - The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was observed in all 50 states for the first time.

2001 - Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson revealed an extramarital affair that resulted in the birth of his daughter, Ashley.


Births


1782 - Daniel Webster, U.S. statesman.

1854 - Thomas A. Watson, American telephone pioneer and shipbuilder.

1882 - A.A. (Alan Alexander) Milne, British author, creator of Winnie the Pooh.

1892 - Oliver Hardy, American comedian, vaudeville team with Stan Laurel.

1904 - Cary Grant (Archibald Leach), British-born American actor.

1944 - Paul Keating, Australian statesman and Prime Minister.

1955 - Kevin Costner, film actor and director.

1961 - Mark Messier, ice-hockey player.

1971 - Christian Fittipaldi, Brazilian race car driver.

1971 - Jonathan Davis, American vocalist and drummer for the nu metal band KoRn.


Deaths

1936 - Rudyard Kipling, English author.

1952 - Curly Howard (born Jerome Lester Horwitz), American comedian and actor, probably best known as a member of the comedy act The Three Stooges.

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Demam Sebab Buat Blog

Hari ini demam aku dah kebah sikit....buat blog punya pasal sampai demam....manakan tidak, asyik tidur beberapa jam sahaja dalam 2 minggu ini....dua minggu lepas, aku ambil mak di KLIA....baru balik dari Mekah....flight yang sepatutnya sampai pukul 9:45 malam, landing pukul 10:30 malam.....Nak tunggu mak keluar...punyalah lambat sebab banyak barang yang dibawa oleh haji dan hajjah kita...kadang-kadang tertanya-tanya pulak, dia orang ni pergi beribadat ke, atau pergi shopping. Siap ada yang bawak balik carpet Mekah lagi....Last-last sekali aku sampai di rumah mak di Melaka dalam pukul 3 pagi....borak punya borak dan melayan tetamu yang menunggu kepulangan mak...Aku tidur dalam jam 4:30 pagi.


KLIA

Dalam dua hari kemudian, aku pergi ke majlis perkahwinan yang diadakan di Saloma Bistro....Not bad, first time pun aku pergi ke tempat tersebut. Upacaranya meriah, cantik dan casual. Pengacaranya si Mahathir Lokman....cuma makanan yang dihidangkan je yang tak menepati tekak aku. Style orang putih...tapi jadi tak lalu, bila entree...seafood. Lepas tu clam chowder. Main entree pun seafood style orang putih jugak.


Saloma Bistro

Kemudian di antara Ahad minggu sebelumnya dan Ahad lepas, masaku digunakan sepenuhnya untuk membuat blog ni. Tidur tiap-tiap malam dalam pukul 2 pagi. Bangun dalam pukul 6.30 pagi untuk pergi kerja.

Sabtu lepas pulak, aku pergi ke majlis hari lahir anak kawanku di Alam Damai. Aku bawa puteri dan puteraku. Anak perempuan aku seronok...sebab dapat jumpa rakan-rakan seumur. Anak lelakiku nampak boring je.....tak ada member....


Alam Damai

Hari Ahad, keesokannya, aku pergi ke majlis perkahwinan anak saudaraku yang dilangsungkan di Dewan Merak Kayangan di Jalan Semarak. Majlisnya aku rasa almost perfect, meriah, grand tetapi takdelah kebaratan sangat. Pengantinnya pula nampak sepadan dan sekufu. Anak saudara aku seorang doktor yang berkhidmat di London, begitu juga isterinya (anak Datuk) yang menjadi arkitek di London juga. Makanan pulak nasi briyani dan lauk pauk. Dessert pulak aiskrim tapai....sedap wooooo...


Dewan Merak Kayangan

So, sebab selalu sangat berjaga malam dan balik lewat untuk menghadiri majlis, akhirnya badan aku surrender....terusje lemah longlai semalam....lepas tidur dan banyak minum air, baru rasa bermaya hari ini...

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Real Madrid and Milan Dumped Out of Domestic Cup

European Giants, AC Milan and Real Madrid, were unceremoniously dumped out of their domestic cups. Milan lost on aggregate 2-3 to Catania, as they failed to clinch a 2-goal differential win in Sicily. Instead, they could muster a 1-1 draw, and were dumped out from Coppa Italia, due to their lost to the sicilian outfit earlier in San Siro.



Coach Carlo Ancelotti fielded a virtual reserve line-up, resting the Ka-Pa-Ro trident of Kaka, Pato and Ronaldo, as he adamantly claimed that Milan has other pressing priorities than this cup.

Catania: Bizzarri, Sottil, Stovini, Vargas, Edusei, Mascara, Baiocco (Izco 46), Tedesco, Silvestri, Spinesi, Martinez (Gazzola 77)

Milan: Kalac, Oddo, Digao, Simic, Favalli (Bonera 46), Cafu, Pirlo (Paloschi 46), Emerson (Gattuso 66), Brocchi, Gourcuff, Gilardino

Goals: Vargas 12 (C), Paloschi 68 (M)

Sent off: Sottil 76 (C), Gattuso 79 (M)

Madrid, meanwhile, were stunned by Mallorca, as they were beaten in the Santiago Bernabéu and dumped out of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night.



Bernd Schuster's team's unbeaten home record came to an abrupt end as Ariel Ibagaza netted the only goal of the game eight minutes from time.

After losing the first leg, Madrid were favourites to turn the tie around at home, but were instead humbled by the Balearic side in their own back yard.

In the end, Mallorca 3, Real Madrid 1, in aggregate.

Madrid: Dudek, Cannavaro, Drenthe (Sneijder 77), Marcelo, Ramos, Salgado, Baptista, Gago, Guti, Higuain (Robinho 64), Saviola (van Nistelrooy 46)

Mallorca: Moya, Ballesteros, Navarro, Ramis, Varela, Arango (Pereyra 87), Basinas, Valero, Gutierrez, Trejo (Ibagaza 46), Tuni (Victor 56)

Goals: Ibagaza 82 (Mallorca)

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Spectacular Dubai

View from Above



Another View from Above



"The World"



Palm Islands



Palm Islands - Close-up



Dubai's view of the future?



The architects have 100% freedom to do what they please....



Are they serious?



I won't be working in this building...maybe not on the top floor....



If this happens, they must be much more beautiful in real life....



Dubai in a Nutshell



Dubai High-Rise at Night



Looks like a Dream to me



I would love to fly in to Dubai at night



Whites with desert background do match

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On This Day: January 17

Today is Thursday, January 17, 2008. This is the 17th day of the year, with 349 days remaining in 2008.

Fact of the Day: compass
A compass is a navigational device containing a small, free-moving magnet called a needle. The needle is attracted to the earth's magnetism and swivels on a pivot until one end points to the earth's magnetic north pole. From the knowledge of which way is north, of course, any other direction can be found. At first only north and south were marked on the dial, but later the other 30 principal points of direction were filled in. A cardinal point is one of the four principal compass points: north, south, east, and west.

Holidays

Mexico: San Antonio Abad/Blessing of the Animals at the Cathedral.
Philippines: Constitution Day.
Poland: Liberation Day.

Events

1773 - Captain Cook's ship Resolution became the first ship to cross the Antarctic Circle.
1819 - Simon Bolivar the "Liberator" proclaims Columbia a republic.
1893 - Hawaii's monarchy was overthrown by a group of American businessmen and sugar planters, forcing Queen Liliuokalani to abdicate. Hawaii was organized into a formal U.S. territory and in 1959 entered the United States as the 50th state.
1945 - Soviet and Polish forces liberated Warsaw during World War II.
1946 - The United Nations Security Council held its first meeting.
1959 - Senegal and the French Sudan joined to form the Federal State of Mali.
1995 - More than 6000 people were killed when an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 devastated the city of Kobe, Japan. A year earlier, a 6.7 earthquake hit southern California, killing 61.
1997 - NBA suspends Dennis Rodman indefinitely/$25,000 for kicking cameraman.
1998 - President Clinton faces sexual harassment charges from Paula Jones
2000 - British pharmaceutical companies Glaxo Wellcome PLC and SmithKline Beecham PLC agreed to a merger that would create the world's largest drugmaker.

Births

1706 - Benjamin Franklin, American statesman, signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America, printer, author, publisher, scientist, inventor, founder of the University of Pennsylvania
1860 - Anton Chekhov, Russian playwright, short story writer
1899 - Al Capone, American gangster
1928 - Vidal Sassoon, hair stylist/CEO (Vidal Sasson)
1931 - James Earl Jones, actor (Darth Vader, Exorcist II, Soul Man)
1942 - Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay), American boxer, heavyweight champ
1954 - Robert Kennedy Jr., politician, statesmen, US attorney-general
1962 - Jim Carrey, American actor, comedian.
1978 - Carolina Ardohain, Argentinian model
1980 - Zooey Deschanel, American actress

Deaths

1893 - Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th President of the United States of America.
2007 - Art Buchwald, American Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist.

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Greetings !!! Selamat Datang !!! (Please Read This)

Greetings,

After almost two weeks, I finally managed to design and organize my blog layout to make the blog presentable and the posts readable. I am not good in blogging and definitely not adept in programming. As such, I hope this will do for now.



As my blogger name suggests...I am an Arsenal FC fan with strong interests in many sports (not necessarily football). I even adores American sports as I have been living there for 8 years. I am a Malaysian, who works at a major telecommunication company, as an HR manager in a shared services organization. Married with two lovely kids.

This blog serves as a place for me to rave and rant about anything and everything under the sky, and as such, the posts will not be in any order, and may appear jumbled together. It is also a portal which links to various websites and blog that I read, and as such, it is a little bit crowded. I apologized for that.

As such, I have reorganized the main categories in a sub-header menu (under the Blog Header and above the nuffnang ad) as follows (Please refer to the picture below)



1. Home - Main page http://kubiac73.blogspot.com
2. MyFootball - everything about football
3. MyContests - information about latest and interesting contests (mostly applicable to Malaysians)
4. MySports - sports other than football
5. MyNews - mostly news including weird news taken from other blogs or sources
6. MyInfo - tips, advice, info and trivia
7. MyLeisure - entertainment, gossips and other leisurely activities and commentaries
8. MyCommentary - generally reviews about anything that couldn't be exactly posted under other categories
9. MyThoughts & MyDiaries - my personal rave & rant and may include some things related to my personal life
10. Blog BM - all posts in Bahasa Malaysia (my mother tongue)
11. Contact - Email to me

Most of my posts will be in English (please pardon me if some of my English is incorrect or incomprehensible as it is not my mother tongue) but at times, I will write in my mother tongue, which is Malay, to target audience within my own country.

I hope you will enjoy reading this blog, and should you have any comments or suggestions, please do not hesitate to put on a comment on this blog or email me.

So, enjoy and thank you for dropping in.

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

Selamat Datang,

Setelah dua minggu menyediakan "layout" blog ini untuk tatapan anda, akhirnya saya berjaya menyediakan blog yang lebih tersusun hendaknya. Maafkan saya kerana, inilah kali pertama saya terjebak di dalam penulisan di internet dan dengan kurangnya pengalaman termasuk pengalaman "programming", saya berharap agar anda berpuashati dengan penampilan blog ini.

Berdasarkan nama pena saya, beberapa dari anda mungkin dapat mengagak bahawa saya ialah peminat kelab bolasepak Arsenal. Saya meminati bukan sahaja bolasepak tetapi beberapa sukan lain termasuk sukan-sukan Amerika Syarikat (berdasarkan minat saya yang dipupuk semasa saya menetap di sana selama 8 tahun).



Serba-sedikit mengenai saya....saya rakyat Malaysia dan bekerja di sebuah syarikat telekomunikasi terkemuka di Kuala Lumpur. Saya mempunyai seorang isteri (tidak menggunakan kuota yang diberikan) dan dua anak (satu putera dan satu puteri).



Di blog ini, saya akan menulis tentang pelbagai perkara yang menarik perhatian saya. Blog ini tidak mempunyai apa-apa konsep mahupun terikat dengan satu topik sahaja. Akibatnya, topik-topik tulisan saya agak tidak teratur, menyebabkan agak susah untuk anda membaca satu topik yang menjadi minat anda.

Blog ini juga menjadi portal yang menyambungkan saya dengan laman web dan blog pilihan saya. Oleh itu, blog ini mungkin agak sibuk dengan maklumat. Maaf ye...!!!

Oleh itu, saya sudah menyediakan submenu di bawah tajuk blog untuk kemudahan anda melayari kandungan yang anda minati sahaja. (Sila rujuk gambar)



1. Home - Laman utama blog http://kubiac73.blogspot.com
2. MyFootball - segalanya tentang bolasepak
3. MyContests - maklumat mengenai peraduan terkini yang menarik
4. MySports - sukan-sukan lain
5. MyNews - berita dan maklumat terkini dan menarik dari pelbagai sumber
6. MyInfo - tip, nasihat, maklumat-maklumat dan trivia
7. MyLeisure - maklumat hiburan, gossip dan pelbagai aktiviti riadah bukan sukan lain
8. MyCommentary - laman untuk komen saya yang tidak dapat saya kategori-kan di bahagian lain
9. MyThoughts & MyDiaries - Diari saya dan catatan peribadi yang lain
10. Blog BM - penulisan saya di dalam Bahasa Malaysia
11. Contact - Email kepada saya

Kebanyakan tulisan saya di sini akan ditulis di dalam Bahasa Inggeris, untuk mendapat perhatian dan komen dari pelawat dari seluruh dunia, tetapi kadangkala saya akan menulis di dalam bahasa ibunda untuk lebih dekat dengan anda semua.

Saya harap anda terhibur dengan blog saya ini, dan sekiranya anda mempunyai apa-apa komen dan cadangan, sila beri komen di blog ini atau email terus kepada saya.

Terima kasih.

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Nice Landing!!!

video

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Panduan Ugama: Hari Asyura

14 Perkara Yang Sunat Dilakukan Pada Hari Asyura
(10 Muharram 1429, bersamaan Sabtu, 19 Januari 2008)


1. Melapangkan masa / belanja anak isteri
fadhilat - Allah akan melapangkan hidupnya pada tahun ini.

2. Memuliakan fakir miskin
fadhilat - Allah akan melapangkannya dalam kubur nanti.

3. Menahan marah
fadhilat - Di akhirat nanti Allah akan memasukkannya ke dalam golongan yang ridha.

4. Menunjukkan orang sesat
fadhilat - Allah akan memenuhkan cahaya iman dalam hatinya.

5. Menyapu / mengusap kepala anak yatim
fadhilat - Allah akan mengurniakan sepohon pokok di syurga bagi tiap-tiap rambut yang di sapunya.

6. Bersedekah
fadhilat - Allah akan menjauhkannya daripada neraka sekadar jauh seekor gagak terbang tak berhenti-henti dari
kecil sehingga ia mati. Diberi pahala seperti bersedekah kepada semua fakir miskin di dunia ini.

7. Memelihara kehormatan diri
fadhilat - Allah akan mengurniakan hidupnya sentiasa diterangi cahaya keimanan.

8. Mandi Sunat
fadhilat - Tidak sakit (sakit berat)pada tahun itu
lafaz niat : "Sahaja aku mandi sunat hari Asyura kerana Allah Taala"

9. Bercelak
fadhilat - tidak akan sakit mata pada tahun itu.

10. Membaca Qulhuwallah hingga akhir seribu kali
fadhilat - Allah akan memandanginya dengan pandangan rahmah diakhirat nanti.

11. Sembahyang sunat empat rakaat
fadhilat - Allah akan mengampunkan dosanya walau telah berlarutan selama 50 tahun melakukannya.
lafaz niat : "Sahaja aku sembahyang sunat hari Asyura empat rakaat kerana Allah Taala"
Pada rakaat pertama dan kedua selepas fatihah di baca Qulhuwallah sebelas kali.

12. Membaca
"hasbiyallahhu wani'mal wakil wa ni'mal maula wa ni'mannasiiru"
fadhilat - Tidak mati pada tahun ini .

13. Menjamu orang berbuka puasa
fadhilat - Diberi pahala seperti memberi sekalian orang Islam berbuka puasa.

14. Puasa
Niat - "Sahaja aku berpuasa esok hari sunat hari Asyura kerana Allah Taala"
fadhilat - Diberi pahala seribu kali Haji, seribu kali umrah dan seribu kali syahid dan diharamkannya daripada neraka.

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MyInfo (in Malay): Mandi

Maklumat ini saya dapati dari email...betul atau tidak, wallahualam....

Kajian terbaru berkaitan dengan mandi mendapati ia bukan saja bertujuan untuk membersihkan diri daripada kotoran, tetapi menjauhkan stress serta berperanan penting meningkatkan sistem kekebalan tubuh. Penyelidikan yang diterbitkan dalam New England Journal of Medicine menunjukkan penderita diabetes atau kencing manis yang menghabiskan masa selama setengah jam berendam dalam air suam dapat menurunkan tingkat gula darah sekitar 13 peratus. Kajian di Jepun pula menunjukkan 10 minit berendam dalam air panas dapat memperbaiki kesihatan jantung terutamanya untuk lelaki.

Berikut beberapa manfaat mandi kepada individu yang mengamalkannya.

1. Mengeluarkan racun:
Mandi air panas sekitar 32 hingga 35 darjah Celsius membuka ruang yang dapat membantu mengeluarkan toksin. Mandi air panas membantu menurunkan tingkat gula darah, menyembuhkan sakit otot dan membantu menjaga usus besar supaya bekerja dengan baik. Waktu yang dianjurkan ialah selama 10 hingga 20 minit.


2. Mandi air sejuk sangat baik untuk meredakan ketegangan. Ia dapat menyempitkan darah dan meningkatkan tingkat gula darah. Suhu yang dianjurkan ialah sekitar 12 hingga 18 darjah Celsius.


3. Jangkitan kulit: Penyakit kulit tertentu seperti ruam atau gatal-gatal boleh diatasi dengan menambahkan soda penaik (sodium bicarbonate) ke dalam air mandian. Ia bertindak sebagai antiseptik. Isikan air ke bekas mandian dan tambahkan soda penaik dan aduk sehingga rata. Digalakkan untuk berendam selama 10 hingga 20 minit.


4. Selesema dan sakit kepala: Merendam kaki dalam air panas membantu menyembuhkan selsema, sakit kepala dan menyegarkan kembali kaki yang lelah. Masukkan air panas secukupnya dalam bekas sehingga menenggelamkan pergelangan kaki kemudian tambahkan beberapa titis minyak seperti lavender, peppermint atau lemon. Selepas basuh dengan air sejuk.Lakukannya selama 10 hingga 20 minit.


5. Insomnia: Merendamkan kaki dalam air dingin sangat baik kepada anda. Yang mempunyai masalah imsonia atau memiliki masalah tidur. Masukkan kaki sehingga ia merasa dingin. Perubatan ini berguna bagi kaki lelah,pendarahan hidung, selsema dan sembelit.

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Kontroversi Faizal Tahir dan Zarina An-Julie (Anak Pontianak)

Minggu ni, lanskap hiburan di Malaysia dikejutkan dengan dua berita sensasi dan kontroversi...satu diwar-warkan ke seantero Malaysia dan satu masih lagi jadi bahan sok sek pada mereka yang mendapat maklumat melalui e-mel dan blog.

Kontroversi Pertama: Faizal Tahir buka baju semasa menyanyi di konsert....

Aku pun hairan, apa nak jadi mamat seorang ni. Dulu menyanyi nasyid, lepas tu masuk One in A Million...siap buat cerita sedih, mak bapak dan keluarga tak support dia. Kemudian celebrate macam nak rak depan artis-artis lain yang terkeluar dalam pertandingan Muzik-Muzik. Ini pulak dah buat persembahan sambil buka baju dan buka tali pinggang. Nasib baik tak buka seluar terus. Rosak-rosak mamat ni....tahu lah imej rock....tapi tengok jugak background budaya dan negara yang awak buat persembahan tu....dan jangan lupa background dan asal-asul awak tu...







Sekarang ni kan dah kena hukuman "community work" oleh 8TV. Tapi bagi aku 8TV pun ambil kesempatan dari kekecohan ni. Bak kata orang marketing..."any publicity is good, good publicity-bad publicity...they are still publicity".

Kontroversi Kedua: Gambar-gambar Sensasi Pelakon Siri Anak Pontianak di TV3 - Zarina An-Julie

Yang kes ni pulak...senyap je di latar belakang...tak kecoh pun macam cerita si Faizal Tahir tu....tapi yang ni masya-Allah lagi dasyat. Mula-mula tersebar gambar beliau dan rakan-rakan posing maut dan gambar ke kelab malam.















Tak sampai beberapa hari lepas tu pulak tersebar gambar yang lebih sensasi...iaitu gambar tak berpakaian....gambarnya pula nampak sahih, tak nampak superimpose langsung...

Gambar yang boleh ditunjuk kat sini yang bertapis, yang tak bertapis...paham-paham ajelah....



Kata orang, gambar ni mungkin diambil sebelum dia popular...bagi aku ni lah part yang aku tak faham....pasal buat benda tak senonoh ni aku tak nak komen lah...aku rasa korang lagi arif pasal benda ni dan dah banyak blog dan orang yang dah komen pasal isu ni. Cuma yang aku tak paham...kalau korang nak terjun ke kancah populariti...nak jadi orang seni ke, atau orang politik ke...jangan terjebak dengan benda-benda yang boleh membawa padah bila kita popular nanti. Dalam erti kata lain, kalau tahu ada benda "skeleton in the closet" semasa kita jadi orang biasa dahulu, tolong janganlah jadi orang seni atau politik. Atau kalau ikut kata orang baik-baik, tak payahlah buat benda tak senonoh...period !!! Nanti rosak kat dunia...rosak lagi lepas dunia nanti. Itu sendiri mahu ingat la....

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MyCommentaries: Premier League Round 22

Arsenal's lack of focus handed the EPL lead back to rival, MU. Coupled with shaky central defense pairing, Arsenal had a tough time against Birmingham at Emirates. It's now a wonder whether the Gunners could survived without reliable centre-backs, with Toure on Ivory Coast mission's to capture African Nations Cup.



Arsenal looked dangerous all night, but as the whole world rightly knows...with Arsenal, it's the finishing that counts, as they stumbled to a 1-1 draw. Defensive lapse during a corner, Achilles heel of the Gunners, provided opportunity for Gary O'Connor and he took it, and the score remained 1-1 till the final whistle.

Now, as time running out, would Wenger's stubbornness to not find a suitable centre-back during transfer window, haunt him by the end of the season....Only time will tell, but perhaps a change of heart for the economics professor is needed, in dire time as now.



In the meantime, Man U, seized the opportunity by thrashing managerless Newcastle 6-0.Looking at the vulnerability of Newcastle's defense, and the expressionless and passionless of the Toons on the field, it's no wonder, any Toons manager will leave the team, either voluntarily or involuntarily...with a losing record. True that Man U played superbly last Saturday, but as the season still has some way to go....both Man U and Arsenal has to work hard for the title, as Chelsea is sniffing for the right occasion to pounce in. As the season has shown, anything can happen...even mighty Man U has struggled once Ronaldo was not in form or not playing for one particular game.



Speaking of Chelsea, I wouldn't count them out just yet. Sure, Drogba and some key players are missing. But those players aren't really needed by Grant to get those wins over inferior teams. With the next few games are as follows - at Birmingham, Reading at home, at Portsmouth, it's only until 9th of February, would the missing players be wanted, with the marquee match up against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, followed by the London derby at White Hart Lane on the 23rd of the same month. Even then, I wouldn't be surprised if the Blues manage to grind the results. After all, Roman's money can be easily used to bail them out, should they needed to.



As for Liverpool, time is running out for Rafa, as the Reds stumbled on the domestic front, yet again. Another draw, this time at the Riverside Stadium, spelled doom for Rafa's career at Anfield. It's not that they couldn't catch up the rest of the pack. It's just that the urgency wan't there as the other Premier League contenders duking in day in and day out. Perhaps, even another Champions League success won't save Rafa this time around.



For the rest of the pack, Aston Villa beat Reading 3-1 to maintain their good League form, and at the bottom Derby, despite several new signings, lost 1-0 at home to resurgent Wigan. West Ham won the London derby against Fulham 2-1 to increase the Cottagers' woes. Sunderland sprung a surprise by demolishing Pompey at home 2-0. Everton proved stronger at home compared to Man City's away form, as Lescott rebound from midweek Chelsea's blunder to score the winner. And finally, Anelka-less Bolton played well but lost to Blackburn, as Jason Roberts pounded in a goal at the very last minute.

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NY Giants 21, Dallas 17

NYG 7 7 0 7 21
DAL 0 14 3 0 17

Big D lost gave the headline to the other Manning and the Super Bowl opportunity to the Packers.



First and foremost, it wasn't Manning heroics that destroyed Dallas. It was in fact, the Cowboys themselves that put them in this mess. And the road to dissapointment didn't start at this game. Dallas has been shooting themselves on the leg since their famous showdown victory over the Packers on November 29th. Since then, Dallas focus has gone to some unknown place, as they lost 2 of their next 4 games, including season's closing lost to the Redskins. With much of the postseason talk concerning the Boys focusing on Romo's frolicking with Jessica Simpson in Mexico during playoffs season, the impending doom seemed to be written all over the Texas Stadium, not even before the opening whistle was blown.

Dallas was a ghost of their former self. A team who went 13-3 for the season, the best ever for the Boys, followed it by tying an NFL record with a sixth straight playoff loss. It was not the lost that was dissapointing.It was the manner of the Boys' self-destruction that really made the fans mad.

In addition to their post-season off-the-field distraction, Dallas offense stopped drives with penalties, while the defense kept New York drives alive by drawing more flags. There also was sloppy tackling on defense and special teams, dropped passes and wasted timeouts.

Cowboys' Marion Barber racked up 101 yards by halftime but the game was tied at 14, thanks to a last-minute drive aided by a 15-yard facemask penalty and capped with Manning throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Toomer. The pair hooked up for a 52-yard touchdown on the game-opening drive, with Toomer taking a short pass, bouncing off two defenders and running from everyone else.

The Cowboys stuck to their slow-go game plan to open the second half, but the mistakes began biting them. A dropped pass in the end zone and false start forced Dallas to kick a field goal after a drive that burned the first 8:07 of the third quarter.

The Giants trailed only 17-14. After not getting anywhere on their next drive, a 25-yard punt return by McQuarters left Eli Manning only 37 yards from the go-ahead touchdown. He needed only six plays to get it on a 1-yard run by Brandon Jacobs, who celebrated by throwing the ball into the play clock.

There was still 13:29 left, the 92nd between these division rivals but the first in the playoffs. While it got more interesting, the caliber of play didn't improve. Dallas made more sloppy mistakes and New York missed chances for clock-killing drives.

It finally came down to this: the Cowboys had 1:50 left to go 48 yards.

Romo's scrambling shovel pass to Jason Witten got the Cowboys to the 22 with 31 seconds left, then came more mistakes -- another false start, a short pass that forced Dallas to use its final timeout and a pair of poor throws, a ball in the end zone that Patrick Crayton seemed to give up on before futilely speeding up and the final play, caught by McQuarters.

That missed last effort brought cheers at the Cheese-Land, as lo and behold, no one and I repeat no one won at Lambeau, this time of the season, especially when Favre charm and poise clicked at the same time.

In the end, Dallas, which won twice over the Giants before this game, begun their season by putting 45 points on board over Giants at Texas Stadium. They ended the season, losing to the same Giants, who put the points, just 21 points, when it matters the most. This lost was indeed more painful.

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Charges 28, Colts 24

SDG 0 7 14 7 28
IND 7 3 7 7 24

The Charges were smiling, after their win against the Colts. The Patriots were smiling even wider, as their road to history seems to be in cruising mode with the Colts surprising lost. Almost...as the Charges had other plan as well. They won't be there at the AFC championship to be mere spectators. And perhaps they would rewrite the history....



Nevertheless, by stunning Peyton Manning and the defending champion Colts 28-24 on Sunday, undermanned San Diego removed New England's biggest road block to the Super Bowl. Not that the Chargers are intimidated by facing the 17-0 Patriots in the AFC title game next weekend.

Despite having LaDainian Tomlinson and Philip Rivers on the sideline, the Chargers won their eighth straight game. Of course, that's not even half of what New England has achieved. But San Diego must avoid a repeat of its last performance at New England, when it was routed 38-14 in Week 2. That was the beginning of a slide to 5-5for San Diego, but the Chargers (13-5) are rolling now.

For the Colts (13-4), it was a bitterly quick elimination from the postseason.

A year ago, they won three playoff games, then beat Chicago in the Super Bowl. They couldn't recapture their touch on offense or defense this time. A defense that allowed the fewest points during the season wore down against the equally physical Chargers.

Still, Manning did throw for 402 yards, completing 33 of his 48 throws, but both interceptions killed deep scoring threats.

With All-Pro cornerback Antonio Cromartie getting an interception and fumble recovery, and linebackers Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips plaguing Manning, the Chargers showed they have the ability to throw off any offense. Maybe even the most prolific attack in NFL history next Sunday.

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Wizards 88, Celtics 83

WAS (20-16)18 17 24 29 88
BOS (30-6) 18 19 26 20 83

Boston...NBA Championship material? Peeking on their record will definitely gave doubters rethink about their stance. But, now with 3 losses in the last 5 games, two of which was back-to-back games, against the same team....Wizards, without the main star Gilbert Arenas, for god's sake, and with the latest lost at home court, will gave the doubters a field day indeed. So, what went wrong or were they the real deal ?



For Celts fans, don't panic and don't worry that much. First and foremost, anything can happen in the playoffs. The first rule is to get there first, which in Boston's case, pretty much a done deal. Secondly, this is only their 36th game out of the 82 games they would play...which meant there are plenty of time to reinforce their game. But then again, this should serve a caution to not let their guard down, as each team were going for Boston's heads this season. And for the rest of possible playoff contenders...take note that the Celtics was not that invincible anyhow.

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65th Golden Globe Awards Winners

The low-key 65th Golden Globe Awards (due to Writers Guild of America strike, the precursor for Oscars, was presented on Sunday 13th January 2008.











The Winners are:-

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
ATONEMENT

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
JULIE CHRISTIE - Away From Her

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS - There Will Be Blood

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
MARION COTILLARD - La Vie En Rose

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
JOHNNY DEPP - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
RATATOUILLE

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY – FRANCE AND USA

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
CATE BLANCHETT - I’m Not There

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
JAVIER BARDEM - No Country for Old Men

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
JULIAN SCHNABEL - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
ETHAN COEN & JOEL COEN - No Country for Old Men

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
DARIO MARIANELLI - Atonement

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
“GUARANTEED” — INTO THE WILD
Music & Lyrics by: Eddie Vedder

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
MAD MEN

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
GLENN CLOSE - Damages

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
JON HAMM - Mad Men

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
EXTRAS
BBC and HBO Entertainment; HBO

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
TINA FEY - 30 Rock

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
DAVID DUCHOVNY - Californication

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
LONGFORD
A Granada Production in association with Channel 4 and HBO Films; HBO

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
QUEEN LATIFAH - Life Support

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
JIM BROADBENT - Longford

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
SAMANTHA MORTON - Longford

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
JEREMY PIVEN - Entourage

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Bucks 114, Suns 122

MIL (15-22) 31 37 18 28 114
PHO (26-11) 29 32 35 26 122

A typical Suns win and a typical Suns scoreboard as well. It was so typical for the Suns, and as a result it's another typical Bucks lost to Suns. There are so many typicalities when analyzing the Suns, and yet with these typicalities, Suns foes still can't solve the riddles called the Suns.



Typical - Steve Nash's 26 second-half points lead Suns past Bucks.

Typical - Steve Nash still wasn't feeling all that great, yet he was a spectacular reason the Milwaukee Bucks left Phoenix as losers again.

Typical - The Suns shot 57 percent in a game that featured little defense.

Typical - As the opposing team commented, "Their pick-and-roll is probably the best in the league,"..."so difficult to guard."

Typical - "They almost let you score so they can get the ball back and push it right back at you."

Typical - Bucks lost again to the Suns. Indeed, Milwaukee hasn't won in Phoenix since Feb. 21, 1987.

I strongly pray that these typicalities didn't produce another typicality for Suns....another dissapointment in post-season.

Game notes
The last four home games for Phoenix came against teams playing the second of back-to-back sets. The Suns won three of them. ... Phoenix is 14-2 against the Eastern Conference

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Celtics Lose for Second Time in Last Three Games

BOS (30-5) 19 21 25 13 78
WAS (19-16) 23 18 19 25 85

The mighty Boston which once posted 29-3 in their first 32 games, have lost twice in the last three games, and those lost were against 13-23 Charlotte and the not-that-great 19-16 Wizards.



Perhaps Boston fans could argue that this was just a blip in their season. And indeed, it is. But, on the other hand, four things could be said about these two losses...

1) getting to 72-10 Bulls record is difficult and
2) as the season progress further, it's a wonder whether the Celtics will be as good as their early season form, especially when they started to play against in-form Western Conference's title contenders home and especially away at the Spurs, Mavs, Suns and even the Lakers and
3) it's a wonder how Celtics would cope if one of their big three got injured later in the season. Could any of the so-called backup or six man cover for the lost of the main star, late in the season, and
4) Most importantly, will the Celtics dominance be sustained in the post season, looking at how tiresome they looked the last three games.

Whatever it is, Boston's fans can be proud with their Celtics, as it will take a NY-Mets proportional collapse from now on, to not get the top seed in the East, let alone to qualify for post-season. With the Pats dominance in the NFL and the Sox World Champion's pennant, the Boston fans are perhaps the luckiest fan on earth, and with their historic support for their teams, their fortunes are well-deserving.

Still, for Celtics fan...this should be a concern, as the Suns fans could attest to...getting the best or second best record in the league is the easy part. Translating that record to championship rings was the tricky part. For now, do enjoy and hope for the best in May.

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Seattle 20, Green Bay 42

Can anyone beat the Packers at Lambeau, come playoffs?

Not really, I guess. As the harder it snowed, the better Green Bay played. And now the Packers are heading to their first NFC championship game in 10 years.



With Lambeau Field looking like a snow globe, the Packers posted their biggest points total in postseason history.

This was exactly the scene Favre imagined when he decided to postpone retirement and try for another Super Bowl ring.

The Packers overcame a turnover-prone start that had them in a 14-0 hole barely four minutes in to beat the Seattle Seahawks 42-20. At one point the Packers scored touchdowns on six consecutive possessions as Brett Favre joined Joe Montana as the only NFL quarterbacks to throw for more 5,000 postseason yards.

Ryan Grant made history, too. He made up for his two early fumbles that put the Packers down two touchdowns early to set a Packers' postseason record with 201 yards rushing. He scored three TDs. Greg Jennings caught a pair of TD tosses. Favre tied his personal best for touchdown strikes in a postseason game.

The Packers take on the winner of Sunday's game between the New York Giants and Dallas. If the Cowboys win, they'll host Green Bay. If the Giants win, they'll visit Lambeau Field. But by the look of it, Green Bay fans better hope for an upset at Dallas, as the Packs behaves like the Pats at Lambeau come playoff time.

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Jaguars 20, Patriots 31

Was Tom Brady that perfect? Or was the Patriots supporting casts are that good? No matter what, Patriots are two more games towards perfection.



Tom Brady knocked another mark out of the books in the Patriot's record-breaking season by completing all but two of his 28 passes to lead New England to its second straight AFC championship game with a 31-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday night.

The Patriots pulled away in the second half to improve to 17-0, matching the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the only team to go unbeaten from the first game of the season through the Super Bowl.

Brady completed 92.6 percent of his passes, breaking Phil Simms record of 88 percent (22-of-25) set in the Super Bowl after the 1986 season in which he led the New York Giants to a 39-20 win over the Denver Broncos.

And Brady did it mostly without Randy Moss, who had only one catch.

He hit all the other receivers -- throwing for three touchdowns and 262 yards.

Jacksonville's defense struggled to stop Brady and crew. New England's defense had no such problems against the Jaguars' one-two rushing punch of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, second-most productive during the regular season, who combined for just 66 yards.

It was the Patriots who dominated on the ground as Laurence Maroney rushed for 122 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown.

Add Brady's on-target passing to these regular-season records -- 50 touchdown passes by Brady, 23 scoring catches by Moss and 589 points by the team -- and Jacksonville (12-6) became just another team that couldn't stop the Patriots.

And they're not done yet.

Despite my allegiance to a beautiful game, I am more of a fan of underdog team, hence, I wish for either San Diego or preferably the Colts to upset them next week. Maybe, Manning had another chance to do just that if the two teams meet next week, but only if the Colts survived the Chargers first. Historically, the games between the Pats and Colts are close enought that any of the team could win...and that's why I believe Manning and Team had more of a chance next Sunday. But then the Colts could also stumbled unexpectedly against the Charges, as this season's Colts records has shown (lose unexpectedly). But no offense to Charges , I believe Manning-Brady showdown is a better entertainment for all NFL fans.

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Snow in Dubai?

What else can we say about Dubai?

Dubai (in Arabic: دبيّ, Dubayy, pronounced /dʊ'baɪ/ in English) can either refer to one of the seven emirates that constitute the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the eastern Arabian Peninsula, or that emirate's main city, sometimes called "Dubai city" to distinguish it from the emirate.

Since the leaders of UAE realized that the country can't depend on oil income for their country's survival, it's main city Dubai has went through remarkable and mindboggling expansion and renovation to attract tourists to this desert city.

And so Dubai has evolved from a small village to a modern chic city with beautiful architecturally innovative skyscrapers. And from this city we got the first seven-star hotel in Burj Al Arab.



Next, came the beautiful reclamation islands for millionaires' abodes in Dubai, called Palm Islands.



Then, came the architecturally challenging, The World - a man-made archipelago of 300islands in the shape of a world map currently being built 4 km (2.5 miles) off the coast of Dubai.



And now we have snow in Dubai, for your viewing pleasure (I mean for those not-so-rich who can afford to see all this only from our Internet Explorer, Firefox or Mozilla's browsers)







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75 million Dollars Mansion



How about this for a house? $75,000,000 for the price. Yes, that's six zeroes behind the 75. Located in Newport Beach, near Los Angeles, California, the sprawling Portabello (meaning beautiful door in Italian) Estate, has a price tag that's almost as stunning as its oceanic architecture.

At 30,000 square feet of space, the mansion has eight bedrooms, ten and a half baths and spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean from almost every room. Gracing three oceanfront lots in Cameo Shores, this soft contemporary masterwork is both defined by its stunning seaside site. Every room offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, beach coves and the coastline from Dana Point to Palos Verdes. Everything inside has been painstakingly designed and made to fit the size and scale of the house. Inside the lavish home, Portabello's original owner has recreated a replica of a street from his hometown, Charleston, West Virginia. Indeed, the estate opens new doors of splendid luxury and a host of amenities to create a great living and gala entertaining environment.



Other lavish amenities include 2-story grotto with a pool, 2 spas, swim-up bar, tunnel slide, poolside lounge room and barbecue area, Jacuzzi, kitchen with heated countertops, entertainment level with bowling alley, Art Deco Theater, automotive museum, cafe, full exercise facility. The whopping price tag of $75 million pays for itself. After all, you will be getting 30,000 square feet of fun and unsurpassed luxury.



But, seriously though, even if you had that kind of money, would you even seriously consider living in a place as big as a museum. I know I wouldn't....but maybe I had a change of heart, once I really really had that much of dough. Or, maybe I just bought or build that kind of palace, for show or even for charity. But then again, imagine if you live in this house alone, or maybe with your other half, would it be scary or lonely? You'd be lucky searching for your damn keys if you misplaced those items in the house.



According to one comment at youtube website, the owner has appeared at Oprah and claimed that the house was used only for fundraising for whatever causes that they preached upon. So, maybe the mansion really pays for itself.













Magnificient view from the mansion







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On This Day: January 13

Today is Sunday, January 13, 2008. This is the 13th day of the year, with 353 days remaining in 2008.

Fact of the Day: accents and diacritical marks
Accents and diacritical marks (also known as diacritics) are characters used in writing to indicate a special phonetic (vocal sound) quality for a given alphabetical character. They occur mostly in foreign languages, but we have imported a fair number of foreign words into English. These keep their diacritical marks for a while, but as the words are naturalized into English the accents and diacritical marks fall into disuse. Nowadays, nobody writes hôtel, but we do still write résumé.

Holidays

Sweden: St. Knut's Day

Switzerland: Silvesterklause or Meitlisunntig.

Norway: Tyvendedagen or tjugandedagen

Togo: National Liberation Day.

Russia: Old New Year's Eve.

Events

1893 - Britain's Independent Labor Party (a precursor to the current Labor Party) held its first meeting. It was formed by Keir Hardie.

1910 - Opera was broadcast on the radio for the first time - Enrico Caruso singing from the stage of New York's Metropolitan Opera House.

1931 - The bridge connecting New York and New Jersey was named the George Washington Memorial Bridge.

1955 - Chase National and the Bank of Manhattan agreed to merge, resulting in the second largest U.S. bank.

1964 - Capitol Records released the Beatles' first single in the USA; "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" sold one million copies in the first three weeks.

1966 - Robert C. Weaver was appointed to the U.S. cabinet as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, becoming the first African-American to attain an executive-branch post.

1990 - L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia took the oath of office, becoming the nation's first elected black governor.

1992 - Japan apologized for forcing tens of thousands of Korean women to serve as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II.

2000 - Microsoft chairman Bill Gates stepped aside as chief executive and promoted company president Steve Ballmer to the position.

Births

1808 - Salmon P. Chase, U.S. Treasury Secretary, sixth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

1834 - Horatio Alger, American author.

1884 - Sophie Tucker, American vaudeville singer.

1885 - Alfred Fuller, American businessman, founder of Fuller Brush Company.

1926 - Michael Bond, English author, creator of the Paddington Bear stories.

1961 - Julia Louis-dreyfus, actress

1964 - Penelope Ann Miller, actress

1972 - Mark Bosnich, footballer

1973 - Nikolai Khabibulin, ice-hockey goaltender

1977 - Orlando Bloom, actor

Deaths

1941 - James Joyce, Irish novelist.

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On This Day: January 11

Today is Friday, January 11, 2008. This is the 11th day of the year, with 355 days remaining in 2008.

Fact of the Day: Frankenstein
In Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's novel "Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus," (1818) the story centers on scientist Victor Frankenstein, who creates a monster and breathes life into it. It asked an important scientific question of the day: could the dead be brought back to life? The monster is often erroneously called Frankenstein, but in fact had no name and was referred to as "Monster." The first cinematic version of "Frankenstein" was a sixteen-minute silent film produced by Thomas Edison; the most famous was by Boris Karloff in 1931. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was married to the famous English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and was the daughter of famous English novelists William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft.

Holidays

Albania: Proclamation of the Republic Day (1946).

Nepal: National Unity Day.

Puerto Rico: De Hostos' Birthday (patriot).

Morocco: Independence Day.

Events

49 B.C.E. - Julius Caesar led his army across the Rubicon River, plunging Rome into civil war.

1775 - Francis Salvador, the first Jew to be elected in the Americas, took his seat on the South Carolina Provincial Congress.

1805 - The Michigan Territory was created.

1861 - Alabama seceded from the Union.

1922 - Leonard Thompson was the first person to be successfully treated with insulin, at Toronto General Hospital.

1935 - Aviator Amelia Earhart began a trip from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California, that made her the first woman to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean.

1940 - Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., became the United States Army's first black general.

1964 - US Surgeon General Luther Terry issued the first government report saying smoking may be hazardous to one's health.

1973 - The American League adopted the "designated hitter" rule in baseball.

2003 - Declaring the death penalty "arbitrary and capricious, and therefore immoral," Illinois Governor George Ryan commuted the sentences of 167 condemned inmates, emptying his state's death row two days before leaving office.

Births

1757 - Alexander Hamilton, U.S. statesman, first Secretary of the Treasury.

1885 - Alice Paul, American, chief strategist for the suffrage movement and author of the Equal Rights Amendment.

1946 - Naomi Judd, Actress

1971 - Mary J. Blige, Singer

1971 - Rey Ordonez, Major League Baseball Player

1973 - Rahul Dravid, Indian National Team Cricket Player

1978 - Emile Heskey, Footballer

Deaths

1928 - Thomas Hardy, English poet and novelist.

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PETRONAS 'Super Car' Craze Contest (For Malaysians Only)

Spend a minimum RM20 and stand a chance to win your 'supercar'!

Contest ends 31st March 2008



The prizes (“Prizes”) for the Contest are as follows: -


December 2007 Grand Prize of the Month

One (1) Unit of Subaru Impreza for one (1) winner

One thousand (1000) units of Consolation Prizes

1st - 500th Prize: RM400 of cash (Five hundred (500) winners)

501th -1000th Prize: RM100 of cash (Five hundred (500) winners)


January 2008 Grand Prize of the Month

One (1) Unit of Honda Civic Type R for (one (1) winner)

One thousand (1000) units of Consolation Prizes

1st - 500th Prize: RM400 of cash (Five hundred (500) winners)

501th -1000th Prize: RM100 of cash (Five hundred (500) winners)


February 2008 Grand Prize of the Month

One (1) Unit of Mitsubishi Evo 9 for (one (1) winner)

One (1) Unit of Mini Cooper S for (one (1) Kad Mesra winner)

One thousand (1000) units of Consolation Prizes

1st - 500th Prize: RM400 of cash (Five hundred (500) winners)

501th -1000th Prize: RM100 of cash (Five hundred (500) winners)


March 2008 Grand Prize of the Month

One (1) Unit of BMW 320i (E90) AC Schnitzer for (one (1) winner)

One (1) Unit of Audi TT Coupe Quattro for (one (1) Kad Mesra winner)

One thousand (1000) units of Consolation Prizes

1st - 500th Prize: RM400 of cash (Five hundred (500) winners)

501th -1000th Prize: RM100 of cash (Five hundred (500) winners)

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Uniquely Singapore Weekend. Sign Up & Win !!!

The Singapore Tourism Board, are holding prize draws to encourage users of their website (http://www.visitsingapore.com/weekends) to sign up for their free e-newsletter.

There will be one draw per month and one winner will be selected and awarded a prize.



Each prize consists of one travel package to Singapore, which comprises 2 return economy class air tickets to Singapore departing from an airport, nominated by us, within the country of the prize winner, as well as a 2 night stay at a Singapore-based hotel.

Closing: 24 July 2008

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CNET Asia Readers' Choice Contest

Hurry up ! The "CNET Asia Readers' Choice Contest" starts on 15 Nov 2007 and ends 23 Jan 2008.

The Prizes
1 x Panasonic Viera TH-42PV700H
1 x Toshiba Portégé R500
1 x Sony Ericsson P1i
1 x Sony Ericsson K850i
1 x Nikon S500
1 x Creative Zen 8GB
1 x Creative Zen Stone Plus (Pink)
1 x Canon PIXMA MP610
2 x 3-night stay at the Da Barra Suite, by Macau.com (Other terms apply, see Section 4.7)

1. Eligibility for the Contest
1.1. To qualify for the Contest, participants must be a CNET Asia member and complete the voting process for at least one product category of CNET Asia Readers' Choice.

1.2. The Organizer will randomly select the winner from the qualified members' base. Members with non-valid and incomplete contact details will also be disqualified, at the discretion of the contest Organizer. The Contest is opened to participants residing in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam.

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Shell "Over 100 Cash Prizes Weekly Contest" (For Malaysians Only)

Stand a chance to be one of Shell's Weekly Winners!

How to win
Purchase a minimum RM30 worth of Shell Fuels, submit a contest form and stand a chance to be one of over 1000 weekly winners! Terms and Conditions apply.



Weekly Prizes

RM 25000 x 2
RM 1000 x 10
RM 200 x 250
RM 100 x 800
100,000 Bonus Link Points x 10

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Allardyce Fired

As expected, Allardyce were fired effective immediately, after strings of poor EPL results. An official statement on the club's website has confirmed the news that Newcastle united have parted company with Big Sam, with Chairman Chris Mort explaining that the decision was based on "mutual agreement".



Personally, this news were not a shock to me...as no matter how good a manager is, a flurry of poor results coupled with restless fans complaining, would definitely propel the man in charge out from the club, either voluntarily or not. Big Sam and even Mourinho of Chelsea's ousting were classic example of this scenario.

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Nescafe 70 Years Contest (For Malaysians Only)

Contest Name: Peraduan Nescafe 70 Tahun

Contest Period: 15/1/2008 - 24/3/2008



Main Prizes:

1st Toyota Wish

2nd Toyota Vios

3rd Toyota Avanza

Daily Prizes x 70 Days

1st Samsung LCD 32" TV
2nd Desktop Computer
3rd SONY Home Theater System
4th Nokia 6500 Classic
5th iPod Classic

Just purchase any participating NESCAFE product, answer 3 simple questions. Get your entry forms at your nearest supermarket or download one from www.nestle.com.my. Rules and regulations apply.

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My EPL Team of The Year 2007

Goalkeeper: Manuel Almunia (Arsenal)

- Van Der Sar, Cech and Robert Green has been outstanding when they're playing, but the keyword is WHEN, as all three has been hampered by injury during the first half of the EPL season. Friedel has been consistent and so does David James, albeit the latter did sometimes make unfortunate goalkeeping mistakes. But the two most outstanding GKs so far are Reina and Almunia, the former as evidenced by the lowest goals allowed for an EPL team (13), and the latter for being a very good hand despite the vulnerability of Arsenal defence at set-pieces and counter-attack (being that their CB play Arsene style of football, giving plenty of space when the ball is intercepted). But my hats go to Almunia as Arsenal were never in good hands till after the replacement of Lehmann, resulting Lehmann to bench-warming and FA cup role.

RightBack: Bacary Sagna (Arsenal)

- With injuries to many teams' RightBack and inconsistency to others, only Bacary Sagna and Olof Mellberg (albeit playing out of position) has consistently played, let alone performed, to be mentioned here. But kudos to Sagna for being the most outstanding purchase last summer, as his consistentency in rovering the right midfield provided cover to the two roaming Arsenal central defenders.

CentreBack: Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd)

CentreBack: Richard Dunne (Man City)

- Many candidates can be considered for the Central Defense role. Ferdinand and Vidic has been exceptional for Man U. Dunne and Richards has been outstanding for Man City. Carragher was solid for Liverpool despite injury to his partner and Liverpool rotational policy. Yobo and Lescott has been impressived at Everton. Laursen has been the mainstay of defense at Villa, while Upson has been given a new lease of life since he played at West Ham. As for Arsenal's duo of Gallas and Toure, the Wenger's style of play has unfortunately taken the two defenders out of contention, due to the vulnerability at counter-attacks and set-pieces. Terry and Carvalho should have won their place by default, but as it happened, they are human after all, and has play on and off due to nagging injury. As such, my choice have to be Vidic for his dominant positioning and empowering defensive mode at Man U and Dunne for his consistent and tireless role of holding the fort at City.


LeftBack: Gael Clichy (Arsenal)

- Only two players that has been consistently exceptional at this role which were Clichy of Arsenal and Evra of Man U. Despite the popular choice of Evra, my vote goes to Clichy, as Arsenal left midfield has been consistently well-guarded while at the same time, provide deadly counter-attack to the Gunners' opponents.

Winger: Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd)

- It's difficult to justify omitting him from winning my vote, with his nomination for all the marquee footballing awards. Clearly he's the best at that position.

Central Midfield: Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)

- Say whatever you want, but each time Fabregas is not in the lineup, Arsenal took some time to solidify the central midfield, and his contribution to Arsenal holding the top position has been immense.

Central Midfield: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

- With Hleb taking the next midfield spot, being the mainstay of Arsenal attacking and even defending, especially when Fabregas not being his decisive self since coming back from injury, the competition for the remaining one spot has been fierced, with Mascherano, Flamini, Arteta, Cahill, Bentley, Giggs, Elano, Petrov and Essien consistently dominating the midfield. However, none I believe, define the team's performance as Gerrard, as leaving him out from Liverpool midfield, is as equivalent to denying oxygen to our lungs, as Liverpool is unrecognizable and lifeless without him there. Hence, he's my vote for MVP for that one vacant spot.

Winger: Aliaksander Hleb (Arsenal)

- In choosing Fabregas as one of the key team member of team of the year, many will argue that Hleb is the more consistent and most valuable midfielder for Arsenal, and rightly so he is, as his presence there meant that Arsenal opponents have no one person to target for. Hleb is the unsung hero of the Gunners, and with him out of the lineup, even Fabreagas performance is lackadaisocal by his own standard.

Forward: Dimitar Berbatov (Spurs)

Forward: Roque Santa Cruz (Blackburn)

- No one forward has been consistently menacing so far this season, albeit, their brilliance prevailed most of the time they played. Injury to perennial winner of this spot - Drogba has opened this contest wide open. Adebayor, Rooney, Tevez, Benjani, Keane, Kenwyne Jones, Torres, Agbonlahor, Babel and Yakubu have had their moments but my two votes were given for style points based on their consistency scoring goals halfway through the season and the manner their mere presence produce so many goal scoring opportunities for the team.

Coach: Arsene Wenger (Arsenal)

- Who would have thought the baby Gunners with the departure of Henry could still be fighting for EPL trophy halfway through the season ? Many once believe that Wenger is downright daydreaming and lunatic to keep his faith on this young team, by not splashing money for more marquee players from abroad. A month before the season begun, many so-called pundits has even predicted that the Gunners will be a mid-table team, and will miss the Champions League spot next season. Who would have thought that they are now at a strong position to be guaranteed a Champions League preliminary spot, let alone the top team in EPL with only Man Utd and maybe Chelsea within striking distance. For that, salute to the Professor for being the mad scientist afterall.....

Honorable Mention: Mathieu Flamini (Arsenal), Tim Cahill (Everton), Elano (Man City)

- Special mentioned have to be given to these unsung hero who most of us will never vote for them. But they are thre reasons why Arsenal is no 1. and why Everton and Man City is in contention for Europe....

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Dilbert - January 7th, 2008

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Best Movies 2007

Now that we are in 2007, let's look back at the things we missed in 2007. Starting with my personal best movies of the year. Do you agree with me? Please comment...

1. Bourne Ultimatum

Before the trilogy begun, who would have thought that watching Jason Bourne in action is as much entertaining, if not more, as waching James Bond in action.

But Lo and Behold....Jason Bourne kicked Bond's *ss 3 times in a row. Perhaps one of the best action hero trilogies so far.



2. 300

Love it or hate it. This is an eye-opener for all movie producers, directors or even movie buff. To create something out of nothing....beautiful to look at and the action and storyline doesn't hurt either.



3. Enchanted

Ah...my sentimental choice...given that I was forced to watched with my other half...and it wasn't dissapointing at all. And Amy Adams is georgeous in it....



4. Atonement

My Oscar-pedigree movie choice of the year. Good storyline, execellent acting....totally inspiring....I hope it won Best Picture for next year's Oscar...but my gut feeling says it won't....



5. Ocean's 13

For some reason, despite being good-looking, Brad Pitt seldom make man like me puke when watching him on the silver screen. And despite the negative review this movie gets, watching it three times did not dissapoint me, even with so many marquee actors in it. The movie has its suave feeling and I believe the movie is well-choreographed and well-acted....



6. Hot Fuzz

There's something funny and downright entertaining when the British try their hand at making an action movie with their bobbies as the main hero or anti-hero...and the result was marvellous as well...



7. Gone Baby Gone

After Gigli, who would be in the right mind watch something that Ben Affleck concocted. I was wrong, really wrong with a big capital W, as this movie with his brother Casy as main actor proved that big brother Ben can make successful movies, perhaps with him not in it....



8. Ratatouille

Remember how everyone was talking about Toy Story when it first came out? The incredible visuals, unique style, vividly imagined world? The next time people were talking that way with such enthusiasm about a computer animated movie was Finding Nemo. I'm excited to say that Ratatouille will be the next one to redefine the visual creativity and technical detail of computer animated movies.



9. No Country For Old Men

Another Oscar-Type movie gem which could surprise everyone.



10. Lust, Caution

Breathtaking albeit confusing, but Ang Lee's movie was sexy as hell...

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Happy New Year

Greetings.

This new year has brought me few resolutions. One of which is to create a successful personal blog to make my life more organized.

A little bit of myself. I am a 30+ male from a city called Melaka in Malaysia. I am an HR practitioner in a Shared Services Organization. Married with 2 lovely kids. Enjoy reading, web-surfing and interested in many things...many of which will be discussed here on my blog

- mainly my love of sports, particularly football (I'm a fan of entertaining football - no die-hard allegiance to any team, but have been supporting both AC Milan and Arsenal since the 80s), American sports i.e. American Football, NBA and MLB (as I get fond of them during my days studying there in Arizona for 8 years),
- General News
- Personal Finance
- Technology especially PDA (specifically PALM) technology
- Business News
- Contests
- Health Advice
- Working Life
- Entertainment World especially movie reviews
- and various other trivias.

As my mother tongue is in Malay, I would like to apologize in case my English is difficult to comprehend. I would try to post in English as it is the universal web language, but once in a while, I will post in Malay to cater for those in my home country.

Last but not least, I encourage those who would like to post a comment to post it here and again I would like to apologize this blog appearance while I am in the learning mode to make this blog a presentable one.

Happy New Year !

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